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I'm using my 3gs a LOT More!

M

Megalobyte

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 30, 2007
690
119
Florida
I've had all 3 versions, and even with its sluggishness and faults, I used to liken even the V1 iPhone to a tiny laptop that you keep in your pocket, but, even the 3g on 3.0 was a little too slow and hampered by inadequate ram to where I never really felt like the phone was a fair substitute for a computer, particularly regarding internet browsing, it was great for a phone, but I still used my laptop if I was home because the phone was just a little too slow, regardless of the speed of my connection.

But with the 3gs, that's changed, even when my laptop is nearby, I rarely find the need to use it (for Internet browsing) instead of my 3gs, sure there are times I'll still choose my laptop over the phone, but the point is, with the much better speed and rendering ability of the 3gs, I find myself using it as a reasonable substitute for my laptop, and it has really become what I originally felt it had the potential to be, a small, portable laptop you keep in your pocket and hand.

I'm very happy with the 3gs, and am anxious to see how it improves from here.
 
Yep, it's great when Apple decides to do a speed and 'improvement' upgrade like from the 3G to the 3GS and Leopard to Snow Leopard, rather than a purely UI / hardware / feature launch like Tiger to Leopard. That was one buggy change.
 
I concur with the OP. Coming from a 2G iPhone, I find the speed of the 3Gs quite incredible and I am using both my MBP and Acer NetBook far less for Internet usage around the house. The 3Gs is now fast enough to nearly rival the laptop/desktop web surfing experience IMO.
 
Admittedly this is mostly a feelgood post, but I wanted to raise the issue and make the point that for me, and I'm wondering if possibly for others, the 3gs marks a not so subtle shift from the iPhone being a last resort and relatively poor computer stand in, to something that is good enough where it's now something I'll use even when my laptop is nearby, I don't think this change, at least for me, is an insignificant one.

I guess I was wondering if others felt the same way about the 3gs vs. prior versions, and I think the notion of the iPhone continuing to evolve into a capable, albeit small actual computer is an interesting one. I think with the advent of the 3 gs, it's on it's way.
 
Megalobyte said:
something I'll use even when my laptop is nearby,
Click to expand...

I dont have the 3gs, but even with the speed increase i can not see me doing that

I like the iphone if i need to look something quickly up on the web, if i am going to spend any time the macbook would win hands down, iphone screen is too small for me to look at for a long period of time
 
I agree with the OP. I, too, have had all three iPhone models and while I dearly loved each of them, I am finding that the 3G S⃣ really is faster and that I'm reaching for it much more often, both at home and out somewhere, to check email and surf the web. In the evenings I like to sit out on my deck with my computer, and until I got the new iPhone I would take my MBA out there. Now it's the iPhone that accompanies me instead and I easily and quickly surf the web, check up on forums, read my emails, etc. If I've got a lot of responses to make, though, then I'd really rather use the MBA or another "real" computer and keyboard, as I am still somewhat hindered by the keyboard on the iPhone. Most of the time I can just wait to type something later if it's going to be a lengthy message.

Yes, in my opinion the 3G S⃣ is definitely ahead of its predecessors as far as real usability on the internet. It is truly a mini-computer in my pocket!
 
I totally agree with the OP. When I had my iphone 3g, I found that that I didn't use it as much because of the constant lag when browsing the web. Especially when I tried to have ipod and safari running at the same time, the memory available would drop drastically and cause a lot of lag.

Now that I have a iphone 3gs, I am using it a lot more even while i'm at home. Everything is just so much snappier and scrolling quickly through webpages are so much faster too. It's just an overall much more pleasant experience.
 
I have the new 3GS and love it. I am coming from the Edge phone, so the speed bump is incredible to me. Even with my first generation iPhone, I always thought of it as a mini laptop with a phone. However, it was a terrible phone. Thank goodness the new 3GS is a much better phone call quality wise. I am an iPhone fan for life! :)
 
I am drowning in iphone envy. My good friends all have one. My dilemma
arises from the fact that I just find it hard to justify paying the monthly
data costs for a fun plaything. It just seems silly to be using the iphone with a laptop a few feet away.

To recall a Star Trek Vulcanism, it is not logical. But as a human I still want one!
 
skye12 said:
arises from the fact that I just find it hard to justify paying the monthly
data costs for a fun plaything. It just seems silly to be using the iphone with a laptop a few feet away.
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on your situation. My iPhone is very much not a plaything, and allows to lots of work-related things I wouldn't be able to do without, or would be able to do but with a lot of fuss on all other smartphones I've tried.

Yeah, I have a laptop and I still use it too. But, there are lots of situations where the laptop is awkward or overkill. In cases like the this, the iPhone lets me do light net-based stuff without having to lug a laptop or netbook around. A netbook may be small, but I still am grateful to not have to carry one when the phone can do the job just fine.
 
A tiny screen and keyboard totally replace a laptop for me.

I use the handheld stuff in the bathroom and on the couch. And of course, when I'm away from the house.

Otherwise, I use a laptop, where I can type fast and accurately without wasting time. And edit quicker, too.
 
Yep,

I use the 3GS so much more then I did with my 2G. When I'm around the house unless I'm using a doing some designing or coding I do pretty much most stuff on 3GS. Such a big difference in speed.
 
I really love the 3GS. I, too, have had all 3 versions, and this is by far the snappiest. And with the addition of Nike+ I take it EVERYWHERE now.

I really like that it's sort of infiltrated every part of my life, because then, I get my money's worth!
 
Now, I was already using my 3G a lot and, in a lot of cases, using it in place of my laptop.

However my usage of the 3GS is in a different league. I really hammer it, and it's so much quicker that it just accommodates everything I can throw at it. I'd have got frustrated with the 3G if I'd have been using it this much. Even just the quicker rendering of web pages makes a massive difference, and the faster loading of SMS screens etc.

So yes, big thumbs up for the 3GS, and well done to Apple for not being afraid to spec bump the handset without superficial exterior changes.
 
I have commented to my wife that I find it a lttle weird how my 3GS looks exactly the same as the 3G I used to have, and sometimes when looking at it I briefly forget that it's not the same phone I've been walking around with for the past year. But boy do I notice the difference when I USE it. Wow. It is SO much faster. Lag is history. I love it.
 
The 3GS is everything that I wanted my 3G to be. I find myself using my data plan alot more now.:D
 
Coming from a Blackberry 8130 on Verizon then a Palm Treo 755p, I am thrilled with the 3GS. I used the BB and Treo for e-mail, and that was great, but I hardly ever used it for internet...too slow, etc and I was paying the same $30 data plan with Verizon, basically just for e-mail.

I find myself using the 3GS all the time, for e-mail, browsing, games, ipod..this thing is awesome!
 
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