The iPhone - why?
Apple have shown the iPhone at MacWorld expo then. And I have to ask : why?
The iPhone is just another in a long line of needless convergence products. Apart from the Apple name, it will likely suffer all the same problems too. ie. it will be a poor browser, a poor PDA, a poor phone, a poor video player and a poor mp3 player.
On top of that it looks like it limits you to a single carrier and Cingular aren't known for their brilliant service outside the US. Unless you get awesome Cingular reception (and judging from all the Cingular subscribers I know, that simply never happens), then the iPhone is essentially useless. Why tie it to one provider? Why not just make it an unlocked GSM so you could put your own SIM card in it? To tie it to one provider seems insane to me.
The interface looks nice, but it's a glossy plastic screen on a black background which means Apple didn't bother to look at the complaints about the black Sony PSP. Plus because it's a cellphone, it means you'll get ear guck all over the interface every time you use it.
They've got rid of the interface that made the iPod famous - the clickwheel has gone in favour of a pure touchscreen interface. Which means Apple didn't bother to look at the complaints about the Nintendo Gameboy DSDual with all its scratched screens. Plus, as it's a touchscreen when it touches your cheek whilst using it as a cellphone, you'll likely turn it off or activate some function you didn't want.
The hard drive has gone and been replaced with flash memory, iPod Nano-style which limits it as an mp3 player - most people's libraries don't fit in 8Gb any more.
Then there's the price. $599 for a goddamn cellphone? Ok so posers and wannabes will pay that but what ort of a regular person is going to pay $599 for a cellphone when you can get really good ones for $50 or under, and in some cases completely free.
The video content can only come from iTunes. This is a terrible plan. At least my PSP and my wife's iPod can play mp3s from anywhere, but to limit the video to iTunes-only? I guess Apple didn't listen to the complaints about the PSP video encoding problems that basically limit PSP owners (like me) to Sony-only video.
The most baffling thing about the iPhone is that Apple seem to have forgotten the awful Motorola ROKR phone with iTunes in it that debuted in 2005. Anyone seen one of those recently? No, because it was an awful convergence product.
I totally do not see the point or the market for the iPhone. Nice try Apple, but you've lost the plot on this one. I believe the iPhone is going to be a fad and by this time next year, we'll all be asking "what happened to that funny iPhone thingy?"
The iPhone is just another in a long line of needless convergence products. Apart from the Apple name, it will likely suffer all the same problems too. ie. it will be a poor browser, a poor PDA, a poor phone, a poor video player and a poor mp3 player.
On top of that it looks like it limits you to a single carrier and Cingular aren't known for their brilliant service outside the US. Unless you get awesome Cingular reception (and judging from all the Cingular subscribers I know, that simply never happens), then the iPhone is essentially useless. Why tie it to one provider? Why not just make it an unlocked GSM so you could put your own SIM card in it? To tie it to one provider seems insane to me.
The interface looks nice, but it's a glossy plastic screen on a black background which means Apple didn't bother to look at the complaints about the black Sony PSP. Plus because it's a cellphone, it means you'll get ear guck all over the interface every time you use it.
They've got rid of the interface that made the iPod famous - the clickwheel has gone in favour of a pure touchscreen interface. Which means Apple didn't bother to look at the complaints about the Nintendo Gameboy DSDual with all its scratched screens. Plus, as it's a touchscreen when it touches your cheek whilst using it as a cellphone, you'll likely turn it off or activate some function you didn't want.
The hard drive has gone and been replaced with flash memory, iPod Nano-style which limits it as an mp3 player - most people's libraries don't fit in 8Gb any more.
Then there's the price. $599 for a goddamn cellphone? Ok so posers and wannabes will pay that but what ort of a regular person is going to pay $599 for a cellphone when you can get really good ones for $50 or under, and in some cases completely free.
The video content can only come from iTunes. This is a terrible plan. At least my PSP and my wife's iPod can play mp3s from anywhere, but to limit the video to iTunes-only? I guess Apple didn't listen to the complaints about the PSP video encoding problems that basically limit PSP owners (like me) to Sony-only video.
The most baffling thing about the iPhone is that Apple seem to have forgotten the awful Motorola ROKR phone with iTunes in it that debuted in 2005. Anyone seen one of those recently? No, because it was an awful convergence product.
I totally do not see the point or the market for the iPhone. Nice try Apple, but you've lost the plot on this one. I believe the iPhone is going to be a fad and by this time next year, we'll all be asking "what happened to that funny iPhone thingy?"
Comments
the technology will only get better and other companies will develop gadgets far better than applie