While I’m not a Mac zealot and I don’t think Steve Jobs is divine, I have to admit that the new Apple iPhone is sweet. It seems like it’s really well thought out and well designed. It’s basically a:
- widescreen video iPod with touchscreen controls
- Quad-band GSM cell phone
- PDA/Internet Communicator (running OS X) with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth
All this functionality is accessed through a sweet touchscreen user interface that doesn’t need a stylus. It even has a 2MP camera built in. Not bad.
In my mind, the major drawback to the iPhone is that it’s a phone. I don’t need a fancy-schmancy phone and a 2-year contract with Cingular. This is not saying that I couldn’t use such a phone or that I wouldn’t like having such a phone; I’m only saying that I don’t want to pay for it. My wife and I have used a prepaid plan for the last 4 years and it has worked out well for us. I’m sure I would love the level of integration the iPhone would bring to my email, contacts, calendar, etc., but I just can’t justify spending the money on it. So, Steve Jobs, if you’re listening, make me an iPhone without the phone and I’m all over it.
