All hail the new iPhone - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Is it true re NY re unlocked phones?


Begin forwarded message:

From: DV Henkel-Wallace <[email protected]>
Date: January 11, 2007 1:28:38 AM EST
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [IP] All hail the new iPhone - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

On Jan 10, 2007, at 15:01 , David Farber wrote:

> But David Farber, a telecommunications expert at Carnegie Mellon  
> University, said the snazzy little ringer is more flash than  
> substance.

Hi Dave.  I went to Macworld to check this doohickey out (and see  
what else is on offer).  Sadly, "Mac"world is becoming less and less  
about the Mac, and more and more about locked-in gadgets.

Anyway, the iPhone was the star, and I really liked it....because its  
reception was a laugh a minute.  Apple had two stages on its booth;  
one for Mac stuff and one for the phone.  On the mac side you could  
just walk in; the phone side was packed, though basically you were  
hearing nothing that hasn't been hashed over in the press already.

But the best parts: first, in the presentation, the presenter would  
periodically pause and say, "isn't that great?"  At that the audience  
would cheer and clap.  He did this several times.  The second thing I  
loved is that phone prototypes were up on rotating stands in display  
cases -- basically transparent capsules atop a large cylinder.  Next  
to each was a security guard.  I thought I was viewing an ancient  
etruscan mobile phone dug up and reassembled by the famed Apple  
archeologists.  And around it were hordes of people taking photos  
(none of which could possibly be as good as the publicity stills on  
the Apple web site).

I took a bunch too....of the people.  Very funny.  Just like the  
Vatican museum or the Getty.

The phenomenon is more exciting than the device itself.  Easily more  
than .1% of the all people on the planet interested in this were in  
attendance....but it's like a huge opinion echo chamber at this  
point.  When you're in the middle of it you have to believe this is  
front-page news everywhere.

All that being said, I think I will probably get one myself in about  
a year or so when others have shaken out the bugs (and perhaps once  
you don't have to sign up for two years -- is that even legal in New  
York?  I thought phones there had to be sold unlocked).



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