Microsoft-Watch's Take on the iPhone

[mainstreetmark]

Maybe I'm not, I haven't tried the issues I'm talking about with an iPhone, just going by what I've read in these forums.

*eerie silence* Nope you've lost me. People on these forums have said they haven't been able to get iSync to sync their iPhones. Are you saying they're wrong and you do use iSync?

See my above post about the SMS from a Mac via the iPhone by BlueTooth.

Are these usable? Do you have an iPhone to try this on because I seem to be getting conflicting reports now as to whether this can be done??

- Yeah, so far, it looks like the iPhone exports only headphone-borgimplant stuff. OSX sees no useable bluetooth services at this point (like SMS and maddeningly Modem). Which sucks.
- iTunes is using the iSync services and frameworks without bothering with iSync.app, which uses those same frameworks. It lets an application use the functionality of other applications. Very useful. (Like, how iTunes can play quicktime movies, without launching Quicktime.app)

 

[jt2ga65]

The rub... my PC is a 3 Gig + Dell, and my Mac is a PowerPC 400 mHz G4 Tower.

Oddly, in many ways, the Mac still outperforms the PC in the amount of apps I can run, and general performance boost.

My Mac is also a PowerPC 400 mHz G4 tower, and I absolutely can't stand it. It's so freaking slow that it's intolerable, and the stability just isn't there. Even running though it's running Tiger, and I like the OSX interface better than Windows, I can't find the applications I want to run, and can't even browse the Internet without Safari crashing. Firefox isn't much better.

I resurrected the beast to see if I should go buy a new Mac. My concern was that the new Macs are considerably more expensive that the PC equivalently, and that there is not equivalent software to full the need that my current PC platform(s) fill for roughly the same money (or free).

I really have no use for the bundled applications, as they are extremely limited in their configuration options, and don't want to spend THOUSANDS of dollars for Mac software, where my PC equivalent software is freeware.

I like Mac. I've always liked Mac. I'll probably some day have another Mac. I love the UI on my iPhone, although I'm still stung by the limited options in the applications that came with iPhone 1.0. I don't regret the iPhone purchase, but can't bring myself to actually purchase a new Mac when the software support just isn't there.

I DO absolutely LOVE Apple's OS licenses.

-jt2

 

[mpw]

...My concern was that the new Macs are considerably more expensive that the PC equivalently, and that there is not equivalent software to full the need that my current PC platform(s) fill for roughly the same money (or free).

I really have no use for the bundled applications, as they are extremely limited in their configuration options, and don't want to spend THOUSANDS of dollars for Mac software, where my PC equivalent software is freeware...

...but can't bring myself to actually purchase a new Mac when the software support just isn't there...

What software are you looking to use?

 

[dante@sisna.com]

Ditched my Pearl for iPhone

I've only had the pleasure of using an iPhone for a few moments, but it looks like a great device. I've wanted to buy one, of course, but I just recently purchased a Blackberry Pearl and I can't justify the expense.

Also, for what it's worth, I love the Pearl. With the exception of the touch screen and the ability to play YouTube videos , the Pearl does everything the iPhone can do in a trim, stylish package and with an intuitive interface.

That said, two years from now, I will be in line for an iPhone.

I bought my Pearl in January after the iPhone release date was announced for June.

The Pearl was a nice attempt at a cell phone and smart phone: best phone I ever owned (and I have had a lot) until the iPhone.

The iPhone is everything I had hoped the Pearl would be. My Pearl sold fast on eBay and I have no regrets.

Ditch your Pearl now if you can -- unless you need the modem, you won't regret the iPhone.

 

[dante@sisna.com]

In AddressBook I can pair with my SE/Nokia via BlueTooth and then click on a contacts mobile number to get a list of options like dial or send SMS. If I send and SMS I can type this in a window rather than take my phone outta my pocket.

While paired an incoming text to my SE results in a pop-up window on my Mac's screen where I can view the text and then save it to the 'Notes:' field of the contact in AddressBook.

I've been told the iPhone can't do this, can it?

Well, you could just sit back in your favorite chair, use the nice 3.5" color screen and very efficient keyboard and do the same thing.

I'd take this anyday than waking my desktop, sitting at my desk and typing out SMS. Too much like work.

 

[mpw]

Well, you could just sit back in your favorite chair, use the nice 3.5" color screen and very efficient keyboard and do the same thing.

I'd take this anyday than waking my desktop, sitting at my desk and typing out SMS. Too much like work.

But I'm sat in my favourite chair already, watching porn on my MacBook. Way to much like work to stop, get up, go find my phone in my bag in the next room, send a text. I'll stick with useful BlueTooth and fully-featured phones thanks.

And I find the keyboard on my phone more efficient than the iPhone appears to be too.

 

[dante@sisna.com]

But I'm sat in my favourite chair already, watching porn on my MacBook. Way to much like work to stop, get up, go find my phone in my bag in the next room, send a text. I'll stick with useful BlueTooth and fully-featured phones thanks.

And I find the keyboard on my phone more efficient than the iPhone appears to be too.

Your Call, but I've had about 6 of those "full-featured" phones now (treo, Nokia, Blackberry, etc) and NONE of them hold a candle to the iPhone.

None.

 

[mpw]

...None.

What was it about the BlackBerry that you expected, but didn't get, and now get from the iPhone?

 

[Yankees 4 Life]

I have a Samsung UpStage, and it's the first cell phone I've liked. Of course, it's only my second cell phone. But it's verrrry thin (thinner than the iPhone), it's got a nice big screen on one side, and it's insanely light. I don't need a $600 iPhone when I can get something lighter that has everything I need for $80.

(And yes, I am trying to reassure myself.)

hey does anyone ever yell at you for talking to an mp3 player when your in the mall? that happened to my bro... lol . Buy an iPhone, you'll live much longer

 

[nickd06]

Couldm't say it better myself! One day people will realize that M$ just plain sucks and Mac is the only way to go.

It's interesting how people say they never liked their cellphone... until they got an iPhone. It's exactly the same for people who never liked their computer until they got a Mac.

 

[uscmatt]

after more than 2 weeks of use, I still find myself surfing the web on the iPhone in my apartment when I have a laptop 5 feet away. Strange huh? I think it has something to do with never having a cell phone act the way an iPhone does.

 

[gkarris]

My Mac is also a PowerPC 400 mHz G4 tower, and I absolutely can't stand it. It's so freaking slow that it's intolerable, and the stability just isn't there. Even running though it's running Tiger, and I like the OSX interface better than Windows, I can't find the applications I want to run, and can't even browse the Internet without Safari crashing. Firefox isn't much better. -jt2

Actually, how much memory do you have?

My friend's got a 400MHz G3 tower instead, and has 768 Megs RAM and it's fast. Granted he can't play MPEG4 vids on it, but he uses Adobe Creative Suite 2 just fine on it...

 

[BornAgainMac]

What was it about the BlackBerry that you expected, but didn't get, and now get from the iPhone?

The keyboard on my BlackBerry has multiple letters on each key. Sometimes you have to press the keytwice to get the letter you want. On the iPhone the keys are much easier to tap and each button has just one letter on it. It is much faster to type on the iPhone than the BlackBerry.

If you get a full size keyboard that they provide on the old BlackBerry then that problem goes away but then the form factor is too big.

Also on the iPhone you can tap anywhere in a line and a magnifying glass appears with a pointer so you can insert your cursor very preciously and edit your text.

 

[Cleverboy]

after more than 2 weeks of use, I still find myself surfing the web on the iPhone in my apartment when I have a laptop 5 feet away. Strange huh?

Nope. You are not alone by any stretch of the imagination. Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun Times was commenting on a trip he took, where he had the choice of leaving his bedroom and hooking up his laptop in order to get broadband... or dealing with EDGE on his iPhone, while visiting at a friends house over a weekend. He said iPhone/EDGE was enough to fit the bill. Eating out at lunch and reading MacRumors over EDGE, I totally agree.

I think it has something to do with never having a cell phone act the way an iPhone does.

I have trouble thinking of it as a cellphone. I'll be in the middle of reading an article on the web or playing some video, and a call will come in, and I'll think... "Oh, yeah!"

~ CB