Just over 19 years ago, the late Steve Jobs took the stage at Macworld Expo in San Francisco for what may be the most significant product announcement of the modern era: the unveiling of the original iPhone (or iPhone 2G). And while many in the audience and the industry at large were blown away by that demonstration of Apple's first smartphone, it hardly went without its critics.
At the time, Apple was a company best known for its success in personal computers and portable media players. The idea they would create a smartphone — then largely the domain of business users rather than average consumers — seemed preposterous to some, and they were more than happy to declare their feelings. Even if, from the vantage point of almost two decades, they seem a little less than prescient.
