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The revolution in your pocket: How the iPhone changed everything
Today, for billions of people in the world, it’s impossible to imagine not having a smartphone. But even more than that, it’s impossible to imagine working without a smartphone. When I think about how I worked 10 years ago—in the days before the original iPhone was released—it seems like a century ago.
It’s not that there weren’t “smartphones” in the days before the iPhone; I had a Palm Treo and a whole lot of people had BlackBerries. They connected to pricey, slow cellular data networks and let you read and reply to email, no matter where you were. It was the cutting edge at the time. I do recall, however, that I only carried my big, bulky Treo with me when I was traveling out and about for business. It wasn’t on my person at all times, but if I needed to be in touch I would bring it along.