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01/09/2007: "One More Reason Apple Rocks ..."

Love 'em or hate 'em, no one has done more to improve the average person's ability to access technology than Apple Computer's Steve Jobs. Apple didn't invent the computer, but they introduced the Graphical User Interface that opened up computing to the non-programmer. They didn't invent the portable music player, but they introduced the first one that kept the hardware out of the way of the music - a little thing called the iPod. They don't invent the products - they just make the products better than the rest.

In the last decade, different technology streams have converged on your pocket. Music players, PDAs, cell phones ... all this technology available at your fingertips. Each device type has grown in complexity as they try to be the do-all end-all product - the one that ends up as the only one you carry. Some have come close, like the BlackBerry, but none have managed to get it right - until now.

It was inevitable, and the day has come - meet the iPhone, Apple's first entry into the cellphone market. But to call this a phone is a crime. Yeah, it makes calls, but it includes a fully-functional video iPod, full-screen web browsing (no more cut-down versions of sites like this!), the easiest text messaging I've ever seen, and a 2-megapixel camera. Oh, and did I mention it removed the single biggest pain in the ass on all it's competitors - the buttons! The iPhone is totally touchscreen - very cool.

Now, there are certainly downsides. It could have a bigger hard drive and more megapixels, and the touchscreen looks like you'll spend a lot of time wiping it clean. But hell - it's the first one! Imagine if this goes through the development improvements over the next couple of years that the iPod did - wow!

They're not cheap - the price starts at $499 - but it's less than the cost of a smartphone and an iPod. And this one runs on MacOSX - no more of that half-assed Windows Mobile crap.

Every year at MacWorld, the high point is when Steve Jobs dons the black turtleneck and introduces the new products. This time, he said that Apple was introducing three new products - a touchscreen video iPod, a revolutionary new phone, and a 1-of-a-kind internet access device. After pumping up the crowd, he told them that all three products were actually combined into one device. "And here it is," he said, as a giant picture of the new device appeared on the video screen behind him - a first-generation iPod with a rotary phone dial! The guy still has it ...

Oh, and they're renaming the company "Apple Inc." - from "Apple Computer Inc." to reflect the new direction. In addition to the iPhone, they released a device called "AppleTV" that serves to merge the digital media on your computer with your television and entertainment system - just like Microsoft keeps trying to do without success.

I'm so happy ...