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Hi, I’m an iPhone. And I’m a Smartphone.

istartedsomething.com — Just a little fun 'comic strip' put together showcasing the differences between the iPhone and 'Smartphones.'

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  • cinnix, on 10/12/2007, -150/+63I predict the fanboy censorship won't allow this to hit front page. Nonetheless I found this pretty humorous.
    • jdc760, on 10/12/2007, -98/+15Any good stock tips for me?
    • robdazomba, on 10/12/2007, -26/+321It's funny how we all talk about Digg like it's 100% controlled by rabid Apple users and yet we insist that they're irrelevant because they're a tiny fraction of the market. How does that work?

      I'm a Windows user and I follow the Apple section closely because Apple is a tech company that doesn't think like a tech company and I find that fascinating (and unlike others, I rarely comment on an Apple story unless I have something worthwhile to add.) I think stories either sink or swim based on how both Mac and Windows users feel about it. Can we stop this "Mac fanboy conspiracy" crap already? If the story gets buried, it's probably because lots of people don't like it or think it's worth their time.
    • sv650touring, on 10/12/2007, -118/+36robdazomba,
      You take your voice of reason and shove it! Apple may only have 0.1% market share, but 85% of Digg users are Apple fanbois. Those are facts.

      They're like the Knights Templar or something - secretly controlling everything in our daily lives. We are merely marionettes, dancing for their amusement.
    • ray901, on 10/12/2007, -39/+94@ sv650touring
      "You take your voice of reason and shove it! Apple may only have 0.1% market share, but 85% of Digg users are Apple fanbois. Those are facts."

      The things you pull out of your arse are not facts.
    • elioty, on 10/12/2007, -52/+23"Apple may only have 0.1% market share, but 85% of Digg users are Apple fanbois. Those are facts."
      Are these Colbert style facts?

      And frankly, the cartoon wasn't much to sing about. The iPhone hasn't even been released and there are already these comparisons? Jealous much?
    • Jeifurie, on 10/12/2007, -53/+70@elioty

      Exactly. The iPhone isn't even out yet, yet all the fanbois think its the best thing since sliced bread and better than everything thats out now. Arrogant much? Its not jealousy, its called the truth.
    • leobaby, on 10/12/2007, -55/+64This is funny, but windows mobile is annoying as all freaking hell. For a device where ease of use and speed are absolutely critical the safety of the user, WM fails miserably. It won't take much to best Microsoft in this arena.

      To get to my call history - Start, More, Down, Left, Select
      Then to see the time someone called - Down, Down, Down, Down. (since method of call, cell or land, is more important than time)
      Task Manager has nothing to do with Tasks at all, it's a process viewer but the icon is right next to tasks. Huh?
      You can't rearrange your start menu.
      You can't put shortcuts on the home screen.
      The alarm clock only plays the sound a single time, not like an alarm clock.
      No onscreen reminder for keys in voicemail - have to listen to press 7 to delete, press 9 to save, press #1 to undelete, press 5 for more options.

      The other phones I tried weren't much better.

    • elioty, on 10/12/2007, -24/+10@jeifurie
      Look, I don't care about all this talk of msft/aapl fanboys ("fanbois"). I don't think anyone is saying its "the best thing since sliced bread" either. But come on, weren't you impressed? It has a lot of new things that haven't been done, and when compared to a _phone_ it IS pretty damn awesome.

      The reason the comic is, well, lame is because its comparing two things that really shouldn't be compared. I know, I know, the iPhone is in a way, a "smart phone" but really, the iPhone has a totally different target demographic. It doesn't fit into the conventional "smartphone or phone" buckets. I'm surprised people haven't grasped this concept yet. It's NOT for msft/exchange server/business users. It's for your 16 y/o son who loves his iPod, watches The Office and texts like crazy. Plain and simple.
    • diggapleeeze, on 10/12/2007, -18/+117leobaby, which windows phone are you using?

      "To get to my call history - Start, More, Down, Left, Select"

      Hit the phone icon, press "history"

      "To see the time someone called - Down, Down, Down, Down. (since method of call, cell or land, is more important than time)"

      It's included with the history. See above.

      "Task Manager has nothing to do with Tasks at all, it's a process viewer but the icon is right next to tasks. Huh?"

      Ever use a PC? Task Manager does the same thing.

      "You can't rearrange your start menu."

      Yes you can. Settings, Today screen.

      "You can't put shortcuts on the home screen."

      Yes, you can. Takes third party app, but it can be done.

      "The alarms only play the sound a single time, not like an alarm clock."

      Haven't used this, so dont' know.

      "No onscreen reminder for keys in voicemail - have to listen to press 7 to delete, press 9 to save, press #1 to undelete, press 5 for more options."

      It's like that on every cell phone ever made. After about the third time you check voice mail you begin to remember what keys do what.

      Have you ever used a cell phone and computer before?
    • stuartjmoore, on 10/12/2007, -27/+13"It's like that on every cell phone ever made. After about the third time you check voice mail you begin to remember what keys do what."

      It shouldn't have to be. Thank god for visual voicemail.
    • sv650touring, on 10/12/2007, -26/+17leobaby,

      You forgot the most glaring flaw: That it has a Start menu AT ALL.
    • pwill, on 10/12/2007, -10/+80BREAKING NEWS: OPERATING SYSTEM WAR SOLVED BY 15-YEAR-OLDS ON DIGG.COM

      Shut up. Nobody cares what operating system you use. If you like the story, Digg it; if not, bury it.
    • jer2eydevil88, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4http://www.duggmirror.com
    • contradictator, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15Most stats are just made up on the spot anyway, 43% of all people know that already.
    • dDuk, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8I have an Apple Mac. I'm on Digg. I dugg you down. It's not because I'm an Apple fanboy, it's because I think you're an idiot.

      To tell the truth, I don't like the iPhone and I'm not gonna get one. I think it's an amazing piece of hardware in concept, but for the amount of memory for the money you get, the fact it is touchscreen only, and the fact you're tied into one phone company for two years it just sucks. This cartoon is spot on. Yeah, the iPhone will do well, but I would always prefer my compact 'phone', which is what I need it for. As an Apple user I don't worship Apple and everything they make, I like OS X and I like their computers. Period.

      I just wish they wouldn't forget that they also make computers as a part of their business, not just selling fashionable gadgets. Apple Inc is a bad turn of events for us that just want their computers and OS.
    • chongli, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I own 5 Macs and 3 iPods. You could call me a pretty serious Mac fanboy.

      That being said, I'm skeptical about the iPhone.
      I think the touch screen UI looks amazing, but without 3rd party apps it will never reach its potential. I certainly won't buy one until I see an SDK.
    • n00utkast, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I personally find apple product easier to use. I never owned a smart phone but i tried using my Friend's once and I was so confused and i kept shutting the thing off by accident. I watched the keynote, and iphone seems so easy to use. Even though I am not going to buy it cause the price is ridiculous but I admire some of the changes Apple has brought to a cell-phone OS.
    • leobaby, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1My point about having Task Manager and Tasks wasn't that Task Manager is the wrong name, it was that Tasks is the wrong name. Why not call it Appointments or ToDo or anything besides Tasks.
  • Ireland, on 10/12/2007, -99/+30The iPhone can do push eMail.

    Hi I'm an iPhone?
    And I'm an ugly phone with a bubbly keypad that can't move out of the way so my user can see full screen videos or scroll through photos, display big clear calanders and Google Maps making it easier for my user to navigate to see what they are doing more clearly. I sometimes feel like an ugly slate when I see cool new phones like you come along, oh and as if that wasn't enough to get worked up, my software and OS are about as intuitive as trying to print a 500 page thesis with a sponge cake.
    • wageslave1, on 10/12/2007, -73/+71hey dummy... how much of that screen will you be able to see when you are poking the screen with your finger?

      *THAT* is the purpose of a stylus. iphone has no stylus.
      *THAT* is the purpose of a keypad. iphone has no keypad.

      iphone is going to be a usability nightmare, with your hand obscuring 50% of the screen while you try and use the thing.

      One of the VERY major design flaws that apple fanboys are trying to wish into being an advantage. You cannot deny reality. Ever use a smartphone? Ever use a smartphone with your finger? if you have done either of those two things, you'll know EXACTLY why iphone will very sadly miss a stylus or a keypad/board.
    • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -28/+44As we see from iPod market domination of DAPs, consumers want a device that's EASY to use, not one that's crammed with tech specs. So while the hardcore geeks may shun the iPhone for other devices, the broad marketplace likely will not.

      Frankly, the only major iPhone deficiency from my perspective is GPS functionality. With that big touch screen, can you imagine what a great navigational device the iPhone would be? I've wanted a nice GPS unit for my car for years, but thus far they've all had critical flaws (high price, or small screens, or lack of touch controls, etc.). If I had an iPod + phone + GPS device I could mount on the dash of my car, $600 would look like a downright bargain. Let me connect it to my car audio system via the dock connector, and the verbal driving directions would mute my music as needed. My music would also be muted for incoming phone calls via Bluetooth. Truly the killer gadget.

      Come on Apple, throw a GPS chip in there and give me the whole enchilada! My $$$ waits patiently...
    • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -49/+32"iphone is going to be a usability nightmare, with your hand obscuring 50% of the screen while you try and use the thing" - wageslave1

      Are you serious? A "usability nightmare???" "50% of the screen?" How big is your finger, exactly?

      Methinks thou doth protest too much. I smell the fear of a Microsoft fanboy...
    • DoctaStooge, on 10/12/2007, -14/+10@ Quix

      Like the iPod when more companies got into the MP3 market, Smartphones have been around for a while and have an installed customer base. This isn't about what is easy, its about what works. People who have smartphones are not likely to get iPhones because then they need to learn the iPhone, when instead they can just keep on using their smartphones.
    • griz, on 10/12/2007, -21/+26Wageslave,

      Have you used an iPhone in order to make these assessments?
    • rudy23, on 10/12/2007, -7/+42@wageslave1

      I have been harping on the no keyboad stylus point since launch now.

      The iPhone will make a really poor smartphone for people who use it a lot for email.

      However where it may excel is
      1. Internet browsing
      2. Music and Video.

      This might be more than enough to catapult it to the masses and make it a success. It wont be getting any business users to sign up anytime soon.
    • Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -19/+17@Quix,

      Ummmm....Yeah. Exchange integration with push is BIG deal to corporate users and corporate users make up most of the market for SmartPhones!

      ididdlyhoPhone doesn't have Exchange integration with push. It will be limited to Imap / Pop only...which blows goats.

      This is a major problem, whether YOU see it or not.
    • robdazomba, on 10/12/2007, -28/+44The iPod is going to be a usability nightmare! I'm telling you. How are you supposed to spin that little wheel and stare at the screen at the same time? And I'm super serial about this guys. And on top of that, I chew gum a lot and the combination of iPod click wheel and chewing gum is going to screw me right up.

      And anyway, it doesn't play Ogg and everyone knows that for a media device to succeed it must cater to the Ogg-demanding .05% of the market. What is Apple thinking?!?!

      /sarcasm
    • FartyMcPooPants, on 10/12/2007, -8/+27It's the lack of a 'bubbly' keypad that annoys me the most.

      I don't know about everyone else, but I'm quite adept at diallng numbers, or even tapping out SMS messages with one hand, often by touch alone.

      I can't see how that will work with a touchscreen, where you have no tactile feedback as to where you are on the keyboard.

      I know, I know, it's such a big screen I will want to stare at it all the time whilst using it... but er.. no, I'm just being practical. I can see where people who do genuinely want it for movie / music playback with phone as a secondary option liking it, and I hope they enjoy it, but it's not for me.

    • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -18/+11"This is a major problem, whether YOU see it or not." - Buelldozer

      Um, who said the iPhone was even targeted to the enterprise market? I don't believe Apple said it. Perhaps your inference about Apple's iPhone plans is incorrect?

      Could it be that there is a MUCH broader market beyond users who need constant Outlook feeds for the times they've been unchained from their cubicles? Why yes, yes it could.
    • robdazomba, on 10/12/2007, -11/+7> Exchange integration with push is BIG deal to corporate users and
      > corporate users make up most of the market for SmartPhones!

      What makes you think Apple is trying to move in on the corporate users? Seems to me they're most successful when they find a market segment that isn't being properly served. In the same way the iPod doesn't replace hi-end music equipment for the dedicated audiophile, the iPhone won't replace corporate smart phones. But it may wake up an unserved need in a different segment of customers--every day people who want the power of a smart phone without the hassle of a 200+ page manual.
    • Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -10/+38I'll tell you why this thing is aimed at Corporate Users...because no one else is going to find them particularly useful!

      1) They're expensive to buy *and* operate. Most 'home' users are used to phones that cost between $0 and $200. How much is the iPhone again? You also have to have an "all you can eat" data plan to really make these things live up to their promise. Take your $30 a month cell phone bill and add an extra $30 for Inet access. Ouch.

      2) They're bulky. Most 'home' users phone are smaller than a package of cigarettes, making them easily pocketable. The iPhone is almost the same size as the Samsung in that picture and it is NOT pocketable.

      3) Battery life. 'smartphones' go through batteries like crazy. Most smartphones cannot get more than a full days use with an extended battery pack on it. The iPhone will be no exception, and it will be WORSE because you can't even swap batteries during the day. Now, listen to 90 minutes of audio on your iPhone and the battery will be dead before 3PM...leaving you with no cell phone until you can recharge the thing!

      Now, business users, who make up the majority of the market, put up with these drawbacks because the live email, calendering, contacts, tasks, notes, makes up for it. However, where is the upside for a 'home' user? Why should they buy one of these?

      I'm no Apple hater, but this iPhone is not going to be nearly as useful as most people think.
    • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -13/+7"I'll tell you why this thing is aimed at Corporate Users...because no one else is going to find them particularly useful!"

      Well Buelldozer, it really doesn't make any sense to continue debating what may or may not happen in the future or who are/aren't Apple's target customers for the iPhone. Let's just shelve (for now) your grand pronouncement that the iPhone will fail and we'll readdress the topic in 3 years or so and see how right you were. :)
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8"how much of that screen will you be able to see when you are poking the screen with your finger?"
      I won't be poking the screen when I'm watching videos, and I won't have to worry about putting away a stylus or losing it. I can't keep track of my pens as it is,
    • ophello, on 10/12/2007, -8/+6@ wageslave1

      the reason youre EXACTLY wrong is that the screen is so large that your hand will simply NOT cover 50% of the screen. A smartphone needs a keypad and/or stylus because its screen is small. The iPhone screen is giant compared to other smartphones out there.

      @ Buelldozer

      do you even know the dimensions of the iPhone? It is entirely pocketable, not bulky. and how is it expensive to operate, exactly? BTW battery life will probably improve over time, just as it did with the iPod.
    • undersky, on 10/12/2007, -13/+9Guys, why don't you guys give BlackBerry 8800 a second look?

      2.4 inch screen at 320x240, check.
      Up to 4GB of SD memory slot, check.
      Play mp3, mp4, avi all at full length, check.
      Stereo playback and loud speaker phone, check.
      Google Map, Google Talk from Google, check.
      MSN, GTalk, AOL, Yahoo, ICQ and many others from free 3rd party program, check.
      GPS (native and free from BB Map), check
      Turn by turn voice direction GPS from telenav for fee, check.
      Games, check.
      Most powerful phone features in the industry (call log, call management, in-call menu, ring tone profile), check.
      22 days standby 5 hours talk time, check.
      EDGE that does not eat battery life, check.
      physical QWERTY, check.
      Acts as a mass storage device, check.
      Push email, check.
      Voice dialing, blue tooth, PIM sync with Mac or PC, check check check.
      Reasonable price, check.

      What is lacking:
      Camera and Wifi.
      While some people must have these two, I frankly don't care. RIM OS is much more intuitive and stable than Windows Mobile. I am talking about no lagging speed.
    • gremos, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22@ undersky

      $100 a month service fee, check.
    • superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3Compared to that blackberry the iPhone screen is larger (3.5 inches), has a higher resolution (320x480), has a better browser, supports consumer push email (cheaper), and can have twice the memory (8GB) without having to pay to expand it to start with. Also, I really think a well designed touch interface and keyboard are going to be nicer than what is around today - I have used the smaller keyboards and honestly I don't find them that great.

      I find it odd people are not more excited about a good touch screen interface given that it's what Star Trek has been promising us is the future for years. I still think a configurable touch display makes a lot more sense for input than fixed buttons, and with good visual, auditory, and corrective feedback can be quick to operate with a good degree of accuracy.

      For those that think your finger will obscure the screen - wave your hands in front of your face. Would you say your vision was obscured? Humans are built to take an compile partial visual information from our hands moving in front of things, which is what happens in interactions with your fingers and the iPhone.

    • addicted44, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@farty

      However, are you adept at single handed typing with "smartphones"? At least I cannot physically do that, because the keypad is too big for my hand (I have small hands, and no I am not a teenager or child).
    • sagat, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8Ireland you must be the king of the apple fanboys.
    • addicted44, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2@Buelldozer...

      I want to point out that the American market is an exception when it comes to paying for cell phones. Thanks to the nightmarish contract situation, phones are HEAVILY subsidized. Outside the US, however, most consumers (not business users, but everyday people) easily pay 500-600 dollars for their phones.

      Apple is betting that there will certainly be a small market in the US also that appreciates paying that excess for the quality/ease of use they are offering.
    • naio21, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6"Ireland you must be the king of the apple fanboys."

      He is. I blocked him some time ago but I decided to "unblock" so I can digg down all his crappy comments and moronic statements.
    • JimV, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I imagine that the iPhone won't be much fun to use after the screen gets all covered with grease and cheetos from being touched all the time.
    • S1ngular1ty1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3My phone has google maps and it is not an iPhone. It isn't even a smart phone really.
    • superpotential, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i disagree, the iPod is not the easiest player to use on the market. there are a lot of players out there that you can just plug into a USB port, windows/mac/linux and all three OSes will be able to bring them up as a USB drive. then you just drop mp3 files into them and be done with it. no itunes, no rebuilding DB's, no hitches in sharing your music with other people.
    • Ireland, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I find it rally funny how some people get worked up so much about other peoples comments. Getting all pissed off and conflustered for nothing. It was really meant as a joke, not, really though it was.
  • bmilleker, on 10/12/2007, -17/+12This comic portrays how i feel 100%.
  • VerbalIronyX, on 10/12/2007, -16/+5Digg mirror?
  • RockSlice, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3http://duggmirror.com
  • eyegraphix, on 10/12/2007, -9/+39Awesome, great comic.........(btw, why the ***** is the first comment on every topic so stupid??)
    • shockingbird, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15Ha. I've noticed that too. It's either a comment that gets 455 diggs or -455 digs.
  • coollettuce, on 10/12/2007, -15/+2http://duggmirror.com

    i was beat to it. now i cry.
  • gizmogear, on 10/12/2007, -38/+20It's not funny or correct. I'm an apple user but come on; at least make truthful points. I would have laughed if it would have had some truth in it.

    Digg me down M$ fanboys!
    • Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -6/+30Truthful points?

      There wasn't anything untruthful about that comic.

      The only thing that is slightly off is the push email deal. Even then push e-mail is only going to be available from Yahoo email service. Not google. Not your Exchange or Postfix or OSX server at work. Not your ISP server at home. Yahoo and that's it.

      No push calender, no push contacts, no push tasks.

      Additionally we've been doing GPS mapping, media playing, word / excel document editing, and all of that other stuff for YEARS now.

      Apple is late to the party.
    • WiZZLa, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15@ gizmogear : It's not funny or correct. I'm an apple user but come on; at least make truthful points. I would have laughed if it would have had some truth in it.

      Most of those "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" ads aren't correct either, but many people still find them entertaining even when they lack the truth.
    • signal15, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17This is precisely the reason Apple needs to allow 3rd party apps on the phone, to take care of some of the things they didn't bother with and people want.
    • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -21/+5"Additionally we've been doing GPS mapping, media playing, word / excel document editing, and all of that other stuff for YEARS now." - Buelldozer

      By "we" I assume you're talking about the very small existing smartphone segment of the global cell phone market? Have you ever stopped to consider that perhaps YOU aren't Apple's target customer for the iPhone? Naw, why would you, that would invalidate most of your gripes. And it's fun to gripe about Apple stuff, right?

      "Apple is late to the party."

      I believe they're starting their own party...
    • rspeed, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2"Even then push e-mail is only going to be available from Yahoo email service"

      Push-IMAP is an open standard, and Yahoo is far from the only company using it.
    • thebaron2, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9@Quix

      So they're NOT targeting the people who they already know have the cash and needs to warrant purchasing some sort of "smart phone"? These things have been around for AGES - most of the people that don't have them don't have enough use for them to justify dropping $500+ USD.

      If anything, they should be targeting the market that can afford these phones, that actually use these phones, and that upgrade their hardware every 1-2 years. The average consumer isn't ready to drop that much loot on a cell phone, at least I don't they are. Time will tell, I suppose.
  • LaughingMan11, on 10/12/2007, -8/+21Smartphones make up a very thin slice of the cell phone market. It's somewhere on the order of a few percent, at most. Most people barely use any other feature on a phone other than making calls.

    I don't think that smartphones as we know them today like Windows Mobile, Palm, and RIM based ones have anything to worry about from the iPhone. Those are (still) targeted primarily at the enterprise user, where Apple can't keep up without Exchange functionality.

    I can foresee Apple carving out a comfortable niche among people who don't use their phones like enterprise users... People who you don't expect to be clicking at their crackberries at all times of the day.

    Yes, you can compare functionality all you like with Windows Mobile phones, but they are targeted at an entirely different market. This is not like the PC, where the same OS that people use for work is the one they predominantly use at home. In this case, the average user is using a so called "dumbphone" anyway, and the iPhone may appeal to some of those dumbphone users.
    • Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -9/+8The thing is that without the "corporate use" part of the equation you may as well not carry a 'smartphone'. They're too big, drain batteries too fast, and cost too much! The only way you can rationalize one of these beasties is by using it to conduct business.

      For everything else a 'smartphone' just isn't that smart, no matter who has designed the thing or what operating system it's running.
    • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3"The only way you can rationalize one of these beasties is by using it to conduct business." - Buelldozer

      Uh, people carry iPods around all the time. And I think the iPhone is far less bulky than you assume.

      I can easily rationalize carrying an iPhone around. Right now I carry my iPod in one pocket and my cell phone in the other. You think the iPhone isn't an appealing alternative? I get all the phone and iPod functionality I need, plus some extra goodies in a single device. Some people seem to believe that the enterprise market is the only viable market for technology. And they would be wrong.
    • DocNo, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3I'm just curious as to why everyone is assuming or acting like Steve revealed all the functionality the iPhone is likely to ever have?

      You honestly don't think that Apple is too stupid to know that push ('ala Blackberry) is important, do you?

      Who's to say they don't already have a deal worked out with RIM for a Blackberry client for the iPhone already? After all, RIM made a BB client for Palm OS. RIM is probably wishing they had done Windows Mobile instead now that Palm is tanking, but that's another thread....

      Same thing for applications - I would wager they already have deals with developers for applications for the iPhone. The iPod games thing caught everyone off guard, I wouldn't put it past 'em to have the same thing going on for the iPhone already - not much of a stretch, the model is there.

      Not that I approve of the develop in secret model, mind you - I wish they would release open developers tools and let people have at it - and there isn't anything to say that Apple won't do something like that. I could see them make you get certified or something before they allow you to sell or offer through iTunes - that makes total sense for Apple's mentality.

      Phil Shiller already indicated in one interview that there are other iPhone's under development - which again makes sense and shouldn't come as a shocker at all...

      I guess what I am trying to say is, this is just the beginning, not the end :)
    • danielwsmithee, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1I disagree this is targeting the people who allready cary an iPod and a "dumb phone." Plus you get the added benefit of web, email, google maps etc. It will be the small business owners, entrepnuers, realestate agents who are profesionals but are not part of large coporations that will really be interested in this device.
    • Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19We'll see. I'm no Apple hater but I've got years of using a 'regular' phone and a 'smartphone' telling me what the reality is.

      If nothing else BATTERY life is going to be the killer.

      The iPhone does not have a swappable battery. This means that when you run your iPhone out of juice by Noon because you were watching video and listening to music that you're going to spend the next few hours hoping nobody calls you...because your phone is going to be sitting on the charger.

      With non-converged devices this is not an issue. When your I-pod is dead it's just an inconvience. When your CELLPHONE battery is dead though that's a much larger issue.

      Argue with me and Digg me down all you like but you cannot change the twin realities of power consumption and battery technology.
    • leeg, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3@Buelldozer

      Have you ever looked at the accessory market for ipods? Clearly you haven't as just about every major accessory maker makes an external battery pack for ipods. These will work with the iphone. Battery life will not be an issue for the vast majority of the users and when it is there is already a solution in place.

      You clearly are an iphone hater...in every post you are shooting down the iphone. Why not grow up and wait until it is released and try it yourself. Stop spreading FUD.
  • Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -14/+6BWUA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

    So very, very, true! :)
  • snowboarder04, on 10/12/2007, -11/+16That strip pretty much sums it all up right there, the HTC P3300 defecates over the iPhone from a great height.
  • mouthster, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7It's estivr, Digg's own Paul Thurrott.
  • redskin, on 10/12/2007, -13/+6Apple isn't trying to make a smart-phone, so the comparison is moot. They're trying to make a Smart phone (notice the capital S). The difference is, while a smart-phone is suppose to operate on a business platform, and seamlessly perform tasks you would do on your PC, among other things, the Smart phone is meant to be easy to use, look good, and overall be useful to the average person. How in the world is your mom gonna use a smart-phone? On the other hand, how can she use a Smart phone? As a media player, phone, e-mailer (especially if she hates e-mailing from computers), etc., etc., etc.

    As for usability. Apple has rooms full of people punching away on these things, testing until their fingers hurt. You'd think that if every single person in this room was having usability problems, couldn't see half the screen, was constantly pressing the wrong keys... You'd think that if all that happened, they'd scrap the touch-screen, right? Wouldn't it make sense? Yeah, it would. However, they aren't scrapping it, they're not downplaying anything, they're all over it. So somehow its gotta more than what we know of it.
  • marvv, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5ummm.. yeah... because when im not working all i can think about is how badly i want to work on speadsheets andd read my company email. .
  • Zolk, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5It's not necessarily about the features themselves, it's about how they're executed. Other MP3 players may have the same or even more features than an iPod, but the iPod remains the market leader. Time will tell if the same proves true for the iPhone. Comparing phones on a feature-by-feature basis is meaningless if the features are poorly implemented.
    • Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -7/+13Yeah, well, let me tell you. All smartphones, regardless of manufacturer or OS, share a few common problems. This WILL include the iPhone.

      1) They're expensive.
      2) They're bulky.
      3) They go through batteries faster than ***** through a goose.

      Now, for the business users who make up a good 90% of the smartphone market the ability to do live scheduling, email, tasks, and contacts makes up for these drawbacks. Will a 'home' user really want to spend this kind of money on a phone that doesn't offer them any benefit?

      Seriously, where's the upside here? A phone that's half again as big as what you're used to, costing between to and six times as much money that goes through batteries ten times faster than what you have now. Just so you can watch a video or listen to a song?

      You're kidding me right?
    • DocNo, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4@Buelldozer

      Then don't buy it.

      Really

      As for your "points"

      1) I own a PPC 6700 right now and enjoy it very much. It was $400 - after rebate. Not far off from the iPhone. I'd rather have the iPhone. Factor in that when they add more storage (sorry, 8 GB ain't going to cut it) I can ditch my iPod - which means my future iPod purchase in a year or so, the cost of the "phone" goes down that corresponding amount.
      2) The iPhone is a fraction of the thickness of my PPC 6700. That right there lets me slip it in my pocket without a holder - big bonus! It's about the same length and a little wider than my existing smartphone. Really not that big of a deal.
      3) For me, not a big deal. I go from home, to my car, to the office - all places with power. I'm sure there will be all kinds of battery add-on's like there are for the iPods if I ever am on extended travel - but most places I would use this are going to have power. I've never had the battery issue be that big of a deal, but YMMV on this one. And I have no problem with the battery not being removable, makes the case smaller and more sealed - for the rare time I need more juice I will happily use an external battery pack.

      The upside is iPod and Phone in one. Don't sell that short. All your other points are already addressed and we just don't know all the details, or will likely be addressed by the next version - Apple isn't stupid, and they definitely aren't going to sit on their laurels. Me? I'll probably we waiting for the next rev - mainly because I have another guaranteed year with Sprint on my PPC6700. I still think they are going to sell a ton of these...
    • VulnoX, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7"1) They're expensive.
      2) They're bulky.
      3) They go through batteries faster than ***** through a goose."

      Well let me tell YOU,

      1) It depends, as I stated before I got my Moto Q for $25, and that is before I sell my A920 which will net me $110 on eBay, meaning I get paid roughly $80 to get a Smartphone.

      2.) Bulky my ass. My Q is half the thickness of a Samsung A920, and is only a little wider, and slightly taller (the A920 is a clamshell, so this should be obvious, when the 920 is open, it is the same height)

      3.) No battery problems that I have seen. The MOL1 software for the Q, that was out about a year ago, had battery issues. Now the battery lasts well through the day with frequent use. For a slim phone, especially a slim Smartphone, that is very good. Extended batteries are cheap and easy to get if you really need it. My Q charges through USB and uses a standard mini USB end, which is common, or an AC/DC adapter, so really I am never without power.

      You need to check your facts.
    • Raluph, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3@ Zolk

      Precisely the point. Digg nerds can do a feature by feature comparison of the iPhone and any other phone all they want, but that's not what Apple is shooting for. If they were, don't you think they would have done it?

      The iPod gives us a clue here. Anybody can pick up a Creative or Sandisk MP3 player and tell us how the iPod doesn't have as long a battery life or doesn't support as many formats or doesn't have a radio feature or blah blah blah. Doesn't seem to be hurting the iPod's sales though, does it? Wonder why? hmmmmm....

      Get a clue, the iPhone is about usability, not features. I laugh when all these other companies introduce their Super smart phones that trump the iPhone's features (in it's current, unreleased version) because they just don't get what Apple is trying to do: make a complex technology usable for the masses of people out there who aren't geeks.

      It's the iPod part deux, or at least Apple hopes so.
  • pyrothepenguin, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4ive had a smartphone for the past year and a half and 95% of the time i dont use the stylus. if you own a smartphone then you know that using your thumb is just as easy. regarding not seeing the screen because your fingers are in the way is just silly. the keyboard isnt on the top half of the screen its on at the bottom.
    • VulnoX, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10If you have a stylus, then you don't have a Smartphone, you have a PPC.
    • DocNo, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3@VulnoX So the Palm OS Treo's are chopped liver???
    • VulnoX, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3@DocNo
      Sorry! Sorry!

      I forgot, OR you have a Palm or equivalent...

      Did not mean any disrespect.
    • DocNo, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2@VulnoX OK, who's left for "smartphones"? Symbian? Don't they use a stylus? I have a BB Pearl through work, and a stylus would be faster than a trackball (which is a vast improvement over that @%#$ thumbwheel).

      Of course, I think Apples is the most elegant solution - in fact, I calibrated my smartphone with my fingernail so I can skip the stylus - it's still not the best tho. I have thought about filing my index fingernail to a point, but that's probably a little extreme :)
    • VulnoX, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I guess I was wrong, I thought the Smartphones were the Blackberry like phones that had no touch screen and just used the scroll wheel. That was how it was explained to me.

      But you made me question that and I looked it up and it turns out that a Smartphone can have a touchscreen.

      The PPC is still different from a Smartphone though, and generally a Smartphone is voice services first and data second.

      I dunno, confusing.
    • naio21, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1"Did not mean any disrespect."

      But Treos ARE chopped liver. Specially the Palm OS ones.
  • phunlee, on 10/12/2007, -12/+4iphone is still hotter looking and i hope to God I never have to use spreadsheets in my life.
    • jkendel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Purely based on contents of your comment, you will most likely use spreadsheets to create a mission critical database.
  • rockchops, on 10/12/2007, -11/+7You combine speech bubbles from different speakers in your comics. Very confusing design. Please go back to web-comic school.
    • naio21, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4You are a gay designer from San Francisco, right?
  • VulnoX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14I just got a Motorola Q from Sprint on Friday. It cost me $25 without having to renew my contract or anything, just took a few calls to get the right rep. ;)

    Anyway, I spent way more time over the weekend playing with this thing than I would like to admit. It is an awesome piece of hardware. Apps like Microsoft Live Search are, actually, really well done. The homescreen can be customized in infinite ways with cool plugins to make you as personal as you want it to be. I even had a home screen that makes it look like the iPhone, but that was more for fun than actual usability.

    Bottom line, I have not used an iPhone, and I doubt anyone else in here has. But I can say that for the price of my Moto Q vs the price of the iPhone, I don't see the point. I already have Gmail setup on my phone, as well as IM clients, Opera, and a ton of other easy to find Apps that make life easier.

    If the iPhone does not allow 3rd party apps like I have been hearing, then it will never hit 1/10th of the potential my Q has.

    The iPhone has the screen real estate and it has some cool touchpad stuff, but for everday use, without 3rd part apps, I can't see it ever being as useful. I am not talking about business level stuff either. I am in college and have found many many apps that I still need that I do not believe Apple will provide, at least not cheaply.

    We will wait and see, right now its all speculation, but I could go on and on about this phone, it really is nice. It has a BT remote feature that lets you fully control your PC from anywhere. Media Player, or even user the cursor as a mouse. Has damn good range too. I know, stupid stuff, but it makes for a great remote for your HTPC's without having to buy a Media Center remote or something.

    But its little stuff like that, that if the iPhone does not have, it will run into some resistance.

    Once again though, wait and see, the iPhone could be amazing, I just hope it gets cheaper.

    OH, and I hope they get it away from just Cingular. I don't care if the phone was free, my Sprint plan is unbeatable and with EVDO everywhere I go and free laptop teathering, Cingular does not come close.
    • speakster, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Completely off topic, so digg this down, but how did you manage to get a Q from Sprint for $25?

    • VulnoX, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Check out http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=8816&t=435107&highlight=Sprint

      Hopefully it isn't a bad thing to link to something like this.

      Basically it works like:
      You get the Moto Q for $99 out the door, no rebates needed
      or
      You get the Moto Q for $150 and turn in $175 in rebates and get it for free plus $25 back to you
      or
      You get the Moto Q for $200 (like me) and turn in $175 in rebates and get it for $25

      The rebates come quick, for rebates, and are easy to do. If your previous phone is a decent phone, can e-bay it and end up paying nothing for the Q, and maybe getting some cash back.

      Good luck, read through the thread, lots of good info.
  • aristotle0dude, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4Long Zheng a MSFT fanboy who does not get that the iPhone is not targeted towards ubergeeks living solely in the continental United States or Canada. CDMA is a dead end North American specific technology. It would be a waste of money and resources to support it in addition to GSM network technology which is a global standard.

    The iPhone is targeting people who want a fullscreen iPod and a muti-touch phone in one. These people are usually not corporate types who need exchange integration and other boring stuff like that. They are more likely to take advantage of free hotspots where they can find them as they are exploring cities on foot during a vacation.
  • elioty, on 10/12/2007, -8/+8Here it is, plain and simple:

    The iPhone is not for geeky types who have been using a smartphone with stylus/keyboard since the beginning of time. It is for iPod owners who are tired of weak-ass cell phones that try and do all the things the iPhone does (music, email, movies, maps, etc etc). It, most of all, is for people who value SIMPLICITY over MAXIMUM FUNCTIONALITY.

    The iPhone will not be adopted by the stylus/keyboard people who have been using that forever (which includes pretty much all business users). Does Apple care? Not so much.
    • sleepwalkers, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8Except you forget one thing: It's at least $500. People who enjoy having a keyboard on their phone are not exclusively the "geeky" type (whatever that may be). It's anyone who has used an IM client on their phone (more than you'd think) and anyone who is addicted to text messaging (which seems like almost the entire US populous under 20).
      The reason the lack of a keyboard is such a problem is that you can't touch type and you don't get the tactile feedback that you're used to, even with a standard 0-9 keypad on a cell phone. The lack of a stylus I don't care so much about (since the UI will be designed around the lack of precision a finger provides), but the lack of a keyboard will be a deal breaker to many that aren't the business type.
    • elioty, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2"but the lack of a keyboard will be a deal breaker to many that aren't the business type."

      Well, that obviously remains to be seen, but I doubt the avid texters will be really concerned with the "it doesn't have tactile feedback!" complaint that seems to rabid on these tech sites. Has there been a _good_ implementation of a touch screen interface that people have rejected for the sake of "it doesn't have tactile feedback"? Maybe, but I doubt it.

      Again, people need to think about how an _average_ iPod user is going to respond. The price point ($500+) is a minor concern, but this is the FIRST release so I don't think it'll be a deterrence for early adopters and eager fans. Remember how expensive the iPod was when it came out?
    • sleepwalkers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yup, I do. It's come down, but when the iPod came out, it wasn't the same. You're talking about one of the first hard drive based MP3 players in a compact form factor. There were other MP3 players like the iPod, but they weren't significantly cheaper than it.
      That's the exact opposite of the iPhone. It's coming out in an environment where there are a flood of cheap, able Windows Smartphones that will have more functionality (on the simple fact that they all allow third party software). The iPhone is not the first flash-based MP3 player (which it is), it's not the first successful wi-fi/2.5G enabled Smartphone-esque device.
      And yes, avid texters will be doubtful of the lack of a keyboard. It's difficult to type on a keyboard that you can't feel the keys. Imagine if that keyboard in front of you was just a flat piece of plastic. You would have to continuously look at it and take your attention away from whatever you were looking at to hit the next letter. No matter how good Apple implements the on-screen keyboard, it's not going to have tactile feedback and touch typing will be impossible. You have no spacial reference as to where the keys are and what key your finger is on. That's just how it is. The lack of a keyboard is a detriment to anyone who regularly types on a handheld device. Period.
  • gpcprog, on 10/12/2007, -11/+6Explains why I hate Apple.
    They come up with something that is already on the market, put "i" in front of it and make millions, because people fall for their crap.
    • sleepwalkers, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Why don't you compliment them on making products that people want to buy, instead of bashing them because their products aren't for you?
  • eth3l, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4Awesome.

    The ad sucked by the way.
  • Vermifax, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3iPhone for me.
  • mandraque, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0at the user that said that your hand wont let you see the UI: get your hand of the freakin skin! I work with touchscreens at my job and your opinion is really dumb.

    What is the iphone? a sexy innovative phone. its a smartphone+1 in the looks. For most people a phone is a phone, everything else is extra, and the extra in the iphone is really good looking.
  • Radan, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2You know, it would have been funny if it wasn't just simply untrue, and well pretty lame...
    • Daniel591992, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8lol, mac fanboy^^^^
    • Radan, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3Well, yes but that's is not the point. I like parodies as much as the next guy, but for starters, the iPhone does have push email, and support for wi-fi, edge and well 3G someday (hopefully before it hits the Euromarket). There's so many other things that they could have made fun of, like the lack of third party applications or something... And well.... it was kinda lame...
    • Daniel591992, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1oh shut up...
  • Topher06, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Has anybody actually used an iPhone for text messages? I see one of its biggest failings is the on screen qwerty keyboard. I mean, think of it, the screen is less then 2.5" wide, yet it places a full "qwertyuiop" row across the screen, meaning that these icons are less then 1/4" wide. That's not a lot of room for thumbing a message, especially without any tactile feedback. I don't think Apple was too smart in thinking of entering text messages on the iPhone, and without good email/text messaging support, the iPhone isn't in the same market as smartphones or blackberries.

    There is a reason why most smartphones these days have some form of physical keyboard on them, most people baulk at touchscreen typing, even with a stylus.
    • Radan, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Well, actually the iPhone got some kind of T9 feature, that will correct the words that you type incase you make a typo. But of course I do agree with you, it got to be a bit messy to type long messages (but, well, that includes all PDA:s on the market).
  • blackjack75, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4You could do the same comparison with a woman:
    - Got hair? checked.
    - Got eyes? Checked.
    - Got breasts? Checked.
    - Ass? Checked.

    Yet, for some reason some women have more succes than others. Par of it is actually the looks, but don't forget the ease of use :-) Ok, the analogy has to stop here.

    iPods have never done anything other mp3 players didn't already do. Yet, the have about 70% or more of the world's market share. Maybe there is something other to the success of a product than a checklist of features.

    I have recently used a brand new Dell Axim PDA and really it's a pain to use. They have transposed the logic of a desktop to a palm-sized device without thinking much about it. You still have to go to drop-down menus with your stylus. I have used the browser (WIFI) and its unbelievably slow, no idea why since it has a 664mhz CPU and the Wifi connection at my place is fine with all other devices. Even Opera is slow on this thing.

    I haven't used the iPhone so i can't comment, all I know is that windows mobile PDA do not make my life easier. Maybe the iPhone will suck but one thing is sure, I want something else than an Windows CE PDA.
  • ArmedJimmy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2Not in the least bit funny...but sorta true.
  • EtherGnat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Over the past few days I've had a few experiences that illustrate why the lack of a physical keyboard/keypad is a bad thing.

    1. Dialing outdoors. Screens are tough to read in direct sunlight. I was able to dial easily using my keypad though.
    2. Dialing while reading a number. I had a phone number on a business card, and I was able to dial as I read the number, rather than going back and forth.
    3. Dialing with screen problems. I managed to damage my screens touch sensitivity a few days ago (my fault). It hardly affects my use of the phone because I can use the keyboard/hot keys/d-pad to do almost everything. Hell, even if the screen died completely I could still easily make a call.

    I have experience with touchscreen only phones. I have little doubt that the iPhone will do the touchscreen better than it has ever been done before, but it's still not as good as physical keys. For many people the smaller size may make the trade-off worthwhile, but don't kid yourself that lack of physical buttons is an advantage.
  • Emery, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1To the comments about Apple fanboys controlling the world VS not...

    I see a few things going on here.

    1. We apple fans are just much more vocal. We *are* a cult, get over it. In a way it's similar to being an atheist... the truth is so obviously clear and you just wish the rest of the world would finally get it.

    2. So many of the leading technologists and columnists are personally mac users. From Mossberg to Pogue, Engadget, Digg, and Gizmodo.... the people behind them are primarily mac users. Digg is not the only tech site accused of being mac biased. Lots of the bigger tech sites are... I wonder why? (rhetorical)

    3. Apple just knows how to get people excited about things. There is more coverage of their products because their products are clearly laid out with stellar marketing campaigns. It's just so easy to pick up on and blog about Apple related stories.

    Side note: unfortunately the cartoon just wasnt funny and the creator is clearly one of the ones who 'just doesnt get it.'

    A Hyundai and Mercedes will both get you to where you are going. The both have anti-lock breaks and power windows, alarms and stereos, fuel injectors and rubber tires..... BUT THEY ARENT THE SAME THING PEOPLE!
    • rattsabre, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Nazi Germany had good marketing too.
    • naio21, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8"Digg is not the only tech site accused of being mac biased. Lots of the bigger tech sites are... I wonder why? (rhetorical) "

      MONEY! Digg and others (slashcrap for instance) are sponsored by Apple.
    • jon314, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"We apple fans are just much more vocal. We *are* a cult, get over it. In a way it's similar to being an atheist... the truth is so obviously clear and you just wish the rest of the world would finally get it.....
      Side note: unfortunately the cartoon just wasnt funny and the creator is clearly one of the ones who 'just doesnt get it."

      Maybe you just didn't get the cartoon. Not hard to imagine that being the case considering your obvious bias. And your attitude is strange considering it's a just bunch of gadgets we're talking about. Atheism/Theism are about the origins of humanity. These are deep, important, philosophical questions. Nothing at all like a question of whose electronic toy is better. So please don't lump the question of mankind's origins with your personal crusade of convincing everyone that Apple products are best for them but they just haven't realized it yet.

      The truth is that some people just aren't crazy about Apple and it's you who doesn't seem to get that. Maybe, just maybe, it's okay to not worship everything Jobs does. I don't see how you can be so absolutely convinced what you think is the truth must be absolutely, positively correct and that those who don't simply "don't get it" when it's a bloody phone we're talking about. I get it and I don't want it. I'm more than happy with my PC and my regular, dumb phone but thanks for assuming you know what's best for me.
    • onetkz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"1. We apple fans are just much more vocal. We *are* a cult, get over it. In a way it's similar to being an atheist... the truth is so obviously clear and you just wish the rest of the world would finally get it."

      hahahahah

      I bet you're the kind of guy that goes into an evangelistic tirade when they see a zune aren't you

      I find it funny how people like you like to perpetuate the notion that apple fans are SO MUCH BETTER than everything because "IT JUST IS". Apple Fanboyism is a cult eh? Similar to atheism? That's kind of ironic considering atheism is the belief that there is no God, yet cult is defined a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader. - among other things.
  • combustion8, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6will I be able to edit excel or word docs on the iphone? I dont think so.
    I will gladly keep my htc wizard thanks.
    • superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Here's a thought - enter the new text you want in an email to yourself, and enter it in word when you get back. Or, keep it as text (novel concept!).

      You should however probably be able to read Word documents, OS X already can read word documents with TextEdit and it does not make sense that they would not also support word attachments on the iPhone. How many documents are you really editing vs. simply reading?
  • wastern, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3That was wrong.....the iPhone has push email through yahoo just like a blackberry or other smart phone

    As for the rest of it....blah, blah, blah

    It isn't *what* it can do, its *how* it does it. When the iPod came out it didn't have any revolutionary features, and even today it isn't the most feature rich player out there. It was the interface, the way it work, and the desktop integration that made it stand out for the pack and dominate. The iPhone is the same way
    • ibis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2What if I don't want to use yahoo? What if I want to use my existing email account?
  • rvcx, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4M: Hi! I'm a Mac!
    S: And I'm a Steinway Piano!
    M: I have iTunes for playing music!
    S: I have way better sound quality.
    M: Ummm...okay. But all you need to do is click...
    S: I have the best key action in the world.
    M: I give up.

    If all the features on existing smartphones were well-implemented and easy to use, then the iPhone would have an almost insurmountable challenge. The iPod has *less* features than all the competitors that had been on the market for years before it arrived. I don't really like the iPod, but it won purely because the execution on the features it does have was an order of magnitude better than the competition.

    Don't want an iPhone? Don't buy one. Comparing feature checklists just makes you look like an ass.
    • ibis, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6"I don't really like the iPod, but it won purely because the execution on the features it does have was an order of magnitude better than the competition."

      You misspelled "marketing".
    • NSResponder, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Marketing alone doesn't make a hit on the iPod's scale, as Microsoft has demonstrated with the Zune and their two previous failures in that market. Advertising can get people to try a product, but it doesn't make them come back for later models.

      -jcr

  • ZeroMP, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Tech specs and usability wont matter much in the end.

    All that really matters now is that Apple has managed (through the huge popularity of the iPod) to turn an entire generation into morons who will purchase any product prefixed with a lowercase "i".

    Enjoy your crappy phones.
    • superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Sounds like someone is not really "enjoying their crappy phone" either, or else they would net get so riled up about a newcomer.
  • itachinin, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6I love my Windows Mobile Phone. The End.
  • naio21, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3Hilarious. Simply hilarious. And so true...
  • MScrip, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2As someone who has used 3 cell phones over the past 6 years... what happens to your iPhone after your contract is up?

    Most people can't wait till their contract is up to get a "new" phone... so what do you do with the iPhone when you get its replacement? Will it still function as an iPod? Can you give it to someone else?

    To most people, cell phone are disposable. But, with the iPhone costing so much up front... what will become of it when you finally replace it?
    • superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Enjoy the same high resale value that most other Apple products traditionally offer?

      I envision selling it for $400 after a year and getting whatever the new model is. Or possibly for $800 a month after launch and getting a second one essentially for free.
    • ibis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"Enjoy the same high resale value that most other Apple products traditionally offer?"

      Except the lithium battery will be dead by then and can't be replaced... Grrr, what is it with Apple and not making batteries (easily) replaceable. It may be the single most annoying thing about them.
  • dementia, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4The problem with most of these posts are that they are putting the iPhone in the context to the current smartphone market. The iPhone isnt designed to be an upgrade on what's currently out there, it's a complete paradigm shift. The question isnt whether or not the iPhone can beat the Treo, etc. at their own game, but whether or not it will change what game everyone is playing.

    The iPod showed that the DAP market was not all about features. Apple is gambling that the smart phone market will turn out to be the same way.
    • geekee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The cell phone market is much more mature than the mp3 player market was when Apple entered. Apple may influence the design of expensove phones, but that's about it.
  • foxstp, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0The complete dialog:

    http://iphonedapple.com/news/rumors/apple-iphone-vs-samsung-i600.html
  • Lynn, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4So much time wasted on a phone that will be no more than 1% of the mobile phone market.
    • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -4/+31% of a one-billion-cell-phones-per-year market is 10 million phones.

      Microsoft didn't sell 10 million Xbox 360s in its first year. Time wasted? Based on your logic, I guess so.

      P.S. market share ≠ profit
    • Lynn, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7The Zune will have more share in the MP3 market than the iPhone does of the mobile market. Still Mac fans scream the Zune is a failure but at 1% the iPhone is a huge success. Wow, you people are delusional. Can not have it both ways. If the iPhone is a success at 1% or less then the Zune is a success.
    • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2"If the iPhone is a success at 1% or less then the Zune is a success."

      Let me know when the Zune sells 10 million units. Then we'll talk about success.

      Wow, this digg is really overrun by Microsoft zealots. Any comment with anything positive to say about the iPhone = dugg down. Somebody is working overtime in the iPhone FUD factory this week. Not that I should be surprised where the OP is estvir...
  • phlavor, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3iPhone: I sync with a Mac.
    Windows Smartphone: Uh...

    • naio21, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8iPhone: "I sync with a Mac.
      Windows Smartphone: "congratulations for syncing with less than 4% of the market. BTW I sync with Macs too."

      http://www.markspace.com/missingsync_windowsmobile.php
    • phlavor, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6@ naio21

      I, as a Mac user since 1986, am well aware of Missing Sync. It's a hack. It's a good hack but one that wouldn't exist if companies supported Mac OS well. Windows Mobile doesn't support Mac OS. End of story. As for being in 3%, or 4% or 5% or whatever of the market share... It's completely irrelevant. Apple is producing a cellphone that works with their operating system. I use that operating system. As far as what the other 97% of the people in the world use... so the hell what.

      If you use Windows, great. Have fun with that. Enjoy the smartphones that you have available to you. They have all the things that you want; keyboards, stylus, push Exchange email, Word. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to a phone designed by a company whose designs I like and is supported by the operating system I use.
  • KevinRoseFetus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4this is not going to go well with the mac/ iphone fan freaks
  • slimdizzy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0i like cookies
  • phpfreak, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Oh give me a break. All of you are saying that us fanboys are trying to excuse the "flawed keyboard approach." While the iPhone does not have a hardware keyboard, I believe that it should have an advantage over ones on existing smartphones. I was extremely close to buying a Palm Treo 700p over the summer, but when I got into the Verizon store to try it out, I was turned off by the impracticality of the keyboard. I couldn't bare to type on it just for a few minutes while typing a test email. I don't know about the iPhone's soft-keyboard, and none of us will know until it's released, but I think it should be a lot better than the phones with tiny plastic keys.

    As for the nonexistence of HSDPA or EVDO, this phone has wifi!

    I'm a fanboy, but still, I think everyone is very critical of this product, especially since it hasn't even been released yet.
    • EtherGnat, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4"I don't know about the iPhone's soft-keyboard, and none of us will know until it's released, but I think it should be a lot better than the phones with tiny plastic keys."

      I can type 40wmp on my "tiny plastic keys", and I don't even get much practice. I can type in bright sunlight, I can type without looking at the keyboard (useful when copying something down), I can even type with gloves on. I can also type without having a large portion of my screen obscured by text. My phone comes with an on-screen keyboard, but admittedly it's not that great. Fortunately there are third party apps (imagine that) that offer great full-screen keyboards. It doesn't have to be an either/or proposition.

      "I'm a fanboy, but still, I think everyone is very critical of this product, especially since it hasn't even been released yet."

      People are also very quick to praise this product, even though it isn't out yet.
  • 1337n3rd, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2that umtsgsmdunnowhat thing has such a small screen.
    and buttons. reminds of the 90s when everything got stuffed
    into a device, no matter how unuseable it turns out.
  • mannymix03, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2everyone who says battery life, i work for a living, constantly moving and talking, currently my 8125 with extended battery cant even last until 2pm

    thats why you get off your cheap ass and buy an extra charger for the office and a car charger, when you want to bash something, bash it with a good point, not the weak ***** about the battery. I don't think the iphone is that great, without GPS and that expensive is killer to it, but i'm not going to bash it because it doesnt have a stylus or a user replaceable battery, have any of you actually touched the iphone? i doubt it, and btw i used my 8125 when the keyboard broke for 1 week waiting for the replacement, so i was using the onscreen keyboard with only my fingers, after 3 days i got used to it and i was typing just as fast.
    • ibis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4So your solution to crap battery life is for people to have battery chargers in every location they ever go? Seriously? When I was buying a new smart phone I _specifically_ bought one that could actually last a few days on battery because charging the thing every 4 hours isn't a ***** solution.
    • naio21, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Yeah, talk about mobility.
  • longterm, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1It's all about the interface. The reason the Treo and Windows Mobile devices pale in comparison is that their interfaces suck; the reason the iPhone will quickly become as big as the iPod is because Apple knows how to design great user interfaces.

    I've used a Treo for 2 years... I just sold my Treo 700p today because its interface sucked. I've seen the Windows devices, and they're no better.

    People who don't understand why the iPhone is so incredible have obviously not watched the demo.

  • longterm, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2The same people who say that a smartphone has to have a chiclet keyboard were saying that a GUI would never work, that any self-respecting computer user has to have a command-line.

    Apple creates an iPod, and it immediately starts taking over the market, growing to over 80% market share in Japan and over 60% worldwide.

    MicroSloth creates the Zune, and it'll be lucky to achieve 1% marketshare after 5 years. Of course, we'll never know, because the Zune will be long gone in 5 years!
    • EtherGnat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3A phone doesn't *have* to have a keyboard/keypad, it just works better. It's been tried a million times before, and while some of the problems were due to bad implementations some (such as a lack of feedback) are inherent limitations. The iPhone may be great but it can't rewrite the laws of the Universe. Hell, some phones that have actual buttons receive criticism because they're too flat and it's hard to tell when you're pressing the right button.
  • sakulmada, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2I think it's hilarious how so many people forget what Apple Inc.'s main selling point for most, if not all, of their products is.

    It just works.

    In light of that, i highly doubt they would release one of their most highly anticipated products without making sure that the interface was as close to flawless as possible. Apple just simply would not release the iPhone if they hadn't already thought of and solved all (OK, most if not all) of the problems listed above. And on another note... if you're so adamant about not buying one, why the hell do those of you spend so much time talking about it? eh?
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