Snow Leopard Server and the iPhone have a Failure of Communication

Thursday, December 17, 2009

In a nod to all things ridiculous Apple has created a server that fails to connect with its own hardware. A quick look around the iPhone blogosphere shows the ultimate in ironies, the acme of folly, and a number of seriously disgruntled mac users. It seems that Apple in its infinite wisdom has created an operating system with their release of Snow Leopard Server (SLS)that fails to connect with one of their most popular and innovative devices, the iPhone.

The iPhone is a great device but upon its original release many elements were missing if the iPhone was ever going to be seriously considered as a business machine for the future. Among these was its lack of “push technology”.

After a year of the first iPhones shipping, Apple released iPhone OS 2.0 allowing over the air synching of its calender, and contact information for those using MobileMe or Microsoft´s Exchange. iPhone 2.0 also brought push email to the iPhone a must for the on the go businessperson and Apple´s first effort at delivering a phone truly built for speed in today´s business environment.

The irony? SLS, released on August 28th, 2009 offers no push notifications for email or calender. It´s perplexing to even guess why one would ignore there own server in the race to make the iPhone a contender in the business world. Many believed this would soon be rectified, but two iPhone OS updates later, this conncectivity is no closer to reality even given an SLS update to OS 10.6.2. In addition, to a lack of push notification functionality SLS was designed with no intention of delivery conncetivity to the iPhone through SLS´s new Address Book Server. Bizarre.

Apple whose other server offerings have always kept administrators happy should be ashamed. It displays a wonton disregard for a customer base whose loyalty has never truly been pushed. Not unlike data on Apple´s newest server.

This is a post by The Apps Machine