What's left to say about the iPhone?

I’ve been playing with the iPhone for the past few days and agree with what others have written: It represents a giant step forward in personal technology. Its pros and cons have been well documented, so there’s not much of value to add. Deal breakers for me include: the $500 or $600 price tag, the fact that it runs on AT&T’s EDGE Network—which has already been rendered obsolete by AT&T’s 3G Network—and the scary prospect of having to send it off, (within two years!) for days to Apple to replace the battery. This phone is aimed at the very rich, or the chronic early adopters you saw lining up at Apple stores. Most people will be better off waiting for a while, at least until the holiday season when Apple will doubtless update the phone, while dropping the price of this model.

That said, it sure is a lot of fun to use, and I can understand why the Apple fanboys are enraptured. Apple has done so many things right since Steve Jobs returned. His greatest gift—even greater than his uncanny skill spinning the media like Jimi Hendrix played the guitar—is his constant drive to imbue his products with magic. This is a device that does so many things you’ve never experienced before, you feel like you have special powers just carrying it around.

Despite all that I’ve read about it, some things surprised me. For instance, I believe that one of the best markets for this 1.0 phone isn’t consumers—who, without carrier subsidy or handset insurance, can’t afford to buy it, lose it or drop it in the toilet—but business users. A lot will need to be added in the coming months of course, such as real Exchange support and the ability to send out a "kill pill" as my pals in the IT Department call it. (This is a remote command that encrypts and effectively shuts down a lost cell phone.) But from a business user-not-worried-about-security stand point, the iPhone is such an improvement over my Treo, that going back to it, after two days with the iPhone, was a shock. My Treo, which “only” crashes once or twice a day since a firmware upgrade a few months ago, looks and behaves like something from Stalinist Russia by comparison. As my friend Ted said, the iPhone feels “like something from the future—maybe 2012.”

While adults have pretty much picked this thing apart, kids have a different perspective. Luckily, I found one in my neighborhood who's been demoing it, and who agreed to review the phone—from a kid's perspective.

Comments

[Gregory S. Smith]

I can't believe that a 9-year old is providing this... While I'm a big fan of putting technology in the hands of children for educational purposes, this is a consumer device that if used with all of the bells and whistles, has lots of risks for children, such as accessing the Internet, IM, and text messaging to folks that may not be who the child thinks they are. Parents - wake up and start managing the technology for your children.

Gregory S. Smith
Author, How to Protect Your Children on the Internet: A Road Map for Parents and Teachers (Greenwood Publishing 2007).

[James, Troy MI]

Now all Steve has to do is open that OS of his up to all x86-x64 hardware and i'll be an apple fan.

[Bruce Oksol]

Professional. The 9-y/o is a) reading from a teleprompter -- watch her eyes, and b) using sophisticated writing techniques no 9 y/o would be cognizant of .... "puppy...passport..."

[Ru]

I totally agree that this is not a device for children. Unfettered access to the internet alone guarantees that I would never give it to my kids under 18.

Now for my business? I love it and I am hooked.

[Trish Hoge]

It's perfect. I work at a Magnet Hospital, and at the touch of my finger, I can give directions or info about anything to my Patients. I played with one today at the hospital. It's perfect, thank you Apple people.

I don't own one YET. I own a MAC/Nano, and shuffle now, and can't wait to complete my system with a iphone. I no longer need a lap top when I travel. The very little I do. The iphone fits my every need. Just wished I could afford one now. Okay!!!!! fine I could, but I have three adult children, and one husband. It's on my Christmas list. It truely is the only thing I want.

Wish me luck they understand my need.

Trish Hoge,RN