a tear for the lost opportunity
8. Plasma (kicks the living crap out of LCD in every repect, OLED and SED aren't ready yet)
Except power consumption, which means Apple would never do it. But hey, if you're willing to spend the extra money (both upfront and every month), cause extra carbon to be added to the atmosphere, and increase dependendance on foreign energy for a better TV picture it's your money and conscience.
On topic though, I'm really going to sit back and wait on this iPhone. Apple had such an opportunity with this device, and the hardware seems absolutely brilliant (assuming they add 3G before they start selling in the EU) but I'm really cautious because of a few things on the software side:
- locking you into one carrier and not selling an unlocked version
- locking down the OS
It's just so dissapointing because if they'd really wanted to be innovative, and to shake up an industry that's just begging to be shaken up, they would have released:
- a device that used cellular 3G as a "data-only" service for when wi-fi couldn't be found
- used VOIP for all telephony
- sold their own VOIP service tied-in with .mac for all those who would rather swipe a credit card and have an out-of-the-box solution for phone, IM, and email (and given some actual value to .mac in the process)
- left the OS unlocked so power-users can run their own VOIP clients, IM programs, browsers, and the other programs that Mac users love so much
- built-in a GPS so the device could have provided location-specific information
- done something USEFUL with wireless mesh networking
THAT would have turned the industry on it's ear. THAT would have been innovative. THAT would have been convergence. THAT would have gotten his Steveness on the cover of Time next year. THAT would have had my credit card out on day 1.
But no, what they've released is basically a very slick smartphone. That's not innovation, that's just refinement of a well-entrenched product that someone ELSE innovated. The only real innovation I've seen advertised so far is visual voicemail? Hell, if they'd done it right voicemail would have gone the way of the dodo on this device -- integrated messaging (voicemail as email along with faxes etc.) is also very well entrenched and by not doing that they're 5 years behind in yet another area.
It's just so sad because they have the name and the money. Entering into this industry they could have dictated their own terms. Surely ONE of the big carriers would have been happy to partner with them just to sell their 3G data service. There could have been different models released for different markets and different wireless technologies (3.5G, wimax, etc.) but the basic device would have been IP only and thus the radio and the carrier are just a means to an end -- getting an IP connection.
But no, Apple has instead locked the users into continuing to pay a phone company for each and every minute we talk (a commodity that's basically free in the digital age). And locked us into that company. And surrendered a lot of control to that company. How last-century is that?!?
