Is the Iphone all glitz and no substance?

[yoda313]

So today is the day. Are you going to grab the icraze?????

Personally I'm anti apple everything so perhaps I'm not entirely unbiased here. BUT I will admit it looks pretty cool but not at 500.00! I'd never buy a 500.00 phone! And it's only what 8gb?? If you were going to spend 8gb you could probably easily buy two new 30gb ipods or zunes for that matter - way way more storage capacity than that.

Is this craze real or overhyped? Will you participate in the opening frenzy?

There are phones that play encrypted itunes music aren't there? I would assume that they have been around for a little while now so I guess I don't fully understand the "euphoria" around this iphone if the capability has already existed in other forms.

Opinions???

[edDV]

I think serious phone users will find it lacking. It's main value is trendy bragging rights.

It will take
- 3-4 more software/hardware version updates
- 20% price
- more carrier choice
- cheaper carrier plans
- a replaceable battery with external charger
- 3G for world travel

before it is a serious alternative to a real cell phone.

[Epicurus8a]

ditto

[gadgetguy]

I really don't have any interest in it, therefore I don't know if other cell phones can do what it does, but seeing as it's an Apple product it's probably mostly hype anyway. (Oooh, did I type that out loud?)

[ozymango]

I do realize I'm totally out of the "hip, slick, and cool" style loop out there -- I don't even own an iPod! -- but while I do think the iPhone is fascinating in a technological way, as far as I'm personally concerned it just rates an "eh, I've already got a phone that works and I don't need a portable music device." So no lines for me.

EDIT: Though I am genuinely curious about people who do web browsing or send email on a cell phone? I just can't work the buttons or read the screen!

For anyone who does use a cell phone for email and/or web, how long did it take you to get decent with using the features and which phone or phones appeal most to you?

[Ai Haibara]

Is there such a thing as a plan where they don't charge you for every single kb that comes through the pipe? (I know, I'm exaggerating a little...)

That's one of the reasons I haven't done it on the phones our family has - and I haven't had too much reason to do web browsing, IMs or multimedia messaging on the phone. (Yes, I know there's sensible reasons to do so, including things like looking up maps.)

[edDV]

Is there such a thing as a plan where they don't charge you for every single kb that comes through the pipe? (I know, I'm exaggerating a little...)

That's one of the reasons I haven't done it on the phones our family has - and I haven't had too much reason to do web browsing, IMs or multimedia messaging on the phone. (Yes, I know there's sensible reasons to do so, including things like looking up maps.)

Last I looked, you pay ~$80/mo for reasonable data rate but that goes down to $60/mo. with a multi-year contract.

Similar to your question, my need is a day rate because I only need data service when I'm travelling and I can easily charge a day rate to business expense. The response to my request in the past has been their accounting software prevents charging day rate (Verizon) so you must pay $720/yr. Yeah right.

[EddyH]

HOW much?
Mind you after considering the exchange rate and all (official: there's now more than $2.00 to the £), that's probably less than my current handset would have costed if I wasn't on a cashback call plan contract that subsidises the actual phone to a great extent as well as the line rental and usage.

But from where I'm standing, an 8Gb Memory Stick Pro Duo (or however many of the maximum available size to provide equivalent storage) for my Sony Ericsson K750i looks like a much better prospect.

To be fair on it I haven't paid much attention to the iPhone's actual specs; but just thinking in terms of a/ playing back music (k750 handles mp3s and aac just fine, thanks, it has a half decent internal speaker - good enough to make the twice-a-term sink cleanup at work more bearable - and the headphones supplied with more recent versions like my mother's provide phenomenal sound quality, especially considering that, cmon, you're listening on a phone, i've had hi-fi's that aren't as good...), b/ making calls (also handles excellently), etc, c/ usable size (ok, it's probably based off the nano, but i have a funny feeling it's probably chunky and is difficult to enter numbers or text messages on).
Oh, and even more so than Sony if it's possible, d/ Apple products have been overpriced and overhyped basically since the company's inception, with the very borderline exception of the original Mac (on hype/innovation grounds alone; other 68000-based rivals soon murdered it value-for-money wise).

Does it have a camera or a decent calendar/task and reminder list, etc?

[solarfox]

Where's the "I don't own or want a cell phone, so it's just an (even more) overpriced iPod to me" option?

[edDV]

Does it have a camera or a decent calendar/task and reminder list, etc?

No camera*. Music playback is similar to iPod. It has a limited PDA and is a phone with web browser, email and downloads video/music/data files. The telco plans that supports music, video and data downloads remain expensive. One cool feature that other phones lack is the ability to sponge off other peoples WiFi internet to get faster data transfer rates.

This should work well in places like San Francisco where WiFi is provided by local government funding. This was sold to voters as eliminating the digital divide providing free wireless internet to the poor but now we know it was all about Yuppies hogging the public internet to download movies to their iPhones.


*This actually good because camera phones are prohibited in many businesses. Or they are collected as you enter a building.

[EddyH]

Where's the "I don't own or want a cell phone, so it's just an (even more) overpriced iPod to me" option?

yet you have interweb?

[oldandinthe way]

Steve Jobs does a better job of using inferior video than anyone in the world. He is getting a lot of mileage from a crummy little screen, this time with a reasonable number of pixels.

Unfortunately this is an area of weakness which I view as fatal, just as it has been from the days of Lisa and the earliest Macs.

Even if it wasn't, the lack of Cingular coverage in areas I travel makes it unsuitable as a phone.

[solarfox]

Where's the "I don't own or want a cell phone, so it's just an (even more) overpriced iPod to me" option?

yet you have interweb?

Yes, obviously -- but I fail to see what one has to do with the other.

[MOVIEGEEK]

I have a Palm Treo 700w and it can do almost everything the iPhone can(no Wi-Fi) and it has a camera,luckily I can expense it through work otherwise I wouldn't have it.One other thing I like about my Treo is I can use an SD card to transfer files...something the iPhone doesn't have.Not to mention Office Mobile so I can make a calender,open excel and word docs.
Another problem with the iPhone is that AT&T is the sole service provider in the US and their coverage sucks compared to Verizon.

[DereX888]

iPhone is nothing more than any other dumbphone with built-in media player.
It's PDA "features" are useless without keyboard (thumbboard).

Just another overhyped dumb RAZR-type phone on the market, only more overpriced than RAZR was.

And the most overlooked and most played-down lack of 'feature' in this phone is IMHO the non-removable battery.
I can't imagine APple was so stupid to design a phone where user cannot swap batteries, but then OTOH it is actually very in Apple-style hardware (proprietary overpriced mediocre crap that looks good, but cannot be upgraded almost at all - as with anything Apple, you have to buy whole new next model instead of being able to upgrade what you want)


As much as it may be unbelievable to some of you, this "new" iPhone recently launched is already well behind in features and usability compared to my first SmartPhone years ago... not to mention my newest smartphones and PocketPC models... :O
Yet I have no doubt it will be very popular:
Typical "dumbphones" are too dumb for average teen, while typical PocketPC or SmartPhones are too complicated for average user.

I loathe Apple for all of its mediocre overpriced shitty products, but I would buy Apple's stock in a heartbeat if this company becomes an advertising agency! Their PR and Marketing Dept. simply excel in what they do, I don't even see anyone even close to their excellent work results
They are so good, that Im sure if they decide to make a joke and start selling horseshit packaged in a beatufil design boxes, name it iShite, and back it and support by their PR & Marketing, it will become top selling Christmas gift too (same as iPhone will this year)

[yoda313]

beatufil design boxes, named iShit, and backed by their PR

Only problem with that is they would have ZERO free press on it since news media wouldn't be allowed to say or print the name

But you're point is dead on

[DereX888]

The formula of succesful business propaganda (aka marketing):


iPod + iMac + iPhone * iLife = iDiot

[FulciLives]

I've only seen a few pics of it on-line and yes those oh-so-hip TV ads. However after seeing a few of the TV ads something "hit" me. How the hell do you "use it".

Notice how you've never seen anyone holding that giant sized thing up to their ear!

I wonder why? ... oh yes! ... probably because you look ridicules not to mention it is probably not the most comfortable phone.

Course I've yet to ever own a cell phone so what do I know? 8)

Well I do know this: I can't imagine holding that big thing up to my ear all the time

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Hey hon do you have some of those baby wipes left? Yeah I got the screen on my iPhone all smudged up again!

[DereX888]

I've only seen a few pics of it on-line and yes those oh-so-hip TV ads. However after seeing a few of the TV ads something "hit" me. How the hell do you "use it".

Simple and in line with every local pervert's preference:
you supposed to be fingering it

(sounds good to me lol)

[yoda313]

OK PEOPLE LETS KEEP THIS THREAD CLEAN PLEASE - DON'T GO TOO FAR REMEMBER????

[JohnnyMalaria]

iWont

[DereX888]

OK PEOPLE LETS KEEP THIS THREAD CLEAN PLEASE - DON'T GO TOO FAR REMEMBER????

yoda, Im sure it is well described in the iPhone's manual "how to use it"... I apologize fot not-so-politically-correct word used in my description, but isn't it the same?

Oh, I can already see some female sexual problems selfhelp chatroom discussion:

UnSatisfied30: My husband don't know how to do any foreplay...
HappyiPhoneUser: Girl, buy him an iPhone! By next weekend he'll know how to warm you up, dont worry!

[GMaq]

OK,
At the risk of sounding partisan, I gotta say I'm a little disappointed with our resident pollster who's latest addition is a thinly veiled excuse to start an Apple Slagfest. I could care less about the iPhone personally but all the OS/Platform "patriotism" around here lately is getting a little old. If you don't like Apple (or Linux, or Microsoft) that's cool, I'd just prefer it wasn't served up in a poll because we have members of ALL stripes here.

[videopoo]

There's 1 thing I know Apple is very good at:

They bring the masses to technology with their interfaces . They've proved it time and again....1st the GUI interface on the Macintosh which Microsoft just ported as Windows. The iPod goes without saying....Now the iPhone.....This is just the new iPod so everyone's gonna have one whether you like Apple or not....plenty folks on this forum who hate Apple have iPods right?!

Sure you can find all kinds of devices which support the same or more features but people love the interfaces on Apple products and this is central to their popularity. I never had any interest in computers until I saw the 1st Mac at a concert in 1983 ... I think many people feel this way. ...especially if your not into computers.

You can say what you want about Apple but they completely changed computing with the graphical interface and your seeing the same thing today as well.

I use both platforms because I have to but I prefer the Mac interface myself...and it never crashes...maybe 3 times in 4 years.

[DereX888]

OK,
At the risk of sounding partisan, I gotta say I'm a little disappointed with our resident pollster who's latest addition is a thinly veiled excuse to start an Apple Slagfest. I could care less about the iPhone personally but all the OS/Platform "patriotism" around here lately is getting a little old. If you don't like Apple (or Linux, or Microsoft) that's cool, I'd just prefer it wasn't served up in a poll because we have members of ALL stripes here.

I don't think so.
All substance - the apple package nails performance and functionality like no one else
Looks good but not at that price!
are nothing against Apple nor a 'slagfest'.
1/3 of the answers to choose from are very pro-Apple product, 1/3 are negative, and 1/3 are neutral.
This poll is actually excellent.
Perhaps you just don't like the outcome (so far - mind you it may change...)?

BTW (I cant say about others of course) I am not any Microsoft, or Linux fanboi. I bash them regularly whenever I find something I don't like. iPhone is Apple's product, and since this thread is about iPhone you bet people will bash (or praise) Apple in here obviously.

There's 1 thing I know Apple is very good at:

They bring the masses to technology with their interfaces . They've proved it time and again....1st the GUI interface on the mac which Microsoft just ported as Windows. The iPod goes without saying....Now the iPhone.....This is just the new iPod so everyone's gonna have one whether you like Apple or not....plenty folks on this forum who hate Apple have iPods right?!
/.../
I use both platforms because I have to but I prefer the Mac interface myself...and it never crashes...maybe 3 times in 4 years.

Apple "ported" XeroX UI to Mac same way as Microsoft "ported" Apple's UI to Windows.
Ask Jobs where he got it from if you don't believe it LOL

We have all kind of machines in the studio, and I tell you this:
Windows NT4 machine runs here for 5 or 6 years without crashing too (or maybe more - since I dont remember when was the last NT4 Service Pack released, but Im sure IT guys here installed it withing days of its release, and this 233MHz machine still runs since).
If Windows was so closed and proprietary OS (meaning: you can't install much on it except for Microsoft's own or approved software) it would be as stable and crash-proof as Apple's OSes (of course I mean NT line, not DOS-based crap).

Anyways, lets not make it an OT "Apple vs The Rest" again, please.

[GMaq]

DereX888,
Yes of course praise or pan the iPhone, you'll have to forgive my pessimism but this forum is littered with threads that start out with intelligent debate and quickly degenerate into barroom brawls. I have no problem with opinions in threads, Yoda laid his cards on the table from the get-go that he was "Anti-Apple" so it leads the thread in a certain direction which is kind of counter-productive for a pollster. Anyway have at it and feast away on the iPhone!

*EDIT*
Just to clarify I am referring to what Yoda313 said in his first post in the thread not in the poll selections themselves. Also I hold Yoda313 in high regard for his many excellent and entertaining polls on the forum, this one struck me as incongruent with his usual fun ones. No biggie really!

[yoda313]

I can take criticism but how can we not talk about the latest in tech news???

I thought I did enough to leave plenty of options in the poll. Sure I did put anti apple as the first option but pro apple is option number 2.

Thats just the way i see it. And this is just a discussion forum after all isn't it??

[JohnnyMalaria]

1st the GUI interface on the Macintosh which Microsoft just ported as Windows.

Apple were not first with this. Both Apple and Microsoft based their GUIs on Xerox technology that stems back to the early 1970s.

What Apple are good at is taking existing technology, tarting it up and spending untold millions on advertising to hawk it (which is paid for by the premium cost of hardware bearing the half-eaten logo.)

[DereX888]

DereX888,
Yes of course praise or pan the iPhone, you'll have to forgive my pessimism but this forum is littered with threads that start out with intelligent debate and quickly degenerate into barroom brawls. I have no problem with opinions in threads, Yoda laid his cards on the table from the get-go that he was "Anti-Apple" so it leads the poll in a certain direction which is kind of counter-productive for a pollster. Anyway have at it and feast away on the iPhone!

Im anti-Apple too
Regardless, I don't want Apple to whither and disappear... because it would kill Microsoft too (Bill would have no one to steal ideas from ) and affect linux brilliant-yet-without-imagination coders as well (flux or ice anyone? ROTFL). Everything has its market, and the more the merrier (even if its overpriced crap IMHO).
No matter how we see Apple's products, I bow my head to Apple's PR & Marketing skills.
Everyone will admit that just a quick glance at the packaging of ie any Mac is a joy (not so with the product itself, but thats another story)

[EddyH]

Where's the "I don't own or want a cell phone, so it's just an (even more) overpriced iPod to me" option?

yet you have interweb?

Yes, obviously -- but I fail to see what one has to do with the other.

Just that both are high tech means of location-independent high speed communication. I was wondering why you're happy to use one but "don't want" the other; other than cost, I suppose, but then just get a line rental-free pre-pay device and use it only when totally necessary.

If nothing else it's useful for saving your ass


This whole thread is getting a bit ugly... yes Apple are a very innovative company (or at least good at hiding where they steal their ideas and willing to invest in good external design / R&D expertise), but it doesn't mean I have to like their marketing, pricing, or refusal to license their stuff. Or more than that, how it scores a victory with the uninformed, mob-mentality who think it's the only choice.

Also, iPhone is about to come on bbc news 24. will report if it pops up before i shut the pc off (not long now)

edit: Wow, disturbing scenes of the rabid apple fanboys jumping about and waving their arms in the air and hollering. Over a freakin' PHONE that doesn't do much already done by the O2 XDA. What is so wrong with their lives that this seems like a good/normal course of behaviour?
It looks pretty neat, slim, with quite a slick finger-tappable web browser built in (nothing that anyone else can't rapidly copy or, for all i know, have already been doing for some time - it looks a lot like Opera 9 Mobile), but beyond that details were pretty sparing. Thinner, but wider/taller than my current one, so probably a similar overall volume. Slick but not earth shattering. And no proper keypad, which will get very old very fast if you do texting.