iPhone: PC Mag Review, Fingerworks, and Jeff Han

[Thanatoast]

I don't see why everyone gets so steamy over GPS. If you can read a map, you don't need to know your exact location by coordinate.

Now, I realize there actually are people out there who can't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time (I currently work in tech support), but I don't see how the lack of GPS should be a deal breaker. Get on your iPhone, go to Google maps and ask for step-by-step directions with pictures.

 

[Xyl]

EDIT:Your comment was meant to be sarcastic, but I would not base my decision on an informal survey of 155 users from one forum. [did not see the smiley face at first]

Along similar lines however, look at Consumer Reports' review of cell providers of >20,000 and bases it on various metro areas around the country. Cingular is no better than third and ranges to last in satisfaction.

Ahh, its all anecdotal.

--HG

To be fair, I doubt "favourite" actually means "I love this carrier" anyways - most of the time it just ends up being "The carrier I use". Apple probably chose singular because of its availability, rather than its customer service.

 

[guzhogi]

The school I work at has these big boards called Activboards where you connect you computer toa projector to project what's onscreen onto the Activboard. Then you use the board as a giant touchscreen. Pretty cool. Only problem is if you stand right in front of the projector, your shadow blocks what you're trying to see. Check out http://www.activboard.com

 

[guzhogi]

I don't see why everyone gets so steamy over GPS. If you can read a map, you don't need to know your exact location by coordinate.

Now, I realize there actually are people out there who can't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time (I currently work in tech support), but I don't see how the lack of GPS should be a deal breaker. Get on your iPhone, go to Google maps and ask for step-by-step directions with pictures.

I remember hearing how after 9/11, all cell phones had to have GPS so people can find you.

 

[shamino]

I remember hearing how after 9/11, all cell phones had to have GPS so people can find you.

This requirement is a lot older than the 9/11 attacks.

Cell phones have had GPS receivers for a long time. They are required to make the coordinates available to 911 emergency services, so police/fire/ambulance drivers can find you if you call and don't know where you are.

They DO NOT have to make your coordinates available for any other kind of call. Every phone I've seen has a configuration where you can tell it to broadcast GPS coordinates for all calls or only 911 calls. The default is usually set to 911-only.

Phones never transmit coordinates when you're not connected or when they're switched off.

 

[MrCrowbar]

Can we just put a few more electronic emitting components in one bundle so our brains can further be fried

GPS does not send any signals as far as I know. All it does is get the timestamp of a bunch of GPS satelites and compute your position from that. 3G is bad in terms of brain frying tho.

 

[whooleytoo]

This requirement is a lot older than the 9/11 attacks.

Cell phones have had GPS receivers for a long time. They are required to make the coordinates available to 911 emergency services, so police/fire/ambulance drivers can find you if you call and don't know where you are.

They DO NOT have to make your coordinates available for any other kind of call. Every phone I've seen has a configuration where you can tell it to broadcast GPS coordinates for all calls or only 911 calls. The default is usually set to 911-only.

Phones never transmit coordinates when you're not connected or when they're switched off.

AFAIK, phones can still be tracked to an individual cell even when it's switched off - it's not fully off but in a very low power mode. For complete privacy, you'd have to pull out the battery.

I believe this was used to track a member of the IRA here to a bombing some years ago, his phone was used to prove he was in the town at the time.

 

[MrCrowbar]

I remember hearing how after 9/11, all cell phones had to have GPS so people can find you.

Not since 9/11 but since 2 years. Cell phones sold in the US can be called by the FBI and send your approximate location (GSM triangulation) back without you knowing. In addition to that, they can remotely activate the phones microphone to listen to you if your phone is switched on. It's basically the same as the backdoors built into all OS (OSX included) so they can check if you"re a Taliban or something.

 

[shamino]

.

 

[puuukeey]

i stand corrected

I don't recall any of Apple's patents describing the use of FTIR tech to implement multi-touch.

well then maybe we'll see some cool new photoscreens in our new displays

 

[shamino]

.

 

[Lunja]

Indeed, Han has started his own company... the company will start installing big versions of his screen for "film studios and other operations where people can use them as high-tech blackboards to brainstorm on projects".

Drool! I've always said a multitouch editing screen running FCP would take the industry by storm! Imagine how fast you could organise your bins, and adjusting clip size by pinching would be great.

 

[ddubbo]

Just some facts and questions

First of all, it's a hard to believe that 10 min of experience is enough to make a review for anything. Usually it takes a several days to understand what a thing is worth.
Secondly, I thought about several things that quiet important to many users.

1-st)What good of a 2MP camera(that already below high-end standards), when it doesn't have a flash
2-nd. What will you do with an about 700$ device(unsubsided) when battery is out in a year. I thrown my iPod mini into the bin, when Apple wanted 90$ in order to replace it.
3-rd. Is a touch screen a good alternative for standard phone keyboard for permanent use. At least we will know that before the iPhone goes on sales. The users of Prada Phone will give an answer.
4-th. How will I answer on the call when I wear glows? It's very essentual for the people who spend a lot of time outside, particularly teenagers.
5-th. According to Nokia researches the one of the most essential cellphone features is how easy to make calls for a people who called you recently, or whom you dialed recently. About 90% of all calls we make are of this kind.
6-th. How easy to operate the phone with one hand? It's very important because we spend a lot of time doing something that needs at least one hand. Driving a car, pissing, cooking, bearing the case etc.
7-th. The only thing that iPhone is really ahead its competitors is web browsing.
And it's about 200-300$ more expensive than most popular smart phones today. Will the price gap worth this web browsing capabilities or not?

 

[Lunja]

The school I work at has these big boards called Activboards where you connect you computer toa projector to project what's onscreen onto the Activboard. Then you use the board as a giant touchscreen. Pretty cool. Only problem is if you stand right in front of the projector, your shadow blocks what you're trying to see. Check out http://www.activboard.com

These are pretty much a standard in UK primary schools now. Since I was at my primary school 9 years ago, they've gone from blackboards to whiteboards to interactive boards. Crazy!

It's great that kids can get so interactive and share their ideas with a class, but I do worry whether kids will ever need to write again...

 

[guzhogi]

These are pretty much a standard in UK primary schools now. Since I was at my primary school 9 years ago, they've gone from blackboards to whiteboards to interactive boards. Crazy!

It's great that kids can get so interactive and share their ideas with a class, but I do worry whether kids will ever need to write again...

I worry about anyone not having to write again. After Christmas, I was writing my thank you letters by hand and I caught myself wondering "Now how do I write this letter in cursive again?" With all this technology today, writing, especially cursive, is not being reinforced. Kinda sad. Sometimes I seriously think about going Amish.

 

[Stella]

2. Yes, a lot People will keep their phones longer than their iPods and out last the battery life. Personally, every phone I've had has out lasted the battery - and that goes for quite a few number of people I know too.
Apple would be stupid not to have a user-replaceable battery ( and by that I mean - easy to change just like any other cell phone - and not having to search the internet for instructions).

6. Err, driving and phoning is f?cking irresponsible. Anybody found doing it should be fined heavily. If you have an accident whilst doing so, you should lose your license for a very long time. There is no excuse for it. The number of accidents per year is stupidly high. Stop your car then make that call. OR use a headset ( with voice activated dialling ).

One handed use is very important, if you have to use two hands just to make a call would be very impractical.

Ease of Use.

7. Apple is not the *first* company to offer such functional internet browsing capabilities. Others have done this that are just as good.

First of all, it's a hard to believe that 10 min of experience is enough to make a review for anything. Usually it takes a several days to understand what a thing is worth.
Secondly, I thought about several things that quiet important to many users.

1-st)What good of a 2MP camera(that already below high-end standards), when it doesn't have a flash
2-nd. What will you do with an about 700$ device(unsubsided) when battery is out in a year. I thrown my iPod mini into the bin, when Apple wanted 90$ in order to replace it.
3-rd. Is a touch screen a good alternative for standard phone keyboard for permanent use. At least we will know that before the iPhone goes on sales. The users of Prada Phone will give an answer.
4-th. How will I answer on the call when I wear glows? It's very essentual for the people who spend a lot of time outside, particularly teenagers.
5-th. According to Nokia researches the one of the most essential cellphone features is how easy to make calls for a people who called you recently, or whom you dialed recently. About 90% of all calls we make are of this kind.
6-th. How easy to operate the phone with one hand? It's very important because we spend a lot of time doing something that needs at least one hand. Driving a car, pissing, cooking, bearing the case etc.
7-th. The only thing that iPhone is really ahead its competitors is web browsing.
And it's about 200-300$ more expensive than most popular smart phones today. Will the price gap worth this web browsing capabilities or not?

 

[MrCrowbar]

I worry about anyone not having to write again. After Christmas, I was writing my thank you letters by hand and I caught myself wondering "Now how do I write this letter in cursive again?" With all this technology today, writing, especially cursive, is not being reinforced. Kinda sad. Sometimes I seriously think about going Amish.

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty
uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid,
aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in
waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the
frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses
and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid
deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! If you can raed tihs psas
it on !!Psas Ti ON !

 

[MDMac]

Since Apple has patented all having todo with the iPhone, would it be possible for other cell phone manufacturers to go to iPhone contributors and use their technology? If so, I'd see why contributors are being kept secret.

 

[Stella]

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty
uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid,
aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in
waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the
frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses
and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid
deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! If you can raed tihs psas
it on !!Psas Ti ON !

wow tahts rlealy good I culod raed tihs wtih no pmbolems LOL.

Typing it is obviously more difficult!

 

[MrCrowbar]

wow tahts rlealy good I culod raed tihs wtih no pmbolems LOL.

Typing it is obviously more difficult!

Just type very fast and it"ll look pretty much like this. There are lots of programs that scramble text like this. A good alternative to leetspeek if you don't want your text sniffed by automated search engines.

 

[shawnce]

This requirement is a lot older than the 9/11 attacks.

Cell phones have had GPS receivers for a long time. They are required to make the coordinates available to 911 emergency services, so police/fire/ambulance drivers can find you if you call and don't know where you are.

This is inaccurate.

Wireless E911 does not require that the phone have a GPS receiver or if does have one to make position information available to the E911 system. E911 can be implemented (and most often is currently) using cellular tower triangulation. So supporting E911 does NOT imply that a cell phone has a GPS receiver or that the phone even knows it location at all (via a feedback system from the cellular provider for example).

 

[Hunabku]

7. Apple is not the *first* company to offer such functional internet browsing capabilities. Others have done this that are just as good.

Not so sure about this statement - perhaps you should define "just as good". Really i think we're tending to get a bit out of hand in our comparisons here since none of us have had one in our hand, let alone used it in a real world applications. And as already mentioned - the reviewers 10-30 minutes is hardly enough.

 

[Stella]

Not so sure about this statement - perhaps you should define "just as good". Really i think we're tending to get a bit out of hand in our comparisons here since none of us have had one in our hand, let alone used it in a real world applications. And as already mentioned - the reviewers 10-30 minutes is hardly enough.

Functionality found in other phones that make people think iPhone internet capabilities are more 'advanced' than all others.
- Flash
- Java support ( applets etc, not found in iPhone )
- Web browser capabilities as good as Safari iPhone ( i.e., good Javascript, CSS, HTML support )

 

[Rocketman]

I remember hearing how after 9/11, all cell phones had to have GPS so people can find you.

You mean so authorities can find you. That feature is used against handset owners all the time. So much for the Bill of Rights.

Rocketman

 

[Hunabku]

Functionality found in other phones that make people think iPhone internet capabilities are more 'advanced' than all others.
- Flash
- Java support ( applets etc, not found in iPhone )
- Web browser capabilities as good as Safari iPhone ( i.e., good Javascript, CSS, HTML support )

Did I read somewhere that Flash may be supported in the iPhone? Also that Java apps are not to be supported, but that Javascript will be supported? If it doesn't support both flash and javascript then fogetaboutit.

Anyway your points are well taken - my big question is can you zoom in like you can with the iPhone. It seems to me, in usability, that iPhone web surfing rocks, but again i haven't the experience with the iPhone or for that matter even surfing the web with a smart phone - it would have to be a killer implementation on a small screen (plus wifi) to make it worth my while - from the keynote it seemed that apple was able to pull that off.