Comments for iPhone: The New Personal Computer

iPhone: The New Personal Computer

2008-07-14T08:39:40Z

When Apple first announced the launch of its iPhone platform, we wrote here that it is a game changer. Even the core of iPhone is a major advance in mobile computing, but with the platform iPhone becomes the new personal computer. The desktop from now on will be for professional and business work. Laptops aren't going away, but will get increasingly less personal use. The reason is that iPhone with its application platform is a better personal computer and it's widely accessible.

]]> At Your Fingertips. Fast.

Every major service, Amazon, Netflx, Twitter, Digg, Flickr, Facebook, is already available, or will soon be, on iPhone. Either the companies or third parties will deliver these applications. The result is, you have the world in your pocket; anytime, anywhere you can access what you need.

This is powerful and unprecedented. For a while now, we've been seeing desktop and web converging, with increasingly more desktop apps leveraging the web. iPhone places this convergence into the spotlight. Smart little apps with fluid Apple design are now leveraging the vast amounts of information available on the web.

Location Awareness

Another leap is location awareness. Apps are now smarter because they understand an important part of your context. Want nearby movies, restaurants or maps? Applications automatically leverage your current location.

And we're now seeing a true blend of physical and digital. When you're at a restaurant, see what your friends thought about it. When in a bookstore, look up reviews on Amazon. If in Paris, access an instant map. Sure, you could do this before, but this iPhone platform takes the experience to a new level. It takes it to the mainstream.

The New Personal Computer

There's an irony in Steve Jobs' recent move to drop the word computer from the company name. Arguably, this iPhone is the first really personal computer. True, the PC was called that first, but from today's view PC is for heavy tasks while iPhone is small, smart and portable.

iPhone comes with a pack of applications perfect for today's consumers. Like iMac 10 years ago, this device focuses on essentials. It has all the necassary communications: phone, email, text messaging. It has a camera and a way to manage photos. It's the best smart phone to play video. And its music support rocks.

Even the original iPhone was great at finding information: maps and Safari made the web instantly accessible. Now with the application platform open-ended, all other non-Apple essentials become available. Each of us can download the apps for services we use and make iPhone personalized and personal.

What's Next for Business Computing?

Beyond personal computing iPhone aims to help people do business. Its much anticipated Exchange integration will generate an army of converts. Jobs and his crew know the personal computer needs to support business folks, as few people would want to carry two devices.

Where does this leave laptops and PC? Obviously neither is going away anytime soon, but both are more orientated towards business professionals. Programmers will not be using an iPhone to write Java code. Designers will not be using it for graphics, and engineers will never run CAD on iPhone. These aren't personal computing things, but business. iPhone will become our new personal computer.

Conclusion

Seeing the new applications on the iPhone is eye-opening. They're powerful, they're beautiful, and they're only getting better. Having all personal applications and services at your fingertips makes one realize iPhone is really the first personal computer.

Increasingly, desktops and laptops will be for professional computing. iPhone and its descendants will be our new personal computer. This is an exciting page in the history of our technology. It's the start of an era: ubiquitous, portable, personal computing.

ReadWriteWeb Predictions: How many total units of the iPhone will Apple sell in 2008? Click here to predict.

Comment from Maarten on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T09:35:43Z

It's a nice idea, but until I can type on it I won't be using it for my chatting/im'ing much, so I prefer a laptop for that, and I think that goes for most mails too.
It's a nice thing to have around, but I'll always have a bigger personal computer next to this small one..

Comment from Christy Conroy on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T09:41:03Z

excellent article

Comment from David on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T10:07:20Z

@Maarten: Although I have not seen it yet, I would think that Apple would market a stand alone keyboard with an iPhone dock in it? The product could have the standard VGA output as part of it. This has to either exist or be in the works.

The only remaining item to make it more useful as a PC is editing support for office docs.

Even with the both of these, you would still need the main PC for awhile.

Comment from @David on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T10:10:28Z

@David; that'd be a nice tool indeed, but then you get to the point of apple cutting into its imac / macbook marketshare?

Comment from David on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T10:11:47Z

I really like the FF plugin on the R/W Web blog!

Comment from ref on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T10:18:31Z

I think its a great idea.

However, its not for me. Im old school... well im 30 so thats the same thing on the internet.

But for me personally I dont like to mix to many of my devices up into the same package.

I think it takes away from each device... at this particular time anyway.

Comment from Stanium on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T10:48:14Z

I agree that now iPhone is more personal than PCs and laptops. Just like the latter were personal at their time compared to old computers occupying a whole room.

Comment from islandinthenet.com on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T10:51:11Z

I think your analysis is right on the money. Just after buying an iPod Touch I found myself using my MacBook less. With the Touch ( and available wireless ) I could read and reply to email, check information via the web, update my Twitter status etc. My MacBook hard drive failed last week and I was still able to function until it was repaired. I'll definitely be getting an iPhone once my Verizon contract is up.

Comment from Damon on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T11:25:28Z

Perhaps, but this reminds me of the hype surrounding Facebook platform when it first launched and how it was going to change the world. Most of the original promise the Facebook platform is yet to materialise. Time will tell...

Comment from deemeetree on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T11:56:49Z

iPhone is not yet the ultimate device that will change lives. It might change some habits and make people adapt to the new technologies, but it's still got a long way to go before people could use it as a personal computer (slow input, small screen, not many extensions, etc.)

I think it's more like a transition to the next stage. The phones should either die out or become much smaller and much more simple. Their function is to transform how we communicate and to make people adapt to the new technologies, but we are yet to see the device that will be the ultimate all-in-one.

Comment from Endre Jofoldi on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T11:58:35Z

Eventually more and more people will use it, however small screen and no keyboard makes it impossible for a lot of serious use. Actually IPhone has a pretty good experience for browsing the web, but is there anybody, who is regularly reading articles on an iPhone. 20 inch gives you a completely different experience.
The key is that it is mobile. So it can be exceptionally useful a lot of times, but clearly it is not a replacement for a good PC or notebook.

Comment from Rob on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T12:29:54Z

Is the PC not platform agnostic? In which case I think your comparision is a little generous.

The hype surrounding the iPhone staggers me, sure it has a touch screen, but ignoring form, what function does it provide that isn't already on the market?

A similar claim 'to be the next PC' can be made for the N95, but again it is tied to a platform. One difference with N95 is it's been on the market for 12 months, which gives a clue as to where the iPhone moves in the future. For the last two weeks I've been running a web server on a N95, so here we see further convergence between desktop and web, I have a couple of posts on it over on my blog

Rob

Comment from panefsky on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T12:36:34Z

I seriously this article.
My view is that no big change will occur unless they find something much more innovative than LBS (this has been around decades now)

Comment from Bernard Lunn on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T12:55:11Z

Alex, great article and I totally agree from my personal perspective. I spend more time out of my office than in my office (and like it that way) but I do NOT like lugging my laptop around. Now that laptops have become desktop replacements they have got heavier. I can see a return to real heavy duty desktops (big everything, never move them) allied to iPhone. I do think that getting biz people to switch from Blackberry won't be simple. It may lack sexy features but it is never irritating, it just does the job. The iPhone needs a killer biz app - lot of money to be made there methinks. Bernard

Comment from Laith on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T13:04:58Z

I can not imagine how people can look at the iPhone and say in straight face its a major step. every feature of the iPhone was available way before Apple came with the iPhone on other phones, in fact there are many phones that have better functionality than the iPhone, that is said the style of the iPhone is definetly the best. but that do not make it revolutionary by any means. in regard to software available for the iphone, well its really limited compared to other software solutions available on other phones

Comment from svartling on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T13:19:24Z

This is one of the best articles I've read in a long time.
Thanks.

Too bad the iPhone can't handle copy/paste (yet). Perfect as a personal computer if it could.

Comment from Ashish Tonse on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T13:26:16Z

@laity indeed all the tangible features on the iPhone have existed before its debut, but one major feature was missing from all those phones. Experience. Could you actually expect a non technical user to use any of those advanced features without help on an N95? Not really. Same goes for one of my pet peeves, 3 way calling. Before the iPhone I didn't know a single person that knew how to make a 3 way call using their cell phone. Now everyone can easily without help.

By the way, I typed this message on an iPhone in about 2 mind and I've only had it for 3 days. I'd say the keyboard works just fine.

Comment from Ryan on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T13:43:02Z

It won't be a game changer for me until I can use it (openly) on networks other than AT&T.

Comment from possible248 on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T13:43:48Z

RwadWriteWeb. Ooh, is that a new blog? :D

Comment from Iron Flatline on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T13:56:38Z

Yeah, right. The iPhone is full of businessy, helpful apps like Facebook and Twitter, but they can't even figure out something simple like Exchange access.

I like the iPhone, but you guys really need to switch to the "lite" Kool-Aid occasionally.

To quote a favorite platitude of arm-chair futurists everywhere, media platforms don't get replaced, they just get added. TV did not replace the movies, and the iPhone will not replace computers. But it's nice for the kids to have something to play with in between classes.

Nonetheless I hope to get mine working some day - with simple things like Tasks, Categories, and Contact selection - across various platforms, not optimized for one vs the other.

Comment from baruman on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T14:04:38Z

There is a lower limit to these devices in that at some point small becomes too small. It may be great for texting and listening to music or even watching video on an extended trip. But am I going to read the NY Times on this or take it to a LAN Party or type up a paper or presentation or even blog with it? Probably not. The desktop and laptop are not going away, especially as long as there are those of us who like to open up their innards and swap out for higher and higher performing gear.

Comment from physio on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T14:16:42Z

svartling: I'm astonished that there is still not copy/paste on the iPhone. You said 'yet.' Do you know something the rest of us don't or are you making assumptions?

Comment from mb on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T14:59:47Z

I never understood this aversion to AT&T ... they are all dumb pipes ... This is all about software and the device. Who cares what the pipe is? I use AT&T ... works fine (I live in NY). What could another provider do so differently to make me want to use a phone with half (considering most people don't use most of the features their phones are capable of) the functionality ... Personally, since I got my iPhone I never bring a laptop anymore when I travel ... and I bought an iMac and rarely need a laptop.

Comment from Sebhelyesfarku on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T15:32:03Z

The iPhone is crippled even as a smartphone and it's already a personal computer? PCs don't need copy/paste? LOL

Comment from beat on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T15:47:56Z

I think that the whole article is over-stating. As mentioned before they've been already in the market much better phones with much better features than the iPhone. Of course they don't have the "i" mark on their names so they're not "cool" enough to create a consumer hysteria. We have a short/long way before we can actually talk about personal computers on a phone. iPhone it's ok if you're a fashion victim or a gadget freak but if you want a much better smartphone -with a better price too- go for another company.

Comment from todd on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T15:49:32Z

Is there a downside to small screen computing? I'm afraid the small world phenomena will mean all we see on our small screens are the most popular and most profitable items because that's all that can fit. As screens get smaller our world becomes smaller too.

Comment from Al on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T15:50:56Z

I wonder when we'll finally have a folding keyboard for iphone, like we had for Palm.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/review/stowaway_portable_keyboard_review

Comment from Steffan Antonas on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T15:51:00Z

Great article Alex,

You're right on the money about iPhone style/size devices becoming the "new PC". What's fantastic about this type of technology, and its inherent benefits of (relatively) low cost and portability, is that it suggests that computers will be so much more affordable and available to those populations that previously never had access to information and resources. I'd like to see the iPhone and similar devices spread like wildfire in areas that are hit hardest by the "digital divide". If it does, it'll likely be the greatest leapfrogging technology in history. There's a great lecture over on the TED blog called "Our Cell Phones Ourselves" that ties in nicely with the points you've made here, looking at mobile devices from a sustainability perspective.

Comment from Dennis McDonald on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T16:32:10Z

As much as I agree that the iPhone (or more likely its successor) will gradually replace laptops for a lot of basic work related stuff, I would prefer a larger display screen -- I wear reading glasses and enjoy being able to make pages fill the screen on a laptop and browser.

Comment from unitra on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T16:48:26Z

A device i can neither read nor write on will not replace my laptop or desktop computer.

The Amazon Kindle is a more likely candidate that this fanboy hardware.

Comment from koolau on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T17:27:50Z

iPhone will always be a secondary device. When we think about computing, people are not on the move and usually at the office or home.

This will not change, since our jobs will still be office bound and when at home, we will prefer the more comfortable and capable laptop or desktop computer.

iPhone is a great device for information and short tasks since the input is slow and battery life is limited.

iPhone falls short of a personal computer since current understanding of a computer is to create spreadsheets, reports, and other documents.

Comment from Uri Schonfeld on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T17:53:28Z

Very interesting article. I would like to hear what you and others think, will the same thing that happened to the mac happen to the iphone? The ideas will be adopted and a modular open platform will emerge that is good-enough for most people. Personally, I love my iphone but I think a more modular, open, PC style platform can overtake it.

Comment from ARJWright on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T18:01:22Z

If the term PC is taken for what it is - personal computing - the iPhone is simply breaking into the mainstream what many have been doing for sometime. For that reason, its a successful product.

Like many have stated, it does nothing that mobiles have not already done. What it adds is what others have not been able to do, attract interest from those who are tech-skeptics not just those who are tech influencers.

There is more that has to be done before the paradigm of computing from a smart mobile device is more than just the big screen, resource heavy, passive driven element that many are used to. It will probably take a few more generations of devices, and definitely another generation of users. But its defintiely going to happen sooner rather than later.

For myself, I run my personal website off a server that's on my mobile phone; when I can take something like that to LBS activites, communication, and productvity areas with an iPhone, then I will see it changing the game even more. Until then, my lil N75 will do its part of making teh future a bit less futuristic, and a bit more PC ;)

Comment from rs on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T18:38:13Z

you will still need an actually computer to hold your itunes library so i dont see iphone replacing your pc/mac. iphones are just convenient, gui is sharp enough to impress gullible people by flipping your pictures and album covers but its not revolutionary enough to make your coffee in the morning or wipe your butt, until its does all that, i may consider it then.

Comment from Gary Bloom on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T19:11:28Z

>Arguably, this iPhone is the first really personal computer.

Then I'll argue that, as with game consoles, it's an appliance not a PC, because it's designed (so far) for consumption only, not for creation.

Comment from The Postindustrialist on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T20:13:38Z

This article sounds like every other tech article out there that heralds X as the next great panacea to al the world's technical issues.

Computers are a wonderful thing, but since the widespread usage of the internet, they've been nothing more than machines that offer additional means of communication and media.

Honestly, outside of music, television, information gathering, and phone/ text chat, what else do people honestly DO with computers?

So the iPhone is the new platform for this, despite the fact that there are going to be serious bandwidth caps placed on the networks, lacks intuitive and commonly inplace cross platform functions (such as the aforementioned copy and paste), it utilizes a tiny touch sensitive screen prone to typos, (and for those who have mentioned a keyboard peripheral, give it some honest thought: who in their right mind is going to carry their iphone in one pocket and a giant folding keyboard in another only to pull it out and connect it every time they want to send an email or leave a comment on a blog, etc..), and is manufactured by one of the MOST proprietary companies out there (who else says in addition to bying their hardware, you must have their software, and purposely cripples its support of other party software/hardware in order to force you into buying their products?).

I'm sorry, but I just don't believe it.

Honestly, the more things are hyped to change the world, the more I see it, at least technologically, to be the same.

Comment from Dmitry Paranyushkin on 2008-07-14

2008-07-14T20:17:35Z

Greedy Apple will do what it's done 25 years ago once again: educate the consumers about the new technologies and then lose their market share completely to more powerful and open platforms.

Comment from Eric Herberholz on 2008-07-14

2008-07-15T00:03:45Z

I am sure that the iPhone fits very nicely into an implementation of the "Epiphany Suit" (described in "Rainbow's End - A Novel with One Foot in the Future", by Vernor Vinge).

For example, using Evernote, Google Notebook, etc.

In other words, how well integrated are you with your iPhone?

Comment from Joel Mismo on 2008-07-14

2008-07-15T00:23:19Z

Where's the copy & paste functionality?

Comment from Sheila on 2008-07-14

2008-07-15T00:26:16Z

iPhone detection by websites in Safari on the iPhone is denying us the REAL INTERNET!

Apple promised me the REAL INTERNET in Safari on the iPhone. Websites are taking that away from us with these stupid sites that detect the iPhone and redirect away from what I'm trying to do online. It is EXCEEDINGLY AGGRAVATING. There needs to be some way to keep them from doing that.

For example, if I want to go to Jirbo.com's regular site on my iPhone in Safari, I should have that choice. The site should surface a dialog asking "iPhone or Regular Web?" But no, no go. Go to that site yourself in iPhone and try, I dare you, try to click the Contact link to get to the contact form. It redirects. And there's no equivalent given for the iPhone.

PLEASE, Apple, hear us, do something right away about this before it gets out of control! I'm at a cafe and I have to go HOME to browse a site because of this? Terrible!

Comment from Brad Garland on 2008-07-14

2008-07-15T04:52:08Z

The only thing to add here that I think is interesting are the ties back into Larry Lessig's comparison of the read vs. read/write cultures. It seems like we are going through a bit of that shift back to the the 'read' culture (catching up is probably more appropriate) on this device w/ limited capability to 'write' back. Yes, we can twitter from it but most sites are read w/ limited participation. And that's ok because I see this being a major iteration (although it's really iPhone's 2nd) into the next level of mobile devices that do begin to compete with the laptops as actual replacements.

Fun times we live in.

Comment from AdamC on 2008-07-14

2008-07-15T05:45:42Z

Great article, totally agree with you on the iPhone being the new platform. The Iphone is only 1 year old and it is faster than the PC when it is that age. It will evolve through the years to be better and more features will be built in to make it the platform.
There are and will be others but the iPhone can claim the right to be the one to blaze the trail for mobile computing as the platform.

Comment from Mark Lomb on 2008-07-15

2008-07-15T12:29:12Z

Hype, hype, hype! You gotta love pundits... what they won't write to make a buck. Never mind tha that the iPhone does not have a keyboard. Never mind that the size itself makes it unsuitable for a variety of crucial applications (even when you can pinch the screen). Let's blow its potential out of proportion to sell more articles!

Comment from Brian Kirk on 2008-07-15

2008-07-15T19:10:49Z

i completely agree with you. the iPhone, & soon to be *all* phones, is the new personal computer. the bond that people have with their phones is like nothing else. the phone is like an extension of the body now; almost like having a 3rd hand. applications are only getter better, data speeds are only going to increase, it's the device of the future!

Comment from LiviuX on 2008-07-15

2008-07-15T22:12:50Z

iPhone related news: http://liviux.byethost15.com/tag/iphone/

Comment from yat temizliği on 2008-07-16

2008-07-16T08:01:56Z

thank you wery much

Comment from Website design on 2008-07-16

2008-07-16T13:51:07Z

When is the Iphone going to be launched in India

Comment from Yoram Roth on 2008-07-19

2008-07-19T12:49:25Z

Quote Gary Bloom:

"Then I'll argue that, as with game consoles, it's an appliance not a PC, because it's designed (so far) for consumption only, not for creation."

That's smart, and succinct. Well said.

Comment from steveballmer on 2008-07-19

2008-07-19T19:36:25Z

PROPAGANDA!

iPhomb can only do half of what Vista does!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com/

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2008-07-21T16:03:10Z

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