Re:Technologies I thought my son would never use
by Miraste on Monday April 12, 2021 @11:04AM
(#26780172)
I can see this in the case of the PC and the laptop, but proto-smartphones were around for years before the iPhone and they were not developing in an iPhone-like direction. Every iPhone-like product that came after was the result of copying. I don't think it was inevitable at all.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:Technologies I thought my son would never use
by ghaff on Monday April 12, 2021 @11:56AM
(#26780887)
One thing I do think is true is that Apple developed sufficient brand permission to be able to do things that were definitely outside of a lot of buyers' comfort zone and arguably needed some iteration to really nail.
I'm still inclined to think someone would have jumped to a smartphone without a keyboard. But it's also true that the iPhone had plenty of critics early on and arguably didn't fully hit its stride until the 3GS.