iPhone Negatives?

I'm not posting this to be provocative, believe me.

I'm going to need a new phone shortly, I'd like it to have
more capabilities than my present handset. I have specific wishes,
such as being able to do e-mail and access the web in Japanese.

At the moment, the upcoming iPhone 3G seems like an
exceptionally good option. I'm not typically a fan of Apple, I should
add.

Many here are far better versed than I am in the subject of
wireless communication, and I also find that many here disparage the
iPhone.

One reason I can imagine for this is the carrier that the
device is associated with, AT&T, which has a mediocre reputation at
best. Another is the fact that one cannot replace the battery oneself.
I know that many favor hardware keyboards over touch screens.

But is there more? Are there more compelling reasons that I
should be wary of switching to the iPhone? I've been a Sprint customer
for 9 years. It recently began to become apparent that receiving mail
on my handset would be helpful. But since some portion of my mail is
in Japanese, and NO ONE at Sprint could answer whether any Sprint
phone is capable of handling Japanese characters, choosing from among
their present selection is nearly impossible.

The exception here is the line of RIM phones. But to use
Japanese on a Blackberry requires a third party application/hack, as
far as I know.

Any insights are very welcome, and I thank you in advance.

DGI

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› See More: iPhone Negatives?

David G. Imber <[email protected]> wrote:

> Many here are far better versed than I am in the subject of
> wireless communication, and I also find that many here disparage the
> iPhone.

only because they are fearful of how good it actually is...

> One reason I can imagine for this is the carrier that the
> device is associated with, AT&T, which has a mediocre reputation at
> best.

yes, that's about 40% of it... but as with any carrier, it mostly
depends on where you live / work in relation to their towers, not the
carrier itself.

> Another is the fact that one cannot replace the battery oneself.

nah, that's a pure myth, you can replace the iphone battery yourself,
it's only $15 but remember it's very, very unlikely you'll ever need to
replace it since apple put in an enormous, long lasting battery, it
should last 4 years or so without replacement.

http://www.hyratech.com/product.php?productid=6828

> I know that many favor hardware keyboards over touch screens.

and that's only because they have never used the iphone keyboard, which
consistently ranks higher than the physical ones and by far the best
virtual keyboard you're going to find on any electronic device. it's a
dream to use and does all the chinese, japanese characters as well. (see
the 3G iphone tour)

> But is there more? Are there more compelling reasons that I
> should be wary of switching to the iPhone? I've been a Sprint customer
> for 9 years. It recently began to become apparent that receiving mail
> on my handset would be helpful. But since some portion of my mail is
> in Japanese, and NO ONE at Sprint could answer whether any Sprint
> phone is capable of handling Japanese characters, choosing from among
> their present selection is nearly impossible.
>
> The exception here is the line of RIM phones. But to use
> Japanese on a Blackberry requires a third party application/hack, as
> far as I know.
>
> Any insights are very welcome, and I thank you in advance.

just watch the tour, it will answer most of your questions... view it in
Large or at least Medium size for the full effect.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/guidedtour/

enjoy your iPhone!

David Moyer <[email protected]> amazed us all with the following in
news:meetme-1FE476.13360302072008@dialup-
4.167.115.65.Dial1.Houston1.Level3.net:

> David G. Imber <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Many here are far better versed than I am in the subject of
>> wireless communication, and I also find that many here disparage the
>> iPhone.
>
> only because they are fearful of how good it actually is...

It's a toy.

>
>> One reason I can imagine for this is the carrier that the
>> device is associated with, AT&T, which has a mediocre reputation at
>> best.
>
> yes, that's about 40% of it... but as with any carrier, it mostly
> depends on where you live / work in relation to their towers, not the
> carrier itself.
>
>> Another is the fact that one cannot replace the battery oneself.
>
> nah, that's a pure myth, you can replace the iphone battery yourself,
> it's only $15 but remember it's very, very unlikely you'll ever need to
> replace it since apple put in an enormous, long lasting battery, it
> should last 4 years or so without replacement.

And void any warranty by cracking open the case.

BTW- use of a soldering iron does not constitute "user replaceable" for
many folks.



>

On Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:34:41 -0500, The Bob <[email protected]> wrote:

>David Moyer <[email protected]> amazed us all with the following in
>news:meetme-1FE476.13360302072008@dialup-
>4.167.115.65.Dial1.Houston1.Level3.net:
>
>> David G. Imber <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Many here are far better versed than I am in the subject of
>>> wireless communication, and I also find that many here disparage the
>>> iPhone.
>>
>> only because they are fearful of how good it actually is...
>
>It's a toy.

Slightly off the point, but I have to say that I simply ignore
comments like this.

A few weeks ago I inquired in an honest, open way about
something I'd seen on a presumably doctored video (it had to do with
wireless telecom and it was on this group). I kept getting responses
like "it's a hoax".

That sort of reply doesn't make a curious, intelligent person
back off and say "whoa, I guess you must be right", and leave it at
that. An intelligent, inquisitive person looks at a response like that
and says that the respondent probably doesn't have any real knowledge.

I am not an Apple fan, and I've had only limited exposure to
the first generation iPhones.

But I don't think it's quite reasonable to refer to the device
as "a toy". If you'd even written "it feels like a toy" I'd say "fair
enough". Versions of the Mac OS prior to the current one felt totally
like a toy OS to me.

I'm quite sure that the iPhone has been rigorously tested to
conform to basic technology standards. Where it falls on that spectrum
is what I'm asking about. I want to know what voice quality is like,
how well it holds a signal, etc.

If you can prove that the iPhone is in any viable sense a
"toy" and not a tool for telecommunications I'm all ears. I really
don't think that's possible if you have a clear definition of the word
"toy".

DGI

David G. Imber <[email protected]> amazed us all with the following in
news[email protected]:

> On Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:34:41 -0500, The Bob <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>David Moyer <[email protected]> amazed us all with the following in
>>news:meetme-1FE476.13360302072008@dialup-
>>4.167.115.65.Dial1.Houston1.Level3.net:
>>
>>> David G. Imber <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Many here are far better versed than I am in the subject of
>>>> wireless communication, and I also find that many here disparage
the
>>>> iPhone.
>>>
>>> only because they are fearful of how good it actually is...
>>
>>It's a toy.
>
> Slightly off the point, but I have to say that I simply ignore
> comments like this.
>
> A few weeks ago I inquired in an honest, open way about
> something I'd seen on a presumably doctored video (it had to do with
> wireless telecom and it was on this group). I kept getting responses
> like "it's a hoax".
>
> That sort of reply doesn't make a curious, intelligent person
> back off and say "whoa, I guess you must be right", and leave it at
> that. An intelligent, inquisitive person looks at a response like that
> and says that the respondent probably doesn't have any real knowledge.
>
> I am not an Apple fan, and I've had only limited exposure to
> the first generation iPhones.
>
> But I don't think it's quite reasonable to refer to the device
> as "a toy". If you'd even written "it feels like a toy" I'd say "fair
> enough". Versions of the Mac OS prior to the current one felt totally
> like a toy OS to me.
>
> I'm quite sure that the iPhone has been rigorously tested to
> conform to basic technology standards. Where it falls on that spectrum
> is what I'm asking about. I want to know what voice quality is like,
> how well it holds a signal, etc.
>
> If you can prove that the iPhone is in any viable sense a
> "toy" and not a tool for telecommunications I'm all ears. I really
> don't think that's possible if you have a clear definition of the word
> "toy".
>
> DGI
>
>

No voice dialing
No MMS
No expandable memory
Limited bluetooth functionality

But it's got a really cool screen and plays music and videos real good!

It's big on the things that a phone doesn't need and very much lacking
in the things a phone should have.

It's a toy.

The Bob <[email protected]> wrote:

> > nah, that's a pure myth, you can replace the iphone battery yourself,
> > it's only $15 but remember it's very, very unlikely you'll ever need to
> > replace it since apple put in an enormous, long lasting battery, it
> > should last 4 years or so without replacement.
>
> And void any warranty by cracking open the case.

what? opening the case wouldn't void apple's warranty.

> BTW- use of a soldering iron does not constitute "user replaceable" for
> many folks.

but it's still user replaceable, you don't need to take it into Apple in
4 years is my point.

Oxford <[email protected]> amazed us all with the following in
news:apony-B53D47.01104106072008@dialup-4.167.115.65.Dial1.Houston1.Level
3.net:

> The Bob <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> > nah, that's a pure myth, you can replace the iphone battery
>> > yourself, it's only $15 but remember it's very, very unlikely
>> > you'll ever need to replace it since apple put in an enormous, long
>> > lasting battery, it should last 4 years or so without replacement.
>>
>> And void any warranty by cracking open the case.
>
> what? opening the case wouldn't void apple's warranty.
>
>> BTW- use of a soldering iron does not constitute "user replaceable"
>> for many folks.
>
> but it's still user replaceable, you don't need to take it into Apple
> in 4 years is my point.
>

YOu don't have a point and you totally missed mine. I would expect no less
from you.