Comments on: Apple iPhone: Whose ox got gored?

By: James, Rochester, NY

James, Rochester, NY — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:10:53 +0000

For the record for those who confuse their facts:

75% of iPhone owners are Apple customers (iPod and Mac owners).

25% are Mac users.

2 distinct things.

By: Mark, Heywood, Ohio

Mark, Heywood, Ohio — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:33:48 +0000

Easily for the last 10 years, in each business segment, predictions have been made about Apple stealing massive amounts of market share from Micrsosoft. Apple has made only the smallest gains yet we still have nothing but inflated stories about their progress. If Apple gained one life long customer for each of these stories each of their products would be equally dominant to their market share of good press. If you don't believe me look at the chart "What did the Iphone replace?". How is it that Microsoft stands to lose the most when Motorola has already lost nearly double the customers? Keep in mind MS only makes the OS, while Motorola made the entire product.

By: Alechemist, Chapel Hill, NC

Alechemist, Chapel Hill, NC — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:31:58 +0000

Let's not forget how much of what Apple is doing is NOT, in fact, unique. Throw stones if you want, but I use a Treo 700 (and have used Treos for 4+ years). I read email from three different accounts including ExchangeSync, I can access the Internet (it may not be the "real" internet, but it also has a LOT fewer ads), Google Maps is free for the device which I use nearly every day, and it has an established set of applications…especially for business travellers. My only problem with the Treo is that it's not the best phone.

I'd like to hear from you Appleheads on the QUALITY of your phone calls on the iPhone from just regular use or when using a Bluetooth headset (I have a Jawbone).

By: ludachrs, San Francisco, CA

ludachrs, San Francisco, CA — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:51:38 +0000

So I went into a Blackberry store the other day and, oh sorry there aren't Blackberry stores. I meant to say I went into a Apple Store and saw a very crowded store with a hugh line of people purchasing lots of iPhones, one lady was buying 5 the guy next to her 2. RIM is selling well to companies for now and probably will continue for some time and the iPhone is for consumers for now but, wait until the iPhone 2.0 comes out with 3rd party apps and push email see what happens. Understand this is not about which device makes more sense this is about what people want in a Phone/iPod/ etc multi device and Apple has nailed it in a 1.0 version. That first chart is a great illustration of what people want in a multi device but the question that was not asked was which of these things did you use before your iPhone. I never used my phone for email, rarely for text, never for web, never for music, never for calendars/contacts never for maps, never for games never for books, now I have a 500 laptop in my pocket. Blackberry nail email and thats it. Motorola nail nothing, Windows mobile nothing, hard to use hard to configure. and all of them have very expensive licensing to connect to exchange/etc. Goodlink expensive, Blackberry server expensive. Apple free activesync/exhange support.

By: George, Victoria, Canada

George, Victoria, Canada — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:29:45 +0000

What is absolutely hilarious to hear and to observe is the ongoing and persistent stink of rank denial and FUD coming from many "mainstream" quarters in response to Apple products. I ain't no Platform or OS ideologue, I believe it's all about "horses for courses" in computing these days. As far as ease-of-use issues, I recently attempted to set up a Sony "Dream" System HTIB with a new Sony HD TV. A NIGHTMARE from start to finish even with an electrical engineer helping out. When we called the manager at the Sony Store to ask what the !@#$%^&*(!!!! Sony's promise of EoU was all about compared to any Mac product – all the manager could do was sneer patronizingly about Apple's products. In the meantime, he had to seek the advice of two more clerks and several manuals to guide us to complete set up. Sony's instructions were "ported" straight from Japanese to English rendering them unintelligible. I could go on and on. Ideology, especially in Amerika, wins over emperical evidence every time. Anybody wanna tal American "health" care? That spells d-e-n-i-a-l to me. We returned the whole "Dream(Nightmare)" system and dumped it back in Sony's hopeless lap. Ease-of-use and set up standards have changed. Consumers' expectations have gone up, way up – thanks to companies like Apple – imperfect as the company may be.

By: a to the ozz, new york, ny

a to the ozz, new york, ny — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:00:55 +0000

God forbid consumers get a better operating system that what Microsoft produces. When Microsoft actually has to compete on equal ground, it usually fails miserably, as it has done with everything besides Windows and Office. FYI here are Ballmer's initial impressions of the iPhone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5oGaZIKYvo

By: Dreamdeceiver, Silcone Valley

Dreamdeceiver, Silcone Valley — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:45:36 +0000

I'm still waiting for 3G, GPS, and voice recognition. Only then will it be worth the price & the mobile contract.

The iTouch is kicking it though.

By: mikecane

mikecane — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:24:32 +0000

Michael Mace also (in)famously) stated:

>>>More to the point, Foleo is the most significant new consumer PC platform introduced in the US since the Macintosh.

http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.com/2007/05/palm-foleo-its-pc-dummy.html

Er, no.

By: John, San Mateo, CA

John, San Mateo, CA — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:23:56 +0000

This is interesting but incomplete. Frequency of use doesn't always relate to importance. I use the map feature perhaps once a week but when I use it it is extremely important. This is one of the reasons I bought the iPhone in the first place.

As with Rob I use the camera quite a bit. The way it integrates with iPhoto is really nice. I've also gone the other way and put a sales book into iPhoto and downloaded that to the iPhone. I can now make brief presentations (fairly uncommon scientific instrument) with data on the spot.

By: Brian, New Albany, IN

Brian, New Albany, IN — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:39:11 +0000

One doesn't expect to use maps unless one is traveling. One normally checks email several times a day or week at the least, so you have to take this into consideration. Perhaps they asked what feature they liked BEST?

Jobs knew that the Mac 'faithful' would try the iPhone first. We have the most to gain from it, after all. This is the same as the iPod, as has been mentioned already. This is also the reason it has to be a perfect example of the tech, but not necessarily the highest speced product. e.g. they used GSM rather than 3G because you don't want to start with bleeding edge tech in such a pivotal device when there are so many other factors, such as battery life, that contribute to the user experience.

AND, it makes iPhone II a HUGE DEAL. If the first iPod had 3G, then who would be wanting to upgrade? If it had had M$ Outbreak compatibility from the get-go, then business could write it off from the start. And they would, because they are the slowest adopters. I mean, they are still using Windows, what does that tell you?