[Convergenista (Unverified) Posted Jan 11th 2007 9:38AM]

Let the price wars begin. This form factor is exactly what I've been searching for, so I was thrilled to follow the iPhone launch on Tuesday. I had my mental checklist of what I needed in a convergence device, and they were really hitting all bases (and then some -- love the selectable voicemail and the sensor that knows if I'm in landscape mode). But then the price sunk in -- and I gotta say, Steve Job's explanation of the price ticked me off a little. Like I'm supposed to value his device by adding up the price of the three devices he's replacing? Um, yeah, it's going to be insanely convenient, thank you, but you're not giving me three times the battery life of one device, or having to sell me three sets of processors and memory and screens (etc.). Listen, I'm all for the R&D geeks (meant with deep, true appreciation) getting paid big money for staying up all night for the last 2 years and pissing off their families because they're working on the most important piece of technology to emerge in this century (because that's what inventors have always had to tell themselves to work those freakin' hours)... but if I'm just going to be lining the pockets of the Apple shareholders, I'm keeping my money, juggling my devices, and waiting for the prices to come down. Wish I could have been an early adopter on this one, but I think I'll wait for the second wave.