3 ms·

Considering what was available before the iPhone debut, what was known in the pipeline, and the comments made by some competitors about starting over, its not h

Considering what was available before the iPhone debut, what was known in the pipeline, and the comments made by some competitors about starting over, its not hard to side with Apple. Given it took how long after the iPhone came out for Samsung to copy it? Yeah, I said copy. Smart phones before it were anything but.

jpollock 13y ago
The iPhone wasn't the first capacitative touch smartphone. LG announced and got to market before them. I don't remember if anyone else was earlier or not. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_Prada http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_Prada
- jolohaga 13y ago
  Why then didn't Samsung copy the LG phone?
- MBCook 13y ago
  It wasn't the first, but no one remembers them because they didn't make a difference in the market. Quality of implementation is everything. Philo Farnsworth didn't invent the first TV, mechanical TV systems existed before. But his was much more practical, a better implementation. Same with Edison's lightbulb. I wouldn't say the iPhone was special for being the first touchscreen phone (which as you pointed out, it's not). I'd say it was the first modern smartphone.
  - anigbrowl 13y ago
    They sold 1m of the phones, but they concentrated on the Asian rather than the US market. Apple had a more powerful brand to leverage than LG did, not to mention experience as a platform provider.
    - MBCook 13y ago
      I don't think any amount of marketing would have made that phone sell or set off a revolution the way the iPhone did. I don't think Apple selling that phone would have set off a revolution the way the iPhone did. I'm not saying it's a bad phone, but some anti-Applers like to minimize the iPhone as "just the first touchphone"; there was more to it than that.
  - w1ntermute 13y ago
    > Quality of implementation is everything And you can't patent "quality of implementation."
fpgeek 13y ago
Actually, for people who know their technology history, it is very easy to not side with Apple. Apple's whole pile of smartphone and tablet lawsuits is a transparent attempt to get a do-over on Apple v Microsoft. "Look and feel" wasn't protected back then and shouldn't be protected now. Unfortunately, patent law has taken a deeply problematic turn since then, so Apple has had better luck in the courtroom this time.
- gress 13y ago
  So you support Samsung because you sided with Microsoft in some past battle, and you hold a grudge. At least you're honest.

jpollock 13y ago

The iPhone wasn't the first capacitative touch smartphone. LG announced and got to market before them. I don't remember if anyone else was earlier or not. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_Prada http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_Prada

jolohaga 13y ago
Why then didn't Samsung copy the LG phone?
MBCook 13y ago
It wasn't the first, but no one remembers them because they didn't make a difference in the market. Quality of implementation is everything. Philo Farnsworth didn't invent the first TV, mechanical TV systems existed before. But his was much more practical, a better implementation. Same with Edison's lightbulb. I wouldn't say the iPhone was special for being the first touchscreen phone (which as you pointed out, it's not). I'd say it was the first modern smartphone.
- anigbrowl 13y ago
  They sold 1m of the phones, but they concentrated on the Asian rather than the US market. Apple had a more powerful brand to leverage than LG did, not to mention experience as a platform provider.
  - MBCook 13y ago
    I don't think any amount of marketing would have made that phone sell or set off a revolution the way the iPhone did. I don't think Apple selling that phone would have set off a revolution the way the iPhone did. I'm not saying it's a bad phone, but some anti-Applers like to minimize the iPhone as "just the first touchphone"; there was more to it than that.
- w1ntermute 13y ago
  > Quality of implementation is everything And you can't patent "quality of implementation."

fpgeek 13y ago

Actually, for people who know their technology history, it is very easy to not side with Apple. Apple's whole pile of smartphone and tablet lawsuits is a transparent attempt to get a do-over on Apple v Microsoft. "Look and feel" wasn't protected back then and shouldn't be protected now. Unfortunately, patent law has taken a deeply problematic turn since then, so Apple has had better luck in the courtroom this time.

gress 13y ago
So you support Samsung because you sided with Microsoft in some past battle, and you hold a grudge. At least you're honest.