Build A Better Box

It's interesting how so much in life - from personal to professional - has become "all in one".  From diverse multi-vehicle investment portfolios, to technological products that can both make a glass of ice water and play a TV show (my next fridge?), to one-stop-shop media agencies, to consultants versed in six subjects and seven languages, it seems no longer are the days when any one commodity or entity can serve only a single role and not be subject to scrutiny.  Yet, we all still look for specialists and the "best" any particular thing has to offer.  Who's willing to buy a toaster oven/clock radio if the unit performs neither function very well?  But find something that does three or four things to a high level of ability, and ears start perking up.

I was just watching the online preview video for the new forthcoming iPhone 3G and am amazed at how many things that little guy will do all in one package, and all seemingly well.  I'd seen enough earlier incarnations of the iPhone to already be impressed.  It reaffirms the notion that not only are people asking for all-in-wonders, but that such devices can actually be developed and delivered.  But the irony is in the name itself: "iPhone."  After all, it is the phone that got it all started.  But this device is equal part phone as much as everything else it does.  How long will it be before Apple re-launches the product under a new, non-partisan name - such as iThing?

Nonetheless, despite all this "progress" in Swiss Army Knife product and service offerings, there are the legions of purists devoted to their tried-and-true, single purpose stuff.  A refrigerator that just keeps food cold. (Impossible!)  An alarm clock that only beeps at you, and doesn't shuffle between 2000 songs and project a laser light show on the ceiling. (Egads! How primitive!)  Or a cell phone that just... well, makes phone calls. (Can't be!)  Or how about an ad agency that just does really, really good advertising. (Huh?)  Sometimes we want our stuff to just do what it's supposed to do, and do it really well.  And that's fine.  But in the larger picture, how many of these services add real value to the package (or the core offering) as opposed to merely being "add ons" of only marginal use or quality (if any?)

But as for me? I'm checking out that new iPhone as soon as it hits the streets!