"The reason everyone's going crazy over the iPhone is because it's been released by apple."
I beg to differ. Apple releases products all the time that don't get nearly this much press or attention. AppleTV is a perfect example. AppleTV is a decent product, but nobody camped out in front of Apple Stores before it was released.
Let's keep in mind that there are millions of people who are getting ready to throw out their old cell phones for an iPhone. There's much more to it than branding here. Reputation, maybe. But, it's not like the iPhone doesn't deliver on the interface. It's got that down pat.
I don't think anyone can answer why they didn't deliver all of the easy-to-add features in the world on initial delivery of the product. The only thing I can think of is that they're going to offer those "easy-to-add" enhancements with regular software updates via iTunes. Time will tell.
Yeah but stuff like GPS and 3g cant be added by software updates (though apparently 3g will be added for europe?)
I also dont think that apple TV has been quite so long awaited as the iPhone which probably helps towards the press, but good point.
<satire mode>Bloody thing does not have a corkscrew for opening wine bottles, stupid Apple, can't they get anything right, oh and it doesn't even have a toe-nail clipper and I could go on but I won't but I'm sure someone else will.</satire mode>
Perhaps the reason why everyone's going crazy over the iPhone is that it appears to be the first phone on this planet that's actually simple and a pleasure to use. You'd think the geniuses at Nokia and Sony Ericsson would have figured out how to do that after making phones for so long.
I worked a stint as tech support for a cable TV company. I've often told customers while struggling through on-screen menus punching random buttons to try to get to the autoprogram function, or to change the language back to English, that 'the problem with TVs and VCRs is that they are designed by engineers, so it takes an engineer to understand them.'
The iPhone is remarkable because it was not desgined by engineers--it was designed by artisans. Leonardo DeVincis of our time.
The strange thing about that is that Nokia phones used to be exceptionally easy to use - for some reason when they moved to series 60 they lost a load of options on the menus that made perfect sense. I also think that the Sony Ericsson interfaces have come a LONG way in recent times - my last couple of phones have been SE's and their interface is actually pretty intuitive now. I'm considering going back to Nokia purely because SE have no 'good' phones out on the market but i'm not sure i can live without the SE interface. Stuff does what you expect it to do. I even recommended SE phones to my friends who are considerably less technically minded than me and they agree entirely that they're cracking phones to use.
Obviously it's easier to make interfaces on touch screen (particularly multitouch) devices FAR more accessible, intuitive, and generally nicer to use.
If someone promises the world they'd best deliver. That's all I'm saying. When I said earlier in the thread that they were calling the iPhone revolutionary I was rebuked. Well, they were calling it revolutionary. Even says so in the video linked earlier on. As I've said before. Wonderful software let down by bad hardware.
The data rates are high, yes, I hate to think what they will be in Australia when the iPhone arrives. Blame that on the greedy service providers and unscrupulous marketing people.
I don't care what anybody says, nobody really has email on their "smart phone" and nobody has a web browser either. It's like saying Moses had desktop publishing when he was handed the ten commandments!
I have lots of fancy features on my Nokia and my wife has too on her Motorola, but do we use them? No, why? Because the bloody interface sucks. Go more than 2 weeks without using a particular feature and you forget how to get to it. Nothing is intuitive, sub-menu after sub-menu. Selecting a profile and editing it are in two entirely separate sections... and I can't even pull my Nokia out of its holster without accidentally activating the camera or the PTT feature... ah why do I bother.
Ask this question, the technology used by the iPhone isn't all that new, it's not top-secret, it's not out of the reach of other, more experienced phone makers. Why did it take a company like Apple with its first dive into an entirely new product to come up with this gem?
I know the answer, it's a (dare I say it?) a basic mentality that says "make the consumer bend over and jump through hoops to use our product". Make them change their ways and adapt, we dictate they follow.
The Apple approach is to give us products that work the way we think already. Adapt the technology to the people, not the other way around, simple really, but attitude is hard to change, especially when consumers out there are happy to sit back and be lead by a ring in their nose.
Talk about simplicity, a simple, elegant but intelligent interface that morphs into different input modes depending on the current use.
Look at MP3 players before the iPod, bloody switches and sliders all over the place, no wonder they didn't take off. I use my Nano on a lanyard under my shirt and I can operate it with one finger through the gap between two button holes without even looking at the screen.
Yes the iPhone is an innovation and anyone saying different is getting distracted by side issues, talking through their nether region or both.
"I don't care what anybody says, nobody really has email on their "smart phone" and nobody has a web browser either. It's like saying Moses had desktop publishing when he was handed the ten commandments!" That is a absolutely stupid thing to say. It was never full HTML e-mail but I never missed that. I could still view attachments and write replies. Thats e-mail to me. I dont know how you have problems with the interface of a Nokia. Theyre not as pretty as the iPhone but theyre perfectly intuitive.
It took a company like Apple to use the technology first because they were new to the game. They needed something big to get into the market. # #Nobody has said the iPhone isn't innovative. In fact, if you actually use your eyes and read we've said it is and that the interface is brilliant. We've only criticised some of the hardware decisions. If you weren 't such a blind fanboy you'd understand that we're criticising because of the high bar Apple have set themserlves with their hype of the product. The iPhone has so much promise but right now it isn't delivering how it could. They call if an 8gb model but when 700meg is taken up by the OS you've got to wonder about value. At least Microsoft Mobile software is a lot smaller. A LOT Smaller. Never had any\
I'm going to backpeddle on the price issue. it's not in the same price range as other phones as I said before, because I totally forgot that with the $500/$600 price of the iPhone, you automatically get a two year contract with AT&T for at least $60/month. If you'd get a phone like the N95 you'd get a nice discount with a $60/80/100 plan. And I totally forgot to take that into account.
I don't know about other countries but in the UK if you sign up for a contract you get the phone at a hefty discount, quite often free. I'm wondering what'll happen with the iPhone here. Steve Jobs doesn't have anywhere near as much clout in Europe as he does the US so I'm betting/hoping that the same rules will apply. I want to change from Orange anyway. Their 3G access is shockingly slow for me.
All those who buy the iPhone must activate it via iTunes, so no-one was able to call from their new handset as they left the Apple store....errr...how fucking annoying is that?
Nit-picking mate, it's a one-off thing, they'll recover from it eventually. Apparently the first thing that happens after activating the iPhone is a software update (via iTunes) to address last-minute issues (most probably Windows security bugs!). I hear many of the people in line had their MacBooks with them, all they need is a Wi-fi hot-spot, and that "hassle" is overcome too!
To when you're buying an expensive product you look at how flashy it is as opposed to whether it's actually better than what you currently have?
I don't understand your stand here. We've not even been slagging off the iPhone. We've actually been very positive about it, yet you're acting like we've made a dirty protest in your house.
As consumers we're perfectly within our rights to point out the missing factors in a supposedly revolutionary phone. However, to you it seems that Apple is beyond criticism.
@Mini: I don't get this phone activation malarkey. Apple fans slag off Microsoft because you have to activate windows yet they don't mind activating a phone?!?
Comments
Posted: Friday, 29 June 2007 at 7:45AM
The iPhone is remarkable because it was not desgined by engineers--it was designed by artisans. Leonardo DeVincis of our time.
I don't care what anybody says, nobody really has email on their "smart phone" and nobody has a web browser either. It's like saying Moses had desktop publishing when he was handed the ten commandments!
I have lots of fancy features on my Nokia and my wife has too on her Motorola, but do we use them? No, why? Because the bloody interface sucks. Go more than 2 weeks without using a particular feature and you forget how to get to it. Nothing is intuitive, sub-menu after sub-menu. Selecting a profile and editing it are in two entirely separate sections... and I can't even pull my Nokia out of its holster without accidentally activating the camera or the PTT feature... ah why do I bother.
Ask this question, the technology used by the iPhone isn't all that new, it's not top-secret, it's not out of the reach of other, more experienced phone makers. Why did it take a company like Apple with its first dive into an entirely new product to come up with this gem?
I know the answer, it's a (dare I say it?) a basic mentality that says "make the consumer bend over and jump through hoops to use our product". Make them change their ways and adapt, we dictate they follow.
The Apple approach is to give us products that work the way we think already. Adapt the technology to the people, not the other way around, simple really, but attitude is hard to change, especially when consumers out there are happy to sit back and be lead by a ring in their nose.
Talk about simplicity, a simple, elegant but intelligent interface that morphs into different input modes depending on the current use.
Look at MP3 players before the iPod, bloody switches and sliders all over the place, no wonder they didn't take off. I use my Nano on a lanyard under my shirt and I can operate it with one finger through the gap between two button holes without even looking at the screen.
Yes the iPhone is an innovation and anyone saying different is getting distracted by side issues, talking through their nether region or both.
Posted: Saturday, 30 June 2007 at 8:28AM
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2152814,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121
I dont know how you have problems with the interface of a Nokia. Theyre not as pretty as the iPhone but theyre perfectly intuitive.
It took a company like Apple to use the technology first because they were new to the game. They needed something big to get into the market.
#
#Nobody has said the iPhone isn't innovative. In fact, if you actually use your eyes and read we've said it is and that the interface is brilliant. We've only criticised some of the hardware decisions. If you weren 't such a blind fanboy you'd understand that we're criticising because of the high bar Apple have set themserlves with their hype of the product. The iPhone has so much promise but right now it isn't delivering how it could. They call if an 8gb model but when 700meg is taken up by the OS you've got to wonder about value. At least Microsoft Mobile software is a lot smaller. A LOT Smaller. Never had any\
Posted: Monday, 2 July 2007 at 7:37AM
This is what really matters!
Posted: Monday, 2 July 2007 at 7:50AM
Apparently the first thing that happens after activating the iPhone is a software update (via iTunes) to address last-minute issues (most probably Windows security bugs!).
I hear many of the people in line had their MacBooks with them, all they need is a Wi-fi hot-spot, and that "hassle" is overcome too!
Posted: Monday, 2 July 2007 at 9:09AM