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How the IPhone reminds me of AOL
My friend Alex and I had a great conversation yesterday - I wanted to share some of the highlights and capture some of the thoughts I had post-discussion.
Most people (aka the general public) are in love with their IPhone because of the apps, not because of it being a significantly greater phone than what they have used in the past. I realize this statement isn’t revolutionary. Millions of first time smartphone users are in love with their apps and since the IPhone is the first and only way they have experienced them, they either directly or indirectly believe it is the only way to enjoy them. This is wrong.
How many people know that, generally speaking, apps are simply watered down versions of free mobile web site? At the end of the day, apps are an user interface sitting on top of a web page. That “weather channel app” you have, I can access the mobile version of the weather channel and do the same thing, if not more, with ANY phone with a browser. Sadly, many people associate the magic of tracking the weather on their phone exclusively with Apple. This is wrong.
While the parallels aren’t a perfect match, Apple’s current dominance reminds me of AOL accounts in the early 90s. At that time, the Internet was a new, magical place, and everyone wanted to “be on the Internet”. Except, when talking about getting online, it wasn’t “logging onto the web”, or “getting online”, it was “getting on AOL”. AOL was synonymous with the Internet for many many years. Odds are, AOL was your browser, your homepage, your email, and your Instant Messaging client. Within three years, AOL’s user base grew to 10 million people. Sound familiar? This is a striking parallel to what we are currently seeing with the IPhone. So, let’s think for a moment - what happened to AOL?
In time, the general public became more familiar with the Internet. It was no longer the magical and mysterious place that it once was. More people realized that there was a lot more to the Internet than what AOL had to offer and that it’s somewhat “closed” system was actually limiting their experience. They found that the open web was far superior and that there were plenty of other options out there which allowed them to customize their experience. Many people user hotmail.com for their email, ICQ for messaging, and then used the browser of their choice. They were no longer bound to AOL.
Think about how you use the internet today - how many different companies are a part of your daily computing experience? Is exclusivity really the way to go?
So, let me close by stating the hopefully obvious point. Over the next few months (and maybe years), the general public is going to realize that the IPhone is not the only way to experience their beloved apps. It is nothing more than the medium. The perceived lack of options is the main driver behind the IPhone’s success. Much like AOL, we can expect to see this change dramatically over the next few years.
"The Suburbs - where they rip out the trees and then name the streets after them"
— Unknown
"The Suburbs - where they rip out the trees and then name the streets after them"
— Unknown
