Smartphones and Cell Phones

Matthew Miller

Are iPhone 3.0 improvements enough to get you to buy an iPhone? They are for me

By Matthew Miller | March 17, 2009, 11:23am PDT

Summary: I followed the live coverage of the iPhone 3.0 event over at GDGT Live and am leaning more and more towards picking up an iPhone 3G for myself soon. The key improvements include cut/copy/paste, notifications via a push server, Bluetooth improvements, landscape orientation and keyboard support in all key apps (including email), and more involved developer API support.

I followed the live coverage of the iPhone 3.0 event over at GDGT Live and am leaning more and more towards picking up an iPhone 3G for myself soon. The key improvements include:

cut/copy/paste
notifications via a push server
MMS
Bluetooth improvements (including A2DP)
landscape orientation and keyboard support in all key apps (including email)
search in contacts and calendar
more involved developer API support

The cut/copy/paste implementation looks fantastic and is a nice addition that will have bloggers like me who assemble stories with links and text from various places into a single document.

The Bluetooth improvements are not all completely clear to me yet, but they did show connecting to other iPhones via Bluetooth and connecting to medical gear. We didn’t see any Bluetooth keyboard support, which would be a bonus for me to get some serious writing done on the go.

The landscape support finally has better consistency across applications, especially when it comes to email.

MMS may not seem like a big deal for those with iPhones and data plans, however as a father of two teenage daughters who do not have data plans MMS is a pretty big deal. MMS may actually be the thing that kicked me over the edge to pick up a new iPhone.

Search in contacts and calendars is HUGE IMHO! I use this all the time on my Windows Mobile devices to find emails on my Exchange server and this support was something I wasn’t even expecting, yet is very welcome.

Many people may not care about A2DP support, but using the Nokia BH-903 headset with my E71 has been fantastic with no skipping on any podcast or song so this is a HUGE deal for me as well.

I know many of these things are already present on Windows Mobile, S60, Android, Palm, and BlackBerry devices, but you have to admit Apple’s implementation is pretty dang slick and with the amazing number and quality of cheap applications it is tough to resist.

Keep in mind the MMS and A2DP improvements are not supported on the original iPhone. The update will be available for free to iPhone users this summer and $9.95 for iPod touchh owners.

Are these improvements enough for you? Will there be hardware announced in the next few months so that people should wait to pick up an iPhone 3G?

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Apple iPhone, MMS, Bluetooth Improvement, Text Messaging/SMS/MMS, Bluetooth, Cellular Phones, 3G, Wi-Fi, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Online Communications, Wireless And Mobility, Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller started using a Pilot 1000 in 1997 and has been writing news, reviews, and opinion pieces ever since.

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RE: Are iPhone 3.0 improvements enough to get you to buy an iPhone? They are for me

maureenrz@... 15th Apr 2009

Until Apple hooks up with a different provider they won't win me back.

View in thread

Please Select
Please Select

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Umm... No.. If you want these features and more..

notlehs 17th Mar 2009

Go buy an HTC touch pro... or better yet an HTC Touch Pro Diamond or even better A Palm TREO PRO.

Heck.. Buy a Palm Centro!

Apple hasn't added anything more than what the Centro already offers... so go for it... in fact the Centro even allows you to change the battery! It has had Push technology ummm built in from the start. How about adding memory cards?

and if you move to the Treo Pro or the HTC Diamond.. you get GPS Navigation...along with changeable batteries... keyboards..bluetooth syncing... full multitasking...

Where are the marketing people for these companies? WAKE UP!!!!! Microsoft.. make a better commercial for Win Mobile... NOW

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The answer is simple

frgough 17th Mar 2009

The user experience on those devices you mentioned sucks.

Here's a concept for you. A feature list does not a product make.
Something other computer and compute-like device manufacturers
outside of Apple don't get yet.

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People like you keep saying that

mdemuth 17th Mar 2009

'user experience sucks' then never actually explain how or why.
I guess it would be difficult, as I assume you have never used one. And it is much easier to talk about things you know nothing about.

Now, why not go back and wait for Apple to 'invent' features that have been on every other smartphone for years.

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Everyone Loves the iPhone!

No More Microsoft Software Ever! 17th Mar 2009

Deal with it!

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Loves the IPhone

medezark@... 17th Mar 2009

I must admit, it's a fairly heavily gilded cage the Apple\AT&T oligarchy builds for it's pets.

But then again the Kanamit always did know How to Serve Man.

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That was in '65. This is NOW. Everyone loves iPhone. Deal with it. (NT)

No More Microsoft Software Ever! 17th Mar 2009

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14% less people loved it in Q4 than did in Q3!

Sleeper Service 17th Mar 2009

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App Store Ease of Use = Love (and hate)

BillDem 3rd Apr 2009

Like most iPhone addicts, I hate my iPhone. Yes, HATE - that's not a typo. BUT, I also love it and use it constantly. The hate is because of a few stupid missing features which are finally arriving after two years in v3.

Everyone loves the iPhone for two reasons. The first is the App Store. You can be standing in line with another iPhone user, see a cool application they're using, buy it, and be using it before the line moves. It is quick, painless, convenient, and the variety is insane.

The other main reason folks love the iPhone is that it is brain-dead easy to use everything on it. I had several Palms. I have used Windows Mobile phones and Blackberries, too. There were always lots of things I never used on those devices because they were awkward, quirky, difficult, or obscure. I use everything on my iPhone because it is all easy and accessible.

Even my wife, who is a Crackberry addict, is jealous of the wider variety of things I can far-more-easily do with my iPhone. In fact, her company is working toward switching to the iPhone because the CEO is hooked on his own iPhone and now hates his office Blackberry.

Sure, other devices have been doing most of these things far longer. Sure, nearly every smart device has a larger number of features on paper. And Apple definitely released the iPhone with some glaring features missing which were absolutely stupid decisions - like MMS and cut/paste.

The difference is, the average person can actually USE all of the features on an iPhone. On other phones, they can't figure out how to use half of those dozens of features listed. Using 100% of 40 features beats using 50% of 50 features any day. Most iPhone users FEEL like they have more features just because they are actually able to USE more features.

I'm looking forward to version 3 of the iPhone. Now that they (finally!) added MMS and cut/paste, I will most likely upgrade my "vintage" day 1 iPhone. Maybe I won't hate this one so much.

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Not so many people Love the iPhone. Deal with it!!

GuidingLight 17th Mar 2009

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You (1) out of millions (plus me) = People Love iPhone. Deal with it! (NT)

No More Microsoft Software Ever! 17th Mar 2009

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Dude - ease up on the caffeine and take your meds...

TheBottomLineIsAllThatMatters 17th Mar 2009

your distortion field is getting a little to big...

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Love it? I wouldn't pi$$ on one if it was on fire! [nt]

Scrat Updated - 17th Mar 2009

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LOL - nt

TheBottomLineIsAllThatMatters 17th Mar 2009

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Well considering the iPhone is not water proof

James Quinn 18th Mar 2009

I suspect the reason you would not blank on it if it were on fire is
because of you're great concern and love for the device and you would
rather simply smother the fire to save your precious toy. You see you
Apple lovers make me sick. Normal people would not take the time or
concern to put a normal WM device with alternative methods (You
Apple people always having too be so very different) and we WM
people would be very happy to blank on our devices in fact we might
gather in a group and do it on mass. Not too mention our Dells boy
howdy its a blanking good time around a burning Dell. Talk about
your relief.

You Apple fanboys make me SICK I tell ya!!!!

Pagan jim

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Non-creative things to do w burning Apple products

theoxygenthief 18th Mar 2009

LOL I wouldn't either, I'd just sue. So much more satisfying.

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LOL - "everyone..." man Nielsen must want you

TheBottomLineIsAllThatMatters 17th Mar 2009

to work for them if you can tell that! Your good

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I've used winmobile devices

frgough 17th Mar 2009

and palm OS. I have not used the HTC. I have seen videos of people
using it. The multiple taps, the multiple swipes to get the thing to
respond. Them finally pulling out a stylus and tapping. I've seen the
reviews of the Storm. How it locks in landscape. How the click screen
is difficult to operate.

I've seen the sales numbers. 30 million iPod Touches and iPhones in
18 months.

When 30 million people like a product there's a reason.

It's subjective, but so what? That's the whole point of the product. To
meet a want. The fact that the iPhone and Touch are doing that
phenomenally well is something to be praised. Yet, like Harry Bardal
says, people can't wait to come on these sites and tell us loudly why
they won't buy one.

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I guess I'm just that good!!

NonZealot 17th Mar 2009

The multiple taps, the multiple swipes to get the thing to respond. Them finally pulling out a stylus and tapping.

Hmm, never had to do this on my HTC Touch Diamond. I guess I'm just that good!! happy

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Attempted irony again? Tut tut

theoxygenthief 18th Mar 2009

"The multiple taps, the multiple swipes to get the thing to respond.
Them finally pulling out a stylus and tapping."

funny how this is exactly what you were saying about the iPhone's
screen in the other thread. I guess everyone who owns an iPhone is
just that good.

BTW: My dad uses the stylus 95% of the time on his HTC. frgough's
observation rings true to me.

Still eagerly awaiting your replies to all my observations about all your
other straw men.

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Don't hold your breath on that one......

James Quinn 19th Mar 2009

NonZ is much like those tiny "Punt" dogs. You know the ones who are
roughly the size of a cat. Well as a rule they make all kinds of noise as
you walk buy them but if you take a single step in their direction they
stop yelping and run back with their tiny legs a good 10 feet turn and
start yelping again. That is the essence of NonZ.

Pagan jim

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You clearly haven't used the Storm

iHype 19th Mar 2009

The click screen is difficult to operate? You are saying it's difficult to
push a button? Please don't open your mouth from crappy video's
you've watched on YouTube and form an opinion that you think is
valid.

The screen rotation doesn't lock with the new software.

By the way, if I wanted to expand my memory in an iPhone how do I
go about doing that?

By your logic of sales numbers, the RAZR must be the most user
friendly and best phone in the world. RAZR = Better than iPhone!

you make excellent points. I'm glad we know that trend trumps quality
or design.

As a matter of fact, Windows must be the best OS out there. Making
Windows Mobile an extension of greatness.

No wait, you mean only iPod's and iPhones right? Only when Apple
leads a small market segment such as music players, then Apple is the
only greatest thing that can be justified by numbers.

WTF...

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Actually I read reviews by those who are paid to

James Quinn 19th Mar 2009

try a given product out. The iPhone reviews I read over the past
couple years have for the most part been positive and very positive.
Now of course you find those who disagree by the vast majority have
been good. As for the Storm. Well I get some neutral one's. I get
some positive one's but on the whole I get a majority that lean
negative. Thats as simple as it gets people who know more about
mobile phones than I and their uses and a wide variety of articles
written by a host of those who get to use/play with these toys and
total them up. Plus customer satisfaction surveys they help as well.
Have to wait a bit to get a reliable on of those for the Storm since its
so new.

Glad they fixed the screen thing however...:)

Pagan jim

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Don't underestimate the power of Corporate Ass Kissing.

iHype 19th Mar 2009

I can't find the article now, but a couple months back a "tech pundit"
wrote about how Apple forces and rewards kindly, upon reporters who
write positive things, including invites to media events, hands on
demos, and so on. A lot of what you read being so positive was no
fluke. I'm almost certain some compensation was in the works for
most of the mainstream writers from Apple.

The problem is, when the iPhone was first released (comparing to
Storm's first release) Apple neglected 3G, and writers tried to write in
that this was unacceptable by 2007 standards and especially for the
steep price tag on it, remember no subsidies? Instead of outcry and
disappointment in what should have been the hugest down fall, we
had writers kindly excuse Apple for leaving that out.

Fastforward today, people bitched and moaned about lack of wi-fi on
the Storm, among other things. RIM takes their licking in the media,
and at the end of the day, RIM's solution for mobile communications
still can't be beat. Apple is playing a dangerous game and they won't
be able to keep up for much longer at this pace. Their software
control, hardware control (1 model fits all is just not going to cut it)
and carrier control over pricing of both rate plans and hardware is
insane. At some point either the consumer or carrier is going to lash
back and say "no" to Apple's high demands.

I'm seeing some carriers increase prices of BlackBerry devices to
compensate for a short budget, something that Apple does not allow
a carrier to touch is the subsidized pricing. If Apple ruled it all, they
wouldn't be able to keep up and we'd have a boring and mediocre
experience in the mobile market.

Customer satisfaction surveys are conducted from a majority of
people who never owned a phone capable of web browsing. Those
same surveys conducted a year later for the Storm are people
comparing their experience or media awareness of Apple's device.

Unfortunately the public is generally sheepish in their opinions, and
polls will never get us an absolute opinion. I'm not crying out for
people to throw their iPhones away, but stop talking smack about
other phones like you (in general) already know what's out there. A
YouTube video, a blog, or a news article are all the opinions of said
reviewer with a bias in one form or another. I've longed for an iPhone
when I got one, I got bored, and upset. It didn't meet the mobile
needs first, and it didn't handle email very well either. For me a Storm
was a very nice compromise of the BlackBerry I always loved with a
screen the iPhone made me covet so badly.

Form opinions for your self, we're not sales men trying to make
commission, so stop working for Apple for free.

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Then by your standards I should assume that every

James Quinn 19th Mar 2009

positive article written about MS has been paid for? Oh wait there
have been times that has been proven in the past right? Like those so
called independent studies bought and paid for by MS. Same thing for
the Storm right. RIM is hardly a poor company. MS has plenty of
money and pull. In fact between the two I would assume that MS has
more pull and money than Apple right?

Now lets go to your name iHype. Clever sure but it sure demonstrates
a bias would you not agree?

I can't logically except that in an industry say personal computers
where Apple only has a US presence of say 7ish percent give or take
and a world wide of 3ish give or take that Apple has that much pull.
Now in the so called smart phone market Apple is still a minor player
last chart I saw it was around what 4%? So again while I agree Apple
has a lot of cash in reserve I have some serious doubts that Apple is
spending it on bribing reviewers and Apple's so called "wrath" at bad
reviews means what when they only have far less than 10 percent in
any given industry.

If you made this argument about iPods I might believe it but based on
smartphones and Apple being so new to the industry and having such
a small presence over all I just can't except it.

Pagan jim

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I prefer a modern smartphone OS

linuser Updated - 17th Mar 2009

Of all the smartphone OSes on the market, a WinMo-based device is the last thing I would get. Heck, even the new Palm webOS looks like it is going to be awesome.

You need to try a modern smartphone OS to appreciate why these new devices are popular. Perhaps WinMo will improve with Windows Mobile 7.

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It's the Microsoft model

frgough 17th Mar 2009

Our NEXT version will have everything you want.

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Oh the delicious irony

NonZealot 17th Mar 2009

How timely of you to post that right after Apple announces that their NEXT version will have everything that people have been demanding for 2 years. happy

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The Shame

theoxygenthief 18th Mar 2009

Wow, shame on Apple for taking 2 years to learn how to near-perfect a
product in a completely new market, and shame on them for admitting
that it's all new to them and gonna take them a while UP FRONT.

Let's not even look at the precedent their competition has set in the past.

I suppose I really really should learn to ignore your uninformed
ramblings.

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Easier to copy than to lead

NonZealot 18th Mar 2009

Wow, shame on Apple for taking 2 years to learn how to near-perfect a product in a completely new market

No, the shame is that it took Apple 3 years to copy all the leaders.

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Yes that's definately exactly what happened

theoxygenthief 18th Mar 2009

Yes, because as we all know ALL the leaders were ALL releasing
innovative touch screen smartphones that don't need stylus's and are
actually a pleasure to use before Apple released the iPhone... And
there is nothing innovative about what Apple does. Ever. And
Microsoft innovates with every single product. Especially Windows
Mobile 6.5.x.x.x.x.x (slated as a MAJOR revision just so poor saps can
get charged for it bwahahaha!). and RIM. and Palm. And there's
absolutely no reason some people might like the iPhone. And Pigs fly
past my window on a daily basis. Only in a world where your opinion
has any bearing on reality.

If you actually listened to or read a blow-by-blow of the
announcement you'd know why it took Apple so long to implement
Copy and Paste for example.

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WinMo holds much promise, but I'll wait for now.

MaxKorban Updated - 18th Mar 2009

I own a first-gen iPhone. I used WinMo PPC's
since their release many years ago. I was
attracted to the iPhone because of its ease of
use, striking multi touch, and lack of a
stylus. I found it easy to use with one hand
for most features, and the one-screen keyboard
was to me easier to use with two thumbs. No
keyboard, no sliding, no stylus, quick and
easy. It fit perfectly into my life/work style.

That being said, I'm no hater of WinMo. It took
me 8 trips to AT&T before I broke down and
bought iPhone 1.0. I sacrificed Exchange for
ease of use, and was rewarded months later when
Exchange was released. I sacrificed Cut, Copy
and Paste for too long. I'm ready to have my
feature set back. But I've been enticed to the
Dark Side by a Sith in Jedi's clothing. Apple's
pretty UI and ease of use now have me locked
into their jail cell of usability. And now,
while my purchase decision validates the idea
that a feature set doesn't make a good phone,
there's something to be said for getting more
done, and WinMo does that and iPhone sure is
getting there by golly. :P

My hesitation of switching back to WinMo is
that these multi touch screens and their front
ends and features seem to be all vendor
influenced. HTC Diamonds amazing multi touch
features don't come from WinMo. That pretty
front end screen isn't native. It's an add-on.
A pretty sticker covering a rather bland OS.

I'm probably spoiled by Apple, but I'm not
afraid to make the leap back to WinMo. I'll do
that when the multi touch front end is native
and as intuitive as iPhone. I'll do it when
they effectively eliminate the stylus (I dread
the stylus). I know HTC Touch Diamond does
mostly everything that iPhone does. It just
bothers me that it?s the vendors that are
having to compensate for WinMo?s short-comings,
regardless of whether or not it came before
iPhone. WinMo 7 holds a LOT of promise. I want
to see WinMo do it themselves.

I don't care who it comes from, as long as it
has the features I need and it's as easy to use
for simple, day to day tasks using mostly one
hand like the iPhone. I'll wait patiently until
WinMo 7 is out, and iPhone has released their
next-gen hardware. Then once again I?ll compare
apples to oranges. happy

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App Store

jaypeg 17th Mar 2009

What are you kidding?

App Store is burying your competition and you're just too blind to see
that.

Today, you might as well say Apple added thousands more developers
and tens of thousands more apps over the next few months alone.

Game over!

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Here I am flogging the same dead horse again

theoxygenthief Updated - 18th Mar 2009

My brother and father each own an HTC touch pro and I own an iPod
touch. True, their phone can do everything my iPod can do and more if
you look at the Tech specs, but they rarely ever do. My brother works
in IT, so he's not a complete illiterate, yet:

- It took us 2 hours (exaggerated, I know) to get his HTC working on
the home Wifi, took me about 1 minute with my iPod
- We still can't get his POP mail working and still don't have any clue
why, took us 3 minutes to get mine working on my iPod (and we use
the same mail host)
- Me and my brother have roughly the same usage patterns and
requirements in theory, yet he NEVER touches almost any of the
functionality other than phone and SMS. When I asked why, he said it's
just not comfortable. I actually find that I lately prefer using my iPod
to browse the net and read & reply to mail over doing so on my laptop
(no boot up time, cables, mice, hot lap etc.).
- My dad has seen me browsing the net on the iPod several times and
lamented the fact that he can't do it on his phone to which I replied
but he can, I did all the required setup for him, he has the latest
version of Opera Mobile (/Mini?) and I have demo-ed it to him several
times. He just replied with a shrug and some mumblings I didn't quite
catch.

My neighbour has a Samsung Omnia and the same kind of scenario
applies there. He has in fact reverted back to his previous non-smart
phone because he found the Omnia so uncomfortable.

So the point most of the "tech pro's" that frequent (troll?) these
forums and lament the iPhone don't seem to get is that the iPhone
enables the average Joe to actually USE all these nice features that
supposed "smart" phones all trump the iPhone in. A latent and
unusable feature is NOT a feature.

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So they both ran out and bought iPods?

NonZealot 18th Mar 2009

No? They didn't? Hmm, I guess it turns out then that doing all the things you mentioned just weren't that important to them while to you, it is. From your story, I simply see 2 sets of people with 2 sets of requirements. Nice try though.

It took us 2 hours (exaggerated, I know) to get his HTC working on the home Wifi

Wow, I guess I'm just that much more skilled than you! I've never had a problem setting this up. It finds my router, prompts me for the key, I enter it, and it "Just Works". Or... maybe I'm just that much better than you. happy

We still can't get his POP mail working

Wow, I guess I'm just that much more skilled than you! I've never had a problem setting up my Exchange account, my push Hotmail account, and my pull GMail account. It "Just Works". Or... maybe I'm just that much better than you. happy

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Dude, enough already.

MaxKorban 18th Mar 2009

You know, Zealot, all of this "I'm just that
much more skilled than you" is a bunch of
hogwash.

We are here to comment on and debate differing
technologies, not read about your personal
bashing over some one else's ability and
character. Such actions merely reflect your own
lack of character. I don't know you, but it's
clear that you need an elevated life-lesson in
maturity. Most of what I see from you on these
forums mirrors what I see here in this thread.

Really, if you don't have something
constructive to say, please don't post anything
at all.

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Hear hear N/T

theoxygenthief 18th Mar 2009

N/T

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No they didn't even consider getting an iPhone yet....

theoxygenthief 18th Mar 2009

....Because the contract the HTC came on costs an arm and a leg and
early cancellation costs an arm and a leg. But I'm guessing you're just
that much better than me that you couldn't take that into
consideration. Get your pompous head out of your own dark dank rear orifice.

And maybe you are more skilled than me at IT. Boohoo shame on me.
But I haven't had any problems setting up my POP mail or GMail either.
And once again you've just proven the whole point of my post.

Btw the HTC didn't see our router for ages. We fiddled w various
settings until it did finally see the router. And then it wouldn't
authorise. More fiddling, then it authorised. We're still not sure what
combinations of the 40 or so settings we fiddled with on the router
and the phone were responsible for the phone finally working.

Thank you for your great insightful commentary as always Mr. Smart
Amazing Open Minded Non Trolling IT guy

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The beautiful irony of the "I'm that good" quote...

NonZealot Updated - 18th Mar 2009

The thing about me saying that is that I first noticed it being said by Apple apologists who were trying to apologize for things that posters were finding difficult or impossible in OS X. The response was "I've never had that problem with OSX so either you are lying or I'm that good." I wondered what the reaction of the Apple faithful would be if I shoved their attitude back in their faces. We have the answer. You guys can dish it out but you sure can't take it!

Regardless, I have never had problems with wireless or email accounts on my HTC Touch Diamond and I've never once had to do any trouble shooting so no, it has nothing to do with how good I am unless you consider being able to enter a key when promoted for one. I suppose there has to be one person out there who can't get simple things to work. Spend 5 minutes reading Apple support forums and I guarantee you will find complaints about things you never had problems with. Does that mean Apple products don't just work? Using your rationale, that is exactly what it means.

Once again, sorry that you took offence with my statement. In my defense, it came directly from an Apple apologist.

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Not Ironic....

theoxygenthief Updated - 18th Mar 2009

... just a misgiving. There is irony here, it's that you think yourself the
expert on all things Apple.

Quite frankly I've heard that sort of "I'm that good" rational a lot more
often from MSFT fanboys like yourself. And once again: I resent being
called a fanboy. I still only own 1 Apple product and work on 1 Apple
comp at the office. I own 2 Windows based computers and a Sony
Erricson phone (Symbian I believe?). I've told you my purchasing
history before and you know better. I merely share the experiences
I've had on these different platforms, and my experiences of Apple
products so far happen to be satisfying and trouble free compared to
others. I'm not saying it will be the same for everyone else, and I'm
not saying my experience with the HTC's will be the same for
everyone else. That would be stupid *ahem*.

Also, Different users have different needs. For example I would not
recommend my phone to most people I know, but that doesn't mean it
doesn't suit my needs.

You somehow seem to find great joy in pointing out every little flaw in
EVERY Apple product posted on Zdnet, products I'm sure you haven't
spent any substantial amount of time with ( I asked you about this
previously, and as far as I can remember you avoided a straight
answer but basically confessed to never having used the product we
were discussing in that instance, OS X Leopard, for any substantial
amount of time) and telling everyone how hopelessly bad these
products are none the less. Are you that insecure in your purchasing
decisions? Do you work for Microsoft? Does the fact that Apple
products cost a premium offend you? Did Steve Jobs beat up your
father? IS Steve Jobs your father? Is Bill Gates your father? Where does
this completely irrational anger come from?

In conclusion: As others have said, you need to learn to not upload
this kind of drivel if you do not have anything constructive to add. I
hope for your sake you learn this one day soon.

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The Zealot has admitted to having NO experience...

msalzberg Updated - 18th Mar 2009

with any Apple product in the last decade. He's said that he used
Apples in the mid-90's, but not since then.

He admitted once to being an ant-Apple zealot, but has since
pretended that he didn't. Of course, his admission means nothing; as
you noted, his posts prove what he is.

I'd be careful, though. He recently posted an untrue personal attack
on me, and, like most cowards, won't back up his statement, nor
apologize. Typical, I'd say, of someone who hides behind the
fallacious screen name of "NonZealot," when his actions show him to
be no such thing. Don't cross him, or he may start spreading lies
about you, too.

Strangely, his personal attacks on me (look up the definition of 'libel')
are still here, while my posts asking him for proof of his statements
get deleted.

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@msalzberg LOL i just figured it out

theoxygenthief 18th Mar 2009

ROFL. It's so clear now. NonZealot here (also affectionately dubbed
'dingleballs' by certain commentators) is a ZDnet employee paid to
spread as much FUD as possible and artificially drive up ad revenue (or
something like that, any conspiracy theories welcome) by getting
people's backs up in these forums. That's why he just disappears every
time I break down his straw men, his real personality can't maintain the
fake persona's illogical ramblings facade for too long in good conscious.

Please note ZDnet: this post is intended as humorous and lighthearted.
I will consider it's deletion an admission of guilt.

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Sure

itguy08 17th Mar 2009

I had a Treo 650. Was fine but would reboot at spontaneous times when it felt like it. The camera was awful but there were a lot of apps. Was a great phone for its time.

I've played WinMo and it sucks. Windows on the desktop sucks and on the mobile sucks even bigger.... Start menu, registry, and other quirks on a phone? No thanks.

Usability is king and those fall short.

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Where is the encryption?

FrankHa Updated - 17th Mar 2009

When are they going to support encryption? If they did that I could use it with the entrerprise mail system, we would have hundreds show up on our network then.

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almost there

coffeeshark 17th Mar 2009

the iPhone is almost there, but without background apps running it falls short of other devices.

This update was definitely a big one. I mean, not that you need a press conference to tell everyone about a phone software update, but I guess that's Apple's style.

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fluff, hype, fluff, hype, spin, fluff, hype

thinklady 17th Mar 2009

Tested. Tried. Eye candy. Won't be buying one.

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RE: Are iPhone 3.0 improvements enough to get you to buy an iPhone? They ar

Gehawk 17th Mar 2009

NOT for me, because in this area AT&T 3G service is
miserable, according to users I know. If there is new
hardware coming, I'll think again, in August as my contract
with another carrier ends.

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Icing on the cake IMHO

8string 17th Mar 2009

Last month bought the iTouch rather than the phone, since the data plan seemed excessive and I already have an AT&T 3G USB for laptop access online in most places. Paying an extra $30 for data on my phone and $49 on my laptop was too much. Add in my home DSL (with wireless that my iTouch uses), and you have to wonder how connected you really need to be. I use my data on my laptop way more.

I agree that the device needed landscape email support, and cut and paste. Now to encrypt the notes would be nice. Maybe see Phatnotes on iPhone. it's been the most useful app on Windows Mobile I've used, and have used it since I think 99. Not many apps I can say that about beyond the MS Suite. I would say that I recommend the iPhone to everyone that has wants one device with it all on it. This upgrade just puts icing on the cake. The Touch is great too!

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Not for me

sharkinfested 17th Mar 2009

IF I bought a phone it would be an iPhone, but I really hate phones. A prepaid cell for emergencies is all I need and want. I will however pay the ten bucks to update my iPod Touch.