iPhone and iPod accessories; Pre-paid iPhone; RSS reader

[AppleInsider]

Apple is looking to make iPhone compatible with recent iPod accessories that sport universal dock connectors. Meanwhile, AT&T may offer pre-paid iPhone options to people with poor credit. And Apple appears to have developed a special RSS reader for the multi-functional handset.

iPhone universal dock adapters

Apple hopes to make iPhone compatible with a significant number of existing iPod accessories that sport universal dock connectors, multiple sources have told AppleInsider.

The Cupertino-based company is expected to sell a three-pack of iPhone universal dock adapters for an estimated retail price of approximately $20. The adapters should allow the Apple handset to fit snugly into most iPod accessories developed over the last 18 months, such as the iPod Hi-Fi, and third-party speaker systems from the likes of Bose, JBL and Altec Lansing.

What's uncertain is whether the adapters will be available immediately upon the iPhone's launch. There has been concern on the part of Apple and accessory makers over possible complications between iPhone and the speaker systems, where interference could come into play.

It's speculated that Apple may take some additional time to assure certain accessories and companion products are compatible before releasing the adapters for sale.

Pre-paid iPhone

AT&T, which is looking to push as many iPhones as possible, will offer a prepaid option in extreme cases, the wireless provider revealed through a leaked launch guide this week.

While AT&T will still insist that all normal sales choose a two-year contract, it will also ask to perform an advance credit check during the sales process that should offer a contract-free option: those with low or uncertain credit will have the option of choosing a GoPhone Pick Your Plan service that demands regular payments but doesn't set a mandatory term, according to the document.

iTunes will reportedly expose the option in its activation process if a customer's online credit check raises flags, but the document declines to mention the exact conditions and notes that some customers may have to pay a $250 security deposit to successfully use the phone. Customers will have the chance of running the check in-store and will receive a code for iTunes that certifies they've either passed the deposit check or have paid the deposit, AT&T wrote in the launch guide.



Information in the guide also reveals that AT&T will have several Apple accessories available on launch, including its Bluetooth headset, a travel charger and cable, and replacements for the pack-in stereo headset and Dock Connector to USB cables.

iPhone RSS reader

Finally, it appears that Apple has developed a Web 2.0-based RSS reader that will be accessible by iPhone at reader.mac.com.

"This application can only be viewed using the iPhone," the site says when viewed with a standard web browser.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[solipsism]

1) Three dock adapters? Should there only be one needed?

2) Safari already has an RSS reader so why this one? My only conclusions are it's to help steer customers toward .Mac services, to show web developers how well iPhone apps can be done, or it's for those who prefer not to use Safari but still want an Applesque RSS reader.

[Solar]

Originally Posted by solipsism

1) Three dock adapters? Should there only be one needed?
2) Safari already has an RSS reader so why this one? My only conclusions are it's to help steer customers toward .Mac services, to show web developers how well iPhone apps can be done, or it's for those who prefer not to use Safari but still want an Applesque RSS reader.

1) It's probably the opposite of how it regulary works, where you buy a HiFi, and it comes with different adapters for different sized iPods. Instead you buy the kit and you get adapters sized for the iphone, but then would work in a Bose, a HiFi, a JBL, Altec Lansing, etc.. That's how it reads to me.

2) In all of the demo videos I don't recall them showing iPhone Safari displaying feeds. I'm not saying that it doesn't but I don't remember anyone specifically saying that it did, though Steve seemed to imply that it's identical to OSX/Win versions. Never underestimate the RDF

[lfmorrison]

Originally Posted by Solar

1) It's probably the opposite of how it regulary works, where you buy a HiFi, and it comes with different adapters for different sized iPods. Instead you buy the kit and you get adapters sized for the iphone, but then would work in a Bose, a HiFi, a JBL, Altec Lansing, etc.. That's how it reads to me.

2) In all of the demo videos I don't recall them showing iPhone Safari displaying feeds. I'm not saying that it doesn't but I don't remember anyone specifically saying that it did, though Steve seemed to imply that it's identical to OSX/Win versions. Never underestimate the RDF

2) Jobs also implied that the iPhone was running the full OSX, and that may indeed be true, from a certain point of view... But we still don't know yet just how liberal a point of view you may need to have to make it true. A question for the metaphysicists: How much of the OSX source code can you cut out before the thing turns into something that looks like OSX, but functionally isn't any more?

The full OSX seems a whole lot more flexible than what we've seen of the iPhone OS so far. I'm still hedging my bets by assuming that at least some degree of RDF was in effect.

[Solar]

Originally Posted by lfmorrison

2) Jobs also implied that the iPhone was running the full OSX, and that may indeed be true, from a certain point of view... But we still don't know yet just how liberal a point of view you may need to have to make it true. (eg. The full OSX seems a whole lot more flexible than what we've seen of the iPhone OS so far.) I'm still hedging my bets by assuming that at least some degree of RDF was effect.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens when people start dumping out images of the OS, and seeing how much of the OSX base is actually there.

[ngng]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Pre-paid iPhone

AT&T, which is looking to push as many iPhones as possible, will offer a prepaid option in extreme cases, the wireless provider revealed through a leaked launch guide this week.

While AT&T will still insist that all normal sales choose a two-year contract, it will also ask to perform an advance credit check during the sales process that should offer a contract-free option: those with low or uncertain credit will have the option of choosing a GoPhone Pick Your Plan service that demands regular payments but doesn't set a mandatory term, according to the document.

iTunes will reportedly expose the option in its activation process if a customer's online credit check raises flags, but the document declines to mention the exact conditions and notes that some customers may have to pay a $250 security deposit to successfully use the phone. Customers will have the chance of running the check in-store and will receive a code for iTunes that certifies they've either passed the deposit check or have paid the deposit, AT&T wrote in the launch guide.

Ironic that they check credit for the go phone plan, which specifically states "no credit checks"


I'm going to find a way to get an iphone via the gophone plan

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Solar

2) In all of the demo videos I don't recall them showing iPhone Safari displaying feeds. I'm not saying that it doesn't but I don't remember anyone specifically saying that it did, though Steve seemed to imply that it's identical to OSX/Win versions. Never underestimate the RDF

Originally Posted by lfmorrison

2) Jobs also implied that the iPhone was running the full OSX, and that may indeed be true, from a certain point of view... But we still don't know yet just how liberal a point of view you may need to have to make it true. A question for the metaphysicists: How much of the OSX source code can you cut out before the thing turns into something that looks like OSX, but functionally isn't any more?

The full OSX seems a whole lot more flexible than what we've seen of the iPhone OS so far. I'm still hedging my bets by assuming that at least some degree of RDF was effect.

If you are expecting the same full OS for the desktop then it does not have that. There is no need for printer or USB perhipeal support. There is no need for many aspect of the full desktop OS. If you are refering to the cire functionality, then yes, it's OS X. unlike WinCE and Windows Mobile device that merely look like Windows on the service but are built upon a completely different OS foundation.

I guess Apple could have removed the RSS features of Safari from the iPhone's OS but I guessing that is not the case.

[ngng]

Originally Posted by solipsism

You only get that option if you don't pass the credit check. Perhaps you can say you have to SSN/Tax ID and get the GoPhone plan as an option.

I just find the credit check /w the gophone is ironic

I also find it funny that they're marketing to people who probably shouldn't be spending the money to buy an iphone

[melgross]

Originally Posted by solipsism

1) Three dock adapters? Should there only be one needed?

2) Safari already has an RSS reader so why this one? My only conclusions are it's to help steer customers toward .Mac services, to show web developers how well iPhone apps can be done, or it's for those who prefer not to use Safari but still want an Applesque RSS reader.

No RSS on the iPhone Safari.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by ngng

Ironic that they check credit for the go phone plan, which specifically states "no credit checks"

I'm going to find a way to get an iphone via the gophone plan

You only get that option if you don't pass the credit check. Perhaps you can say you don't have to SSN/Tax ID and get the GoPhone plan as an option.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by lfmorrison

2) Jobs also implied that the iPhone was running the full OSX, and that may indeed be true, from a certain point of view... But we still don't know yet just how liberal a point of view you may need to have to make it true. A question for the metaphysicists: How much of the OSX source code can you cut out before the thing turns into something that looks like OSX, but functionally isn't any more?

The full OSX seems a whole lot more flexible than what we've seen of the iPhone OS so far. I'm still hedging my bets by assuming that at least some degree of RDF was in effect.

It isn't the source code that was cut, unless there is somnething there that serves no purpose on this device now, or in the future.

What was cut was desktop pictures, the Finder, with its eye candy and required frameworks for other programs, the menu bar and the Dock. The hundreds and hundreds of printer drivers in numerous languages, all of the Colorsync profiles. Dozens of fonts, and the complex software to manage them, etc.

All of this takes up much more room than the actual OS itself.

What's left still takes up about 700 MB, far more than any other phone OS, by several times.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I guess Apple could have removed the RSS features of Safari from the iPhone's OS but I guessing that is not the case.

It is.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by ngng

I just find the credit check /w the gophone is ironic

I also find it funny that they're marketing to people who probably shouldn't be spending the money to buy an iphone

EXACTLY!!!

The very people who shouldn't be spending this money for a phone are going to be encouraged to do so.

[Solar]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I guess Apple could have removed the RSS features of Safari from the iPhone's OS but I guessing that is not the case.

Does anybody know if RSS Feed Support is part of webkit? If it's not then I would assume it's handled by the plugin architecture, which seems to be disabled on the initial version of the iPhone/Safari. So that might be the reason for reader.mac.com. Just Guessing.

[lfmorrison]

Originally Posted by solipsism

If you are expecting the same full OS for the desktop then it does not have that. There is no need for printer or USB perhipeal support. There is no need for many aspect of the full desktop OS. If you are refering to the cire functionality, then yes, it's OS X. unlike WinCE and Windows Mobile device that merely look like Windows on the service but are built upon a completely different OS foundation.

I guess Apple could have removed the RSS features of Safari from the iPhone's OS but I guessing that is not the case.

I was referring to the ability to load programs, stored on some sort of filesystem, into its own virtual address space in RAM from which it can run native machine code, making system calls to the operating system whenever it needs to access the hardware or communicate with another program. That is an essential component of OSX.

And I was referring to the constitution of those system calls being consistent with the APIs that are currently available to programmers when they write software for a conventional Mac. That is an essential component of OSX.

If those sorts of capabilities are not present, then whatever replaces it is irrelavent. It really isn't OSX.

And if those capabilities really are present, but they're never exposed to application programmers, then the fact that it may happen to "really" be OSX is irrelevant because it's still just a black box as far as the end user is concerned.

If Apple does expose those capabilities to application programmers (and for the moment, I'll be generous and allow that Apple may even restrict who is allowed to write applications), then I'll be the first to shout the iPhone's OS's praises from the rooftops.

Granted, JavaScript is nice, AJAX makes me hot, and Web 2.0 is all I'll ever need. But none of that hinges in any way on the literal presence of OSX.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by melgross

It isn't the source code that was cut, unless there is somnething there that serves no purpose on this device now, or in the future.

What was cut was desktop pictures, the Finder, with its eye candy and required frameworks for other programs, the menu bar and the Dock. The hundreds and hundreds of printer drivers in numerous languages, all of the Colorsync profiles. Dozens of fonts, and the complex software to manage them, etc.

All of this takes up much more room than the actual OS itself.

What's left still takes up about 700 MB, far more than any other phone OS, by several times.

What! No GarageBand loops? That does it, no iPhone for me.

Originally Posted by melgross

It is.

No skin of my back. I don't use it anyway. i'll proably have to set up an AppleScript to send new RSS feedsfrom my home computer via Mail to my new Yahoo email address. then again, Leopard has a built-in RSS reader so seting a rule to forward the message shouldn't be an issue.

Could it then be done via Mail since we know the iPhone's OS is based on Leopard?

PS: If you want to keep your current email account but also want Yahoo's Push-IMAP then merely setup a free yahoo accoutn and forward your mail to Yahoo.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by solipsism

No skin of my back. I don't use it anyway. i'll proably have to set up an AppleScript to send new RSS feedsfrom my home computer via Mail to my new Yahoo email address. then again, Leopard has a built-in RSS reader so seting a rule to forward the message shouldn't be an issue.

PS: If you want to keep your current email account but also want Yahoo's Push-IMAP then merely setup a free yahoo accoutn and forward your mail to Yahoo.

It's kind of funny about RSS. When it first came out, I was all over it. but, after a while, I found it to be annoying, giving less information that I actually wanted to see of the page. I haven't used it for quite a while.

Hmmm, that's also true about Widgets. I rarely use them anymore.

We don't know that the iPhone is based on Leopard. Everyone assumes that to be the case. There's nothing about the iPhone that would require Leopard.

64 bits anyone?

[melgross]

Originally Posted by lfmorrison

I was referring to the ability to load programs, stored on some sort of filesystem, into its own virtual address space in RAM from which it can run native machine code, making system calls to the operating system whenever it needs to access the hardware or communicate with another program. That is an essential component of OSX.

And I was referring to the constitution of those system calls being consistent with the APIs that are currently available to programmers when they write software for a conventional Mac. That is an essential component of OSX.

If those sorts of capabilities are not present, then whatever replaces it is irrelavent. It really isn't OSX.

And if those capabilities really are present, but they're never exposed to application programmers, then the fact that it may happen to "really" be OSX is irrelevant because it's still just a black box as far as the end user is concerned.

If Apple does expose those capabilities to application programmers (and for the moment, I'll be generous and allow that Apple may even restrict who is allowed to write applications), then I'll be the first to shout the iPhone's OS's praises from the rooftops.

Granted, JavaScript is nice, AJAX makes me hot, and Web 2.0 is all I'll ever need. But none of that hinges in any way on the literal presence of OSX.

There's no reason to believe that it's not the case. Apple must have some way of getting their own programs to run. Why not do it the way you say? No reason I can think of. It's just, right now, that there is no physical way to get those programs installed that we know of.

Also, the phone uses a different cpu.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by melgross

EXACTLY!!!

The very people who shouldn't be spending this money for a phone are going to be encouraged to do so.

I disagree with the assessment that poor credit equals a lack of finances. Though I don't don't that the majority of people with bad credit probably should be soending their money elsewhere there are still of plenty of people with poor or no credit that are have good paying jobs.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I disagree with the assessment that poor credit equals a lack of finances. Though I don't don't that the majority of people with bad credit probably should be soending their money elsewhere there are still of plenty of people with poor or no credit that are have good paying jobs.

I'd be willing to bet that most people with bad credit can't afford the phone.

[MurphyMac]

Macbreak Weekly was discussing how the dock connector might only work in "airplane mode" when the iPhone is connected to speakers. You know how you hear that buzzing on speakers placed near a cell phone that's about to ring? They were saying that Apple might want to make the phone disable the telephone radio when it's docked to speakers. I think that's what they said, I was only half listening.

Doesn't sound right to me anyway. I wouldn't want to deactivate my phone to use it with speakers.

[lfmorrison]

Originally Posted by melgross

There's no reason to believe that it's not the case. Apple must have some way of getting their own programs to run. Why not do it the way you say? No reason I can think of. It's just, right now, that there is no physical way to get those programs installed that we know of.

Also, the phone uses a different cpu.

It's already been demonstrated that you can use a different CPU and still be the same OS. I accept that happily. By API compatibility, I should have been more clear in saying that meant having source code compatibility... All the same set of system calls available, with the same argument lists, etc...

And I agree, there's been no evidence to suggest that any of what I'm asking for isn't already the case. That's exactly my point... There's no conclusive evidence of anything. Yet.

[SpinDrift]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I disagree with the assessment that poor credit equals a lack of finances. Though I don't don't that the majority of people with bad credit probably should be soending their money elsewhere there are still of plenty of people with poor or no credit that are have good paying jobs.

I used to have this problem. I never used my credit card, I didn't have any debts, I had always paid cash for everything, so when I did try take advantage of interest free credit, I was always turned down because I didn't have a credit rating at all. This didn't mean that I couldn't afford what I wanted to get credit for.

I now have almost $1m worth of debts, so I no longer have a problem getting things on credit! Now that's ironic!

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by melgross

It's kind of funny about RSS. When it first came out, I was all over it. but, after a while, I found it to be annoying, giving less information that I actually wanted to see of the page. I haven't used it for quite a while.

I use RSS Menu on Tiger and Mail's RSS read on Leopard (is that NDA stuff?). I hate having to come to AI or any other of the dozens of websites I frequent on a daly basis to get new articles. It's why I don't use Safari's RSS as it requires to go the site first. I like having a number pop up somewhere on my desktop saying "hey, there is a new article you might want to read".

Originally Posted by melgross

We don't know that the iPhone is based on Leopard. Everyone assumes that to be the case. There's nothing about the iPhone that would require Leopard.64 bits anyone?

I think the iPhone's Safari interface screams core Core Animation and resolution independence. THough these could ahve been added to Tiger too. Didn't Jobs say it was based off of Leopard?

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by lfmorrison

It's already been demonstrated that you can use a different CPU and still be the same OS. I accept that happily. By API compatibility, I should have been more clear in saying that meant having source code compatibility... All the same set of system calls available, with the same argument lists, etc...

And I agree, there's been no evidence to suggest that any of what I'm asking for isn't already the case. That's exactly my point... There's no conclusive evidence of anything. Yet.

I see no reason why all system calls should be available. Its a portable device, hopefully running a very, very slimmed down version of OS X, all in the effort to save power and memory usage. Why bother including frameworks that eat up space and offer no benefit. Or including an entire BSD subsystem? Or include system calls for functions that do no good (for example, who needs multi-processor code in there if its a single-processor system?). Everything you want to run has to be ported to that processor. It wouldn't make sense to port the entire OS if parts aren't going to be used.

Also going on that, we may find out in the next few months how well OS X's underpinnings port to low-power devices. If you recall, one reviewer already said his phone got warm. Is that something we want, standard laptop warmth in our phones just so they can run a bunch of bells and whistles?

And I would think its plainly obvious that Safari on the iPhone does not have the built-in RSS reader part of Safari/Mac. Otherwise, why make the web-site? It also doesn't have a downloads window, either. But what would really suck is how you're stuck with what Apple gives you, so no PithHelmet, which means flashing banner ads all over the place!

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Louzer

I see no reason why all system calls should be available. Its a portable device, hopefully running a very, very slimmed down version of OS X, all in the effort to save power and memory usage. Why bother including frameworks that eat up space and offer no benefit. Or including an entire BSD subsystem? Or include system calls for functions that do no good (for example, who needs multi-processor code in there if its a single-processor system?). Everything you want to run has to be ported to that processor. It wouldn't make sense to port the entire OS if parts aren't going to be used.

While I agree with most of you points, I'm under the impression that the iPhone has 3 ARM CPUs.

[Denton]

Originally Posted by Louzer

Also going on that, we may find out in the next few months how well OS X's underpinnings port to low-power devices. If you recall, one reviewer already said his phone got warm. Is that something we want, standard laptop warmth in our phones just so they can run a bunch of bells and whistles?

That was in the Newsweek review:

One weird effect: if you’ve been using the iPhone a lot it feels warm on your cheek. Not laptop-catch-on-fire hot. But still.

So distinctly not "standard laptop warmth." When I've been talking on my Nokia for half an hour, it feels warm, too.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by lfmorrison

It's already been demonstrated that you can use a different CPU and still be the same OS. I accept that happily. By API compatibility, I should have been more clear in saying that meant having source code compatibility... All the same set of system calls available, with the same argument lists, etc...

And I agree, there's been no evidence to suggest that any of what I'm asking for isn't already the case. That's exactly my point... There's no conclusive evidence of anything. Yet.

Agreed. Consider, however, that Apple has been *extremely clear and consistent* in talking about the OS on the iPhone as "OS X", and the OS on Macintoshes as "Mac OS X". As I see it, OS X is being positioned as a multi-device, multi-pronged OS family, with one base core. Mac OS X = OS X + Mac specific bits. OS X (iPhone) = OS X + iPhone specific bits. There's no guarantee of crossover between the Mac-specific and the iPhone-specific bits. I don't believe we'll see one be a subset of the other, but they'll intersect in the OS X core.

Now, that's not to say that Apple couldn't migrate certain technologies (WebKit, for example) from the Mac side over to the iPhone side, or even the other way around (multi-touch tablet?). But I think we need to stop thinking that OS X == Mac OS X, because that equality just stopped holding true.

It may be semantics, but it's important to read between the lines in a lot of this. The iPhone can be running 100% OS X, and yet still not offer the Mac-APIs that we'd expect from what we previously, colloquially and informally, referred to as "OS X".

Basically, expectations are out the window at this point. Brave new world, etc, etc, etc.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by lfmorrison

It's already been demonstrated that you can use a different CPU and still be the same OS. I accept that happily. By API compatibility, I should have been more clear in saying that meant having source code compatibility... All the same set of system calls available, with the same argument lists, etc...

And I agree, there's been no evidence to suggest that any of what I'm asking for isn't already the case. That's exactly my point... There's no conclusive evidence of anything. Yet.

Of course it's the same OS. Powermac's and Intel based machines use the same OS as well. However, programs don't work on the cpu they weren't designed for.

The only reason PPC programs work on Intel Macs, and many of them don't, and the others run at 50% speed, at best, is because of Rosetta.

This means that even with the same OS, the programs won't run. At the very least, they would need a compile for the new cpu.

But, for most programs, that won't do at all. Almost the entire interface will have to be rewritten from scratch. Chances are that much of the rest would have to be rewritten, as the phyical part of the device is so different as well. Most programs are also written for what are now far more powerful machines than the iPhone is, that has to be taken into account as well.

No, not an easy job as well.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by Kickaha

Agreed. Consider, however, that Apple has been *extremely clear and consistent* in talking about the OS on the iPhone as "OS X", and the OS on Macintoshes as "Mac OS X". As I see it, OS X is being positioned as a multi-device, multi-pronged OS family, with one base core. Mac OS X = OS X + Mac specific bits. OS X (iPhone) = OS X + iPhone specific bits. There's no guarantee of crossover between the Mac-specific and the iPhone-specific bits. I don't believe we'll see one be a subset of the other, but they'll intersect in the OS X core.

Now, that's not to say that Apple couldn't migrate certain technologies (WebKit, for example) from the Mac side over to the iPhone side, or even the other way around (multi-touch tablet?). But I think we need to stop thinking that OS X == Mac OS X, because that equality just stopped holding true.

It may be semantics, but it's important to read between the lines in a lot of this. The iPhone can be running 100% OS X, and yet still not offer the Mac-APIs that we'd expect from what we previously, colloquially and informally, referred to as "OS X".

Basically, expectations are out the window at this point. Brave new world, etc, etc, etc.

You're right, with the proviso that the binaries are different as well.

[Delfoniq]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I disagree with the assessment that poor credit equals a lack of finances. Though I don't don't that the majority of people with bad credit probably should be soending their money elsewhere there are still of plenty of people with poor or no credit that are have good paying jobs.

Exactly. Having a good credit, at least in the US, means that in the past or at present your name has been or is still somehow associated with debt. Trully rich means zero debt even if you have to live from payckeck to paycheck .

Anyway, Apple is not your personal financial advisor, just wants to sell iPhones. Credit, no credit, iPhone should be available to everybody, right? I am tired of this credit check shit . Here's the cash, give me my iPhone and STFU.

[Delfoniq]

Originally Posted by SpinDrift

I used to have this problem. I never used my credit card, I didn't have any debts, I had always paid cash for everything, so when I did try take advantage of interest free credit, I was always turned down because I didn't have a credit rating at all. This didn't mean that I couldn't afford what I wanted to get credit for.

I now have almost $1m worth of debts, so I no longer have a problem getting things on credit! Now that's ironic!

But hey, you still have enough dough left for an iPhone, right?

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by SpinDrift

I used to have this problem. I never used my credit card, I didn't have any debts, I had always paid cash for everything, so when I did try take advantage of interest free credit, I was always turned down because I didn't have a credit rating at all. This didn't mean that I couldn't afford what I wanted to get credit for.

I now have almost $1m worth of debts, so I no longer have a problem getting things on credit! Now that's ironic!

Originally Posted by Delfoniq

But hey, you still have enough dough left for an iPhone, right?

Sure he does, that's why its 'almost $1m'. Its going to push him over the top!

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by Kickaha

Agreed. Consider, however, that Apple has been *extremely clear and consistent* in talking about the OS on the iPhone as "OS X", and the OS on Macintoshes as "Mac OS X". As I see it, OS X is being positioned as a multi-device, multi-pronged OS family, with one base core. Mac OS X = OS X + Mac specific bits. OS X (iPhone) = OS X + iPhone specific bits. There's no guarantee of crossover between the Mac-specific and the iPhone-specific bits. I don't believe we'll see one be a subset of the other, but they'll intersect in the OS X core.


It may be semantics, but it's important to read between the lines in a lot of this. The iPhone can be running 100% OS X, and yet still not offer the Mac-APIs that we'd expect from what we previously, colloquially and informally, referred to as "OS X".

And that's the whole problem, though. Apple talks up OS X as what you get out of the OS X box when you buy it in October (and update it in december and January to fix all those vx.5.0 bugs). But what you're talking about is that OS X is the core OS, the underpinnings (this is also how the geeks look at it, and get pretty annoying pointing it out at times), and not the interface, UI, or anything on top.

While Jobs can say "its running OS X", I see it more running the OS X kernel, and then various parts tacked on that's needed for the iphone to work (or to make it look 'cool', not necessarily 'needed', like they do in OS X a lot)

But you're not going to convince anyone but the hardcode types to start calling OS X "Mac OS X" to differentiate it from other closed instances of "OS X".

[melgross]

Originally Posted by Louzer

And that's the whole problem, though. Apple talks up OS X as what you get out of the OS X box when you buy it in October (and update it in december and January to fix all those vx.5.0 bugs). But what you're talking about is that OS X is the core OS, the underpinnings (this is also how the geeks look at it, and get pretty annoying pointing it out at times), and not the interface, UI, or anything on top.

While Jobs can say "its running OS X", I see it more running the OS X kernel, and then various parts tacked on that's needed for the iphone to work (or to make it look 'cool', not necessarily 'needed', like they do in OS X a lot)

But you're not going to convince anyone but the hardcode types to start calling OS X "Mac OS X" to differentiate it from other closed instances of "OS X".

The kernel is just a little part of it, even without the other bits that I said would be left off. Remember that it still occupies 700 MB

[Delfoniq]

Originally Posted by Louzer

Sure he does, that's why its 'almost $1m'. Its going to push him over the top!

[retroneo]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

What's uncertain is whether the adapters will be available immediately upon the iPhone's launch. There has been concern on the part of Apple and accessory makers over possible complications between iPhone and the speaker systems, where interference could come into play.

Another reason I'm waiting for the HSDPA version of the iPhone - it won't give any interference.

[kresh]

Originally Posted by ngng

Ironic that they check credit for the go phone plan, which specifically states "no credit checks"

I'm going to find a way to get an iphone via the gophone plan

That should be pretty easy. A recent federal law went into effect that states you don't have to divulge your SSN to be considered for credit. Almost every company will then classify the applicant in the worst credit risk category, thus requiring the highest deposits (I know that Alltel and Verizon does this).

If iTunes will offer the GoPhone plan to customers with the highest deposits (worst credit), then I would either refuse to give my Social Security Number, or make one up.

It would be interesting

[SpinDrift]

Originally Posted by Louzer

Sure he does, that's why its 'almost $1m'. Its going to push him over the top!

lol, exactly!

[riversky]

So let me get this straight. People who want to "buy" the iPhone but don't have good credit get to NOT be locked in for 2 years. I don't get the logic. You should have a choice if this is really true which I rather doubt at the moment. I smell a lawsuit.

Second someone with poor credit should NOT be spending 499 or 599 + 250 deposit (850-950 with taxes) in the FIRST PLACE!

Besides most Apple users by all measures are more educated and far wealthier than the average user.