Apple Phone: They had me at "Scrolling"...

[hambone1]

This is a very innovative device but Jobs has overlooked one huge marketing detail... this is gonna be an iPod killer! Who's gonna pay $400 for an iPod Video now?

I'll certainly hang on before upgrading my still-working Gen 2 iPod, especially if the iPhone will use the ever-growing (up to 64GB now... where will it end?) RAM cards.

[genshi]

And to Kabuki the biggest basher, if Jobs said he wasn't going to make a PDA (even though Apple had one of the earlist PDAs with the Newton), he probably meant a straight-forward PDA because he knew that cellphones and PDAs would eventually converge and that's why he waited to make the iPhone. Most people don't buy PDAs anymore because Smartphones can cover those needs, and the iPhone is the next evolutionary step...

Looks like you are the idiot, Ms. Genshi. Read the thread title: Never said I didn't like the iPhone. I never said anything that wasn't true and straight from Jobs mouth. As far as "bashing" goes, I think I have a very valid point in their choosing to partner with anyone. If they partnered with T-Mobile, my service, I would think it incredibly foolish as well. I love the product. I think it is possibly the biggest technical innovation since the laptop (iPods, after all, eren't really very necessary, just really cool). But a spade is a spade. Even Jobs is wrong from time to time (multi-button mice, PDAs) as well as right (GUI design, iPods, UNIX kernel-based OS).

He got the product very right this time. Way right.

He got the "Partnership" part wrong. WAY wrong.

period.

No again, you missed my point. If he said he's not going to do a PDA then he probably meant he's not going to do another Newton like PDA. And he didn't. He made a cellphone. And yes, it happens to have PDA-like functions (as all cellphones and smartphones have now) and iPod functionality. But even if he changed his mind and did a straight-ahead PDA, why are YOU blaming him and calling him an asshole for that? You're basically saying he's an asshole for wanting to make cool products and he's making non-Cingular customers less valued!? Give me a break!

As for the Cingular thing, many new phones are usually (initially) exclusives to one provider in the beginning (which I've already explained in-depth) but in this case it was nessacary due to the visual-voicemail feature. This has to be done at the provider level and Apple can't go around to every provider demaning that they change their whole voicemail system just for his iPhone, thus, the iPhone will most likely NEVER come unlocked (but hopefully, maybe a possiblility someday.) And since he had to choose one provider, he might as well choose the one that has the largest network in the U.S. so the most amount of people can use the phone. Sounds like good business to me. So no, Steve Jobs didn't get it WAY wrong, you got Steve WAY wrong!

Sounds like you are just bitter because you are stuck in another contract... oh wait, you are blaming Steve Jobs for locking people into a contract and yet you are stuck in another contract with another provider? Poor little Miss Kabuki...

[robin]

This is a very innovative device but Jobs has overlooked one huge marketing detail... this is gonna be an iPod killer! Who's gonna pay $400 for an iPod Video now?

I'll certainly hang on before upgrading my still-working Gen 2 iPod, especially if the iPhone will use the ever-growing (up to 64GB now... where will it end?) RAM cards.

No cards, it's hardwired.

[robin]

I'll put down a 10$ bet on it being an ARM device, though. Just seems like the natural choice.

Yeah dual ARM-class processors (from Intel).

[kabuki]

And to Kabuki the biggest basher, if Jobs said he wasn't going to make a PDA (even though Apple had one of the earlist PDAs with the Newton), he probably meant a straight-forward PDA because he knew that cellphones and PDAs would eventually converge and that's why he waited to make the iPhone. Most people don't buy PDAs anymore because Smartphones can cover those needs, and the iPhone is the next evolutionary step...

Looks like you are the idiot, Ms. Genshi. Read the thread title: Never said I didn't like the iPhone. I never said anything that wasn't true and straight from Jobs mouth. As far as "bashing" goes, I think I have a very valid point in their choosing to partner with anyone. If they partnered with T-Mobile, my service, I would think it incredibly foolish as well. I love the product. I think it is possibly the biggest technical innovation since the laptop (iPods, after all, eren't really very necessary, just really cool). But a spade is a spade. Even Jobs is wrong from time to time (multi-button mice, PDAs) as well as right (GUI design, iPods, UNIX kernel-based OS).

He got the product very right this time. Way right.

He got the "Partnership" part wrong. WAY wrong.

period.

No again, you missed my point. If he said he's not going to do a PDA then he probably meant he's not going to do another Newton like PDA. And he didn't. He made a cellphone. And yes, it happens to have PDA-like functions (as all cellphones and smartphones have now) and iPod functionality. But even if he changed his mind and did a straight-ahead PDA, why are YOU blaming him and calling him an asshole for that? You're basically saying he's an asshole for wanting to make cool products and he's making non-Cingular customers less valued!? Give me a break!

As for the Cingular thing, many new phones are usually (initially) exclusives to one provider in the beginning (which I've already explained in-depth) but in this case it was nessacary due to the visual-voicemail feature. This has to be done at the provider level and Apple can't go around to every provider demaning that they change their whole voicemail system just for his iPhone, thus, the iPhone will most likely NEVER come unlocked (but hopefully, maybe a possiblility someday.) And since he had to choose one provider, he might as well choose the one that has the largest network in the U.S. so the most amount of people can use the phone. Sounds like good business to me. So no, Steve Jobs didn't get it WAY wrong, you got Steve WAY wrong!

Sounds like you are just bitter because you are stuck in another contract... oh wait, you are blaming Steve Jobs for locking people into a contract and yet you are stuck in another contract with another provider? Poor little Miss Kabuki...

My point about the PDA was that eventually Jobs flips and does what he said he wouldn't do (including the mouse). My contract will be up in 6 months, but I like my service, so I won't be switching.

If we look at all the amazing features on this item: Apps, iTunes, Screen, Multitouch, internet, camera... the voicemail feature is at the low end of good things. Having not used it I can't say if it will be all that good or bad, but I can say if I had to, I could definitely go without visual voicemail. If Jobs chose to partner with Cingular because of this one feature, he basically rendered all the others impotent to those on other networks. Because Jobs would rather cut out all the folks on T-Mobile and Verison rather than Disable the one feature on the phone for those folks. I imagine the internet browser uses a bit of bandwidth too, but I have read that the Voicemail feature is the reason Cingular was chosen. Jobs "my way or no way" uncompromising attitude will turn out to hurt Apple, once again. THAT is why he is an asshole.

Bitch.

[kabuki]

Something that just struck me...

We all know Jobs is a control freak. The Clone years were the one time Apple gave up control of product, and it was fixed...

Perhaps, Jobs knows that the weakest link to the phone is the network it will be used on itself, and the iPhone's merits will be guaged on its network performance. Its perfomance will rely solely on that network... so he is going with the best one he sees available. This may prove to work out well for Apple (or not). The flip side of this, is if the iPhone were available to all GSM carriers, the quality issues would fall on each carrier to keep up with the phone and the blame for problems will fall on those networks and not Apple... I vote on the flip side scenario.

Oh, well. Fuck it.

[marky]

Uggghhhh.....

I can't imagine it keeping up the same exponential growth as over the last 4 years.

Yeah I bought Apple stock almost two year ago now, it's been great for me. (gloat gloat)

Someone mentioned earlier that they almost deprecating their smaller iPod products .. this is true, and this is what makes apple a truly amazing company. They are constantly willing to make their own products obsolete (which have massive market share already) to bring in new products. They don't milk their existing products anywhere close to the levels that everyone else does.

[mbenigni]

Am I the only one who thinks its a little weird that everyone is so obsessed with their telephones? A little creepy to see a stadium of people hollering like the Beatles just walked on stage because of a scrollbar? I think the cellphone fetish has gone too far. Maybe I'm just too old to get it, or maybe I'm just turned off by the whole materialism bling thing.

Folks will be bored with that phone a week after they buy it. A cell phone is what you put in your pocket at the beginning of the day so you're wife doesn't yell at you.

[zappen]

what i meant is that is not an innovative or revolutionary device, maybe it is for the mac users because they didn't had any serious pdas by apple lately, basically it's just a pocketpc pda! like the tons of windows mobile pda phones out since years.. the soo cool multitouchscreen doesn't make much sense for me on such small device.
about the os, iphone uses osx as pocketpcs runs windows mobile, where are the news?

[rikhyray]

what i meant is that is not an innovative or revolutionary device, maybe it is for the mac users because they didn't had any serious pdas by apple lately, basically it's just a pocketpc pda! like the tons of windows mobile pda phones out since years.. the soo cool multitouchscreen doesn't make much sense for me on such small device.
about the os, iphone uses osx as pocketpcs runs windows mobile, where are the news?

Sorry, I am not a member of that sect of Jobs . Find that man to be irritating because he is so fake , worse then Billy Gates who at least does not pretend to be kool, whole show was bizzare with those sheeps applauding like some religious sect their leader.
But since i use smartphones and PDA kind of devices from the days of Psion, must say this Iphone is absolutely stunning, years ahead of competition- all that was annoying, irritating frustrating by the current PDAs and smartphones they corrected and turned the whole thing into something that finally works right. Apple really killed Nokia, Ericsson Motorola, unless you use that kind of devices yourself you will never know what Apple achieved, it will take them years to pick up. Definitely it will bring Apple even more profits the iTune Ipod revolution. What us users wished and realistically expect in few years time Apple delivers tomorrow, increadible.
I am truly amazed and hope some of the funds will support the computer section which is doing well anyway. Not more expensive then pc anymore but give more for the money. looks like they do everything right, must check about buying some Apple shares.

[monkeyboy]

Am I the only one who thinks its a little weird that everyone is so obsessed with their telephones? A little creepy to see a stadium of people hollering like the Beatles just walked on stage because of a scrollbar?

Nope, not just you. I found it very, very strange. Like some kind of weird cult thing. And the roar when he announced that it runs OSX. I think I can say for the first time, without irony on an internet forum: WTF!!!!

Its a PHONE! Its not a cure for cancer. Steve Jobs has not just removed world hunger. Its a nice little gadget that looks cool. That is all. I felt slightly sorry for the people in there that were getting all orgasmic over it all. You need to get your priorities straight.

[pgwalsh]

Sorry, I am not a member of that sect of Jobs . Find that man to be irritating because he is so fake , worse then Billy Gates who at least does not pretend to be kool, whole show was bizarre with those sheeps applauding like some religious sect their leader.

Your disdain for Steve Jobs is noted, but he is quite a remarkable person.

He started Apple with Steve Wozinik, the first personal computer company. He founded Next which flopped but was very innovative. Then he did Pixar, which he sold to Disney and when he returned to Apple he completely turned the company around and launched the most successful hand held music device ever. He has an IQ over 220, which is genius level, and fought off cancer while being the CEO of Apple and Pixar. After all of his achievements yet you think he's a fake. That's laughable.

[thelike5]

Looks like you are the idiot, Ms. Genshi. Read the thread title: Never said I didn't like the iPhone. I never said anything that wasn't true and straight from Jobs mouth. As far as "bashing" goes, I think I have a very valid point in their choosing to partner with anyone. If they partnered with T-Mobile, my service, I would think it incredibly foolish as well. I love the product. I think it is possibly the biggest technical innovation since the laptop (iPods, after all, eren't really very necessary, just really cool). But a spade is a spade. Even Jobs is wrong from time to time (multi-button mice, PDAs) as well as right (GUI design, iPods, UNIX kernel-based OS).

He got the product very right this time. Way right.

He got the "Partnership" part wrong. WAY wrong.

period.

No again, you missed my point. If he said he's not going to do a PDA then he probably meant he's not going to do another Newton like PDA. And he didn't. He made a cellphone. And yes, it happens to have PDA-like functions (as all cellphones and smartphones have now) and iPod functionality. But even if he changed his mind and did a straight-ahead PDA, why are YOU blaming him and calling him an asshole for that? You're basically saying he's an asshole for wanting to make cool products and he's making non-Cingular customers less valued!? Give me a break!

As for the Cingular thing, many new phones are usually (initially) exclusives to one provider in the beginning (which I've already explained in-depth) but in this case it was nessacary due to the visual-voicemail feature. This has to be done at the provider level and Apple can't go around to every provider demaning that they change their whole voicemail system just for his iPhone, thus, the iPhone will most likely NEVER come unlocked (but hopefully, maybe a possiblility someday.) And since he had to choose one provider, he might as well choose the one that has the largest network in the U.S. so the most amount of people can use the phone. Sounds like good business to me. So no, Steve Jobs didn't get it WAY wrong, you got Steve WAY wrong!

Sounds like you are just bitter because you are stuck in another contract... oh wait, you are blaming Steve Jobs for locking people into a contract and yet you are stuck in another contract with another provider? Poor little Miss Kabuki...

My point about the PDA was that eventually Jobs flips and does what he said he wouldn't do (including the mouse). My contract will be up in 6 months, but I like my service, so I won't be switching.

If we look at all the amazing features on this item: Apps, iTunes, Screen, Multitouch, internet, camera... the voicemail feature is at the low end of good things. Having not used it I can't say if it will be all that good or bad, but I can say if I had to, I could definitely go without visual voicemail. If Jobs chose to partner with Cingular because of this one feature, he basically rendered all the others impotent to those on other networks. Because Jobs would rather cut out all the folks on T-Mobile and Verison rather than Disable the one feature on the phone for those folks. I imagine the internet browser uses a bit of bandwidth too, but I have read that the Voicemail feature is the reason Cingular was chosen. Jobs "my way or no way" uncompromising attitude will turn out to hurt Apple, once again. THAT is why he is an asshole.

Bitch.

[thelike5]

="rikhyray"
Sorry, I am not a member of that sect of Jobs . Find that man to be irritating because he is so fake , worse then Billy Gates who at least does not pretend to be kool, whole show was bizzare with those sheeps applauding like some religious sect their leader.

Yeah it is real weird hearing all the sheep clap at Jobs every move. I compare that to the downfall of the Roman Empire

[pgwalsh]

he voicemail feature is at the low end of good things. Jobs "my way or no way" uncompromising attitude will turn out to hurt Apple, once again. THAT is why he is an asshole.

The voice mail feature is pretty cool. I like the idea of being able to pick which message I want to hear first. If that's the only reason he went with Cingular, I'd be surprised. I imagine they went with cingular because they already had a relationship with them from previous iTunes phones.

Though I am a Cingular customer, I thinks it's sad the phone will only be released with them.