iPhone Cometh..dumm dummm dummmmm

[HHBizzle]

So after all i have been reading I am think it is best to wait before purchasing an iPhone. Here is an article with some quick points. I highlighted the things that suck and are why I refuse to buy one.
http://media.npr.org/news/images/2007/jun/27/iphone/music200.jpg



State of the Art
Often-Asked iPhone Questions


By DAVID POGUE
Published: June 28, 2007

With its new iPhone, Apple pulled off two masterful feats: creating the machine and creating the buzz around it.


Does the touch screen work if you’re wearing gloves? Will a stylus or pen tip work? No. Skin contact is required to operate the buttons. Fortunately, most tappable elements on the screen are big and broad, designed for fingertip access.

Does the iPhone have a speakerphone? Vibrate mode? Airplane mode? Yes, yes and yes. The speakerphone and the vibrations are both weak, though.

Can I dial without looking? Can I dial one-handed? You can’t do much on the iPhone without looking. Then again, few people can operate a cellphone without looking. Dialing the iPhone one-handed, though, is easy. As your fingers grasp the iPhone, your thumb is free to tap buttons, scroll lists and so on.

Can I use a SIM card from another phone? The iPhone comes with an installed SIM card, the tiny circuit board that stores your account information and phone number. Apple says that you should be able to replace it with any recent AT&T card, once you activate it in iTunes. No other company’s SIM card works in the iPhone.

Will the iPhone work overseas? If you mean to use your AT&T account, yes; call AT&T to turn on international roaming, and then prepare to pay big roaming charges. If you mean to insert some other country’s SIM card, no.

How about voice memos, voice dialing or call recording? No.

Do I need an AT&T account? Yes. The iPhone won’t work at all without a two-year AT&T voice-plus-Internet plan (and no, you can’t use it as just an iPod, no matter how tempting the bigger screen and longer battery life is).

iPod

What iPod features does the iPhone have? Password protection, Shuffle and Repeat modes, ratings, audiobooks, audiobook speed control, podcasts, SoundCheck, equalization, volume limiter, on-the-go playlists.

What iPod features does it lack? Games, lyrics, video output to a TV and disk mode (when the iPod acts as a hard drive for transporting computer files).

There’s no memory-card slot, no chat program, no voice dialing. You can’t install new programs from anyone but Apple; other companies can create only iPhone-tailored mini-programs on the Web. The browser can’t handle Java or Flash, which deprives you of millions of Web videos.

Does the iPhone work with iPod accessories? Some of them. The iPod radio receiver works, for example, but FM transmitters may not work. Existing speaker systems trigger the iPhone’s airplane mode (wireless and phone features turned off) to avoid interference with the music. Starting soon, iPhone-compatible iPod products will bear a “works with iPhone” logo.

Can you use your iTunes songs as ring tones? Can you download new ones? No. At the moment, the iPhone’s 25 ring tones are your only choices. (They’re really good.)

Can you use your own headphones? Fortunately, the iPhone has a standard miniplug headphone jack; unfortunately, its plastic molding prevents most headphone plugs from seating properly. Inexpensive adapters are available from Belkin and others.

Wireless

Does the iPhone work with Bluetooth computers, printers, stereo headsets or keyboards? No. At the moment, it communicates only with hands-free devices like Bluetooth headsets (including Apple’s very tiny one, coming in July) and a car’s dashboard system.

Does the iPhone alert you when it detects a wireless Internet hot spot? Yes. In fact, if it’s a hot spot you’ve used before, the iPhone hops onto it seamlessly and quietly.

Can the iPhone serve as a wireless modem for my laptop? No.

Can the iPhone receive songs, files, calendar appointments, contacts or software updates wirelessly? No, only from your computer through the U.S.B. charging cradle. But this is kind of neat: Unlike the iPod, there’s no “do not disconnect” message during syncing. You can yank the iPhone out of the cradle whenever you like — to answer a call, for example; syncing resumes when you’re done. You can also operate the iPhone while it is charging.

Internet

Can you make phone calls while you’re on the Internet? Yes — if your iPhone has a Wi-Fi connection. When it’s using AT&T’s Internet network, no.

Why didn’t Apple use AT&T’s faster 3G Internet network? Apple says that today’s relatively unpolished 3G (third generation) radio chips would drain the battery too fast — and at this point, wouldn’t provide enough of a speed boost to justify that trade-off. Apple will release a 3G iPhone model when the time seems right.

How snappy is the real iPhone, compared with Apple’s ads? It’s identical, with one exception: Apple never shows the iPhone when it’s on AT&T’s cellular network. That would just be embarrassing.

What kind of e-mail can it get? The iPhone comes with presets for Gmail, AOL and Yahoo Mail. You can also set up standard POP3 and IMAP accounts.

Is there instant messaging, like AIM or MSN Messenger? No. Text-message exchanges appear as sequential, colorful text balloons, just as in Apple’s iChat program. But they’re still cellphone text messages, not chat.

Does the iPhone synchronize bookmarks with your computer? Yes: with Safari on the Mac, or Internet Explorer on Windows.

What does the Web browser have? Multiple open pages (like tabs), fonts, layouts, pop-up menus, checkboxes, clickable links and dialable phone numbers (tap with your finger).

What does it lack? Java, Flash, stored passwords, RSS, streaming audio or video (except for some QuickTime videos).

What about V.P.N. (virtual private networking)? The iPhone works with several common V.P.N. systems (that is, secure connections to corporate networks). A Settings screen lets you fill in the configuration details.

Software

Does the iPhone synchronize with my computer’s calendar and address book? Yes. It can sync with Address Book or Microsoft Entourage on the Macintosh, Outlook, Outlook Express on Windows, or Yahoo’s address book on the Web. If you add appointments or phone numbers to the iPhone, they are added to your computer the next time you sync.

Do To Do items show up on the iPhone? Do memos in the iPhone’s Notes program show up on the computer? No.

Does the keyboard rotate when you rotate the iPhone? Only in the Web browser. That’s a shame, because the rotated keyboard, stretching the full length of the screen, is much bigger and easier to use than the narrow version.

Can you type with two thumbs? I’ve seen Apple employees flail away with two thumbs as though on a BlackBerry, but it takes loads of practice. After two weeks, I’m still tapping with one index finger.

Without cursor keys, how do I edit something I’ve written? If you hold your fingertip against the glass, a magnifying loupe appears around it. You can now slide you finger through what you’ve written, moving the insertion point as you go.

Can the iPhone replace a BlackBerry? It’s not really even in the same category. For example, only Yahoo Mail accounts offer “push” e-mail like a BlackBerry, in which new messages appear in real time. For other accounts, the iPhone checks either periodically (every 15, 30 or 60 minutes) or when you tap the Check button. Similarly, you can view e-mailed Word, Excel and PDF attachments on the iPhone, but you can’t create or edit them. The iPhone doesn’t work with corporate Exchange e-mail systems, either, unless the administrator turns on IMAP (the administrator presumably knows what that is).

Hardware

Is there an ambient light sensor? Yes. A light sensor lies camouflaged behind the black glass. Each time you wake the phone, it adjusts the brightness — to make it brighter in sunlight, for example. You can also adjust the brightness manually.

Does the camera have a flash? Zoom? Self-portrait mirror? None of the above. The chrome Apple logo on the back is not a self-portrait mirror.

Are there any secret features? When the screen is off, the glossy black glass becomes a handy makeup mirror.

[Sammie]

i agree. i wont be getting this first generation phone.

sounds like it needs a lot of tweaking

[Hae-Yu]

The fact that it's on AT&T is a deal killer for many people - most any comparison shows AT&T at the bottom of the reliability charts in most markets. If a phone can't work as a phone, well that's a deal breaker.

The 1 thing I truly like about the iPhone is the voice mail. It shows a list of messages like an email inbox instead of dialing in to listen to 45+ seconds of garbage before getting to the voice mail.
Here's Verizon's bullshit:
Please enter your password.
You have 2 unheard messages.
The following 2 messages have not been heard.
1st unheard message.
Message 1 sent [time][date].

Then they stick it all in a recycle bin where you have to either wait 2 weeks OR delete it by hand using a million key presses.

Lines 3 and 4 are totally unnecessary. What is the difference between line 2 & 3? If Verizon didn't have great connectivity, I would drop them for all the bullshit they pull on customers. Crippled phones (no cards for you! No Bluetooth connectivity for you!), everything has to go through their network (no good downloads for you!!), capped uploads prevent full res pictures, and the constantly shitty way they do business to eek out every penny they can. They wonder why all the extra features haven't exploded like in Europe and Asia; it's because of the fucked up way these companies do business.

[HHBizzle]

Actually, all at&t voice mail is like that now

of course people cant see the pretty thing like who the voicemail is from on the iphone, but just 2 weeks ago i noticed it changed on my voicemail thing and that you could actually pull up OLD deleted voicemails.



At&t will only have rights to the iphone for 2 years
by then they better have a faster network for it
and other such things fixed like more than 8GB of memory
i want atleast 20-40 for all my music, cuz i dont want an iphone and an ipod, i wana just have one fucking thing for all of the shit, motherfuckers



memory card availability

sending picture mail
(if you didnt know you CANNOT send picture messages)
which if you know me, i tend to send them a lot for some reason.

anywho, they will make a killing from people getting this first version and then the subsequent 8 new models that will prolly come out in the next 2 years.

[Sammie]

I agree, AT&T is a deal breaker. I'm happy with my service provider and I wouldnt consider switching just to purchase a phone. I think Apple made a terrible move with this 2 yr deal with AT&T

[MiddleFinger]

Seems like all voice mail is overly drawn out to get to listen to your messages. Fortunately for me, I've become anti-social to an extent and never get phone calls. Unless it's from work. Either way, my work phone is Verizon. I'm happy with it. Of course, it could be a friggin trackphone for all I care. $free.99 is $free.99. :wink:

[Nimmy]

I purchased a Nokia 6133 for 30 dollars.... done.

[HHBizzle]

so far I have seen 1 public iPhone siting.

i wonder how the first day's sales of it went?

[Johnnie Walker]

The fact that it's on AT&T is a deal killer for many people - most any comparison shows AT&T at the bottom of the reliability charts in most markets. If a phone can't work as a phone, well that's a deal breaker.

The 1 thing I truly like about the iPhone is the voice mail. It shows a list of messages like an email inbox instead of dialing in to listen to 45+ seconds of garbage before getting to the voice mail.
Here's Verizon's bullshit:
Please enter your password.
You have 2 unheard messages.
The following 2 messages have not been heard.
1st unheard message.
Message 1 sent [time][date].

Then they stick it all in a recycle bin where you have to either wait 2 weeks OR delete it by hand using a million key presses.

Lines 3 and 4 are totally unnecessary. What is the difference between line 2 & 3? If Verizon didn't have great connectivity, I would drop them for all the bullshit they pull on customers. Crippled phones (no cards for you! No Bluetooth connectivity for you!), everything has to go through their network (no good downloads for you!!), capped uploads prevent full res pictures, and the constantly shitty way they do business to eek out every penny they can. They wonder why all the extra features haven't exploded like in Europe and Asia; it's because of the fucked up way these companies do business.

Agreed, Fuck verizon with a capital F for that bullshit.....yet having such reliable service..god damn the fact that I can't fully hate them.

[HHBizzle]

Already some issues, and and interesting shitty point about AT&T and making people upgrade their plan to a more expensive one, kinda pisses me off.


By JOHN MARKOFF
Published: July 2, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 — Apple’s long awaited iPhone began selling briskly on Friday evening, but press officers at both Apple and AT&T acknowledged that some customers have had problems activating their phones to connect to the AT&T cellular network.


Both companies acknowledged that they heard customers’ complaints about the new activation process. Rather than activate the phones in the store, buyers are required to activate them via an Internet-connected personal computer.

Those who reported problems in online discussion groups included AT&T business customers who found that they were unable to transfer their new phones quickly to a business account. Others were customers who switched from a rival service who said that the transfer process had disconnected their existing cellular service but had not turned on their iPhones.

Glenn S. Tenney, a computer industry consultant in San Mateo, Calif., said that he had spent more than three hours on the phone on Saturday, mostly on hold, only to be told that AT&T requires that he switch his account to a more expensive plan designed for the iPhone.
He said his phone had still not been activated and that he was planning to insist that AT&T honor his existing account. “If they wanted to have exceptions to what they advertised, they should have said so,” he said. “It seems like false and misleading advertising, or bait and switch — I’m not sure which.”On Friday evening, a number of customers found that they needed to wait overnight before their phones were activated, and several said they were still waiting despite long phone calls with AT&T representatives.

The AT&T spokesman said the complaints were minimal. “What we are seeing is that the overwhelming majority are activating in minutes with no difficulty at all,” Mr. Siegel said.

[JimbobSS]

man, you guys make me laugh.....first off the price of an iPhone in my area from what I hear is 500 - 600 bucks.....ok that already makes me say FUCK YOU. Second, if you use a cell phone for all those other reasons other than it just being a phone....you've already done too much. I can't really grasp what you could possibly need all that garbage on your phone for since I think last month I used a total of 85 minutes, and recieved only like 5 voice mails(not at the same time obviously). Games on my phone? who has time to play games on their phones? when I'm at work I work all day non stop so I don't have a need for that. The camera thing is cool, and the photo album deal that shits tight(I have the camera, but sometimes it can be a pain to get to where the pics are stored). Sounds to me like you guys would be lost without your phones, where at my end of the spectrum I use it so little the only reason I keep it around is for emergencies and just the random calls I get from people once in a while just to bullshit for a few minutes. Hah, some of the people I work with are almost on their phones constantly and I just laugh at them. What could be so important that it can't wait till after work?

[Sammie]

What could be so important that it can't wait till after work?

when your hook up man calls ?

[JimbobSS]

well that sort of call doesn't take 20 minutes!

[HHBizzle]

its not living up to the hype
muhuhauhaa

[Hae-Yu]

Those business customers are just plain ignorant. Off the top of my head, Computerworld, Infoworld, and InformationWeek all had articles on iPhone's unsuitability in business environments.

Jimbo, I agree with the spirit of your post, but the reality is different. I use my cell phone to talk to my relatives & friends nationwide which is maybe 5-10 calls a month. My phone bill is $35 and never changes. 90% of my calls are 20 second quickie "hey pick this up" or "hey I'm on the way." Or at least I'd like them to be that way but a lot of people chat way too much.

I think the "constant communication" part is way overdone and I really don't like anyone calling frequently. Control freaks really abuse cell phones. "Give me a status update!!"
What could be so important that it can't wait till after work?
You'd probably have to ask the spouse that question;) Intergender cell phone calls should be illegal. In any case, their wives/ gfs would tie up the office phone if they didn't have a cell phone. A call on break or lunch is fine, but I think it's unprofessional and unacceptable during work.

For the extra features, I don't think those are overdone and I'd use them reguarly if Verizon didn't nickle and dime me for them.

-I use the camera for work reminders - it's easier to take a pic than describe it. When shopping for office chairs, I took pics of the models for coworkers to choose from. If I can't borrow a book from a workcenter, I take a pic of the page sometimes. If I'm shopping and like an idea, I'll take a picture of it. Car wreck? Got pictures. I don't really use it to take pics of me standing on a mountaintop or that stuff. The quality is too low and Verizon caps file sizes.
-Voice memos are great for reminders and I started using that a little more often instead of a million stickies. It's easier when driving than writing, esp with a shortcut button.
-Texting would be used more often if they didn't charge. They are fine for sending quick reminders when a person is unavailable. They can check text messages whenever they get around to it.
-It would be nice to have my phone work with my PC to copy files, pics, memos, etc instead of the stupid GetItNow BS. But Verizon cripples Bluetooth.
-Music would be nice just so I don't have to carry 1 more gadget, if the quality & batteries were good.
-Video - screens are too small for TV shows, but video-to-video comm would be neat. I think video phones would be nice for communicating though. I was working on a subwoofer and asking dad for troubleshooting advice. If I could have shown him while talking, it would have been so much easier. File sizes and data charges limit existing video use.
-Email - not so much. I don't like being leashed to work, and if it was time sensitive they wouldn't have used email. Attachments sometimes useful.
-Games on my phone? who has time to play games on their phones? when I'm at work I work all day non stop so I don't have a need for that.
Why does it have to be at work? Why not the airport or an airplane?