February 12, 2008
Understanding why the iPhone's different -- and special
"If the information is in chaos, don't start throwing out information; instead fix the design. And that is exactly what the iPhone platform has done." -- Edward Tufte
This is an interesting analysis of how the iPhone presents information in a way very different from other phones -- with a few suggested improvements -- from an expert in the graphical portrayal of data.
The video presentation by Tufte is extremely well done, highlighting the beauty of the interface, its elegance, if you will. While I'm quite satisfied with my Verizon 6800 (made by HTC), it doesn't compare to the iPhone's overwhelming cool-factor.
And while my 6800 can do most of what the iPhone does -- and a lot more, too, actually (like run Microsoft Office mobile versions of Excel, Powerpoint and Word) -- the Verizon phone is just an extremely capable mini-computer, not a paradigm-changing appliance.
Anyhow, I enjoyed the explanation of what the iPhone does differently, and why it's such a groundbreaking design.
Posted by Mike Lief at February 12, 2008 11:09 PM
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Comments
Anyone who ever needs to present information to others MUST read Tufte's books. It's nice to see him weigh in on the iPhone. He's also done a detailed analysis of the abuse of PowerPoint. I wish everyone would read it before making me sit through their crap.
Posted by: Joe at February 13, 2008 03:05 PM