Still want that iPhone?

[Atman]

I'm a first generation Apple guy, but this is like a line in the sand. I hated AT&T with a passion, so I switched carriers to Cingular...which means I'm back with AT&T whether I like it or not. I want an iPhone, but I cannot knowingly stick my foot in the bear trap. This is bullshit. WRITE SOME LETTERS to Apple and AT&T. I wish no harm on Apple, but I cannot support this bullshit, I don't care if Jesus himself was issuing this new phone.

Read it and weep.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1144221&mesg_id=1144221

.

[Initech]

1. No phone is worth $600.

I don't care what it can do. For an extra $50, you can get a really good refurbished laptop that can do all the same shit the phone can.

[NYCGirl]

2. You bet. NT

[1monster]

3. You can buy a prepaid Virgin Mobile phone that has a camera, and

has internet access and e-mail for $20.00...

[NYCGirl]

4. I have one of those, and I still want the iPhone.

BTW, the Virgin phone is good, but the camera, web access, etc. is crap.

[Donnachaidh]

5. WHY?

What is it about the iPhone that makes you WANT to have it?

[NYCGirl]

6. phone, iPod, web browser, email, YouTube, movies, etc. NT

[IChing]

10. I can't afford it but it is a revolutionary device.

[liberalnurse]

50. I have had the Samsung i730 for 2 years now

...it is a Pocket PC phone with internet. It is awesome! Verizon has it.

I even listen to stream radio at my work desk with the Windows Media Player. This is the greatest tool I have.

http://www.vzwshop.com/samsungi730info/

[ikojo]

83. How do you stream radio on your phone?

I have a Treo 650 and use Cingular/AT&T.

I want an iPhone but am hoping that after the hoopla AT&T will offer deals when it comes time for me to re-up my contract, which is in December.

[liberalnurse]

150. I just know how to use the Samsung......

so, what I do is.....I use it at my desk at the office daily....I place it in the carriage, plug in the AC plug so not to worry about battery time.

I click on Internet explorer.....go to my favorites..

then click "stream radio guide"...this is the best link I have found to get the current progressive radio station on at the time I want to listen; plus, most of the stations use Windows Media Player which my pocket pc utilizes. I also can use an ear bud.

You can also active sync from your regular pc into the pocket pc and download links music and such and store information as well. I just have yet to do it. You can do an amazing amount of tasks with this monster. I keep it with me always. I text message a lot also. It is so easy with the stylus and pop-up keyboard. Just touch the screen and type with the stylus.



http://streamingradioguide.com/streaming-radio-stations.php

Then, I just listen like one does on the regular PC. I can visit all websites but they maybe modified for mobile web....e-bay is quite modified...

I also have DU as a favorite. Skinner was checking out my pocket pc when we were all in D.C for the September 05 Protest...At the Hawk-n-Dove. I bet he got one.

[Atman]

151. I don't get it...

You're at your desk, with a desk-top PC. What possible benefit is there to this cell-phone arrangement? I use my computer for all my music these days, radio, downloads and CDs. It plays through my main stereo system via wifi. But what possible benefit is there to using your cell phone to do this when you have the PC sitting right there? iTunes alone has HUNDREDS of radio station pre-sets, in every possible genre. Just click 'em and they play.

I'm baffled why you'd use a cell phone for this.

.

[liberalnurse]

152. My job has upgraded their firewalls and streaming has

become difficult. I have a job with high security.

[JCMach1]

161. There are already phones on the market that do all of the iPhone things

and more... It is a ripoff... And if you think you are going to get all those bells and whistles to work on the crappy US wireless networks, I laugh in you general direction.

[Atman]

165. COOL! Where's the OSX one with a full, real web browser?

Oh, and the touch-screen interface? And why do I need a crappy wireless network to listen to music or watch movies? Isn't the network part for phone conversations? Why will this device be any less reliable than the phones we already have?

[mondo joe]

184. Which bells and whistles do you think won't work on US wireless

networks????

[Atman]

8. You'll go broke a bit slower than with an iPhone.

:eyes:

I bought a Virgin plan for my son. What a fucking joke. Minimum charges EVERY DAY just to make a call. First minute 25 cents...it worked out to be at least as expensive if not much more so than to have a monthly billing plan. Virgin charges for EVERYTHING. I promise you, my all-the-bells-and-whistles plan with Cingular costs less monthly than a Virgin pre-paid plan. Seriously. Do the math.

.

[NYCGirl]

9. It's a fine plan if you don't use the phone very much. NT

[Donnachaidh]

12. then what's the POINT of having it if you don't use it much?

:shrug:

[NYCGirl]

14. Emergencies, telling your friends you're running late, finding people when

you lose them in a crowd. And that's not even taking into account drivers and travelers...it's a good thing to have.

[Donnachaidh]

15. a regular cellphone can accomplish that just as well as

an overpriced toy.

[NYCGirl]

18. I was referring to THE $20 VIRGIN PHONE not the iPhone! NT

[Donnachaidh]

20. but that is why you're buying the iphone, yes?

Like I said, a regular cellphone can accomplish all the things you NEED it for. Do you already own an ipod? Then why buy a duplication?

[NYCGirl]

21. No, when I get an iPhone, I'm giving up my landline, since I'll no longer need it.

Yes, I have an iPod — it can hang out as a backup.

[Donnachaidh]

24. well bully for you!

That's your right.

But you still want the expensive toy to duplicate what you already have.

[Atman]

34. Donna, you're not very open minded, are you?

You seem so hell-bent on bashing others for stuff you know nothing about. Try this situation on for size...

I am a Mac user, and I am in the market for a laptop. Not a full-fledged one, just something very basic, for checking e-mail and accessing client accounts.

I am also an iPod user, but my iPod is an antique. It's three years old, and is starting to die. Last weekend it simply froze for five hours until the battery died. I couldn't get it do ANYTHING. That's just one of several problems I've had with it, but I feel lucky because in those three years I've take it snowboarding every week (in the winter, of course), and I use it every day in my car. It has been worth every penny of the $299 price, but alas, it is finally on its way out, so I've been looking at others.

In January, my cell-phone plan with Cingular/AT&T ran out. I got my wife and kid new phones. I held off for the iPhone. But man, I need a new phone SO BAD...my two-and-a-half year old phone can't hold a charge for more than a day (new battery costs more than the phone), and it's an antique techno-wise.

SO...I am in the market for a NEW PHONE, a NEW iPOD, and basic Mac-based access to the internet. Hmmmmmmmmm.

But I guess, according to Donna, I'm just stupid. I should just get a pre-paid Virgin Mobile phone that does NOTHING and be happy I have it.

:eyes:


.

[mondo joe]

37. Dude, life isn't supposed to be about HAPPY!

It's about righteousness!

Now into the stocks with you!

[IChing]

42. I think you have the right idea

My video 80g iPod is great and gives a good picture on my TV 34' HD (belkin AV stand), educational college courses, music, books, computer backup etc. it was well worth the money I paid. I don't use a cell-phone but have now a VOIP phone and no land line.

If I were you, I think it would be a great choice and would stand in line on the 28th because it will be sold out.
Rumors are cheaper iPhones are on their way and pay as you go will be available. You will be lucky to get one.

I do hate ATT, when I had and needed my cell phone I dropped them and joined cingular.

[Atman]

45. Remember the original iPod compared to the latest iteration?

The iPhone will be no different. In a couple of years, it will be embedded in your arm and you cough to answer it or something.

But I still want that first gen!

.

[IChing]

53. Prepare to camp out

I took off work and stood in line at 4:30 in the morning when the first PS2 came out.
They were sold out in 20 minutes and I got one....LOL
Nintendo is rumored to be making games for the iPhone. It is quite a device and not
just a phone. Good luck.


I hope you get one.

[Morrisons Ghost]

186. I would not

Buy the first generation of this phone. There will be a ton of bugs and I will be willing to bet that one of them will be the battery. All of the stuff this phone will do will completely drain the typical cell phone battery. I have a feeling this thing will be on a charger more than your ear:)

[Atman]

189. Your mistake is using the term "typical" in describing it.

Apple rarely does anything "typical." That is such an obvious concern, I'd imagine dealing with it was one of the first problems on their list. Apple is famous for its battery management technologies and does pretty well with their laptops. I'm not overly worried about that, but you do make a good point in that any new device like this will have to go through a shake-down process. I do recall that first iPod; I think I have one in the museum of ancient Macs in the attic. It certainly was quaint, wasn't it?

.

[Zech Marquis]

170. $600 For an iPhone is steep

especially as I'm abut to buy my first car here..but when the rumored cheaper iPhones come out with pre pay, I'l jump in. For now, i'm getting ready fr my 2007 Civic (and I'm sick of the people who keep harping on me to get a used car--it;s MY money damnit)

[artfan]

54. i would be carefu abliut that

when i was in a billing dispute with cingular they cut off service eventhouth i sent in a written dispute and was trying to work out some payment deal. They shut off our phones without notice even thought they knew it put my disabled spouse at risk. I called and begged they turn it on for his safety and they refused. Land line ho...

[NYCGirl]

56. I'll take that under advisement. Thank you. NT

[stlsaxman]

126. heck- why wait to drop your land line? got a computer? then download Skype...

Skype telephony is free between skype users world-wide. It can call regular and cell phones for just two cents a minute and you can pre-pay like with a phone card. I have purchased "Skype In" which is a regular telephone number anyone can call any time (even has voice mail!) and all i pay is $18 for 3 months or $60 for a year!

Skype also includes IM chat AND fast PTP ftp that can handle huge files...

Did I mention it include Video chat/conferencing?

AND Skype is FULLY ENCRYPTED point-to-point!

It just flat-out rocks.

Fuck AT&T!

[leeroysphitz]

26. People use phones differently.

I kept track of my minutes and found I used less than 150 a month.
I like to have it for emergencies and touch base, via text messages and voice, with my wife but 150 minutes covered that easily for me.

I asked Verizon about their 150 minute plan and guess what? They don't have one. Nothing even CLOSE.

I now use Net10 prepaid and pay 15 dollars a month for phone service. We cut our families wireless bill DRASTICALLY.

[Donnachaidh]

11. Deaf, dumb and blind consumerism at it's finest

People don't do the math, do they?

Buy an overpriced iphone, then pay added fees for net access, to have access to things they cannot possibly have enough time in the day to access fully.

And when the charges start piling up, who have they got to blame?

But they GOTTA have it. :shrug:

[NYCGirl]

13. He wasn't talking about the iPhone, he was talking about the cheap Virgin phone.

And, BTW, I earn my money and have the right to spend it as I please, puritanical finger-wagging notwithstanding.

[Donnachaidh]

17. guess I touched a nerve, huh?

Yeah, you do have the right to spend your money as you please. But others also have the right to point out your folly, too.

Free speech is a wondrous thing. :evilgrin:

[NYCGirl]

19. Yes, you do have the right

to be an ass to someone whose private life you have no idea about. That's the beauty of the internet.

So how much did you pay for your computer?

[Donnachaidh]

22. it's not what I paid -- it's the FACT that you want something that duplicates your computer

And the iphone is an extreme waste of money.

[DancingBear]

85. Hang in there Donna

We have to have all this stuff, I mean we have to!

I mean, look at all the cool stuff it does!! Wowee!

And in another three years when it has fallen apart we'll buy another one that does even more cool stuff!!

I mean, why get just a phone when you can get one that cleans the guest room!!

I'm holding out for a computer that walks the dog!!

(P.S. They'll never get the irony - it hits way too close to home...)

[Atman]

86. You'll never understand what a dumbass Luddite you sound like.

Yeah, I don't get the irony of your post. It was soooooooooo deep. No one could possibly have a use for the iPhone because, well, DancingBear and Donna don't. So therefore, it must be stoopid. Right?

.

[DancingBear]

87. You'll never get it

I could let you chat with some of my advertising buddies, though.

They LIVE for gullible toy magnets like you.

Hell, they know what you'll buy before you do.

I think I hear them chuckling in the background now.

Standing in line to buy an I-Phone - ye$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

[mondo joe]

91. Honestly, what is it to you how others choose to spend their free time or money?

Is there a single acceptable lifestyle now?

Is diversity to be squelched out?

Would sack cloth and ashes be acceptable?

[DancingBear]

94. I could care less how people spend it

That is not the point. The point being made is conspicuous consumption, and how people can be "conned" into believing anything is a must-have.

Seriously, explain to me why my phone needs to take a picture.

Seriously.

It's all marketing, and the same suckers who buy into these "time saving" devices will sit at home and scratch their heads and think that maybe if they get a device that does even more they will finally have that spare time they used to way back when.

That's the beauty of it, from an advertising standpoint. They got the suckers believing it, and now they're on the carousel.

It's hard to see it unless you step back, but when you do it's almost comical how everyone gets so defensive and fails to realize that getting off the carousel is the only way to stop it.

[Atman]

97. Oh, I forgot...my Canon PowerShot A60 is dead.

I need a new digital camera, too. The iPhone has much better res than my old 2 megapixel Canon.

Thanks for reminding me. I mean, why have everything in one handy device when I could carry a backpack full of seperate items which do the same thing???

.

[DancingBear]

103. I never found the need to carry all of them at once

You must be really important.

Or busy.

But not self-absorbed, which is good. :)

[Atman]

105. Busy.

I'm self-employed, and I carry all of them with me all the time. It is required for my line of work. I need every device I've mentioned...except the iPod. I don't "need" it. I still have an old Rio 500 that will play nearly two hours worth of music on one AA battery! It's awesome. Of course, my iPod will play for over three weeks without ever repeating a song...I don't "need" it any more than you "need" to eat every single day. It's just damned nice to have the options, you know?

.

[DancingBear]

115. I'm self-employed as well

I kind of feel sorry for you in that you have to carry all that with you. Do you really enjoy it, or if you had your druthers would you rather live, you know, kind of like a Luddite? :)

As I said, I used to be you, but now I have the ability to balance things in a way much mire conducive to my own well-being.

When I listen to music, for instance, I just sit down in front of the stereo, put something on, and relax. Enjoy. If I want to repeat something, I repeat it. The fact that a device will play 48 million songs without repeating has no bearing on the music itself. Most importantly, I get to listen to the music not as background, or as another thing to carry, but as a "take time out" experience.

I think we just disagree on options, but if you're ever in the area take a little time out, drop in, and sit down on the music couch. It's a much better option, I think - just be sure and leave the damn I-Pod in the car. :)

[Atman]

123. You didn't ever "used to be me."

You know nothing about me. Please don't make such absurd assumptions. It has nothing to do with "balancing things in my life." It has EVERYTHING to do with my line of work. Lots of photography involved, frequently on the road, with web access critical. Heaven forbid! I must be some sort of loser!

I LOVE music. It is a major, major part of my life. I enjoy listening, discovering, listening again...wherever. Long road trips with the stereo turned up loud -- mmmmmm -- love it. And I have an Airport Extreme which plays my iTunes list through my home stereo system throughout the house. Great gadget! But you'd probably hate it, because...well...because you appear to hate stuff.

Wow. Our lifestyles are different. I just didn't realize, apparently, that yours is BETTER. My bad!

:eyes:

.

[mondo joe]

127. I can't imagine how some people got such terrible boundaries that they can't

even imagine that different people might actually feel differently.

[DancingBear]

141. I know, you're "different"

Yawn.

"and they're all made out of ticky-tack,
and they all look just the same."

G'night.

[mondo joe]

143. Oh nice. An attitude befitting a fundy.

There's only one way, after all.

[Eurobabe]

173. I know this guy and he's no fundy

[mondo joe]

117. Hm. I need my cell phone for work and for my kids; I need my palm for work; I

enjoy my iPod.

I don't know that working, having kids and enjoying music makes someone important.

[DancingBear]

120. It makes some think they are

Check any airport gate.

[mondo joe]

125. I dunno - I've flown a few times in the last 2 years and never observed a correlation

between having any of those items and people thinking they're important.

:shrug:

[DancingBear]

131. Really?

Never had to sit next to the guy who wouldn't get off the phone when the flight attendant asked?

Or the one who has to speak at high volume when closing whatever important "deal" he has working?

Ya gotta get out more, son.

[mondo joe]

134. I doubt you get "out" as often as I do.

I've seen a couple of people be jerks about turning off their phones before takeoff. But that's just one more aspect of people being jerky, which has more to do with people than phones IMO.

[DancingBear]

138. Fine

Time for me to go.

We're not speaking of anything of substance anymore.

No place else to go, I reckon.

G'night.

[IChing]

124. Post pictures of your new phone in our Mac forum

if you can, plus all the details. Maybe do it in a mirror if you don't have another camera.

Sounds like you won't have to stand in line or wait on-line to get one you lucky dog.

Phones have recorded police brutality and other news worthy shots as witnessed by
the UCLA library police tazer case. Apple haters really are overly emotionally and don't
like facts. I said the iPod would be a hit and it was, the wii, the ps2, wi-fi and said the ps3 would
not.

This device will be a hit it is years ahead of any competition because of the design, functionality and patents.

[mondo joe]

113. There are reasons to buy things other than that they are "must haves".

Like: "it would be fun".

Some people spend money on travel; some on booze; some on watching sports; some on electronics.

I promise you, there is something you do that would be wasteful to a lot of other people.

[Atman]

116. Don't sweat it.

Apple-bashing is very popular these day. Microsoft has already been smacked down, and Apple is on the rise. Can't tell who to hate without a program!

.

[mondo joe]

118. It's not the apple bashing, but the Puritanism. I thought moral judgement about personal matters

was a trait of the OTHER side.

Maybe liberalism has changed for the worse since my youth.

[DancingBear]

122. There's a shitload of stuff I do that would seem wasteful to some

Just don't miss the point that I'm making, that being that more often than not "fun" is marketed.

Although the allure of a phone as being fun certainly escapes me.

[mondo joe]

130. And sometimes fun is marketed BECAUSE it's fun.

Do people think ice cream is yummy because it's marketed to be fun? Or because it IS yummy?

The thing that's funny to me is not that the allure of a "phone" escapes you -- it's that different people feeling differently escapes you.

[DancingBear]

140. All I know is this

I'm gonna buy some Apple stock.

I never realized how fucking good their marketing was.

I'm gonna see if they can change the name to "Yummy Phone."

Fun for girls and boys!

Shit, I'm in the wrong business...

[Atman]

95. I've been in marketing and advertising my whole life

You make so many assumptions about those with whom you disagree, it is almost comical. Do you think you're instilling new knowledge on the underclass or something? WTF, dude? I am NOT a "first adopter" at all. I explained my situation, in which I am currently in the market for a new basic laptop, an iPod (which I use for my primary "stereo" much of the time, in my car, weekend home and while traveling), and a cell phone. Yet to you and your "advertising buddies" (forgive me while I chuckle at the vision I'm receiving), I'm just a gullible toy magnet.

You and your "advertising buddies" must not be very good at what you do for you to look at your markets with such disdain and derision.

BTW...I won't be standing in line to buy an iPhone.

I have people for that.

:hi:

.

[DancingBear]

100. You seem a big hot under the collar

The discussion centers around conspicuous consumption. The good folks at Apple aren't making I-Phones for folks like you, but it seems as if the device meets your needs - good for you. In your case it probably is a wise purchase to make, as you have explained.

What fascinates me (from a sociological standpoint, if nothing else) are the legions of folks who will buy it simply because it is "new! improved! smaller! faster! better!", etc. The belief that somehow this is a better allocation of resources (i.e. time saving) is funny to me. That is the gist of what Donna and I are saying.

I used to be where you are - running around, twelve devices in one hand, phone in the other. Then it occurred to me that what I needed was not to combine 12 devices into one, but get rid of the devices altogether.

The I-Phone is just another yoke, albeit in a smaller package, which of course gives one room now to get even more devices. THAT'S what makes those boys smile.

Oh, BTW, I'm not in advertising (I'm far too honest) but to say that those folks don't look at consumers like dollar bills is ludicrous. I did have to hang around with them for prolonged periods of time in a former life, but please don't count me amongst them.

Do you play golf? Play 18 with them - you'll get the gist.

Animals.

[Atman]

Read the OP...the discussion, actually, is NOT about conspicuous consumption

You've tried to take it that way, though, that's for sure!

.

[DancingBear]

119. No, I just took it in the direction that Donna took it

It seemed a bit more substantive than all the "I want!" posts.

I got nieces and nephews for that. :)

[DancingBear]

Maybe, but right now I'm looking at the sunset over the mountains

Phone's not ringing, nobody trying to page me, disconnected from folks I don't care to talk to.

Must be Luddite heaven.

Pretty good way to live.

Beats the let me check my messages while I'm on the cell phone and taking a picture of the newest client proposal while I wait for wireless connectivity at the airport lifestyle all to hell.

Don't ya just hate those folks??

[Atman]

109. Yeah...there's only one way or another.

I have a weekend place and I love to sit on my deck and watch the sunset, too. I have no phone service there, no computer, no television...and I spend a LOT of time there. I love it. But apparently, you think people who want an iPhone plan on super-gluing it to their ears, eschewing the rest of the world, and leaving their families and stuff.

I don't hate ANY folks just because they buy toys. I prefer to judge based upon the overall person.

You're not scoring too high right now, but then...I've never actually met you.

:hi:

.

[mondo joe]

128. Sounds like living death to me. But I respect that we feel differently.

I like to hear from people I love.

I like art.

I like life.


:-)

[DancingBear]

136. I love art

I love life.

I'm married to my best friend.

Why would you think I don't enjoy anything?

Because I don't buy into the whole consumerism thing?

[mondo joe]

145. Spoken like a good fundy. NT

[Eurobabe]

174. So, when someone goes against 'group think'

you automatically label him/her a fundy?

That's rich.

[NYCGirl]

178. You may have missed the point. The poster that Mondo Joe is answering

is claiming that his life is worth something — and others are not. That's where the "fundy" stuff comes in.

[mondo joe]

181. No. When someone says their feelings are the only right ones, and

anyone who disagrees can only be brainwashed or a fool, I call them a fundy.

It's the precise same attitude as any religious fundy.

[Atman]

23. Donna, that's just WRONG

You completely missed the point of my post, then play the "ooh, I touched a nerve" card on the other poster. I'm calling bullshit, because it is YOU who completely missed what I was saying...the "cheap" pre-paid Virgin phone proved to be cost-prohibitive. That "cheap" phone which did little actually cost way more -- WAY MORE - than if we'd simply put my son on a regular service plan which actually had the other stuff built in.

I don't know the terms of the Apple/AT&T plan yet. Do you? You seem to know an awful lot about it!

.

[Donnachaidh]

30. my response to YOU was over people buying into toys and not reading the fine print.

Virgin was just the starting point.

As with all contracts that go with cell phones, people don't factor in the 2 year contract (that's average) or the cost of getting out of that in an emergency. They also don't factor in cost of access for web toys like iphone. Or is AT&T offering free access? And then the other fees, etc.

I was agreeing with your initial post. And that was reacted to by the other poster. Am I supposed to not respond to certain posters? :shrug:

[symbolman]

76. Some of us have FRIENDS

and like to talk a lot to our minions :)

My wife will be making a game for the IPhone, I'm telling her to get the company to get us one.. purely for research purposes of course.

Here in Hawaii they're not selling them until exactly 6pm on the dot.. don't know what the line factor will be.. but I WANT one, even though I KNOW I should wait a year until the "cough" interface :)

Go Atman! You said it brother!

[mondo joe]

33. Or: Ingulge yourself with something you like.

I don't know where the Puritan streak come from, but there is nothing wrong with people using the fruits of their labors on something they enjoy.

[nosillies]

41. Perhaps I should add cool phone users to my list from yesterday

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1139244&mesg_id=1141574

[mondo joe]

59. And gamers. You may have missed it, but a while back when some

people were injured while waiting online for the new... xbox or wii or whatever it was, there were DUers saying they DESERVED to get hurt because they were willing to standin line for a TOY.

[tired_old_fireman]

67. That's a great post Amy.

Can you also add anyone who owns a Prius? I've taken more crap from so called progressives for driving a Prius than I'd probably take if I slapped a Romney sticker on a Suburban.

By the way, does anyone remember when cable tv first came out and people were all self righteous about how stupid it is to pay so much money for tv?

[NashVegas]

92. LOL ... They Were Right, Then, and Still Are

I have cable TV, which I can only justify because my job demands I have a working knowledge of pop culture. If not for that, I'd be paying $60 a month to watch TDS and Colbert Report, and various other regular broadcast shows free of shadows & snow.

And why must I have access to cable offerings? Because I need to be able to relate to and communicate with that portion of the population (which is: most) who have it.

Cell phones are not unlike that. There is a very real difference in the social opportunities one has access to with a cell than with not. There is a growing trend of users who will not leave a message on a person's home answering machine, but who will leave a voicemail. Go figure.

[Telly Savalas]

146. For somone with low phone utilization the $.18/minute plan they offer makes sense.

I've been averaging about 10 bucks a month, which is cheaper than what the leanest deal for a real cell phone would be. (I don't really care that a $20 a month plan would get me a lot more minutes, because I have no intention of using them.)


I don't mean to be shilling for Mr. Branson though. There are other providers of prepaid cells, so I'd shop around before buying one.

[1monster]

160. They've changed that. There are all kinds of plans now, including

that one, or an 18 cents a minute one, or a monthly charge plan that is similar to all the other cell phone companies.

I have the 18cents a minute plan and only pay something like $20.00 ever five or six week. I was paying $36 plus a month and never using the minutes alotted. It works for me...

[qdemn7]

166. Get T Mobile Prepaid, I did.

They don't charge a per-day use fee. Phones are as cheap as $30. You buy $100 worth of minutes (1,000 minutes) and they're good for an entire year. You buy the cheap pre-paid phone, get it activated, then you can port your number over from your Cingular account, if you want. You can then take your Cingular phone, swap Sim cards with the now activated T Mobile and without unlocking or anything, you're on T Mobile service. I did just that, and I'm as happy as can be.

[acmavm]

7. I don't want anything bad enough to deal with AT&T.

[frazzled]

16. Yes and no

I still think it's a phenomenal device. But I don't generally need to be connected while walking down the street. Plus I don't want to pay $600. Plus I am a T-Mobile customer. Other than that, I'd love one. Like if someone gave it to me and someone paid the monthly charges, I'd be a totally happy camper, cingular service or not.

Speaking of communications, I recently downloaded Skype onto my and my husband's laptops. He was going to be out of the country for several weeks and I wanted to avoid the 99 cents per minute T-Mobile charge (T-Mobile is excellent if you want a phone that works in Europe or Asia). Skype was a great idea (you can talk computer to computer for free, or computer to phone for 2 cents a minute from ab road), except for the fact that my husband had no internet access at his hotel and was too busy to go searching out internet cafes. So we had two or three minute chats each day by telephone. I guess we're stuck in the old (new) technology. I still plan to find a good use for the Skype.

[Atman]

27. Skype is AWESOME!

I use it to talk to my sister in Thailand -- with VIDEO! -- completely FREE!. And there isn't even that five second delay like you see when Wolfe Blitzer is talking to Susie Bubblehead in Iraq, it's real-time. Amazing thing, that Skype. I love it.

.

[Jonathan50]

32. My sister in law and her husband just spent over two years out of the country..

We used Skype to communicate with them, sometimes Skype on both ends and sometimes Skype just on their end.

Worked great and saved a lot of money on long distance calls.

I don't have a cell phone, too damn many people already know how to reach me. :)

[sellitman]

25. I will wait until they have more music memory than 8 Gigs.

Then I will pounce.

I am a traveling salesman and this devise is a road warriors dream.

[NYCGirl]

28. I suspect they'll release at least a 16 GB next year. Flash memory is getting

bigger, but it's still expensive at the higher end.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

29. They lost me from day one

when they made clear you could not run generic 3rd party apps on it, neither develop your own. What's the point of having OSX on it then?

Edit: egads, I typed this one like a freeper.

[NYCGirl]

31. You know that some folks will develop hacks for it, about 10 minutes after

the first one leaves the shelves.


:evilgrin:

[Atman]

36. I think you're wrong.

There was a press release just last week that Apple was allowing third party apps to be developed for the iPhone.

.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

38. AH, then they backpedaled! I distinctly remnember that not being the case previously.

Now, if it becomes open to any GSM chip from any carrier, it'll actually become a desirable product.

[mondo joe]

35. I'm not there yet. It looks cool, and it would be really nice to consolidate my phone, palm and

iPod into one unit. But I don't want to deal with AT&T, and it's still too pricey for my tastes.

[NYCGirl]

40. Just saw this today on Engadget: Apple prepping a cheaper iPhone? Probably.

Yeah, don't pretend like you didn't see this one coming. Completely unsubstantiated "market sources" rumors are making the rounds that Apple is already prepping a lower cost iPhone variant. Warning: completely mundane "analysis" follows. According to American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu, "Apple needs to round out its iPhone product line at lower price points (similar to iPod) if it expects to replicate the success of its iPod with sales of 100 million units." Shaw Wu has been right on a couple Apple predictions in the past, but it doesn't take much to guess that Apple is currently at work on, or at least thinking about, a second generation of iPhone. Price drops also seem inevitable, and Shaw's predictions hold few surprises. He claims to have heard of "lower cost iPhone prototypes for release at unspecified future dates" from his sources, and maybe he has, but we're not going to start proclaiming Apple's dominion over all form factors and price points (as entertainingly conceptualized above) just yet.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/19/apple-prepping-a-cheaper-iphone-probably/

(BTW, the pic is a joke)

[Atman]

44. BWHAHAHA! iPhone Shuffle!

I like it...you never know who you're calling. Check your messages randomly. Great idea!

(BTW, iGot my wife a Shuffle for Mom's Day. I don't see the point in them, but she LOVES it. It's small enough to clip to her work out suit at the gym, she doesn't care about anything else.

Free market's a wonderful place, eh? There's something for everyone.

.

[Nederland]

39. A prediction

I'm going out on a limb here:

The iPhone will be a fiscal disaster for Apple.

Oh sure, the mind-numbed faithful that would buy a steaming pile of Steve Job's shit wrapped in plastic will buy it, but that's about it. The rest of us will wait until the clones come out and pay a hell of a lot less for the same features. Don't get me wrong, the iPhone is cool. It's thin, good battery life, full motion video, etc. However, it's $600. Just wait, other companies will come out with phones just like it and the gee wiz factor will die out quickly. (The only reason that didn't happen with the iPod is because of iTunes and deals with content providers...but I digress).

I could be horribly wrong about this, and like I said I'm going out on a limb, but that's my hunch. We'll see.

[sellitman]

43. I think the iPhone will double Apples worth.

As it's been prognosticated in the press.

Why the hatred for Jobs?

I don't understand. Apple makes great products with great software. I wouldn't go back to a Microsoft product if it was free.

[Nederland]

62. Answer

Why the hatred for Jobs?

Jobs is the quintessential megalomaniac dictator CEO.

Apple has always been a company that basically refused to open up and let independent software companies write for its platform, and, big surprise, the iPhone continues that tradition. As a software developer, that attitude just bugs me. The message Steve Jobs has always sent is that he knows what's best and anyone else who thinks differently is just wrong. He is a control freak. Now this works 90% of the time, because Jobs is a genius with an incredibly good sense of what works and sells. However, in the long run it means that his companies will always have a tiny market share.

[Atman]

63. DAMN! Doesn't it suck that Jobs wont give away the product of his life's work?

What an ASSHOLE that Jobs is!

You Open Sourcers should be able to have access to everything and make all software free for everyone. Then UTOPIA would reign!

:eyes:

.

[Nederland]

71. It sucks for him

He and his companies would do a lot better if they opened up and let outsiders contribute more. The ironic thing is, Jobs is very possessive about things that weren't his ideas to begin with. All Apple has ever done is steal ideas from other people and wrap them up in a prettier package. Don't get me wrong: there will always be a market for pretty things. It's just that the number of people that want expensive pretty things will always be kinda small. I guess I shouldn't complain. I'm a Capitalist to the core, and Jobs is merely fulfilling a niche that needs filling.

[mondo joe]

73. But that's like saying more people will eat at McD's than a fine restaurant.

While it's a true statement, unless quantity is your only value it's not meaningful.

Sur, the number of people willing to pay for expensive pretty things will always be smaller - but it's a perfectly legitimate means to economic success just the same.

[Nederland]

78. Quantity is the only value

At least in regard to my main prediction: that the iPhone will be a fiscal failure for Apple.

If the only people that buy the iPhone turn out to be the die hard "fine restaurant" crowd, Apple will never recoup their developement costs. It needs to have broad appeal to make them money.

[mondo joe]

80. But as a capitalist, I'm sure you know quantity isn't the only value

- at least in terms of profit.

I don't know ifthe iPhone will be profitable or not, but if it contributes the the "Halo Effect" of the iPod it may be profitable for the company, even if it doesn't directly recoup its development costs.

[sellitman]

64. I understand your point as a developer but

As a consumer I have seen what can happen to a pc with hundreds of thousands of different programs that either don't work together or are buggy that I will take a closed Apple system any day of the week . Stability and simple common sense programs with best in class hardware are hard to find fault with in my book.

[Nederland]

66. I understand your point

However, the fact is that 95% of the market disagrees with you. They prefer the alternatives to what Apple offers. I predict the iPhone will be no exception.

[sellitman]

69. Apple now has 10% of the lap top market now and

as soon as the masses get their hands on a iPhone I predict even more folks will switch over. I bought a iPod and was so impressed with it's quality that I made the plunge and bought an iMac when my Sony crapped the bed. It was difficult thing to do but I did and I am very happy I did.

[TommyO]

93. The halo effect is what brought me into the Apple camp as well

When the 3G iPod was released for Windows, I bought one. The entire experience from opening the box (a design masterpiece itself) to installing iTunes on my Windows XP machine, to ripping hundreds of CD and putting them on the iPod was perfect from an end-user standpoint.

When the time came for a new computer, I had two choices: Build another Windows box (I had been building machines for over a decade for myself and family) or buy a Mac. I went with the Mac, choosing a PowerMac dual-core G5 last January (this was when the migration to intel chips had already started). I don't plan on ever owning a Windows machine again.

[sellitman]

154. I was going to partion my iMac and desided against it once I got familiar with it.

Now I'm glad I didn't.

[TommyO]

156. At this point, there aren't any Windows-based programs that I need.

Everything that I need is available for the Mac, including Office 2004 (since I have a G5, it runs fast, unlike on the intel-based machines where it needs to run through Rosetta).

[sellitman]

164. I use Open Office instead of Office.

Works like a charm and it's free.

[TommyO]

185. Office was free for me too

A friend had purchased several copies for his business and there was one he wasn't using, so guess who snagged it?

[Omphaloskepsis]

72. What??

http://developer.apple.com/

Apple offers a nice collection of tools to develop on OS X for free.

[Nederland]

77. A recent change

Historically, developing for Apple has always had three strikes against it:

1) The tools were more expensive.
2) The hardware was more expensive.
3) The market was much, much smaller.

The fact that #1 has changed recently doesn't alter the fiscal realities enough to make a big difference.

[Omphaloskepsis]

79. You said...

"Apple has always been a company that basically refused to open up and let independent software companies write for its platform."

And then:

1) The tools were more expensive.
2) The hardware was more expensive.
3) The market was much, much smaller.

So by not opening up you mean they didn't give you a free computer and a large base to sell software to?

[Nederland]

88. No

The things I listed are the natural result of Apple being a closed company.

Except for a very brief period (while Jobs was not there, not surprisingly) Apple has always refused to detail its hardware specifications and let other manufacturers build Apple hardware. The IBM PC, on the other hand, was an open platform that anyone could manufacture. A closed platform results in several things: lack of competition and lack of innovation. When you allow others to manufacture hardware the price drops due to competition. That Apple has always had more expensive hardware is indisputable. When you open up your hardware specs you allow software developers a peak into how things work under the covers and allow them to wring the most performance out of your machine.

Yes, there is a price to be paid when you don't control the hardware. People can make third party hardware that is incredibly popular and then you are obligated to build future versions to be compatible. However, that fact that the price is more than worth the effort is indisputable. Why else would Apple adopt the PCI bus in 1995 and Intel just recently? Because those technologies are better, plain an simple. They are better because they are the products of an open competitive environment. If Apple had recognized the value of being open in the early 1980's it would not be in the situation they are in today (a pitiful market share). It didn't recognize the value of being open because Steve Jobs didn't see the value. If he had, the vastly superior software lead that Apple had in the 1980's would have completely trounced Microsoft.

A nice (although long) non-techy review of the history of Apple, Microsoft, and Linux is here:

http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/C_R_Y_P_T_O_N_O_M_I_C_O_N.shtml

It also outlines the argument why, in the long run, Microsoft is doomed. Microsoft won the OS war because it was more open than Apple, but Linux is more open than either of them and will, as a result, win.

[Atman]

81. RECENTLY?!

OSX has shipped with a "Developers Kit" for as long as I can remember. In fact, I think I have several earlier Mac OS developers disks around the studio, too.

Do you just make this stuff up, or pull it out of old Scientific American magazines you find in grandpa's attic?

.

[Nederland]

82. I guess my term is longer

I suspect you are a young pup.

OSX was introduced in 2001 (1999 for server version). Apple has been around since 1977. I doubt that any serious evaluation of the price of development tools during Apple's existence would show that those tools are cheaper than the ones available on other platforms, especially given that GNU tools have been free since 1985.

[Atman]

84. Young pup? BWHAHAHAHA!!

The first Mac I ordered was an SE "desktop publishing" platform with ReadySetGo. But the Mac II COLOR machine was intro'd while I awaited my SE, so the company canceled the order and got me the Mac II instead. With one whole mb of ram, and a 40 MB hard drive. The Laser Writer came later, at a cost of $7000. My 19" color monitor cost almost as much as a small car at the time.

I ain't no young pup, junior. I didn't mention "price." Nor did you in your initial post. All I'm saying is that I have more developer disks laying around my studio than I have old AOL coasters. Just because you want to look back to 1977 instead of current Apple...well...it ain't your father's Oldsmobile.

.

[Nederland]

89. Ok, I give up

Why do you think Apple has a pitiful market share? Because the average computer user is an idiot that doesn't see the real value in Apple products? :eyes:

[NashVegas]

114. Because Windows Had a Better Marketing Plan

Windows had a huge marketing advantage in opening their software to other computer makers. Not only did office purchasers here from Microsoft about how great the product was, they also heard from whatever the leading computer manufacturer du jour was.

I'm also guessing that Windows, even in its earliest incarnations in the 1980s, was more database-operation oriented; when office computers were first introduced into my field of work, it was almost always for database applications. The type that was most used by office-admin personnel for billing. Now - who makes the decisions about what computer is going to be purchased?

There was no shortage of Mac developers, but the popular Mac programs were about everything BUT databasing; desktop publishing, graphics, recording. I'm not sure exactly what you mean about developers being shut out: Quark wasn't shut out, Adobe wasn't, Aladdin wasn't, DigiDesign wasn't. Flying freaking toasters wasn't.

The pragmatist argument doesn't fly with most Mac users.

As for the iPhone? Just because I prefer Macs doesn't mean I'm going to rush out and buy one.

[Nederland]

179. Read post #88

For an explanation as what I mean by Apple being less open.

[LWolf]

169. I don't have an opinion about Apple,

since I've never owned one. I don't like Steve Jobs, though. His public attack on unions and on teachers lost me. I'm a teacher, and a union member.

[Initech]

47. I'm an Apple fan who thinks the iPhone is ridiculous.

For one, it's limited to one provider (strike one). For two, it's $600 (strike two). And finally, like I said in my first post, you can get a really good refurbished laptop and wireless internet access for the same price as you would pay for one of those iPhones (strike threeeeeeeeeee... you're out!).

[Atman]

52. I love holding my laptop to my face on the subway when I'm making a call!

:hi:

.

[Initech]

106. True, you cant make calls on a laptop.

That would be pretty difficult.

[JANdad]

144. ROFLMAO

:rofl: :spray:

you owe me a DELL monitor...:hide:

[liberalnurse]

171. My Samsung i730 pocket pc

has been like a best friend....a valued tool indeed. I guess you have to try it first then form an opinion. I feels weird at first and can be intimidating a bit but then, once you have it down....it is sweet. Maybe someone will let you try theirs for a few days to get a feel for it.

The iphone is not as functional as my Samsung i730....far from it actually. I got mine for $300 2 years ago, Verizon is the only carrier; and with a discount since I renewed my phone contracts and such.

[Atman]

48. You appear to be a Windows user, so yeah, you're probably horribly wrong.

Seriously. The comment about buying Steve's turds pretty much summed up your particular angle.

But not surprisingly, I think you're sooooooooooooooooo wrong. Every talking head on every news program is talking "gotta have one," while commercials for it run 24/7...the buzz in there, it's already in place. People WILL buy this thing, in record numbers.

.

[Nederland]

57. Can't claim credit for that one

I stole that line from a well known parody:

[Texas_Kat]

58. Atman

Verizon was offered the chance to provide iPhones. They declined. That's pretty much the story.

[Tikki]

55. I don't know.....

Someone I love knows a great deal about AT&T B2B and tells me that all day
long B2B is getting calls from businesses that already have AT&T contracts
crying over the fact that they won't be able to hook their contracts to iPhone(s) on June 29th.

Tikki

[Omphaloskepsis]

70. Do you know how much the most expensive iPod was?

$499

Same as the 4gig iPhone.

[mainegreen]

177. I'm not even sure if the iPhone SDK is ready yet, so you may be right. n/t

[C_U_L8R]

46. I want an iPhone but I don't want AT&T

at least until AT&T renounces spying on citizens
and makes a firm contract with us, the potential customer,
to secure our privacy above any other interest.

I'll believe that when they prove it to me.

[NYCGirl]

51. Then you'd better work to get a Democrat elected in 08 — I think that's the only

way it'll change.

[Texas_Kat]

68. Uh, when did wireless phones (on any network) become secure?

Maybe I missed the memo. Isn't the NSA able to tap into just about any wireless phone?

[artfan]

49. I was with cingular and

will never go with them again even if it means no Iphone for me. They have been trying to screw me out of thousands of dollars for calls i never made and their Customer service is terrible. My experience is so bad it may end up in court.

[fishwax]

60. cingular service sucks where I live, so I'm out, but I could take or leave it anyway

It's cool, and I'd be happy to win one, but for me it isn't worth the money.

In a year and change, when my contract with another carrier runs out, I'll probably either get the iPhone or something similar that's come along by then :)

[RC Quake]

61. Cell Phone Service Satisfaction is Subjective

I had AT&T for over 10 years and I loved them! Then Cingular took over and the service diminished tremendously. I was lucky to have more than 2 bars at any given time. Needless to say, I'm ecstatic that AT&T is back!

As far as the iPhone goes? I wouldn't buy it if it was available to any and all service providers.

[Atman]

65. You see, I'm just the opposite!

I had AT&T and HATED them. I couldn't even get a steady signal in my own house, and I can practically throw a stone at the nearby cell towers. I got so fed up, I switched to Cingular, and have loved them ever since. I get coverage in the woods at my weekend place, it works all the time, to the point that I dropped my land line. We're 100% cell now, no land line. I'm VERY bummed I have to deal with AT&T again. I hated them then. I don't expect to hate them any less now.

.

[tech3149]

74. I dropped out of the consumer economy in 2002

It has been extremely enjoyable to not be available 24/7 to answer questions and solve problems. I find it a relief to not pay for cable service that only distracts me from the important things. It's a joy to grow my own food and provides great satisfaction preparing meals from the bare essentials.

I won't condemn anyone who feels a need for the techno-toys, especially if it makes their life easier (been there, done that). My point of posting is that too many people don't realize how much calmer and more comfortable life can be when you're not married to your gadgets. I'd offer this thought, what could you have done with the time spent paying for the gadgets to make your life more "convenient"?

I spent my almost my entire working life supporting this kind of technological development and won't do it anymore. It's time to slow down and enjoy life rather than relying on technology to make life easier.

[NashVegas]

121. You Have My Admiration

Ever read Bill Joy's essay, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us?"

[tech3149]

135. Thank You, but there are many reasons I made the decision

None of them considered the admiration of others. I haven't read Bill Joy, but I will keep my eye out for his work.

[emulatorloo]

75. Personally I want an iPhone w/o the phone part. Looks like a *FANTASTIC* PDA

Hopefully they will ship a version like that at some point.

[LSK]

90. no nt

[MisterHowdy]

96. No!!!

There just cell phones that are waaaaaaaayyyy overpriced.
Just like Ipods were just mp3 players that were really expensive.

This is marketing at its finest. All Apple is good for IMO.

cheers.

[high density]

98. So don't buy it?

My only phone is an el-cheapo Motorola C155 Tracfone... It does what it's supposed to do (act like a phone) just perfectly.

[Atman]

101. But the iPhone was never designed to simply "act like a phone"

So I guess you're in the wrong discussion. This is a hand-held computer that can make phone calls and play music. It's not a "phone." iPhone may yet prove to be a poor choice of moniker for the device.

.

[high density]

147. Yeah, whatever

I guess I'm not brainwashed yet by the Apple marketing machine.

[mondo joe]

148. I don't think it takes brainwashing to know the difference between a phone and

a web broswer.

[high density]

153. And the last time I needed to browse the web from a phone was...

... never. A web browser on a hand held computer isn't as groundbreaking as the Apple addicts here would make us think.

[Atman]

155. Because you haven't been able to.

Sure, you can get "mobile web" pages on your phone. They're ridiculous and worthless. Which is much of why you don't ever "need" to browse the web on your phone. And remember, this is a phone, a very small hand-held unit. It's not a laptop, or even a tiny "notebook," yet still, it doesn't run the wimpy-assed pseudo-web, it runs an actual full web browser.

You sound like a friend of mine who still has his ten year old PC...he says he'll never waste the money on a PC again, because they're worthless. He spent $3000 and all he can do is get e-mail on it. Of course, the fact that that is because he's using an antique escapes him. He seems to think that the internet runs the same for everyone the way it does on his ten year old PC with a dial-up AOL account. He doesn't use the full capability of the web because he CAN'T and therefore has convinced himself there is no reason to want to.

Kinda like you and the web on a cell phone. You can't do it now, so no one must actually have a need to.

.

[mondo joe]

157. To the contrary - it's a real hand held browser, with WiFi capacity.

I often use my PDA with WiFi (which is about as free and common as air in Seattle) but it's not a real web browser.

I also always have my phone and my iPod.

I have no expectation that I'll buy an iPhone, but I look forward to the combined technology.

[Atman]

158. More than just wifi, too.

It also utilizes Blue Tooth, and will automatically switch between your wifi and Blue Tooth when a free signal is available, so you don't use your plan minutes on your phone. I can dig that.

.

[IChing]

159. Software update from apple........10.4.10

I just ran repair permissions and downloaded it.

[phrenzy]

99. Luddites And Naysayers

Wow, I remember these EXACT same things being said about the iPod when it came out. Well, the MP3 player market has matured, every chinese knock-off company has come out with their version of the 'iPod Killer'. Where are they now? Ohhh that's right, you forgot people actually give a shit about Q U A L I T Y.

Go ask most people how they feel about the 'user experience' on their current cellular phones. You know, the ones that have cluttered and confused interfaces and a complete lack of design sense... Then you will see why the iPhone has a good shot at catching on.

Also, to the Luddites bemoaning the introduction of yet another 'consumer toy' - You've never been excited about ANY product, rock concert or sporting event? Well good for you.

[WinkyDink]

110. That's "Neo-Luddite" to you! :)

[Bridget Burke]

167. Luddites bitching on the Internet....

Yes, they've gone back to nature--using desktop PC's!

This old fogey finally got a cell phone. One of the little Virgins; it's quite possible to get a reasonable deal. And I cut my AT&T land line for crummy reception--so I'm not about to re-up with The Evil Empire anytime soon.

I'm definitely a Late Adapter, but I'm glad folks are out there buying the shiny new toys.* Eventually, the technology will work its way down to me.

-------------------------

* I'm not using "toys" with disrespect. Everyone has a right to spend their extra cash as they wish. Visitors to my place might well say--"Why do you have so many books? Ever heard of Libraries?"

[BlooInBloo]

102. I want the Helio Ocean....

http://www.helio.com/page?p=devices_ocean_static&

[Atman]

107. I don't!

Look at all those superfluous moving parts and stuff to break!

I want an iPhone. Apple's proved itself in my book, in ways no other company has even come close.

.

[AlCzervik]

104. yeah i still want one.

[WinkyDink]

108. I guess I'm lucky that I can blithely exist without even a cell-phone, let alone this contraption.

[Atman]

111. Why are you "lucky" as opposed to just "not with cell phone?"

I don't get it. What luck enters into it? You buy one or you don't. You have a need for one or you don't.

I don't feel unlucky because I have a cell phone! Why do you feel lucky for NOT having one?

.

[WinkyDink]

139. Does "fortunate" work for you, vocabulary-wise? As in, I don't have a dog in this acrimonious thread

and feel fortunate that I don't?

[NYCGirl]

112. Where do I send your medal?

:evilgrin:

[WinkyDink]

137. I said "lucky", not "superior". I'm retired, no kids, and my friends live in the same burg.

I figure, what was good enough for me when I was younger and hipper, is good enough for me now.

[DancingBear]

129. Not lucky - you just figured it out

But don't take it any farther than that - it seems to be a real hot button around here. :)

[mondo joe]

132. And again, you think there's an "it". One right way. Too bad you fail to recognize

that different people actually and authentically feel differently.

To think of how we castigate the republicans for not tolerating diversity.

[ShortnFiery]

133. "Jesus himself was issuing this new phone." What IF they switched ...

Carriers from Cingular(AT & T) to *The Holy Spirt.* I've been told that such calls are even clearer than Sprint's reception as well as these connections never fail to reach their intended recipient. :spray: :blush: :yoiks:

[Scooter24]

142. I can afford it so I'll probably buy one...

but am waiting till the first wave of phones hits the markets. The one key feature I like is the full internet browser capability as well as google maps. Because of my extensive travel schedule, this feature would come in handy. So I'll just wait till around November before getting myself one.

If the phone does well, I'll think about buying one for my office staff.

[fujiyama]

149. Cool toy

I guess the key "revolutionary" features are the huge amount of storage capacity and the interface.

But otherwise, you could probably get "smart phones" at half that price right now that have most of the same features...

[Irreverend IX]

162. What's up with all this mobile crap?

I don't understand why the hell people want to have their music collection with them for every hour of every goddamn day, especially when you can only listen to it through tiny, crappy earphones. Are they incapable of going out into the world without digital insulation? And why would anyone want to watch movies or browse the Web on those little screens? Consumerism is a sickness and Apple's success is proof that a fool and his money are soon parted.

[Atman]

163. Earbuds? Why would I need earbuds?

You're painting with a one-size-fits-all brush. First of all, I almost NEVER use the earbuds. I use my iPod for my primary music source in the car, at my weekend place, when I travel. I purchased a high-end pair of ear buds that actually have bass you can feel, and sounds exceptional. I use them when I go snowboarding, but otherwise I almost never use the ear buds, despite having spent over a hundred bucks on them. Were you this concerned about people having their music collection with them every hour of every day when we had to carry around briefcases full of CDs? And have you ever sat on a long place flight? You'd have no problem with that little screen. Of course, you can plug the thing to a television to watch movies, just like you can plug it into a stereo system to listen to music.

You should read up on the iPod a bit more. You don't really seem to know what it's purpose is, and the different ways it can be used.


.

[mondo joe]

168. What's with with the anti tech fundamentalism?

You don't understand, so if someone feels differently they're a fool?

Nice.

[RedCappedBandit]

176. I have no idea

I work with imbeciles who sit there watching movies on their little two inch screens instead of contributing to the jobs that need to be done. So frustrating..

[MetaTrope]

172. Not a healthy apple

No brain cancer for me thank you

[RedCappedBandit]

175. I, for one, am sick of all these fancy phones

first of all, I have absolutely no need to be on the internet 24/7. Secondly, it pisses me off when i'm having a conversation with somebody and they start texting another person, browsing the internet, or whatever the heck it is people do with these phones. Oh, i'm sure many people have a legitimate use for such devices, but in my experience its just money better spent elsewhere. :shrug: Not to mention the pollution all these discarded phones will cause, especially since most of them last, say, six months before they start crapping out.
Could say i'm bitter :p

After reading that AT&T thread, I also cannot support that company.

[Ezlivin]

180. They kill 10 kittens and 10 puppies for each iPhone they make

And you have to sign a statement giving your soul to AT&T and Apple.

Your soul will be made into an iTunes podcast.

:)

I'm a Mac guy and all I want is a phone with no camera, no video, no music, no e-mail, no web browser, no applications, no fancy ringtones, no LCD and one that costs a reasonable amount and is reliable.

But, hey, each to their own.

[RedCappedBandit]

182. Me too..

I just want something that is made with quality materials that will last me until I actually have the desire to get a new one, instead of just breaking down after a few months so that I am forced to go to the store and buy another piece of garbage that will only last a few months.

[bullwinkle428]

183. "Analyst: Apple working on more affordable iPhone models"

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mobile/display/20070620231216.html

The iPhone looks absolutely amazing, but it's still a bit hard for me personally to justify the $500-600 pricetag. I would be more than willing to jump on board with a somewhat stripped model at a lower price-point, however...assuming I can get past the whole AT&T spying thing.

[ReverendDeuce]

187. iPhone will bomb... HERE IS WHY

The touch-screen alone.

This "looks cool", but from what I've heard from Cingular insiders, the touch-screen is absolute ass. Of course, I knew this from the moment Jobs unveiled this turd. Have any of you tried dialing with a non-tactile interface? Try using your Palm Treo without looking at the goddamn thing.

You may think "<gasp> I always look at my phone when I dial? What are you talking about?" and others will reply "LOL YEAH!!! WHO DOESTN LOOK AT THER FONE?? LOL APPLE RULZ" or something... But you just wait. You just wait until you get that thing into your hands and try using it conveniently. It's going to suck!

Not only that, but it's a scratch magnet. That phone is going to look like it was hit by sandpaper the second you breath on it.

Battery life? I've heard 30-45 minutes of web browsing before it's shot. I have no numbers on stand-by or talk time.

Seriously, this phone is going to be a phenomenal disaster. But not for Apple! Only for the consumers.

(FYI, just to make sure nobody accuses me of jealousy... I am a Cingular subscriber, their service is great for me, and I can afford an iPhone without a second thought -- but I don't want to get anywhere near that fucker!)

[EnviroBat]

188. You know, I really do want an iPhone...

I've never been a fan of knee-jerk consumerism. I'm an intelligent, free-thinking guy and most commercials make me laugh or puke depending on their level of intelligence insulting. But I've always been a fan of modern technology. After researching this iPhone, I am really fascinated by it's user interface and functionality. It does some really nice things from a navigation standpoint too. I've always wanted a GPS because I'm terrible about getting lost when traveling. The iPhone seems like an all-in-one solution to realistic situations that I could see myself in. Slick marketing? Maybe. Practicality? I think so. Affordability? Not yet. I think I'll wait a year or so until the bugs are worked out. I've got another year on my Verizon contract anyway. I think the price will eventually come down to reality levels. Remember the Razor phone? It was something like $400.00 when they first came out. I saw one advertised the other day for $29.00! I know that Apple is a giant corporation, and usually that scares me. But I see them pushing the envelope of technology in ways that other companies just aren't getting. They are inventing things to simplify life a little, and get us closer to the Star Trek generation. I won't bash them for it.

[MetaTrope]

190. Who will buy it?

LOL

If it wasn’t for Apple’s excellent marketing, this section would likely be titled, “What is Right?” Apple does a great job of containing information, but if I would have told you that, say, Sony was coming out with a $500 phone that had no removable battery, sucked at texting and e-mail, was large when compared to the market leading (and often free) Motorola RAZR, and was nearly as fragile as fine china, you’d be asking who in their right mind would buy such a thing. Well, evidently, if you put the Apple brand on it, a lot of you folks.

[Retrograde]

191. lived without one this long, I can probably survive another few months

I've been thinking about replacing my 4-5 year old Dell MP3 player with something a little less clunky, and I wouldn't mind replacing my old cell phone with one that has Internet capabilities, but I can wait until prices come down or someone comes up with a New and Even Better product. I'll probably walk down to the local Apple store on the 30th or so - after the feeding frenzy dies down - and take a look at one. Speaking of which, every time I walk past the place and see all the empty space I can't help thinking about what kind of profit margins Apple must have to cover the cost of all that rent!

To the OP: if Jesus himself were indeed issuing this device he'd probably do a loaves-and-fishes thing and there would be more than enough to go around!

I expect the iPhone will be like Apple's Newton. It was a good idea, and in many ways technologically superior to the initial Palm product, but just quirky enough that it ended up only appealing to the Apple faithful.