I don't recall either device taking three minutes to boot up. Assuming that's true, "when they first came out" -- that's TEN YEARS ago. We are in a technologically advanced world where standards change in 10 minutes....just ask anyone who works in Silicon Valley.
He is comparing something that people may use once every few seconds (an app) to something used far less frequently.
An app can't take 3 minutes because I need to get in and out of it. A scanner isn't something you need immediately. 3 minutes is faster than the alternative.