[bawilliamson]

The other thing I really noticed today was the announcement about increasing numbers of newspapers and books on the iPhone, including arrangements with textbook publishers. It seems like an obvious progression for Apple to introduce a true, full-color, larger tablet thingie as a direct and superior competitor to the Kindle. Sure, we'll all be able to read stuff on an iPhone but I think Apple has made it clear where they are headed. In fact, I think they signaled a larger tablet/whatever very clearly today without saying a word.
Also, the enthusiasm for the iPhone from the medical community alone guarantees current and future success. Does Palm really think these kinds of must-have apps will ever make it to their platform?

[palane]

Chris - My beloved spouse bought a GPS and it works perfectly. She doesn't have to spend $100/month to use it. I was never a fan of multi-functionaly software (Works, for example). The iPhone will never be as good a GPS as one made by folks whose every moment is dedicated towards optimizing that device.
BB

[MacKayaker]

bawilliamson wrote: Also, the enthusiasm for the iPhone from the medical community alone guarantees current and future success. Does Palm really think these kinds of must-have apps will ever make it to their platform?

With all due respect - Medical reference apps have been on the Palm for many years - it's the iPhone that's playing catch-up.

[QCassidy352]

Actually, I see more and more people relying entirely on cell phones for time-checking. Those who do wear watches do so mostly as a fashion statement.

Sure, some people will cling to their single-use devices for a long, long time (esp. those as iconic as the watch), but do you really doubt that most single use devices will eventually be relegated to use only by real professionals and those who either fear technology?

Take the camera. Right now, cell phone cameras are not good enough to replace even point-and-shoots. But they're getting closer... much much closer. A few years ago they were grainy garbage. Now they take pretty nice photos, especially in the right conditions. No real photographer would ever shoot with a cell phone camera, but what % of people who take pictures are professional or even amateur photographers? Most people just want a shot of friends and family that displays/prints out nicely.

I'm not saying we're there yet, but sooner or later, iphones and their competitors will destroy a number of stand-alone products. Just wait and see.

[samrod]

"The Flip camcorders have 2 things going for them - Speed, and form. They feel like a camcorder."

Excuse me? The Flip feels like a camcorder? It's general form is nearly identical to the iPhone's only twice as thick but with only a 2" screen. Neither form factor resemble anything remotely like a camcorder. Even Cannon's 5D Mark II at $2,700 feels nothing like a camcorder.

I can't imagine what image of camcorder you have in mind.

samrod

[MrYmath]

The real Uh Oh moment will come when Apple decides to produce an iPhone that will work with Verizon. Until then, every new phone, every new model, regardless of the technology and advancements, will be worthless to users like me who get great phone service from carriers that don't offer the new phones.

[samrod]

You mean like the navigation app TomTom just announced for the iPhone 3Gs along with the hardware dashboard mount?

My new car has a builtin nav and full BlueTooth support which works seamlessly with my SonyEricson W810i. The iPhone is beautiful, amazing and wonderful. I just have no need to up my monthly phonebill by $30 for it when my current phone is beautiful.

samrod

[rednoser]

I, and many, are already iPhone users who completed their 2-year plan. I'm ready to buy the 3GS, but I wonder what Apple or ATT can do for me with regard to the 1G iPhone. Can it be unlocked? I have been traveling with my iPhone and if you don't want to use ATT's expensive international roaming it's pretty useless abroad and I wish I could just shove in a local SIM card and keep using it. Is jailbreaking my only option? Apple says it's illegal, but apparently it's not illegal to sell me a phone that's useless if I upgrade. Any thoughts on this?

[Motivated]

I totally agree with this article in principal, but in the case of the dedicated video camera, the iPhone will not be any kind of threat to the establishment. This is so because no current low, mid or high end digital camera can even compete on video quality with a low end video camera. For example, video shot on a brand new $800 Canon SLR has jerkiness and buzzy mono sound that my $200 Panasonic video camera easily beats.

My related take on this is not what the iPhone replaces but what it facilitates. External wireless devices that use the iPhone as the command center (i.e. Nike+) will proliferate. Not just in everyday life, but in science labs, manufacturing centers, etc. for doing "real" work.

[casfian]

Iphone 3G [s] my Ass! What stupid Marketing by Apple...now people will be calling my i Phone Ass!

[rab777hp]

Slightly unrelated, but on the topic of WWDC and this stuff, screenflow and such, all the screencasting softwares, are going to get a huge drop with Snow Leopard, since QT X will do that.

[Chris Breen]

MacKayaker said:

Personally, I despise the volume of articles MacWorld posts regarding iPhones. If the volume of articles on the iPhone were proportionate to the number of Mac users actually using them, we would see a fraction of the articles compared to the volume we non-users currently have to skip over.

What I don't understand in posts like this is why don't you skip over the article? Where there's Mac news to report, we do. Where there's iPhone/iPod/Apple TV news to report, we do that too. We posted plenty of Snow Leopard stories today right along with the iPhone stuff.

The headline of this article clearly indicated what it was about yet you apparently read it anyway. If you despise the subject so much, why risk an aneurism when simply moving on would solve the problem?

[MacKayaker]

Chris Breen wrote: If you despise the subject so much, why risk an aneurism when simply moving on would solve the problem?

If the site is proporting to serve the Mac community, then it's articles should be more reflective of that. For example, if only one in five, or even ten, out of every one hundred Mac users has an iPhone, why is that a far larger percentage of the articles are about the iPhone.

Ultimately, I think MacWorld reflects the interests and priorities of it's editors more than it reflects the interests and priorities of the Mac community at large. It's why I, as a full time Mac support person, quit carrying the magazine. Too much is technology for technology sake and isn't about what Joe-average Mac user that I deal with day-in and day-out is about.

I check out "news" regarding the iPhone because I do have a few customers with them and because many look to me for expert advice. I do what I can to give informed opinions - even about hardware and software I don't own or use. I can't buy or own it all, so I have to get some info from other sources. But today, for example, 30% of the articles center on the iPhone. And it's not much less than that, most days. Given how few use it, I think articles about software/hardware that's closer to the core of users would make the site more valuable to users.

[quadmax]

I disagree with the assertion that makers of standalone devices are shaking in their boots. I have an iPhone 3G and a Flip video camera. The iPhone's camera is terrible--and not just because of the resolution. It's OK for a casual snapshot or two but I end up spending way too much time in Photoshop trying to get a decent result. Even if my iPhone could record video I would not use it for anything that matters because the Flip video is so much more vibrant and crisp.
I have a Garmin Nuvi GPS and, while the iPhone's GPS/map is handy from time to time, it pales in comparison to the Nuvi for speed, features, and ease-of-use. I have a 'level' application on the iPhone that is also handy, but it won't replace a real level for any serious work.
While all of these features are useful from time to time, none of the individual functions of a smart phone are as good as the standalone solutions. Moreover, their use becomes a tradeoff of battery power against what you'll need for basic phone and internet use for the rest of the day.