So Is It All Just About Looking Like an Apple?

Jerry Raia

I have been watching the evolving threads here and on some other boards about this new Apple creation. Personally, I'm not impressed. As a phone it seems mediocre, as a Smartphone (if they even try to call it that) I'm certain it is severely lacking. What is even more interesting though is the latest development of Apple apparently going after sites and people for duplicating the look. It occurred to me that maybe all this new thing really is, is form over function in a way. Nothing more than a pretty interface to rub your greasy fingers all over and a tired music player design inside. When you compare it to most of what we talk about here on these pages, I think it comes up way short. Does it look good? You bet. It looks so good that people are racing to duplicate it. Duplicate it to put on the devices we really like and use. See my point? Is Apple worried about people skinning their phone because once they have, they have captured the most interesting thing about it? Maybe so, because if they have made such a super power device, it will fly off the shelves instead of off a blog page. Your thoughts?
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ctmagnus · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:00 pm Post subject:

I'm thinking it's all about the UI. The iPod is amazingly easy to use, and if they can duplicate its simplicity with the iPhone then...
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Rocco Augusto · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:26 pm Post subject:

so Apple can completely disregard the law and steal another companys product name, get sued over it, and still not change their own product name... but homescreen makers cannot use a few images?

this is why i will never buy an Apple product Wink

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Jerry Raia · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:31 pm Post subject:

Rocco Augusto · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:35 pm Post subject:

well i guess in this case whoever comes to market with a useable product first wins. Apple has peaked the interest of everybody with the looks of this device. if homescreen makers can make some fabulous homescreens, like Juni has, and get enough attention from the public, then no one will buy the "iPhone" since they can duplicate the looks elsewhere. who really wants to spend $600 for a glorified finger smudge machine?
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toby · Smartphone Neophyte Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 8

wow, sounds like some serious sour grapes here. from what we've seen so far, the interface is far beyond anything else out there, including all of Microsoft's offerings, as far as aesthetics and integration go. Yes, a lot of the functionality is available now (Google maps, music player, chat style sms) but no one has even come close to the integration and style that the iPhone has. Not sure about you guys, but if the functionality is equivalent or better (and the Google maps, email and browser, among other things certainly look to be much better than current MS Smartphone equivalents) than I would most certainly rather use the better looking one. If you're going to be interacting with something day in and day out, why not use the one that pleases your aesthetics more? And that will actually sync with my Macs as well as PCs instead of just utterly ignoring other platforms' existence, like my SDA does? It could be argued that the Zune was nothing more than a Microsoft attempt at a "form over function" ipod, and they just got show up on that front as well, by a long ways.

Kris Kumar · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:14 pm Post subject:

I personally think that Apple's iPhone is more than just looks.

Is it a revolution as Steve Jobs is claiming? well yes.
Is it an innovative product? no. It just manages to get all the pieces in the package just right.

If six months from now if the phone functions as Mr. Jobs claims, then they would have truly started a mini-revolution. UNFORTUNATELY Apple's pricing strategy keeps this revolution out of the hands of many. The folks who need it.

I think there are users who do NOT need Smartphones. They need a music player, video, internet, personal email and camera. These folks buy Windows Mobile devices, Treo or BB. These devices are great, they are flexible (as the iPhone theme screen on Smartphone and Pocket PC proves) but does it means that it is easy to operate. No while WinMo is powerful, it does take some getting used to.

I am not saying that Apple's phone interface is easy. But it is FUN. People would dismiss the little bit complexity for fun. Overall by keeping out the third-party apps and by cutting down on true smart phone functionalities, Apple has created a phone for the consumer market. While it will be out of hands of the many, those who will buy it will find it to work just as advertised - nothing more, nothing less and of course it will look cool and make its user look cool.
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Pete Paxton · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 9:17 pm Post subject:

I guess I'm just happy for everybody. If I didn't own a phone and the iphone was out today - would I get it - maybe. I'd still want to see what's out there and what needs I have. However, since I have a dash, would I sell my dash, add about $350 and switch to Cingular just to get this phone? No. I'm very happy with my dash. I'm satisified if the user is satisified with what ever they have. My wife has a moto v710 flip phone. While she thinks some of the functions on my Dash are cool, she'd just as soon have her simple flip moto. When the iphone comes out I'll probably still be happy with my dash. Which phone will be better? Depends on who you ask Very Happy

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juni · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 1:11 am Post subject:

They did the same thing when the "aqua" interface came out - had a few prominent skinning sites remove some skins - and after a while they calmed down.

I think the iPhone skins give them some free advertising and feed the hype. Smile

(No, I haven't been contacted, but my homescreens don't go as far as the other hacks I know of for the pocket pcs)

Anthony Caruana · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:10 am Post subject:

I think you've missed the real point of what the iPhone has done. Sure it has pretty icons and I agree that there are some elements of the hardware design that aren't all that great (no 3G - although I'm told that 3G is on the roadmap, only one camera spring to mind). The real innovation is in the UI but you have to look past the icons to see it. They have a gesture-based touchscreen UI. Not a point and poke interface, not a stylus as a mouse UI btu a real gesture driven system.

Watch the keynote and look at the way Jobs drags objects, uses two fingers to zoom in and out on images, uses smarts to zoom in on parts of the screen when they're tapped.

I suspect that what the iPhone will do to the market is change the way people expect to interact with their phones and other computer systems. That's what I reckon (and have blogged at http://www.thepdaguy.com/view_post.php?id=388 ).
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