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Get the iPhone? Why? Because the Marketing said so!
The first time I heard about the iPhone was a few months ago when my friend told me that Apple was cooking up something special. Hmm... a phone from Apple, “that sounds nice” I said.
A few months then passed and I lost track of what was supposed to come out. Then, not too long ago I read some news about how Americans are sleeping in front of the Apple store trying to be one of the first to get the iPhone, even though they had to know that Apple announced that they would have 3 million iPhones available for sale when launched.
But still there were people “camping” on the streets because they were worried. “Oh my god what I am going to do if I am not going to get my iPhone today”? No doubt these people know what is really important in their lives and how to make their dreams come true. I am sure they are living happily ever after, after they bought their iPhone and wait contently until Apple announces the iPhone 2.
Products like the iPhone are a great examples of how marketing really works!
Unfortunately it’s not the quality that makes a product “good”, but instead it is the marketing. For example, Microsoft never made a good product but because of their marketing they are still able to sell lots of their subpar software products and make tons of money out of it.
But let’s get back to iPhone. Fortunately for Apple, they are not Microsoft and most of their products are good. The iPhone is a product that might look very cool with amazing new touch-screen technology and product design, but unfortunately this where the positives end.
Why ?
Sooner or later every user of any computer-like device has to realize that its not the hardware and appearance of the product what makes it good, but a wide range of useful software that this toy can contain. (Am I correct Mr. Sony and your PS3 with no good games to play?)
This is where the iPhone is going to loose points. As Apple mentioned before in their iPhone presentations, users will only be able to use software that is approved by Apple and downloaded through their website. So, any chance for getting great 3rd party software that can make their iPhone twice as useful and distributed for free is gone. So this is a BIG minus for the iPhone, and the main reason I am never going to get one, no matter how much I love cool looking sci-fi next generation toys.
Still don't understand what i am talking about ?
Let's create an example that would describe iPhone software policy better.
Imagine Apple started to make houses. (yes for people to live in) and you were one of many people sleeping in front of Apple store just to be able to get one for your family too.
Living in an iHouse.
Right after you buy it, you and your happy family move in and start enjoying your new house. Everything is beautiful and you really think there is nothing better in the world than this house.
One day you wake up and are looking at the things in your iHouse but they don’t look as nice as they once did, so you decide to go back to Apple store and ask for new furniture. Apple shows you their catalogue of available furniture and home devices but you don’t like any of them because they all look the same and work in the same way.
So you ask for something else but Apple tells you that you can’t have it because they don’t make such a thing. So what are you going to do? Two options; either sell your iHouse and buy somewhere different where you can buy furniture at different stores from different companies or stay in your iHouse and keep using your Apple furniture even to there is no such thing as a wide range and your choices are painfully limited.
I would choose the first option but sometimes it’s much better to think about these things before you spend money on something.
Revolutionary phone!
“The iPhone is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows you to make a call by simply tapping a name or number in your address book, a favorites list, or a call log. It also automatically syncs all your contacts from a PC, Mac, or Internet service.“, this is one of the Apple jokes you can read on their website about iPhone. So this is a revolution huh?? Well correct me, but i think features like this have been availiable on phones before. For example my phone (MDA Vario) lets me do the same think and i have had it for over a year now. So where is the Revolution? Apple is acting like a real estate company that calls their houses revolutionary just because they have toilets inside.
Wake up Apple...wake up!
Are you a person who dials numbers or sends SMSs, listens to music or browses the web just to look cool? Then go for iPhone. (Personally I expect to see 5 people sitting in the restaurant soon having the same iPhone which is going to make me laugh and they definitely wont get any cool points from me.)
But if you are a person who wants to set up their phone just the way you want it to work, the iPhone is probably not a good choice. Like a wise monkey once said: “You must look beyond what you see”.
NB:The author of this article is not an Apple hater but instead just likes to look at other fruits too before buying.
by drokk (info@xpats.nu) 2007-07-10
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