> Don’t forget how unimpressive the iPhone was, when it was first introduced

We have very different recollections, then. People audibly gasped when Steve demoed slide-to-unlock on stage. The first generation was sold out for a long time despite being eye-wateringly expensive compared to competing devices like the BlackBerry.

> despite being eye-wateringly expensive compared to competing devices like the BlackBerry.

That’s sort of what I meant.

The people who poo-poohed it, were marketing folks at more traditional companies (like the one I worked for, at the time).

They literally laughed themselves into the poorhouse. I watched that happen, right in front of my eyes.