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http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=814
Is Apple Readying iPhone or Handheld?
By Remy Davison, Insanely Great Mac
August 19th 2002
While Steve labels other market entrants as "junk", is Apple building perfection in
Cupertino?
It''s long been rumored that Apple has been prepping a PDA. Despite Jobs'' numerous
denials, it is a matter of fact that Apple attempted to buy Palm some time ago.
However, New York Times [free subscription required] story looks at Apple''s MWNY
offerings (BlueTooth, iCal, Sherlock, mail, address book) and surmises there''s
something deeper going on here: a cell phone.
The iPhone is not a new rumor, but the NYT quotes Charles Wolf of Needham & Company,
who argues, "When you join the dots, everything adds up to a phone."
As the article notes, Jobs has previously dismissed both the PDAs and cell phones on
the market as "junk". But Apple''s recent attempt at linking internet/Mac/cell phone
to OS X and .mac was made very explicit by the lengthy demonstration of iCal software,
as well as the Rendezvous technology. Even so, Apple was only giving us a peek at the
potential of Rendezvous.
The article does express doubts about Apple''s ability to market an iPhone
successfully, but also says there is no doubt Apple could produce a market-leading
device. However, it would introduce a device into an already heavily-saturated market
segment.
Analysis: The MP3 player market bulges with entries as well, yet iPod is not only the
best product, and one of the most expensive, but also among the most successful.
There''s no question that when Apple builds the best, there is a clear market for a
product.
As the NYT says, Apple could easily contract a Taiwanese manufacturer to build the
device, but it is intriguing to ponder how Apple''s PowerPC partnet, Motorola, would
react to this. However, a high-priced, possibly niche-market phone, that might (like
the iPod) only work with OS X initially, wouldn''t worry the Nokias unduly. Although
MP3 player makers have had to burn the midnight oil to catch up with iPod.
To us, this all seems to point to a merger of the PDA and the cell phone, a direction
in which the cell phone was moving anyway, and the PDA wasn''t. The NYT article puts
some meat on the bones of its iPhone rumor by pointing to some Apple-Palm disputes.
But I''d sure like to have an Apple-logo''d iPhone in my Xmas stocking (whatever it
is).
Post your comments at:
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=814
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