MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.
Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/839
58 MacDirectory FIRST PERSON FACE TO FACE WITH THE IPHONE 3G When I first set my eyes on the iPhone, I was overjoyed. It wasn't that I really needed a new mobile phone at the time (in fact, I didn't). But after having recently shopped for one, I came to the realization that the mobile phone industry really needed Apple. As I scanned the list of available devices from the carrier I just changed to, I found that I had a choice of either cute little phones that could pretend to be PCs or chunky little PCs that could pretend to be a phone. Most could host a small selection of software, some had cameras with megapixel counts that rivaled a digital SLR, and a few could play back music and videos. But they all lacked the one feature that I craved: innovation. In that respect, the first generation of iPhones was great. But I knew that Apple could and would do better, so I bided my time. What bothered me the most about the 1G iPhone was the fact it was essentially a sealed box, locking out a developer community that was Apple's richest resource. I knew that there were ways around the issue, but any option that used the word "break" in the context of an expensive piece of electronics made me a bit nervous. So when Apple introduced the next generation phone and the App Store at the Worldwide Developers Conference, I knew that the days of my clamshell Motorola were numbered. Lines? What Lines? With Apple's inventory tracking system, I could go online late in the evening and find out if my local Apple store would have phones in stock the following morning. On Sunday the 15th, I lit out for the store, which was located in one of Portland, Oregon's trendier suburban malls. Nearly an hour early, I gawked for a while at the employees in their color-coded T-shirts scurrying about getting this ready while congratulating myself for getting there before a line had formed. A friendly security guard ushered me over to the cordoned-off area around the corner where the rest of the iPhone hopefuls were waiting. I noticed a couple of youngsters in line with their parents playing with their newly inherited 1G phones. Before I left the store, I realized that I needed some sort of case (I'm the kind who usually wears his phone on his belt), so I grabbed the first one that looked appealing, the Marware C.E.O. Sleeve. Usually, I find myself giving a great deal of forethought to accessories such as these, but the case was really an impulse buy. It turned out to be a great choice. It had a beautiful black leather finish (that looks even better now that it has some wear) and a strong, spring-loaded belt clip. It even included a clear adhesive shield for the phone's screen, an essential for the cosmetically paranoid. Can't Touch This As with anything Apple, design is everything and, as the makers of the growing number of iClones are discovering, beauty is more than skin deep (or pretty icons on a big screen, in this case). The first thing I noticed was the liquid feel to virtually every element WORDS BY RIC GETTER