
15Understanding Inventions
the novel, ever-present iPhone dominates discussions about Steve Jobs’
achievements. As we discussed earlier, it is a common mistake to confuse
the performance of the Tool with the workings of the system as a whole.
Accordingly, to understand the potential impact of the technology revolu-
tion started by Steve Jobs, we need to escape WYSIATI and look beyond
the Tool.
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supporting tHe ipHone: tHe systeM eleMents in aCtion
To simplify our initial task, let’s consider the iPhone separately from other
Apple devices, such as the iPad and the iPod. Once we understand the role
of the iPhone within the system, it will be easier ...