F* the iPhone

[terance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shigzeo /img/forum/go_quote.gif i personally would love one. i use my ipod touch and a mobile phone all the time. i hate the phone, love the touch. if i could have them together: great idea. as soon as i am able to be in a country long enough to sign a contract, i will and i will take that phone as it would do all i want in one device. it is also supposed to have less hiss than the 5.5 ipod, so probably on par with the nano 3g: perfect for no too sensitive of earphones, just like the d2.

I am using a 3g iPhone with a CMoy amp, and an Ultimate Ears Line Attenuator with a pair of SuperFi 5's and it really sounds great.

Can't wait until the LOD gets to my house!

 

[davidhunternyc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some just want to the last bling bling! I think the iPhone looks quite nice, but am shocked by the monthly price from the network operator. 12 months agreement at $100-200 a month, with highly limited bandwidth usage. No thanks!

Yes, and AT&T sucks in New York City. I was so frustrated with my phone calls getting dropped, I cancelled my contract and went back to Verizon; ugly phones, best sound quality, rivaling the R-10 in my book.

 

[rhythmdevils]

i agree with the original post about gadgets. but is this really the forum to ask "why people must have the latest and greatest?"

and what does that have to do with apple? why is buying a blackberry not the same thing?

no offense, but i get annoyed at all the whining about apple. some of it is justified and some of it is just really silly. i mean it's computers. i hate to break it to ya, but you're not going to be cool no matter which one you buy

 

[Al4x]

you can use the iphone to view pdfs and .doc files, probably a few more, but it requires jailbreaking, i got mine from the us at contract price without the contrat, refurbished, and its lasted from october till now, no screen scratces

web browsing is the best thing on it simply having the huge screen is such a plus compared to traditional phones

amazing how many aggressive posts over a phone lol

 

[MD1032]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Absolutely. I think Intel has a 45nm dual core x86 mobile proc in the pipeline. Seems destined for the iPhone, and probably a few other toys. That's the reason I think I'll skip the 3G and wait for it next year. A proc like that will give it almost laptop-like power and I imagine it'll be running a good chunk more of OS X, as well. And I'm sure that chip will find its way into plenty of other phones for those who want something else. You're right about the vicious circle, but that's how the cutting edge is these days. The way I look at it is that this is one part of my life where I'll pay for the latest n' greatest. $200 a year isn't that bad, I actually use it, and I don't chase fashion in clothing or cars, and my Linux box is four years old already. Annually, I drop money on a new pair of glasses and a new phone. The glasses and phone get more use than about anything else, so I pay for them.

Yeah, that's definitely a fair judgement. It's true that most of the electronics industry is like that (heck, look at the camera industry... huge offender). Apple's products just don't seem to last, though. My Canon SD700 has long been replaced by cameras that are newer, shinier, and have more megapixels, but with the right implementation, I can still get great IQ out of it, just as good as the newer models. You can't say the same about Apple's products. The old iPhone seems like a cripple compared to the new one. The old iPod's battery life was terrible compared to the new one. The list goes on... and the only thing that stays consistent is the crappy sound quality that comes out of the darn things.

I think Apple would do much better if they just put the thought in in the first place. Releasing a device in the beginning of the year and going "OH WAIT! We forgot this!" one or two more times in the same year is just getting ridiculous. Devices are spendy, and are a bit of a commitment, you might say, and if I had bought the original iPhone, right now, I'd be extremely pissed to see the new one, because clearly, it's just what the first iPhone should have been, not any kind of second generation.

 

[G-man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gilency /img/forum/go_quote.gif Whether you like it or not, Apple has been a catalyst for change. It changed the phone business and forced other makers to make better phones.

better is an opinion. I don't like the iphone, and i don't really want phones like that. And you can say the catalyst thing about other companies, that doesn't mean that it is right.

and its not a catalyst, as catalysts remain unchanged. Apple sure isn't just sitting back, not raking in the cash.

And really, apple didn't cause the whole change. The nokia n95 was pretty much the most used phone with a 3.5mm jack, which resulted in most phones having them now. Ericsson's cybershot range got the idea of camera's in phones popular.

The only change the iphone inspired was touch screen, which i don't really like anyway. still, some people do. And seeing as apple is trying to monopolise, that is counter productive to change and innovation. in fact you could argue that apple forced the idea of touchscreen to be popular, and so resulted in other manufacturers also putting on touchscreens, instead of investing in other, and potentially better interfaces.

my thoughts

 

[malldian]

How do you force an idea to be popular? Either people like it or don't...

Personally it isn't my thing but it will most likely be the way of the future.

 

[G-man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by malldian /img/forum/go_quote.gif How do you force an idea to be popular? Either people like it or don't...

Advertising, be it viral or conventional. there is a reason why advertising companies are paid so much.

 

[CrazyRay]

This might interest some people.

http://gizmodo.com/5015540/iphone-3g...price-compared

Over two years, the iPhone 3G will cost $160 more than the original iPhone.

 

[Vali]

Quote:

Originally Posted by G-man /img/forum/go_quote.gif The only change the iphone inspired was touch screen, which i don't really like anyway. still, some people do. And seeing as apple is trying to monopolise, that is counter productive to change and innovation. in fact you could argue that apple forced the idea of touchscreen to be popular, and so resulted in other manufacturers also putting on touchscreens, instead of investing in other, and potentially better interfaces.

It's not just advertising. A touchscreen combines a screen and an input device, eliminating the need for a physical keyboard. For the same footprint you get both a bigger screen, a bigger input area and perfect coordination between the two. The input area can be shaped into anything, depending on the application and it also allows for more complex interaction like drag'n'drop and free scroll.

The only trade-off is the lack of tactile feedback, which I'd say is a small price for what you get in return.

The touchscreen is nothing new though. It's been on handhelds, amongst other devices, for years. Apple took this technology, improved it (the multi-touch) and put it on a phone that truly benefited from it.

 

[G-man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vali /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's not just advertising. A touchscreen combines a screen and an input device, eliminating the need for a physical keyboard. For the same footprint you get both a bigger screen, a bigger input area and perfect coordination between the two. The input area can be shaped into anything, depending on the application and it also allows for more complex interaction like drag'n'drop and free scroll. The only trade-off is the lack of tactile feedback, which I'd say is a small price for what you get in return. The touchscreen is nothing new though. It's been on handhelds, amongst other devices, for years. Apple took this technology, improved it (the multi-touch) and put it on a phone that truly benefited from it.

like i said opinions. I don't like touchscreens, and the fact is i am almost always using my phone one handed, so multi touch (not invented by apple) is just a useless feature. and tactile feedback is a huge trade off. not worth it IMO.

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyRay /img/forum/go_quote.gif This might interest some people. IPhone 3G: iPhone 3G's True Price Compared Over two years, the iPhone 3G will cost $160 more than the original iPhone.

Since I'm on the old Sprint SERO plan (no longer available) I'll probably never ever consider getting an iPhone since it's married to AT&T service.

I pay $30/month for 500 Minutes, Unlimited SMS, MMS, and Unlimited Data. Oh, and thanks to Microsoft, I can tether with my Laptop.

Plus Sprint sent me an Airave for free to make up for the bizarre dropped call problem I have in my condo (doesn't happen if I go outside, despite the strong signal I get at home).

Oh, and I don't have to worry about my applications getting "killed" on my phone.

That said, it's taken over a year for other phones and programs to catch up with the iPhone's Mobile Safari browser experience. Even with the slow EDGE network, and sparse 3G coverage in the USA. (compared to EVDO).

But if I want the real internet, I'll surf on my Laptop wherever I can get a cell phone signal. Often times at speeds faster than my old DSL connection.

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by G-man /img/forum/go_quote.gif like i said opinions. I don't like touchscreens, and the fact is i am almost always using my phone one handed, so multi touch (not invented by apple) is just a useless feature. and tactile feedback is a huge trade off. not worth it IMO.

Lack of haptic feedback is a huge oversight on the part of Apple. As much as I hate the new Samsung Instinct, the simple haptic feedback it has works very well. It's pretty convincing. It's too bad it's proprietary Samsung OS and the internet browser sucks.

Any touchscreen only PDA phone needs needs needs haptics. Otherwise, I much prefer a real QWERTY thumb board. My next phone will most definitely be the HTC Touch Pro. My current phone is the HTC Touch. I've gotten quite good at not having a QWERTY thumb board, but I still miss it.

-Ed

 

[gilency]

Quote:

Originally Posted by G-man /img/forum/go_quote.gif better is an opinion. I don't like the iphone, and i don't really want phones like that. And you can say the catalyst thing about other companies, that doesn't mean that it is right. and its not a catalyst, as catalysts remain unchanged. Apple sure isn't just sitting back, not raking in the cash. And really, apple didn't cause the whole change. The nokia n95 was pretty much the most used phone with a 3.5mm jack, which resulted in most phones having them now. Ericsson's cybershot range got the idea of camera's in phones popular. The only change the iphone inspired was touch screen, which i don't really like anyway. still, some people do. And seeing as apple is trying to monopolise, that is counter productive to change and innovation. in fact you could argue that apple forced the idea of touchscreen to be popular, and so resulted in other manufacturers also putting on touchscreens, instead of investing in other, and potentially better interfaces. my thoughts

It is not my opinion. it is a fact. It has changed the landscape and force other companies to make better phones. Yes Nokia had a good phone but not even close as popular or easy to use as the iPhone. There are currently no other phone web browsers that can compete with it.

 

[Usagi]

Someone cleverly assembles a few electronic components and as a result naysayers proclaim heresy. How an electronic device can inspire such hatred and animosity is beyond me. Last time I checked, the iPhone wasn't responsible for world poverty, famine, and/or death, so why use the word "hate"? Does its mere existence personally/directly impede your way of life? .......mmmm, No!

Whether the haters admit it or not, Apple's presence in the cell phone market has promoted innovation and helps moves the industry forward. That is a fact. Therefore, if Blackberry, for example, develops a better phone to compete with Apple then all end-users benefit; not just the apple enthusiast. Consider yourself fortunate and be thankful.

As far as hardware/software preferences; the so-called shortcomings mentioned will most likely be addressed with future updates or next generations. It doesn't make sense to chastise a company for improving upon their designs, nor is it logical to assume that they had the ability to incorporate present technology in past designs.

Original iPhone purchasers would have loved to see all the 3Gs functionality in the first model, but things like battery technology at the time, contract disputes with carriers, etc. might have previously stopped these newfangled additions cold in its tracks.

Furthermore, most of us don't live in a totalitarian dictatorship that requires we buy the latest iPhone on the market. We are all free to purchase or not purchase the device in question, so complaining about being sucked into vicious cycles is just ridiculous.