There are some very well informed people who know what they are talking about when it comes to the internet that predict that there will be a huge move away from the wired internet in the next few years as people dump their home computers for online access in favor of mobile communications.

If this prediction has any validity, then where the iPhone that Apple produces will fit into that internet landscape is worth considering. Right now about one out of every seven people have disconnected from their landlines and only use cell phones for their communication needs. When you focus just on the younger generations, that percentage goes way up. It won’t be long before a house with phones on the wall will be the stuff of ancient history. And when it comes to eliminating wired interent, the precedent of dropping land-lined phones will pave the way for sending wired interent into the history books too. The iPhone just moves that process along more quickly than before.

“Internet nomads” is a new phrase for those who already are completely mobile in their access to cyberspace. For that group, there may come a time when even the iPhone will seem like ancient technology to them that will sit in museums next to the early versions of Windows and the first Intel chips. It could be that Apple’s closed development policy may be what pushes the iPhone into the history books.

There are three big advantages that make it possible for the iPhone to dominate the market. The low $200 price to get that first iPhone combined with a very easy to use interface for customers and a huge App store all work together to make the iPhone an attractive product. The help of Microsoft to integrate the PARC mouse based interface for users with no royalty helps too. The result is the user interface for the iPhone will continue that momentum of innovation in a nonproprietary setting.

It is a question whether the impressive iPhone App Store will become something that sustains the iPhone in the market or whether it too will pass into history to be studied by future business and computer arts school students. What makes the iPhone applications brilliant is that current mobile broadband services offer inconsistent throughput. What makes the iPhone App Store brilliant is that it offers applications for download that are safe from spyware of viruses.

There are a huge array of communications alternatives with the iPhone, which includes UMTS/HSDP, GSM/EDGE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. With that much communications strength, the concept of the Internet nomad should be a reality. But at this time, the infrastructure for data communications is way behind voice communications. This where iPhone covers the slack by removing many of the inconsistencies in data service. As such, the apps are a real value to AT&T and its customers and those apps are one way that so many mobile users justify paying for an iPhone and budgeting the monthly costs of service.

The relationship of AT&T to Apple as their exclusive cell phone network provider has all the makings of the basis for a strong and diverse community of developers for mobile data applications, which in turn would create a big customer base for the Apple App Store. However, despite the impressive strength and support abilities of AT&T, even they cannot man enough customer service desks with trained reps to support the many problems customers have with downloading and installing this huge library of independently developed apps. Thankfully, the App Store has high standards for their independent developers, which keeps AT&T’s staff of customer service reps from being even more overwhelmed.

Now, if we look down the road a bit to a time when the data networks for mobile devices catches up and to at time when designers of mobile devices begin to utilize more sophisticated electronics, better batteries and faster processors and that presents a much different picture. In a setting where App Store offerings run on a secure browser, they would perform much better. When the time comes that browser technology uses better personal privacy standards, that will go a long way toward resolving the issues with personal privacy for those using the iPhone.

A time is coming very soon when over the majority of App Store applications will become obsolete because already 80% of Java, Flash and XML programs run on mobile devices without too much trouble. The only thing needed for mobile device applications to explode with the same richness and diverse of the wired interent, is the development of a standard software developers kit which will facilitate the control of the hardware of mobile devices.

At this time, it is not clear what the legacy of the iPhone will be when the mobile Internet begins to take over. It could be the App Store will continue to be popular because it does offer a great business model for advertisers as well as developers. But it is just as likely that the increased competition combined with better bandwidth for mobile devices and new generations of mobile communications will cause the App Store to become a dinosaur in the market.

The one thing we can count on is the future where Internet nomads rule cyberspace is coming. It is only a question about how much of the technology that these nomads use will be branded and open source technology. Time will tell.