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John C. Dvorak: The iPhone Is No Desktop

pcmag.com — People are willing to make a device that you can drop in the toilet or leave in a taxi cab the next desktop computing platform. Ridiculous.

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  • TheHayze, on 03/26/2008, -69/+32Great article, again, by Dvorak. (Watch Cranky Geeks for more of Dvorak goodness).
    • tugger, on 03/26/2008, -29/+15I'm from the Uk and have never heard of this guy. Is he a respected journalist?? really? That was a terrible article, badly stating a quite weak argument that portability isn't necessarily a good thing.
      Maybe PC mag are looking for a journalist with something between the ears, and the ability to communicate at a rational level.
      • MindStalker, on 03/26/2008, -7/+6Eh, generally Dvorak is much better, though rarely great. This article I agree sucked, parent post was relatively pointless pandering.
      • Strunt, on 03/26/2008, -4/+36Look, this guy knows what he's talking about:
        'In 1984 he criticized Apple's inclusion of a mouse with their computers, saying “There is no evidence that people want to use these things.”'
        • B1663r, on 03/26/2008, -16/+6And largly they didn't for another 10 years.
        • KennMac, on 03/26/2008, -1/+25"And largly they didn't for another 10 years."

          So the mouse generally wasn't used until 1994? Alright there, chief.
          • B1663r, on 03/26/2008, -13/+5So the mouse was generally in use in 1991? Nope it wasn't.
          • pauldy, on 03/26/2008, -0/+11Now you may find it hard to imagine a computer without a mouse, monitor and keyboard but B166r is more or less correct I remember many machines didn't have mice until the early 90s (maybe closer to 91/92). I remember helping friends install mice, adding com ports to machines and dealing with drivers that only worked with com1 or com2 and totally flipped out if your interrupt was set to anything but 3 or 4. Amazing how far we have come.
          • B1663r, on 03/26/2008, -3/+4pauldy,
            Im guessing on the pc side of things, they didn't really become common, or even useful until the latter half of 1991 when windows 3.0 shipped. While Apple did have something like a 20% market share of the desktop computer market, at the time, that is largely irrelevant because the dominant platform at the time were the mini computers that businesses had adopted all through the 80's, while the desktops were still a curiosity.
        • mstrebe, on 03/26/2008, -5/+14Despite the fact that I agree that an iPhone is no replacement for a desktop (although I don't know who "everyone" is--I don't know anyone who ever concluded that it was), Dvorak has >always< been a blithering idiot. I remember his rant against USB (yes, USB) in 1998 stating "Nobody needs another port on their computer." The only times this jurassic clown has been right is when the conclusion is so obvious that my grandmother could have guessed it.
          If I drop my iPhone in the toilet, I DON'T LOSE ANY DATA--just an expensive phone. I get another one and viola, the Internet is still there, just where I left it. All my crap is still synced to my computer. Its loosing $400, not loosing the chapter I just wrote and can't replace without days of work. And if I can't afford to replace $400 I wouldn't be playing phone-toilet-chicken in the first place.
      • badqat, on 03/26/2008, -2/+20Wow...I've got to ask: are you very young or do you live under a rock? Dvorak has been spewing his cranky brand of tech reporting (and Apple bashing) since the 1980s.
        • MacParrot, on 03/26/2008, -4/+4Dvorak is certainly an aquired taste I guess, I used to enjoy his back page column at MacUser (when that mag still existed in the US)
          • AmaDaden, on 03/26/2008, -2/+5Just remember to think of him as some kind of cranky old relative who hates everything. It'll help you to understand when he really hates something and when he is just bringing up all the negative points of something because he hates everything by default. You should like him just fine after that.
          • MacParrot, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2I didn't say I liked or agreed with him. He's the kind of guy that spouts off whatever will get the most page hits or responses. I doubt even he agrees with much of the crap he says.
      • FireXtol, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2Dvorak is a perfect example of idiocracy in action. This article reaching digg's front page is another great example!
    • airburst, on 03/26/2008, -9/+16Dvorak goodness is an oxymoron.
    • Spuy767, on 03/26/2008, -10/+9Dvorak is generally just a journalist, and I use the term loosely, with an agenda and a grudge.
    • fluidfoundation, on 03/26/2008, -0/+17Topping 2008's NO ***** list, Dvorak! Take a bow.
      • subliminalurge, on 03/26/2008, -0/+8Dvorak has basically two modes: Blithering idiot who's flat out wrong, and Captain Obvious.
    • whiskeymb, on 03/26/2008, -4/+13lol, don't forget that Dvorak said the iPhone was going to be a bust because it didn't have a physical keyboard. He was SO right!
      • B1663r, on 03/26/2008, -24/+5The iPhone is bust... It was supposed to become the dominant phone, and that hasn't happened, and by apple barley meeting their usually very conservative sales goals, I would say the iPhone has been a huge dissapointment.
        • MalenfantX, on 03/26/2008, -6/+11They were idiots if they had a delusion about being the dominant phone. It's doing very well for the expensive toy it is.
        • subliminalurge, on 03/26/2008, -1/+7So meeting your goals is disappointing?

          I thought the purpose of setting a goal was to try to meet it. Sure, every now and then you get lucky and exceed one, but even if you merely "meet" a goal, it's not a cause for disappointment.
        • edicius, on 03/26/2008, -1/+9Apple never, ever said that it would become the most dominant phone.
        • MacParrot, on 03/26/2008, -2/+6Even though I have no desire for a iPhone (or any smartphone), to say it's insignificant really shows how bad your bias against Apple is. Here's a device that so many claimed would fall flat on its face, that Apple had no clue what they were getting into, and is so far reaching pretty close to the sales goal they set for it. The software has been revised how many times now? How many major updates do you see for Blackberrys in less than 9 months? Now they are tailoring it to the business market with Exchange support and releasing an SDK that will make a lot of people quite a nice bit of cash. I've played with one and it's pretty slick. Not slick enough to fork out $400 and a monthly ATT fee yet, but it does exactly what they claimed it will do.
          Even if you hate Apple, this will make the overall market better since the UI on devices like this must improve to keep up. Or is simplier to use devices go against your grain?
          • inspecality, on 03/26/2008, -1/+3I got mine for $250 from AT&T and unlocked it. I just took the Cingular SIM card from my old phone and moved it over, resulting in no two year contract, no extra fees, etc. You should definitely look into this.
      • KennMac, on 03/26/2008, -4/+9Dvorak is the definition of 'Fail'.
    • Kurlumbenus, on 03/26/2008, -5/+5Dvorak is a keyboard configuration. Or a sort of nomic.
    • the6thReplicant, on 03/26/2008, -8/+3I never like his articles but I do like his discussions. Try CrankyGeeks (vidcast) or No Agenda (podcast). He's been in the business long enough that you might actually have to respect him.
      • subliminalurge, on 03/26/2008, -2/+3Nope. I just tried not respecting him. It worked.
    • rpgmaker, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2I can almost see on Digg 2015 front page a digg that read "The 2015 laptop as seen in 2008" pointing to that pcmag article.
    • jabberwolf, on 03/26/2008, -3/+3What? You say something bad about the iphone even if it's honest?!

      You die, you die now !! Burn him burn him !!!
    • metalkills, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1Dvorak is more concerned with keeping up his cranky stick-up-the-ass image than actually writing a well rounded article. Its a mystery why this guy gets any attention as a credible source anymore.
  • wonderchemist, on 03/26/2008, -16/+89Maybe not the iPhone 1.0. Think of the iPhone 1.0 as the Mac 128k.

    • TheBogie, on 03/26/2008, -22/+16Dvorvack is truly the best technology writer of our time. We all need to be thankful to have access to his insight, as his views are worth their weight in gold.

      Dvorvack is the technology equivalent of Kresken.
      • marx2k, on 03/26/2008, -1/+9Dvorak. Like the keyboard layout of the same name. You've introduced some extra letters in there.
      • mrnoodle, on 03/26/2008, -2/+2Whenever I write something that sarcastic, I get dug to china. Unless you're serious. Then I wish I'd dug you down instead of posting.
    • Borgcube, on 03/26/2008, -2/+8Dude, did you even RTFA? It doesn't matter what version of iPhone are we talking about, he is stating that using an iPhone, or a laptop for that matter, instead of a desktop PC is ridiculous since the one advantage, portability, is easily outmatched by many other desktop PC advantages. I mean, for example, I own a Nintendo DS, but do I play it with the computer around? Well, not really.
  • streak, on 03/26/2008, -47/+76Dvorak provides the epitome of a "straw man" argument. The real breakthrough with the iPhone is being able to leave the laptop at the office while traveling--essentially doing away with the need for a laptop in many instances--and allowing the combination of a less-expensive, higher-performance desktop and iPhone to fulfill almost every need. This transformation of computer usage will become even more evident with iPhone 2.0.
    • Rotzooi, on 03/26/2008, -41/+56Breakthrough? Nokia's phones could do what the iPhone does years ago. And even now the old Nokia models still have more functionality than an iPhone.
      • streak, on 03/26/2008, -32/+42Right, Nokia's phones could do lots of things... poorly and at much higher cost.
        • Optimaximal, on 03/26/2008, -13/+17Wait... Higher Cost?

          Did you miss the £300/$400 upfront cost plus the top-bill line-rental on most contracts?
        • streak, on 03/26/2008, -5/+13Yes, Nokia is higher cost. Looking at the upfront cost is being myopic, but even there the iPhone is less expensive by $100 or more than the N95, plus sales tax. The iPhone unlimited data plan is half the price of the unlimited data plans for any other smart phone from both AT&T and Verizon. Over the 2 year contract, the savings are more than sufficient to pay for the device with sales tax. If it all seems expensive, then perhaps you don't really need a smart phone to begin with.
          Then consider GPS on Nokias and other smart phones, which costs $3/day or $10/month and is slow, if at all operable. On iPhone, the Google Maps "locate me" feature works in seconds and is free, albeit is not as accurate.
          • SteveMax, on 03/26/2008, -6/+7Google Maps' "locate me" has been working under S60 since months before it was available for the iPhone. Besides, it's Nokia's GPS software that requires the subscription fee; with other software, there is no monthly fee.
          • streak, on 03/26/2008, -2/+3Maddox lurvs his Nokia E70.
            http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=ip ...

            But PC World says the E70 is difficult to use and expensive.
            http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128368-page,1-c, ...
            "Unfortunately, the Symbian OS isn't up for all the things this phone wants to do. Screen refreshes took ages, and switching applications caused havoc; music stuttered badly when I tried to switch to the e-mail app, for example. I found Symbian nonintuitive and too labor-intensive-basic actions require a multitude of scrolls and button presses, often sending you to the manual for advanced tweaking. The E70 lacks a dedicated volume control, too, which will be especially problematic if you ever want to play music while doing something else. Even worse: The unit has no HSDPA 3G support, a failing common to all Nokia PDA phones."

            How many decades has Nokia been in this business?
            How many months has Apple? ;-)
        • sab0tage, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2This doesn't hold true for the UK. O2 is the only iPhone network, and they happen to also sell the n95 8GB which makes comparison easy.

          For a £35 a month tariff the cost of the iphone is £269 (for the 8GB version to make the comparison as fair as possible) and you get 600 mins, 500 txt messages, & unlimited web browsing.

          On the £35/month n95 tariff the phone costs £99 and you get 600mins/1000txts & unlimited web browsing (if selected as one of the bolt on options).

          The n95 is clearly the better value tariff, the only thing the iPhone has access to the the cloud wi-fi hot-spots, but they are only in a few locations and you can also add them to the n95 tariff.
          For the £45/month tariff the n95 is free, it has more txts than the iphone tariff but same 1200 minutes. The iPhone still costs £269, but hey, you get free standard delivery!

          For the record, I have a SE K800i with some buttons that don't like to work anymore, I am still undecided about which phone I will have next.
        • streak, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2iPhone comes with unlimited Wi-Fi for free. After activation, you can eliminate the iPhone cellular data plan and continue to use Wi-Fi for free. Without a data plan, the base AT&T calling plan becomes just $40/month (~20 pounds/month). The additional savings will make the iPhone effectively free after just 1 year. For a free N95 from O2, the cheapest 12-month plan is 40 pounds (~$80) per month, or 35 pounds ($70) per month on an 18-month plan. Contrary to the plans you describe, O2's unlimited web is an additional 7.50 pounds or $15/month, and unlimited Wi-Fi is an extra 7.5 pounds or $15/month. That's hugely expensive compared to iPhone on O2.
          Is O2's pricey unlimited web on the N95 the real Internet or a squeezed version for the N95's tiny display?
          I don't bother with texting, preferring to use e-mail instead.

          • sab0tage, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1The unlimited Internet on the O2 contract is a free option as I stated which you seem to have ignored (it would cost £7.50 wanted it along with another free option), the other options are unlimited calls to other O2 numbers, or land line calls. I discounted the WiFi because it's only in London, and lots of cafés and bars have free wi-fi in my little town anyway.
            The n95 uses the same webkit based browser as the iPhone, so they suck as much or as little as each other. You can download torrents on the n95 if you wanted to really test the unlimited-ness of it.
      • SuperSunny, on 03/26/2008, -26/+27...You do realize Nokia phones don't have a multi patented Multi-Touch interface system, right?

        The interface is what makes the iPhone and iPod Touch so unique. With the SDK release, it's going to be a breakthrough in terms of what the thing can do.

        Already I have a multi touch Piano (Pianist), Guitar (Guitarist), VNC, Touchpad, multi touch NES/SNES/GBA, and a bunch of other things. They all run well. And they are all hacked applications, from an unofficial SDK.
        • migitalwarfare, on 03/26/2008, -6/+3unique won't get you jack ***** when you lose it, or break it. that was the point of the article. no one cares what hacked programs you have on your iphone
        • Atomic1fire, on 03/26/2008, -1/+3Not if the Iphone becomes Cheaper and Increasingly popular
          The possibillity for multiple unique apps can curve to multiple personalitys
          such as the business minded person or the music freak
      • r3zonance, on 03/26/2008, -7/+26Nokia phones may have more functionality, but as a result they do nothing well.

        The N95 for example, people always tout the GPS as being a killer feature, but only ever managed to get it to work once (in 4 months) for about 2 minutes, after spending 10-15 minutes waithing for it to figure out where I was. Turns out it is only any good when there are no buildings around you and the sky is very very clear.

        And then if you want to use the map without being forced download each bit as and when you need it (with nasty data charges) you have to pay about £50 for a 12-month licence.

        Utter crap.
      • Drax0n, on 03/26/2008, -5/+8Your right, for very techie people who had the time (in fact enjoy tinkering) to play aroudn and figure out the N95 it can do a lot, but put it in the average persons hjand and its just a phone.. the iphone can do more in a regular (see person who doens't go to digg) person's hand than the N95...
      • abhissekk, on 03/26/2008, -1/+8The keyword is accessibility. Nokia has more features than any phone I know of but the UI makes those features less accessible. That is where iPhone excels. This concept of accessibility can be applied to any popular consumer device, MP3 Players, GPSes, DVRs, even dish washers.
      • judgeFire, on 03/26/2008, -0/+8I switched to the iPhone from a Nokia e70.

        Technically, the Nokia had more features, but in practice it was clumsy. Particularly the memory handling, which caused browser crashes on sites like Digg and active standby crashes when calendar events reached some magic number. A major annoyance was the (missing?) preloads of thumbnails requiring you to wait for each preview pic, movie clip and so on. On top of that, the device started to break apart, with some keys losing functionality after only two years and the screws coming loose.

        The biggest insult, the cherry on top, was that this advanced S60v3 device had a music player app, which Nokia counted towards marketshare in portable players, but it lacked a... headphones port. Great design there, guys.

        The only thing I miss is the screen PPI, over 200. It had about as much pixels as the iPhone, but packed in a smaller area. That made text and line art render really beautifully, without a hint of aliasing. That density on a bigger screen.... soon, I hope.
      • Borgcube, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1WTF? Why would you leave your laptop at the office? What is the point of owning a laptop then, so you could use it only in your office? What about desktop PC?
      • EtherGnat, on 03/26/2008, -3/+3I'm not that familiar with the high end Nokias, but I know my Windows Mobile phone (while the interface may sometimes blow) lets me get far more work done on the road than an iPhone would. It gives me 3G, multiple batteries, the ability to read and edit Office documents, Exchange integration, built in keyboard + I've got a bluetooth keyboard for real text entry, I'm using both Opera and Skyfire for web browsing which lets me access any site out there, the ability to tether if I do take my laptop with me, not only voice dialing but full voice control, full GPS free from monthly fees (via bluetooth GPS and TomTom software), 4GB storage via MicroSD, and access to a few third party applications that make my life much easier. For my personal benefit I've got a great e-reader, the ability to stream TV and recorded shows from my Slingbox, the ability to play almost any media format that exists, and Skype. I'll get dugg down, but I love my i760.
    • ghm101, on 03/26/2008, -3/+15Maybe something like the asus eee pc would do this linking to the more powerful desktop better.
      • saralk, on 03/26/2008, -4/+3The eeePC, MacBook Air and all ultraportables need synchronising.

        It's naiive to think that people use thier eeePC as their primary computer, the obviously have a desktop of full sized notebook which they use when at home or in the office.

        Once you can plug your eeePC into your computer's USB port and have your work files, calender entries, e-mails and other files synchronised, then ultraportables will take off
        • Spuy767, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5***** I have a fullsize notebook and I would never attempt to use it as a desktop. The simple fac is, that some of use need more power than a laptop will ever be able to offer.
          • troye, on 03/26/2008, -0/+4In the past 5 years, the line between desktop and laptop has been blurred beyond recognition - dual core 3.0ghz processors (even quadcore in a select few), multiple hard drives, huge 17" widescreen with full hd resolution, and a billion ports on the sides.
          • EtherGnat, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1Tehre are even a few 20" so-called laptops now. They're not something I'd want to routinely travel with, but they might be just the thing if you sometimes like to work in different rooms of your house, or have separate summer/winter homes, etc.
        • directrix13, on 03/26/2008, -4/+2I misread and started a post that I don't want to finish, so........
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbaTur4A1OU
      • streak, on 03/26/2008, -0/+8The eeeeePC doesn't fit in an ordinary pants pocket, has no cell phone or cellular data capability, contains far less memory than an iPhone, and is a lousy multimedia player.
    • mGARANDEUR1, on 03/26/2008, -7/+37How is the iphone going to replace a laptop? Are you seriously going to type up a term paper on that crappy touch keyboard?
      • rot13ubercrypto, on 03/26/2008, -8/+12No, but most laptop users do not type up term papers. Most of the objections to smartphones (including Dvorak's rant) completely misunderstand the fundamental uses most people make of their portable computers. They check emails, review presentations and documents, conveniently archive information such as addresses and photos, and browse websites. My girlfriend has been a strategy consultant for 8 years; although i detest the ***** thing and keep threatening to test its aerodynamics if it comes out at the dinner table, her blackberry has allowed her to spend way more time away from the office without lugging around her laptop bag than she would otherwise have.

        Of course an iPhone or a Nokia or a BlackBerry will never replace the interactive aspect of document creation on a laptop. That's not the point. That particular use of a laptop probably makes up 20-30% of what most individuals actually use them for.
        • ronnsprocket, on 03/26/2008, -6/+6im pretty sure most laptop users are students.
          • badjoke, on 03/26/2008, -0/+5There are a lot more business people in the world than college students with laptops.
          • fasda, on 03/26/2008, -0/+5They still have to type reports, spread sheets and the like
          • streak, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1and if they just happen to be away from the office when a situation arises, what do they use? a borrowed computer scrounged up somewhere, or their personal iPhone that's always on hand? no need to carry that laptop "just in case."
      • streak, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3Don't make the mistake of over generalizing. An iPhone substitutes for a laptop in many instances. Not all, but many. How this impacts individuals will vary. Students perhaps not so much, but IT workers are not writing term papers and business folk aren't always sitting in airports. For many people--and perhaps the majority of laptop owners--this can provide tremendous liberation from carrying a cumbersome laptop, provide important laptop capabilities in situations where a laptop wouldn't ordinarily have been brought along, and restores emphasis to the capabilities of one's desktop PC.
    • GeorgeStone2, on 03/26/2008, -16/+22I have an iPhone.
      It would NEVER replace my laptop. Ever. In a million years. Never.
      The iPhone doesn't even have GPS yet, however my 5 year old Nokia 6600 has GPS.
      Also, the lack of tactile feedback on the iPhone pisses me off, and the fact you have to click 2 buttons to get a period.
      I mean wtf.
      There is a lot of bad features built into the iPhone, and if I didn't get mine cheap, I wouldn't have it.
      And if I couldn't jailbreak it, I wouldn't even have had it for cheap.
      • lepton, on 03/26/2008, -6/+17No, you have to type two buttons to get a period and a space. Just like on any other keyboard!
      • KennMac, on 03/26/2008, -5/+24Tapping the spacebar twice for a period (and space) is soooo difficult!
        • mjwhip, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2Well look at that. That makes it easier. Guess I should have read the manual.
      • GeorgeStone2, on 03/26/2008, -6/+6Ok guys, explain the lack of GPS. A feature almost any other smartphone in that pricerange has.
        I'm hoping the release of the SDK brings a iPhone version of Tomtom.
        • mjwhip, on 03/26/2008, -0/+4I would assume battery life. Without an interchangeable battery something had to suffer.
      • GeorgeStone2, on 03/26/2008, -8/+1Just tried the tips you gave.
        Tapping the space bar twice does not give me a period.
        3 buttons to get a period and a space.
        • gbeirne, on 03/26/2008, -1/+0Those buttons being "period", "space" and "fail"
          • GeorgeStone2, on 03/26/2008, -1/+3Or ".,123" and "." and "space".
        • KennMac, on 03/26/2008, -0/+9Try updating your firmware. Double tap spacebar was a feature in 1.1.1
      • KennMac, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5Try updating your firmware. Double tap spacebar was a feature in 1.1.1
      • judgeFire, on 03/26/2008, -0/+4The 6600 didn't have built-in GPS hardware, you had to connect to an external piece of hardware using either BlueTooth or the connection port.

        Similarly, the iPhone has BlueTooth and WiFi for hardware connectivity, so GPS manufacturers may well be at work with the beta SDK. The Google Maps application on the iPhone is quite mature and could well be set to plugin to GPS data. There are no major obstacles to this now that Apple has opened up the platform.
    • Lounger540, on 03/26/2008, -2/+6Had a WM5 & 6 device, rarely used the PDA features. Always brought my laptop with me.
      Now with the iPhone, I found my self not 'needing' to have my laptop around my shoulder.
      Facebook, email, crosswords, rss, aim 24/7 on the go. Mobile Office & XCode w/ pocket folding bluetooth keyboard and I could get rid of the laptop all together.
      • 6minuteabs, on 03/26/2008, -3/+5So you were bringing the laptop so that you could check facebook, read email and do crossword puzzles? You need to get an actual job.
    • mikesbaker, on 03/26/2008, -1/+10don't get me wrong I'm no iPhone fan but... I have been reading PC mag for a long long time and I consistently see Dvorak getting it wrong. How the hell does that guy still have a job writing his column.
      • JeffS, on 03/27/2008, -2/+1Because you've been reading PC Magazine for a long long time. Also, Dvorak is never wrong. When you think he is wrong it is merely a clever ruse designed to agitate people and attract more attention to his column or blog.
    • Theli, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2I agree with Dvorak's conclusion, but I think he used the weakest arguments. From what I understand, he was retorting the article written by Lance Ulanoff found here:
      http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2278813,00.as ...
      If the iPhone was a desktop computer, it would also be the _worst_ desktop computer. A desktop computer with a tiny screen which can only run one application at a time, and that closes said application as soon as the phone rings. Personally I don't think Apple even intended for the iPhone to in any way replace the iMac or MacBook.
  • thenome, on 03/26/2008, -20/+40True it's never be a desktop or maybe even a laptop, but with the SDK on the horizon I have no doubt it will be the leader in "handtop" computing... the multitouch UI is ready for prime time. Everytime I pull out my touch everyone around me is amazed by it's power with just the email and web. With free apps, everyone will want to run out and buy one of these.

    • Tyr7BE, on 03/26/2008, -15/+29...until you try to type out an email. Seriously, I've seen many people square off in email "type-offs" between their blackberry and iphone. The result?

      Blackberry: "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog"
      iPhone (in twice the time): "The quik bten fox jmooik obit th hair dog"

      Multitouch is great for things like zooming and gestures for going forward and back in web pages and stuff like that, but with no tactile keypad, you'd better be the type who sends quick one-word reply emails, very infrequently. Otherwise you're going to take years off your life battling to get a sentence out of this thing.
      • InorganicMatter, on 03/26/2008, -11/+21Multitouch takes time getting used to. I can type faster with my iPhone than I ever could with my Treo after a bit of practice.
        • Spuy767, on 03/26/2008, -11/+9Agreed, Expecially in landscape mode. I can bang out mails faster on my iPhone than i ever could on my blackberry.
        • MindsCave, on 03/26/2008, -3/+9how do you type email in landscape mode on the IPhone using the Mail app?
      • GeorgeStone2, on 03/26/2008, -3/+13I used to be able to type a text message out on my N6600 without looking. Now I HAVE to look.
        • Me1000, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2Oh god no! now you cant text while you drive!

      • KennMac, on 03/26/2008, -8/+12Don't tell me ice hockey sucks because you can't skate. Learn it and stop complaining.

        The only people making the argument about the inability to type efficiently on the iPhone are the people who suck at it. It's not that difficult if you invest a little time into it, like any new technology. The problem here isn't the technology, it's peoples' inability to adapt. It's the same reason your Aunts and Uncles are dimwits on a computer; they haven't adapted.
      • TBoneFever, on 03/26/2008, -9/+9I type better on my iphone than regular full-size QWERTY keyboards now. It isn't a skill you can just pick up and go with. Just like anything, you'll have pros and n00bs. Just because you're seeing lots of n00bs doesn't mean the iphone sucks, but it does mean your mom is a hoe.
        • Theli, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2"I type better on my iphone than regular full-size QWERTY keyboards now."

          Then you are disfigured.
      • badjoke, on 03/26/2008, -0/+8And let's not forget how good the auto-complete is. Once you learn to trust it, your typing speeds up a lot.
    • pintomp3, on 03/26/2008, -6/+3will the sdk enable copying and pasting?
    • dogghaven, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1App Store! Store as in a place that you buy things, Apple is the kind of people to just give things away for free unless it's a really cheap program like Facebook or iChat
  • Eminemdrdre00, on 03/26/2008, -3/+43The "This Week in Tech" link in the article links to www.tech.tv... WTF?
    • IOIOIOIOIOIOIOI, on 03/26/2008, -0/+5Ha! I'm surprised it isn't linked to Dvorak.org/blog...
    • Archaic1, on 03/26/2008, -0/+4It's supposed to be www.twit.tv
      • IOIOIOIOIOIOIOI, on 03/26/2008, -3/+3yeah, no *****, Sherlock...
  • sn00kie, on 03/26/2008, -7/+66In Later News, The Mac and PC guys aren't really computers....
  • Gummo98, on 03/26/2008, -3/+30I say the chip in our head is the next desktop.
    • johnpaul191, on 03/26/2008, -0/+19That's not one you would want to Jailbreak and risk bricking.
      • Me1000, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1you mean *unlock* and risk bricking...
    • spyrochaete, on 03/26/2008, -2/+1If you fall asleep at your desk.
  • OneManArmy, on 03/26/2008, -25/+74"Some even hope that it will replace the laptop as the primary PC platform. And what if it does? What are folks going to do when they spill coffee on their iPhones? "

    Jesus. Is that guy for real?. Laptops and mobile computers have been outselling desktops now for years. The current iPhone might not be the answer, but with its innovative approach of interacting with the device it is a step in the right direction. And as microprocessors/controllers become more power efficient, faster, and smaller it will only get better along with all other mobile devices.
    • adml_shake, on 03/26/2008, -8/+15Would you care to offer up some proof on that claim? I'm not calling you a liar or anything, but that goes against what I've been hear about laptop vs. pc sales. While the laptop is catching up, tower sales are still a bigger seller.
      • trispear, on 03/26/2008, -1/+4Towers sell more but laptops bring more money. Who still pays much over $1100 on a tower? Hardly anyone. (The median is probably closer to the 500 range). Who still spends $2000 on a laptop? A good number of people. (Median is probably about $1000)
        • spyrochaete, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3Laptop parts cost more to manufacture. I think laptops are more profitable just because they're usually replaced, not upgraded. I doubt it's because retailers buy laptops and desktops at the same price and arbitrarily double the price of the laptops.

          If one store sells a hundred 50-cent apples for $1 and another store sells a hundred $1 apples for $1.50 they're both going to make $50 profit.
          • alecks, on 03/26/2008, -2/+1Wait... so 50-cents for how many?
          • jgtg32a, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1Actually they both Gross $100 you have to take into consideration the profit margins.

            I worked at Fry's at Fry's there was next to no profit margin on laptops its all about the service contract, Desktops have better margins.
    • Tyr7BE, on 03/26/2008, -6/+13You're forgetting that it's still a handheld computer. And sometimes you don't want a handheld computer - you want a full sized computer (ie, laptop). My smart phone does pretty much everything I use my laptop for - plays music well, sends/receives email, surfs the web with a pretty decent browser, etc etc etc. But I'm not going to sit down and type out a huge email on my tiny little keyboard, or surf the web on a 3" x 4" screen. I'm going to go to a real machine that can give me a higher resolution. Processors may get better, but the device won't get any bigger, and that's the root of the problem.
      • Optimaximal, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2If anything, we're looking at them getting smaller...
      • lepton, on 03/26/2008, -0/+6As an old timer I laughed when you wrote sometimes you want a full sized computer i.e. laptop. Trust me, in a few years you'll laugh when people complain about those wrist or eyeglass computers and say sometimes they want a full sized computer i.e. handheld.
      • KennMac, on 03/26/2008, -1/+33 x 4" screen? *****, where can I find one of those?
      • Theli, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1And while the CPU's in the small portable devices gets faster, so will the CPU's in the desktop computers. And so will our demands for faster computing.
      • betobeto, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1This is the issue that regrettably gets too buried by hype. If all I did with my laptop were surfing the web, check email and my calendar, listen to music and scribble short notes, I wouldn't really need it - the iPhone suffices for all these things. Now, try crunching numbers or writing a long Word document or blog post using the iPhone's keyboard. Not to mention much more complex tasks. "Real" computers will still be relevant for a long time.
    • johnpaul191, on 03/26/2008, -4/+6I know Apple sells at least as many laptops as desktops, if not slightly more in some quarters. I bring up Apple only because we know Apple sells more units to end users than the competition. They are not as subject to selling a truckload for a massive company-wide upgrade (like Dell or HP).
      Dvorak is also kind of old school. I get the vibe that when he sits down to write, it is probably at a proper desk. He's old enough that he probably started writing papers on typewriters, so there is some ingrained memory there. I don't mean that to be a diss, but from his perspective he may have a major separation between the desktop work machine and the portable companion device (smartphone, PDA, whatever).
      • doctordbx, on 03/26/2008, -2/+1Honestly it's because their desktop range is weak.
    • trampfiesta, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5Pretty ***** stupid statement, and I'm actually more confident my iPod would survive coffee than my laptop, the front of it is better sealed than under my laptop keyboard.

      Would have made more sense to point out most people use laptops for typing.
    • mlvassallo, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3I spill coffee in my laptop :(
    • Borgcube, on 03/26/2008, -2/+0They were outselling only if you look at the number of preconfigured desktops sold. People are just getting smarter and building their own PC-s.
      • OdinEye, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3No they aren't. Building your own PC is a hobby engaged in by a very tiny percentage of the computer-using community. Sort of like the people who build their own cars.
        • Borgcube, on 03/27/2008, -0/+0Then they just upgrade theirs to satisfy their needs or have someone build it for them privately. When a laptop breaks down or is no more enough, you have to buy a new one
    • twrife, on 03/27/2008, -0/+1Laptop sales _just_ passed desktop sales this year or in 2007.
  • davidwasman, on 03/26/2008, -31/+66Dvorak is the Lewis Black of computing.
    • h3smith, on 03/26/2008, -14/+53Thats pretty mean to defile Lewis Black like that.
    • roosterjm2k2, on 03/26/2008, -6/+36Except Lewis Black is actually entertaining and relevant.
      • mlp101316, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1Entertaining? Maybe a few years ago but have you seen his new show "Root of all Evil"? It made me want to stick forks in my eyes.
        Hes a sellout.
    • RetlawST, on 03/26/2008, -4/+22Dvorak is more like the "homeless guy professing the end of the world on the street corner" of computing.
    • blakespot, on 03/26/2008, -7/+16Except Lewis Black is a comic genius while Dvorak is an enormous asshat.
    • thebitghost, on 03/26/2008, -4/+12Dvorak is the typical old man in the company that always has "done that" or knows "someone" who is an insider and has the inside track but in reality knows nothing and uses aggressive and rude over bearance techniques to try and bluff people into not calling him out for not knowing much of anything.
    • davidwasman, on 03/26/2008, -3/+2I seriously love all of you above me. Those comments are all WIN.
    • tetsuo29, on 03/31/2008, -0/+0No, he's not Lewis Black. He's Dennis Miller. Moronic. Paranoid. And, he and reality called it quits long ago.
  • D3ADBOLT, on 03/26/2008, -18/+45dvorak.org/blog
    • Butros, on 03/26/2008, -3/+2dvorak.org/blog
    • byttle, on 03/26/2008, -1/+1cranky bastard...
    • Archaic1, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2lol, it's burned into your brain from listening to This Week In Tech as well? And amazingly I don't think I've ever actually visited it :S
    • MScrip, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1drink
  • m4csrgh3yk3v, on 03/26/2008, -22/+2in b4 dvorak.org/blog
    • Jeffler, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2That was such terrible timing for you. Even though you should've been dugg down merely for using "b4", it would've at least been funny if you and d3adbolt changed positions. But now I just lol at you, not with you.
  • orangetiki, on 03/26/2008, -9/+16Good points. Smaller to me means i gotta squint, and peck at the tiny ass keyboard ( made smaller by the protective case I have on my iPod touch ) I woudl much rather the iPod touch / iPhone be 1/4 - 1/2 an inch bigger. Hey i use my pod rather then my desktop if I am just checking mail, seeing the weather updates, read a few RSS feeds, etc. it's a lot easier to hit one button, and have it all there rather then boot a computer wait 2-3 minutes, only sit in one chair, etc. I'm done by then on the iPod. As for dropping it in the toilet and spilling coffee on it. You just got to be careful with things. Plain and simple. I'm not going to make my computer purchasing decisions based on random clumsiness.
    • tugger, on 03/26/2008, -3/+4why a protective case? I keep the iphone in my pocket with keys and small change, and not a scratch [unlike my previous Nokia 95]
      • BMANZZS, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1He said iPod touch, which scratches a lot easier than the iPhone.
    • trampfiesta, on 03/26/2008, -2/+3You don't need a case, the screen can survive allsorts
      • betobeto, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1I have a case on my iPhone that covers everything except the screen. 3+ months of "naked" screen use tell me Apple has learned its lesson as scratched screens is concerned. Dirty? A quick buff with a proper, soft cloth and good as new. Protective shield films and such for the iPhone's screen on sale just smack of snake oil to me.
    • orangetiki, on 03/26/2008, -2/+2I wasn't sure how well it could hold up to scratches and the like. It is bulky and such. thanks i'll prob take it out.
    • FireXtol, on 03/26/2008, -2/+22-3 minutes? I'm into XP in under a minute (from cold boot), and my computer is 5 years old! Though I rarely turn my PC off. Little known fact is that turning off and turning on your PC is like putting nails into its coffin. The hard drive (the device most prone to failure in a PC, besides cheap fans) has a life based on the estimated number of times it will be able to handle power-on and power-off. If you know anything about S.M.A.R.T. then you probably already know that a hard drive running constantly for one year is significantly less prone to failure than a hard drive that has been turned off every night and back every morning for 1 month! If not, google it (before your ignorance or confusion cause you to thumb-down this post).
  • badqat, on 03/26/2008, -6/+51Wow...way to state the obvious Dvorak! I doubt other than a handful of nuts, no one thinks the iPhone is a true replacement for a Mac or PC.
    • satori3000, on 03/26/2008, -7/+1The Japanese seem not to agree with him. Latest figures have the Japanese population moving away from laptops are moving to smart phones.
    • DooM, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5No, no one thinks that, but it IS where we're headed technologically - do you really doubt that you'll be able to carry an iPhone-like device with the equivalent power of your current laptop in the not-too-distant future..? I'd love that - a docking station to a keyboard/monitor at home and work and the ability to do just about everything else with a device in my pocket. That IS the future.
      • jerichobp, on 03/26/2008, -4/+2when the iphone can play COD4 and Crysis, maybe i'd consider it.
        • thanakar, on 03/26/2008, -1/+3You're gonna need a neural interface to project the image straight upon the optic nerver or you'll never be able to see any detail.
        • MacParrot, on 03/26/2008, -0/+4You have a different smartphone that can play COD4 and Crysis? Maybe you could tell us what it is?
    • tehnico, on 03/26/2008, -2/+4He's also the guy who said the iPod is a horrible PDA.
  • davewashere, on 03/26/2008, -7/+116Well, if Dvorak says that it's not, that must mean the iPhone IS the next desktop computing platform. That surprises me, because it's really just a smart phone made by a company that people seem to be a fan of, but the opposite-Dvorak rule has never failed me before.
    • AeroGuy, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5Sssshhhh! Don't alert the masses to the opposite-Dvorak principle. If everyone knows about it, then we will no longer be able to use his utterances to choose investments with confidence.
    • Wandel, on 03/26/2008, -7/+1Dvorak said Apple moving to an Intel platform was a good thing.
      • deetsnai, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5He is bad at predicting the future. Saying something that has already happened "was good" is irrelevant.
        • Wandel, on 03/26/2008, -1/+1Obviously I meant that he said it was a good thing when it was just announced. Unlike Leo Laporte who thought it'd be the end of Apple.
  • FLarsen, on 03/26/2008, -9/+6Well, I don't know about you, but I want a maxi tower (or at least a well filled midi tower).

    An iPhone doesn't even fit the definition of a desktop computer.
    • MacParrot, on 03/26/2008, -1/+3How's that maxi tower working out while on a plane, subway or bus? It's a mobile society and having a huge tower or desktop won't work that well away from home.
      Though now that I think about it, what if Apple gets "Back to my Mac" working on the iPhone? With the ability to zoom in or out of a larger desktop and run apps remotely. It works great for me (with a decent connection and yes I know this is not unique to Apple) and I might actually be tempted to get an iPhone if it had the ability to do this. Haven't bought one yet (or any other smartphone) since the added expense for what it does isn't worth it to me yet.
      • Jethris, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1True, but as many things, it depends on the situation. I will never pull out a laptop on a subway, maybe a train, but not a subway.

        I work on a desktop with multiple monitors. When I'm away from the office, I VPN in and RDS to the desktop, which has all my software running on it. I have a slate Tablet PC for meetings and web browsing (much better than a laptop), and a laptop that I steal from the wife when I need the EVDO connectivity.

        With webmail, most people don't need to take laptops with them to work at home. I would think that with all the publicity of laptops being lost/stolen with confidential information, businesses would move away from them.

        I don't think mobile computing will ever be where I'll need it to, but that doesn't mean that I don't have a smartphone (I'm not big on AT&T), a desktop, and a tablet.
  • vanebeard, on 03/26/2008, -1/+4The problem isn't the mobile phone or handheld computer, the problem is the DESIGN of the handheld computer. All the benefits of the desktop extolled in this article are actually the benfits of modular design. If modular design were applied to the handheld all the author's points would be realized in a handheld. In a few years mobile and desktop will only refer to where you do your computing, not the kind of computer you use.
    • dagnome1984, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1We have yet to see a true modular standard for the laptop. What makes you think we will see one for hand held devices?
  • trispear, on 03/26/2008, -8/+7He much have just lost his iPhone somewhere. He'll probably buy another before the week is out.
    • MisterRik, on 03/26/2008, -2/+2Are you kidding me? Dvorak hasn't bought a piece of tech since the late 70s!
  • vinnyvenus, on 03/26/2008, -28/+77John C Dvoark is Ann Colter of techworld.
    • mGARANDEUR1, on 03/26/2008, -5/+11He presents good points. Nothing will replace the desktop for power and upgradability.
      • holymrack, on 03/26/2008, -3/+2Does he really though?

        My desktop at this point is much less powerful than my laptop. It sits in a room, acting as my HTPC. This task doesn't really require it to be bleeding edge, outside of my ASUS Xonar. Desktops have their place, in my mind, in high end graphic work, but in every other realm they're no different than an upgraded laptop.

        I do all of my primary computing on my MBP, and I have no desire whatsoever to go back to being tied to the boat anchor that was my old desktop. It goes everywhere, in it's protective case, with it's Accelerometer to prevent the hard drive from going kaput in the event of a fall.
        • mGARANDEUR1, on 03/27/2008, -1/+1You don't have a modern desktop though. You cannot compare an old desktop to a new laptop. You can get a quad core intel-based computer with 4GB of RAM for under $1000. You cannot come close to that power in a laptop. Laptops also overheat and cannot be used for an real computations.
      • Drax0n, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3Yes he makes OBVIOUS points no one thinks the iPhone will replace a desktop computer. Heres another "great point" "Chocolate will not replace turkey's for thanksgiving dinners."
    • insanewriters, on 03/26/2008, -8/+3Don't be so hard on Ann Coulter.
      • t3rmv3locity, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2Sorry Ann Coulter is pretty ***** evil...didn't quite work that time
    • dagnome1984, on 03/26/2008, -2/+2The Ann Coulters of the computing world want you to convert to macintosh.
  • OGla, on 03/26/2008, -7/+26Yes and cars won't be the new horse because sometimes they crash.
    • MacParrot, on 03/26/2008, -1/+7That's because Horse 2.0 never made it to the market.
    • pintomp3, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2it's more akin to segway aren't the new cars.
  • Books, on 03/26/2008, -7/+15That was a pretty useless article. He didn't prove much, he just kind of said what he 'thought' to be the way of the future with little insight. Oh wait, he did have some insight, the same that any 7-year old kid would have. Thank you captain obvious for that top 10 list of THINGS WE ALREADY KNOW.
    • solistus, on 03/30/2008, -0/+1I guess you're new to Dvorak's work. The guy is a professional Apple troll. He'd probably have been out a job long ago if not for angry geeks like us inflating his page views every time he writes some more stupid *****.
  • threepio, on 03/26/2008, -20/+15Don't click on the link, people. You just encourage this man's ***** inane chatter when he gets hits.
  • h3smith, on 03/26/2008, -16/+19Who still lets Dvorak write? All his articles are pretty much trash and loathed by the tech community as garbage.
    • AeroGuy, on 03/26/2008, -0/+6The gazillion clicks that he generates even by being wrong must be valuable to somebody. Every time he writes something, people post rebuttals all over tech sites and the ensuing discussion leads some folks to RTFA or at least load TFA into their browser which, at least on some people's computers, loads the ads.

      To me he seems too anxious to swallow whatever MS feeds him for me to care what he says.
  • justananomaly, on 03/26/2008, -6/+9I do have to agree with Dvoark, the iPhone may be pretty powerful but I still envision a day when I will have a device similar to the iPhone that will be my complete laptop, and when I get to work I simply plug it into my monitor and use it as my full computer, and when i get home, plug it into my home theater system and television and use it as my entertainment.
    • holymrack, on 03/26/2008, -0/+8Then you're not agreeing with him at all...
      • justananomaly, on 03/26/2008, -1/+1Which is why I seperated my opinion from his opinion with the celver use of the word "but", RTFC and not just the first few words. I think it is illogical to make such small powerful devices which can be easily stolen, but think it still would be nice to have them around.
  • satori3000, on 03/26/2008, -3/+20Every time I read his stuff I can hear his old cranky voice.
  • xsecretfiles, on 03/26/2008, -10/+4Is this guy serious?

    1. Sure it can't replace the desktop pc, because is clearly underpowered as of TODAY
    2. There are some water resitant phones out there..or one that I've heard of so far...so who knows what the future might hold
    3. If you lose your iphone, no one else can re-activate it but you, because it has to be done through itunes under your account.
    • ftx437, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2JailBreak?
    • Jethris, on 03/26/2008, -0/+11. It is underpowerd as of Today. But, desktop power has grown as well as mobile power. Due to heat restrictions, desktops will be faster until another form of processer comes along.
      2. Umm..... I've dropped too many phones to rely on all my data being on them. And, at least in the US, a phone is tied to the network. That right there is a big drawback in my opinion.
      3. That doesn't mean the data is protected.
  • imnojezus, on 03/26/2008, -5/+29Seems like every time Dvorak says "never", the thing he's railing against becomes mainstream within 2 to 4 years.
    • BrendanSheehan, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2I'm just waiting for him to say I'll never marry Kim Basinger.
    • dagnome1984, on 03/26/2008, -2/+2He predicted that Apple would move to Intel and everyone called him a crank for merely suggesting it.
      • imnojezus, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2He also said Apple would use the Intel switch as a vehicle to switch to Windows.
  • Xproject01, on 03/26/2008, -4/+7I've got a device ready to drop in the toilet... but i'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to be doing any computing on it.
    • itspuddingtime, on 03/26/2008, -1/+1oh, is that what the kids are calling it these days?
  • dizilbdog, on 03/26/2008, -1/+3I think a form of the iphone as a base and plugin portable computer is the future. I mean I think one day it may have a huge flash drive and processors galore and store all your info on. When you come home you just slip the device into the Base Mount and all your LCD screens have your info on them because the device will be so powerful you will have a computer in each room but it will just be the screen. Uhm hopefully people understand my futuristic view if not digg away lol
  • alex7575, on 03/26/2008, -3/+7There was an article dug a couple of days ago about how the internet would never "catch on"...
    • mlrigsby, on 03/26/2008, -1/+0That's exactly what I thought of too.
  • lichme5000, on 03/26/2008, -3/+8The problem with his logic is that he's assuming the computing paradigm that we use on desktops and laptops will be the same on the iPhone. If that's really the case, then yes, who the hell wants to work on a traditional Excel spreadsheet on an iPhone? Nobody.

    But that's not what the iPhone is going to be--it's an entirely new computing paradigm that the industry hasn't even begun to figure out. Just like computers themselves changed the way we interacted with data, so too will the iPhone. I have no idea what that new paradigm is going to look like--I just know it's going to be huge and different.
    • pintomp3, on 03/26/2008, -3/+1"it's an entirely new computing paradigm" got buzzwords?. it's not a desktop replacement and was never supposed to be, even though the ads would have you believe otherwise. smartphones with touchscreens that can access the internet have been around a while btw.
  • TeraRealm256, on 03/26/2008, -6/+1I AM the definition of backup. I backup only the files needed to restore me to complete functionality. I backup my address book, desktop files(I don't use stupid "My Documents"), my email files(the actual directory where they are stored!), my chat logs(trillian), and my Firefox favorites(the actual file again). What does this mean? I loose my laptop, it gets stolen, it breaks, or the hard drive goes caput, I'm SAVED! Oh, did i mention I back these files up on my iPod and a miniSD card? Yes, full redundancy!

    This is just my mobile computing, I have two desktops at home with tons of other storage. I am the ultimate paranoid computing person, I've lost a hard drive in the past without it being backed up and I will never do it again. Dvorak is an amazing man! I love TWiT!
  • InorganicMatter, on 03/26/2008, -0/+9I don't think anyone has ever thought the iPhone or iPod Touch was going to replace desktop computers. It has, however, taken the market by storm, and has the potential to one day become the 21st-century science-fiction like all-in-one portable device. Certainly not in the current generation of product, but with a lot of refinement, I could easily see a hybrid phone/tablet gaining foothold.
  • jayscot, on 03/26/2008, -9/+7The iPhone is an adult-level toy to occupy idle minds. Rather than reflect, we can simply turn off our brain and fiddle with a gadget.
    • holymrack, on 03/26/2008, -1/+6I think the damn kids are on your lawn again.
    • sdlvx, on 03/26/2008, -8/+2That's the mentality that lets people like George W. Bush do whatever the ***** he wants in this country, and it's also the reason why he's been elected twice.

      Companies like Apple are destroying America.
    • Matt2k, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1If I'm going to carry something hand-held around, it'll be a book.

      I'm not trying to speak for anyone else, but I for one, am sick of sitting in front of a computer. I'm sick of always being in contact. I see people who expect to be answered at all hours of the evening and weekend. I work out of the home, so this is an even bigger problem for me. Turning off work at 5PM is the best, and hardest thing I can do. I might consider a portable unit with internet access, but the only times I can think this is a good idea is when I'm out shopping and want to look up reviews. I don't want web and email following me around 24/7. The rest of you, I dunno, obviously there's a market for it. But can it be that you just haven't gotten burned out yet?
    • charris1980, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2untrue. i have over 5 email accts IMAP'd to the iphone. i reply to freelance, full-time work, and personal emails from it all the time on the road. i once received a text, replied, called the guy to confirm work and details and then emailed him a quote all from the iphone in 20 min at a restaurant. open your mind a little bit on gadgets and their uses.
    • nycmac247, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1you mean "quickly check my email" -- right?
  • namelessXsilent, on 03/26/2008, -5/+3his arguement about the iPhone is you can spill coffee on it and break it??? Cause ive NEVER spilt anything and broke a laptop before
    • 1ofMany, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1 He's talking about the iPhone not replacing a DESKTOP not a laptop.
  • dbldwn, on 03/26/2008, -5/+3That's some forward thinking there, John. Keep up the good work, the future awaits. /sarcasm
  • camix, on 03/26/2008, -8/+3dvorak.org/blog!!!
  • audiologic, on 03/26/2008, -1/+32Mr. Dvorak,
    I read you from an iPhone

    ...But I had to I had to go to my laptop to comment. Huh. Grrr. Fine you win, but only for now.
    • B1663r, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2Where your hands preventing you from seeing the bottom part of your screen when you were typing on that notebook?
    • BrendanSheehan, on 03/26/2008, -1/+6I can comment on my iPhone. Not quite as quickly as with my computer though.
      • m1zl3d, on 03/26/2008, -0/+2Same here but it's mostly due to Safari not leaving me logged in to Digg like Firefox does. If it left me logged in I would have no problems commenting...even over slow ass Edge.
    • sudowrestler, on 03/26/2008, -0/+0Replying on my touch. Good old Dvorak- Digg could have been invented for him.
  • camix, on 03/26/2008, -8/+2dvorak.org/blog!!!
  • njhardc0re, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5He's way off... Where is he hearing the iphone will replace desktop and laptops??
    The IPhone makes certain tasks a little more convenient instead of having to whip out your laptop.
    The main point is that the use of this device is when you are on the go. You sacrifice power, storage, speed,
    viewing area etc, for portability. No one will ever replace something like a desktop for a full featured cell phone.
    • davewashere, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1He heard it from his friend, the straw man. He likes to build straw men and then burn them to a crisp so he can feel good about being right once every few years. Dvorak's next article: "Sony Beta Will Not Make Comeback And Defeat Blu-Ray". All hail before the great Nostrodvorak!
  • carbonc6, on 03/26/2008, -10/+13oh god, get off it Dvorak

    I read what you wrote. and that will probably be the end of what I bother to read from you.

    stfu you blabbering technology "industry expert"
  • Lou3000, on 03/26/2008, -6/+4This article is about the same as your grandfather saying that when he was a kid they used to walk to school. Yeah, there are positives to desktops, but why write an article about it?
  • TnTBass, on 03/26/2008, -11/+2Perhaps he should stick to designing Dvorak keyboards?
  • DiggyWiggy, on 03/26/2008, -3/+5I, for one, am seriously paranoid about dropping my iphone in the toilet, since that's where I do most of my surfing (there's always killer waves).
  • fungke, on 03/26/2008, -4/+4He does talk some ***** sometimes.
  • wissler, on 03/26/2008, -1/+2Party-pooper.
  • johnpaul191, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3He got into some of this on a recent TWIT. The topic came up partly about people losing their laptops and what if that had the only digital copy of their info (bank records, tax info, music, digital photos etc). somebody mentioned how many people only have that one computer, and how that makes stuff like TimeMachine (for OS X) so important now.
    In one sense the advancement of stuff like the iPhone as a platform means people are less likely to carry a laptop around. I know a few non-nrrdy people that used to travel with a laptop (not for working, just for email, web access, music) and in the last year have left it home for their iPhone. I think that speaks volumes about "average people" changing how they view their devices.
  • HonestAbe, on 03/26/2008, -9/+3Google Android FTW

    Go Linux go!
  • rpunsbe, on 03/26/2008, -3/+7Applying the same logic this guy uses the wall clock is the ultimate platform for telling time. All you people going out and buying your fancy pocket/wrist watches will just lose them, or be continually replacing their straps/batteries. I can't tell you how many times I've been out playing basketball with friends when suddenly someone is singing the blues because they fell on their shiny new fossil watch and wrecked it.

    I think he is completely missing the point of what the iPhone is and what niche it is trying to fill. It is no more a replacement for many applications than the dvd player found in cars is a replacement for my home entertainment system. They both fill a niche - information/entertainment on-the-go.

    This guy seriously needs to get over himself and think a little before typing.
    • FreddyBoy1, on 03/26/2008, -1/+0The iPhones niche market is to new users stepping up from cellphones. Desktop technology is available in hand-held devices and has been for quite a while, but only for people geeky enough to take advantage of all the features of a 'Smartphone'. Except for the 'dual-touch' screen a 'Smartphone' can have many more features than the iPhone user could ever even imagine.
      • coldpockets, on 03/27/2008, -0/+1Like what? Useful web browsing comparable to a non-smartphone? Oh wait. Also, "could even imagine"...give the hyperbole a rest, a good portion of iPhone users upgraded from "superior" treos or whatever piece of junk you're referencing.
        • FreddyBoy1, on 03/27/2008, -1/+0Like what? Like GPS, worldwide compatability(GSM). encryption, the ability to use pdf files, play media files that aren't MP3's, a removable battery, the ability to use SD (Smart Digital) cards, recieve satellite radio, remote-control your tv...or how about plain old power? There are some very powerful smartphones with up to 1.5Ghz processors, The Smartphone is much more than the iPhone could ever be...that is a fact.
          • coldpockets, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1And yet all those great features don't seem nearly as appealing as the ability to surf the web in an easy and useful way! An easy device that is fun to use and most importantly GETS THE BASICS RIGHT will always win over a device that just tries to win on bullet points.
          • FreddyBoy1, on 03/28/2008, -0/+0The basics that they got right involve marketing. The iPhone a pretty mediocre piece as far as hardware or programming. Its wide adoption is due to an image of it being fun and user-friendly. It is by no means the best, fastest or most versatile hand-held computer-phone available on the market.
  • damndj, on 03/26/2008, -13/+18What's ridiculous is that people still listen to this douchebag.
    • BrendanSheehan, on 03/26/2008, -1/+3An an owner of both an iPhone and a 24" iMac I can honestly say he's right on this one. Even bigger desktop displays and portable Multi Touch Mac tablets, that's what I want to see the future become!
      • devlindark, on 03/27/2008, -0/+1When will you get ever get it, making what apple has made, a easily portable fully functional device that out performs any handset on todays market, that a mere child can pick up and operate in min. that is what the future holds. there will always be laptops big and small, and how much bigger desktop display do you really need I mean apple sells a 30 inch already?
  • Cherubim, on 03/26/2008, -14/+16Dvorak is full of hot air and ***** to boot. This guy is nothing but a sensationalist prick.
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