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.

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.

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.

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 or Panic. 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:


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.

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?

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.