Todays the day!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 9:50AM 
Yup, it's the day of the Apple 3.0 preview and as usual here in the UK, we have a full days work to put in until the event at 5pm GMT (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!)
I have to admit, until the advent of the iPhone, the whole mobile space space left me completely cold. I've always loved gadgets and technology but mobile phones, nah!
Never even considered getting a smart phone before the iPhone and the last phone I used for business was one of the old Nokias, very efficient, great battery life, did what it said on the tin. When I became self employed, I thought I needed a phone (before the iPhone was a glimmer on the horizon) so I went out and bought a Motorola RAZR phone....
.... errrm yeah, let's just move on at that point.
I've never really had a phone that I fully understood, or was able to confidently say that I knew how to operate all its functions.
I always thought that a phone with a data connection would be a great idea but to be honest, the data plans always seemed so confusing, expensive and well, just plain confusing. I just knew that I'd end up leaving it on and running up a huge bill or such like.
The iPhone changed both these perceptions in one fell swoop by making the UI a delight to use, removing all the complications with the data plan and ensuring that you paid a fixed price each month no matter how much data you consumed (unless you went abroad!).
So the iPhone changed completely my take on the mobile phone and I saw the light on just how powerful mobile technology could be and how important it's likely to be over the next few years.
This afternoons iPhone 3.0 preview should be very interesting in illustrating what Apple intend to do in the light of competition from the Android phone and the Palm Pre. They already have a two year lead on these devices so know they have the opportunity to turn the screw that much more. I'd really hate to be an executive at Palm waiting to see what Apple announce as I think it's pretty well acknowledged that Palm are betting the company on the Pre being successful. Regardless on what features are announced today, it's still only half the story as Apple are most likely lining up to release the 3rd generation iPhone in the summer with new and upgraded hardware features!
Perhaps I should clarify one point though.
To me the iPhone isn't a mobile phone, it's my pocket Mac that just happens to be able to make phone calls. So perhaps I'm still not a mobile phone fan after all.
Reader Comments (4)
Don,
Could not agree more on your assessment of the iPhone. I am not a mobile phone fan and I really use the iPhone as a mobile Mac. It is great for E-mail, browsing etc. but it will be interesting to see what they have in store today.
Regards
Steve
I refer the honorable gentleman to my previous answer :)
http://myownreality.eu/2009/03/iphone-30-os-event/#comment-4492
I agree with most of what you say Don, but I have to balance that with the issues that are still there almost 2 years later. Sounds like we're going to get Cut and Paste announced today, but I also hope they have a solution for background apps, that's something that I (and it appears many others by the looks of the poll on Engadget) need sorted.
Can you have a word with the mothership now you're featured on Apple.com
;)
M.
Don - I loved your blog post and your comment about the iPhone being your portable Mac - maybe today-is-the-day:=)
Don - I loved your blog post and your comment about the iPhone being your portable Mac - maybe today-is-the-day:=)