The iPhone will be the spark that ignites a change in how we live, work and play. Many will follow, much will change, leaders will come and go... there is just so much about to happen.  This is all very exciting....

For those who might not see this as clearly as I do, I'm happy to outline the strategic moves made by Apple, in what will surly be a monumental and eye-opening event - the beginning of the Web 2.1 revolution.  I shall do my best to explain, but unless you've been following Apple/Google/Microsoft at least a little, then some of this might be a little vague.

The iPhone is a Trojan horse for the next revolution of the Internet.  More than a phone, it is your portable computing platform.  It will a full-fledged version of OS X. It will be connected 24/7 to the Internet. It will be able to synchronize all your information with your Mac (via .mac account), which will be available on your home or work computer - Mac and Windows (via Safari for Windows). It will allow you to use any HDTV as a large PC screen (via Apple TV). In short, you will not only be online everywhere all the time, but you will be connected to your computing environment everywhere, or rather - your will become your computing environment.

same old stuff... the Apple iPhone will no doubt be a revolutionary device and should it have been any other company that announced such a device, we would also marvel at the unique features and unique approach, but this was not just any other company, it was Apple.  Steve Jobs, as most of you know, has always been very secretive about announcing products ahead of time. So what's changed? I'm beginning to believe that nothing has really changed, rather that the 'big announcements' about the iPhone have yet to be made. We feel like we know so much, but in reality we have only a handful of hardware specs and a few glimpses at some software. Pretty mundane stuff to be honest... snazzy, but nothing revolutionary.

wireless everywhere...  the iPhone will allow users to be connected to the Internet at all times... but there is more. A lot more. Everyone has been so focused on how it can connect to the web (Bluetooth and WiFi) that they have neglected that the iPhone will probably be able to connect to and control a wide scope of crazy devices... some of which might not even yet exist: mini keyboards, cars, computers, home theater systems, home lighting/security systems. 

 OS X in your pocket... this is probably one of the most interesting, and glossed over, details about the iPhone; one that provides a wealth of opportunities and possibilities. If you imagine that the iPhone will be your portable mini-Mac, that will allow you to have the ability to boot from any PC into your portable, but full version of OS X, which will no doubt be online and fully synchronized with any machine you prefer... work or home. With an iPhone in your pocket, which has a 'Full version' of OS X on board, is it really any stretch of the imagination that you will be able to use your FULL OS X somehow?  Why is it that no information on the processor has been released?

the .mac daddy!...  taking the above idea one step further, Apple no doubt plans to utilize their soon to be updated .mac service as the conduit for all your information - including backups from Time Machine. In essence, you will always have your computing environment with you, along with your documents, photos, videos, backups... everything... with you... everywhere!

the revolution will be televised... why is the Apple TV being sold so cheaply? To make it affordable enough that people will want to snap one up for every HDTV in their homes or office. So the Apple iPhone will be able to hook up to any Apple TV and display any movies, photos or video... not too shabby. But wait. There is more. Much more. With the Apple TV and the iPhone, would you not be able to utilize the full HDTV to actually pull up some OS X apps and start playing or working?

demographics...  the PC industry is no longer a single market, but rather made up of multiple different niches, identical to the automotive markets. Apple has proven itself to have the style of Ferrari, the engineering of Mercedes and the foresight and strategic vision of Toyota.  As seemingly the only 'digital lifestyle appliance(s)' manufacturer, Apple is hand picking its users based on certain appeals and demographics - they've got the brightest users with high disposable incomes.  In the future there will be many more competitors, but none currently have the opportunity to leverage a brand that is as well known, beloved even, for their ability to successfully perform in this area. 

advertising, advertising, advertising....  who do advertisers want to target?  They want the people who can afford to buy an iPhone, all the Web 2.0 stuff will be pretty easy... and will probably get a little over hyped in the beginning, but the bottom line is - I'll bet - that there will soon be a new online advertising model coming from Apple/Google in which the revenues generated by the advertising (opt-in most likely) will be split by both companies, but in the end, will also greatly benefit the advertisers of this particular demographic - those willing to plop down $600 on a shiny new phone.

this Steve Jobs is a moron...not!  given all the little details that might have a buyer reject the idea of buying the brand spanking new gizmo/cel phone, it should be clear that Steve Jobs has a little something extra up his sleeves that will help entice folks to trade in their mundane digital lives for a shiny new, Apple branded one... Lets face it, Steve Jobs has never let the cat out of the bag this early, practically placing the entire credibility of the company on the line... for 'just a phone', I don't think so.

and now Apple does hype...  as this is the first time that Apple has really let the hype machine go into full gear, it is worth keeping in mind that this is the first time ever.  This is so incredibly out of character and has so drastically overshadowed everything else that they have been doing that there are really only two possible explanations... Option 1) Apple has broken away from its winning formula and decided to hype the heck out of the iPhone in a desperate attempt to win customers at the expense of years of ingrained tradition... or Option 2) They have continued their tradition of being secretive and we have only seen the tip of the iceberg.  Should option 2 be correct, which I believe it to be, then the fact of the matter is that they have only told us what they want us to know, given us enough to keep us salivating while questioning their intelligence of putting their future credibility on the line.

this is not a case of comparing apples to Apple....  Apple does not compete, they surpass. They have vision. They have resources. They have credibility. They have "cojones".  To believe that this is not a small piece in a much larger strategy is almost ignorant to a fault. Looking at the landscape of technology, it is clear that Apple has no interest in being in the phone market, or at least not the phone market as it exists today... Apple is looking to reshape the computing industry NOT the telecommunications industry (that will be just a side effect), so please stop comparing the iPhone to regular phones.

The pieces fit way to well for it to be a coincidence.  I can see this going two was... I'm wrong, in which case Apple is launching 'just a phone', which will be disappointing... but still fun to play with. If I'm right, I'll be replacing my PC's very soon. If I am right, the iPhone will be the catalyst for a new generation of computing and business paradigms, many of which have yet to be dreamt. Though check back on my blog often and I'll be happy to give you my two cents worth on it. 

Please keep in mind that these are simply my opinions on the situation, but if you'll look carefully at the pieces of the puzzle - they fit, way too well. I have always believed in a lifestyle that is beyond digital, it is simply a lifestyle - be yourself, let the technology remain in the background doing its job and not getting in the way. This is the promise I see and that I think everyone is beginning to 'feel'.

Please note that I do not work for Apple or Google (who is deeply entrenched in this strategy), though if either firm would like to hire me, I'd be willing to entertain any offers. :-)

My friends, we live in a very exciting time... we'll talk on Monday and see what happens.

/ps