2000 iPhone Incites Exact Same Reactions as 2008 iPhone [Retromodo]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/409669113/2000-iphone-incites-exact-same-reactions-as-2008-iphone

Thanks, Google, for putting up your 2001 search index because otherwise we wouldn't have found the true iPhone, a forgotten gem from the last century. Back then it wasn't made by Apple, but with its 56K Built-In Modem, high resolution display, QWERTY keyboard and 800-entry address book, it got a Best of CES award and provoked exactly the same reactions from haters and fanboys all over the world:

functional and inexpensive
by imagesbyamy, May 08 '00
Five star rating

Pros: easy to use, quick dial-up, cost efficient
Cons: not a cordless (woot!?)

think that at 1/3 the cost of a computer (bare minimum model), the iPhone is very functional. This product enables the non-technical person to access all information on the internet as well and send and receive e-mail, do online banking, and even...

Iphone= piece of cr*p
by diverdown , May 08 '00
One star rating

Pros: NONE
Cons: ALL

I know I have already written one review on this product, but I feel the need to vent some more.
The iphone is one of the worst technological items I have used.
I warn anyone interested in it to stay away.....far away.

Some things just don't change.

Here's a mini-review from a retro-Brian Lam at net4tv:

The iPhone is another information appliance that found its way to many members of the press and CES attendees. infoGear placed several of its second-generation iPhone units in the press rooms and the show's surrounding areas so that people can surf the web and check e-mail on the go while sampling the device. I was glad it was free to use, because at a hefty $399 I was not impressed by the 16 color grayscale display and the 7.4" touch screen. According to infoGear, the unit has been available since July 1999. The prior version shipped in January 1998. It has been through six software upgrades to date. We discovered that the unit's browser is Mozilla version 1.1-compatible. As a result, it does not support Java, JavaScript, RealAudio (or support for any audio on the web for that matter) and even background images on webpages! The e-mail application was plain-vanilla; it was unintuitive to set up and switch between separate e-mail accounts. The phone felt small for my hands as was the dialing pad. At the rear of the unit were two jacks for separate phone lines so that anyone can stay online while using the speakerphone or headset simultaneously. The iPhone was the only so-called webphone that was in full use at the show as there were no working alternatives from competitors.

And like the iPhone, it was available in black or white for $399. [Epinions and Lifetrends - Thanks jopari!]