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I wasn't going to jump into the frenzied iPhone discussion, but inspired by a recent post by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rooooo, here's my two nerdy cents.
First off, it's just a thing. Let people get enthusiastic about it if they want to.
Second, applying proletariat attitudes towards consumer electronics -- especially from a group of mostly upper-middle-class, computer using, pop-culture consumers like here on LJ -- is sort of hilarious (settle down, you know I love you all).
I like it. Will I buy it upon release? Probably, but I'll be the first to return it if it's not a good phone. I've been through three Blackberrys that didn't hold up to that scrutiny, so I'm not such a diehard fan that I won't chuck it if it doesn't live up.
Cingular? Yeah, I'm disappointed, but I won't be surprised if there's a hack to use it on any other GSM network (or officially unlocked units availabe from Apple for more money) soon after release. They just went with the 800-lb. gorilla for roll-out. It's a formality more than anything.
The most inspiring, and accurate, and clever thing Jobs said about it was that "the killer app is making a call". And he's sooooo right.
All the complaining about the iPhone is coming from nerds who already use features like the iPhones on their (yes, cheaper, and yes, earlier to market) devices like Treos and Blackberrys. But guess what? There's a HUGE user base out there of NON-nerds who would benefit from the cleaner, easier OS and syncing capabilities of the iPhone. Will they pay $599 for it? Probably not -- but the same was said about the iPod when it came out -- "who needs it" and "too expensive". And look where that ended up.
It's all about the interface, folks. They nailed it. All the Nokias and Treos and Blackberrys and Motorolas out there right now are niche devices for businessfolks and moderately computer-savvy people who will put up with mediocre phone performance for the benefit of complete connectivity. The iPhone, in theory, is for everyone else. Granted, it's too expensive on first release, but it'll come down in price eventually.
I think a lot of people are underestimating the power of the sync capabilities alone -- because the vast majority of sync solutions for mobile phones are really crappy, and nailing that in a wider consumer base will be HUGE. I know SO many people (again, non-nerds, non-business types -- like my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, etc.) who still actually "dial" their phone, just like Jobs said in the keynote -- because they can't figure out how to use the memory functions of the phone. Making your address book and calendar and internet ubiquitous in your life, just as they did with music on an iPod, is what Apple is going for. And I think it will work, in the long run.
rooooo, here's my two nerdy cents.First off, it's just a thing. Let people get enthusiastic about it if they want to.
Second, applying proletariat attitudes towards consumer electronics -- especially from a group of mostly upper-middle-class, computer using, pop-culture consumers like here on LJ -- is sort of hilarious (settle down, you know I love you all).
I like it. Will I buy it upon release? Probably, but I'll be the first to return it if it's not a good phone. I've been through three Blackberrys that didn't hold up to that scrutiny, so I'm not such a diehard fan that I won't chuck it if it doesn't live up.
Cingular? Yeah, I'm disappointed, but I won't be surprised if there's a hack to use it on any other GSM network (or officially unlocked units availabe from Apple for more money) soon after release. They just went with the 800-lb. gorilla for roll-out. It's a formality more than anything.
The most inspiring, and accurate, and clever thing Jobs said about it was that "the killer app is making a call". And he's sooooo right.
All the complaining about the iPhone is coming from nerds who already use features like the iPhones on their (yes, cheaper, and yes, earlier to market) devices like Treos and Blackberrys. But guess what? There's a HUGE user base out there of NON-nerds who would benefit from the cleaner, easier OS and syncing capabilities of the iPhone. Will they pay $599 for it? Probably not -- but the same was said about the iPod when it came out -- "who needs it" and "too expensive". And look where that ended up.
It's all about the interface, folks. They nailed it. All the Nokias and Treos and Blackberrys and Motorolas out there right now are niche devices for businessfolks and moderately computer-savvy people who will put up with mediocre phone performance for the benefit of complete connectivity. The iPhone, in theory, is for everyone else. Granted, it's too expensive on first release, but it'll come down in price eventually.
I think a lot of people are underestimating the power of the sync capabilities alone -- because the vast majority of sync solutions for mobile phones are really crappy, and nailing that in a wider consumer base will be HUGE. I know SO many people (again, non-nerds, non-business types -- like my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, etc.) who still actually "dial" their phone, just like Jobs said in the keynote -- because they can't figure out how to use the memory functions of the phone. Making your address book and calendar and internet ubiquitous in your life, just as they did with music on an iPod, is what Apple is going for. And I think it will work, in the long run.
