AT&T

iPhone Software Update 1.1.3

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008
by Jeff

You really know you’re a geek when you are excited like it’s Christmas expecting Apple CEO Steve Jobs to announce at MacWorld Expo a new software update for the iPhone. I’d never owned a single piece of hardware from Apple until I got my iPhone, so this was the first time I actually cared about Steve Jobs keynote at MacWorld.  I cared so much that I was glued to my web browser at noon sharp clicking refresh until my finger was sore to get all the juicy updates from Engadget as they reported live from the keynote.

It didn’t take long to find out Jobs has announced what I was hoping for.  The speculation was true.  Apple was releasing a long overdue update to the iPhone software.  I love most everything about my iPhone, but like every good piece of hardware, it has it’s little annoyances.  Hopefully this update would fix those.

Here’s what the new software adds straight from Engadget:

  • Maps: New hybrid view, same as Google Maps. Satellite imagery and street mapping available on a single view.
  • Maps: Location triangulation. Uses nearby WiFi access points and GSM towers to roughly guesstimate your current location.
  • Web Clips: Web bookmarks can now be saved as home screen icons, including zoom and location information.
  • Home screen: Icons on the home screen can now be rearranged.
  • Home screen: Up to 9 home screens can now be created and “flicked” between.
  • SMS: A single text message can now be sent to multiple recipients; groups can be recalled for future use.
  • iTunes: Movie rentals are now supported.
  • iTunes: Support for lyrics.
  • iTunes: Option to “manually manage” music and videos instead of synchronizing.

Ok, they added some nice features.  Being able to add “Web Clips” to the home screen is huge, but even more huge is the location triangulation via cell towers.  I thought this would be great, if it actually worked.

It took a while to get the update since the servers were busy chugging along sending the update out to the 4 million iPhone users, but finally it connected and installed.  I immediately went to Google Maps, and crossed my fingers.  My money was on the iPhone not being able to find me very well in good old rural Lisbon, Maine. I would have lost that bet.  Sure enough, it managed to show the satellite map of right where my house should be. I say “should be”, because up until two years ago there were just woods where my house stands now. GPS?  Bah!

Impressive.  Most impressive.  Here’s what’s not so impressive about this update.  Apple needs to add several more things to make me completely happy:

MMS

Why I can’t send a picture via text message to a friend on the most expensive, tricked out cell phone on the planet is beyond me.  Come on Apple!  It’s no fun when I can’t play “Guess what this is a close up of” with my friends when I should be working.

Wireless Sync

I’m lazy.  I don’t want to walk downstairs to the basement where my computer sits each night to dock my iPhone.  It would be much easier to have the dock upstairs near the door, so at night I drop it in the dock while it charges and wirelessly syncs up with the latest podcasts and newest pictures of my son.  If the Zune can do it, so can the iPhone.

Landscape Virtual Keyboard

This is the most annoying feature that hasn’t been added, especially since the iPhone can already do it!  Why you can only hold the iPhone length wise and get the keyboard in the web browser is beyond me.  It’s a hundred times easier to type when there’s more real estate for those virtual keys. Make it work everywhere.

Cut and Paste

A computer function that has existed since before I was using the TI-99/4A.  Adding the ability to email the URL of a webpage solves half that problem, but let’s put this decades old technology to full use.

Third Party Apps

I’ll cut Apple some slack on this one.  They’re coming this year as soon as Apple releases a software developers kit.  Fair enough.

That’s a pretty short list of requests to make me happy.  Paul Thurrott pointed out in a blog post on his gripes with the iPhone, that to own the iPhone for the two year contract that Apple/AT&T make you sign, costs anywhere from $2000 to $3000 depending on your plan.  I think Apple owes me.

iPhone Envy

Sunday, October 14th, 2007
by Jeff

iphoneI want an iPhone. Badly. However there are many reasons why I don’t have one, and shouldn’t get one. Let’s ignore that for now though, and concentrate on why I want one so badly.

I’ve never used a Mac. The closest I’ve come is eating a Big Mac. The only Apple products I’ve ever used are QuickTime and an Apple IIe back in high school. No I don’t use iTunes. I just don’t like that they only let stuff you buy from them work on an iPod and not my cheap $50 Insignia mp3 player. DRM sucks. I’ve never bought an iPod either. Too much money for someone who doesn’t listen to that much music. When you play music all day for a living, you don’t really feel the need to walk around listening to it when you’re not working. It’s not that I never listen to music, just not enough to spend over $100 for one.

Enter the iPhone. Now Apple has my attention! Finally this is the device I’ve wanted for years! A handheld device that will play music, podcasts and audiobooks. It will let me check email, browse websites in a real web browser, keep a calendar with a to do list, watch video, and even make and receive phone calls! I couldn’t ask for any more!

Now here’s why I don’t have one. First and foremost, the price. Even after the $200 price drop, this thing ain’t cheap. Not only will it run you $399, but you have to enter into a two year contract with AT&T. This is all something my wife doesn’t like very much. Right now my cell phone and service is provided to me by AT&T as part of their advertising campaign on the radio station. They give me the phone and the service, and then I talk on the air about how great AT&T is. I can’t complain about that. I took a shot and asked AT&T if the account they provide me with could be transferred to an iPhone account. Nope. So if I wanted an iPhone it would now cost me $60 a month that I’m not paying right now.

Another reason is the speed. The iPhone works on AT&T’s EDGE network which isn’t nearly as fast as their 3G network. As a matter of fact, I don’t even think we have 3G in Maine anyway. I only see the EDGE symbol appear on my Razr phone, with 3G only showing up when I cross into Massachusetts. Sure there’s Wi-Fi, but if we don’t have 3G in Maine, you can only imagine how many Wi-Fi spots there are.

Then there’s the problem with Apple locking down this phone tighter then Fort Knox. I don’t care so much about being able to use another provider as much as I care about being able to install third party apps on it. Sure it’s been hacked several times over, letting you use any provider and install third party apps, but it’s not without risk. Some hacked phones are being bricked by Apple, although it appears unintentional. Nothing would piss me off more to have a $400 paperweight. I don’t want to take that chance.

If all this weren’t enough for me to not buy it, there’s the rumors of a new version of the iPhone coming out down the line that would enable 3G among other improvements.

I might get lucky and get one for Christmas. Until then though, I’ll carry my cell phone in one pocket, my mp3 player in the other, and be frustrated as I try to do anything on the web with my Razr v3.