Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone
David Pogue Ultimate iPhone FAQ
New York Times columnist and Mac-celebrity David Pogue has a great iPhone FAQ. It answers a number of outstanding questions about Apple's new toy that I haven't seen answered anywhere else. For instance, he reports it does not connect to iChat, the iPhone version of Safari does not support Flash or Java, and it has no way to open Word or Excel files. Going down the list is, unfortunately, something of an exercise in frustration. The more I see about what the iPhone cannot do makes me more and more concerned about what it can.[Via Daring Fireball]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
andy said 9:57AM on 1-12-2007
ok, so do we know where he got all his 'facts'? lol anyway, these questions just open more, like, downloadable widget apps from itunes? wifi iyunes access? airtunes support? future voip support? more features left until official announcement? and with these restrictions, could that mean a pda is in the works, no word etc support tells me there is a pda in the pipeline - or at least a tablet
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dms said 9:59AM on 1-12-2007
So...no outside apps, no iChat, no Office support, no Outlook syncing, no Flash or Java, no user-switchable battery...how is this a smart phone? I'm a huge Apple fan, but, really. The iPhone is turning out to be nothing but an iPod with a phone and a browser and a fancy interface. If they expect business users to buy it with no Office or Outlook support, they're nuts. And who else is going to plunk down $500 on a phone?
I wanted one, I really did. But if I bought one, I'd still need to carry my beat-up Axim to work with Office files and use Skype. Maybe I'll find one of those fancy Nokia internet devices. Nokia 880, right?
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Michael Reilly said 10:01AM on 1-12-2007
I am less concerned than many. This is version 1.0. Even on iPhone 1.0 hardware, many improvements could be offered through software upgrades. Including office and iChat mobile. Those both would be software-only upgrades.
Also, a friend of mine called Cingular about replacing his corporate blackberries and Cingular told him they were working on a push Exchange client for iPhone. Also, a software upgrade which could go onto even hardware 1.0.
Do not despair the iPhone already.
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Christian said 10:20AM on 1-12-2007
I don't think the FAW is great.
For example Outlook synchronization:
Yes it can sync - even iPod syncs to outlook TODAY! How can that FAQ be great!?
Other example:
"Can I make a call while driving a car? –Not as easily as on a regular cellphone with programmed speed-dial keys." - I suppose it has voice dial as well as others phones... Also there are speed dial buttons in the UI (see keynote video) forgot that as well?
What about the missing software like iChat, Word or Excel Document reader/editor?
They have it on the mac is called iWorks - just strip down a version that does display only - there are effectively 6 Months of time to do so.
My believe is iPhone's software will grow till june - other stuff will be delievered as well as games (it's a money market for apple!).
Options like GPS can be added with a state of the art SIRF III or upcoming SIRF IV GPS bluetooth receiver.
Apple should go to TOMTOM in Netherlands and have them port their excellent TOMTOM 6 to the iPhone or have google extend their widget in combination with a gps receiver or both - maybe they already do so?
As long as apple comes up with software enhancements until june i see no problem.
What was showed in the keynote was the platform with the highlight functions - those that were ready for primetime NOW. Other stuff can "easily" (is software development easy?) by software only.
The only thing i miss is 3G here in Europe (especially Germany where only T-Mobile is supplying EDGE) - but even this can change by late 2007 when iPhone comes to us!
I currently use a SE p990i - yesterday they came up with an almost usable firmware for the phone that doesn't kill backround processes when launching new programs in foreground. the phone still has bugs but is expandable with software. For the software to show wether info like iPhone's weather widget i had to pay more than 20 bucks...
Sure iPhone isn't ALL perfect but the potential is there and mine will be ordered on day one the order process for germany is up and open!
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Mark (UK) said 10:22AM on 1-12-2007
As time passes I am more and more disappointed with the iPhone. It seems to be good video iPod, a slightly above average phone and poor Mac.
Personally I was looking for an ultra portable Mac with phone capabilities rather than a glorified iPod. Therefore at this time I have no intention of buying one. Once the novelty of flicking through my photos wears off I am left with a fairly expensive phone.
I really wanted the true power and flexibility of Mac OS X in my pocket. Maybe v2 will deliver.
Give me a ultra portable Mac with GPS.
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Jason said 10:45AM on 1-12-2007
Apple says it runs OS X. Under the terms of the APSL, aren't they supposed to release sources for the new code? Especially since it looks like this runs on ARM, not PPC or x86?
Either it's not OS X, or they're not living up to their license agreement, right?
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eric f. said 11:08AM on 1-12-2007
I'm not going to jump to any conclusions about what the iPhone will do in 6 months, but I can't believe that they won't add more functionality to it.
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Steve said 11:14AM on 1-12-2007
The iPhone is:
1) A widescreen video iPod with touch controls.
2) A well integrated and easier to use phone.
3) An internet appliance, like the Nokia 880.
BTW, dms, I don't think you can edit Excel files on the 880.
Apple didn't target this to be a business product. Apple is a consumer company, this is a consumer phone providing what they believe mainstream consumers want in a phone - easy to use, music and movies, email, SMS, etc.
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larry Friedman said 10:48AM on 1-12-2007
Since this is a common fallacy it might be worth mentioning when linking to a post which says the contrary.
Newer Tech makes higher capacity batteries for pretty much every generation of iPod; this has been the case for at least three years. They are user-replaceable and even come with the tool required. The process, which basically pops the back off, is more indepth than normal devices but its not very hard at all. There is no reason to think otherwise with the iPhone.
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ipod/batteryreplacement/
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jh said 10:54AM on 1-12-2007
@Jason
It does NOT run OSX.
They said it does NOT run OSX. Ignore when they said it DID run OSX, they were being dishonest.
Further, they can change the terms at any time, even if it was running OSX.
Sorry. How many times does Jobs have to tell you, this platform is _CLOSED_. NO Third Party Apps, only things branded and supported by Apple.
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The Truthbearer said 10:55AM on 1-12-2007
Why I would go for a new iPod over an iPhone for a while:
(1) If I were going to spring 600 bucks on a "convergence" device, I would want something that would actually replace my ipod - all 23 gigs of my music/photos/video podcasts. I mean, it is widescreen with brilliant video - but only 8 Gigs? Perhaps as a nano replacement it works...But it is no full ipod replacement with only 8 Gigs of memory...
(2)Apple tends to wildly exaggerate battery life, so if they say 5 hours -I take it with a grain of salt and wonder - what if it is something miserable, like 2 in real world conditions? Without a user-replaceable battery, it has to have some good battery life unless you want to be saddled with a charger at home, work, car, etc...
(3) If I so much as glance at my ipod screen, it scratches - hopefully it is more smudge-scratch proof than it seems...
Finally, the software is closed - so you have to wait for Apple to release a "widget" that you could really use but Apple hasn't released it yet.
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dms said 10:57AM on 1-12-2007
Jason-
IIRC, the flavor of BSD that is used for OS X does not require that the code be published for commercial uses. I think they release Darwin for good PR more than anything.
Even if they did release Darwin for whatever platform the iPhone is, it doesn't really help developers any, much like coding something on Darwin doesn't necessarily yield an OS X-compatible app (maybe a command-line app, but certainly not an app that uses any of the proprietary bits (Finder, Quartz, Cocoa, Core, etc...).
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KSB said 11:23AM on 1-12-2007
my god people are whining about this iPhone, it hasn't been released yet!
and apple has said changes can still happen to the prototype....
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Mike Cosentino said 11:00AM on 1-12-2007
No one has asked if it supports Nike+
It's a flash based iPod. It would be nice if it does support it. It would be brilliant if it could sync itself with nikeplus.com after your run and upload your latest run. Then you could use Safari to look at your run.
Oh the possibilities.
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navstar said 11:14AM on 1-12-2007
Keep in mind this is a product more than 6 months away. AND it's an Apple 1.0 device.
This phone's feature set isn't written in stone. Any reasonable person would be confident Apple will address any shortcomings. Apple isn't a deaf company, they do listen.
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Guy said 11:12AM on 1-12-2007
It is funny how #4 has a list of things that can be done with software upgrades. Yes, all that is true, but remember if these were possible they would've said they would be on the phone. Whats funny is that the same thing Zune fanboys said with the zune, firmware upgrades was all we heard from Zune fanboys when people would bring up its flaws. Now Apple Fanboys are doing the samething. Why can't everyone just make a product with flaws. Apple and Steve Jobs aren't perfect although alot of people would shoot me for saying that. Lets wait and see, Steve is much better at this than any of us are, just like Microsoft in relation to the Zune is better than anyone of us. You can't make the perfect product everyone loves, some will want something different.
I personally won't buy an iPhone because I need the ability to use a SD card for transferring files from my phone/pda to my work computer. We can't use outside software to sync devices, and our mail system is closed, and we can't access yahoo mail, gmail things like that. So the only way I can transfer files is via media of some sort, and I am not going to go home sync my iPhone put it on a flash drive then return to work if I have photos, or notes from a meeting or such. Some people are going to say, "hey, I don't need a SD slot" so my needs are different. There is a market for this phone, and business wasn't one of them, trust Steve and Apple. This may work, it may not, but lest wailt to June to reserve judgement.
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Michel said 11:53AM on 1-12-2007
in fact
it can do WHAT Steves jobs showed
-phone
-play musics
-website
-contacts
-google maps
-some yahoo stuff.
that's all folks. for me it's fine, I _really_ "just" wanted a phone+internet (ubiquitous access to real web) with nice and easy interface
and it's also a superb new ipod ? okay !
I do not want top work on some excel sheets upon a tiny screen, I don't care about documents.
-
and yeah, it's like ipod 1 :a start and apple will add "features" in 2nd, and third and 4.. and so on.. but I'm not sure I want feature..
I want the core killer applications in an easy, convenient and pleasing package. Enough with big computer (excuse me : pda and smart phone) and Thousands of icons ! I cannot eat more ! no no no no.
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Tony C said 11:27AM on 1-12-2007
A few things...
Cingular can't lock out the phone... It's against a new copyright law passed last November 27th. Line item 5.
http://www.copyright.gov/1201/
Granted, the Visual Voicemail won't work, but most of the normal phone functions still should...
How can the iPhone not be ambidextrous? There's no reason for a southpaw can't use it, is there...?
A non-phone iPod using the iPhone's screen, updated iPod music software and touch interface is pretty much a given. Not publicly acknowledged, but definitely a certainty. Probably even before the iPhone is made available in June.
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Sully said 11:52AM on 1-12-2007
Please - if Google can open and edit Excel and Word docs online this phone will be able to by the time it ships.
Duh.
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mccand said 11:57AM on 1-12-2007
Recall that the reason they announced the iPhone so early is because they have to submit it to the FCC for approval. That means that the hardware for v1.0 is pretty much set in stone, so don't expect features like 3G to suddenly appear. (Jobs: "one more thing . . ." FCC: Cool. We'll let you release it in 5 months. Ciao!")
On the plus side, we can peruse Apple's FCC filings to spy on future versions in the works.
On the minus side, again, this means that in order for Apple to maintain it's preferred level of secrecy, we will continue to get a few months warning on major upgrades. This has it's downsides . . We all get cranky, but no one (in their right mind, though that still leaves a sizable chunk of people) is going to plunk down $600 for v1.76258 when they know that v2.0 is 4 months away. I don't envy the marketing team that has to deal with that.
Cherio!
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