Disecting the "I" in iPhone.

Disecting the "I" in iPhone.

I own an iPhone 3G. I love it. It's the best phone, in my opinion, that ever existed. But, it's not just a phone. It's way more. But, I'm not talking about its maps, browser, or music/video capability. It's as if the iPhone gives me a sense of power. It gives me a sense of independence. I wonder if the "I" in iPhone really is a subtle way of saying it's all about "I" or "me".  I wonder if most people have a similar experience or if there's is different. But for me, and probably for many of us, the iPhone gives us the power and freedom to have our basic needs met at the touch of a button. Why depend on other people when we can do it all with the flick of a finger. After all, "there's an app for that...". We have become omnipotent. We can see where we are. We can find out where we want to be. We can figure out how to get there. We have become omnipresent. We can connect with people all over the world. We have become omniscient. We can find information on anything anytime we like.

But, this sense of power and independence is merely an illusion. It hit me today as I was trying to do an update to the new iPhone 3.0 software. Just like last year, it took all day for the update to work because Apple's servers were overloaded. Until it went through, my iPhone was a brick (literally just a $500 9-1-1 dialer). This year, the same thing is happening, and it shatters the illusion that this kind of power is really mine to have. Think of all the people behind the scenes, running this way and that, getting everything just right, just to make sure I can maintain my illusion of iPhone independence. Now, with the new push notification service, I am even more dependent on Apple to push out every conceivable update for every conceivable application at just the right time. All so the illusion can be maintained that I don't need to depend on anyone else for anything. All I need is my iPhone.  It's all about me, and my independence. Yet, to achieve this, at least the way Apple chooses to achieve this, is through a vast interconnected network of people, all of which I depend upon to do their jobs just right, or else my sense of independence is shattered. It's like the Sprint commercial where the entire Sprint organization is running around after you ensuring that your phone works wherever you are. Very frightening or else strangely comforting.

 If you thought your iPhone was freeing you from your dependence on others, just the thought of all this can drive you crazy (especially when the system fails you). But, perhaps some of you, with all of your loyal subjects running around in the background find your heart warmed. It's like all these people are there just to serve you. Put there just to make you happy. In either case, are we not moving closer to our desire to be like gods?