Wow! Apple’s announcement of the iPhone sure has generated a lot of buzz. In just a few days I’ve probably seen well over 100 articles, blogs, or posts about the iPhone. What is it about the iPhone that is garnering so much attention? There really isn’t anything new here. I’ve seen it all before, including the multi-touch interface. And not very many people seemed to care when these various element were introduced before.

Is just Steve Jobs? Or the Apple mystique? I think those certainly are considerations, but the real power behind the iPhone (or the iPod, MacBook, or anything else Apple does) is something that I’ll call iDesign.

Apple doesn’t generate so much excitement at it’s product launches, or win so many loyal customers by doing something completely new. (The iPod certainly wasn’t the first MP3 player.) Apple wins by taking existing concepts and doing them better. Although there are lots of MP3 players, there aren’t any that make the whole music experience as smooth, or satisfying as the iPod. There are lots of smart phones, but none as smart — in ways that matter to people — as the iPhone.

Apple seems to understand that the context of product usage can be as important as the content. It isn’t just about playing music on a portable device with decent quality sound. It is about the whole music experience. How easy is it to add new music to my collection, make up playlists, listen at home or at work, etc. Apple is very good at “cool.” But cool isn’t enough. Apple is able to consistently bring cool to the pent up desires and frustrations left behind by existing products. This creative problem solving, or iDesign, is what gives Apple an edge.

Right after the keynote, many of the comments about the iPhone centered around the cool factor and its features. But as discussions progressed, comments began to reveal long held frustrations, and the hope or expectation that the iPhone would help relieve those frustrations.

I admit this is no scientific study, but the number and intensity of the posts over this past week have been undeniable. And the common thread in those ongoing posts has been the expectation that the iPhone would make their mobile phone experience much better, in substantial ways that would improve their lives.

That is the magic of Steve Jobs and Apple. That is the power of iDesign.