Notes

Writing a reaction to an article in The Atlantic by Will Oremus, that doubts that Apple’s iPhone Duo is a good idea, John Gruber writes:

I bet there are a lot more people out there who would rather have a $2500 iPhone and a $700 MacBook Neo than who would want a $2500 MacBook Pro and a $700 iPhone.

So at first I read that, and I think, “Naw dawg.” It seems totally crazy to me that this accurately describes things as they are.

But then I kinda think about it, and I’m like... Maybe...

I know at least one person who has a work laptop that they use only for work stuff. (It’s rather locked down, and can’t easily be used as a personal computer) and uses their iPhone as their primary device for, like, almost everything.

I use my iPhone for a lot, because it’s almost always on me, and it’s convenient. (I’m writing this post in iA Writer on an iPhone 17 Pro Max.) I prefer to use my MacBook Pro, but I love a life where I’m a parent to four small children, and sitting down at the computer to do something isn't something I do if I can do the same thing on my iPhone.

Then, I think about people who use public transport... and how when I’m flying I usually use my phone to watch stuff, because, again, it’s easy and space-efficient.

After that, I think about how I use my iPhone camera rather than a (better) separate camera because I don’t like carrying/reaching for a camera, and why would I when my iPhone camera is as good as it is?

I also record audio for podcasts with a good mic going into my iPhone via USB-C rather than a good mic hooked up to my Zoom H4 or H6 via XLR cables.

Anyway. I still feel that spending that much on a phone is crazy. Be that as it may, I’m less skeptical about Gruber’s point than I was before.