The BBC provide an application for the phone i have, the Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic - Hailed as an Iphone Killer in it's early days.... It's obviously not an Iphone killer as it doesn't have any of the same "i've got to have one because everyone else has" hype, and as a result has a fraction of the independent development targetted at providing software for it.

However.

The BBC Iplayer app for the 5800 is simple, effective and very pleasing to use. I use it on a regular basis and the only thing that makes me wish I had an Iphone is that the TvCatchup service supports Iphone, but not 5800.

People will probably suggest that i use skyfire, i already do, but as touchscreen and flash don't exactly work together brilliantly, it's not able to go fullscreen so the framerate is cack.

Of course there going to make it for the iPhone it has the largest user base in smart phone users.

If they were to make it for other hardware first then your looking at a minimum of 20-30 applications to cope with all the different hardware specs, screen resolutions, input methods, operating systems, and then try to find a suitable delivery method and provide installation support for all these varying methods.

When i develop an App to bloody right i am going to go the easiest route to the largest client base that has a track record for paying for, downloading and being able to install the app i have developed.

If the other mobile phone manufacturers want a peace of that cake then they can learn how to unify there products to all work the same at the software level at least and provide a distribution method that users can use and are willing to use.

At least with the iPhone i also know that the app i make with run on every iPhone and the iPad and future iPhones and iPads without me having to redesign every time the screen changes shape or they completely change OS like the others.

I don't mind the BBC making its content widely available but I do mind them wasting money to help push the iPhone. Nothing against the iPhone but I don't want the BBC spending money on something that only works on one company's hardware, especially as the iPhone isn't that popular.

It is a global market and the UK needs representation as best they can. The BBC iphone app raises the profile of the BBC and helps spread information. Newspapers can go f*ck themselves. If they manage to stop this it will be a step backwards for everyone.

The NPA are acting like self-serving luddites.

BBC make some decent content, and the small amount of money I pay to them each year goes a long long way.

Compared to SKY, who make very little original content, the BBC are major producer of TV shows.

SKY costs me 5x the price of the BBC, and SKY doesn't deliver 5x the quality or quantity. Actually, SKY does deliver the quantity, it's just a shame so much of it is rubbish.

The BBC, for such a large organisation, is actually running rings around most of the private businesses. The private enterprises look slow, old, out of touch and out of date.

Those old dinosaurs, may they RIP.

Why are they only making a fuss over apps to view news when anybody with a phone in the last decade could quite happily just read the bbc news site in their phones web browser? Or would trying to prevent people from accessing BBC content in the most common way reveal the absurdity of their position?

I am fed up with these attacks on the BBC providing public service broadcasting through any channel it can.

It's interesting to see there are several fledging facebook groups protesting (my favourite being a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=342525019947" "BBC apps not advertising pap!" /a ). Doubt there'll be many arguing for News International and co.'s profits.

The BBC is the only one that will go forward. Less and less are buying newspapers and get their news online. As you'll have to pay extra for the likes of Murdoch's crap to download, most folks will choose to go to the BBC as they pay for that already.

In ten years time the BBC will still be around but as for the newspapers.....

A huge chunk of Murdoch's et al empire is now on borrowed time and he doesnt like it.

Worth twice the license fee to me if it helps knock him down a peg or two.

Transparency at the BBC?! Don't make me laugh! The degree of accountability they demonstrate is about as narrow as their Guardian/Independent leftist mindset, which rails against their perceptions of imperialism yet, seemingly oblivious to the irony, are the most imperialist tax-payer-funded organisation in the world. Enough BBC.

Going forward the only sustainable model for news content is public funding or private endowment/patronage.

The alternative proposed by News Corp et al is pressuring governments to enact ever more draconian copyright law.

And I'd rather pay my tax to the BBC where there is at least transparency and a degree of accountability, than a government enforced Murdoch tax.

The BBC is funded by the public - so this is precisely what they ought to be doing. They have a duty to provide their service to as many UK residents as possible. Did we have these complaints with radio? Commercial radio still exists alongside the BBC services - I think newspapers have the wrong attitude, the BBC isn't taking their customers, they're just not being creative enough to keep them. If a service is worth paying for, I'll pay for it - which is why I have zero objection to paying my license fee.

The NPA is right, the BBC is abusing its position and trying to wipe all competition out with tax money.

If the BBC want a truly equal playing field they'd stop forcing people to pay a BBC TV Licence and go with a voluntary subscription