The Apple iPhone reminds John Dvorak of a dream he used to have. However, Mr. Dvorak says he's awake now, and the dream is gone, according to his latest column at PC Magazine.

"Not that many years ago, I described my tech vision of the future as a device that would fit into a cradle and serve as the basis for all computing. You could carry it in your pocket, and it would serve as your mobile phone, TV set, MP3 player, and handy GPS device. I would often discuss this imaginary device in public speeches," Mr. Dvorak wrote.

But Mr. Dvorak stopped giving the speech two years ago because the concept of a pocket computer doesn't seem attainable. And the iPhone is no better, in his view, at achieving the dream consolidation.

"In other words, it's wishful thinking. It won't be more than a passing fad as a fashion accessory, and it will never cut it as an iPod replacement or a phone. Yeah, you'll be the coolest person in the room when you pull one out and show it around, but that gets old fast when three other people have them and one person somehow has one that glows in the dark," Mr. Dvorak wrote.

So the controversial author has soured on the iPhone as just another smartphone that can't seem to measure up to his dream.

Perhaps the problem is not the iPhone. Mr. Dvorak admitted that he's stopped dreaming. Fortunately, Apple hasn't. Perfection in our lifetime is not the way technology works. Arthur C. Clarke once observed that advances are always slower in the short run than we expect but faster over the long haul than we could have ever imagined. Patience, enthusiasm, and more dreams are called for here.

The Journey is the reward.