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Mac Musings
Apple Seduction: The iPhone and iPod touch
Dan Knight - 2007.09.06 - Tip Jar
Apple did it - they released an iPhone without the phone!
For those of us locked into service contracts, this is good news indeed. We can buy the new iPod touch and have almost all the functionality of the iPhone (no phone or camera) for as little as US$299. (That's for the 8 GB version. The 16 GB model, which has more flash memory than the iPhone, sells for US$399.)

Even with Apple slashing the price of the 8 GB iPhone from US$599 to US$399, not having to sign a two-year, $60 per month contract with AT&T Wireless makes the iPod touch a real bargain.
Lustworthy
It's really easy to lust after the latest technological marvel, which helps explain how Apple sold 270,000 iPhone in one weekend when they retailed for US$499-599. It's got everything the iPod has. It's also a smartphone. And it's a full OS X computer with a cool new multi-touch interface. And it's an Apple product with a name starting with "i".
There were two obstacles to the iPhone's widespread success. First was that it was exclusive to AT&T wireless. You couldn't use it with Sprint, Verizon, Alltel, T-Mobile, or any carrier outside the US.
Second was the price. US$499-599 is a lot to pay for a mobile phone, no matter how smart and cool. And there were no subscription rebates, which most US mobile users expect when they sign a two-year service contract.
The iPhone has been hacked, making it possible to use it with some other service providers, and Apple has announced that the iPhone will be reaching a few non-US markets. On top of that, yesterday Apple cut one-third off the price of the 8 GB iPhone.
But for those who don't need a cell phone, don't want a mobile phone that's so sophisticated, or don't want to change carriers, the iPod touch is going to be hot. It could easily eclipse sales of the iPhone and the iPod classic.
I'm not exactly sure what I'd do with an iPod touch, but I want one. That's how lustworthy it is.
I've used a Newton. I have a Palm. Neither saw a lot of use, although they had the potential. Could the iPod touch be the PDA that redefines a moribund market? Can it become a pocket Mac for those who want to listen to music, watch videos, carry their address book, have instant access to their calendar, and browse the Web using almost omnipresent WiFi?
It's a good thing I don't have the money burning a hole in my pocket. Believe me, it would be hard to resist driving to the local Apple Store and buying an iPod touch.
I could justify it as a necessary tool for making sure Low End Mac works well with the iPhone and iPod touch. I wonder how well it would work for taking notes, like at the next Macworld Keynote address. And I wonder how often I would really use it - like the iPod that spends most of its time on my desk, like the Palm that I only use occasionally.
We're all about value at Low End Mac, and you simply can't put a value on cool. That's most of what the iPhone and iPod touch have going for them. They are immensely cool, extremely well thought out, incredibly flexible tools for the digital lifestyle.
They're not the kind of thing a lot of people need, but they are the
kind of thing a lot of people want. Including me. This may be Apple's
most seductive product ever.
Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986, sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. If you find Dan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Recent Mac Musings
- Why Is Apple Ditching Netbook Support Now?, 11.16. Mac OS X 10.6.2 deliberately removes Atom support. What does Apple have to gain by doing so?
- IDE Is Dead; Long Live SATA!, 11.04. SATA has displaced parallel ATA. While IDE hard drives haven't disappeared, the best deals are in SATA hard drives.
- The Future of Personal Computing: Personal Servers and Low Cost Portables, 11.02. With WiFi everywhere, virtual network computing, and remote access, your iPhone, iTouch, iTablet, or MacBook Air becomes a gateway to your home or office computer.
- The Late 2009 Mac mini Value Equation, 10.21. We called the Mac mini 'the best value in desktop Macs' two months ago, and the refreshed Mac mini only improves that value.
- More in the Mac Musings index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: iMac Core Duo, Jan. 2006 - The first Intel-based iMacs ran at 1.83-2.0 GHz, came with 17" and 20" displays.
- Group of the Day: Mac Pro List is for those using a Mac Pro.
- November 22 in LEM history: 99: Gradebooks - 00: Leveraging Apple design - Quadra 630 to Power Mac 5200 - 02: Laptop or desktop? - 04: SuperDuper: Quick, easy, efficient backup - Cross-platform programming for the rest of us - 05: Mac video surveillance on the cheap - Which OS is best for my vintage Mac? - No 'best browser' for the Mac - Sorry state of browsers for classic Macs - 06: Core 2 means cooler running 'Books - 2.0 GHz G4 upgrade
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Apple's Tablet an End Run Beyond Netbooks, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. Whatever Apple has planned will leverage existing technologies while going beyond what its competitors can offer.
- i5 iMac Benchmarked, Mac mini 'Shouldn't Be Overlooked', Twitter Client for Classic Mac OS, and More, Mac News Review, 11.20. Also why Apple leaves the low end to others, 10.6.2 fixes video playback problem in 27" iMac, 3D Leopard and Snow Leopard performance, and more.
- Apple #4 in Reliability, Apple Tablet a Gadget for All?, HP's i7 Notebook Outdoes Mac Rivals, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.20. Also Flash 10.1 improves video on Hackintosh netbooks, thin-and-light notebooks impress, Windows XP finally on the way out, and more.
- NASA Chemical Sensor for iPhone, Smartphone Death Match, iPhone Earrings, and More, Ian R Campbell, 11.20. Also mobile phone dangers, new apps, GPS solution for iPod touch, new iPod and iPhone cases, and more.
- Replacing the Hard Drive in a Clamshell iBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 11.19. Yes, it is one of the most difficult Apple notebooks to disassemble and reassemble, but a 10 GB hard drive just will not do.
- IBM Model F: A Great Old Keyboard with an Outdated Layout, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 11.19. Although it used a different technology than the revered IBM Model M keyboard, the Model F was a great keyboard in its own right.
- Soft Touch Keyboards, Wireless Mouse Options, Loving SeaMonkey 2, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.18. Also the future of browsing with PowerPC Macs and the multiple mouse input bug introduced with OS X 10.5.8.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best eMac Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz Combo, $100; SuperDrive, $269; 1.25 GHz Combo, $119; SD, $319; 1.42 GHz Combo, $289; SD, $498.
- Best Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac Box Set Deals, 11.18. "Snow Leopard", single user, $25; 5 users, $45; Mac Box Set, single user, $139; 5 users, $180; Server, $414. Shipping included.
- Best Xserve Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $649; 2.3 dual G5, $795; 3.0 4-core Xeon, $1,899; refurb 2.26 4-core, $2,499; new, $2,888; refurb 8-core, $2,999; new, $3,449; more.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.17. Used 1.83 GHz, $750; 2.16, $800; 2.33, $900; refurb 2.4, $1,299; 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,899; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.17. Used 400 MHz, $50; 933 MHz, $80; 500 dual, $60; 867 dual, $90; 1 GHz dual, $150; 1.25 GHz dual, $225; 1.42 GHz, $499.
- Best Mac OS X 10.5 Deals, 11.17. "Leopard" upgrade, $80; single user license, $135; 5 users, $173; Mac Box Set, 5 users, $230; Server, 10 users, $340; unlimited, $850. Shipping included.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 11.16. Used 1.42 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.66 GHz Core Solo, $419; 2.0 Core 2, $450; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $769; Server, $990.
- Best iBook G4 Deals, 11.16. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $210; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz, $479; SuperDrive, $498.
- Best iPod shuffle Deals, 11.16. Used 1 GB, $35; 4 GB, $65; refurb 1 GB, $39; 2 GB, $59; new 2 GB, $55, 4 GB, $75. New and refurb prices include shipping.
- More deals in our archive.
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