iPhone Mania
In the 17th Century a tulip bulb was the
currency of the day in The Netherlands. It is one of the first examples of the
‘futures market’ as bulbs were sold whilst they were still in the ground and
often before they flowered – and seldom physically changed hands. At the peak
of Tulip Mania, bulbs sold for as much as 10 times the annual salary of a
skilled crafts person or the cost of an Amsterdam mansion.
The tulip obsession
The bulbs originally
from the Ottoman Empire (Turkey, Greece and North Africa) often changed hands
several times a day – or least the contracts for them did. Everyone wanted a
tulip bulb. Tulips also became popular as the artist’s choice and many canvases
painted around these times feature tulips. These paintings were often
commissioned by rich merchants who couldn’t get their hands on a bulb.
The most sought after
bulbs were ones which produced striped or variegated coloured flowers. These
bulbs were ones which were infected with a disease which ‘broke their colour’
so that striping occurred.
Tulip bulbs weren’t
quick to produce. Grown from seed they took between 7 and 12 years to flower.
Seeds weren’t affected by the strain which caused striping either; it is
off-sets from existing bulbs that are. Off-sets take about three years to
develop so there was no glut on the market which made them even more desirable.
A resemblance
The obsession for tulips
in the 17th Century has been likened to the obsession for the latest iPhone. Not specifically the iPhone 5S but any new iPhone as it becomes
available. Although this isn’t a future’s market scenario the associated mania
does resemble tulip mania.
In fact sales of the 5S
outshone previous sales figures almost doubling the predicted 5 million to 9
million. This was also helped by the fact that China was added to the launch
list this time; that meant a simultaneous launch in 11 countries.
This amazing scramble
for the new version as soon as it hits the shelves has caused some problems.
The gold version sold out on the Friday of the first weekend and the grey and
silver versions have also experienced some delays.
What do you get for your
money?
The 5S looks like its
predecessors but adds a fingerprint sensor to the mix and a better camera with
a wider aperture and new flash making the differences for 5 owners. The fingerprint sensor is sophisticated and useful for user recognition.
The 5C is slighter
thicker and heavier and doesn’t have all this new sophisticated technology. The
general consensus of opinion seems to be that it is an entry iPhone for those
who’ve never owned one before or still hang on to a very old model.
The 5S is available in
gold, silver or ‘space grey’ retails at £549 or more. Its smaller sister the 5C
is aimed at the ‘middle market’ and comes in bright colours – blue, green,
pink, yellow and white and retails at £469 upwards.
It goes without saying that you need your iPhone insurance with one of these babies. If anything
happens to it you certainly won’t want to shell out for a new one again.
Author Bio:
By Harry Price
Harry Price is a
free-lance writer who enjoys traveling with his wife, son and 2 dogs. Harry is
a proud user of all things Apple.
