Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Seven Years Ago Today, Steve Jobs Introduced the iPhone

einstein-technology-idiots.jpg
 
I bought the original iPhone in the 5th ave store the day after release in 2007. Wow how time flies. If it was not for the iPhone I would not have this amazing Note 3 device I use today.. Truly thankful for the innovation...
 
iPhone changed the world

I still remember when it was initially announced and a few of my coworkers were going wild about it. I dismissed it as being silly because it was $599 for a phone. A year later the iPhone 3G came out and a coworker bought one. All it took was for me to see full internet webpages for me to cancel Sprint, switch over to AT&T and get my own iPhone. Been hooked ever since.
 
WestonHarvey1 said:
OS X is NeXTSTEP, which had preemptive multitasking and the other things you mentioned long before Windows did. Apple's acquisition of Steve's operating system was indeed catchup for them, but NeXT was lightyears ahead of Microsoft's technology.
Click to expand...

But Macs didn't run on NextStep. They ran on aging MacOS. They didn't adopt a true multitasking OS until 2000. They don't get to go back in time and claim someone else's innovation that came before Windows when they adopted it after Windows.
 
kobalap said:
The thing is, half of the windbags posting about Apple doing "nothing" since 2007 couldn't explain to you what they would consider a game changer.

I recently saw a presentation by Guy Kawasaki - a former Apple employee, among other things. He was talking about the 10% improvement vs. the 10x improvement. His presentation somehow reminds me of what many of the copycat companies do vs. what Apple does.

The example Mr. Kawasaki gave was related to ice. Back in the day, ice was harvested from frozen fresh water sources such as ponds and streams. People would go out to the pond and cut ice blocks. These ice blocks would then be shipped to wherever they would be consumed. Of course, the industry was quite limited - the ice could only be harvested when the water sources were frozen and the harvested ice could only be shipped so far.

Many companies harvested ice - some would find ways to improve the process by 5% or 10% or whatever. But in general, things were the same.... until someone figured out how to make ice in a factory. By creating an artificial environment and freezing water in a factory, the ice industry was revolutionized. Ice could be made any time of the year and pretty much anywhere in the planet. These big block of ice were made in factories and were shipped to local consumers. This change was a 10x improvement over the process that was in place before.

Some companies were able to find ways to improve the process by 5 or 10% or whatever. But in general, things were the same... until, someone figured out how to make ice in appliances that would fit in restaurant kitchen or even a home kitchen. This change was a 10x improvement over the process that was in place before.

If you look at what the iPhone did for the cell phones, it was not a 10% improvement over what was in place before. It was a 3x or a 5x or even a 10x improvement over what was there before. If you look at what iPad did for tablets, same thing. I mean, was there even a separate market segment for tablets before the iPad came out? The iPad was so good that it ushered in the post PC era. And now, the only growth in PCs is tablets.

Of course, there are lots of copy cats around. What with Samsung and LG and so on. They introduce all kinds of features that for some represent that 5% or 10% improvement over what you find in Apple's products. And those who don't have an appreciation of how hard it is to come up with a 10x improvement will tout the Samsungs and the LGs as some revolutionary products full of all kinds of innovation. And the iPad is nothing more than an oversized iPod.

To me, its just because some people don't know the difference between what is 10% better vs. what is 10x better.
Click to expand...

Well put.
 
malcolmffc said:
Amazing to see how chummy Apple and Google were back then.
Click to expand...

Apple needed Google back then. That's likely a major reason why Jobs invited Schmidt onto the board.

Just imagine the iPhone debut without Google Search or Google Maps. No pins dropping. No funny coffee order.

And then a bit later on, imagine the iPhone without any YouTube videos converted by Google to run. Jobs might've well had to allow Flash.

Not to mention Google cell tower locating to make up for the lack of GPS in the original model. (It's even more ironic that their cell database was built up by pre-iPhone smartphones that were using Google Maps.)
 
Hands DOWN Steve's best, most electric and industry redefining keynote. Period.

Oh how I long to feel even 1/2 that amount of anticipation and astonishment for an Apple keynote again. But that was clearly a once in a lifetime moment. And I'm so grateful to have watched it unfold in real time.
Good. Stuff.
 
Dirtfarmer said:
The iPad is a configuration of the iPhone.

The iPhone was a game changer. Like the iMac. Like the Macintosh. Since 2007, though, crickets. Just riffs on existing products, feature adds, revisions, refinements.

They no longer change the game; they just compete into existing markets with an aging product matrix.
Click to expand...

App store?

By your logic, you could say the iphone is also just a configuration of the ipod, so was nothing but a feature add and revision to an existing product.
 
Michael Scrip said:
So who is changing the game?

In 2007 Apple introduced a keyboardless touchscreen iPhone... and everyone followed with their own touchscreen phones.

In 2010 Apple introduced the iPad... and everyone followed with their own tablets.

If you think Apple has done nothing for the last 7 years... what the hell has everyone else done?

Where's their game changer?
Click to expand...

Not to mention the app store, which turned the software industry on its head.
 
Arndroid said:
You are misusing the word "revolutionized" and applying it to some things that did not revolutionize and purposefully leaving off things that did. You put iMac but not the iPad?
Click to expand...

And put OSX but not App store.

People can paint whatever picture they want. Some people are good at it, and you can almost be convinced. Otheres arent.
 
kobalap said:
The thing is, half of the windbags posting about Apple doing "nothing" since 2007 couldn't explain to you what they would consider a game changer.

I recently saw a presentation by Guy Kawasaki - a former Apple employee, among other things. He was talking about the 10% improvement vs. the 10x improvement. His presentation somehow reminds me of what many of the copycat companies do vs. what Apple does.

The example Mr. Kawasaki gave was related to ice. Back in the day, ice was harvested from frozen fresh water sources such as ponds and streams. People would go out to the pond and cut ice blocks. These ice blocks would then be shipped to wherever they would be consumed. Of course, the industry was quite limited - the ice could only be harvested when the water sources were frozen and the harvested ice could only be shipped so far.

Many companies harvested ice - some would find ways to improve the process by 5% or 10% or whatever. But in general, things were the same.... until someone figured out how to make ice in a factory. By creating an artificial environment and freezing water in a factory, the ice industry was revolutionized. Ice could be made any time of the year and pretty much anywhere in the planet. These big block of ice were made in factories and were shipped to local consumers. This change was a 10x improvement over the process that was in place before.

Some companies were able to find ways to improve the process by 5 or 10% or whatever. But in general, things were the same... until, someone figured out how to make ice in appliances that would fit in restaurant kitchen or even a home kitchen. This change was a 10x improvement over the process that was in place before.

If you look at what the iPhone did for the cell phones, it was not a 10% improvement over what was in place before. It was a 3x or a 5x or even a 10x improvement over what was there before. If you look at what iPad did for tablets, same thing. I mean, was there even a separate market segment for tablets before the iPad came out? The iPad was so good that it ushered in the post PC era. And now, the only growth in PCs is tablets.

Of course, there are lots of copy cats around. What with Samsung and LG and so on. They introduce all kinds of features that for some represent that 5% or 10% improvement over what you find in Apple's products. And those who don't have an appreciation of how hard it is to come up with a 10x improvement will tout the Samsungs and the LGs as some revolutionary products full of all kinds of innovation. And the iPad is nothing more than an oversized iPod.

To me, its just because some people don't know the difference between what is 10% better vs. what is 10x better.
Click to expand...

Ha, this must be a standard speech of his. He gave it at my company last year. Overall I thought he was quite good except for some of the unnecessary iPhone digs.
 
KPOM said:
But Macs didn't run on NextStep. They ran on aging MacOS. They didn't adopt a true multitasking OS until 2000. They don't get to go back in time and claim someone else's innovation that came before Windows when they adopted it after Windows.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the "they" that was Apple at that point changed into Steve Jobs, and at that point they could claim that these were Steve Jobs innovations.
 
Rogifan said:
Ha, this must be a standard speech of his. He gave it at my company last year. Overall I thought he was quite good except for some of the unnecessary iPhone digs.
Click to expand...

Most good presentations are not "one and done". It takes while to bake a good presentation and once baked, are usually good for re-delivery to a new audience.

I did not see this presentation live. I saw it on line.
 
brdeveloper said:
I agree with you. A computer should work as a washing machine for the user who wants an easy-to-use tool for his/her professional and personal stuff. I just tried to put in perspective all the exaltation over the original iPhone. To me, there were better options at that time, but I agree that iPhone was a beautifully made phone very capable for a lot of users. But Nokia and Blackberry were still very popular at that time and maybe a lot of brainwash driven by the press was needed to convince worldwide users that they couldn't be happy without a touchscreen.

Even today, iPhone isn't the best seller worldwide, probably Samsung is the top seller and even Nokia still sells good on its not-so-smart line. The merit of iPhone, I guess, is convincing everyone that "without a good touchscreen user experience, you won't be happy" so all the competitors began producing touchscreen phones and this gave Apple a big competitive advantage.

I think the most exciting phones today are the Galaxy Note III and S4. Both have very good cameras, and the user has a great tweaking control if he/she wants. Of course, it's my personal opinion. I hate Samsung laptops though. No way they'll reach the elegance of a Mac trackpad or doing well on the reliability side...
Click to expand...

Seriously, still with the brainwashing shtick? That was old twenty years ago and it hasn't aged well. Horses for courses. If a d pad interface works for you, then good. If Scamsungs excite you, you deserve them, but they're not for me, or apparently hundreds of millions of others of brainwashed zombies, probably. What would samsung have copied to be successful with without the iPhone, never mind the special place samsung has with the government of South Korea (or are they the actual government)?
 
kdarling said:
Apple needed Google back then. That's likely a major reason why Jobs invited Schmidt onto the board.

Just imagine the iPhone debut without Google Search or Google Maps. No pins dropping. No funny coffee order.

And then a bit later on, imagine the iPhone without any YouTube videos converted by Google to run. Jobs might've well had to allow Flash.

Not to mention Google cell tower locating to make up for the lack of GPS in the original model. (It's even more ironic that their cell database was built up by pre-iPhone smartphones that were using Google Maps.)
Click to expand...

Good point. Thanks to Jobs Google/YT left the Flash path.
 
Sometimes they discover people who have been reincarnated and can remember their past lives. Like that little American boy who was a Japanese kamikaze pilot. It would be so cool to discover a little child who used to be Steve and of course my loved ones who have passed on.
 
This is my first time ever watching this video. The iPhone has really change the world on how we use phones. Happy anniversary Apple!

Dominicanyor.
 
keysofanxiety said:
You must have missed the small hints Apple have dropped. You know, stuff like 'wrist wearables are extremely interesting to us', or Steve saying 'we've nailed the TV'. They are working on a wristwatch and a TV, that's unquestionable.
Click to expand...
There already is an TV. So of course they are working on it. And they are not making a watch, that is also unquestionable. The idea of smartwatches is simply impossible with todays technology. If a smartphone battery can't last a day, all you can hope to build are featurewatches. We know them in form of the Casio's from our childhood.

casio-ca53w-1-calculator-watch-profile.jpg

Replacing buttons with touchscreens don't make them smart. And the existence of Pebble and Galaxy Gear more than proves my point. They ain't that smart as people desperately want to believe. Additionally they are bad investments. Put the same money in a better smartphone and you are far better off. So-called smartwatches are a dead end.
 
ah. the good old days. I had one of those Casio watches.

If Steve jobs can think 5 years in advance, why can't Tim :p

Maybe we'd have better OS's...

Don't tell me Steve had a "gift"
 
You can't deny his charisma though, to do live calls with colleague during the keynote is pretty ballsy.

You watch it and can't help but think he is having so much fun.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back