There's a huge difference in that the MP3 player market was tiny when the iPod came along and revolutionized the field. The cell phone arena is pretty big (nearly saturated), and the entrenched devices are pretty good, not at all like the terrible mp3 players that were available when the iPod was introduced.
Exactly, which is why this is a bigger challenge. Still, if Apple can spot the trends and uncover some overlooked aspects, there may be an opening. Or, they may be looking to fill a small userbase comparable to the Apple Displays and Mighty Mouse. They don't have to make a blockbuster product to pad their bottom line a little (singles and doubles), though the expectations of the investor community right now seem to be looking a home run on this one right now.
Not in my experience. Ever since I got a cell phone, I pretty much only dial out of my contact list. When I pick up a landline, I have no idea what to do, since I haven't had to remember a phone number in years!
Yeah, me too. I have relatives I'd lose touch with if I lost my phone :-) Kind of like the folks you know where they live and go there all the time, but could never send them a letter because you don't know their actual full mailing address. Still, I still dial plenty of new numbers to make me want my keypad.
How is this different than current smartphones? Anyone using one with a Mac? (I use one with my PC).
Good question about Mac support of smartphones. It does seem that Mac users are currently 2nd class citizens in this revolution. If Mac users grow and are continued to be kept out, then this could be the perfect opening for the iPhone. Of course, that means being compatible with existing systems (Palm, Mobile Windows, Blackberry) for them to co-exist in larger environments. Sound familiar? It's the long difficult path that Macs have been traveling. Windows has made significant gains on the others, and it will be interesting to see how much room exists for all these players and what the effect of Apple will be in this area. |
