At last, here is something truly functional for those of us who steadfastly refuse to believe in full device convergence! I've sorta kinda hankered after an iPhone since they came out in the States, but I really didn't want the phone bit. I like my phones tiny (so they fit in a jean pocket), and robust (so they can survive a fall on the floor). Converged devices, including the Blackberry, tend to be neither, and have crappy phones too.
Now comes the iPod Touch, an iPhone without the phone! Brilliant -- now I can do emails, surf the web, listen to music and watch videos from the best connected and sexiest multimedia device on the market. With iTunes integration and WiFi connectivity, the Touch nearly has it all. Including that fabulous finger-flicking interface...
I think this is such a risky move for Apple it makes you wonder whether the iPod and iPhone divisions are having a little mis-coordinated stand-off. I wouldn't be surprised if more people than Steve Jobs expects feel the way I do -- that they'd just as soon have two specialised devices instead of one fat converged one. If so, the Touch could inflict significant damage to the iPhone before it ever reaches the 2m sales barrier. Never mind the European launch...
Perhaps that's why Steve pre-emptively cut the iPhone retail price by $200?
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