July 1, 2007
Typing can spell trouble for the iPhone
So my second impressions of my iphone are about the same as my first.
- Typed on my Blackberry handheld.
A my awxpms impresiima of my iPhone we sour rw saw amy diats.
- The same sentence typed on my iPhone.
Yes, I still can’t get used to this keyboard even after watching the video about using it on the Apple site. It does advise using one finger at first, rather than two thumbs, but I can’t work that way and in some applications you can’t switch the orientation to get a wider keyboard.
What else? I’m still not enamoured with Web browsing, which I hoped would be the killer app for this phone. I’m still using the slower Edge network - the iPhone won’t work with my home wi-fi network, even though I’ve a dozen other devices that have configured themselves without a hitch.
When browsing, the web page itself is initially too small and, while touching it to magnify it, it’s very easy to click another link and go sailing off somewhere else. In hope rather than expectation, I clicked on a link to some cricket commentary. Needless to say, it did not work, as Windows Media Player and Real Player plug-ins are not included.
Apple, in its proprietary way, has complete control of the experience. So the approved Yahoo weather and stock ticker icons work okay along with Google’s YouTube and Maps, but don’t expect to be listening to unfettered internet radio on this device any time soon or any non-approved video sites.
I am planning to return the iPhone once I’ve finished reviewing it. I was not planning to buy one for personal use and, after trying it out, still feel the same way. While Apple offers a superior user experience, it doesn’t give me the freedom to create my own.
Apple is ignoring the Web 2.0 trend of sharing and self-expression. It doesn’t even allow its owners to make their own ringtones from a favourite song or buy a third party’s.
It is also Version 1.0 and has too many features lacking right now - GPS, more memory, 3G wireless, instant messaging, no memory card slots to name a few.
The iPhone is beautiful, but just not my type. The best thing it has done is to raise the bar for every other handset maker to come up with a better phone.
Had a good laugh reading this post - reminded me of the time the Newton was spoofed in The Simpsons because the handwriting recognition was so bad.
Apple doesn’t know how to let people customise the use of their products to their own needs - it’s comething Nokia learnt very early on with changeable covers, ringtones, screensavers etc.
Having been an avid (and naive) fan of the Newton in its time, I can safely say that I wouldn’t touch this phone until it his version 3 - that’s what happened with the Newton (but they killed it just when it became great) - call me in 2011 when iPhone 3.0 hits the shelves - it will be a kickass product.
Posted by: Craig Cesman | July 2nd, 2007 at 11:06 am | Report this commentChris isn’t doing his homework and may be biased. My 12 year old daughter was easily able to set up the iPhone. Not only did she help me activate, she migrated her contacts, favorites, music and photos. By replying positively to the iPhones request to join the home wireless network, she had access to the internet at broadband speed.
Unlike Chris, I can imagine getting my corporte email on this device. The display on the iPhone makes email much easier to read the the Blackberry I currently use. Chris should also look to the math - corporate users like me will figure out that there is a substantial savings to the monthly charges on the iPhone in comparison to Blackberry service.
I’m not looking for games. I’m looking for serious business tools and recognize significant advantages offer today by the iPhone (bigger display, smaller size, access to broadband, integration with MS Exchange without proprietary servers).
Please provide an unbiased review Chris. Connect the iPhone you are testing to your corporate email and compare ease of reading and use to a blackberry. Do this on a wireless lan and see which is faster.
Posted by: Phil | July 2nd, 2007 at 11:49 pm | Report this commentI like reading the FT but am quite surprised to find a very shortsighted review that between the lines is biased let alone not very insightful. I am not a mac zealot and think that a review should be as objective as possible hence I expected more of a reporter of the FT. So please give it another try and provide your reader base with in depth review that as least has not the tendency of being biased.
Posted by: Waldorf | July 3rd, 2007 at 8:50 pm | Report this commentPlease, if it’s ‘needless to say’, don’t say it.
Posted by: cleerview | July 3rd, 2007 at 9:06 pm | Report this commentI’m mystified as to why anyone should think this review biased. An article isn’t biased just because you don’t agree with what it says. Comments here appear to me to be fairly typical of the way Apple people respond to every piece of criticism. It’s a sort of technological fundamentalism.
Posted by: Ben Hunt | July 4th, 2007 at 12:13 pm | Report this commentDear Ben Hunt. What I am saying that the article is considered unfair towards the iPhone if you read between the lines, this is reflected in word choices and use of sentences. What I am merely saying is that a review should be fair and square. The iPhone is not the holy grail nor should Apple fanatics see it that way. In all fairness it is overhyped, that’s why a sound review is required and this isn’t one for me. It is a shame you jump to conclusions and make comparisons with technological fundamentalist.
Posted by: Waldorf | July 5th, 2007 at 8:49 pm | Report this commentI’m not planning a full review of the iPhone, there are already plenty out there and I’ll leave this to our regular reviewer Paul Taylor. I was trying to provide a quick first impression from a business user’s perspective and if expressing personal preferences is being biased, then biased I am. I know our IT department does not support the iPhone, so I cannot comment on its usefulness for email. I do feel quite strongly, and think I should have realised before, that the full Web experience is unrealistic on a screen of this size and I’m now puzzled why Apple tried to offer this. Rather than highlighting full-featured web pages, I feel it should have worked with partners on the mobile scaled-down versions of websites, which are more practical in terms of reading but could be made more visually appealing.
Posted by: Chris Nuttall | July 6th, 2007 at 9:04 pm | Report this commentLooks like I stepped into a pretty heated discussion! I agree with Ben Hunt, just because someone doesn’t like something and you do not agree does not give you reason to say they are biased. He is writing his own opinion on the iPhone, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I have to agree that it looks like a sweet phone, but it most definitely is just hype.
Posted by: MN Web Design | July 11th, 2007 at 3:11 pm | Report this comment