Watching from a distance

[Doylem]

I'm in UK, so can only watch the iPhone frenzy from a distance. It's almost a relief not to be able to queue up on Friday to buy... a phone. But I'm fascinated by the 'viral marketing'; the Apple publicity people must be very happy that to find customers doing their job for them.

And, yeah, it's 'sour grapes' too, 'cos a phone like this would/will answer a lot of my needs... especially if I could use it with a 'proper' keyboard.

Though not a 'fanboy', I really appreciate Apple's ability to invent (or improve) products, and make them so simple and intuitive to use that an instruction book is unnecessary. My first Mac was an SE (still the sexiest Mac IMHO...), and I've had a succession of desktop Macs, laptop Macs, 2G iPod (stll working fine...), and, now, sometime soon, an iPhone.

I've had a few phones... but none of them have convinced me. I don't want a phone that makes me feel stupid for not beiong able to work through all those nested menus. If a phone is complicated to use, I've reached the time of life when the fault may lie with the phone... not me. If there's a company to simplify the mobile phone, it's Apple.

I'm gobsmacked (English expression = surprised) that other companies still don't 'get it'. Hell, I know nothing... but I could still design a better music player than all the so-called 'iPod killers'. It's bizarre that, after all these years, Apple still have the field to themselves. So kudos to Apple... but what the hell are the other manufacturers thinking about??

I hope the iPhone is everything it's supposed to be... and more... and I hope everyone in US enjoys unwrapping their new purchases. And when you switch it on, remember: it plays music, it does email... and... it's a phone.

 

[wyatt23]

i watched an interview with steve jobs before and i think what it comes down to is his appreciation of his customers and his customers appreciation of apple.

he stated how money while important isn't as important as the product you make. that apple is more concerned with the end product and the experience of the end user, than it is with money. which makes alot of sense when you're apple because you KNOW you're going to make money, so why not design the best possible product you can?

The other companies not coming out with an ipod killer? it's simple. they are trying to make an ipod killer. that's not what they should be doing. they should be making a killer mp3 player.

the mentality of trying to "beat" the ipod is why companies aren't succeeding. plus most companies push crappy, poorly thought out products to market to make money as opposed to creating great products that will wow the consumer.