Let's talk about the iPhone.

Alex · 07-01-2007, 09:49 AM

I wouldn't buy one for one simple reason:

It doesn't use the fast digital network for Web use and that'll likely be fixed within the next year as AT&T get's the new network distributed to useful coverages.

However, the new network will require new hardware so it won't be possible to upgrade the existing iPhones. It will be necessary top purchase a new one. For the money involved I wouldn't go near a version 1.0 product with such an obvious short-term hardware upgrade coming.

I also wouldn't buy one because all of the other features don't appeal to me. All I want in a phone is: the ability to make phone calls; the ability to get around the internet reasonably well for specific information missions.

I don't want a photo album.
I don't want a fancy iPod interface (I never use anything other than "shuffle" on my iPod).
I don't particularly want the orientation of the screen to change based on how my hand moves while looking at it.
I definitely don't want it to takes six steps to start a call (as the David Pogue NYT review says it can).

And I don't want to be tied to a single carrier. I had few complaints about AT&T when we had them years ago and they may be great now. But single carrier will keep the prices high and leave you at the whims of a pretty volatile industry.

Finally, I hate the ergonomics of brick cellphones. There is something amusing (to me) about how we spent 130 years ergonomically perfecting the telephone only to come up with such uncomfortable to use cellphone. All cellphones are great when you're using a headset but I make so few calls that a headset is more trouble that it is worth. So I want something that is comfortable in the hand and against my head. That feels like I can both listen to it and talk into it at the same time. I haven't yet seen an iPhone in person so that could be a non-issue but looking at pictures of it I doubt it.

DisneyFan25863 · 07-01-2007, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

I wouldn't buy one for one simple reason:

It doesn't use the fast digital network for Web use and that'll likely be fixed within the next year as AT&T get's the new network distributed to useful coverages.

However, the new network will require new hardware so it won't be possible to upgrade the existing iPhones. It will be necessary top purchase a new one. For the money involved I wouldn't go near a version 1.0 product with such an obvious short-term hardware upgrade coming.

To be honest with you, I think the speed of the current EDGE network is fine. It's faster than dial up, and I don't need to have a super fast broadband connection wherever I go. I can check my email, read the news, and even browse facebook from my phone with speeds that are just fine.

Give the iPhone 2 years and I think it will be one of the most amazing phones out there, but it's just not quite there (feature wise) yet.

07-01-2007, 09:49 AM	#1
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I wouldn't buy one for one simple reason: It doesn't use the fast digital network for Web use and that'll likely be fixed within the next year as AT&T get's the new network distributed to useful coverages. However, the new network will require new hardware so it won't be possible to upgrade the existing iPhones. It will be necessary top purchase a new one. For the money involved I wouldn't go near a version 1.0 product with such an obvious short-term hardware upgrade coming. I also wouldn't buy one because all of the other features don't appeal to me. All I want in a phone is: the ability to make phone calls; the ability to get around the internet reasonably well for specific information missions. I don't want a photo album. I don't want a fancy iPod interface (I never use anything other than "shuffle" on my iPod). I don't particularly want the orientation of the screen to change based on how my hand moves while looking at it. I definitely don't want it to takes six steps to start a call (as the David Pogue NYT review says it can). And I don't want to be tied to a single carrier. I had few complaints about AT&T when we had them years ago and they may be great now. But single carrier will keep the prices high and leave you at the whims of a pretty volatile industry. Finally, I hate the ergonomics of brick cellphones. There is something amusing (to me) about how we spent 130 years ergonomically perfecting the telephone only to come up with such uncomfortable to use cellphone. All cellphones are great when you're using a headset but I make so few calls that a headset is more trouble that it is worth. So I want something that is comfortable in the hand and against my head. That feels like I can both listen to it and talk into it at the same time. I haven't yet seen an iPhone in person so that could be a non-issue but looking at pictures of it I doubt it.
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