It was just five years ago that Steve Jobs announced the iPhone, which despite early criticisms came to redefine mobile computing.

While the frivolous iPhone apps usually get most of the media attention (yes, there really are over 175 apps that can produce rude bodily noises), there are quite a few apps that can help you do your job as an IT worker. While less notorious, they are worth your time to download and check out.

When the iPhone was first launched in June 2007, it was generally panned by IT managers and systems administrators. It didn't support any encryption of user data, could not have any enforced security policies and offered no way to remotely wipe data if it were lost or stolen. At the time, a lot of companies weren't prepared to accept those security gaps. Perhaps more importantly, the iPhone didn't yet support any third-party applications or interact with most office suites.

Google's Nexus One, built by Taiwan's HTC, offers much of what one expects in a high-end 3G smartphone. Yet is it enough, and good enough, to give the iPhone 3GS a run for the money? Initial reviews like its design, speed and integration with the Web. With a two-year T-Mobile contract (at $US80 per month), Nexus costs $US179 (or $530 unlocked). A CDMA version is due with Verizon Wireless in Spring 2010. In this slideshow, we focus on some of the key differences, comparing the two smartphones in terms of their published specifications, with some comments from (and links to) early reviews and assessments of the Nexus.

Motorola's new Droid 3G smartphone could have what it takes to grab a chunk of the mobile data market and rival the iPhone's success: Big touchscreen coupled with a sliding Qwerty keyboard, robust Web browser, the improved Android 2.0 operating system, and tight integration with Google services. This slideshow looks at both phones, based on their specifications.

Just how lucrative is the iPhone App Store for a business in application development? Is it easy to achieve success or is money on app development better spent elsewhere? The top Australian iPhone app developers speak exclusively to Computerworld about success in the iPhone App store.

Apple Inc. has an interesting pie-slicing problem coming as far as developers of iPhone (and iPod Touch) applications are concerned. All of those first- and second-generation iPhones run the same operating system -- the just-released iPhone OS 3.0 -- as the new 3GS model. But the latter includes new hardware such as a magnetometer, a faster CPU and faster GPU, as well as more memory. If developers build shiny new apps with only those features in mind, they'll limit their market. What to do?

Microsoft recently announced that Oct. 22 is the ship date for its coveted Windows 7 OS. But last week as the tech world buzzed loudly about the unveiling of Apple's new iPhone 3G S and Palm Pre smartphone, it was easy to forget about the next version of Windows.