Apple offers tips on how to prepare for iPhone
In an email to subscribers on Tuesday, Apple Inc. touted its hotly anticipated iPhone, offering prospective customers suggestions on how to best prepare for the device's late-June arrival.
"iPhone arrives on June 29," Apple said. "[It] features an amazing mobile phone, is the best iPod we've ever created, and puts the Internet in your pocket with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching, and maps.
Since iPhone syncs with a PC or Mac just like an iPod, the Cupertino-based company told its customers to behin organizing their content now so they can "start calling, texting, emailing, surfing, listening, and watching even faster" when they get their iPhone.
Apple's suggestions follow:
Contacts
Making a call with iPhone is as simple as tapping a name. You won't need to re-enter all your contacts because iPhone syncs with the address book you already use on your computer?Address Book or Entourage on a Mac, or Outlook or Outlook Express on a PC. If you keep your contacts on the web using Yahoo! Address Book, iPhone can sync with them, too. To get ready for iPhone, organize your contacts in one of these applications and make sure they're up to date with the latest phone numbers and email addresses. If you don't have contacts on your computer, don't worry. You can still enter them directly into iPhone.
Calendar
Using its built-in calendar, iPhone lets you check your appointments with the flick of a finger. iPhone uses iTunes to sync with the calendar application you already use on your computer?iCal or Entourage on the Mac, or Outlook on a PC?just like it does with your contacts. If you don't already use one of these applications to manage your appointments, now is a great time to start, so you'll be ready to sync when your iPhone arrives. If you choose not to use a calendar program, that's OK. You'll be able to enter appointments directly into the iPhone calendar.
Email
iPhone is the first phone to come with a desktop-class email application. So now your phone can display rich HTML email with graphics and photos alongside the text. iPhone will even fetch your latest email every time you open the application and automatically retrieve your email on a set schedule, just like a computer does. iPhone works with the most popular email systems?including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and .Mac Mail. If you're not already using one of these services, now would be a great time to get an account. iTunes will make email setup on iPhone a breeze by automatically syncing the settings from email accounts stored in Mail on a Mac or Outlook on a PC. Don't worry if you're not on one of these email services; iPhone also works with almost any industry-standard POP3 and IMAP email system.
Photos
iPhone has a 2-megapixel camera and a gorgeous 3.5-inch display, so it's a great way to enjoy and show off your digital photos. iPhone uses iTunes to sync your photos from iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Album, or any picture folder on a PC. You can carry thousands of photos on iPhone, but you can start by creating an album or two with 50 to 100 of your favorite photos, so that when you first sync your iPhone, you'll be ready to quickly show off some of your best shots.
Music and Video
iPhone is the best iPod ever. Its beautiful, 3.5-inch widescreen display allows you to easily enjoy the music, TV shows, and movies you have in your iTunes library. If you already use iTunes, you can start getting ready for iPhone by creating a playlist of a few hundred of your favorite songs. If you don't have iTunes, now is a good time to download it and start a music and video library. That way, when you sync your iPhone with iTunes, you'll be able to take your favorite music, as well as a few of your TV shows and movies, with you wherever you go.
iTunes account
To set up your iPhone, you'll need an account with Apple's iTunes Store. If you already have an iTunes account, make sure you know your account name and password. If you don't have an account, you should set one up now to save time later. To set up an account, launch iTunes, select the iTunes Store, and click the Sign In button in the upper right corner of iTunes. Sign in and you're ready to go.
"iPhone arrives on June 29," Apple said. "[It] features an amazing mobile phone, is the best iPod we've ever created, and puts the Internet in your pocket with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching, and maps.
Since iPhone syncs with a PC or Mac just like an iPod, the Cupertino-based company told its customers to behin organizing their content now so they can "start calling, texting, emailing, surfing, listening, and watching even faster" when they get their iPhone.
Apple's suggestions follow:
Contacts
Making a call with iPhone is as simple as tapping a name. You won't need to re-enter all your contacts because iPhone syncs with the address book you already use on your computer?Address Book or Entourage on a Mac, or Outlook or Outlook Express on a PC. If you keep your contacts on the web using Yahoo! Address Book, iPhone can sync with them, too. To get ready for iPhone, organize your contacts in one of these applications and make sure they're up to date with the latest phone numbers and email addresses. If you don't have contacts on your computer, don't worry. You can still enter them directly into iPhone.
Calendar
Using its built-in calendar, iPhone lets you check your appointments with the flick of a finger. iPhone uses iTunes to sync with the calendar application you already use on your computer?iCal or Entourage on the Mac, or Outlook on a PC?just like it does with your contacts. If you don't already use one of these applications to manage your appointments, now is a great time to start, so you'll be ready to sync when your iPhone arrives. If you choose not to use a calendar program, that's OK. You'll be able to enter appointments directly into the iPhone calendar.
iPhone is the first phone to come with a desktop-class email application. So now your phone can display rich HTML email with graphics and photos alongside the text. iPhone will even fetch your latest email every time you open the application and automatically retrieve your email on a set schedule, just like a computer does. iPhone works with the most popular email systems?including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and .Mac Mail. If you're not already using one of these services, now would be a great time to get an account. iTunes will make email setup on iPhone a breeze by automatically syncing the settings from email accounts stored in Mail on a Mac or Outlook on a PC. Don't worry if you're not on one of these email services; iPhone also works with almost any industry-standard POP3 and IMAP email system.
Photos
iPhone has a 2-megapixel camera and a gorgeous 3.5-inch display, so it's a great way to enjoy and show off your digital photos. iPhone uses iTunes to sync your photos from iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Album, or any picture folder on a PC. You can carry thousands of photos on iPhone, but you can start by creating an album or two with 50 to 100 of your favorite photos, so that when you first sync your iPhone, you'll be ready to quickly show off some of your best shots.
Music and Video
iPhone is the best iPod ever. Its beautiful, 3.5-inch widescreen display allows you to easily enjoy the music, TV shows, and movies you have in your iTunes library. If you already use iTunes, you can start getting ready for iPhone by creating a playlist of a few hundred of your favorite songs. If you don't have iTunes, now is a good time to download it and start a music and video library. That way, when you sync your iPhone with iTunes, you'll be able to take your favorite music, as well as a few of your TV shows and movies, with you wherever you go.
iTunes account
To set up your iPhone, you'll need an account with Apple's iTunes Store. If you already have an iTunes account, make sure you know your account name and password. If you don't have an account, you should set one up now to save time later. To set up an account, launch iTunes, select the iTunes Store, and click the Sign In button in the upper right corner of iTunes. Sign in and you're ready to go.
Comments
I use a Mac at home and a PC at work.
My music is on my home system, and my primary contacts/calendar is on my work PC.
Apple has yet come up with a solution to let me pull media from one and contacts/calendar from the other.
I'll have to do an ugly hack of periodically exporting to file from Outlook, and importing into the mac equivs.
I really wish Apple recognized the multi system reality a lot of us face.
One account per phone, or can I sign up my wife and daughter on the same itunes account?
I can't wait!
So does this mean I will have to sign in to my itunes account on the ATT store's computer to activate my iphones? I don't sign into any account on a computer I am not sure is secure.
One account per phone, or can I sign up my wife and daughter on the same itunes account?
I can't wait!
I'm sure you just set it up when you get home. You only need the iTunes account to sync your music, contacts, etc. The iPhone will be able to make and receive calls without having an iTunes account configured.
Thanks for those tips Apple, but don't you think you're getting a little full of yourself?
I know, exactly. Passing out the cool-aid early, ain't they? Apple is all like "you should probably prepare yourself, because you're getting an iPhone whether you like IT OR NOT DAMNIT!".
Funny though, I thought this article was going to read more like "you can start preparing for your new iPhone by selling off the family minivan, pawning your engagement ring, or putting one or two of your children up for adoption. Then pack one black moc-turtleneck, two pairs white socks, one pair white sneaks, one pair round spectacles, one pair gay-ass Wrangler jeans and approximately $600 in purchase money stuffed in your shoe."
I have a problem with syncing that will probably get worse with the iPhone...
I use a Mac at home and a PC at work.
My music is on my home system, and my primary contacts/calendar is on my work PC.
Apple has yet come up with a solution to let me pull media from one and contacts/calendar from the other.
I'll have to do an ugly hack of periodically exporting to file from Outlook, and importing into the mac equivs.
I really wish Apple recognized the multi system reality a lot of us face.
This doesn't have to do with multi-system syncing, it has to do with incompatibility with Outlook, no? Because I sync my iPod with my PowerBook's address book and Calendar, and the music and movies with my iMac without any problem. I just have to hit "no" to the warning when I plug it into the secondary computer (PowerBook) and it asks to sync my music. IIRC, it doesn't let you sync movies from one computer and music from another for some reason, but it works with contacts&calendars.
Does Outlook usually sync through iTunes on Windows-only iPods?
Does Outlook usually sync through iTunes on Windows-only iPods?
You're right that current iPod sync doesn't seem to talk to Outlook (althought I don't even concern myself with iPod contacts at the moment.)
But from what I'm seeing (including this article), iPhone claims to be able to sync to Outlook on PCs. I don't think I'm misreading that.
I know you can say 'don't sync' when you connect to a non-home machine, but at that point, I don't think you can do any syncing, let alone granular syncing.
But if I'm wrong, I'd be glad to hear that.
I know, exactly. Passing out the cool-aid early, ain't they? Apple is all like "you should probably prepare yourself, because you're getting an iPhone whether you like IT OR NOT DAMNIT!".
According to the article, this went out to people who subscribed to iPhone information. So I would think it's a safe bet that if you subscribed to the info, you are interested in the product.
Of course, they also have to keep the hype machine going!
does that mean online orders ship on the 29th at 6 pm [meaning on monday, july 2nd]?
...or does that mean att/apple stores won't be shipped phones until 6pm on the 29th, meaning that the earliest we're picking one up in stores is july 2nd???
I go into Address Book and export my contacts to a file on the desktop. Then I do the same thing in iCal with the specific calendars I want. Then I mount my iPod on the desktop as a hard drive and open it. One the top level, there will be a folder for Contacts and another for Calendars. Remove the files that are already there (not the enclosing folder) and just drop in the exported files you created earlier into the appropriately name folder. Unmount the iPod and Viola!, there are all your contacts and calendars on the iPod. No iTunes needed!
Morale of the story, if your programs can export in the .ics (calendar) and .vcf (contact) formats, you can do this the easy way!
What I do to sync is this:
I go into Address Book and export my contacts to a file on the desktop. Then I do the same thing in iCal with the specific calendars I want. Then I mount my iPod on the desktop as a hard drive and open it. One the top level, there will be a folder for Contacts and another for Calendars. Remove the files that are already there (not the enclosing folder) and just drop in the exported files you created earlier into the appropriately name folder. Unmount the iPod and Viola!, there are all your contacts and calendars on the iPod. No iTunes needed!
Morale of the story, if your programs can export in the .ics (calendar) and .vcf (contact) formats, you can do this the easy way!
Exactly! Remember this people!
Morale of the story, if your programs can export in the .ics (calendar) and .vcf (contact) formats, you can do this the easy way!
Ah... there's the rub.
Outlook can 'import' all of these file formats.
But it only allows exporting to CSV or MS applicaiton formats.
If you use Windows at work but Mac at home, the process is much more complicated, involving...
-export at work to csv
-send to home machine (mail, ftp, or on iPod as file) Note, this means iPod/iPhone must be formatted as Windows.
-map fields between file and Address Book/iCal. (And all fields will not necessarily map properly, btw.)
-Sync using itunes.
Apple (or some third party) really has to pause the war long enough to address the majority of Mac home users who use Windows at work.
Ah... there's the rub.
Outlook can 'import' all of these file formats.
But it only allows exporting to CSV or MS applicaiton formats.
If you use Windows at work but Mac at home, the process is much more complicated, involving...
-export at work to csv
-send to home machine (mail, ftp, or on iPod as file) Note, this means iPod/iPhone must be formatted as Windows.
-map fields between file and Address Book/iCal. (And all fields will not necessarily map properly, btw.)
-Sync using itunes.
Apple (or some third party) really has to pause the war long enough to address the majority of Mac home users who use Windows at work.
You mean formated with FAT32. The iPod runs its own OS so formatting as HFS+ or FAT32 isn't a big deal, but the iPhone is OS X. Either Apple will allow OS X to run under FAT32 (which I doubt) or they have created a tool that will allow Windows to see and access HFS+. Are there any other options for the iPhone connecting to Windows?
Parsing out CSV to VCF isn't tough. There are plenty of free tools that will do it. As far as I can tell, Apple is already doing this or they are having multiple configuration possibilities to the iPhone AddressBook. Whatever they do I just hope it's not a one way sync; it would be nice to auto sync your iPhone's new addressbook entries back into Outlook/Outlook Express.
according to the keynote, the phone will start SHIPPING at 6pm on the 29th.
does that mean online orders ship on the 29th at 6 pm [meaning on monday, july 2nd]?
...or does that mean att/apple stores won't be shipped phones until 6pm on the 29th, meaning that the earliest we're picking one up in stores is july 2nd???
He said they would ship the 29th and they would start being sold at 6pm.
By "ship", I am guessing they have somewhat local warehouses around the country they will stock with so they will be in stores by go time. The reason they would do this is to prevent stores from selling them early (like Wii's and PS3's were in some areas)
Walk over to your toilet.
Open wallet.
Empty contents of wallet into toilet.
Flush the toilet.
Is it unreasonable to expect some early info on that? I haven't seen anything from the ATT side of the "cost picture."
What would help me most prepare is some info on the plans ATT will be offering.
Is it unreasonable to expect some early info on that? I haven't seen anything from the ATT side of the "cost picture."
Hear Hear (or is it here here?)
My company has a voice/data plan with Cingular that pools minutes.
I need to know before buying the phone (with my own $$) if I will simply be able to swap in my existing SIM and be on my way.
Anything that requires that my account differ from the corporate account kills the deal for me. And if Cingular doesn't allow that, they've essentially locked out corporate users. I have no say in the voice/data plan.