Mossberg's Early iPhone Impressions

[Gasu E.]

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.

 

[Gasu E.]

Jesus.

What is there not to like about the iPhone?

An iPod is $200-300.

A normal cell phone is $200-300.

The iPhone is all these and much more.

The iPhone is THE God's device.

Give me an iPhone for review, and I will be positive about it.

Mossberg is an idiot.

Was that satire?

 

[Ted Witcher]

Certainly the keyboard can expand horizontally when turned, yes? That would seem an obvious feature, though I haven't seen it demoed in any presentation or commercial.

Anybody else worried about peripherals? It's too big to go in a pocket, don't necessarily want to carry it... that leaves clipping it to a belt or something like my current cellphone. Wonder how that will work and who will sell it. And when.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Keyboard

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.

 

[Porchland]

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

If he thought the keyboard was OK after the first hour, it must be pretty good.

I hated the Treo keyboard -- i.e., freakin' tiny chicklets -- after the first hour and every hour since and still send about a third of my emails from it.

 

[Lepton]

Exactly, most people just text with one hand while they are holding the phone. I think the fact that you have to use both hands to type on the iphone might be a big issue.

Of course you could type with one hand, as well as a button keyboard. The demo people are just using two hands so the camera can get in there. This is a non-problem.

 

[pufftissue]

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.

 

[Belly-laughs]

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.

 

[pyrex]

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

I think this could be a great idea, I am now so used to typing in t9, that when I see a qwerty on a phone I can't type at all, yet on a full size keyboard my typing goes back to normal, plus 9 keys would give fingers a lot more room to multitap

 

[yoman]

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.

 

[Macciee]

Try it then judge it

You really all should try the LG Prada which uses the same input method - It works really fantastic I dont think that any of you doubts that the Iphone have a less nice touch to its input feeling. I also use a Nokia e61(symbian) and a O2 XDA Orbit and I really prefer the big screen and touch input on the LG Prada. Now add a seamless sync for imail, itunes and ical & contacts and thats all you need.

Again, I really urge all of you to try the LG Prada to know feeling and leave the speculating for the Zune lovers.

This is gonna be a huge 3 year Iphone rally...

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.

 

[wildmac]

meh....

All this fuss over a da#$ phone while we are waiting for eSata, Blu-Ray, etc. and upgraded/redesigned MacPros. (No, the last release doesn't count, they just added a very pricey high-end model).

So this keynote makes 6+ months now where Uncle Steve has done NOTHING except talk about an OS that isn't here yet, and a da$%^ phone that I don't need now, and does nothing to help the Mac platform.

The best news out of that keynote was Safari on Windows. Hopefully this will force more widespread support of Safari (and thus the Mac) among banks and such.

What really worries me about this phone is the emphasis on "home users". Same goes for 10.5. All those whiz-bang features really worry me about it being allowed in security-conscious corporate enviroments. (Automatically scan and mount other computers on the network when looking for a file?.. Oh, that will go over REAL well!).

But hey! we have a new phone!

Meh.....

 

[twoodcc]

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

yeah, i think he'll come around

 

[LoganT]

Jesus.

What is there not to like about the iPhone?

An iPod is $200-300.

A normal cell phone is $200-300.

The iPhone is all these and much more.

The iPhone is THE God's device.

Give me an iPhone for review, and I will be positive about it.

Mossberg is an idiot.

Not biased at all.

 

[stealthman1]

Tactile feedback IMHO is way overated. With minimal practice I can dial phone numbers with 90+% accuracy on my Treo 680 touchscreen. Your thumb remembers where the numbers are, just like your left forefinger remembers where the r, t, v, b, 5, and 6 keys are on a QWERTY keyboard. With predictive software a lot of miss hits...r instead of e for example will be fixed. It's just a matter of learning the pattern...some won't master it, many will. I can tell you from many observations that most 40 year olds will never type on their Blackberries as fast as a 20 year old can text on a RAZR.
Whats with the two hands comments? Anyone can type with one hand on a Treo, what's the difference?

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

All this fuss over a da#$ phone while we are waiting for eSata, Blu-Ray, etc. and upgraded/redesigned MacPros. (No, the last release doesn't count, they just added a very pricey high-end model).

What do you mean it doesn't count? The macbook pros use better GPU's have LED backlighting for the 15" models, higher resolution for the 17", more current processors, higher RAM support and higher RAM standard. It may not count to you, but it sure counts to those who were waiting for some significant MBP improvements since the first wave. Apple would do well not to add a pricey optical amidst a format war.

I think people who are dogging Mossberg for being an Apple proponent are ignoring this one possibility: Maybe Apple DOES make some good products after all. If he gives the iPhone lots of praise, does this mean that what he finds as attributes are to be universally accepted by all of us in the consumer world? No. Does his history of giving praise to other Apple products somehow ruin his credibility? No.

As for the gripes against tactile feedback, this would be mainly true for computer keyboards, where blind typing is commonplace. How many people are capable of dialing a number without making sure that they in fact dialed correctly? How many people have phones large enough so that your keypad is well out of your clear vision as you watch the text appear on the display? I can't imagine typing blind on any one of these tic-tac keyed smart phones out there, unless I want to type gibberish.

 

[wildmac]

What do you mean it doesn't count? The macbook pros use better GPU's have LED backlighting for the 15" models, higher resolution for the 17", more current processors, higher RAM support and higher RAM standard. It may not count to you, but it sure counts to those who were waiting for some significant MBP improvements since the first wave. Apple would do well not to add a pricey optical amidst a format war.

Note: I said MacPros, not MBP or MB. And I wasn't asking for a pricey version, I was complaining that that was ALL they did. AND he didn't talk about any of the new Macs that were released at either keynote. That is a lot of buildup for a d@ng phone.

As for the gripes against tactile feedback, this would be mainly true for computer keyboards, where blind typing is commonplace. How many people are capable of dialing a number without making sure that they in fact dialed correctly? How many people have phones large enough so that your keypad is well out of your clear vision as you watch the text appear on the display? I can't imagine typing blind on any one of these tic-tac keyed smart phones out there, unless I want to type gibberish.

This is true.

But the bigger picture is what Apple is becoming. A consumer-based electronics firm, abandoning it's traditional market strongholds in the process.

 

[meagain]

Gosh guys! Reminds me of the Chipmunks in the cartoon. The sky is not falling! The level of worry and anticipation of doom here is increasing by the hour. Getting used to the keyboard? I'm sure it'll be fine. Heck, when I switched to Mac 6 months ago, even using the mouse to close a window in the left-hand corner was a trip for me. Now of course I don't know any other way.

I'm sure everything will be fine. I'm going on faith that Apple knows what they're doing here and wouldn't release a disaster or anything close to a disaster. And OK, so they didn't announce new iMacs or a 1 pound paper thin MBP. So? They're still in the computer business guys. Patience.

Deep breath - group hug.

 

[nagromme]

I really love your comment. You are spot-on. Apple is too smart to let Walt have a loose tongue before the launch. So if he says something, he will be cautious to not get the wrath of Jobs. Also, what he said may just help iPhone in the end if he reverts his position. Still, whether he gets used to the keyboard or not, from his cautioned estimate, people should already know what they will be buying and therefore should not complain too much later!

(Jut randomly picking out one of many such comments--not trying to play favorites.)

People are seriously THAT convinced that the WSJ / Walt Mossberg is taking bribes and/or commands from Apple? Do Walt and the Journal need MORE money even more than they need their reputation? Are both totally lacking in integrity? And we're certain of this, are we?

Mossberg HAS in fact given bad Apple reviews. He tended to be very ANTI-Apple in years past, and in recent years--which have seen better products--he has come around. He still puts down Apple products when he thinks they deserve it, and his good reviews always include complaints as well. In short, he is USUALLY positive about Apple products, not always. It's almost as though he's an honest reviewer ....the kind of honest person who would give an honest answer like the one quoted here. What other answer could be honest? Yet people see it as evidence of bias or even underhanded dealings

He "gets" what makes Apple products good, in ways that many other people get too--and many don't. He's not the only reviewer who often likes Apple products, and when he likes them he gives his reasons without a smokescreen.

People are either repeating the "Walt is biased" thing because they like a good bandwagon ("fanboy" is fun to say too--try it!) or else they truly believe that positive Apple reviews cannot be honest ones.

In fact, of course, they can.

And yet some people will always say that anyone who consistently appreciates Apple products HAS to be dishonest, even when that person frequently points out flaws as well. Sounds like the zealots aren't all on Apple's side after all

 

[buedrow]

Gosh guys! Reminds me of the Chipmunks in the cartoon. The sky is not falling! The level of worry and anticipation of doom here is increasing by the hour. Getting used to the keyboard? I'm sure it'll be fine. Heck, when I switched to Mac 6 months ago, even using the mouse to close a window in the left-hand corner was a trip for me. Now of course I don't know any other way.

I'm sure everything will be fine. I'm going on faith that Apple knows what they're doing here and wouldn't release a disaster or anything close to a disaster. And OK, so they didn't announce new iMacs or a 1 pound paper thin MBP. So? They're still in the computer business guys. Patience.

Deep breath - group hug.

thank you

 

[Glenny2lappies]

How hard would it be to script the proximity sensor to know a finger is close to the phone and magnify the letters like in the dock? I suppose that could even be customizable like the dock as well.

I've often wondered how it will tell the difference between a finger and an ear - especially if it's not placed that close.

 

[Glenny2lappies]

Er, DO you have to use both hands?? can you not hold it in one hand, and then use your thumb?

I think this remains to be seen...

In any case you won't be able to 'feel' for the buttons, so you'll need to look at the screen.

 

[surferfromuk]

In any case you won't be able to 'feel' for the buttons, so you'll need to look at the screen.

When using a standard physical qwerty keyboard each key is identical in feeling to the fingertip the only clue that your not typing garbage is that your eyes see what your writing.

The feel of a 'physical' push is irrelevant to the quality of information appearing before your eyes.

Let's face it mobile phones suck - typing with a numeric keypad and predictive text selection is the crapest way of writing ever and barely worth the effort.

In fact people may actually start writing again and not talking like 'R U C N Me Tonight ? gr8'

 

[utsava]

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.

If you go back and watch this demo, it seems pretty clear to me the guy just started spelling the word incorrectly. It wasn't like he hit a character right next to the one he wanted. It was a completely different row. I honestly think the guy was nervous and had a brain fart... not that the keyboard was at fault.

 

[Defilla]

Exactly, most people just text with one hand while they are holding the phone. I think the fact that you have to use both hands to type on the iphone might be a big issue.

Pull out your video iPod, hold it in your hand. (video iPod is 2.4" wide, same as the iPhone) Now move your thumb around the surface of the iPod as if you were typing. As you can see you will be able to type with just your thumb, just like you do when your texting on your cell phone. If you want to use two hands you can but you sure as heck don't need to.