When I was 13 years old I had a dream that some day I would have a telephone I could carry in my pocket. How cool it would be to talk to my friends while walking outside, or hiding in the woods! This was in the mid-70’s; mobile phones were still years away and the only thing resembling a mobile was Maxwell Smart’s famous shoe phone.
I bought my first Nokiaphone in 1996, when I was pregnant with my first (and only) child. It was important to have a phone available, in case something happened while I was riding the bus, we thought. Ever since our first Nokia phone I was very loyal to the brand; it was, after all, a Finnish phone. I had several Nokia phone models, and each new phone seemed better with more useful features. I had sliders and shells and music and texting. These were all pre-smartphone.
In 2007, when the first iPhone appeared I was not moved. I had my iPod and I was happy with it as my music device: it was easy to use and very handy for storing all my music. I did not need another gadget that was less a phone and more a multi tool for the web, music and applications. I was using “selective exposure” in my relationship to the iPhone (Rodgers, 1995). My continued loyalty to the Nokia brand kept me from getting too familiar with this new invention called the “iPhone”. The iPhone was not consistent with my “existing attitudes and beliefs” about what a phone should be ( p. 171). I did, however, purchase an Apple desktop computer in 2008. My first. For many years several of my friends had recommended an Apple computer for its reliability, superior performance and virus-free operation. I had had some exposure to an Apple ten years earlier but now was a PC user. We needed a new desk top with a big screen, and my daughter was also using Apple computers at school; it was time to make the switch. In my case, the “awareness-knowledge” of this invention preceded the need, but once the need (justification) was there, the purchase decision was easy (p. 172).
My ongoing exposure to the new Apple computer made me more curious about the iPhone. I loved the computer, my daughter loved the computer; it was reliable and quite easy to use (although there was a bit of a learning curve with Apple software). Many of my friends and colleagues had purchased an iPhone – they seemed to spring up everywhere. I heard them discuss the many ‘amazing’ features of the phone, such as the downloadable applications, maps, email, etc. According to Rodgers (1995), this was for me, “trial by others” (p. 177). My friends were vicariously testing the device and reporting to me how useful it was.
It was time to get more exposure to the device. I stopped at a Mac Store several times to familiarize myself with the iPhone. I was impressed how easily I was able to manipulate the phone and how it responded to my requests. It seemed like magic! Rodgers (1995) states that “ Principles-knowledge consists of information dealing with the functioning principles underlying how an innovation works… It is usually possible to adopt an innovation without principles-knowledge, but the danger of misusing an idea is greater and discontinuance may result” (p. 173). I had be sure I was comfortable using the iPhone before I rejected my Nokia brand. It was an emotional decision for me but in the end functionality, esthetics and sex-appeal won.
References
Rogers, E. (1995). Diffusion of innovations. Free Press, New York, NY.
Wikipedia.org Retrieved April 15, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DonAdams.jpg
