The iPhone should link calendar events with contacts

Definitely. It shoulf also link up to the maps application, so that I can tap the location in a calendaer appointment and see it revealed in Maps. Or find a location in maps, and then have a button to "create appointment here" and so on.

Basically, tighter integration between Maps, Contacts and Calendar would make a lot of sense and increase the value of the iPhone as a really solid personal organiser.

Yes it definitely should!! Then and only then can Apple legitimately say that they have a true competitive product to the Blackberry. And also as previously stated Maps.

i agree

I just fired up my new iPhone 3G - was AMAZED that the basic function of linking events to contacts isnt supported. Even my clunky 8-year-old Palm does this.
APPLE : when should we expect our shiny new iPhones to support this functionality ?
Or will we have to pay for another software update, as we had to do to get basic search functionality on iPhone Touch ?

I absolutely agree. My prior phone was a Palm Treo, which easily linked "addresses" to the "date book". REALLY important, imho.

Palm has been doing this for years, so Apple's way behind on this one.

In fact: I use a mac. The Palm desktop for a mac is a claris product, from years back. Even this links contacts with the calendar. So Apple had this ability at one time. They must have forgotten it!!

I am a new iPhone user and was very disappointed that this function is not available. Is there a paid software application that can do this?

Totally agree. This is a must-have for me asap.

I am dismayed that it is not on there, as I have many apointments with lots of different people. It's so basic a need. I have 14days to decide if I want to keep my iphone. What with the bad signal strength and the ical problem I may send it back...

now you'll be able to copy / paste the info from the address book to the calendar. not a complete fix, but resolves the issue.

If I was to choose a deciding factor that kept me stuck with Palm and not switching to WinMobile 5 years ago, it would be the Contact-Calendar linking. I wouldn't have wasted a penny on my iphone if I knew that the feature is not supported.

No permanent harm done anyway.. I have 12 more days to return it and pocket my $664 while firing up the old Centro..

Meanwhile, there is an application called Organizer that can do that but would only sync from google one way meaning that the entries are only registered on the Organizer iphone application but are not reflected on the iphone calendar or google calendar...

Agree. We need the equivalent of Agendus for Palm (see www.iambic.com) BUT be careful about the new Agendus for iPhone that does NOT link contacts and events.
When?

I totally agree. This is a must-have for me, too.

sounds good

When the iphone does this, I'll feel so powerful, I could stop a speeding bullet train, and jump over buildings in a single bound. Yup I'll be Superman! Come on Apple, make me Superman, right now!!
As lowly Clark Kent at the moment though, I'll just say, yes, that would be a nice feature.

Absolutely! I've been searching the web for an app that would do that in the iphone. I'm out working in the field (not a farmer) and I get a call. Mrs. Jones wants an appointment next week. I should be able to find Mrs. Jones in the Contacts and there should be a Calendar link right there! Why is this so impossible. It was the same way with my Palm Tungsten....

I am just amazed that the designpeople did not think of that...
It is urgent needed and will make life wonderful