[clue-talk] iPhone Madness

[Sean LeBlanc]

On 07-02 19:24, Cody Betschart wrote:
> On 7/2/07, Sean LeBlanc <seanleblanc at comcast.net> wrote:
> >
> >Can anyone explain to me why I should care about this phone? I have an
> >ipod,
> >but I just don't get why combining an ipod and a phone is a big deal?
> 
> First,  I must apologize for the fanboy attitude, but this is obviously not
> an ipod + phone.  It is a revolutionary mobile computer that happens to be a
> phone, again not an ipod  + phone.  On the other hand it does have numerous
> flaws, it is locked down by Apple meaning no third party apps right now.
> But, this device does have a very useable web browser for its size and
> legitimately brings video to the ipod platform.  One of the big sidenotes is
> nearly double the battery life compared to phones with similar, although not
> nearly as fleshed out features.

Sure, I was exaggerating a bit for effect...but I keep hearing things like
"revolutionary", etc., and it keeps getting free advertising on "news"
channels, but I guess I still don't get it. As I saw someone comment on
Slashdot, if they had really shaken things up by breaking the structure of
control over the cell phone, I might agree. From everything I understand, it
has a slick interface, has no keyboard, a slow connection, one must use
itunes to get ringtones on it, and one provider. Seems like an incremental
step forward, but beyond that?  

Revolutionary to me would be bringing unlocked phones into the marketplace,
not further control. I'm not an Apple hater, but I tend to agree just a bit
with Maddox on this one here: [warning, lots of profanity]
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=macs_cant

Okay, maybe not really, but that rant is humorous. :) I actually remember
the very first mac (my father bought one) and I had one in uni, so I can
relate. I also heard some people go on and on about OS X on podcasts like
Java Posse and at conferences...

Oh, well, maybe I'll just do what I did with ipods - wait until 4th gen and
see what it has then...it took a few revs for them to really have the rubber
hit the road on that. I was reminded of the first days, as it sounds like it
doesn't work on 64-bit Windows yet - just like originally, ipods didn't work
with Windows.

I was talking with someone today at work who is a real "true believer" and
he started actually getting visibly agitated when I suggested that IMHO,
someone else, either Sony, Microsoft, or the like will eventually come along
and eat Apple's lunch in the portable mp3 market (and I think Apple knows
this, as portable mp3 players really are commodity already, and thus the
iphone). We'll see how it bears out, but getting mad about some MNC and the
suggestion that it might not be the top dog forever - now THAT's brand
loyalty. :) 

-- 
Sean LeBlanc:seanleblanc at comcast.net  
http://sean-leblanc.blogspot.com/
Progress is a comfortable disease. 
-E. E. Cummings