iPhone Guided Tour
June 22, 2007 | By Raymond T. Hightower
Today Apple released a guided tour of the iPhone. The 20-minute educational commercial (“edu-mercial”) is viewable through Apple’s Web site. Is this vaporware hype, useful information, or something else?
Guided Tour: 3 in 1
Like the iPhone, it’s a combo of three:
- A pre-announced product that doesn’t exist is vaporware.
- The information is useful for anyone making an iPhone purchase decision.
- And the “something else”? Well… the guided tour is a great way to build excitement!
What Concerns Me
The marketing material looks great, and that’s why we need to look at this product very closely. - Can the iPhone meet the expectations that Apple has set for it?
- Can touch-typists type quickly when there are no physical keys?
- How quickly will downloads happen since the device is non-3G?
- How do you replace a dead battery in a sealed device?
What Excites Me
The most exciting feature of the iPhone will be the web browser. Users today are getting the information they want, when they want it through Web-based applications (a.k.a. webware). The iPhone’s 3.5” touch-screen interface appears more advanced than any portable interface currently on the market.Of course, the iPhone isn’t on the market. Yet!
Everything Here Might Be Wrong
As of this writing, one week before product launch, I have yet to see a real iPhone. Very few people have. Like most of you, I’ve read the tech specs and I’ve seen the commercials on Apple’s web site. Apple has done a fantastic job marketing this product. Expectations are high. Let’s see if they can deliver. One week to go!