Yeah, that too...

Apple announced weeks ago that the iPhone, a revolutionary new cellular phone platform, would be taking corporate users seriously and integrating the missing pieces into the upcoming release of the new operating system version 2.0.

While Exchange email/contacts/tasks/note synchronization, remote management and security is, in fact, a big deal and has made the Blackberry ubiquitous in the enterprise, the iPhone has a long way to go to become an enterprise tool in traditional corporate America. While cutting edge firms like technically savvy upstarts, media, marketing and places where only the hip survive it will thrive, the iPhone with its sleek design and obviously placed logo carries a stigma which attaches itself to the behavior of the owner.

I myself have experienced it.

I personally own an iPhone for personal use and a Blackberry for work; not really by choice. It doesn't matter who or where but use a Blackberry and everyone knows you are moving mountains, making deals, putting out fires and perhaps, firing someone. You shouldn't be disturbed because you are working.

Get in a meeting and play with your Blackberry and you are a mover and a shaker and the fact that you are not paying attention is condoned because "he's on his Blackberry". Produce an iPhone and everyone immediately assumes you couldn't possibly be working on anything productive and "he played through the meeting on his phone".

These comments used to be reserved for the Blackberry users but with the addition of the iPhone to the market, the Blackberry moved from an annoyance to a business tool.

The Crackberry addiction stigma transference occurred because, just like the Blackberry, they are addictive, but now the iPhone made the Blackberry legitimate.