Mobile Gaming on Company Time - Yes, it should be okay.

Is mobile gaming a good thing to have on handhelds and smartphones that are meant for work?

It really depends on the function of the person and how much self-control he or she has but on the whole it is a good idea.

Now, I know a few doctors who are really excited about using the medical programs that will be available on the iPhone (stop calling it the iPhone 3G, folks). But I wouldn't want them to be playing Crash Bandicoot or getting too wound up playing Doom or something like that just before a surgery now would we?

But for everyone else, a bit of unwinding can go a lot way towards relieving stress and increase or maintaining productivity. I have been writing on the iPhone quite a bit more and once in a while when I hit a block, it helps to be able to surf the web or play one of the few games available via jail-break.

I hope employers who plan on giving their mobile warriors iPhones (or any other phones) to do battle allow them to have nearly full access to the phone's functionalities and not hinder what can be an efficient member of the company.

I recently played with a Blackberry my cousin got from her work. It was a great device for work - checking e-mails and keeping in touch with what's going on at her office when she does to work from home or Starbucks. But it annoyed the hell out of her knowing that they purposely crippled the device just to keep her from surfing the web from time to time. I want to give the company the benefit of the doubt in saying that it may have to do with data charges. But knowing her company and who her employers are, that is not the case here.

So, mobile entertainment is a good thing if kept in check. Annoying mobile workers by treating them like children is not. And with the plethora of smartphones like the iPhone and Android phones coming out later this year, it would be a shame to see mobile warriors given the equivalent of sword but no shield.