Apple’s iPhone is a computer, not a phone, says Fortune’s David Kirkpatrick.
“It is impossible to explain why the iPhone has so completely captured the world’s imagination. But I think one major reason is that many of us who routinely use the web today instinctively feel we ought to be able to do so everywhere. Until now that has been impossible,” Kirkpatrick writes.
“The iPhone appears to be the kind of solution we have been waiting for. And the early built-in features, like Google maps with real-time traffic information demonstrate just what kinds of potential there is in real Internet features on a portable device,” Kirkpatrick writes.
“To hear Jobs talk, the iPhone is almost an extension of the Mac. I told him that as a Mac user I was concerned that the company’s work on the iPhone would distract attention from the steady improvement of OS X, the Mac’s operating system. To the contrary, he replied. Since the iPhone uses OS X as its fundamental software underpinning as well, its existence will in fact help OS X to evolve even faster, he said. I hope he proves right,” Kirkpatrick writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: You can read us, or you can read it in Fortune six months later: “Apple’s ‘iPhone’ isn’t really a phone at all. It’s really a small touchscreen Mac OS X computer, a Mac nano tablet, it you will. Here’s how misnamed the iPhone is: some people are complaining that Jobs didn’t spend enough time on the Mac in his keynote! Folks, iPhone is not only a Mac, it’s the most radical new Mac in years!” – SteveJack, MacDailyNews, The only thing really wrong with Apple’s iPhone is its name – January 09, 2007
Obviously it’s a computer. And it’s a really cool one.
It’s just not a Mac. Let’s not become delusional here.
When you can run OS X apps on it of your choosing it will be a Mac.
“When you can run OS X apps on it of your choosing it will be a Mac.”
Ah, so System 9, 8, 7 and all the way back to 1.0 were not Macs?
“When you can run OS X apps on it of your choosing it will be a Mac.”
“Ah, so System 9, 8, 7 and all the way back to 1.0 were not Macs?”
Or if I only use the apps that came on my G5, does that mean it’s not a Mac either? Do I have to install other apps?
Your definition is rather limiting and random. The iPhone is running OS X which means that the software can functions can be updated and/or changed (by Apple) relatively easily.
The iPhone has input via the virtual keyboard, output via email, screen and possible WiFi connection to a networked printer or net based printing service. It has RAM and one or more CPU’s. It is more powerful than an Apple 1.
Why the fusk isn’t it a computer?
If you spend more time on it doing computer things than you do making phone calls, isn’t it a computer? After all, you can make phone calls on a computer as well.
My 2¢
The iPhone is definitely a pocket computer and a wonderful adjunct to the Mac (or PC actually), but it is NOT a Mac. Every official Apple statement and action, and every word spoken by Jobs on the subject make this distinction clear. I am willing to accept the creators’ distinction.
No it’s not a mac. By design, it is a device, not really a platform.
Which bums me out.
I want the phone, but what I REALLY want IS a “pocket mac” (a mac in my pocket..) And I’m a developer–I see amazing hardware there and I want to program it (not make web services).
Making it a device and not a mac is a perfectly defensible business decision and may be right for a lot of customers. And there may be changes in the future.
But let’s not forget first and formost a mac is a PLATFORM aimed at letting developers do wonderful things on it. It’s not just Apple’s iLfe and a web browser. And what’s inside is not as important as what you can do with it. Apple TV is more of a mac than the iPhone is.
“MAC” Daily News, of all outlets, should know better.
It’s a wonderful device… and it COULD be a mac… but Apple has very deliberately decided not to make it that.
“Computer” — That which computes. A compute-er.
From the article: “I’ll wait until it has… silent vibrate option.” –It does, doesn’t it? Amazing that a Fortune article writer doesn’t know.
“the only reason it’s called the iPhone is because of Marketing – everyone uses a phone – but not everyone uses a hand-held Mac”
The versions of Photoshop and Microsoft Office for the iPhone run great!