Newton's Ghost Haunts Apple's iPhone

PetManimal writes "David Haskin has looked back at why the Newton failed in the early PDA market, and warns that Apple may be setting itself up for a similar failure with the iPhone. The iPhone shares with the Newton a hefty starting price, and Joe Public may not be so keen on the cost, as recent survey data suggests. Moreover, the iPhone will have to deal with two additional factors that were not issues for the Newton: Competition, and wireless service providers: 'Besides overcharging for iPhone, Apple faces significant competition, something it didn't face in 1993 when it launched Newton. And you can bet that competition from the likes of Samsung and LG will both be good (although probably not as good as iPhone) and most assuredly cheaper... I'm more convinced than ever that, after an initial frenzy of publicity and sales to early adopters, iPhone sales will be unspectacular. If Apple doesn't respond quickly by lowering the price and making nice to AT&T..., iPhone may well become Apple's next Newton.'"

Comments

Re:Problems with the European market; iPhone's not

[CrackedButter]

Your post was good until the last line. I hate to mention it once again to somebody else but, Steve Jobs did say in the Keynote that they will make a 3G version. I'm speaking under the assumption that nearly everybody on Slashdot watched the keynote or heard this fact spew from SJ's mouth from somebody else. If you didn't watch the keynote, then now you know. A 3G version is coming, Steve said so.

Re:Got it wrong about competition

[rjstanford]

Motorolla should get an F for interface design (Whoever thought that having separate entries for each of 4 phone/fax numbers for a single person was a good idea should have to navigate phones using that system for the rest of their lives)

It sounds as if your phone is set up to store entries on the SIM card, which does indeed have this limitation. Change it over to store entries in the phone memory itself, and you can put as many phone numbers (or email addresses, whatever) against a single name as you like. When navigating through them, up and down arrows iterate through the names while left and right arrows flip through the numbers associated with that name.

Good software (well, not that bad at any rate), bad default setting on where to store your data.

Re:Got it wrong about competition

[zigziggityzoo]

Address Book > Menu > Setup > View > Primary Contacts

That'll solve your gripe about motorola contacts having multiple entries (at least superficially).

Re:Enormous Negative Reaction

[Gilmoure]

It's better to be talked about than not talked about.

Hefty Price? RAZR was more on launch.

[Anonymous Freak]

Do people forget these things this quickly?

When the RAZR launched (Cingular-only) in 2003, it was $500. WITH contract. And the sole reason for its price was style. At least Apple has SOME substance to go with their style.

I'm not defending the iPhone. When watching the keynote, I was, as most were, in Steve Jobs' "Reality Distortion Field". But upon seeing the actual specs, I know I won't be buying one. But it really isn't that outrageously priced, either.