The Public Opinion Soapbox

Torgo · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:50 pm Post subject: iPhone

So... anyone have one?

Opinions?
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cookieclaygirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1963 Location: shippensburg

wish i did. they look cool...

thought about upgrading my ipod to the itouch, but i needed way more memory than what it offered.

*drool* techie gadgets....i luv them Very Happy

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2859 Location: Chambersburg

I wanted one. I love gadgets. I'm glad we don't have the money to spend right away on most stuff tho' because most of the time I seem to recover my senses.
The iphone is one of those things for me...reading about how easily the screens crack, how fragile they are and how insurance isn't covering repairs which cost almost as much as the phone...Oh, I would've snapped...

On the other hand, Apple seems more customer friendly than Microsoft. (I always get this shafted feeling when I buy one of their products---I need them to operate this or that, but it's like there is maniacal laughter in the distance) Apple seems more along the lines of "We're completely awesome in everything we do, we are better than you, but we still appreciate you buying our stuff---Yay for you!"

Of course, this is just my uninformed, medication-loaded paranoid opinion.
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Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2413 Location: Chambersburg

Apple is pretty smug and overpriced in my opinion, but certainly the best alternative for people who are afraid of computers.

As for the iPhone; worst investment ever.

I mean, I can go on and on about how stupid it is to be an early adopter of electronics. Believe me, I want to be. But I don't have any sympathy for those people who got the iPhone immediately only to see the price cut by $200 a few weeks later.

First generation electronics are just a bad idea, unless you have the disposable income to consider the purchase of new electronics as a subscription rather than an investment. The sooner you buy new technology, the sooner you have to replace it.

The iPhone may be pretty, but it's also buggy, and doesn't support 3G broadband wireless. in other words, using it to surf the Internet is practically useless. And since there is no 3G or wireless broadband coverage around here, it wouldn't make much sense anyway.

As for me. I'm holding out for the GooglePhone.

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2859 Location: Chambersburg

Have you used Google's 411, yet?

I kick myself for not buying their stock---I was just So sure it was inflated by hype and would fall within a week. Evil or Very Mad

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Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2413 Location: Chambersburg

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2413 Location: Chambersburg

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2859 Location: Chambersburg

cookieclaygirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1963 Location: shippensburg

i'm a mac girl..however, i don't like the air laptop.

am sticking w/my mac book pro. happy with it. fast, great graphics. happy. fast. fast makes me very happy.

Torgo · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:42 pm Post subject:

Well, I pulled the trigger. I waited until after Macworld, because price cuts, memory expansions and 3G hardware compatibility were all rumored. But when none of that materialized, I figured what the hell?

It synched flawlessly with iTunes on my PC, which is also how you activate the phone and choose your plan. It took 10 minutes. But then it also proceeded to immediately download and install a new version of the entire OS. That was a nervous moment, and it took some time, but it went off without a hitch.

The phone works great, like no other I've seen. The coolest phone feature is linked to the headphones. They have a tiny mic on the right ear cable that's also a switch. It allows you to answer and use the phone if a call comes in while you're listening to music or video, so there's no real need to turn into a "bluetool."

It's far from useless on the Internet. In fact, it's almost as fast as my home PC when it's linked to WiFi, which is basically anywhere there's a broadband wireless router. And surprisingly, it's only a bit slower on AT&T's cellular network, provided you have a strong signal. It supports push e-mail for Yahoo, Gmail and Exchange, so my personal and work e-mail pops right up on the phone just like a Blackberry.

And of course, the iPod is just a boosted version of the Touch, very nice.

There are, however, some gripes:
— Its version of Safari does not support Flash, so no video or animation in the browser. (It does, however, have a dedicated YouTube widget, which streams video just fine.) Then again, it's often Flash that bogs down browsers, so perhaps that accounts somewhat for its Internet speed.
— Touchscreen typing is, well, touchy. But there is a rather intuitive trick to using it that just takes some getting used to.
— Google Maps is just what it says and completely amazing in the palm of your hand, but it's impossible to use on the road without becoming a hazard.
— It only works with Apple ear buds unless you buy an adapter.
— Push e-mail is still a bit laggy, but I'm not sure if that's on Apple's end or the third parties'... It's definitely not as reliable as Blackberry's dedicated system, and probably shouldn't be used for mission-critical work stuff.

I guess we'll see about durability. I ordered a completely enclosed (but still fully usable) shock-, water- and dirt-proof case, and I'm babying the phone until it arrives.

I'm really happy with it, but I've become "that guy" around my friends because I'm constantly resolving arguments with on-the-spot Wiki, LOL...

Wish me luck!
_________________
"The Master would not approve..."

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2859 Location: Chambersburg

Congratulations and Good Luck! Very Happy

_________________
I demand euphoria!

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2413 Location: Chambersburg

You're a braver man than I Torgo... but if I'm ever stuck at the airport because my flight is delayed by bad weather, I hope you'll be there to inform the pilot that your iPhone told you the storms had "passed the field."

Apple. Cool

Still holding out hope for the GooglePhone......