New Apple product introduced
By Shereen Masoud
What's black and shiny and covered in lawsuit? Apple's new iPhone.
On Tuesday, Jan. 9, Apple unveiled this technological wonder with the goal of selling 10 million in 2008, a lofty aspiration, considering the fast-paced and dog-eat-dog cell phone market of today.
It is a risky undertaking, but in many eyes, a worthwhile one.
What makes this phone such a delicacy in a world of fast food phones?
While most of us are used to cell phones equipped with cameras and video recorders, even perhaps music players, the iPhone takes it to the next level.
It's a phone, a camera, a text messenger, an atlas, a video iPod, a computer, an answering machine and even a weather report all in one.
To top it off, it also has a touchscreen, Visual Voicemail and allows conference calls when one person just isn't enough.
Such a grand phone, however, does come with a grand price: $499 for 4 GB storage and $599 for 8 GB storage, and it can only be bought with a two-year contract from Cingular.
That is not the only exclusivity issue surrounding the iPhone, however.
Cisco Systems, Inc. is suing Apple for a trademark infringement, having launched an iPhone of its own just last month.
Reportedly, Apple has been trying to elicit permission from Cisco to use this contested name for several years and was expected to sign an agreement, but has yet to do so.
The extra publicity doesn't seem to be hurting, though.
In a research note published Friday, Jonathan Hoopes, an analyst with San Francisco's ThinkEquity Partners, wrote, "as this trademark infringement case escalates, we are taking the stance that 'any publicity is good publicity.'"
In addition to the iPhone, Apple also boasts the newest development in TV: Apple TV, that is.
On the Web site, Apple proposes, "say you've just downloaded 'Cars' from iTunes. Instead of huddling around your computer to watch, you pop some popcorn while your computer wirelessly syncs your new flick to Apple TV. Then you pull up a seat, put up your feet and pick up the included Apple Remote to play your movie on TV. Give yourself a hand: You've just changed the way you watch digital media."
At $299, Apple TV and its 802.11 wireless capacity can hook your iTunes library to any Mac or PC in the house.
And in the spirit of efficiency, whenever you download something new on iTunes, it is automatically updated on Apple TV.
With the ever-growing technological scene, the days of string-and-cup phones seem long gone, and one is left wondering, what will they think of next?
Contact Shereen Masoud at smasoud@scu.edu.