iPhone: Flawed, but absolutely beautiful
NPR released a review article on the iPhone, which as many know is set to go on sale this Friday with a starting price of $499. New York Times technology writer David Pogue had some interesting thoughts on the iPhone, which I thought I'd summarize here for you.
The iPhone's software is amazing. We all know that the iPhone uses a touch-screen interface, and according to Pogue the software does well in providing the user with natural-feeling touch navigation.
There is no keyboard. It takes practice. Yes, being a purely touch-sensitive device, the iPhone's greatest weakness is that there is no hardware keyboard. According to Pogue the on-screen keypad takes some getting used to, as the user is required to tap keys with their "big, fat, fleshy finger that are much smaller than the finger itself. It does take practice."
He's not so much bothered by the price. Ok, he had me on a leash up until this point. $499 for a glorified Blackberry is definitely not worth it in my opinion. I'll just watch television and let my vision waste away for free. I'm assuming David Pogue got a big bonus up at the Times.
The biggest problem is that Apple chose to parter with AT&T. I don't think I can say this much better than Pogue himself did:
Both Apple and AT&T strenuously suggest that their network coverage has gotten so much better over the last few years. And you know what? I just don't experience that.
I don't at all expect to have swayed anyone's opinions regarding the iPhone. I know our impulsive, bullheaded culture too well. That's why I have a MacBook and an iPod, and I don't feel too badly about it.
June 29th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
...what ever happened to the phone that was made to call people? Isn't that what they are supposed to do? Hence the name i"Phone".
I'd rather get a free phone from version than some hard-to-get $500 half-computer that uses an AT&T network and would probably break in my pocket.