Apple popularized the shiny white gadget with their iBooks, iMacs, and iPods.  Then the MacBook came out.  For $200 more, a more featured model was available in black.  This set off a revolution, as people payed more money just so they could get their laptop in black.  The iPod line soon followed this new trend, also becoming available in black in some of the higher-end models.  Then the iPhone was released with a glossy black front and metal back, and white was replaced completely in the iPod line by silver.  Around the same time, the iMac was replaced with a black and silver version too (but with a white mouse…?)  This morning, Apple announced the 3G iPhone.  This newer iPhone is available in all black (no silver), but if you buy the 16GB iPhone ($100 more), you can get it in white.  It’s amazing how quickly trends have completely reversed.  Just two years ago, white was standard and black cost more, and now black is standard and white costs more.  The circle has been completed (White -> Black -> Silver & Black -> White)!  Are you trying to set trends, keep up with them, or just confuse everyone???  Make up your mind Apple…

Jobs just announced the new iPhone at his keynote this morning: 3G, GPS, etc (but nothing exciting that wasn’t already rumored), and a new lower pricepoint – just $200 for the 8GB version.  Here’s the problem: the (older with less features) iPod Touch 8GB is $300.  This seems like a glaring mistake to me.  I realize that Apple is making tons of money every month out of the iPhone plan with AT&T, but why would anyone buy an iPod Touch for $300, when they could hacktivate an iPhone for $200, get all the new features (ex: GPS) and just not use the phone app!  I can see three possibilities for this: an oversight (seems incredibility unlikely), a devious plot to raise the number of sold iPhones (possible), or they just think that most people are too stupid to realize they can just get an iPhone, hacktivate it, and not use the phone part (most likely).  But really… where is the cheaper, GPS-enabled iPod Touch 2.0?  Is it just going to arrive silently later, so as to not overshadow the iPhone 2 launch?  We’ll just have to see…

Update: According to Engadget, Apple is no longer letting you buy an iPhone and activate it yourself.  The reason the iPhone is only $200 is because AT&T is subsidizing it.  Apple no longer has a revenue-sharing model with AT&T, and now they are making money like any other phone manufacturer.  You can’t pull the GoPhone trick any more either, as the GoPhone plan can’t be bought with an iPhone any more.  Seems like a bad move to me, seeing as a very significant percentage of iPhones were being sold to people who had no intention of ever buying an AT&T plan.  Time will tell though if people can find a loophole, but for now it seems like Apple has shut the door on this one…