Crystal Ball

Everybody is talking about it and the hype machine is in full swing: the iPhone is almost here. I don't want be a part of the hype, but what I do want to throw out is this: with the release of the iPhone, has Apple started a new age of pocket computing? I have looked at Palm and the Windows portable devices in the hopes of using this technology in the classroom, but they seemed inadequate and underpowered for the kind of vibrant, all-use device that I envision. I don't think that this is anything that will have an immediate impact, but I think the future is definitely on the horizon. One thing that has begun to tickle my brain is utilizing a piece of technology that almost every kid has and wouldn't cost the school systems a dime to utilize: the cellphone. I have begun to realize that my students have the necessary tools to create multimedia projects right in their pockets! Camera, video camera, calendar, voice recorder and you can even do podcasts via cellphone using gcast (haven't played with that one, yet). What do you guys think?

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Permalink Reply by Connie Weber on June 30, 2007 at 6:23am

You put this on the main forum and got a lot of replies--all very interesting!
Returning to your question now, my perspective has changed. I really wanted to get an iPhone, and might have if the cost were about half what it is. Now I've decided I'm definitely not going to get one, at least with my own money. The yearly costs of use are the kicker. Still, I drool for one, and wish it could be. That touchscreen with Apple's smooth operating system would be a dream. Why doesn't Apple create a much deeper teacher discount? It would be bound to good for their business.
So, are we getting to the new age of pocket-computing? Not sure.

Permalink Reply by Shawn Moore on July 1, 2007 at 5:56am

I really thought that the AT&T plans were pretty reasonable. I am a current customer and the cost of use for the iPhone over my current phone is almost the same. The real kicker and potential deal breaker was the data rates for the Edge 2.0 internet network. By giving unlimited data rates for all plans, AT&T made their network a viable competitor to wifi. If the data rates had been too unreasonable, the iPhone would have been a wifi internet appliance exclusively. The very fact that every other cell phone manufacturer is scrambling to rethink and catch up, in my opinion, hails the dawning of pocket computing.

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