The Impact of a Touch

by Caitlyn Imbimbo • 05/21/2008 at 11:12 AM

Almost every product shipped by Apple seems to be a gem in the eyes of loyal Mac and iPod fans. However, once in a while, Apple creates a product that makes a splash in the entire community. One can see that Apple has hit that target with the innovative iPhone and iPod touch. Both products are very much alike, with the only obvious difference being the cellular phone capabilities offered by AT&T for the iPhone. The intended audience is in some sense the same even though the products are separate.

When a company ships a product so radically different than the norm, as Apple did last year with the original iPhone and later with the iPod touch, there is always risk as to whether the product will be a hit or miss. It seems, however, that Apple has really hit the ball out of the park with this product. One knows they are successful when a product makes a splash in the community that does not include your targeted audience. A targeted audience uses your product in the way it’s intended to be used. A community outside of this finds use or necessity in the product in an unexpected, yet capable way. I believe a product is truly success when it can satisfy both of these kinds of people because therefore, a company never runs out of customers interested in the product.

Roughly two weeks ago, my Trigonometry and Algebra III class was working on polar coordinates. In order to convert polar coordinates to rectangular coordinates on a graph, the student must know a specific formula in which you input the correct numbers into. We were taking a test that basically determined the final few points on our average for that marking period, as the grading quarter was coming to a close that week. So, long story short, this was an important test. Without knowing the formulas, it was safe to assume you were in some trouble.

Memorization comes quickly and easily to me being one who has to learn many scripts throughout the course of a year. Unfortunately, not every one in the class was in the same boat. I don’t fault them for being unprepared as Trigonometry is quite an intense course in my high school. I noticed the guy that sits next to me begin to scramble as he got his test and browsed through the questions. For a moment or two, he gnawed away at the tip of his pen cap, as his mind tried to recall these complicated formulas. I noticed a rush of release come across his face, and his jaw stop annihilating his pen cap. Assuming he had remembered the necessary information, I continued on with my test. But I again was distracted as out of my peripheral vision, I noticed the guy reach into his front left pocket and slyly pull out his iPhone in class. Using his lucky seating position near the window and AT&T’s faint internet connection in the room, I watch in amazement as the boy sitting next to me found another use for the innovative technology Apple created this past year: cheating. After a few taps at the buttonless screen, the boy’s face stretched into a smile as he copied the formulas to his paper.

At the end of class, as we all tediously walked up to our teacher’s desk and dropped off our completed exam papers, I overheard another boy from the class mention to this boy that sat next to me the following: “Was that the iPhone touch? That was good thinking using it to find the formulas.” Regardless of the interesting strategy to use his iPhone to cheat on our test, this uneducated statement also told me something about the impact of this product. The iPhone and iPod touch have created such a splash in not only the technology using community but the current younger generation in general that those completely oblivious to the insanely great nature of Apple, Inc. as a whole know the significance of a touchscreen, music playing, internet seeking device in today’s digital world.

What is the moral of this story? It is not to teach you to cheat on your Algebra III test using your internet capable iPhone or iPod touch in class. The moral of this story is that when a company ships a product so radically different than the norm, as Apple did last year with the original iPhone and later with the iPod touch, there is always risk as to whether the product will be a hit or miss. I believe it is safe to say that regardless of minor complaints from loyal Apple fans wanting wireless connectivity with their Mac or something along those lines, that Apple has definitely created a successful product with the iPhone and iPod touch. The popularity, countless uses and unique design makes this product stand out in the crowd. Even to those who cheat on their tests and refer to products by improper names.