In 2008, when we started PointAbout, my co-founders and I imagined a flat phone completely running of the Internet. It seemed possible with the advent of the iPhone, although we weren’t exactly sure how it would get there, or that we would be integral in its coming. Just last week, shortly after Job’s death, my co-founder Isaac sent out a video of Steve jobs from 1997 where he describes a completely networked computer/device as the goal of Apple at an early WWDC keynote. Amazing.
Well, I just installed iOS 5 and I realized that vision is closer than it has ever been. In iOS 5 not only is all you data fully synced in their cloud, but you have access to more and more tools to connect and control your network and devices from apps. It is a subtle nudge forward from Steve’s grand plan as we quietly fall in line without questions, and eager, not complacent, for the next beautifully implemented well thought out upgrade towards an endpoint we all believe in, but are not entirely sure at all what it will look like.
As Steve mentioned a few years ago, the world will be seen through apps. And his new console of apps show more an more of how vast that vision was, beyond serving ads and owning an app store as the medias interpretation originally thought. (he always seemed to be slinging from the hip to be ahead of next years curve, and a year or so later we would always end up seeing how short sighted we were and how well planned out and far reaching he was.)
Apple is a new way of computing. Every system in its own sandbox to avoid problems across the board like viruses, or poorly programmed apps and utilities. It also abstracts away from silly notion that we need to manage our “hard drive” or system.
On a side note, a few notable additions in iOS 5 (on both the 4 or 4S): Rich media in notifications, friend finder, airport utility, photo stream, and single button photography. Also, the change to the blue on/off switch, and some new design implementations of text messages and background processes..Your computer is apps and your apps are on the cloud, and before you know it, bam, we are here – the future – without vaporware and prototypes solutions – actual solutions in a very real direction and easily achieved “next step” plan. Our devices run smoothly, cleanly, beautifully, innovatively, and as Steve would say “it all just works.”
Sorry for the brevity. Sent from my iPhone.
Sean Shadmand 