6/29

Let the hype begin!

The official roll out date for the next generation cell phone has arrived in time for all the little boys and girls to stash their pennies and paychecks. Apple looks to attack the cell phone market with their Cingular / AT&T exclusive iPhone, which features no keypad and a touch sensitive screen. Also bundled with web browsing features and texting is the omnipresent iTunes software which powers their sickly successful iPod line.

Purposefully, I have avoided Apple products for years because of their insistence on trying to set themselves apart from the rest of their competitors on style alone. Thinking differently, as they suggested, as turned into thinking similarly, as isolating and cornering a small, non growing market would have been business suicide -- but they want you to think that you're different and unique for using their products. There are plenty of companies that also make computers and media players - and better ones I might add, but none of them are as well marketed as Apple. Me, I'm happy to be in the minority who doesn't have an iPod, but damn if this phone doesn't look like the coolest piece of technology that you thought you'd only see in a movie. Of course, they are going to be challenged by other companies with their own versions of the iPhone, but like the phenomenon of the iPod, this is going to be the standard setting device for it's field.

Expect them to sell out quickly despite the $499 and $599 price tags, but don't be one of those folks.

The first few generations of any product is going to be chalk full of problems and instabilities, and for something as vital as a cell phone, that's not a piece of equipment you want to be taking chances on it working properly. Sure, they tested and checked it out, but remember how many injuries and broken items came from the Wii controller when it came out? Or how unstable prior iTunes programs were? Also, for such a high priced item, it's a terribly risky thing to have -- think about how many times you've heard somebody lost or dropped their phone, or you've done it yourself.

DVD players used to be several hundred dollars, and now you can get a decent one for about $50, and it does three times as many things. The iPhone will eventually follow that same direction be less expensive -- the key is not needing to be on the bleeding edge of any trend. But if any of you suckers do get one, I want to see it.