iOS, PPML and AFP...

So after spending a lot of time with the various Apple developer platforms I see the potential to create some AFP-based tools for iPhones and iPads.

For one thing the Quartz system on iOS provides a convenient means to rasterize PDF and PS to bitmaps so its likely that creating an iPad or iPhone APP to convert these file types to AFP PSEG (Page Segments) would be fairly simple.

We already have the tools and infrastructure in place to do this...

The question is does anyone care?

The second element would be to allow viewing of something like a PSEG on an iPhone or iPad.  Again we have the code written and in production to support this if someone is interested.

(AFP PSEG files are basically like image files - just stored in the AFP format.  They contain image data like a JPEG or TIFF but the "wrapper" is different.)

I imagine there would be other types of viewers possible as well.  For example, a tool that read an AFP file and then displayed all the image content on-screen.  Again this would be easy to do as we have all the technology in place today - but would anyone care?

Lexigraph also has a PPML/PDF tool called Argon.  This allows you to take a PPML file and composite it to a PDF.  Again, because of Quartz, this would be simple to have on the iPhone or iPad.

Since the iPhone and iPad only work on wireless and don't have easy access to traditional means (like FTP or SMB) to easily share files the only easy way to use it would be via a web page.  Thus a potential user would only be able to access content (AFP files or files to convert to or from AFP) via a web page.

A full AFP viewer is probably out of the question at this point.  There is some opensource work in this area and there are some partially functioning viewers.  So it would be possible to get an iPhone-based app up and running for full AFP...

Just some business thoughts...