I’ve never considered myself a candidate for Apple Fanboy of the Year. I think Apple makes easy to use, innovative products that push other companies to improve their products, which makes the market better for everyone. The thing that I think Apple is really great for is their ability to make technology accessible to everyone. Before the Macintosh, personal computers were impossible for the average consumer to use. Before the iPod, MP3 players were large, clunky boat anchors that only true musi-philes were brave enough to tote around. It’s 2007 and I every single person I know owns at least one personal computer, and more than half of them have an MP3 player.

People have been speculating about the iPhone for over 5 years. I find it interesting that five years of speculation, expert opinions, editorials and just plain old rumour mongering never even came close to what the iPhone actually ended up being. It has surpassed everyone’s expections so fundamentally that I think it’s going to be a few weeks before anyone truly starts seeing the impact a product like this is going to have.

This is the first phone that gets it. The dark days of having to shoehorn full-sized internet technologies onto the diminutive screen of a cellphone are finally over. Full-fledged browser, full-fledged email. Information available anywhere, any time, right at the tips of your fingers.
Are you going to own an iPhone? Maybe not. But I guarantee you that when the rest of the cellphone industry pulls its pants back up, you’re going to own something very similar.