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> The tablet that they show sending a fax from the beach is essentially a smartphone. Except for the fact it's sending a fax. Smartphones don't send faxes, bu

by msla 8y ago

> The tablet that they show sending a fax from the beach is essentially a smartphone. Except for the fact it's sending a fax. Smartphones don't send faxes, but they could. They don't because they exist in a world where faxing someone something is a niche application, and approximately nobody would buy a smartphone based on how well it faxes. The technological culture is different. The world has changed in more ways than just "We can stick a good computer in your pocket and power it all day long" and AT&T didn't predict that. I realize I'm partially repeating some elements of your comment, but I do have my own point to make here: In looking at history, avoid Presentism. Try to see the past on its own terms, not through the lens of the modern day. That is a learned skill, and not having it is shown by crediting people in the past with predicting things they never thought of.

philwelch 8y ago
At a certain point in time, you could download music from the internet and burn it onto a CD and nobody would find that strange. Faxes could have easily had the same fate. In a way, it's equally weird to send faxes from a smartphone than to make phone calls from a smartphone.
deleted 8y ago
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mdasen 8y ago
That's the point. Apple showed people what could be done with smartphone technology. Literally, Steve Jobs got on stage and played with music, maps, the web, etc. in front of people to introduce how the iPhone would be important to them. Everyone else was trying to find uses for the technology and they weren't coming up with anything compelling. Smartphones (and PDAs) existed before the iPhone and people were trying to find that compelling combination and they were coming up with garbage like, "um, what about faxing?" Yes, AT&T (and everyone else) didn't anticipate the iPhone, but everyone anticipated a good computer in your pocket powered all day long - they just couldn't make it a compelling experience. The iPhone is the meticulous design of applications, features, and affordances that make it a compelling user experience. Everyone kinda anticipated "internet on phones". The iPhone showed how the internet on phones could be a positive experience. Everyone anticipated music on phones. The iPhone showed how that could be the best music UI. I don't think there's anything that the iPhone did that hadn't been done before, but poorly. The point is that a lot of it is bringing many different things together in a cohesive, compelling product. You could have bought a Windows Mobile device before the iPhone came out, but it was just crummy. Saying that it's because AT&T shows it faxing is a bit of a cop out. Microsoft had PocketPC devices for around 7 years before the iPhone. The name is literally a computer in your pocket. Everyone has been anticipating a computer in your pocket for a long time. Apple made it compelling. It's possible that you don't remember all the talk about pocket computing, all the ads, all the failed products. They were there. Everyone was not only anticipating them, but trying to make them. They just didn't know what they were for, what the UI needed to be like, what affordances users wanted, etc.
GeorgeTirebiter 8y ago
I built the wireless modem that sent that fax. People often forget how primitive cell connections were. AMPS was the system, and the A or B ('B' as in 'Bell') carriers were your only choices. PenPoint OS had the notion of sporadic / opportunistic connections, and that's how one did email -- batched it up so when you'd plug in the RJ-11 you'd send/receive in batches. The wireless (cellphone) capability would add a new dimension: on-the-go connectivity. In theory. One of our sales guys was going to NYC and asked for us to load 'the latest build' and against our best judgement, we did. He reported back next day to us that he had successfully send a FAX to a potential client from the back seat of his cab. We all thought "What the heck! We never said that would work!" and then, "Oh, wow, looks like that worked!"
jrib 8y ago
Keep in mind they were trying to convey the concept of sending a document electronically to the 1993 public. "Fax" is an easy widely understood stand-in for that even if we're not literally faxing today.
scarface74 8y ago
I have had to send a fax from my iPhone before using efax. There is a reason the company still exists in 2019....

by msla 8y ago

philwelch 8y ago

At a certain point in time, you could download music from the internet and burn it onto a CD and nobody would find that strange. Faxes could have easily had the same fate. In a way, it's equally weird to send faxes from a smartphone than to make phone calls from a smartphone.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

mdasen 8y ago

That's the point. Apple showed people what could be done with smartphone technology. Literally, Steve Jobs got on stage and played with music, maps, the web, etc. in front of people to introduce how the iPhone would be important to them. Everyone else was trying to find uses for the technology and they weren't coming up with anything compelling. Smartphones (and PDAs) existed before the iPhone and people were trying to find that compelling combination and they were coming up with garbage like, "um, what about faxing?" Yes, AT&T (and everyone else) didn't anticipate the iPhone, but everyone anticipated a good computer in your pocket powered all day long - they just couldn't make it a compelling experience. The iPhone is the meticulous design of applications, features, and affordances that make it a compelling user experience. Everyone kinda anticipated "internet on phones". The iPhone showed how the internet on phones could be a positive experience. Everyone anticipated music on phones. The iPhone showed how that could be the best music UI. I don't think there's anything that the iPhone did that hadn't been done before, but poorly. The point is that a lot of it is bringing many different things together in a cohesive, compelling product. You could have bought a Windows Mobile device before the iPhone came out, but it was just crummy. Saying that it's because AT&T shows it faxing is a bit of a cop out. Microsoft had PocketPC devices for around 7 years before the iPhone. The name is literally a computer in your pocket. Everyone has been anticipating a computer in your pocket for a long time. Apple made it compelling. It's possible that you don't remember all the talk about pocket computing, all the ads, all the failed products. They were there. Everyone was not only anticipating them, but trying to make them. They just didn't know what they were for, what the UI needed to be like, what affordances users wanted, etc.

GeorgeTirebiter 8y ago

I built the wireless modem that sent that fax. People often forget how primitive cell connections were. AMPS was the system, and the A or B ('B' as in 'Bell') carriers were your only choices. PenPoint OS had the notion of sporadic / opportunistic connections, and that's how one did email -- batched it up so when you'd plug in the RJ-11 you'd send/receive in batches. The wireless (cellphone) capability would add a new dimension: on-the-go connectivity. In theory. One of our sales guys was going to NYC and asked for us to load 'the latest build' and against our best judgement, we did. He reported back next day to us that he had successfully send a FAX to a potential client from the back seat of his cab. We all thought "What the heck! We never said that would work!" and then, "Oh, wow, looks like that worked!"

jrib 8y ago

Keep in mind they were trying to convey the concept of sending a document electronically to the 1993 public. "Fax" is an easy widely understood stand-in for that even if we're not literally faxing today.

scarface74 8y ago

I have had to send a fax from my iPhone before using efax. There is a reason the company still exists in 2019....