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2007: The Year Our Digital Lives Began (and Stumbled)
7 Nov
Summary
- Many 2007 tech launches were costly and unfinished.
- iPhone's touchscreen bet paid off despite initial skepticism.
- The free web's bargain of data for services emerged.
The year 2007 marked a pivotal moment in digital history, with launches like the iPhone, Kindle, and Twitter appearing. However, many of these innovations were far from perfect at their debut, often being expensive, limited in functionality, or met with skepticism.
The introduction of the iPhone in January 2007 showcased Steve Jobs's revolutionary vision for a single device merging phone, iPod, and internet capabilities. Despite its groundbreaking touchscreen, the initial high cost and limited carrier availability meant it was a premium product for a select few.
Competitors like BlackBerry initially thrived by sticking to familiar physical keyboards, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding Apple's touchscreen bet. Meanwhile, Amazon's first Kindle e-reader, launched later that year, was a costly $400 device primarily for early adopters.
Netflix began offering video streaming in early 2007, a feature initially overshadowed by its DVD-by-mail service. This experiment eventually became the company's core business, fundamentally reshaping the entertainment landscape.
Social media also saw significant arrivals, with Tumblr and FriendFeed emerging. Twitter, though initially dismissed as trivial, gained traction with its unique microblogging format, eventually becoming a global communication platform.
Facebook's decision to open its developer platform in May 2007 was a strategic move to compete with MySpace. This openness, however, also foreshadowed the evolving relationship between users, platforms, and advertising, particularly highlighted by the controversial Beacon launch later that year.
