Keeping an Eye on Technology Futures, No Hidden Agendas, New Attitudes, No Platitudes!
Somehow, Steve Jobs and Apple seems to do it again and again - launch products with hype and hoopla, generating spontaneous applause and the urge to buy as soon as available.
Apple's new iPhone combines three products - mobile phone, widescreen iPod and Internet communications email, web browsing, maps, and search. It also has a slick user interface, letting you control everything with just your fingers.
Apple may have moved too fast - the iPhone won't be ready till about June 2007, and the name is owned by Cisco (new Linksys VOip phone). One wonders if this is a major Apple slip-up and they'll have to switch names. Aphone?
Apple's hype moved its stock up (for a while) but the arrogance is often irritating - pre-announcing products, talking with Cisco about the name and going ahead anyway, charging for some software extensions that should be free, shutting out third-party developers - the list is long. But hey, that may just be good marketing.
It's significant that the basic design choices include newly available technologies, but Apple gets to bring them all together first. The applause comes from people who instantly recognize the innovative leap, often from the feeling of, "Hey, I thought of that!"
Take a look around you and see what people are doing with their cellphones - not just talking, but playing games, text-messaging, taking spontaneous pictures, watching videos, listening to music.
The new Apple gadget gives you much more to play with - 2 megapixel camera, 4GB (or 8GB) of storage, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi that automatically engages when in range, quad-band GSM radio, OS X support, Google Maps, Safari web browser, Yahoo free push iMAP email. And iTunes of course.
The iPhone (or Aphone?) will be out in June, exclusively through Cingular. Hey, anyone want my NEW touch-screen pocket-PC cellphone?
