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Here's Two: Moving to iPhone as main computer?

L

lowonthe456

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Anyone move from a laptop or desktop to an iPhone as their primary? I know there are tasks it cannot perform...but for the most part net related activities are the bulk of what I do....

also, can you connect to a wiress hard drive thru wifi on the iphone? Just curious
😀
 
lowonthe456 said:
Anyone move from a laptop or desktop to an iPhone as their primary? I know there are tasks it cannot perform...but for the most part net related activities are the bulk of what I do....

also, can you connect to a wiress hard drive thru wifi on the iphone? Just curious
😀
Click to expand...
Erm...
I'm pretty sure there aren't many.
It doesn't have flash either.
Perhaps you'll be the first.
To answer your question.
I don't know of any, but you might be able to find something in Cydia, but it is highly doubtful.
 
well, you need a computer to sync the iphone.. and it doesnt have flash.

i hated my old netbook screen.. I cant imagine an iphone as my main
 
thanks for the replies

i guess i should mention a fw things....due to unfortunate circumstances I am computerless right now. While I work on a mac at work, I could sync what little music i have there until i get a new mac......so this would be my gateway to the internet for a few months.....so while it is limited, yes....I would want it to function for me to check email, surf the web (i usually frequent a few forums) and IM.

Does it seem like a workable solution? Input welcomed!😀
 
lowonthe456 said:
thanks for the replies

i guess i should mention a fw things....due to unfortunate circumstances I am computerless right now. While I work on a mac at work, I could sync what little music i have there until i get a new mac......so this would be my gateway to the internet for a few months.....so while it is limited, yes....I would want it to function for me to check email, surf the web (i usually frequent a few forums) and IM.

Does it seem like a workable solution? Input welcomed!😀
Click to expand...

I think you're the best person to answer those questions. If all you're doing is surf the web, emails and IMs and the iPhone is capable of all of those things then yes, it will suffice.


I tried emailing/texting on my N95 a few months ago and it was fun but the novelty seriously wore off and it became a chore and cumbersome. I still surf the web in bed with my iPhone occasionally but I much prefer the MBP if I'm really into a subject that I'm reading/researching up on.
 
thanks supercooled, it would only be a few months and then i will get a new mac. is a mac required for it to charge?
 
People who have NEVER owned a computer before, maybe. I heard that some people in Africa had begun using them, people without Internet connections before. I get that. But as the owner of a MacBook Pro, I could never use an iPhone as a primary computer.
 
understood, but as i said i will not have a computer at home for a few months...so this would take the place for a bit....:apple:
 
Why not just get a computer, because by the time you paid the bill for 6 months of the iPhone, that will get you a very decent computer.
 
good question

i was aiming to get an iphone anyway, and i figured it would suffice until i can get what i want later this year. I can concentrate on the other things i have to tend to and still be able to stay in touch. The basic att plan is only 20 more a month than i pay now for cell service including data plan....so i figure it would buy me time
 
I think this is the reason why Apple has limited the iPhone's functions and features - so people can't use it as a computer. This could potentially decrease their MacBook sales. If all you do is want to be able to surf the web and send e-mail (but nothing more), you possibly could use it as a personal computer. But, the iPhone cannot be use alone (it needs a computer) - which is also causes people to possibly go out and buy a (Apple) desktop or laptop. These things are not coincidences, they were likely carefully planned by Apple.
 
I use my iPhone as my only computer. I don't even have Internet at the house. My computer, which is pretty decent, sits elsewhere for digital studio recording. I've connected my iphone 3g to a computer for firmware updates/backups twice. It's easy to use someone else's for that. There are times where I need to do things the phone can't and I just go use someone's when I do.

Edit: A good friend of mine has no computer at all. His blackberry is his only computer.
 
I wouldn't use my iPhone as a computer replacement, but often use it to browse the internet in bed or around home when I don't fancy sitting in front of a computer screen.
 
You know some of us use our computers for actual work .. not just screwing around online


I think you can guess my answer
 
Dr. Cabrera said:
You know some of us use our computers for actual work .. not just screwing around online


I think you can guess my answer
Click to expand...

Well aren't you and your fellow work horses just the coolest? 🙄

The use of my Mac has been minimal since I bought it March of last year. If I have to throw a presentation together for work I usually use my laptop as I get bored sitting around in one place for too long. Having my email pushed to my phone really eliminates most of the need to sit down at my computer at night.

I wouldn't want just a phone for internet but if some circumstance robbed me of both of my computers, I'd survive.
 
I guess I could survive for a few months with just my iPhone, but I wouldn't want to make it a long term solution.
 
lowonthe456 said:
thanks for the replies

i guess i should mention a fw things....due to unfortunate circumstances I am computerless right now. While I work on a mac at work, I could sync what little music i have there until i get a new mac......so this would be my gateway to the internet for a few months.....so while it is limited, yes....I would want it to function for me to check email, surf the web (i usually frequent a few forums) and IM.

Does it seem like a workable solution? Input welcomed!😀
Click to expand...

I didn't go computer-less, but I did cancel my Internet for about four months, and my iPhone was a capable replacement for my Internet needs. If I needed to do anything flash-related, I would simply take my computer to a sibling's home, and use their WiFi.

I got tired of the small screen, though but I didn't really feel deprived during the experiment.

So for short-term, it is a workable solution.

Jude
 
I have a desktop and laptop. The desktop was used mostly and the laptop if I was going away or needed to do some surfing somewhere other than my desk. Since buying my iPhone 3G I've hardly used the laptop.

Could the iPhone be used as my only PC - no. It doesn't have all the functionality I require but as short term solution sure.
 
Thank you for even more replies! 😀

YES this would be a temporary solution....I WILL be buying a new macbook later this year...thats a definite.

This is to get me by until then...

For the poster who posted about "screwing around" on their computer....I've been using macs for about 20 years....I've written, composed and produced an album and remixes, edited video, and designed and composed 15 years worth of graphics which haven been seen in print all over the US.

I think very few people in this forum have the background I have on such things....and I'll leave it at that.

Thanks for all the replies!

:apple:
 
lowonthe456 said:
This is to get me by until then...

For the poster who posted about "screwing around" on their computer....I've been using macs for about 20 years....I've written, composed and produced an album and remixes, edited video, and designed and composed 15 years worth of graphics which haven been seen in print all over the US.
Click to expand...
I use my iPhone much of the day, every day. But, I have to sit down at a computer to get documentation, budgeting, etc. done. Unless you plan to jailbreak, I'm not sure you could do all the stuff you have in the past on just an iPhone.

Since this is to get you by, it could work, but I'd try to see what things I couldn't do on just the iPhone beforehand to make sure it's a compromise you can live with.
 
I said it once, and I'll say it again after seeing these lame comments

An iPhone is ok for checking your e-mail and going online, its not useful for productivity

It's not a standalone computer

Do you guys even understand what productivity means

productivity = measures of output from production processes


- Word processors
- Photo editing
- Bittorrent, watching movies, storing pictures from a digital camera
- MULTITASKING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You simply cannot do the above on an iPhone

When I have to research writing a paper I usually have about 3-10 web browser windows/tabs open, a word processor , calculator, and a PDF viewer open all at the same time

You can have your 480X 320 resolution, I'll continue to work on my 1920 x1200 display
 
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