Comments on: iPhone watch

By: David

David — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:36:55 +0000

Sorry to go off topic here, but: Alf, it’s “too” not “to.” I take this as a manifestation of your irrational reaction.

By: c.l. ball

c.l. ball — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:57:57 +0000

I have had one running since Sat.—it looks real cool and is easy to read and dial on but the phone voice quality is normal to poor, the AT&T phone coverage is poor—I have no service in areas tht my 2002 base model Motorola (with no antenna) on Verizon has full strength, the EDGE nework is slow when it works—I have been unable to get any EDGE coverage since 8:06 am CST today (and it is almost 4 pm now). 50% chance that is goes back in the 14-day return window at this point. A video iPod costs less and holds more data.

By: alf

alf — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:09:06 +0000

Alf have you used the iPhone interface?

No I haven’t and I probably came down to hard against it. I do seem to have an irrational Iphone hatred, but having used touch screen phones in the past, my hatred for touch screens is very rational. Like I said I would love to see Apple’s touch screen technology on a full size computer, but the typing examples I’ve seen look like a huge pain in the ass. Buttons are a really useful apple should have included more. At least left and right ones so I don’t have to drag my greasy fingers across the screen every time I want to scroll to the next page.

But I was probably to harsh. The Iphone isn’t shit. It’s a very nice toy, which is what is marketed to be. For people with enough money to blow who don’t need real functionality beyond playing youtube videos and a nice UI it’s a great phone, I just don’t think 600 dollars and the AT&T rate is worth it for a nice toy.

By: bemused

bemused — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 07:04:56 +0000

In my family it’s the parents who understand computers. We run Linux on refurbished one generation back Thinkpad/Lenovos. But when we sent our kids to college, we bought them iBooks, since remote support was too difficult. And their machines just worked. I wouldn’t have done that before OSX (too many years supporting the last generation Macs in their schools…those machines were unreliable just like Windows).

By: Martin James

Martin James — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:14:31 +0000

I love those overpriced alligator shirts and I bought the friggin Iphone just to say I did and the gall durn thing doesn’t work with Windows 2000 so now I’ve got to buy a stinkin’ Mac cause I’m too lazy to upgrade and my computer guy is off for the holiday.

Status anxiety sucks!

By: Suvi

Suvi — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:51:47 +0000

the hype

Exactly.

Right or wrong, I keep getting reminded of the $10 t-shirt with a $50 alligator on it

By: Geoff

Geoff — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 05:59:57 +0000

Most of the backlash, I think, is because of the hype, and not the phone itself. The iPhone is a perfectly decent device that doesn’t do anything more than other devices on the market, but does some things better and a few things worse.

As a result, some people are bothered by the fact that people are willing to line up for days to get one. They feel that Apple is getting hailed as a conquering hero for making only incremental improvements on existing designs; at the same time, it continues to reap the residual benefits of having truly done something exceptional with the iPod.

In other words, people are upset that Apple is getting credit for doing something it hasn’t actually done. And I can sympathize with that.

By: novakant

novakant — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:06:53 +0000

I just checked: in the US it's the Cingular 8525

By: novakant

novakant — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:02:06 +0000

I’ve got a crappy t-mobile phone to wear out first.

the t-mobile selection in the US seems a bit limited, not much help to you, but over here it’s better: I’ve got my eye on the MDA Vario II, which is a branded version of the HTC TyTN. I’ve seen it in action and it’s a really nice piece of kit.

By: richard

richard — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:11:10 +0000

It really does seem like apple sacrificed style for functionality with it. They just had to have their big shinny touch screen

I know! Who wants shins all over their touchscreen? What kind of style is that?
Breasts, maybe.

By: Kieran Healy

Kieran Healy — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 21:50:49 +0000

Sorry nova, I’m letting everyone else do the beta testing. I’ve got a crappy t-mobile phone to wear out first.

By: novakant

novakant — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 21:45:29 +0000

ok Kieran, let’s make a deal: you’ll beta-test that thing for me, and then in a year’s time, when the 3G version with all the bugfixes comes out, I’ll consider buying it ;)

By: Kieran Healy

Kieran Healy — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 20:19:34 +0000

Wow. A network support guy, Kieran? You must really know your stuff then. I’m a sociologist too. I read a book on it once.

As you please, mate. I’ll note that my skepticism in the original post was directed at “industry analysts” and not IT managers. But you seem pretty touchy so I should probably leave you alone.

They just had to have their big shinny touch screen instead of functional buttons. Tactile feedback is very useful. I would love to see a tablet Macbook with the iphone touchscreen technology, but cellphones are inherently too small for it.

Alf have you used the iPhone interface? Pretty much all of the reviews say that the touch interface is a really great way to interact with the device (to open applications, browse messages and media, etc), and that getting used to the typing isn’t such a big issue. Kottke href=”http://www.kottke.org/07/06/quick-iphone-review” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.kottke.org/07/06/quick-iphone-review, for instance, said that “When I go back to using my Macbook Pro, I want to fling stuff around the screen like on the iPhone. It’s an addictive way to interface with information.” He also said that “After fiddling with it for an hour, I know how to work the iPhone better than the Nokia I had for the past 2 years, even though the Nokia has far less capabilities.” This kind of reaction is pretty typical of the reviews so far.

By: alf

alf — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 07:30:17 +0000

Apple makes some good products, The ipod is a great piece of hardware, but the iphone is just shit. It really does seem like apple sacrificed style for functionality with it. They just had to have their big shinny touch screen instead of functional buttons. Tactile feedback is very useful. I would love to see a tablet Macbook with the iphone touchscreen technology, but cellphones are inherently too small for it. Add this to the fact that the iphone is too expensive, has a slow Internet connection, a week camera and a nonreplaceable battery and you have a shitty phone, and even “visual” voicemail isn’t going to make up for that.

By: nick s

nick s — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 05:27:18 +0000

If Apple won’t sell any notebook for under $1100, they’re not going to sell many in the developing world.

Apple doesn’t really care about any market outside the US. Yes, it offers pretty nice internationalisation. But as far as markets are concerned, it’s working with what it knows.

for the past 3 or 4 years, Microsoft-driven PCs have been largely free of crippling reliability issues, and people are expecting them to ‘just work,’ just like a Mac.

Ah: that’s on account of the rise of the parent-proofed PC setup, and the willingness of children to install Firefox, AdAware etc. and enable auto-updating on their parents’ PCs during holiday visits.