oh iPe!

iPhone UK launch wasn’t the marketing triumph many expected. Further thoughts to come but let me point you to a few interesting articles:

• iPhone Crowds? Don’t believe the hype! – pics of the stores on launch day – not exactly packed are they


• Tumbleweeds outnumber punters, as iPhone's First Night flops - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/11/iphone_uk_flop/ - Summary from the ever great Register


• Confession: In London we had to hire actors to form an iPhone queue outside our store – From the Fake Steve Jobs!

From personal experience, there's certainly no supply side issues with plenty of stock available but is this actually a good thing for leading edge technology? Is categorising the iPhone as "leading edge" even appropriate?

For all the bad press (and there has been plenty), I'd trade in my p990 in a heartbeat for one if it was financially viable.

Update on iPE - phone not yet on sale

OK – my mistake – the shops don’t open until 6pm for iPhone purchases. Makes me look like an idiot!

iPE (hype) in London

iPhone arrives in the UK today and the question is what happened to the mass hysteria?

I took the attached grainy photo (on my useless SonyEricsson P990i) as I walked past. Given the coverage of the original launch in the US and the Apple PR machine getting a head start, I expected a little bit more interest that this. It’s left me thinking that Apple got it a little wrong with the marketing of this baby. Where was the crowd!!!


I’m really busy today with some urgent work but look out for my post on what Apple could learn from Nintendo about launching better products into the tech market.

What I forgot about Google's targeted media

I listed 9 interested parties who will stand to win or loose if Google controls media placement across more than just the internet. However I forgot the general public – you and I in our real lives.Will we benefit from more targeted advertising?

The answer to this question depends on your viewpoint on the benefits of advertising I guess. I used to take a snotty attitude to advertising wondering what social benefits advertising offers. Now that I’m a little older and wiser, I understand that it’s advertising that pays for interesting content, it’s advertising (marketing) that drives innovation and it’s advertising that let’s me know that there are alternative opportunities out there. Whether the adverts be for jobx, bank accounts or cars, ultimately we all benefit – even if we don’t appreciate it. On the assumption that Google will improve the relevant of adverts I see, I can only suggest that it’s going to be a good thing if they take over more and more media placement.