Reviews and the Promise of Software

Last month the iPhone Duo hit the streets and reviews hit the web. A product launch of the Duo's caliber is like unwrapping an N64 on Christmas morning: pure excitement. I waited outside my Apple Store Friday morning just to get my hands on the thing. The Duo makes a remarkable first impression. I didn't buy one or anything—too rich for my blood at the moment—but I left my twenty or so minutes with the device thoroughly impressed. I could see myself "maining" the phone. It doesn't hurt that I have big "early adopter" energy and put up with software paper cuts every summer by putting developer beta one on my main phone. I have a high tolerance (aka stubbornness) for the bleeding edge. That attitude is also why I was a bit surprised at the weight of negative talking points in the Duo reviews I read or watched. Part of John Gruber's opening gobsmacked me a bit: "The Duo name is perfect. It truly is like having two devices in one. The outer device is, by far, the worst iPhone Apple has…

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