I was having a discussion with my family (all of whom are mac users) about how sweet the iPhone was. And then one of them said 600 dollars was way too much to spend on a toy. I had never thought of it like that, and I still don't. But what do you guys think? Can you honestly justify blowing 600 on this, or does the pure beauty of this thing just not let you resist?
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Is the iPhone a toy?
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Uh not at all.
I need the full feature web for testing public health govt. websites.
So it's not worthless to me.
I need the full feature web for testing public health govt. websites.
So it's not worthless to me.
Is any cell phone a toy? I think today a cell phone is a necessity for an adult. However some cell phones are just nicer than others (in the iPhone's case, on another level).
My wife basically thinks of it as a toy, and when I think about it, I really don't "need" one. There are many things we think we need but don't actually. Air conditioning hasn't been around that long in the grand scheme of things, yet we "need" it. Doesn't change the fact that I really want one, but I'm going to wait until my iPod dies before considering getting one.
I'd say the iPhone is in a category that very few products fit into. It may not be the single most functional business phone on the market, but it has a number of functions that are legit productivity things (not least of which being the fact that it is a phone), but at the same time it is really kind of a toy that you could spend tons of time just playing with.
I'd say it's about 20% business and 80% toy. Well- maybe not toy, but certainly not business. I mean, the cellphone aspect of the iPhone has become necessary for modern life, and would certainly not be considered a toy. But the necessity of mobile internet and video/music is debatable. It basically comes down to whether or not one thinks computers or iPods are toys.
I have my own business. It revolves around being on the internet. I make a lot of money. Not to brag, but to make a point. Because I get tired of people who have mid-level management jobs and such and run around talking about how important certain things are for business use, and it is nonsense. Certainly in a corporate environment somethings are more useful, but it is a ridiculous brush to paint the device as a toy or non business functional.
I have barely tapped the surface of the functionality. And I can hear from the geniuses who have used other smartphones who want to tell me the functionality is already available. My response is I have been using PDAs since before the first Palm Device. I bought 4 Palm Pilots the day they originally came out. I still have one sealed in a box. I still have a functioning Palm VII. On and on. I know my way around the technology, and this is the device I have been waiting for, a very long time.
Is it perfect? Far from it. Do most people actually need push mail to do their job? No not really. People have managed to use e-mail for many years without having push mail. Would it be nice if they made push mail more available yes. But such a deficit does not turn it into a non-business useful device.
Honestly it depends what you need it for and what you want to do. With the limited 3rd party market (ie non-existent), it limits the potential upside. I totally get that. But I also don't necessarily disagree with Apple's reasons for not wanting to go that route.
I think the upside for the iPhone is huge. The got the foundation there and the sofware there. Features can be addressed. The other phone makers have a bigger problem. They are WAY behind on the software side of things, and it will take them a long time to catch up. Maybe too long. So they will come out with their iPhone killers that will pile on more features with the same horrible interfaces, and have unusable products.
For me the iPhone works. I use it and I have never an instruction manual for it. Right out of the box I was able to work with it.
Again though different strokes. I don't mean to disparage those who like their treo's or blackberrys etc or find them with features they must have. That is fine. Enjoy them. But just because the iPhone does not contain one of those features does not mean it is not capable, nor does it mean it is a toy. It just means it is different.
I have barely tapped the surface of the functionality. And I can hear from the geniuses who have used other smartphones who want to tell me the functionality is already available. My response is I have been using PDAs since before the first Palm Device. I bought 4 Palm Pilots the day they originally came out. I still have one sealed in a box. I still have a functioning Palm VII. On and on. I know my way around the technology, and this is the device I have been waiting for, a very long time.
Is it perfect? Far from it. Do most people actually need push mail to do their job? No not really. People have managed to use e-mail for many years without having push mail. Would it be nice if they made push mail more available yes. But such a deficit does not turn it into a non-business useful device.
Honestly it depends what you need it for and what you want to do. With the limited 3rd party market (ie non-existent), it limits the potential upside. I totally get that. But I also don't necessarily disagree with Apple's reasons for not wanting to go that route.
I think the upside for the iPhone is huge. The got the foundation there and the sofware there. Features can be addressed. The other phone makers have a bigger problem. They are WAY behind on the software side of things, and it will take them a long time to catch up. Maybe too long. So they will come out with their iPhone killers that will pile on more features with the same horrible interfaces, and have unusable products.
For me the iPhone works. I use it and I have never an instruction manual for it. Right out of the box I was able to work with it.
Again though different strokes. I don't mean to disparage those who like their treo's or blackberrys etc or find them with features they must have. That is fine. Enjoy them. But just because the iPhone does not contain one of those features does not mean it is not capable, nor does it mean it is a toy. It just means it is different.
Those of us that use it for business would not call it that.
Geez.. a toy...
I think marksman said it best...
Geez.. a toy...
I think marksman said it best...
The price is interesting.
A $600 iPhone + a 2-year contract that includes inexpensive data almost always works out to be less expensive than a $99 device + a 2-year contract that has a normal priced data plan.
I think that the implicit "If you're not using it for business, then it's a toy" aspect of this poll is insulting. If you're using a computer to:
1) Keep connected w/ your family, friends, etc.
2) Keep informed (news, wikipedia, etc.)
3) Educate yourself (on-the-fly research on any number of topics)
_and_ 4) Entertain yourself
is it "merely" a toy? If so, here are other things that are toys to the majority of the American populace:
1) Any other cellphone
2) Your landline phone
3) Your computer
4) Your TV & cable service
Just because you might occasionally use those things for "business" doesn't justify the other 95% of the usage which is basically for entertainment or "keeping in touch".
And, as for the "can't you just use your computer for that?" questions: I _am_ using my computer. My iPhone is a computer, just a handheld one.
This just seems like a silly argument to try and trivialize the iPhone purchase that other people have made.
1) Keep connected w/ your family, friends, etc.
2) Keep informed (news, wikipedia, etc.)
3) Educate yourself (on-the-fly research on any number of topics)
_and_ 4) Entertain yourself
is it "merely" a toy? If so, here are other things that are toys to the majority of the American populace:
1) Any other cellphone
2) Your landline phone
3) Your computer
4) Your TV & cable service
Just because you might occasionally use those things for "business" doesn't justify the other 95% of the usage which is basically for entertainment or "keeping in touch".
And, as for the "can't you just use your computer for that?" questions: I _am_ using my computer. My iPhone is a computer, just a handheld one.
This just seems like a silly argument to try and trivialize the iPhone purchase that other people have made.
You're right, I didn't really intend that to happen. I'm not using it for business either. Hell I'm 17, business isn't even on my mind. But I do intend to use all it's features heavily, and I wouldn't call it a toy either. It'll be a useful tool for my life and its enjoyment.
The price is very interesting... I'm really glad ATT subsidized it by making the data plan very affordable. I wonder how much Apple had to haggle them.
The price is very interesting... I'm really glad ATT subsidized it by making the data plan very affordable. I wonder how much Apple had to haggle them.
i also agree, i actually use it for school so i can check up on grades and edit online papers when im not at home...
Not at all btw, I'm having to bend over backwards to get one, I brought it up merely as an interesting topic of discussion on what iPhone users and non-users thought of the phone.
I mainly use my phone for email, music, browsing and occasional directions (the phone part goes without saying). No phone does this better than the iPhone at the moment (don't talk about GPS, because i'm just talking about google maps). Its not exactly a business device but with updates, i believe it will be pretty darn close.