PrintJuly 2, 2007
Creative destruction
Joseph Schumpeter didn't have reverse engineering in mind when he coined the phrase "creative destruction." But it somehow seems apt when considering the following news
about the techies, who having really, really waited days in line for the fabled iPhone proceeded to take it apart by any means necessary.
Within hours of the first iPhones going on sale on Friday, enthusiasts scrambled to be the first to discover what makes the devices tick, posting photos and videos of disassembled phones on the Internet.The information is more than just academic. Apple keeps a tight grip on information about parts suppliers so "tear downs" of its products are closely watched by investors keen to figure out how to place their bets.
From such curiosity, and from freedom to follow it -- allowing for patent protection of course -- comes the advancement characteristic of modern societies, which do not idolize the seventh century as the most perfect society.
