3G

[jj]

One of my fave uk sites puts it brilliantly

Linky

I'm not saying the iPhone is the be all, end-all of phones/personal devices.  Not even close really, and yeah, I'd LOVE to be able to do video calling from it, but for me, it's about replacing my currently failing phone, with one that has an interface that I truly believe I'll enjoy using.

Wayne

[jj]

@ Wayne

If you have not already got one then thats fair enough, as I said its all personal choice.  But rushing out to buy a new one when you already got one, just cause its got 3G and a few little extras is nuts if you ask me.

We all know there will eb a new one, with a better a camera or some other upgrade in time for xmas

Cute parody there JJ.  

Just like computers, there's always something better/bigger/faster around the corner.  I would suspect, if anything, that before Christmas they'd release a 32GB or maybe even a 64GB iPhone.  If my current phone holds out for a few more months, I may just wait to buy one but here's the thing...

I paid more than $200 for my current video Ipod, so to me, the idea of combining it with a phone for $200 (or even $300) is rather cool.

Reasons I have decided to buy one..

- comparably priced phone plan with better coverage
- current Moto PEBL is dying
- needed second iPod for the truck anyway.  (put one on bike, put one in truck)
- gets rid of the need to lug the ipod between the bike, the truck, and work.
- adds a portable GPS device that I can use on the bike, replacing the one that's there now, meaning I may be able to sell my Garmin to help subsidize the cost of the phone. (won't know if it's worthy until I get one)

Wayne

JJ wrote:
@ Wayne

If you have not already got one then thats fair enough, as I said its all personal choice.  But rushing out to buy a new one when you already got one, just cause its got 3G and a few little extras is nuts if you ask me

I would absolutely agree.  If I already had an iPhone and had sunk in the initial $400 to $700 to own one (which is insane), I'd never bother considering an upgrade of the hardware.

Wayne

[jj]

IF the GPS on the new iphone is anything like the Nokia GPS, then it wont replace a dedicated sat nav. Its more a handy tool is a pickle rather than something to rely on.

But the Iphone one might kick arse

[LoadWB]

Piru wrote:

I'm only paying $20/mo for unlimited service. That comes to an end once I go 3G, then it's $60/mo

Ouchie. How fast is that 3G? I think 2/1mbit would be something like that around here. [EDIT] Ah, no, it's 46 usd/mo. [/EDIT]

The only reason I'm paying $20/mo is because I am grand-fathered in with an OLD (like five years ago) unlimited plan.  I had the fore-sight back then to know that I would be using data on my phone and a $20 plan would be a wise thing to lock in.  The cheapest data plan AT&T has in the US for unlimited data is around $60/mo, maybe a little less if you have a CrackBerry, but you also pay for the CrackBerry email service.

I'm not sure how fast AT&T's 3G is, 2.1Mb or 3.xMb.  Most of the SonyEricsson 3G phones do UMTS and HSDPA, so we'd be looking at 3.6Mb/s or better.  I can see how that would be nice for remote server admin whether RDP or SSH, but EDGE works well enough for me at around 200kb/s to stick to the $20 plan ;-)  I remind people how, not that long ago, I did admin over dial-up and ISDN.

EDIT: AT&T has made it perfectly clear to me that my $20 plan does not cover 3G.

[Nlandas]

Wayne wrote:

Nlandas wrote:
Steve Jobs is far worse than Bill Gates.

I am quite happy with my free with contract Treo.

How in the bleep could you POSSIBLY come up with the idea that Jobs is worse than Bill Gates???

I had a treo (650) once.  Was even asked to write a review on it and couldn't bother because I had ZERO nice to say about it.  Couldn't stand the thing.  

It kept mysteriously turning the phone off every time it lost digital signal.  Palm said "thanks for the money" and refused to even bother looking at it.  

Wayne

Easily, read some history from people who have dealt with Steve Jobs in the business industry. He stole most of his "good" ideas as well. He's also lied for years to sell his product. The term, "Snake Oil salesman" comes to mind.

Treo 650, hmmmm, don't know I had the Treo 600 and 680. There were some bugs in the battery meter on the 680 that were a pain. I did cut Palm a lot of slack on that one but Apple isn't any better. We've dealt with flaws in iPods, iPhones, Macs, etc. Apple takes the same stance. "Pound Salt."

-Nyle

[Nlandas]

All you iPhone people take a close look at the extra contract cost on the new iPhone. Guess what, the hardware may be cheaper but on average you're looking at a lot of additional data contract charges.

There is the smooth marketing ploys again.

LOOK! The new iPhone, LESS EXPENSIVE than ever before.

      Just don't look at the fine print okay.

-Nyle

Fortune.com ->

"The average iPhone user however, runs up a $100 tab each month due to the higher priced data and calling plan. This would give AT&T an even quicker payback on its $200 outlay. But AT&T doesn’t get to keep all the money it collects from its iPhone users. Unlike most other phonemakers (but like BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIMM)) Apple has a revenue-sharing arrangement that requires telcos like AT&T to pay somewhere between 9% and 25% of the money collected each month from iPhone users."

[motorollin]

Nlandas wrote:
All you iPhone people take a close look at the extra contract cost on the new iPhone. Guess what, the hardware may be cheaper but on average you're looking at a lot of additional data contract charges.

There are no additional charges in the UK. The tariffs are exactly the same as they are with the original iPhone. They have also added a cheaper option at £30 per month (£5 less than the previous cheapest) which has reduced inclusive minutes and text messages. All UK tariffs for the iPhone have unlimited data - there are no additional data charges.

--
moto

[Oliver]

I used old Apple products a lot, when I had no choice. Had some good points, but so many bad points.

I didn't use Apple for a number of years, and was really looking forward to using OSX. I have had to provide support for OSX quite a bit over the past year, and I have to say it is one of the worst computing experiences of my life.

I think the main good thing that Apple has done recently, is their user interfaces. They have not been in teh least bit innovative with their fundamental technologies. They have done some interfaces which a lot of people can feel comfortable with. I think the iPhone interface is great. However, I have no problem with a more complicated, low cost interface for the same functionality.

Unfortunately, the OSX interface cripples some good underlying technology. I have found so many problems with the automated, and high level behaviour of the OS, that I really can't stand to use it. In particular, OSX's attempts to manage network protocols is just simply wrong, and wrong in some really fundamental ways. As a communications engineer, this really pissed me off when I had to use some OSX machines on various networks. I don't know how the programmers could get away with screwing it up in that way. Being Apple, of course, they make it painful to override anything the OS decides is right.

I also can't stand the current finder. POS.

I need low level access in any machine I use, as I invariably make my machines do non standard things. This is not impossible with OSX, but it is painful.

The alternative OS products have their problems too, but they are much easier for me to work around.

Meh. Apple is a great marketing machine, and has had some great interface design work, but just way too painful for me to work with.

edit- I should qualify my comments by saying that I think Apple products can be really excellent for users who use their technology in very standard ways, that the Apple designers intended them for. This includes use of particular software and hardware. However, I believe that a computer should be flexible, and Apple have never provided ease of flexibility - they make one work too hard for it.

[Nlandas]

motorollin wrote:

Nlandas wrote:
All you iPhone people take a close look at the extra contract cost on the new iPhone. Guess what, the hardware may be cheaper but on average you're looking at a lot of additional data contract charges.

There are no additional charges in the UK.

Must be the Apple minions are smarter in the UK. The AT&T model is going to charge more for data. Just be sure to read the full contract with the new iPhone.

[Nlandas]

Quick tip but for all your iPhone updates, if you don't already visit here - Gizmodo.

They cover every little tidbit in gory detail.

[amigadave]

@Nlandas,

You sound like someone that just has an axe to grind with Apple and would not be satisfied with anything they do, hence your comments are not objective.  You don't like Apple and Steve Jobs, fine, that is your choice, but you are not going to convince me that Apple/Steve Jobs is evil and must be avoided in all instances.

@Oliver,

I agree that Apple products are not for everyone, and particularly not for the geek squad that has the technical smarts to want low level control of every electronic gadget they own, but you are in the minority and most people want Apple or Microsoft to control how their computers, printers, mp3 players, stereos, video cameras, still digital cameras, TVs, etc. work and communicate with each other.  As I wrote before, most of us just want all those items to work as advertized without hardly any user intervention.  We just want to use them without having to struggle configuring this or that to enjoy them or accomplish a task that the tool was intended to do for us.

Look at why most of the world has chose an inferior product like Windows for so long.  Partly it was that they could not cope with the alternatives that took more knowledge and expertise that only people like yourself had learned.  If everyone was like you, Linux would have over taken Windows by now.  It looks just as nice as Windows, works with most hardware, but not all, provides almost all the functionality of Windows and it is FREE


Apple understands the fact that most people don't want to tinker with and configure their computers and they cater to that, they have no intention of trying to change to satisfy the small group of computer users that want to alter the way the system works.  They are targeting the masses and use any marketing they can to attract more market share, including claims that are not completely accurate at times, but that is true of almost every company out there of any kind, they all exaggerate some time.  Don't blame them for being better at marketing lies to those that don't know better.

Back on topic, I think the 3G iPhone looks like a great product and plan to get one as soon as I can because I think it will fit well into my lifestyle and work well with my laptop, iPod, Carputer and soon my Dell tower if I can Hack-intosh it, or as the iPhone comes standard, I believe it will still integrate with a Windows PC as well as my other Macs.  As I stated before, I want simplicity and ease of use when it comes to my cell phone and mobile PDA/mp3 player/web enabled device.  I have not seen or heard of any other product that does what the 3G iPhone can, so it is an easy decision for me, specially with the price drop that puts it at or below other smart phones out there.

[persia]

Well we've been waiting for the Openmoko Freerunner but that costs twice as much and is six months late...

Nlandas wrote:
Must be the Apple minions are smarter in the UK. The AT&T model is going to charge more for data. Just be sure to read the full contract with the new iPhone.

... and how do you know that, considering neither the phone, nor the plan have been made public yet?