I want an iPhone! and AppleTV!

[mousepod]

I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want...

ahem.

apple.com (http://www.apple.com)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Wait, I was just all excited that our TiVo's gonna let us get video off out tv and onto the computer, now I'm supposed to want to do the opposite?! Damnit, won't these marketing folks make up their minds?

[Gn2Dlnd]

I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want...


To reiterate.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/
http://images.apple.com/iphone/images/techhero_wireless20070109.jpg
This thing is sooooooo pretty. My Sprint pocket pc looks like poo poo now.

Sigh.

[Alex]

Too bad they went with Cingular for broadband. Most of the people I know who have that aren't too happy with it.

It's pretty but as with many of the things in this category it doesn't look comfortable for use as an actual phone (that was the worst thing about my Blackberry, having to hold that thing to my head).

[Gn2Dlnd]

I prefer the headset route. Although, it senses when you put it up to your ear and turns off the screen display so you don't accidentally ear-dial.

[Snowflake]

Very pretty!

[blueerica]

They lost points with me for referencing Starbucks. AppleTV now... mmmmMmmmm... I need a licking my chops smiley.

[Gn2Dlnd]

As part of the demo, Steve Jobs google-mapped for Starbucks in S.F., dialed the closest one, and ordered 4,000 lattes.

[Not Afraid]

Me want too!

[€uroMeinke]

It does look fine - so is it a full function PDA (uh Newton) as well?

I'm kind iffy about the touch screen though - I use my PDA's vary rarely and like my buttons and hard navigation tools.

[BarTopDancer]

SHINY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[flippyshark]

As impressive as it is, I'll hold off on getting an iPhone for a generation or two. It is an amazing device, but I would really like to have a widescreen iPod by itself, with more memory than 4 or 8 GB, and one which would not interrupt my movie-watching with phone calls.

On the other hand, I can hardly wait to get an Apple TV and a nice widescreen monitor. (That, too, will be a while)

[Gemini Cricket]

Me likes. Me wants.
:)

[Morrigoon]

Cingular? I'll pass on principle.

Wake me when it's available with Verizon.

[Alex]

Looked at it some more and it is an impressive piece of technology (based on their own marketing anyway) but what do Apple designers have against ergonomics?

Also if that glassy screen is anything like my monitor and portable DVD player (which have similar screens) it will show contact oils like black cat hair shed on a white couch.

The local news is teasing "some already see the downside" about it. I wonder what that is but not enough to watch local news twice in a week.

[Kevy Baby]

What is the ETA on this? That is one thing I did not see (although I haven't had the time to properly search).

And I agree: I wish it was someone besides Cingular.

ETA: it will be available in June.

[BarTopDancer]

I wish it was anyone but Cingular. But since it's going to be priced at $500-$600 it doesn't matter what provider carries it.

[lizziebith]

As impressive as it is, I'll hold off on getting an iPhone for a generation or two. It is an amazing device, but I would really like to have a widescreen iPod by itself, with more memory than 4 or 8 GB, and one which would not interrupt my movie-watching with phone calls.



You (would?) watch movies on that?

[/lone detractor]

To clarify...I'm at the point where I want each piece of technology I "consume" to just do one freaking thing well. I've got too many crappy all-in-ones in my life that really bring life to the old saw: jack of all trades - master of none. I want my camera to take great pics. My MP3 player to play tunes to my every whim. My phone to....call people and not download viruses (um-hm) while checking my email, which is what my computer is for!! (Except the viruses part). Good god I want to watch TV and movies on my big screen at home, which is why I bought the thing, not on some stupid portable wee device.


I am officially done with gadgets and their...gadgetry. If Steve Jobs (or any others of his ilk) can invent a device that will clean my toilet, I'll worship him like the mac-kids do. Until then, he's just trying to get in my pockets and tell me what I "need."

[DisneyFan25863]

Looked at it some more and it is an impressive piece of technology (based on their own marketing anyway) but what do Apple designers have against ergonomics?

Also if that glassy screen is anything like my monitor and portable DVD player (which have similar screens) it will show contact oils like black cat hair shed on a white couch.

The local news is teasing "some already see the downside" about it. I wonder what that is but not enough to watch local news twice in a week.

Apparently there is some sort of special kind of screen used which avoids fingerprints and smears. Hopefully so.

I wish sooo much that it was on Sprint. I'm locked in a contract, so any chance I have at even touching one is pretty slim :(

On a happier note...I'm probably going to be ordering an Apple TV tomorrow :cool:

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Geez, apparently I'm so PC oriented that I can't even get on the Apple website.

Damn Apple snobs.

;)

[flippyshark]

You (would?) watch movies on that?


Occasionally. I watch TV shows on my video iPod, usually in boring bus or breakroom situations. And I carry a couple of movies around on it, mosly because I can. (JAWS, of course, is on there.) But, it's still all about the music.

I know what you mean, though, about the gadgets. The beauty of the iPod, initially, was its simplicity. The iPhone is such a complex gadget, regardless of its "easy to use" interface. It's very busy, hence not quite as cool as its simpler antecedents.

[Kevy Baby]

Geez, apparently I'm so PC oriented that I can't even get on the Apple website.

Damn Apple snobs.

;)You were placed on the National Registry of Registered Mac Detractors (NRRMD). Your name, picture, address and IP address are all stored on a database accessable to any and all Mac users and you have been banned from all Mac related web sites and information. We have to be careful to make sure that sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands.

[MickeyD]

[/lone detractor]

To clarify...I'm at the point where I want each piece of technology I "consume" to just do one freaking thing well. I've got too many crappy all-in-ones in my life that really bring life to the old saw: jack of all trades - master of none. I want my camera to take great pics. My MP3 player to play tunes to my every whim. My phone to....call people and not download viruses (um-hm) while checking my email, which is what my computer is for!! (Except the viruses part). Good god I want to watch TV and movies on my big screen at home, which is why I bought the thing, not on some stupid portable wee device.



I'm with you on this.

I want different things from my phone, my iPod, and my PDA....which is why I have a seperate phone, iPod & PDA.

[mousepod]

Heather and I went to MacWorld yesterday. We were pretty disappointed with the vendors who showed up. Sure, the big guys (Adobe, Micro$oft, Belkin etc) were there, but this year there were very few of the cool app builders like Rogue Amoeba (http://www.rogueamoeba.com/) or Panic (http://panic.com/). There was also a dearth of fly-by-night companies offering their latest odd gadgets. Mostly, the small companies that were there were showing off iPod skins and carrying cases. Yawn.

The lack of oddball vendors plus the fact that Apple wasn't offering anything tangible (as in - you can buy it today), made it less fun than in previous years.

I understand that Apple did actually introduce the new version of the Airport Extreme router, which handles n (in addition to b and g), but since this is the year of the AppleTV and iPhone, I didn't even see an Airport on display.

Here's what the crowd looked like at the Apple area:
http://mousepod.com/lot/iphone.jpg

Note the iPhone in a glass case on a rotating pedestal in the lower right. It certainly inspired geek lust.

Here's a short video I took of the iPhone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5-skMIY2bA).

[innerSpaceman]

I just don't get it about the iPhone. Are people just so allergic to having a Batman Utility Belt full of different portables that they will accept the worst cell phone provider, a pathetic camera, and a substandard iPod?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I wouldn't call it a substandard iPod. It comes in 4 gig and 8 gig, equal to the Nano. Cingular sucks around here but may be better elsewhere (Cupertino?). I love the big display and lack of a million buttons. That really sells me on it. I have no idea how it compares with other phone cams.

[Alex]

(Cupertino?)


No. At least not according to anybody I know.

I wouldn't be surprised if the reason for Cingular is that they were the most compliant provider in being willing to change their software to implement what apple wanted. The ability to list and retrieve voicemail in any order is a fair amount of development work by itself.

It's funny, and I'm sure it was in the works long before the iPhone announcement, but it sure looks like AT&T said to themselves "hey! Apple should be saying our name every time the iPhone is mentioned."

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I must add that in the end I care much more about reception than I do about fancy phones. All my phones have been freebies. I will continue to drool from afar.

[innerSpaceman]

In a pinch, I care much more about customer service than I do about anything else do with cellphone service (though the crappy reception I always had with Cingular runs a close second to why it'll be a cold day in Raisin Hell when I use them again).

Puh, even if the iPhone compares favorably with other cell phone cameras, what I care most about in a camera is the ability to take decent photos. I don't feel like sacrificing the quality of a camera's actual purpose just so it will fit inside my telephone.

The other thing I care about, alas, is my limited amount of discretionary spending. So not only could I not afford such a device, I don't want to pay for all the fancy internet access. And I just don't understand the jones for being constantly connected.



I'm glad the iPhone does not appeal to me. There are plenty of expensive gadgets that do.

[Kevy Baby]

I have a Pocket PC with internet access (TMobile MDA - €uromeinke has the same one).

Service is my #1 priority for a mobile phone. The service with TMobile, while not perfect, works well for my needs - the best so far. I know because I tested the coverage before I committed. I switched away from Verizon, who was not giving me what I needed.

I do not have a need to be connected 24/7. However, I DO appreciate having the ability to access the net for a quick reference, look up something, etc. In fact, I use it quite a bit for driving directions: I look up the directions on Yahoo Maps before I leave home or work, and then zap them to my phone. While not as fancy as having a GPS, it is easier than waiting for the printout (and I will have it in my phone for future use).

As mentioned in CP's post, the iPod capabilities are excellent. While it may not have the capacity of the 60 GB iPod, it more than suits my needs.

Having a camera capability in my phone is for convenience, not as a replacement for my regular camera. I always have my phone with me; I don't always have my camera with me.

And having the address book and calendar features at my fingertips, which easily sync up with my computer, is also paramount.

I work on a Mac at home and I spend all day on a PC at work. While there are some things I can do more easily on a PC, I will say that my Mac is much easier to work with, is much more reliable and less buggy. My Pocket PC is wonderful, but there is a lot of functionality that is a PITA. I feel confident that the functionality of the iPhone would surpass that if the Pocket PC.

Unfortunately, Apple chose to partner with Cingular. For that reason alone, I will not be looking into an iPhone until such time as Cingular improves their coverage.

[€uroMeinke]

...And it looks like Cingular is now fully absorbed by AT&T (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6840345&ft=1&f=1001) - what a missed opportunity for branding ;)

[innerSpaceman]

To each their own, of course. But I'm very glad I'm not so busy as to need a calendar of my appointments at my fingertips (though I could hardly imagine being more busy than I am). What good a portably address list or other data might be to me I cannot even imagine.

And, of course, I haven't even owned a camera in the digital age ... preferring to live without my own authored photography in favor of the ease of lifestyle habit that comes with internet access to other people's photos of events I've been at.

The iPhone's internet access would indeed come in handy now and then, but the cost of that convenience outweights its usefulness to me. As it is, I hate modern life's new bills that didn't exist before, namely a second telephone, television service, water, and of course - the internet access that didn't exist at all.

Water and television used to be free, and one phone suited an entire family. Ah, the good old days!



I'm doubly glad the iPhone doesn't appeal to me, because it would suck to want it and yet be barred by virtue of AT&T/Cingular's lock on the service.

[Babette]

Water and television used to be free, and one phone suited an entire family. Ah, the good old days! Ahhhh, We love having a crotchety old man around! ;) I do agree that technology has gone from necessary to excessive.

I am all for simple. Gimme a phone that does not switch to "emergency calls only" mode when I am anywhere in the city of Irvine, and I am happy. Heck, I'd still have a landline if I didn't worry about emergencies like car break downs (I have a cell only because it's too expensive to have both). Back in high school, way before cell phones, we used to meet with friends at DL without any problems. Meet at ___________ location, at _________ time. If we are not there the next meeting time is __________. It always worked out.

Technology is cool, and makes our lives easier most of the time. But, when it is buggy, geez-oh-man! We forget how to manage.

Without Mother Necessity, where would we be...

[innerSpaceman]

You'll still ocassionally find me cringing at the strains of "I'm Wishing" when we pass by the Castle. The Wishing Well used to be our meeting place, pre-cellphones ... and I've heard that song at close range approximately 4,682 times.

I wish I could drop my land line and use only my cell - - but I need the land line for my DSL. Technology has me in its thrall, and I'm determined not to get in too much deeper.

[Alex]

I've found cable broadband to be much better than my DSL and getting rid of the landline while switching pretty much paid for the price difference.

Also, I forget how but it is possible to get DSL without phone service I believe.

[Kevy Baby]

I'm not quite ready to get rid of my land line. In times of crisis, I trust my land line more than I trust my cell phone. We make sure that wherever we live that we always have a hard-wired (e.g. not cordless) phone. If there is a power outage, we are covered.

I know that my land line is not infallible; I just have more faith in it than the cell providers.

[NirvanaMan]

Agree with Alex. DSL blows. Drop the landline. I haven't had one in 6 years.

Hmmm lots of negative stuff on here about cingular/att. That was my leading new cell phone provider choice but maybe I should reconsider. Not sure who to go with then. I have t-mobile now and the coverage is terrible. Constantly dropping calls. I have had PCS in the past and that certainly has its limitations. Verizon might be ok, but I don't like any of their smart phones.

Oh back the the iPhone bit, I think it looks smart and has a few killer new features, like that selectable voicemail. However, I think the lack of a real keyboard will make it difficult to use it for frequent text and email use. The touchscreen lacks the tactile feedback of real keys and will make fat fingering highly likely and will make it difficult to type without looking at the screen. Also, why in gods name is it not 3G enabled? That seems like the most blatent mistake. I can't imagine what they were thinking on that one.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'm not quite ready to get rid of my land line. In times of crisis, I trust my land line more than I trust my cell phone. We make sure that wherever we live that we always have a hard-wired (e.g. not cordless) phone. If there is a power outage, we are covered.Same here, I like having something that's not power-dependent. I was somewhat distressed to learn that the digital phone line we had through Cox at our last place went out with the power. Not enough to do something about it, but when we moved to the new place, we explicitly did not opt for digital phone for that very reason, even if it mean we're paying a few $ more a month.

[BarTopDancer]

...And it looks like Cingular is now fully absorbed by AT&T (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6840345&ft=1&f=1001) - what a missed opportunity for branding ;)

Too bad AT&Ts reception and customer service was absorbed by Cingular.

Cingular is awful in CA. But in the mid-west and east coast it's great. My company has contracts with Verizon and Cingular for that reason.

NM - maybe it's your T-Mobile phone? I've had T-Mobile since August (with recommendation from NA) with no dropped calls and great reception all over OC. Whatever you do, stay away from Cingular/AT&T. Go with Verizon if you are going to leave T-Mobile.

I think one of the reasons that VW is so good in OC is because their corporate office is off Sand Canyon.

[innerSpaceman]

Well, I'm completely satisfied with my DSL, so it's just a bonus that I can keep my land line for the occassional old fashioned call, and the non-power-dependent reliability.

Heheh, I don't even know what 3G is, so I'm not bothered by it being missing from the iPhone. But if I were to need an internet portable, a keyboard would be a must. And I never want to go without touch buttons at any rate.

Considering how often real-life conditions prevent various screens from being visible, I hesitate to use any device that relies on it exclusively.

[Alex]

I was concerned about it for a little while and then realized I am ok with not being able to call 911 at every possible moment. There are times when I've let the phone die or forget it at work and there is no easy way for people to contact us at home and it feels wonderfully quiet and I have a high tolerance for calamity risk I find.

But I only use my phone about 30 minutes per month so it was really a waste to pay for a landline.

You can also buy emergency cell phone batteries that can be stores with other disaster supplies

[€uroMeinke]

Hmmm considering T-Mobile and Cingular are both GSM and share cell towers I would expect their coverage to be nearly the same - at least here in So Cal.

[Alex]

I've had absolutely no trouble with Sprint. But the only thing I do with my phone is make phone calls so my demands are minimal.

[Kevy Baby]

Hmm... I hadn't considered the keyboard factor. That is one of the things I like about the MDA.

As far as TMobile is concerned (in regards to coverage), I have less problems with it than Verizon. Verizon wasn't bad, I just get better coverage with TMobile. YMMV

I was concerned about the coverage issue when I switched to TMobile. Their standard policy is that if you return the phone and cancel your service within 30 days, you will only be charged the pro-rata for the month's service. I think that others have the same policy and it might be worth checking out.

[€uroMeinke]

You can also buy emergency cell phone batteries that can be stores with other disaster supplies

The problem with cell phones in power outages isn't the phone batteries, it's the fact that the cell towers are connected to the grid and they out with the power.

[Kevy Baby]

The problem with cell phones in power outages isn't the phone batteries, it's the fact that the cell towers are connected to the grid and they out with the power.Ya beat me to it.

Additionally, the land-line systems have generator backups as well.

Again, not infallible; just more reliable.

[NirvanaMan]

The problem with cell phones in power outages isn't the phone batteries, it's the fact that the cell towers are connected to the grid and they out with the power.

Well if there is such an immediate crisis that would force me to make emergency calls while the power also happens to be down...then it is likely that the land lines would be overloaded for calls as well.

I guess I'm willing to take my chances for what I see as such a small improbability...besides...I've got a Range Rover in case of emergency that should get me most anywhere I need to go. And I'll bring the swords and guns just in case.

WOLVERINES!!!!

[NirvanaMan]

Kevy I believe you are correct. I may just do that. Try out Cingular and Verizon and see which I like better....or at least dislike less. I do like the Cingular 8525 phone best of all I have looked at.

HBTF- I thought it was that, but I am now on phone #3 with T-Mobile, so I am pretty certain it is not a phone issue, but rather a network problem.

Oh and 3G is the broadband speed internet access cell phone standard for GSM. Edge is the older outdated slower standard. Every new smart phone that has been developed in recent times and for the future is to have 3G capability, so it is terribly strange that the iPhone isn't going to embrace it.

[Kevy Baby]

One other thing to think about NM is the phone itself. I am not sure if you mean "three different models" or "three of the same phone". I know that Susan's Razr gets better reception than my MDA (both on TMobile).

[BarTopDancer]

Hmmm considering T-Mobile and Cingular are both GSM and share cell towers I would expect their coverage to be nearly the same - at least here in So Cal.

I would think that too - but I've had much better coverage with T-Mobile than Cingular. Barely had Cingular coverage at my old place but I had great T-Mobile coverage. T-Mobile has some of their own towers and uses some of Cingular's as well. Last time I went to Vegas my friend and I were comparing bars. She's on Cingular. My phone consistently had better service (she has a basic Nokia).

HBTF- I thought it was that, but I am now on phone #3 with T-Mobile, so I am pretty certain it is not a phone issue, but rather a network problem.

Could be. I have a Motorola V360 which has better reception than the Pebl (and better battery life). I do know that the Q from VW sucks.

[NirvanaMan]

Yeah, 3 different models.

[Alex]

Ya beat me to it.

Additionally, the land-line systems have generator backups as well.

Again, not infallible; just more reliable.

My perception (and it is just that, I have no quantitative evidence) is that localized phone outages are more common than regional power outages.

I've been through a few reasonably large scale blackouts since moving to the Bay Area (including one that took out about 50% of San Francisco for most of a day) and never lost the ability to reach a cell tower with my phone. Before giving up our landline over the years we had several brief outages of phone service in our neighborhood. Many cell sites also have their own backup power supplies (not eternal but then neither are the backup power supplies that the phone compnay would be using as well).

[Kevy Baby]

Interesting as my experience is quite different. I have NEVER experienced a loss of land line capability. Ever. (Well, not counting the ones from not paying the bill, but that is a different story.)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Another reason I would prefer not to do the digital phone again is that if I've got cable, then a cable outage means no tv, phone or internet. Suck-tastic.

[Alex]

Interesting as my experience is quite different. I have NEVER experienced a loss of land line capability. Ever. (Well, not counting the ones from not paying the bill, but that is a different story.)

Out of curiosity, have you ever experienced a loss of cell service because a power outage knocked out all of the towers within range?

I also imagine a lot has to do with how much of the local telephone wiring is above ground and how much below ground.

(And I used my landline so rarely that it could have been AWOL for weeks and I wouldn't have known but when my DSL would go away I would check for a dialtone.)

[Kevy Baby]

No. But I've had a land line a lot longer than I've had a cell. And no earthquakes that I've been in the region of (I was 60+ miles away from the 94 Northridge quake and I believe I was in my last days of an installed-in-the-car cell). I mention earthquakes because that is the only thing I can remember causing power outages.

I haven't been subject to many power outages in general. Just lucky I guess.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

No. But I've had a land line a lot longer than I've had a cell. And no earthquakes that I've been in the region of (I was 60+ miles away from the 94 Northridge quake and I believe I was in my last days of an installed-in-the-car cell). I mention earthquakes because that is the only thing I can remember causing power outages.As soon as you guys started talking about emergencies I thought about the Northridge quake. I was 4.5 miles from the epicenter. (I just looked it up!) Quake happened at 4:31am, phone was restored about 10am, but didn't get power back until 6pm. That alone makes me want to keep my exit out of the Matrix.