Muti’s been buzzing with two things lately - the xenophobic violence, and the Apple iPhone 2.0. I’m certain that they are not related, just by the way.

So I’m watching the rest of the world go by, frantically raving about purchasing this new toy, as if it’s got anything new that we haven’t seen yet. 3G is not - contrary to popular belief - a new invention. Neither is GPS or location-based services. Hifi browsers? We’ve seen that before. Music player? Ditto.

So what is it about this phone that has so many people in a trance? I mean, let’s say you have it. You can make calls and send emails and do everything a “normal” high-end phone is capable of. Okay, so there’s the “gadget” and “brag” factors, but I can think of better ways to spend my money, thanks.

I’m also slightly worried that most of the hype surrounding this might be a spillover of the severe cult problem Apple is facing. Oh, to the fans, it’s not a problem, but I’ve made a habit of being cynical about anything that attracts masses of people all at once, and that isn’t a major deity (say, God, for instance).

Quite frankly, the number of people that consider Apple hardware to be more than just an accessory - but rather, a critical part of their identities - is the major turnoff for me. Sure, it’s great hardware and software (if you ignore the fact that it’s highly exclusive), and the money you spend is well worth it in the long run. But seriously - buying into a cult is something I don’t go for.

Same reasoning holds for the Xbox, Vista, and FF3. All of these have progressed beyond mere tools - suddenly, they’re ways of life. And the segragation (”OMG, you have a PlayStation/Windows XP/Linux/Internet Explorer?!“) that arises in this new arena is something I can do without. I’m pretty sure of who and what I am, thanks. Don’t need a thousand-dollar gadget to make me feel as if I belong to anything.

To all those who are in the buying frenzy - have a blast. Given the legacy Apple has created over the years, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with your purchase, even after the hype has died down. Just don’t try sharing your music … lol.