Found an interesting article over at Network World on the Iphone 3G playing Catch up and how most of the new Iphone features brings it into the year 2007. In it there are multiple points of contention (some well deserved) of the new features of the Iphone 3G, but others pretty much completely off the mark. I will not even dwell on the simple things missed in the post such as Bluetooth and VPN as noted by the comments. Some examples below:
Copy and Paste, from the people who brought you copy and paste. Wasn’t it the Mac and Lisa that brought the concept of cut/copy/paste out of the Xerox labs and into the hands of computer users all over the world? Thought so. How’d that get left off the iPhone 1.0 and 2.0 software versions. That one’s hard to fathom.
I do agree with this. Even though there might be a third party app to give this functionality, I feel that cut and paste is a fundamental part of the operating system and should be included directly from Apple. Who knows, 2.0 is not here, it still could be there when it is released.
ATT is still the only US authorized carrier. And ATT’s taking steps to help keep it that way (see below.) That’s like having a new pair of Nike shoes with the laces inseparably tied together. A limitation in Apple’s quest to sell 10m iPhones units this year. Bummer.
A lot of phone manufacturers do this, perhaps not as long as ATT has done it with Apple, but plenty only sell them with a particular carrier for some time before releasing them to other carriers. I mean this is a 3G technology, who else would sell it in the US, T-mobile?
A 32GB iPhone. When 16GBs just isn’t not enough. Can you say, memory hungry apps waiting gobble up your phone’s storage memory? Expect a repeat of what happened when the iPods supported video content – whoosh, where’d all that memory go? Time to shell out more dough to the Apple Store when our iPhone’s 8 and 16GB capacity isn’t enough. How’s that for planned obsolescence and more revenue for Apple.
Although there is a 32gb Ipod Touch, I think he is pushing it saying we need a 32gb Iphone. If anything they will come out with a 32gb Iphone down the road and bump the 8gb just like with the 16gb model. Quit crying for paying the early adopter tax. No one forces you to buy the phone.
Voice command interface. As much as Apple has raised the bar in the visual department, it’s severely lacking a voice command and voice record app interface. I happen to believe that voice interface is just as important or more so than visual interfaces for mobile devices. Try looking up a contact on the iPhone while driving down the highway at 75mph. On second thought, save several lives, and don’t. Wait until you have voice command and record interface for the iPhone
With 3rd party apps, I would be highly surprised if we did not see 3-5 voice dialing apps in the coming weeks. I really think you need to hedge judgement until the app store releases.
More closed, locked in hardware from Apple. Now there’s a guaranteed upgrade revenue stream for Jobs and more money out of our pockets for ya. And people complain about Microsoft soaking it to their customers. More reasons why Apple really is like 1984.
Again, no one has forced you to buy the first Iphone, no one is forcing you to buy the Iphone 3G, and no one is forcing you to buy the one after that. People want to buy these devices because there is no other like it in terms of operation, functionality, and style.
Why would this technology be any different than any other technology. The first computer I bought in 1996 for $2000, a Cyrix 120, would suck right about now. I did have to shell out money out of my pockets to buy a new one. You want new features, you have to pay for it. I again use my Blackberry as an example. I purchased a Blackberry 8700 to replace my 7100 to get EDGE network capability. No one expected RIM to give me a free upgrade phone, I had to ‘pay’ for the feature.
What Mr. Ashley is forgetting to mention is that this 2.0 update is free to current Iphone users. You know, the ones who have to shell “more money out of our pockets“. This update basically makes the phone very similar to 3G version for me since my hometown area will not have 3G (only lacking GPS). I see this post more of an anti-Apple rant rather than the Iphone playing catch up.
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