But for at least six months in the beginning Apple tried their best to get the majority of the dev community to embrace things as they were and for the most part they didn't. Am I wrong?
Apple could of had an additional six month lead with their app store if they started with native apps in the first place.
I get the impression you think Apple only thought about doing the "native" apps after the fact... This is a common misconception. If you carefully go back and look at Steve's original statements, they never said they weren't going to do it, just that at the time web apps were the way to go.
Let's be practical - if you aren't ready for a feature, are you going to continue to focus attention on the missing feature, or are you going to focus on what you have now? Smart companies focus on what they have now and then talk about new improved things when they are actually ready.
I have no doubt the SDK and native apps were always part of the original plan - it came out too quickly and too well developed to have been an afterthought reaction to the "failure" of web apps
I like this. If email becomes more popular on cellphones, no just smartphones, then carriers in the US and elsewhere will probably start offering SMS at lower and eventually free to attract business.
"The local telecoms sector was abuzz earlier this month when the Philippine government proposed to make SMS a free service amid soaring gas and food prices.
Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) Secretary Leandro Mendoza was quoted in local papers saying that mobile phone carriers have no business charging customers for text messages when their revenues should be generated by offering voice calls."
This news was from last week, I think. The Telecoms are arguing against it on the grounds that there would be more spam/unsolicited texting...
Anyway, as I said, improve the SMS app! 3G in the Philippines is so effing slow and the main communication tool by most of us here is through texting. Not everyone has internet access but most of us here has 2 cellphones (to take advantage of a specific carriers call and texting plans).
I don't know whether anyone mentioned it or not. I would like to see a global clipboard on the iphone. You can put it on the keyboard. With that, you can copy a url here and there, a quote here and there... When you write an email, touch the clipboard on the keyboard, boom you see a list of items for you to insert into the cursor place.
When you have copy and paste, then you'll want to have "undo"
May I just say that this is a silly attitude? Here is a blunt point: Apple has no right, and would be unwise in doing so... to expect the majority of its consumers to be rabid fan-boys willing to overlook obvious problems because they are so enamored with Steve Jobs' brilliance. That's a point Steve himself seems to get, so it is amazing to me that fans such as yourself do not.
What you are really saying is this: Apple did the right thing when it left out basic features, then ignored consumer sentiment... for those same features. When you say 'the device isn't for everyone', what you are actually saying is this: "Apple ignored an easily addressed market segment, and thereby lost sales." And all over some software issues that don't even represent difficult technical challenges.
Doesn't seem quite so clever now, eh?
Neither is your calling people "rabid fan boys" because they don't use copy and paste and don't necessarily see a need for it. You subjectively call the lack of copy and paste an "obvious problem" - well, apparently it's not obvious to the people who don't need it. As for Apples rights, they have the right to develop their products as they see fit, rather than asking for advice from random posters on the internet.
And you really think that people needing copy and paste is an entire market segment? Personally I'd rather they develop software features that don't need copy and paste, rather than implement some arcane method for doing it. It's not necessarily as easy to implement as you claim.
If my phone is locked, no one should be able to tell who my incoming sms messages are from by simply pressing a button. It's convenience for some users, but a huge annoyance for me. That should be a simple slider switch.
This is a setting, but only if you have Settings>>General>>Passcode Lock enabled. Once enabled, you can then set "Show SMS Preview" off.
You asked, "Why is Apple limiting the iPhone?" I thought I could get away with a simple answer but you didn't get it.
Okay, so Perspective. It's all about perspective.
First, do you know how software is developed? Do you understand how a company might develop capabilities iaw its strategic plans, and how software may be slotted to arrive when the hardware capable of running that software in a pleasing way actually arrives?
So, duh, of course, Apple is not intentionally out to limit the iPhone - Apple wants it to do all the things Apple wants it to do. But it takes people and time (and money) to make those things happen; they don't just happen because someone thinks it. Apple has finite numbers of people who have limited amounts of time that must be spread over many many possible choices.
iPhone was released in June 2007. It's been 18 months between that release and the last iPhone feature-update (2.2). The first few months after iPhone 1.0 were focused on bug fixes, and a few small features for 1.1 followed by more bug fixes. (Hey, for perspective, remember that Ed Colligan (Palm CEO) said the PC makers couldn't just walk in -- he meant it would take some time to iron out all the cellular issues, among other things. But little did he know!) Concurrently, that first year was also focused on all the things that were included in iPhone 2.0, including the ability to run native apps, activesync, and the integration of GPS and 3G. Then more bug fixes and a few minor features in 2.1 and 2.2.
Now concurrent with 2.1 and 2.2, at least since some point between March and July 2008 (and likely even before), Apple has been designing, developing, integrating, and testing software for 3.0, and you and I have no idea what is in it.
So why might some things be in 3.0 instead of 2.0, 2.1, or 2.2? Because it may have taken coordination. Since iPhone OS X shares its underpinnings with Mac OS X, there had to be coordination with Leopard and Snow Leopard. (See push notification possibly delayed to align with Snow Leopard Server.) Same for Safari. And for iTunes. Or it was very complex (like cut and paste); has anyone ever done this for multi-touch? Or it's waiting for hardware (like Flash). Or it's waiting for a strategic introduction where it's linked with other parts of Apple's Mac/iPod/AppleTV/iTunes ecosystem (possibly like navigation or video).
But is Apple intentionally limiting iPhone. Of course not. There's a time and place for each capability, and Apple has a plan.
By the way, how many feature-additive (not security or bug fix) releases of Win Mobile, or Symbian, or Blackberry OS, or WebOS, or Palm OS, or Mac OS, or Windows OS has there been for each in the last 18 months? Anyone put out 2 upgrades yet?
Perspective. It's all about perspective.
I agree, perspective.
Mine is the consumer point of view. I bought the 3G because it was incredible, a real piece of genius. But, upgrading from a a Sony K800, I couldn't help but instantly miss some things you give for granted, things you didn't even ask for before buying this little wonder. For example, the alarms in the K800 are alive even with the phone turned off. You don't like it or find it unnecesary? I do like it. Again, don't get me wrong, it didn't have a million features the iPhone has, but it had Bluetooth file transfer, and C&P, and... you're right, I don't get it.
By the way, you didn't answer my questions:
"Do you think the iPhone (3G) is perfect? Would it be a better product with all the things people are asking for or not? Maybe I should ask you what would you recommend to make it a better product? Just remember you can't say Flash, Copy & Paste (which I didn't), Bluetooth transfer, etc. Please, illuminate me."
Hey, for perspective, remember that Ed Colligan (Palm CEO) said the PC makers couldn't just walk in -- he meant it would take some time to iron out all the cellular issues, among other things. But little did he know!
From his perspective of wanting to add as much as possible to appeal to as many as possible at regardless and putting usability on a back burner so long as the feature inclusion could make a sale, then I would say that would be very difficult for a PC maker to make a dent in the smartphone market.
I think now they see that starting out simple and moving up from there is a smart way to go. I hope they are doing that with the Pre. I don't think RiM did that with the Storm/Thunder, otherwise those initial major flaws wouldn't have been so bad. I think the rumours of Dell entering the smartphone market are true and hope they start simple.
I love my iPhone but I'm all about more direct competition being brought to the table.
I want simulated iPhone application pages in iTunes so I can arrange my icons on my computer where I have a much larger screen and trackpad/mouse and then have my arrangement sync over!
"Do you think the iPhone (3G) is perfect? Would it be a better product with all the things people are asking for or not? Maybe I should ask you what would you recommend to make it a better product? Just remember you can't say Flash, Copy & Paste (which I didn't), Bluetooth transfer, etc. Please, illuminate me."
No, the iPhone 3G isn't perfect and never will be. There will always be a better one next year.
Yes, iPhone would be a better product with lots of additional things, but within cost, size, and performance parameters. For example, multi-tasking on a system that doesn't have the hardware (CPU, RAM, etc) to support it is nasty. Or a superduper camera would be great but not if it makes iPhone twice as thick.
I don't agree with all the choices that Apple has made, but I don't have anywhere near as much info as Apple does about what lots of people think (it's not just about me), about what will keep the company growing strongly into the future, about what the latest and greatest hardware or software technologies are, about what resource limitations they have, etc. So altho I'd make my desires known, I just trust them to do what is best for Apple overall (especially as I am a shareholder). Yes, selling more iPhones is good for Apple but within constraints of all the other pieces of Apple.
So, I don't care for Flash (though my son would like it for his games). I imagine Copy & Paste and more Bluetooth capabilities would be nice to have, though I haven't needed them. I would like tethering (though this could be a carrier restriction), videocam/iChat, better search, better push, more ability to multi-task, turn-by-turn GPS navigation. All of which I think are coming, if not this year then next.
But most interesting to me though is what Apple thinks about mobile devices and where are they planning to take this thing and the whole ecosystem. Is it Location Aware services? Or Video-related services? or both or neither? That's where the next opportunity is for me as a potential app developer.
9to5 Mac is suggesting we may see a tablet tonight (me lives on de odder side of de planet) possibly based on free-scaling display something or other, which may also be the new "plus" app store or whatever.
The first one I'd like but can't conceive nor have read any posts with a solid idea. The next two I have no idea what you mean. Can you detail how these could be implemented?
Not a new feature, but I would like the Brightness adjuster to be less buried in the settings; even on auto I have to adjust the screen a couple of times a day.
Not a new feature, but I would like the Brightness adjuster to be less buried in the settings; even on auto I have to adjust the screen a couple of times a day.
That would make me happy.
I wish that "auto" had a broader range, then it wouldn't be necessary to touch that control. If it's very dark, then I want it to be on the minimum brightness, not just a little bit dimmer. If I'm out in the daylight, then I want it to be at the setting that I chose.
Comments
But for at least six months in the beginning Apple tried their best to get the majority of the dev community to embrace things as they were and for the most part they didn't. Am I wrong?
Apple could of had an additional six month lead with their app store if they started with native apps in the first place.
I get the impression you think Apple only thought about doing the "native" apps after the fact... This is a common misconception. If you carefully go back and look at Steve's original statements, they never said they weren't going to do it, just that at the time web apps were the way to go.
Let's be practical - if you aren't ready for a feature, are you going to continue to focus attention on the missing feature, or are you going to focus on what you have now? Smart companies focus on what they have now and then talk about new improved things when they are actually ready.
The Osbourne effect...
I have no doubt the SDK and native apps were always part of the original plan - it came out too quickly and too well developed to have been an afterthought reaction to the "failure" of web apps
I like this. If email becomes more popular on cellphones, no just smartphones, then carriers in the US and elsewhere will probably start offering SMS at lower and eventually free to attract business.
This news was from last week, I think. The Telecoms are arguing against it on the grounds that there would be more spam/unsolicited texting...
Anyway, as I said, improve the SMS app! 3G in the Philippines is so effing slow and the main communication tool by most of us here is through texting. Not everyone has internet access but most of us here has 2 cellphones (to take advantage of a specific carriers call and texting plans).
When you have copy and paste, then you'll want to have "undo"
May I just say that this is a silly attitude? Here is a blunt point: Apple has no right, and would be unwise in doing so... to expect the majority of its consumers to be rabid fan-boys willing to overlook obvious problems because they are so enamored with Steve Jobs' brilliance. That's a point Steve himself seems to get, so it is amazing to me that fans such as yourself do not.
What you are really saying is this: Apple did the right thing when it left out basic features, then ignored consumer sentiment... for those same features. When you say 'the device isn't for everyone', what you are actually saying is this: "Apple ignored an easily addressed market segment, and thereby lost sales." And all over some software issues that don't even represent difficult technical challenges.
Doesn't seem quite so clever now, eh?
Neither is your calling people "rabid fan boys" because they don't use copy and paste and don't necessarily see a need for it. You subjectively call the lack of copy and paste an "obvious problem" - well, apparently it's not obvious to the people who don't need it. As for Apples rights, they have the right to develop their products as they see fit, rather than asking for advice from random posters on the internet.
And you really think that people needing copy and paste is an entire market segment?
Patience!
If my phone is locked, no one should be able to tell who my incoming sms messages are from by simply pressing a button. It's convenience for some users, but a huge annoyance for me. That should be a simple slider switch.
This is a setting, but only if you have Settings>>General>>Passcode Lock enabled. Once enabled, you can then set "Show SMS Preview" off.
You asked, "Why is Apple limiting the iPhone?" I thought I could get away with a simple answer but you didn't get it.
Okay, so Perspective. It's all about perspective.
First, do you know how software is developed? Do you understand how a company might develop capabilities iaw its strategic plans, and how software may be slotted to arrive when the hardware capable of running that software in a pleasing way actually arrives?
So, duh, of course, Apple is not intentionally out to limit the iPhone - Apple wants it to do all the things Apple wants it to do. But it takes people and time (and money) to make those things happen; they don't just happen because someone thinks it. Apple has finite numbers of people who have limited amounts of time that must be spread over many many possible choices.
iPhone was released in June 2007. It's been 18 months between that release and the last iPhone feature-update (2.2). The first few months after iPhone 1.0 were focused on bug fixes, and a few small features for 1.1 followed by more bug fixes. (Hey, for perspective, remember that Ed Colligan (Palm CEO) said the PC makers couldn't just walk in -- he meant it would take some time to iron out all the cellular issues, among other things. But little did he know!) Concurrently, that first year was also focused on all the things that were included in iPhone 2.0, including the ability to run native apps, activesync, and the integration of GPS and 3G. Then more bug fixes and a few minor features in 2.1 and 2.2.
Now concurrent with 2.1 and 2.2, at least since some point between March and July 2008 (and likely even before), Apple has been designing, developing, integrating, and testing software for 3.0, and you and I have no idea what is in it.
So why might some things be in 3.0 instead of 2.0, 2.1, or 2.2? Because it may have taken coordination. Since iPhone OS X shares its underpinnings with Mac OS X, there had to be coordination with Leopard and Snow Leopard. (See push notification possibly delayed to align with Snow Leopard Server.) Same for Safari. And for iTunes. Or it was very complex (like cut and paste); has anyone ever done this for multi-touch? Or it's waiting for hardware (like Flash). Or it's waiting for a strategic introduction where it's linked with other parts of Apple's Mac/iPod/AppleTV/iTunes ecosystem (possibly like navigation or video).
But is Apple intentionally limiting iPhone. Of course not. There's a time and place for each capability, and Apple has a plan.
By the way, how many feature-additive (not security or bug fix) releases of Win Mobile, or Symbian, or Blackberry OS, or WebOS, or Palm OS, or Mac OS, or Windows OS has there been for each in the last 18 months? Anyone put out 2 upgrades yet?
Perspective. It's all about perspective.
I agree, perspective.
Mine is the consumer point of view. I bought the 3G because it was incredible, a real piece of genius. But, upgrading from a a Sony K800, I couldn't help but instantly miss some things you give for granted, things you didn't even ask for before buying this little wonder. For example, the alarms in the K800 are alive even with the phone turned off. You don't like it or find it unnecesary? I do like it. Again, don't get me wrong, it didn't have a million features the iPhone has, but it had Bluetooth file transfer, and C&P, and... you're right, I don't get it.
By the way, you didn't answer my questions:
"Do you think the iPhone (3G) is perfect? Would it be a better product with all the things people are asking for or not? Maybe I should ask you what would you recommend to make it a better product? Just remember you can't say Flash, Copy & Paste (which I didn't), Bluetooth transfer, etc. Please, illuminate me."
Hey, for perspective, remember that Ed Colligan (Palm CEO) said the PC makers couldn't just walk in -- he meant it would take some time to iron out all the cellular issues, among other things. But little did he know!
From his perspective of wanting to add as much as possible to appeal to as many as possible at regardless and putting usability on a back burner so long as the feature inclusion could make a sale, then I would say that would be very difficult for a PC maker to make a dent in the smartphone market.
I think now they see that starting out simple and moving up from there is a smart way to go. I hope they are doing that with the Pre. I don't think RiM did that with the Storm/Thunder, otherwise those initial major flaws wouldn't have been so bad. I think the rumours of Dell entering the smartphone market are true and hope they start simple.
I love my iPhone but I'm all about more direct competition being brought to the table.
I want simulated iPhone application pages in iTunes so I can arrange my icons on my computer where I have a much larger screen and trackpad/mouse and then have my arrangement sync over!
Count me in!
By the way, you didn't answer my questions:
"Do you think the iPhone (3G) is perfect? Would it be a better product with all the things people are asking for or not? Maybe I should ask you what would you recommend to make it a better product? Just remember you can't say Flash, Copy & Paste (which I didn't), Bluetooth transfer, etc. Please, illuminate me."
No, the iPhone 3G isn't perfect and never will be. There will always be a better one next year.
Yes, iPhone would be a better product with lots of additional things, but within cost, size, and performance parameters. For example, multi-tasking on a system that doesn't have the hardware (CPU, RAM, etc) to support it is nasty. Or a superduper camera would be great but not if it makes iPhone twice as thick.
I don't agree with all the choices that Apple has made, but I don't have anywhere near as much info as Apple does about what lots of people think (it's not just about me), about what will keep the company growing strongly into the future, about what the latest and greatest hardware or software technologies are, about what resource limitations they have, etc. So altho I'd make my desires known, I just trust them to do what is best for Apple overall (especially as I am a shareholder). Yes, selling more iPhones is good for Apple but within constraints of all the other pieces of Apple.
So, I don't care for Flash (though my son would like it for his games). I imagine Copy & Paste and more Bluetooth capabilities would be nice to have, though I haven't needed them. I would like tethering (though this could be a carrier restriction), videocam/iChat, better search, better push, more ability to multi-task, turn-by-turn GPS navigation. All of which I think are coming, if not this year then next.
But most interesting to me though is what Apple thinks about mobile devices and where are they planning to take this thing and the whole ecosystem. Is it Location Aware services? Or Video-related services? or both or neither? That's where the next opportunity is for me as a potential app developer.
2. MMS
3. A way to organize myiphone apps. I have 7 screens of them.
4. A login for the kids who too love my iPhone. They just see the apps erm games they want.
Crinau
I think people should realise by now that Apple will generally do what people want, they'll just take 3x longer than anyone expects to do it.
Patience!
Brilliant.
(I'm adding to my signature...)
I can't wait any longer. It will be my brain's co-processor, since I'm so forgetful. Anyone know if they're going to update the hardware this year?
early July of last year) you've more or less got a little bit of a wait.
So I wouldn't expect new hardware tomorrow.
Or even software available tomorrow.
BUT, you will get a clearer picture of the roadmap ahead, no doubt.
I'm patient.
setting management/ power management
voice dialing
setting management/ power management
The first one I'd like but can't conceive nor have read any posts with a solid idea. The next two I have no idea what you mean. Can you detail how these could be implemented?
That would make me happy.
Not a new feature, but I would like the Brightness adjuster to be less buried in the settings; even on auto I have to adjust the screen a couple of times a day.
That would make me happy.
I wish that "auto" had a broader range, then it wouldn't be necessary to touch that control. If it's very dark, then I want it to be on the minimum brightness, not just a little bit dimmer. If I'm out in the daylight, then I want it to be at the setting that I chose.