On August 1 2007, I published an article called "My Month with the iPhone" wherein I examined the iPhone's now well-known advantages and deficiencies and speculated extensively on where Apple was likely to take the phone, development-wise. Now that the new iPhone and the iPhone 2.0 software have been out for a few weeks, and there's been a whole new storm of praise and gripes raging, I thought it would be illuminating for me to re-visit my prognostications and take my lumps.
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Member since:2005-04-01
2.0.1 is a very worthwhile upgrade and does a lot to fix interface lag, it seems. The first gen phones on 1.1.4 were really tight. In time, 2.0 will get that way too.
As for sweaty hands, you really need a special anti-glare sheet for the iphone. It prevents fingerprints, etc and feels better on the fingers anyway.
Member since:2005-07-08
I don't have sweaty hands, but I've had hard time understanding why so many people seem to get excited by touchscreen technology in general nowadays? How much is it just a new cool looking toy to those who tend to get excited by fashionable new tech in general? Or are touchscreens really better in their usability than good keyboards and buttons?
You know, there might have been and may still be quite good usability reasons why in many (most?) cases people have preferred to use clear buttons and keyboards instead of (unclear?) touchscreens when controlling machines and technology.
Member since:2005-06-29
It's mostly the "wow" factor I think, though the multitouch -- especially in some games on the iPhone -- is really intuitive. For example, there's a free Mahjongg game that uses nearly every multitouch gesture to control the game board, which makes it much easier to zoom in and focus on a particular part of the board.
That said, I really miss my Treo's hardware keyboard at times; I'm still not as fast on the iPhone even though it has adequate word correction. Also, I'm a touch typist and I type all day at work, so I'm used to using both hands and getting peaks of 90 WPM. with the Treo I could use both thumbs and got about 25-30 WPM on a good day. On the iPhone it's one finger only unless I'm in Safari and landscape mode and even then I only get about 10-12 WPM. The lack of tactile feedback is also a major issue; I find myself constantly looking back and forth from the keyboard to the input area so I can watch where I put my fingers. With the Treo I got good at sliding my thumbs across the keys without even looking, subconsciously counting the dimples just as I do the frets and strings when I play guitar.
Yes, it's a cool toy, and I've just about come to the conclusion that it will never be more than a toy to me. It's just not enough phone for my needs, and while I enjoy the ability to watch video and listen to music wherever I go, there are more durable and less frustrating phones out there that do so with less restrictions on file format to boot. I think I'll end up with a Nokia N-Series phone in the near future, and this bad boy will go on the auction block.
Member since:2005-07-06
touchscreen aren't new, but the interesting point of the iPhone is that you're expected to use it with your finger instead of a stupid pointer.
So of course, it feels much more natural.
That said, I doubt that the iPhone is better for writing SMS or email that phones which have a keyboard.
Member since:2005-07-06
Well I was kind of skeptical as well until I got a chance to play with an iPod touch for 45 minutes. While I'm in no way ready to declare the death of hardware buttons, it really needs to be said that Apple's particular touch screen solution really does work. They really did nail it. Especially for browsing the web it worked far better than I expected.
That being said my dream iPhone would still have some sort of sliding out hardware qwerty keyboard, but I in no way consider it a necessity.
Member since:2005-06-29
I'm going to be completely honest. My biggest gripe with my iPhone, beyond the freezing and corrupted backups, beyond the apps that don't work as advertised (or at all), beyond the need to reboot the phone at least once daily since 2.0 was installed...
My biggest gripe is how delicate it is. I've dropped it about 10 times in the five months I've owned it, and every time I do a vision of glass shattering and flying everywhere flashes before my eyes. So far, I've gotten off with a couple of scratches on the metal back and a short but deep scratch on the glass just above the active part of the screen. The day will come, however, when it will be destroyed by my active lifestyle. I agonized for months about getting one because I knew how hard I was on phones. I finally bought it when the Nokia N73 I was considering instead, sold out at all the retailers with the best prices (i.e. less than $400).
And no, I'm not going to get a belt case for it. I don't wear a belt and I'm not going to start wearing one just for a phone, no matter how expensive the device is. Besides, past experience with phone clips and cases on my work phone tells me it would just get knocked into doorways and scrubbed on file cabinets anyway.
I really, really wish Casio would make a GSM version of the G'zOne. The new Boulder edition of that one is the toughest "feature phone" I've ever come across. Throw Symbian on it and make it GSM and it'll be my phone for the next five years or more.
Member since:2005-07-07
Member since:2007-05-12
The last two sentences don't seem to support your "biggest gripe". If your phone got away with just a few scratches after being dropped 10 times, that would mean it is not all that delicate, wouldn't it.
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:
2005-06-29
On a more serious note though, we Dutch finally got iPhone'd, and withint a few moments, the 5 iPhones Apple allocated to The Netherlands were sold out, and now there's a waiting list of 4 weeks.
I sneaked to my friendly neighbourhood Apple dealer, and I played for a short while with the 3G iPhone they had in the shop. It didn't blow me away or anything (it takes a whole lot to wow me) but I was still pretty much impressed. I totally hated the touchscreen bit (I generally have slightly sweaty hands, so do the math), but I think I could get used to it. The animations were nice, everything was fast, and overall, I was impressed.