Here is the Steve-Jobs-hates-buttons (more like he has declared fatwa on buttons) story in short:
The new Apple cellphone famously does without the keypads that adorn its rivals. While many technology companies load their products up with buttons, Mr. Jobs treats them as blemishes that add complexity to electronics products and hinder their clean aesthetics.
So the iPhone doesn't have buttons—buttons are the Great Satan.
Fine. Super. Dandy. That's great.
Look, when I can wave my hand over the screen to unlock the device and then call people by clinching my hand into a fist and then pointing all five fingers into the air then I'll be impressed.
And when I can mind control the person I'm talking to by waving said hand in a horizontal, left-to-right motion then I'll be even more impressed, like write-home-to-mom impressed.
Touchscreen be damned, lets not get all pat-on-the-back yet, there is still a lot of work to make this a technology miracle. Aside from the aforementioned missing features, I tried to use two iPhones as a hover-skates only to find that functionality has yet to be installed. And why am I still having to light cigars with a lighter or use a separate device to crack open lobster?
Minimalist indeed.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
So, um, am I the Great Satan?
Sweet.
No, I just attached your own personal hate for the iPhone to this post. Out of love of course.
Dammit, now I'm gonna get pipe bombs from Cupertino.
My lawyers'll be in touch.
You should never light a cigar with a lighter, wooden matches, always.
I won't be happy until my iPhone gives me the ability to command vast armies of wild lemurs through thought alone.
Actually, scratch that, I'll hold out for the "decide-who-lives-and-who-dies" edition.
Sounds like you are holding out for the officially licensed Harry Potter Wand edition of the iPhone.
> Harry Potter Wand edition of the iPhone
Is your midichlorian count low or what?
Until it creates a roast beef sandwhich on rye out of thin air, I'm out Jerry.
Like David, I'm holding out for the iPhone with iSmite, or at the very least a Maker.
Sheesh I agree. I've got a i-mate kjam windows based phone and tapping the screen can be a b*tch. I find I was alot faster at navigating my old (mono screen old) siements me45. Plus I found that I could SMS while driving to a meeting informing people I was late, I can't do that with my kjam with it's sliding keyboard, nevermind a onscreen keyboard. I miss being able to SMS without having to look at the screen.
I'm glad the comments cleared up what Ethan has to do with this.
> I'm glad the comments cleared up what Ethan has to do with this.
Ethan just doesn't like the iPhone. Earlier this month Ryan and I tried to show him how cool they were and he beat us both down with the Fontbook sitting on my desk (the doctor says my left eye should be at a 100% in another week).
If I recall correctly, I said something to the effect of "I like the damned thing, but if I have to explain to you again why I'm waiting for the next round of hardware upgrades, I'm gonna start grabbing type bibles and detaching some corneas."
That's when things went black.
This post is pure genius.
Of all places, Popular Mechanics had a recent article pointing out why buttons aren't all they claim to be. My commentary:
http://mnteractive.com/archive/where-did-all-our-knobs-go/
I think at least part of the success of the iPod and iPhone is there very analog interfaces. One of those obvious-in-hindsight things but certainly worth pointing out...especially in the world of cell phones.
I'm just going to throw this out there... but does no one else think the iPhone has a seriously ugly back? That's the only thing putting me off at the moment - and it's not as though the back is important, but still.
No? Just me? Mmmkay...
You could always start a cube up with a wave of the hand, with it's proximity switch, which was neat until you put something on top of the machine - instant shut down! At least leving a comment here has saved my putting it on my blog.
Perhaps some of the reasons Steve hates buttons so much can be found here http://www.historyofthebutton.com/ a site I visit often.
Mixed feelings. Love the small full keyboard on my Treo, but I actually do have tendinitis from various technology use.
My new Tablet PC has an on-screen keyboard, but it's terribly slow to use.
A button is a button is a button - don't care if it is on the casing, the screen or in my head. Stop treating the hardware and software as mutually exclusive.
you cats still using cell phones? iPhones? ... i moved on. strictly esp for me. damn good plan too ... just one long mother of a contract...gotta go my mind is ringing.
>Aidan
The back really is ugly.
@Aidan, the back is ugly. When I see silver and black it reminds me of a butler's uniform. That's what my butler wears anyways.
I, for one, welcome our new magical handheld overlords with open arms.
Last post! W00oot!
That's what's next!
We need a self-opening lobster!
I'd love to get an iPhone, however I love my LGEnV and being able to "feel" like I'm texting as opposed to hover texting just hasn't set in with me yet.
I heard the new iPhone can predict the lotto, and tie your shoelaces.
This made me laugh to say the least.
I had a local company spend the time syching my iphone to EVERYTHING I own that was possible!
www.envisionyourwesbite.com
Now my phone really is PSYCHIC!
Right on, the tap-and-pray approach to keyboarding should end here. And who in the hell enjoys looking at a smudged up screen?! Gosh, I just dont understand the hype. I would have broken that phone in less than a month guaranteed.
See, this illustrates exactly what I'm talking about!