I think Apple can do some amazing things with hardware and making some categories exceptionally sexy (can you remember MP3 players before the iPod) is one of their core talents.  This has led to a large following who "ooh" and "ahh" after almost anything Apple make from a keen almost religious following.

I then saw the iPhone and was amazed by the number of people who said "wow, all that in one device - why hasn't anyone else thought of this" - I almost spilt my cornflakes - this is not a new.  Then there was the "what a nice device" - I like to feel my buttons, so nope, this, along with a whole host of other phones like it is not for me.  Is the styling great... well, each to their own.

I think Vlad summarised it well with the iMeToo, but for some people, all the previous messaging about phones has not hit the mark and the iPhone might just be what some people need to move on their thinking as to what a device might do for them.  Vijay links to seth's blog on this very subject at http://www.iqubed.biz/blog/?p=193.

I then noticed when browsing the Guardian Online that the whole "Reality Distortion field" around Steve Jobs is discussed:

Is that Mr Jobs? This is reality calling, about your iPhone - Observer, Sunday January 14 2007, John Naughton

Last week saw two events in the annual calendar of the computing industry. The first was the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a gargantuan technofest that attracts thousands of companies, and tens of thousands of visitors every day. The second was Macworld Expo, the annual gathering of a small, semi-religious cult in San Francisco. One was the annual gathering of an (...)

This surge of technoporn was just an especially vivid illustration of the 'Reality Distortion Field' that surrounds Jobs. And it turns out that the field distorts the judgment not just of journalists but also of 'analysts' who are paid to give detached advice to professional investors. The wonderful Good Morning Silicon Valley blog sampled the vapourings of these high-priced oracles and came up with some gems.

'This goes beyond smart phones and should be given its own category called "brilliant phones",' burbled Tim Bajarin principal analyst with of Creative Strategies. 'The iPhone is the most beautiful and functional phone I have ever seen.' First time I held it, I was speechless for more than a few seconds,' wrote Jupiter analyst Michael Gartenberg.

Then this is taken just a little further in this article

Is the iPhone going straight down the drain? You betcha! - Observer, Sunday January 14 2007, Armando Iannucci

Presentation by Steve Jobs of new iPhone in front of 10,000 screaming technology experts. Lights go down, roof retracts to lower Mr Jobs, seen reclining on a large, green velvet Victorian chaise longue suspended on wires. Audience whoops and hollers. Chaise longue touches the stage floor. Mr Jobs gets off, stands up and shouts: 'Compress chaise longue!' At this point, the (...)

Presentation by Steve Jobs of new iPhone in front of 10,000 screaming technology experts. Lights go down, roof (...)