iPhone shmiphone  |  January 15, 2007  

So Apple has an iPhone. Wow.
 
Welcome to the party. It doesn't link with Outlook. Even my ancient Nokia 6820 does that. Oh, it has a touch dial scribe. My HP iPaq does that. My iPaq, running Windows Mobile 5, also opens not just emails but their attachments, like Word, Excel or PowerPoint. So do a lot of phones from a lot of makers.
 
Many also have memory cards, MP3 over Bluetooth headphones, navigation using GPS with maps for all cities in North America, can pick up e-mail on Wi-Fi to avoid data charges, and allow handwritten notes.
 
But Apple is now a player so it must be a big deal; just like it was a big deal when RIM launched Pearl.
 
Time for a reality check.
 
You know there are a lot of great phones on the market. Some do more than others. Some are smarter than others. The iPhone is a Johnny Appleseed come lately and not a big deal, but still the media gushes.
 
Get over it. iPod was innovative twice in its life cycle. The iPhone doesn't even crack the envelope.
 
Because, people, the secret is this: it’s not the hardware, it’s the software. There are 1,800 apps for WinMob5 and a few less for Symbian, the Nokia-LG consortium.
 
The iPhone is a device for Mac users. And while the Mac is a lovely machine with a great operating system, and while Apple likes to maintain those fat margins by restricting competition and holding prices, it really doesn't have the market penetration to make it a player in the big picture.
 
So, the iPhone? Cute. But not practical and not necessarily innovative or new. 

Ian Harvey