Nikki Baby - 18 July 2008 08:43 PM

I don’t understand all the fuss. I have the iphone just cause it’s the last but only the 8gb. I can’t even fill up the memory half way. To the average american the 3 G is so much memory. Unless you are total business person or a music fanatic then the 3G really isn’t that big. What’s next a 16G? It’s just memory.

3G is not memory size, but network on which the phone operates. I stayed away from the IPhone, its Apple. I’m more of a Microsoft fan. I have had two Windows smart devices {Motorola Q} and currently the XV6900. It is the Vzw version of the IPhone. Instead of the static touch like IPhone, it is pressure sensitive. I can have GPS but I have a stand-alone unit for that. Basically I like it for the Office Mobile, the touch screen keyboard took some time to adjust to, but Word/Excel in my pocket is lovely. Apparently I’m not the average American either, I create and delete 3GB a day. If not more, I understand the miscommunication with that though.

The whole iPhone “3G” thing drives me insane. I’ve used the device, as well as the iPod Touch, and I’ll give apple credit for usability but not much else. The saddest thing about it is that there is very little that is actually new about either iPhone. It managed to make great use of it, but it wasn’t the first multi-touch device, wasn’t the first device with a capable web browser, wasn’t the first device with flick-scrolling capability, wasn’t the first device with music/video/youtube playback and, sadly, wasn’t the first device with all of these things combined. Interestingly enough, it seems everybody I’ve met who has one seems to think that it’s so “new” since apple has such a phenomenal marketing department. It’s like they have this uncanny ability to make people feel smart just because they bought an apple product, which is a pretty interesting approach, but when you combine that with all of the road-bumps people seem to be forgetting about and apple’s vehement fascism over “consumer choice” (like the “we choose what you can and can’t install” App Store or the exclusivity with AT&T;to name a few, and I’ve got more) it’s hard for me to say anyone should feel smart about getting one. Not to say people should feel stupid for it, if you use it and you like it, then it’s money-well-spent.

The latest thing that really blows my mind is how much attention they gathered on the fact that the new one was 3G… really?! Sorry, but every phone I’ve owned for the last 4.5 years has had 3G internet and I’m even talking about those “this is a free with a new plan” phones. It’s not even remotely close to new technology, in fact it’s becoming outdated; rather than all the hoopla about the new one supporting 3G, I’d rather know why people had to spend so much on the last one if it didn’t have it.

Sorry for the rant, I’m not anti-apple, anti-ms or anti-linux, there’s just a time and a place for everything and the majority of people who think their apple products are superior aren’t able to do anything that other consumers can’t and chances are other consumers can do things they can’t. My phone, as an example, also supports remote desktop, installs any app I tell it to, shares it’s internet through BlueTooth, WiFi or USB, supports voice commands, works with any $5 mini-USB cable/charger, doubles as a jump-drive on machines that aren’t set up to sync with it, identifies music by listening to it, plays all the music/video formats iPhone does plus ones it doesn’t and supports A2DP stereo headsets, which iPhone/iPod Touch apparently didn’t think were important… I got it 2 years before the iPhone came out and I’m looking to replace it. Did I mention my battery life is better and I can even carry a spare if I want? I also don’t pay a different price for the same services I had, but wasn’t as able to utilize, on my former devices and I can take mine with me to different companies without tampering with it; I just don’t understand how somebody is going to tell me what I can and can’t do with something I own… it seems kinda like going to a strip-club, sure you can spend a lot of money there, but unless you just want to look at pretty things, you can’t actually do what you want (risky reference, I know, just take it for the analogy, not an expression of character), and let’s be honest, you can look at prettier things for free.

In short, Apple has amazing marketing for consumer devices… some companies actually have amazing devices. That said, I won’t/don’t think you’re stupid for getting one, I mean look at it: that’s one sexy device with a really easy interface, kinda like a coach bag or some Tiffany’s earrings, sometimes people buy things because they look good. I also find the storage size to be impressive for the size of the device, though it’s not the only phone with that storage anymore they were a bit groundbreaking for that (just like their huge iPods).

Let’s be honest.  The reason you get an iPhone is because it is SEXY!  I wanted to be able to access the internet whenever I want, and yes, there are many phones out there that have that capability.  But for me, it was worth the money to have such a fun to use, sleek and sexy phone.

Lauren - 17 September 2008 08:17 PM

Let’s be honest.  The reason you get an iPhone is because it is SEXY!  I wanted to be able to access the internet whenever I want, and yes, there are many phones out there that have that capability.  But for me, it was worth the money to have such a fun to use, sleek and sexy phone.

Point well made; anybody who buys an iPhone knowing that it provides no revolutionary functionality, but rather because they prefer its sexy appearances is ok by me (I can definitely admit to the beauty of the device, Apple is great at appearances), its just the people who think they have the latest greatest thing that I think are confused :).