Have you ever wondered why you can't simply author PDF files directly in a word processor? Most word processors like Microsoft Word use their own proprietary format, or a standard format like RTF. But Adobe's PDF format is the recognized standard in cross-platform page layout file formats; if you send someone a PDF file, you can be virtually guaranteed that they will be able to open and view it. And better yet, what they see will be exactly what you intended.

Though it may not seem like the world needs another word processor, the folks at PageHand decided that the ones that are currently available left something to be desired. And thus, PageHand, the word processor, was born.

PageHand has to be the most approachable word processor I've ever seen. When you first launch it, a sample document opens that is essentially a written tutorial. You are encouraged to change and edit the sample document as a way to get comfortable with PageHand's features, and can always revert back to the original sample document right from the Help menu item. With this tutorial, a new user could be comfortable navigating PageHand and using its various features very quickly.

TUAW previously covered PageHand prior to its release during WWDC, when they posted a first-look preview video. It's now in release, and is available for a limited time for $39.95, after which it will go back to the regular price of $49.95. There is a 30 day trial version available, and a money back guarantee.

So some guy named Steve Jobs got up on stage at something called the WWDC yesterday and talked about some products from a company called...orange or banana? Or was it carrot.

Oh, Apple, that's right.

It was long. And sometimes boring. So thanks to Mahalo Daily, here it is in Sixty Seconds. Did we get our iPhone with iRobot and iHateMakingMyOwnCoffee? We do get Exchange integration and now we're all Mobile with MobileMe and plus Apps for iPhone coming July 11th. Whew, that's a lot.

What they left out was that the new OS Snow Leopard or Rain Monkey or whatever (coming next year), will support multi-core processors, AND be able to take advantage of even more RAM (up to 16TB!).

See for yourselves.

This last Saturday I had the good fortune of being in the middle of a passionate debate between Roy Singham and another ThoughtWorker over iPhone vs. other smartphones. Roy argued that the iPhone is not the game changing device that most people claim it to be because his Nokia N95E90 smartphones can do more and better. The discussion was cut short due to scheduling pressure but it got me thinking, why do people lust after iPhone more than other smartphones? Is it because of the large touch screen? Is it because of the Safari browser? Is it because the iPhone is a video iPod and a cell phone? Or is it all just hype?

iPhone day is upon us. Much has already been written about the iPhone despite the fact that only a handful of journalists have used it. One thing that is common among all reviews is the AT&T's EDGE network is slow. Perhaps it is faster now but EDGE is still no 3G.

Earlier this month at WWDC, Jobs told Apple's developers to develop web applications for the iPhone instead of releasing a SDK. Again, much had been written about how developers felt betrayed by Apple, and that web applications are not really applications at all. Despite all these resentments, a few iPhone only web sites have sprung up since WWDC. Unfortunately, none of them are particularly impressive or useful probably because no one has gotten their hands on a real iPhone yet, which kind of confirms what the developers feared; that web applications will not be as good as proper iPhone applications. There are exceptions, of course. NewsGator's online feed reader allows users to read their RSS feed via the web anywhere and sync with their desktop apps when they get home. Similarly, the latest version of Google Reader does the same.

With all the attention on iPhone only web apps, I think people are neglecting the regular web sites. Just because iPhone's Safari can render regular web sites fully and allows the users to navigate/zoom around the site with their fingers, it does not mean it provides the best user experience.

My prediction will be that as soon as all the new iPhone owners get home and start surfing to their favorite news site/blog/message board via EDGE connection, they will find that -- although they can do almost everything on that smaller screen -- it is not as easy as on the desktop computer. They will be disappointed and lots will be written on the web this weekend about how web surfing sucks on the iPhone using EDGE. And I will agree with them. Can you imagine loading and navigating cnet.com on the iPhone using EDGE?

So what can be done to improve the user experience? The solution is a concept that has existed ever since cell phones were able to connect to the internet; mobile versions of web sites. The idea of a stripped down version of the regular web site for a mobile phone is as old as HTML4/CSS2 themselves. Some of the best examples that I have used are Fandango, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Vox. What is so good about specificly tailored mobile web sites? First, they are designed with cell phone in mind so the site is generally formatted to fit the narrower screens. Second, because of limited bandwidth mobile, they strip out all extraneous graphics, animations, AJAX menus and buttons, Flash, and the like. so the page will load quickly. Third, and the most important of all, because of the previous two reasons these sites always focus on what the users want to do on the site. Whether it is to find movie times on Fandango, updates your current thoughts/activities on Twitter or Facebook, or read/compose blog on Vox, these sites let users get there and do it quickly and pleasantly.

Some of the big players in the web are already there. Both Yahoo and Google have mobile version of their sites, allowing quick access to search, emails, and other features. BBC has a PDA version, so does CNN. As the battleground shifts from desktop to mobile computing, web sites need to start thinking about how their sites look on a restricted device (be it a UMPC, iPhone, etc.) because it is no longer just about providing content or services. It is about how easy the users can access these content or services.

My hope is that the iPhone will finally make web developers pay more attention to the mobile experience of their web sites. Even if iPhone 1.0 disappoints, at least other mobile web users will benefit from improved user experience.

The iPhone has been anticipated for a long time. A very long time. It's finally coming out, and could have the potential to be better than we could have ever imagined with a surprise turn of events.

Apple's Wordwide Developers Conference is today in San Francisco, and some exciting news has been rumored to be dropped at the event. Steve Jobs may announce that they will be letting developers write programs for the iPhone to broaden the appeal of it. The phone does run on OSX, making it more than highly possible to open up the device for outside applications and many other issues as well. Jobs had said a while ago that they will not be opening up the device in the near future until Apple had monitored it due to possible security concerns that could arise, but has since changed their minds.

If this 3rd party accessibility news does indeed get released today, the possibilities for the iPhone are endless as a full and complete mobile device. The phone will get released on June 29th, ranging from $499-$599 for an 8GB device.

What would be your first application wish for the iPhone?

UPDATE: Its official, the iPhone has been opened up for developers. Developers can now write Web 2.0 and AJAX apps that look and behave exactly like apps on the iPhone.

All of you Mac OS X software designers and developers take note, Apple's Design Awards is coming up, and they are looking for some winners!

The Apple Design Awards have entered their 12th year in recognizing technical excellence and outstanding achievement in the design and development of software for Mac OS X.

Think your application has what it takes? Categories include:

• Best Mac OS X Leopard Application
• Best Mac OS X User Experience
• Best Mac OS X Developer Tool
• Best Mac OS X Game
• Best Mac OS X Scientific Computing Solution
• Best Mac OS X Dashboard Widget
• Best Student Application

If you are planning on entering, or want to give us a shout about your Mac OS X application, send us in a tip. Deadline for entries is April 23rd.

June 11-15th will see San Francisco packed with Developers heading to the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. The five-day event will see developers and IT professionals attending conference session after conference session about working with the latest Apple developer tools. There will be sessions on choosing and using the latest APIs to make the most of OS X, and how to create mind-blowing, effective user interfaces. Attendees to the conference will get the chance to work side by side with Apple engineers who are responsible for OS X features, ensuring that developers get all of their questions answered from the best possible individuals. This is a not-to-be-missed event for those hardcore OS X developers, web developers, software developers, system administrators, and IT managers out there. Ticket prices range from US$1,295 to $5,180 for a pack of 5 tickets.

In case you've been living under a rock, today kicks off Apple's 2006 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco. Steve Jobs will be delivering his keynote at 1pm EST, and if up-to-the-minute "Stevenote" coverage is your kind of thing, both TUAW and Engadget will be liveblogging it. To quote Scott over at The Unofficial Apple Weblog, "Well, we know for sure that a preview of Leopard (Mac OS 10.5) will be shown, I am sure iPod sales will be recapped, and I think Steve will say 'Boom' a few times. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine." If the photo above from the Moscone Center (courtesy Engadget) is any indication, things are about to get a little catty.