iPhone SDK apps: AIM and others headed your way

Apple wasn't just loving on gamers and enterprise types with its app announcements today. Other hot softwares to get the iPhone treatment include AIM, Epocrates and Touch FX. It probably wouldn't be much of a stretch to call AIM the most requested app for the iPhone, and while we would've liked to see it included out of the box, it's better late than never, right? Epocrates is a medical app, which sounds very very interesting for all five people out there planning on using it. Touch FX is quite a bit more fun, developed by Apple in a couple days and featuring realtime picture manipulation with multitouch.

[John @ Mar 6th 2008 2:06PM]

I would like to extend a large "eff-you" to the Apple haters who said that the iPhone was a piece of junk.


Thank you.

[Esat @ Mar 6th 2008 2:10PM]

Prepare to be lowest ranked. :)

[wunch @ Mar 6th 2008 2:39PM]

I'd think Skype would be the most requested iPhone app, personally.

[doniel @ Mar 6th 2008 2:48PM]

Does any one know if there is a possibility that Microsoft's MSN messenger will come to the iphone? AIM's only big in the US. MSN messenger is more popular for users in other countries.

[AdamY @ Mar 6th 2008 2:50PM]

MSN didn't demo an application today, but there's no reason why not.

Plenty of multi-IM protocol clients (Trillian, etc.) will probably be made using the new Dev Tools. I'd be shocked SHOCKED not to see an MSN, Yahoo!, GTalk, etc. available when this sucker drops in June.

[Mister Cow @ Mar 6th 2008 4:18PM]

i'd be surprised if Apple would allow someone to make an msn app for an APPLE product, thats like saying America wants Osama Bin Laden for President.

[Scott @ Mar 6th 2008 7:13PM]

Mister cow, did you somehow miss the Exchange announcement? I mean, they even talked with a Microsoft guy during the presentation!

[jim @ Mar 6th 2008 3:08PM]

Epocrates is a very important app. If by 5 people you mean all doctors, then I agree.

[esilver @ Mar 6th 2008 3:15PM]

Damn straight jim...
This Engadget update was a little cryptic--when are these "headed our way"? Next week? A month? Now?
Thanks

[Irfan @ Mar 6th 2008 3:24PM]

free app with almost every drug you need, precautions, dosing, pharmacology... a little less organized than lexi-comp, but its not $150 either.

most every doctor with a smartphone uses one of the two, more and more seem to be using epocrates since its free. unless only 5 doctors/dentists/medstudents use iphones i think its gonna be downloaded a lot.

[toleraen @ Mar 6th 2008 6:32PM]

Don't forget nurses as well. I know several that carry PDAs around for the sole purpose of running that program.

[Windzilla @ Mar 6th 2008 4:01PM]

yea, considering there are over 3 million nurses and doctors in the US alone, a huge number of which use epocrates or other medical software.

But i'm sure it has nothing to do with the user base, more likely jobs is interested highlighted epocrates because it would impress all the people who wanted a video game.

[G Tom @ Mar 6th 2008 3:22PM]

Yeah, you'd be surprised at how many medical students, residents, and doctors have iPhones. I mean, when you already have a Palm Pilot, 1 or more pagers, other stuff, and have to have a cell phone... why not an iPhone?

[Jojo @ Mar 6th 2008 3:36PM]

I am psyched about the availability of epocrates. I, along with hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers, use epocrates to ensure correct dosing of medications and other healthcare related information on a daily basis. say goodbye to my crappy pda, say hello ipod touch.

[Adam @ Mar 6th 2008 3:38PM]

What the hell is AIM? The rest of the world uses something good.

[Kevin @ Mar 6th 2008 3:41PM]

Adium. iPhone version. Por favor.

[hotlatinmonkey @ Mar 6th 2008 4:19PM]

I would love an multi-client IM app... beside the ones I'm using. Sure iphone.beejive.com & meebo.com work decent, but not good enough. You disconnect if you get out of Safari or answer a call. I don't care who makes it to be honest. Adium/Trillian/Pidgin/etc... as long as it works!!!

[Laura @ Mar 6th 2008 4:33PM]

shouldn't it be hipocrates?

[jdavis @ Mar 6th 2008 5:17PM]

Umm.. It's obviously a riff on Hippocrates in the, slightly outdated, mode of just putting "e" in front of anything that is remotely gadgety.

Also, Doctors are some the most gadget-happy people in the world. Not only do they need to have quick access to auxiliary brains, they have the disposable income to purchase them. Well done, epocrates!

[Sam Winter @ Mar 7th 2008 3:55AM]

oh for christs sake, are you serious?

[Matt @ Mar 6th 2008 5:24PM]

I guess I'm 1 of the 5 people waiting for Epocrates. My Palm with drug book and medical thesaurus got me through school and clinicals. My buddy who graduated with me also shedded his Palm for an iPhone and a drug guide has been the #1 missing thing for both of us.

[FooFoo @ Mar 6th 2008 6:36PM]

Two of five people waiting for Epocrates!

[AppleDoc @ Mar 6th 2008 6:53PM]

Epocrates for iPhone- add me to the list of five. I gave up on Palm years ago. The only thing I ever bitched about was lack of medical software for my iPhone. Now those days are gone. BTW, my hospital is full of iPhone toting physicians who will be using Epocrates- so add them to the list too.

[Wayne @ Mar 6th 2008 10:11PM]

Ignorance is bliss, non?

I echo the sentiment of many here. ePocrates is an essential for me (the only reason that I use LexiDrugs at present is because my school has a subscription), and, quite frankly, one of the only reasons I use a PDA. Tools like these are fantastic when we as physicians want to ensure correct dosing, see if a drug shouldn't be used during pregnancy, check for drug-drug interactions and the like...

And, now, the best part, being able to figure out what medication that a patient is on when they don't recall the name, when they take it, or why they take it and the only information they can provide is that "it's a white pill with a blue line down the middle"

So, count me among the five.

[tapetum @ Mar 7th 2008 12:18AM]

To those waiting for an epocrates iPhone app. Check out their website as they have an iPhone web version running for us while waiting for the real app.

[Alexander Pink @ Mar 7th 2008 12:46AM]

Alright epocrates! I knew they were working on an app since they have a site up now for iphone users, so it's great news that it will be coming out soon. Probably push me over the edge in favor or an iphone over an HTC.

[foxx @ Mar 7th 2008 9:11AM]

Know im definately going to get an Iphon. All ! need is 3G, and epocrates

[Bearius @ Mar 7th 2008 10:04AM]

"Epocrates is a medical app, which sounds very very interesting for all five people out there planning on using it" Obviously the person who wrote this post does not have any contact in the medical community. I've been using Epocrates for about 5 years now and all the Nurse Practitioner and MDs that I work with use it as well or come to one of us to use it. It is one of the most popular medical app out there and if indeed it comes to the iPhone, I'll be ditching my Palm TX for good!!!

[meclizine50mg @ Mar 7th 2008 11:23AM]

Yes Mr. Paul Miller, epocrates on iPhone is a very big deal for the medical community. Epocrates was originally developed for the Palm platform starting about 10 years ago, and was a HUGE contributor to the success of PDA use in the medical world, specifically Palm/Sony Clie devices, several years ago. Many doctors today even continue to look for Palm/Clie devices off of eBay in order to continue to use epocrates because they need it, yet would rather use the iPhone than a Treo or a Windows Mobile device - so yes this news has impact on Palm and makers of Windows Mobile devices. And yes, Mr. Paul Miller, doctors read engadget, use iPhones, and find the news about epocrates much more of a cause for celebration than games and compatibility with Exchange.

[Chris G @ Mar 7th 2008 11:53AM]

Paul Miller wrote:
"Epocrates is a medical app, which sounds very very
interesting for all five people out there planning on
using it."

You seem to have forget that the medical community
was by far Apple's largest market for the Apple Newton.
Apple, smartly so, appears not to have forget this.

cheers,
Chris

http://GigantiCo.squarespace.com

[Jeff Ferguson @ Mar 7th 2008 12:06PM]

When Epocrates is added, every doctor who currently doesn't use an iphone will then make the jump! I've had to keep my Treo around the office just to use that feature. Now if they will just also bring out 3g model so I can pawn my current iphone off to one of my kids, I'll be thrilled!!!!