- Feb 14, 2004
- 51,454
- 7,202
- 136
My iPhone is pretty dang useful. I got to thinking what I use it for and came up with a pretty good list:
1. Making phone calls - duh
2. Sending SMS text messages - love the iChat format!
3. Calendar - appointments, workout schedule, meal planning; I LOVE that it syncs with iCal
4. Camera - mostly just taking snapshots of random stuff, fun to show off the Photo feature too
5. YouTube - nice when you're bored but needs a larger selection (my own YouTube videos don't show up!)
6. Maps - can't tell you how many times a day I use this, so easy to find places or get directions; just wish it supported a Bluetooth GPS receiver
7. Weather - nice graphics, makes it handy to see if I need a raincoat
8. Alarm clock - I use this to wake me up in the morning (plus has a working battery backup if the power goes out!)
9. Timer - I use this for cooking and to remind me when to switch the laundry
10. Calculator - random things like calculating tips
11. Notes - I jot down addresses, info, shopping list items ("get milk"), and so on
12. Email - best mobile email EVER; nice to have my personal & work accounts right on the phone
13. Real Internet - not exactly what I'd spend hours and hours using, but handy when it's needed; I use it a lot when I'm waiting in line, watching a movie to query IMDB, check parts or prices, etc.
14. iPod - headphones, car connector, stereo connector - listening to tunes while working in the shop, cleaning the house, driving the car, working out, etc. Plus podcasts, movies, audiobooks, etc.
15. Contacts - syncs effortlessly with my Address Book
I also have a list of things I just plain like about the iPhone:
1. Thin enough to slip into my front pocket, next to my Slimmy wallet
2. Fairly easy to hold - not too skinny but not too wide
3. Won't accidentally activate and call someone in my pocket
4. Switches from EDGE to Wifi automatically
5. Zooming in Safari - priceless
6. The clicking noise the keyboard makes - love it!
7. Easy keyboard - "dot com" button in Safari, easy to access weird characters, and I can use it easily with just my right thumb - I can type faster on my iPhone than most people can on their regular computer keyboards
8. Home button - nothing else to worry about - the main menu is just one button-push away
9. THE BATTERY LASTS ALL DAY!! hahaha - my V710 and Moto Q would die about halfway through a day of normal use
10. "Silent" button - I normally leave it on Vibrate so this is perfect; also really useful when you need it quiet like going to church
11. The Alphabetical quick-jump feature on the right side in Contacts and the iPod - I can flick to any section with just one swipe of my finger, yay!
12. For a first-gen product, it's pretty dang good. No major, show-stopping complaints here.
13. Real unlimited data, included with every iPhone service plan
14. Extremely durable - it's nearly as tough as my rubberized Motorola Q was. I did get a screen protector from Power Support (sold at the Apple Store) just so that I wouldn't have to use that stupid cleaning cloth (yay for t-shirts).
And just for kicks - things I hate about the iPhone:
1. AT&T is horrible. Terrible. Sometimes makes me rethink switching from Verizon. Although I just loaded up the 1.0.2 update and I seem to be getting better reception indoors.
2. The Speakerphone blows chunks. The 1.0.2 update made it louder but it's still no Motorola speakerphone. I could hear my V710 easily over my car's engine on the highway. I got a headset simply so I could use it in the car. I don't really understand this because when I play music from the iPod, the audio output is about twice as loud as the speakerphone. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I should also note that the 1.0.2 "loudness" update does make it sound a bit more distorted at the higher volume.
3. The iPhone Bluetooth Headset is the crappiest Bluetooth headset I've ever used in my life. Even my cheapo headsets work better than it does. They need a firmware update for the stupid thing. Luckily other headsets work fine, which says that the headset and not the iPhone has crappy quality.
4. The call quality isn't too great. I really miss how great my Motorola Q smartphone sounded - it was as clear as a housephone, literally! I never, ever had trouble understanding people. Now thanks to a combination of AT&T craptastic quality and average component selection, I'm back to cell phone quality from 5 or 10 years ago. Sigh.
Things I don't really care about:
1. Lack of 3G - what are you going to do, surf the Internet for hours and hours on your iPhone? Sure it would be nice to have it faster, but 95% of the time I'm simply looking up something on the Internet or checking a quick email.
2. Price - hideously expensive, yes. But look at what you get - smartphone ($300) and iPod Video ($300). Put 2 and 2 together and you get the $600 pricetag. I think it's ridiculously expensive, but that's what I get for being an early adopter on this particular product. For me, the pricetag is justified. It's really cut down on what I carry around with me, for one thing. Plus it's just dang cool! I use it for everything - I even use my computer much less now just because I can do so many things with this little device that fits in my pocket!
3. Lack of cell phone features - no voice calling, no speed dial, no custom ringtones without hacks, blah blah blah. Not a showstopper for me. Sure, I would like the "missing features", but I can live without them. I can still call people, use my iPod, check my email, etc. Most of those features are overrated and others work like crap (Voice Dailing? none of the systems I've used have ever been more than maybe 80% accurate and make you look like an idiot when you have to repeat the name in computer-speak)
4. Complex phone menu - press Home button, slide the Slider button, tap the Phone button, dial number. Yes, it's more work than you would do with a normal flip phone and it definitely annoyed me at first. Then I realized it takes me exactly 3 seconds go through that process and call someone. D'oh! The entire "complex menu" idea was being looked at the wrong way - in terms of steps instead of time. Gee, 3 seconds to call someone...that's nothing to complain about folks. Plus the added security of not activating and accidentally calling someone is completely worth it (you know what I mean if you've ever made an embarressing phone call without knowing it!)
Overall I think Apple did a wonderful job. I think that they didn't focus on the iPhone as a cell phone as much as they should have, in terms of hardware and service provider. While their component selection isn't completely terrible, they didn't do a great job on it either - I expected MUCH better audio quality for my $600. The same with AT&T - I constantly drop calls or cannot even place calls; I get the "Call Failed" message 3 times a day on average. As for those whiners who don't like their iPhones, it's their own fault - you shouldn't buy such an expensive device without doing your homework on it first. It's a first-gen product locked into a long-term contract with the service provider. If you blew $500 or $600 on an iPhone only to discover that it can't do custom ringtones and then go online to complain about it or even go so far as to return it, then it's really your own fault. You should know what you were getting into!
Anyway, enough of that. I am very pleased with my iPhone. Every firmware update makes it better and hackers are constantly improving third-party enhancements. It's fun to show off, it has so many neat features that are so easy to use, and it talks to my computer without any problems. I love it! It's like Tivo...just a few weeks in and I can't imagine living without it
1. Making phone calls - duh
2. Sending SMS text messages - love the iChat format!
3. Calendar - appointments, workout schedule, meal planning; I LOVE that it syncs with iCal
4. Camera - mostly just taking snapshots of random stuff, fun to show off the Photo feature too
5. YouTube - nice when you're bored but needs a larger selection (my own YouTube videos don't show up!)
6. Maps - can't tell you how many times a day I use this, so easy to find places or get directions; just wish it supported a Bluetooth GPS receiver
7. Weather - nice graphics, makes it handy to see if I need a raincoat
8. Alarm clock - I use this to wake me up in the morning (plus has a working battery backup if the power goes out!)
9. Timer - I use this for cooking and to remind me when to switch the laundry
10. Calculator - random things like calculating tips
11. Notes - I jot down addresses, info, shopping list items ("get milk"), and so on
12. Email - best mobile email EVER; nice to have my personal & work accounts right on the phone
13. Real Internet - not exactly what I'd spend hours and hours using, but handy when it's needed; I use it a lot when I'm waiting in line, watching a movie to query IMDB, check parts or prices, etc.
14. iPod - headphones, car connector, stereo connector - listening to tunes while working in the shop, cleaning the house, driving the car, working out, etc. Plus podcasts, movies, audiobooks, etc.
15. Contacts - syncs effortlessly with my Address Book
I also have a list of things I just plain like about the iPhone:
1. Thin enough to slip into my front pocket, next to my Slimmy wallet
2. Fairly easy to hold - not too skinny but not too wide
3. Won't accidentally activate and call someone in my pocket
4. Switches from EDGE to Wifi automatically
5. Zooming in Safari - priceless
6. The clicking noise the keyboard makes - love it!
7. Easy keyboard - "dot com" button in Safari, easy to access weird characters, and I can use it easily with just my right thumb - I can type faster on my iPhone than most people can on their regular computer keyboards
8. Home button - nothing else to worry about - the main menu is just one button-push away
9. THE BATTERY LASTS ALL DAY!! hahaha - my V710 and Moto Q would die about halfway through a day of normal use
10. "Silent" button - I normally leave it on Vibrate so this is perfect; also really useful when you need it quiet like going to church
11. The Alphabetical quick-jump feature on the right side in Contacts and the iPod - I can flick to any section with just one swipe of my finger, yay!
12. For a first-gen product, it's pretty dang good. No major, show-stopping complaints here.
13. Real unlimited data, included with every iPhone service plan
14. Extremely durable - it's nearly as tough as my rubberized Motorola Q was. I did get a screen protector from Power Support (sold at the Apple Store) just so that I wouldn't have to use that stupid cleaning cloth (yay for t-shirts).
And just for kicks - things I hate about the iPhone:
1. AT&T is horrible. Terrible. Sometimes makes me rethink switching from Verizon. Although I just loaded up the 1.0.2 update and I seem to be getting better reception indoors.
2. The Speakerphone blows chunks. The 1.0.2 update made it louder but it's still no Motorola speakerphone. I could hear my V710 easily over my car's engine on the highway. I got a headset simply so I could use it in the car. I don't really understand this because when I play music from the iPod, the audio output is about twice as loud as the speakerphone. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I should also note that the 1.0.2 "loudness" update does make it sound a bit more distorted at the higher volume.
3. The iPhone Bluetooth Headset is the crappiest Bluetooth headset I've ever used in my life. Even my cheapo headsets work better than it does. They need a firmware update for the stupid thing. Luckily other headsets work fine, which says that the headset and not the iPhone has crappy quality.
4. The call quality isn't too great. I really miss how great my Motorola Q smartphone sounded - it was as clear as a housephone, literally! I never, ever had trouble understanding people. Now thanks to a combination of AT&T craptastic quality and average component selection, I'm back to cell phone quality from 5 or 10 years ago. Sigh.
Things I don't really care about:
1. Lack of 3G - what are you going to do, surf the Internet for hours and hours on your iPhone? Sure it would be nice to have it faster, but 95% of the time I'm simply looking up something on the Internet or checking a quick email.
2. Price - hideously expensive, yes. But look at what you get - smartphone ($300) and iPod Video ($300). Put 2 and 2 together and you get the $600 pricetag. I think it's ridiculously expensive, but that's what I get for being an early adopter on this particular product. For me, the pricetag is justified. It's really cut down on what I carry around with me, for one thing. Plus it's just dang cool! I use it for everything - I even use my computer much less now just because I can do so many things with this little device that fits in my pocket!
3. Lack of cell phone features - no voice calling, no speed dial, no custom ringtones without hacks, blah blah blah. Not a showstopper for me. Sure, I would like the "missing features", but I can live without them. I can still call people, use my iPod, check my email, etc. Most of those features are overrated and others work like crap (Voice Dailing? none of the systems I've used have ever been more than maybe 80% accurate and make you look like an idiot when you have to repeat the name in computer-speak)
4. Complex phone menu - press Home button, slide the Slider button, tap the Phone button, dial number. Yes, it's more work than you would do with a normal flip phone and it definitely annoyed me at first. Then I realized it takes me exactly 3 seconds go through that process and call someone. D'oh! The entire "complex menu" idea was being looked at the wrong way - in terms of steps instead of time. Gee, 3 seconds to call someone...that's nothing to complain about folks. Plus the added security of not activating and accidentally calling someone is completely worth it (you know what I mean if you've ever made an embarressing phone call without knowing it!)
Overall I think Apple did a wonderful job. I think that they didn't focus on the iPhone as a cell phone as much as they should have, in terms of hardware and service provider. While their component selection isn't completely terrible, they didn't do a great job on it either - I expected MUCH better audio quality for my $600. The same with AT&T - I constantly drop calls or cannot even place calls; I get the "Call Failed" message 3 times a day on average. As for those whiners who don't like their iPhones, it's their own fault - you shouldn't buy such an expensive device without doing your homework on it first. It's a first-gen product locked into a long-term contract with the service provider. If you blew $500 or $600 on an iPhone only to discover that it can't do custom ringtones and then go online to complain about it or even go so far as to return it, then it's really your own fault. You should know what you were getting into!
Anyway, enough of that. I am very pleased with my iPhone. Every firmware update makes it better and hackers are constantly improving third-party enhancements. It's fun to show off, it has so many neat features that are so easy to use, and it talks to my computer without any problems. I love it! It's like Tivo...just a few weeks in and I can't imagine living without it
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