Mossberg's Early iPhone Impressions

[MacRumors]

Walt Mossberg picked up his review iPhone yesterday according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

During a speech, Mossberg pulled the phone from his pocket:

"I don’t know whether I’ll give it a good review or not," he said, noting that he will use the phone for the next couple of weeks before writing his review. "I can already see some things I don’t like about it. I see some other things that I do like a lot about it."

He felt that the key aspect of it was whether or not the iPhone's touch screen keyboard would be an adequate replacement for traditional keypads. His first impression is that "it works a little better than I thought, but I’m still not sure it works as well as a regular keyboard -- and the first hour is not a very fair test, so I’m going to keep going at it."

Mossberg's full review will likely come on June 29th, the day the iPhone will be publicly available.

[BKF]

Just knowing that there are iPhones already out in the wild (even if only in reviewers' hands) makes me a little jittery.

[kavika411]

Betcha a donut he gives it a good review. He'll end up praising the virtual keyboard.

[Southernboy]

If Walt gives it a bad review we're in trouble; he's generally very pro-Apple. Could be interesting.

[billystlyes]

Originally Posted by Southernboy

If Walt gives it a bad review we're in trouble; he's generally very pro-Apple. Could be interesting.

I don't think that would happen. Uncle Walt is practically on the Apple payroll.

[everyman]

During Walt's interview with Steve Jobs recently, he expressed his nervousness to Steve about the lack of a real keyboard. Steve told him to give it a week, and he'd never go back. If I remember, correctly, I think he guaranteed it. Apparently, there is a learning curve, as with anything new. Steve was very reassuring and extremely confident in terms of how much better this aspect of iPhone performs than what we are all used to. I rememer, that this was Mossberg's chief concern, so it doesn't surprise me he'd be fumbling a bit with it at first.
I just can't imagine that Apple approached the user experience of it's iPhone multi-touch as applied to typing on it, with anything less than its usual brilliance. It seems too much of a major feature of the iPhone. Apple knew they had to nail it. It just will require everybody to rethink how they type on a phone for a little while until they get used to it.
I bet it takes Mossberg a little longer, because he has a skeptical mind on this issue. But he'll come around. That's my take on it, anyway. I hope I'm right.

[bowzer]

it'd be nice if there was an option to mimic traditional t9 typing, if people found the qwerty keyboard too squished... having 9 keys to type the t9 way would probably be easier for people with big fingers.

im sure the qwerty touch screen keyboard will be fine after some adjusting, but options are always nice for the easily frustrated/ones who dont like big changes

[Belly-laughs]

Originally Posted by everyman

During Walt's interview with Steve Jobs recently, he expressed his nervousness to Steve about the lack of a real keyboard. Steve told him to give it a week, and he'd never go back. If I remember, correctly, I think he guaranteed it.

<snip></snip>

I bet it takes Mossberg a little longer, because he has a skeptical mind on this issue. But he'll come around. That's my take on it, anyway. I hope I'm right.

I think you´re spot on. Walt expresses his concern in the beginning, then falls in love with the touch keyboard and the iPhone seems even better. Like mudaudio said: clever PR.

[longofest]

Originally Posted by Southernboy

If Walt gives it a bad review we're in trouble; he's generally very pro-Apple. Could be interesting.

you read my mind... like how he apologized and dribbled over Steve during the interview at D, saying "i'm sorry... I didn't think about your feelings".

That being said, it will be nice for him to have the phone for an extended period. To this point, people have only had minutes (if that) with the phone.

[ChampagneBob]

We already know that the touch keyborad takes some getting used to, so time is an important factor for many.

On the other hand, many don't like the present keyboard set up on existing phones and may readily adapt to the touch screen easily....we'll see what is functional for both groups.

[neonart]

I've never used the tiny keyboards on smartphones, so i figure my learning curve will be not so steep. Just getting used to the "iPhone way" and thats it.

For those used to a conventional small keyboard, it may be more difficult, but most likely people will learn to love it.

[Gasu E.]

Originally Posted by neonart

I've never used the tiny keyboards on smartphones, so i figure my learning curve will be not so steep. Just getting used to the "iPhone way" and thats it.

For those used to a conventional small keyboard, it may be more difficult, but most likely people will learn to love it.

I don't think the soft pad will suffer much vs. a smartphone keyboard. I'm more concerned it might suffer as a traditional phone keypad; I do not know how I will find a hotkey without looking, for example.

Whatever, Mossberg is sure to give it a fair review.

[Southernboy]

Originally Posted by ChampagneBob

We already know that the touch keyborad takes some getting used to, so time is an important factor for many.

I really hoped they'd add the option of using the keyboard 'wide screen' as it were.

[A Pittarelli]

does anybody really think a bad review could even hurt the iphone launch?

[yoman]

Originally Posted by Southernboy

I really hoped they'd add the option of using the keyboard 'wide screen' as it were.

Me too. A wide screen keyboard would make those keys a lot easier to hit then mashing the nearby ones.

[lazyrighteye]

Originally Posted by ChampagneBob

We already know that the touch keyborad takes some getting used to, so time is an important factor for many.

On the other hand, many don't like the present keyboard set up on existing phones and may readily adapt to the touch screen easily....we'll see what is functional for both groups.

I use a Treo 650 and use the hard keys for 98% of the input into the phone.

I have sincere concerns about the lack of tactile feel hard keys offer.
Imagine trying to txt on a touch screen while driving a car, adjusting the radio, reading a map and not spilling your coffee.

Hehe.

Still, I do have a feeling it will work better than I thought, and that I could get used to it. But I also suspect/fear, in the end, tactile feedback will beat out "cool" factor. This time.

That said, I reserve judgment until I can spend some time with it myself. Just echoing my concerns.

[pufftissue]

Originally Posted by lazyrighteye

I use a Treo 650 and use the hard keys for 98% of the input into the phone.

I have sincere concerns about the lack of tactile feel hard keys offer.
Imagine trying to txt on a touch screen while driving a car, adjusting the radio, reading a map and not spilling your coffee.

Hehe.

Still, I do have a feeling it will work better than I thought, and that I could get used to it. But I also suspect/fear, in the end, tactile feedback will beat out "cool" factor. This time.

That said, I reserve judgment until I can spend some time with it myself. Just echoing my concerns.

I have owned all the palms and too many pocket pc's. I am willing to invest more time in the learning curve than most people. Despite all that, I never reliably used a PDA until I got a Treo. The dedicated tactile keyboard is just that necessary and "revolutionary."

It is even more necessary when trying to dial keys. The 3rd gen ipod was a no go for me, and I thought it looked so cool, but the touch controls were just unfortunately no good.

Open up the iphone to outside development and give it a tactile keyboard, even if you have to slide it out, and you'd have a winner. I truly think that the lack of a keyboard will be its Achilles Heel. Anyone who's ever tried to text on a virtual keyboard or even write an email will know how terrible it is. It's not a matter of the lack of tactile feel; it's having the screen not recognize precisely where you're pointing and touching. Not even Steve Jobs' reality distortion field powers will be able to overcome this one. It's not just the natural reluctance that most people have to learn something new. Tactile keyboards are just better. Take away the keyboard from the Treo and the Blackberry, and you're left with nothing. Replace it with a huge virtual soft keyboard, expand the screen to even 4.3", keep it thin and super sexy, and see if anyone would buy it and keep it.

[sfoalex]

Originally Posted by Southernboy

If Walt gives it a bad review we're in trouble; he's generally very pro-Apple. Could be interesting.

What do you mean exactly when you say, "we're in trouble"? This is Apple, not you. It's their phone, and you're just a potential customer. Unless you're a stock holder, but even then, you have so much more to worry about than a koolaid drinking fan-boy fake reviewer like Mossberg. When has he ever been anything but a supporter?

Best,

Alex

[yagran]

Originally Posted by sfoalex

What do you mean exactly when you say, "we're in trouble"? This is Apple, not you. It's their phone, and you're just a potential customer. Unless you're a stock holder, but even then, you have so much more to worry about than a koolaid drinking fan-boy fake reviewer like Mossberg. When has he ever been anything but a supporter?

Best,

Alex

my my my aren't we on a high horse?

nehu, walt will never give it a bad review, i think he is in the erm...wrong age group to really appreciate the cool factor of the iphone though so i guess we'll see. and i dont mean the age thing in a bad way or to be offensive!

[Southernboy]

Originally Posted by sfoalex

What do you mean exactly when you say, "we're in trouble"? This is Apple, not you. It's their phone, and you're just a potential customer. Unless you're a stock holder, but even then, you have so much more to worry about than a koolaid drinking fan-boy fake reviewer like Mossberg. When has he ever been anything but a supporter?

Best,

Alex

Point taken. I'm not a shareholder (I wish!), so I guess that makes me a fanboy

[iSee]

Originally Posted by sfoalex

What do you mean exactly when you say, "we're in trouble"? This is Apple, not you. It's their phone, and you're just a potential customer. Unless you're a stock holder, but even then, you have so much more to worry about than a koolaid drinking fan-boy fake reviewer like Mossberg. When has he ever been anything but a supporter? Best, Alex

Easy there, it's just a casual comment. I'm not sure it needs to be dissected to this degree.

[mudaudio]

If I were a cynic, I'd say this is clever PR.

Get some media heavyweight to position the keyboard as a 'possible flaw', then later come around saying 'boy how wrong was I?'. People would think 'wow, he doubted it just like me, but now he loves it!.

Or maybe he's just telling the truth. That would be nice!

[pgwalsh]

My concern with the keyboard is the same with all devices, which is the size. I have big hands, the kind where I can cup a basketball. Little devices are problematic. I was hoping you could use the keyboard in widescreen view, but I think that's wishful thinking.

[nospleen]

I am the biggest fan boy out there. But, I have to say, the keyboard is going to suck. No, I have not used one, blah, blah... But, even the VP of iPhone software couldn't type on the damn thing. He blamed it on nerves, lol.

I do think it will be the best virtual keyboard on the market, but still not as good as the plastic keyboards.

But, I will be in line to get one because the rest of the features are just too damned awesome.

[sfoalex]

Originally Posted by iSee

Easy there, it's just a casual comment. I'm not sure it needs to be dissected to this degree.

Oh I'm not upset or anything. I would just rather read reviews from folks that can make up their own mind, and aren't on the take. What's the point of reading these reviews when they are always the same?

Best,

Alex