Reader: Steve Jobs says no tethering between iPad and iPhone - Page 2

I think you have failed to understand the issue in this instance. Apple makes deals with telcos to capture customers in which both telcos and Apple benefit.

if i pay for something without subsidy then i have the right to use the product which ever way i want. if i need to use a service then i will pay for it. Tethering is a connectivity feature most mobile devices have why should apple limit this feature.

what seems to me is JOBS arrogance is more important than customers needs. Apple is becoming somewhat like Microsoft and it will be a shame if it does.

One can certainly complain about what companies like Apple allow (or do not allow) us to do, but at the end of the day, it's all about the people who provide the bandwidth and the prices/quantities they offer.

What's with the business model of these atavistic carriers such as ATT and Verizon? Why are they so resistant to change? Why can't they innovate to create a bandwidth ecosystem that allows consumers to make these sorts of simple choices? What is it going to take for them to come into the 21st century? Have they learned nothing -- has nothing rubbed off -- about the value of product and process innovation from their working with companies like Apple and Google? Why is there not a single trailblazer in this industry anywhere in the world? Is this where all the apparatchiks ended up working after Communism fell?

Ugh.

Yea, I think Jobs' ego needs a readjustment...

Yes yes yes yes, of course this works.

Can we f'ing sticky this already? I'm tired of people being unaware of this simple, obvious possibility.

There are plenty of people who would not/will not jailbreak, but for those who would, you NEED to know this, and need to stop asking.


No Tethering over USB or Bluetooth. This is essentially another iPhone or iPod touch in this regard. Not difficult to understand.

I understand everyone's issue with the cost issue of paying for a iphone data plan and a separate ipad data plan but why is tethering that important between those 2 devices?
Basically you can get the same information on the iphone as you do the ipad, the screen size is different but you get the same info. I can see tethering to hookup your notebook to the iphone since iphone can not do flash websites but I just don't see the issue using it between the iphone and ipad.

Come on Steve Jandali (nee Jobs), just enable tethering!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_jobs

It's by far more useful on the iPad than on a Mac. Mac's are designed to use fast internet, not what passes for 3G in the U.S. Using a Macbook tethered to an iPhone should be a rare occurrence, other wise you have the wrong set of devices.

The iPad and iPhone are very similar in some ways, and very different in all others. Owners of both will find certain things more suited for one, than the other. Regardless, you can only use one of them at a time. Therefor, most people people with common sense see no reason why one data connection cannot be shared. If I pay $30 a mon for unlimited 3G on my iPhone, I have a right to use that connection in an unlimited fashion. I'm not talking about abuse either. I'm talking pure convenience.

Like new smartphones coming to market, the iPhone should have the built in ability to broadcast it's 3G connection as a WiFi hotspot, allowing several local devices to share one connection. This is not a built in feature, but fortunately, one needs only to jailbreak their iPhone, and install MyWi.

Because of this feature, I will be saving $130 + 30 a mon on my iPad purchase, because I refuse to be taken advantage of. I already overpay AT&T for data, by a long way, and cannot come close to using it to its full advantage due to imposed restrictions.

Fixed.


Where Ikeea is based, of course!


Translation: you're only "grown up" if you bend over and accept whatever scam your friendly neighbourhood telco has chosen to pull over on you this week.


"Worded" isn't plural.

Hej AI,

They had a rough winter Olympics, so please don't pile-on. Could you please adjust the spelling to their country, namely from Sweeden to Sweden?

All the best, Abba

The Wifi + 3g model does NOT require an extra phone bill. It only requires one if you want to get access through 3g.

If there's a 3G option, why would you need to tether? Who the hell is gonna do that?

You want 3G, get the 3G version. That's why it's there.

The iPhone has wifi. Why would you need to connect a USB wifi device to it?

Please don't be dense, you're usually fairly rational.

I have an iPhone. Want an iPad. I actually leave the house, unlike some.

I'm NOT paying a $130 premium, for a $5 radio, nor am I paying 15-$30 a mon extra, for data I'm already paying for.

I'm paying $30 for unlimited 3G. Why on earth would I pay more for a second device that uses the same network, in place of the iPhone? I can't use both at once, so as far as I'm concerned, asking me to pay more is extortion.

I'm not going to "tether" as in usb or bluetooth, but I AM going to turn my iPhone into WiFI hotspot so I can get some value out of the $30 a mon I pay.

Just another reason to jailbreak... Thank god I'm getting a new iPhone 3G next week.

Actually I think you're the one being dense. Just because you pay for 'unlimited data' on one device, ATT/Apple should allow you the same on all the darn devices in your house? That is as silly and naive as expecting one unlimited data subscription to pay for your family plan.

For folks who already have iPhone 3G's with data plan?

I was really looking forward to tethering till I actually used it. I have a jailbroken phone and I used PdaNet.

It works, but it's a big drain on the battery life. So you need to connect the phone to the computer via USB cable, to keep it charged. But that also impacts the laptop's battery, which needs to power two WiFi and one 3G connections.

You also notice more that 3G is slow on a computer, than you do on a phone. This is because computers don't load the much lighter mobile versions of various Web sites.

So I use it every once in a while, but I don't really see it as practical for constant use. I think tethering has its uses, but is kind of overrated.

I'm astounding at the people who think they are entitled to alter the AT&T contract they willing signed, who have changed the meaning of the word 'unlimited' to included "unlimited tethered devices", and who have decided that if Apple is forcing you to buy an iPad that Apple (no, Steve Jobs) much also supply cellular data for free.

Q: Why should be allowed to tether the iPad but not any old PC for free? Is it the fact that it's from Apple or that both start with an 'i'? Does that mean you should be allowed to tether your Macs for free? How about buying a $30/month and just using the iPad to tether your home network. Sounds brilliant.


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Tersely doesn't seem like the best choice. I think Laconic would have been more apt.

As you stated "iPhone", not iPad. not "all iDevices", not "any and all devices". If AT&T offers an option that is a pay for phone 3G device and get all other connected for free plan then you'll be good to go, but that doesn't seem likely. Comcast doesn't give me free internet and cable at my other homes simply because I can only be in one at a time. I have to pay to maintain service to each home.

Now why am I not surprised! Think I will just stick with my Jail broken IPhone, at least it fits in my pocket and I can tether it to my Laptop when need it.

Jess
www.total-anonymity.us.tc

Sounds like an apt description to me:

terse (tûrs)
adj. ters·er, ters·est
Brief and to the point; effectively concise: a terse one-word answer.

Why do so many folks here get into bizarre arguments, claiming that their memories of misdefined meanings are really truly actually correct?

The dictionary is your friend. I met a guy last week, a limo driver, who carries one around and looks up words all day. He told me he likes words.

Anybody sitting in front of a computer who argues incorrectly on facts is missing out on one of the greatest resources in the history of mankind: The ability to look up facts on their computer. Fer godzsakes! Look this stuff up before you post nonsense!

No, he pays for Unlimited Internet service offered from his carrier and chooses to use it as he sees fit. The sole reason Apple won't let this tether with the iPhone is because it will hurt it's 3G iPad sales (as for the person who was saying the app was rejected well before, please know they have been working on a tablet for years).

Fact is, Apple is being overly greedy here and they should allow tethering if only on the iPhone 3GS.

PMZ hit the nail on the head. Here in Canada the iPhone plan includes large data amounts for reasonable price even if that is on top of the voice plan cost. And we're allowed to both tether and use Wifi hotspots associated with the cellphone carrier through the iPhone without having to jail break. So we get the best of all worlds.

The problem is paying an additional fee for an additional 3g data account when I will only be using one 3g connection at a time. I am certainly not giving up my iPhone as that is my business and personal voice connection. And while the iPad may shape up nicely to be a good travel companion (I'm not a heavy laptop user but jury's still out till we see the final release version in operation), a laptop or netbook is certainly more than capable of substituting for the iPad (though they aren't as good looking or potentially fun as an iPad might be). AND they can be tethered to my iPhone, so I don't have to get an extra 3g account with them or pay a premium for the extra 3g device (over the wifi only iPad price) or use retail wifi hotspots. And they can cost the same as an ipad and offer larger storage and better device connectivity (camera, mp3 player, etc).

Of course a cellphone carrier could play nice and allow iphone account holders to register a 3g ipad to the same account...but till we actually see that, I'm not holding my breath for it.

So this is where Apple hits a big "FAIL" sticker. Just like digital camera, mp3 player, cellphone, camcorder, smartphone, netbook, ereader, laptop, portable dvd player, etc it is one more device in that list. If it can't fit neatly in amongst them with flexibility to mix with them, then it can potentially become part of the "another device I have to carry" mix. I got rid of my mp3 player, network connection concerns, and casual digital camera need through my iPhone. I carry a dedicated digital camera on vacations that can also record decent video so no camcorder needed. I carry a netbook if I need light storage, internet browsing, emailing, work/presentation, portable video, or e-reading use beyond my iphone. And I'm sure everyone else has their own story of how they've cut down their device total through such convergence and inter-connectivity between devices.

So the iPad may substitute nicely for some of these devices and will undoubtedly be a hit with many groups...but it still has to have the flexibility to play well with and complement other devices instead of conflicting with them (be that software ability, connectivity, or any other concern). That can be a significant percentage of factor for any consumer purchase decision... A good example is the PDA market...they were the only thing until other devices like smartphones showed they could do it too...thus PDAs for the most part disappeared. E-readers face the same risk. Hopefully Apple can foresee this and keep the iPad from falling into the same trap. Looking at their 3g capability is just one example (i.e. using iPhone as tether for wifi only iPads on road, being able to use 3g iPads to tether laptops for when heavier work is needed, etc) of ways Apple can be nimble and avoid the PDA trap.

That is how I am going to use it . I dumped my DSL connection for a MIFI device from Verizon. Now I can serve up a WIFI signal to my laptop and iphone at the same time . When the iPad arrives it will just join the party. In my case I am paying about 60 per month for 5gig.

I saved the monthly DSL charge and I now have a mobile WIFI spot that can travel with me.

I'd rather get the Android model and simply configure it to tether. YMMV.

Why is there no discussion about tethering your other AT&T phones, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile phones to any and all devices. Or how that too is Apple's fault when the carriers charge you extra it.


Not according to the AT&T contract.


Yeah, because that makes sense!

Good luck with that early termination fee....

It isn't plural in the grammatical sense, but in the definition sense, it is plural. AppleInsider was simply trying to show off and play journalist by calling a single-word answer 'tersely worded.'



For more comparison, 'wording.'

They could have called it 'brief', 'to the point', 'simple', or 'negative.' But 'tersely worded,' it was not.

Because too often folks here see things only in shades of black and white. As you point out, the world is not really like that.



It is very cute that you don't know simple geography. And making a joke about it? Even cuter.

www.dictionary.com - "–adjectiveters·er, ters·est.

1. neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy, as language.
2. abruptly concise; curt; brusque.

Steve may have gone for definition number one. but it can be interpreted as definition number two!

Maybe the simple fact that Jobs didn't take the time out of his day to enlighten the writer by adding a few sentences as to why the answer is "no"! Or did Jobs keep his message short because THERE IS A DIFFERENCE when using a "digital" keyboard versus a tactile QWERTY keyboard with actual buttons and Jobs doesn't want to admit it?

If you're gonna take the time out to reply in the first place, for God sake use a little TACT! Use a little COMMON COURTESY! THE DECENT THING TO DO! POLITENESS! and a whole bunch of other descriptive words to drum up the impression that Jobs would treat a past customer and future customer (although I'd say FU Apple) with the way you (in this case, Steve Jobs) would want to be treated. I believe it's a philosophy taken from The Good Book.

Imagine if Jobs was at the hospital and he asked his doctor about the weight loss, hormone imbalance, liver failure and Jobs asks, "Doc, I got TONS of MONEY and a PRIVATE JET to fly anywhere I can to get ahead of the line, do you think this transplant operation will be a success? What are my chances of my body rejecting a transplanted liver, I mean they have all sorts of medicines to help fight off body rejection... What do you think doc?"

Doctor: "No" Sent from my prescription pad. (Notice it didn't end with an exclamation point.)

Wonder how Steve would have felt? When someone has an illness like rare cancer or needing a liver transplant, one usually has a life changing disposition. Seemingly, not for Mr. Jobs! Maybe Jobs needs to download to his iPad e-book reader, "A Christmas Carol", Mr. Scrooge...

It's also destroys all the decent and unpublicized great works you have done in the past and have them piled onto the ash heap of history, and have an incidence like this known as the man you are...

Although I do wish Mr. Jobs continued good health... and as Tiny Tim said, "God Bless Us, Everyone!"

I like the way you described the iPad as "useless can-do-lots-of-things but really isn't-good-at-anything product". I never thought of it that way, but you seem accurate. For what I would do with it, surf the net and consume media, it is no good. The twofer combo of no flash and the wrong aspect ratio kill it dead for me for those uses.

But I don't think that the price is out of line. And I agree that lots of folks will buy one, but I don't think that there is anything wrong with that.

It is really mindblowing to realize that the 'Pad is a "jack of all trades, but master of none" type product. That's the opposite of most people's perception of Apple's products. They say that Apple releases products that do one thing extremely well, like the iPod. The 'Pad might do eBooks really really well, but I'm not aware of anything else.

Actually he's noted for doing that. His reply to me was positive, yet he still managed to be abrupt. Personally I'd say he's a bit of a prick, it's pretty much his reputation. But to be fair he's a busy guy too and one word answers are probably the easier option.

Anyway, yes, if you look up the dictionary definition of the word "tersely" his response is pretty much exactly terse.

My sister had MetroPCS. DON'T DO IT!! There is no point to a cell phone if you can't ever use it. You get 0-2 bars in areas where everyone else gets 5, and if you do get 5 bars in heart of one of the few cities they are in where coverage would seem a no brainer, it quickly turns to 0 half a block away, then back to 5 an other block away, then back to 0 again.... You could turn on roaming, but it's very expensive.

I'm not sure which posts you are replying to here, but this only makes sense if everyone is talking about the USA market.

The thing that is bothering a lot of folks this morning after hearing this news is a great deal of us *do* have a contract that allows tethering. It's a very common thing outside of the USA. The idea that I would have to have separate data contracts for separate devices and pay a monthly fee for each is just absolutely insane to me.

I have tethering now. I pay my bill and I'm allowed 6GB a month of data through the iPhone, regardless of whether the phone pulls it down for itself or for a tethered laptop. Why would it be any other way? To me it's just a scam that any company would try to charge you extra. I have a contract that allows for tethering to computers and for 6GB of data. Data is data.

To find out this morning that for no *technical* reason at all, that this will be "disallowed" for this particular computer, simply so the carriers can make more money is like a slap in the face. This is just greed, plain and simple.

If my carrier sold me a contract where I pay 70 bucks a month for 6GB (they did), then obviously there is no strain on their infrastructure if I stay within it. It's like they are telling me they have planned for that bandwidth and indeed sold it to me. I currently only use a few hundred megs every few months, with the rest being free because, well it's a phone and how much data can you use anyway. With the iPad and editing documents I might get a bit closer to actually using my data allotment, but now (again for no technical reason at all), they are saying that I have to buy a second separate contract for that data even though I already have a contract that has 5.95GB of data I'm not using?

This is absolutely insane. It's borderline fraud. It's a sweetheart deal between Apple and the carriers that takes a normal computing device that is capable of tethering and uses a software "fix" to purposely disable it based on an agreement with the carrier that they should do so. It's collusion between Apple and the carrier to screw over the customer.

I've been arguing against jail-breaking devices for the entire time the iPhone has been in existence and now with the iPad, if it's possible to hack it and enable the tethering it I'll be doing it for the first time. I find this whole thing kind of offensive. It shakes my faith in Apple as a basically good company that they would do this.

Have you calculated the $175 cancellation fee into your plan? If you have an iPhone, ATT has already paid Apple for it. They are counting on your paying a premium in your monthly bill for the entire two years. You can cancel, but there is a fee associated with it.

The PBTC at an ATT store can override the fee, with a manager's permission. They did it for me when my kid lost his iPhone. But they know me there, and it was an unfortunate circumstance, so I don't know if they will do it for a customer who just wants to save money at ATT's expense.

You can cancel 3G data on the 'Pad, but I'll be surprised if it were costless on the 'Phone.

There is already a device called MiFi offered by Verizon and available for GSM carriers unlocked (not a phone though). You can look it up on ebay. My brother uses one as a portable WiFi hotspot with his laptop and iPod Touch. It runs on battery and can last for more than 4 hours on a single charge.
As I said in post it you read it to the end, it sucks that everyone should suffer because AT&T and few other carriers don't want their iPhone users to tether or use 3G VOIP (not anymore thank god).

Yeah. Grown ups always find a way to excuse the powerful folks who screw them. That's because they try to see the point of view of the powerful, identify with the powerful, and thereby be in a position to explain to the peons that, from his exalted position, it appears good that the peons are being abused.

My take was that the guy hit a nerve with Steve. It was the first thing that popped into my head when I read that Steve had answered, and that the answer was terse.