I was a stiff critic, but I used the iPhone last night, and I LOVE it: it is the best user experience I have ever seen on a mobile device...I am buying one in January because that is when my contract is up.
I had misgivings as well, but when I played around with a demo they(misgivings) just disappeared. If I had to describe it I would say that the total is greater than the sum of it's parts. I'm guessing I'll get one as well, but I'm gonna wait for this initial madness to subside and for the activation issues to get resolved. Then I'm in.
I think I called this way back when: that there would be all kinds of feature debate and naysaying and caveats, and then when the iPhone came out people would actually use it and be entranced and practically forced to buy it.
The same reports are coming in from all over the web: the interface is the iPhone, and the interface rocks. A lot of the people that were pretty much on the fence owing to data speeds or third party apps or whatever are now posting like head-over-heels fan boys (they've sort of lost their minds over at Ars).
Jobs' attitude that the iPhone is as big for Apple as the original Mac doesn't seem too hyperbolic, at this point-- this is the next big interface paradigm shift, and the people that are harping on "features" or that the cell phone they have can "already do all that" are completely missing the point.
I think Apple has done exactly what they claim to have set out to do: create a new product category- the "smart phone for the rest of us." People are going to walk into Apple stores and AT&T stores who think they are plenty happy with a phone that can "just make calls", check out the iPhone, and suddenly realize that there are things to be done with a phone that never occurred to them, and all of it is exposed and discoverable in ways that make those things seem like a good idea instead of a geek ordeal.
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The same reports are coming in from all over the web: the interface is the iPhone, and the interface rocks. A lot of the people that were pretty much on the fence owing to data speeds or third party apps or whatever are now posting like head-over-heels fan boys (they've sort of lost their minds over at Ars).
Jobs' attitude that the iPhone is as big for Apple as the original Mac doesn't seem too hyperbolic, at this point-- this is the next big interface paradigm shift, and the people that are harping on "features" or that the cell phone they have can "already do all that" are completely missing the point.
I think Apple has done exactly what they claim to have set out to do: create a new product category- the "smart phone for the rest of us." People are going to walk into Apple stores and AT&T stores who think they are plenty happy with a phone that can "just make calls", check out the iPhone, and suddenly realize that there are things to be done with a phone that never occurred to them, and all of it is exposed and discoverable in ways that make those things seem like a good idea instead of a geek ordeal.
OK... say you go and buy the iPhone but decide not to use all the phone functionality... what is still usable without the phone? Wi-Fi, iPod, etc....?
From what I've seen, nothing without the contract and AT&T service initialization.
The multi-touch iPod is a mortal lock in the next 6 months, though....
EDIT: Yes, that's right, I anticipated your question. I have powers.
From what I've seen, nothing without the contract and AT&T service initialization.
The multi-touch iPod is a mortal lock in the next 6 months, though....
EDIT: Yes, that's right, I anticipated your question. I have powers.
Heavy, Doc!