Re: [tlug] About to break down and get an iPhone

[Edward Middleton <emiddleton@example.com>]

Martin Killmann wrote:
> Edward Middleton wrote:
>   
>> Martin Killmann wrote:
>>     
>>> JC Helary wrote:
>>>   
>>>       
>>> Apple will never control ... the cell phone market, ...
>>> ... They don't have the products for a monopoly position ...
>>>   
>>>       
>> Apples actions dictate what they are, which is what I was talking
>> about.  Their products are clearly capable of taking a monopoly position
>> as evidence by their dominance in music distribution.
>>     
>
> In my previous mail I wrote why I don't think Apple's dominance in the
> music distribution business is a model for other sectors.
>   

Well strictly speaking, you wrote why Apple became dominant in music
distribution, and implied the situation was different with mobile
phones.  Maybe you are right, but would you care to explain why you see
the situation as being so very different?

> ... And the iPod was the only decent player on the market at the time of the
> 3rd generation, when many other players had an SD card slot and a
> storage capacity of zero.
>   

iRiver[1] have had better players,  long before the ipod appeared, what
they didn't have is simple inexpensive legal music distribution linked
to it.  $1 music downloads are what sold the iPod.

>>> ...  it's a decision for the best hardware and software engineering. ...
>>>
>>> My iPhone is great for checking websites in the morning train, it plays
>>> music without hassle, it's okay for mails and a secret feature even lets
>>> you call people. ..
>>>   
>>>       
>> That is pretty much on par with all current mobile phones.
>>     
>
> If you're used to normal "advanced" Japanese cell phones, the iPhone is
> a step forward. Some pamphlet claimed that my old Sharp was able to play
> music but all attempts to convince it to play an mp3 failed. It didn't
> come with earplugs or USB connector either. Exporting the address book
> from it was a PITA. And don't attempt to load a normal webpage on it. 
>
> But yes, of course there are cell phones that do everything that the
> iPhone does and more. The hype that surrounds it is mostly hot air.
>
> The achievement of the iPhone is that it did introduce "modern
> smartphones" to many Japanese customers who never new that cell phones
> could display normal web pages, do GPS, or load custom applications.
>   

My impression was exactly the opposite, i.e. it got a lukewarm
response[2] because it didn't have all the features of existing phones
(like digital tv) and was little more then an incremental improvement on
those it did have.

Edward

1. I own both but I use the iRiver because it supported more formats.
2. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122143317323034023.html