I made this video what seems like a century ago. I was working with startup in Silicon Valley – General Magic. They had invented a new type of personal communicator that became the smart phones including the iPhone. Although they were not successful, it was great fun to work for them and tried to state their case to a public that had never seen anything like what they were offering. Some of the reasons that it failed are apparent in this video. A clunky black object too large to fit in a purse or your pocket. Slow (largely due to Internet speeds at the time). Expensive. But if you look at the video of the user interface – the desktop – the Magic Communicator was a beautiful thing to behold and very exciting to use.

There is a word used by the execs in this video – information. The word “content” was not the way people thought about these new devices that you could carry with you and interact with and connect with the world in an amazing way sending out messages and receiving messages. "Get information” was not something most people wanted even though of course, we all use devices and the Internet to get information all the time. The words “information overload” was being used at this time because for many, especially for a worker group they called "road warriors”, it was true. Desks with tons of written material on them – more than the people could ever read. 200 emails a day. Constant paging. I did feel overload back then. I don't anymore. Interesting.

Motorola & Sony were makers of General Magic Personal Communicator. This infomercial was made for Motorola. Not quite a commercial because it presented information that was not quite seen as advertising and the video is longer than most commercials. I don't think most of those involved with manufacturing these very early smart phones realized how something this new would take time to be adopted. When it was of course, with the coming of early smartphones, the technology and all they could do just boomed in America and around the world. Rapid adoption they call it.

If you are interested in this story search the words “General Magic" on my YouTube channel and you will find many of the films that I made while working with them.

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