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Monday, January 15, 2007

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Wait A Minute! The iPhone Is Origami Done Right?

Iphone2 There has been lots written about the iPhone. First the hoopla, the swooning, and the drooling. Then the inevitable criticism from a chorus of boo birds because it doesn’t do this and it doesn’t do that. Heck, the jury hasn’t even convened, much less gone into deliberations on what is, at the least, an undeniably cool looking device, and the most successful marketing coup in quite some time.

This morning I saw this article (Perfect UMPC = iPhone?) linking to Rob Enderle’s Digital Trends column (Apple iPhone=Origami Done Right?) where he gives his thoughts on the iPhone (or what we know of it at the moment.) What is intriguing among Enderle’s thoughts is this thesis:

The iPhone, in concept, hits on almost all of the notes that Origami missed. It prices in at under $600 (granted with a 2 year cell phone commitment), is relatively small, has integrated WAN, and they figured out that by using Synaptics’ technology they could make a touch screen keyboard work. The iPhone’s interface is simple (even though the OS is based on OSX) and they did a great job of eliminating the complexity (in effect they completed where Microsoft didn’t).

Like I said, the book on the iPhone is still to be written, no matter how many iPhones are sold before and after the release (and there will be tons.) That said, Enderle’s thesis is an interesting one depending on what you need a mobile converged device for. Given my purchasing rationale for a UMPC, it would make sense (if I had a Mac to sync up contacts and email with, or wanted to stay completely in the cloud.) I think there is no doubt that however the iPhone story ends up, we will look back and say it did have a profound effect on mobile devices going forward. I just think it is way too early to start proclaiming what that impact really will be. But hey, the speculating sure is fun isn’t it? Let’s see where we are with this story in August, shall we.

Warner Crocker | Editorials | Ultra Mobile PC

1/15/2007 8:30 AM MST

Wait A Minute! The iPhone Is Origami Done Right? Comments [8] | Digg This | del.icio.us | Citations

Monday, January 15, 2007 9:41:22 AM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

The sales will be spectacular early on but I suspect the fatal flaws (battery life combined w/the inability to swap batteries) will make people that depend on their converged device to go elsewhere.

Jayson Billington

Monday, January 15, 2007 11:41:58 AM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Lot of comments about the battery life, but people forget it already has extended battery solutions via the iPod accessory market, plus charging solutions. Also, a lot of people charge their phone at work (see 'em all the time). The battery issue is far from fatal, especially given most people don't talk for five hours on their mobile phone in one day.

As for it being Origami done right, the resemblance to a tiny tablet is a big reason why I am on the bandwagon. However, I also noted that it is not a standalone device. Origami/UMPC is meant to be a companion computer, but still a computer on its own. iPhone is not. The heavy lifting, like managing media, contacts, etc., is meant to be done on a computer then synced to the phone.

That said, I stand by my assessment that the iPhone is a few upsizing steps away from being a Mac tablet, and that goes for being a Mac Origami as well. Might be Origami "done better", but not quite "done right"... at least not yet.

Sumocat

Monday, January 15, 2007 12:07:28 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Hey fellas, it's just a phone. Cool fish on the cover, and a cool 'pinch me' interface, but it's just a phone. Even Apple says it's not a computer. That's their reason for not allowing any third party apps.

Mark de Jeu

Monday, January 15, 2007 1:03:01 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

"The iPhone Is Origami Done Right?"

Heck no. it doesn't even run software. you can't even call it a smartphone. you can run office apps on a $99 Treo, not on the $599 iphone.
I expected GBM folks to be philosophically against such a restriced device. it doesnt even have USB/SD card slot! I wouldn't be suprised if you coudln't even use it to store files. (other then empeethrees, PIX, and moovies!)

apple took 2 big steps forward, and one giant leap backwards with this one.
mabye they figured that since OSX is so bad with compatibility anyways, they might as well just lock it out! :)

okashira

Monday, January 15, 2007 2:59:39 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Every one is right, that doesn't mean Apple is going to sell a boat load of these things. And here I am, a dedicated MS user for my desktop, tablet and Pocket PC and even I thought (very briefly, maybe a minute tops) of trying to get one.

Battery life, 3G, all the other techie specs, won't mean a hill of beans to Joe and Jane Consumer. All it needs to do is sync with iCalendar as iPods already do. They won't care about anything else.

What we all keep missing is the inherent need for "Wow" in our computer thingys that MS keeps talking about but never can seem to deliver. The software may be wow (and based on what I've seen of Vista, I am looking forward to it), but it is still going in the same boxes that they have been going in for the last 10 years.

Just look at a Treo from a consumer design perspective. It hasn't changed much since the first one. Sure, WinMo is installed now as an option but their big "product innovation" is removing the antenna?!?

Windows is a good, solid workhorse for just about anything you can throw at it, but it is usually so butt-ugly or bland that outsiders miss it.

What we really need are better looking devices since WinMobile can already handle the things we need to do on a daily basis with all the bells and whistles thrown in.

We need higher storage capacities (Palm did it with the LifeDrive, remember? Flash based 4 gigs? Whatever happened to that? Wonder if Palm will counter with a LifeDrive/Treo combo, hmmm?) and better looking devices.

Bill and the folks at MS need to tell all their OEM partners, "no more metallic devices or beige towers. Period. If, after you pull it out and people can't get jazzed about it, BEFORE they know what it is/does, take it back to product design until they do. And if you can't comply, we'll do it ourselves."

Aaron Walker

Monday, January 15, 2007 3:23:01 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

I'm with Sumo on the fact that if Apple apply this design philosophy to an upscaled version then perhaps it is the 'Macagami.

I'm not with Sumo on the battery issue. Convergence means more use scenarios and more power consumption. I thought we had moved away from chargers cluttering up desks, bedrooms etc.

One area where the iphone will be exploited is 'social media'. In my view it has a natural appeal to those who indulge in this experience. Not tech heavy, has the right functions, its easy to use and pretty to look at.

Mel Buckpitt

Monday, January 15, 2007 7:47:19 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

I blogged about this before the keynote was even over. As soon as I heard about it running OSX. Of course it doesn't run 3rd party apps...yet. iPhone2 should be even more interesting.

http://michaeldotnet.blogspot.com/2007/01/someday-apple-will-win.html

Michael.NET

Monday, January 15, 2007 7:48:39 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)

Why is 5 hours talk time bad?

psandiford

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