Thursday, October 6, 2011

Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)



Today is a Black day for the innovative world. Apple has announced that their founder Steve Jobs is dead. I'm sad and affected, more so than when any other famous person has died. That is because when Steve was around, Apple created innovative products that truly fitted my personal needs and wants. It's like losing a personal friend. Steve has changed my perspective on many things. The iphone forever changed how I use a phone. The Macbook Air literally changed the definition of a computer. Even the ipad, it redefined the accessibility of information. I honor that.

I'm also sad because the innovative world will never be the same. I might be too naive to think that if Steve were healthy, we would've gotten an iphone 5 instead of an iphone 4S. But it's evident that Apple decided to take the safe road this time around and give an incremental update in the iphone 4S, instead of a total redesign which would've been the iphone 5. Apple decided to put sales ahead of innovation, to put investors ahead of users, and that I think is something Steve wouldn't have allowed. The iphone 4S marks a fallout of innovation. It reintroduced 2010 technologies and duck-fed them down their fans' throat. Dual-core processors, over a dozen Android phones had them six months ago. 8 megapixel cameras, we had those since 2005. 3.5" screens, they look like they time-traveled from 2008. Fixed antenna, don't even get me started on this. Most importantly, Apple has moved from leading the industry to catching up to it. The iphone has fallen behind peers. By playing not to lose, it lost.

A lot of people out there will go and buy an Apple product in honor of Steve. I won't. I will truly honor Steve by not buying an Apple product until it's met with Steve's standards. Say No to iphone 4S. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

iphone 4S = iphone for steve. ;)

Steve said...

> Dual-core processors, over a dozen Android phones had them six months ago.

go speak to a Galaxy SII user and ask whether (s)he can use the SII for more than a day without charging.

> 8 megapixel cameras, we had those since 2005.

Pixel-count by itself has little meaning. I have seen terrible photos taken by other mobile phones with >8MP sensors, in terms of picture quality. I will wait until I see photos taken with a 4S before I can truly comment. But having a 5-element lens and a back-illuminated sensor should help.

> 3.5" screens, they look like they time-traveled from 2008.

I personally find phones that have larger than 4-inch screens too bulky. And the super-high resolution display at over 300 dpi is still industry leading.

> Fixed antenna, don't even get me started on this.

My HTC Desire has the same "death grip" problem. But yes, I agree that the whole antenna-gate saga was a bit embarrassing.

But I think most importantly, the 4S simply follows the product cycle of the iPhone:

Jan 2007: iPhone
July 2008: iPhone 3G
June 2009: iPhone 3GS
June 2010: iPhone 4
Oct 2011: iPhone 4S

The line is pretty standard (sorry for the poker lingo!)

The 4S is perfect for people who want to upgrade from their 3G/3GS and will still sell well. And I think it's actually to Apple's credit that they keep the iPhone's form-factor for a sustained period of time, so that accessory makers can plan and sell accordingly.

Perhaps iPhone 4 users should be happy that they haven't invested in an item that becomes obsolete after a mere 14 months!

Sorry to sound like a fanboy (with a capital F). Rant over.

Unknown said...

hey steve! nice commenting! I'm so honored you are reading my blog! wait you're not that steve. nevermind.