In this post my focus is not in whether the iPhone is better or worst then any other competing multimedia devices available out there. My simple focus during this short post just about raising the question of what are the meanings associated with having an iPhone in today's society. Towards several people having an iPhone today represents your up to date, in our fast paced world. Not only that but several people worldwide attach several values to the iPhone, values which vary vastly, some believe the iPhone to represent: luxury, futuristic, style, practical, efficient, wealth and so on. However just like everything in the world, there are always two sides to the coin. There are also several people who believe the iPhone to be just an extraordinary well laid out marketing campaign, people who believe it is totally unnecessary, not worth the value, too big, overrated and so on. With both sides in mind I leave my readers to the following questions, how would you rate the iPhone and why? If possible also analyze how you would rate it without thinking about society and its values, instead just think about the technology is it really that revolutionary or not?
4 comments:
i believe it is revolutionairy... it is and represents a trend in the convergence of technologies. there is know doubt that in western society the Iphone and devices like it have a certain pecieved value that makes them greatly desirable. however, i have my scruples... i want to know why people place so much value in a device? if you look at the history of the cell phone and you see how quickly society has integrated them into a mandatory device for vioce communication... what will happen when devices like the Iphone become the mandaotry standard for all of the media they represent?
more importantly... i am not buying an iphone or any such device until it combineds all the current media options with a portable bbq. lets get our freakin priorities strait here
Thanks a lot for the feedback Wes and yes I do believe it will be pretty scary when such a device becomes almost mandatory. Also trust me I wouldn't doubt it that in sometime during the near future such a handheld device will combine their media options with your portable bbq, your microwave, your oven, fridge, and so on... at the rate of speed in which things are changing and today we are able to see handhelds like the iPhone which are able to control computers from far away using iRemote it becames really just a matter of time until these convergences happen.
I believe that owning an iPhone is more than anything a status symbol. A) It says one is important enough to own one B) it says that one is up with the latest trends and C) it says you have the money to afford it. I believe it is a brilliant invention and another fantastic win for Apple, but is it the end all be all communicative tool? No, it is not. Cool and useful toy, absolutely. I believe we will see many more responses to the iPhone, but for now although it is a great toy/tool (toyl?) it is still a phone and a new distraction for this generation.
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