Member Avatar for Serunson

Well the iPhone has been launched, woop.
Now i ask the question, "What is the point?".
A device which combines 2 items which most people already own, a phone and an MP3 player. Now i own a phone and an MP3 player (not an iPod i must add) so why would i want to buy a device which merges the two? Is that not pointless? Having a phone, an MP3 player and then an iPhone?!? What is the real point of having a repeated thing? In fact it takes away practicality.
If i have an MP3 player an a phone, i can choose to leave one at home, or take one or the other with me to somewhere, but with the iPhone, you are constantly taking around both things in an expensive format. So this could compromise the buyers safety.
So why then do i need an iPhone? If i have a phone which can play MP3, and i have an iPod, why would i need an iPhone?
To me it seems pointless. I don't intend to buy one, so apple have lost another customer, (i use iTunes store very rarely, gift cards etc.).
So yet another pointless gadget has entered the market, what will apple make next, a games console!?

We shall wait and see for the next 'i' product.

The ever lasting, Serunson.

  • 5 Contributors
  • 7 Replies
  • 181 Views
  • 2 Weeks Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by John A

Dani AI

Generated

This thread captures the exact reaction a lot of people had when the original iPhone appeared in 2007: asks whether merging a phone and an MP3 player is pointless, and poke at the branding, worries about theft and single‑device loss, and rightly points out the backup-and-convenience side. Both instincts are valid. The real question is not "Is convergence cool?" but "Does a single device match how you actually use your devices?"

Practical tradeoffs to weigh:

  • Convenience and integration: one device to carry, one interface to learn, one place to sync media and contacts. That lowers friction for everyday use.
  • Single point of failure: if the device is lost, stolen, or broken you lose multiple functions at once. That raises the value of backups, remote-wipe and insurance.
  • Battery and usage patterns: combined devices increase the chance that a heavy use (music, web, calls) will leave you without enough battery for other tasks.
  • Cost and replaceability: replacing a single premium device can be pricier than replacing an MP3 player alone.

If you want a quick decision checklist, answer these before buying:

  1. Do you often leave one device at home on purpose (exercise, work, travel)? If yes, two devices can still make sense.
  2. How much would losing both phone+music at once hurt you? If a lot, set up backups and protection or keep devices separate.
  3. Will you rely on your phone for long continuous music sessions that could drain the battery? Test battery life in real conditions.
  4. Are you comfortable with repair/insurance costs for a combined device?

Mitigations if you choose a combined device: enable a strong passcode, enable remote-wipe/find features, schedule regular backups of contacts and media to a desktop or external drive, and consider a warranty/insurance plan. Ultimately it is a personal tradeoff between convenience and redundancy; neither option is objectively wrong.

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for Miacol

With you all the way! There is really no point to having two separate use devices on the one machine; a little bit akin to having a washer and vaccum on one unit???? Thanks

Member Avatar for Infarction

While I can understand that people might prefer to have the two objects combined for convenience's sake, the i* craze (cult?) is a bit out of hand. Apple could market pocket lint as iDunnowhat and people'd buy it just because it was an Apple product, I swear.

Member Avatar for Serunson

exactly my point :D
As i hinted at, i bet they will 'try' to make a games console, the 'iStation' perhaps.
Or even a hand-held version 'iBoy'

Member Avatar for John A

I'm with you and Infarction on the 'i' prefix, but it's debatable on whether combining devices into one is "bad". Combining devices is nothing new; many cellphones have web browsing, cameras and MP3 players all built into one. I guess a counter-argument to yours would be that you don't have to lug around 3 or 4 different devices with you everywhere.

Member Avatar for joshSCH

I agree completely! First of all, the 'i' everything is getting way outta hand.. ishirt, ihat, ishoes, igay.. :D

But yea, combining an mp3 and phone is completely ridiculous. As you made a good point serunson, WHY? WTF is the point of having one device do it all? Convenience? Not having to carry multiple devices? haha.. don't make me laugh.. MP3s and phones are so light and small these days that it would hardly make a difference. And what about convenience? I think not.. It's more convenient to have an mp3 and phone than just one device. First of all, it makes the single device much more expensive, more susceptible to being stolen, and most importantly you lose more if it is stolen. If, and when your iphone is stolen you will have to replace all your songs and your cell phone contacts! Also, the software is still quite buggy from what I've heard.. I certainly will not be buying one.. and I urge everyone else to play it safe, and have two separate devices rather than just one.

Member Avatar for John A

>don't make me laugh.. MP3s and phones are so light and
>small these days that it would hardly make a difference.
Light? Maybe. But what about size? I don't know about you, but my pockets tend to get rather bulgy when I have 2 or 3 gadgets in them...

>more susceptible to being stolen
It seems like things you can carry with you everywhere have less problems with theft than items you have to leave behind in many circumstances -- laptops, for example.

>most importantly you lose more if it is stolen
Ever heard of a backup? You're supposed to do those things pretty frequently in the IT world. Besides, it's so much easier backing up one device. ;-)

>and have two separate devices rather than just one.
But where do you draw the line? When you buy an "ordinary" cellphone, it's usually not just a *cellphone*. I mean, things quite standard on them include aforementioned items: camera, games, contacts, music, internet, and the list goes on. At what point do you stop saying "I want separate devices for all of these"?

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.