hat?s the fuss over the iPhone anyway? I should get it, as I am a long-time Apple fan. It?s a cell phone with Internet functions lashed together with Apple?s iPod!

While many people have gone totally bonkers over the phone, it?s wise not to completely believe Steve Jobs, the visionary brain behind the company, when he says it is ?revolutionary?.

Apple revealed the iPhone last week. It will go on sale sometime this June. Despite my reservations, I believe the phone will be a hit, despite it $600 price tag. Do I want all those functions for so many bucks? If I buy it, I would have to solidly tie it around my neck or chain it to my belt.

Perhaps a new type of crime will arise ? the iPhone rumble. Thieves only have to watch for one to know they are going to get a very expensive and easy to steal package all in one go.

I admit that by doing away with push buttons and incorporating Internet more fully into the device, that it is a major advance on other cell phones. However this is an evolution that has been happening for some time, not a revolution. The iPod was revolutionary. The iPhone has looks and heft, has a very cool touch screen, instead of the usual push buttons for dialling and other functions, and make surfing the Internet much easier with its ?wide screen?.

Design and utility are the key ingredients in Apple products and we would expect nothing less from the iPhone. As Apple describes the portable gadget, it combines three products ? a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a ?breakthrough? Internet communications device with desktop-class e-mail, web browsing, maps, and searching.

The iPhone?s strength lies in its user interface based on a large multi-touch display and new software, letting you control everything by moving your fingers.

As the Computer Society of Bermuda says in its latest e-mail, a newly introduced feature called Visual Voicemail will make voicemail as fast and convenient as email by allowing users to go directly to any of their voice messages without listening to any of the prior messages.

?Yes, the Blackberry is king of e-mail and Treo a solid multimedia device,? the CSB says. ?However, with the Apple?s touch on the cellphone, will more move to the Apple platform just because it looks cooler or will they understand the technical innovation is at play ? audio, video, data converged with style??

Perhaps the CSB has recognised something in the iPod I have not. I wait to be convinced when the iPod appears on the shelves. The device will retail in two models: a 4GB model for $499, and an 8GB model for $599.

It will be available June 2007 through Cingular Wireless. Check with iStore or The Complete Office for availability as these two companies are authorised dealers. ?These devices might work on the Digicel and M3 Network,? says CSB. ?We are uncertain about the availability of the unlocked phones at this time.?

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If you can afford an iPhone, then you might be in the market for the ?world?s first million-dollar personal computer?. For $1 million you would expect an incredible machine, but what you get is looks and lots of jewellery. Moneual Lab says its three-version Jewelry PC comes covered with the most expensive blue sapphires, topazes, rubies, diamonds, and other gemstones.

The first system, Renaissance, is decorated with rubies on the front panel of the system. The only one single unit available in the world was unveiled at CES last week. The market price will be close to $1 million.

The actual computer contains an Athlon64 FX processor from AMD, an 8GB Samsung system memory, a 2 terra byte hard drive, blue-ray disk, a silent cooling fan from Zalman, a digital home motherboard from Asus, a high-end HDMI capable graphics card from AMD-ATI, two PCI HDTV cards from Sigmacom, and Windows Vista Ultimate Edition from Microsoft.

The second system, Baroque, is decorated with blue sapphires on the front panel. The third system, Rococo, is decorated with diamonds on the front panel of the system. The systems come with a lifetime warranty. Moneual will also provide free upgrades every two years for up to 10 years.

Moneual is planning to build another 100 jewelry PC collection limited editions. Each of these three lesser units sells for $30,000. A lower end model will go for $15,000 and will be released in March.