iPhone

So, I got to fondle an iPhone today. Went to the University Village apple store, fought hordes of people, all trying to get their iPhone grope on. I got to touch it, I made it do all sorts of things for my enjoyment, and I left without buying one. It was a bittersweet afternoon.

The hype got me a little bit, I'll admit. It isn't surprising really though. All the pieces fit in this puzzle. I sit and read live blogs of all the apple keynotes as they happen. I pay attention to all of Apple's releases and updates. I'm a big fan of Johnny Ive and Steve Jobs (and his fake). Given the choice I'll use OS X before Windows 99% of the time.

I've been candid with my feeling about the dismal availability and use of mobile technologies in the States. So much potential, and so much horrible design on the market. It's everyone's fault, the carriers, the handset designers, the FCC, even the general public needs to take some of the blame for not demanding more. We don't get the functionality from our phones that people in other parts of the world have enjoyed for years now.

I have never experienced anything like what I have witnessed with the release of this device. People are clamoring for it. The table at the Apple store where they had roughly 20 iPhones on display was mobbed. A body had to wait 20 minutes just to play with one for a bit. There was also a live demo happening in the back of the store, where a number of people were parked, iPhone in hand, learning about their new devices.

It is obvious that Apple is forcing the whole industry to take notice. The design of this device (design, not aesthetics) is easily the best I have ever experienced with any handheld device, consumer or industrial. People tend to write off all of Apple's products as pretty toys. I guess I tend to believe that the well designed solution to a problem will always be experienced as beautiful.