By Ken Siegal

When we last looked, the Blackberry was the "official" unofficial office tool. Everybody had one, everybody connected to work email, some work applications, and work pals, bosses and underlings.

This summer, that's changed. In my office area, there's only one holdout with a 'berry -- everybody else has gone iPhone on us. There's mail, there's Twitter, there's messaging, there's GPS built in. And we won't even talk about all the non-work stuff, ranging from pedometers to measuring devices.

Morning conversations have "evolved" from discussing the progress of specific strategic projects with expected outcomes to ... does it feel funny typing on an iPhone touch screen?

Now I know it's new and cool, and I know that just about everybody who doesn't already have one will be getting one for Christmas this year. But I'm not really seeing it as an investment in productivity for most people. Companies often bought many employees a Blackberry to extend the tether (the role that used to be filled by a beeper). Particularly in these economic times, I can't see most companies switching to iPhones instead. Anybody know any company -- outside of Apple -- that has done so? Please let us know.

So will it become as ubiquitous as an iPod, or even a 'berry? At that price, and without corporate support? And with no meaningful professional functions to boost productivity?

I guess I'd have to say "yes", it can't possibly miss. Am I wrong?