A Tech Chief Reviews the Apple iPhone: My First 90 Days
Hugh Scott, a VP of IS for Direct Energy, tells how this year's mega-gadget fits into his personal life, and why it doesn't fit into his work life.
CIO — Hugh Scott loves his Apple iPhone. And Scott, VP of IS for the wholesale business unit of Direct Energy, a retail energy provider with annual revenue of $8 billion, knows mobile devices: His IT staff of 60 supports some 500 smart phones.
But even Scott, who seven months ago called himself a "dyed in the wool BlackBerry user," doesn't pretend the iPhone is perfect, especially for business users. Scott spoke with CIO's Al Sacco about why he rushed out to buy an iPhone, what the device's best and worst features are, and why Direct Energy doesn't plan to support it.
Hugh Scott
I suffer from gadget envy. And the gadgets I like best are the ones that nobody else has yet. So when I heard about the Apple iPhone, I decided immediately to get one. First of all, the thing is just so cool. I have to confess, I was an Apple fan long before the iPhone rumors began to circulate. I own three iMacs and three iPods. I love their intuitive user interfaces, and I love the way they look, from the flat, swivel screen iMac in my home office to the pulsing heartbeat on my wife's iBook that sits on our kitchen table.
Right off the bat, a few factors made me think I should wait on purchasing the iPhone: It's not a third generation (3G) device, the camera is only 2 megapixels and Apple would inevitably lower the price before the holidays--but as soon as I saw my first iPhone in "the wild," I ran out and bought the 8GB version. (Why would I want to have anything less?) It was July 2, less than a week after Apple released the device in the United States.
Like everyone else who eagerly awaited the iPhone's release, I had high expectations. Did the device live up to those expectations? Definitely.
At first I thought the iPhone was overpriced--though obviously not enough to keep me from dropping $599--but since Apple announced its refund credit, I now believe the iPhone is fairly priced. As an early adopter, I felt a little let down when Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the price reduction. Now I realize Jobs did me a favor: I can use the $100 credit toward a new iPod nano for my wife's birthday!
