The iPhone iMpact
In the last year, there have been a suprising number of events, acquisitions, and releases that have taken a lot of the buzz in the Internet/Technology Industry. Facebook is huge, Google is always making headlines, and Microsoft and Yahoo! continue to be dominant players in the arena, but leave it to Steve Jobs and the rest of the Apple gang down in Cupertino to make the biggest ripple in the pond. I was reading an article by Todd Abrams, COO and President of Layered Technologies, on the Invasion of the iPhone, and he makes some great points about the device.
I’ll touch on two of the points he makes - one, is the great job from the marketing side, and two, to date I have not been convinced how it will change the world. Todd talks about the way Apple’s marketing has combined the 5 c’s - Connection, Communication, Content, Commerce, Colloboration and adds a 6th C, coolness. Much like the iPod, Apple has found a way to convince popular culture that the iPod iPhone is exactly what they need in a next generation handheld. Having had the chance to play with an iPhone a bit (which is suprisingly tough being in Canada), the usability and interface is impressive, but I’m still not caught up in the hype. And although I don’t think the iPhone will change the world, I think it has offered an important step in change.
One aspect of the iPhone that impresses me is the agressive risk (or innovation) that was taken with regards to usability. The touch screen interface, although not completely ideal for all uses (like texting under the table at a meeting), has opened up the door to new possibilities. Scrolling through webpages or images and zooming in and out is just the beginning, and slowly we will see a variety of mobile applications start to take advantage of these new navigation options.
I have to agree with Todd Abrams, I haven’t been convinced that the iPhone will let me do my job more efficiently or effectively, but I think it’s going to change the mobile world.
At the recent HostingCon 2007 I found it really interesting that there were a select few who were impressed with their “new” iPhones. Mostly I heard about all the problems that it was having especially as it relates being tied to the ATT network.
If asked if I had one, I was able to retort “I’m lucky. I am Canadian, we do not have the iPhone so by the time we do, the bugs hopefully will be out”. That said, I still will not have one, as it is a toy, and since I have kids, I have all the toys at home anyone needs. That and the fact that it will likely come first to Rogers, since they are AT&T’s partner, so since I am not their customer - that is not going to happen.
I recently asked Vanessa Fox from Google “where’s your iPhone?”; to which she replied. “Obviously you have not read my blog - I have a real phone!” I will let you read more on this on her blog (and no there are no nude pictures of her despite her URL - though it is definitely smart marketing. http://www.vanessafoxnude.com/2007/07/06/of-iphones-and-blackberries-and-smartphones/.
[…] to my thoughts on the iPhone, Silverlight is not going to change the world, however, like the iPhone, it has opened up the door […]