Really? My impression is that most people consider iPods sleek and beautiful. So how can something that looks just like an iPod be the ugliest ever? Especially since I've seen some of the ugliest phones ever. 1984 Motorola DynaTAC "brick," anyone?
Yes the ipod looks nice. Now pick it up and speak into it. That's the difference between a phone and an ipod. Besides I bet you that jack and jill user will find that that pretty intimidating to use people like firmilar objects.
Also, how can you compare a 22 year-old phone to today's technology?
Quote:
Originally posted by Kolchak
And how many songs do you actually have on the iPod? A couple of thousand? Do you have that many contacts in your phone? Besides, Apple being Apple, I fully expect they would use iTunes and iPhoto-like folders to give contacts organization. Seems to me your big problem is you don't organize your songs by playlist.
Yes I do, I have TONS of playlists. But the problem is I don't always want to play an entire list sometimes I want a song from 1 list and then after one from another and so on, so yes that ends up making it take time.
Quote:
Originally posted by Kolchak
Only for putting new entries into the phone and dialing new numbers. How often do you do that? The former shouldn't be done from a keypad anyway. It should be synced from your Mac.
I meet all kinds of new people in my day to day life and sometimes need to quickly exchange numbers right then and there because we don't have much time. And I know this happens to other people as well.
Quote:
Originally posted by Kolchak
Are you absolutely certain it would take that much longer than tapping it out with one thumb on a keypad? You're forgetting there are only 26 letters, 10 numbers and only a couple of other symbols. It'd be lot easier to cycle through those than through hundreds of songs, especially if there's an on-screen keyboard display like quadriplegics use. Pushing buttons repeatedly and looking back and forth to the screen to make sure you've pressed the buttons enough times isn't exactly an optimal data entry process itself. At least with the iPod interface, you'd never have to look at the click-wheel. Not that most people care that much about texting anyway.
On my sony ericsson it takes me seconds to use the keypad, I'm not sure what company's phone you're using but the sony ericsson way of doing it is extremely easy and quick.
Also, texting is an important feature that many people use, which is why it's standard on any cell phone these days. Video recording and cameras are not, text and phone are. Especially with the current generation. All the time I see people texting each other, in all kinds of places. Text messaging is a big deal.
Another problem with the ipod and especially in small lists(like your alpha and number rows) is over shooting. Alot of people while trying to be quick actually slow themselves down because when you move your finger faster while not percisely looking you'll go further than you needed to scroll and then have to scroll back, and sometimes you go back 1 too many, it gets frustrating, I've seen quite a few people do it. I can see this happening with a numbers and letters especially.
Also I think it's funny that you only commented on 1/3 of my post. What about my solution to what I considered the problems? It's pretty unfair to hate on my opinion and not pay attention to my solution, which may be way better than the orignal idea that I didn't like. Looks like you don't want to consider the fact that my idea might be a bit better than yours.
One again the arrogance of Apple computer shines through here. Apple believes it can take on the mobile phone companies who dominate everything. If they piss off motorola, then motorola can go to the other companies and say "look Apple is going to try to attack us all.." and then gang up by getting all the carries on board with iradio, which would be bad for Apple. The carriers REALLY do have the ability to completely lock Apple out of the phone business, and Apple has no respect for that.
I imagine the other phone companies would look at Zander somewhat quizzically and say...
"You're an ass Zander, your phones are a joke, your technology too old and you let Apple walk all over you last time."
Then Nokia would get back to implementing Apple's WebKit browser technology across the rest of their phones.
Yes the ipod looks nice. Now pick it up and speak into it. That's the difference between a phone and an ipod. Besides I bet you that jack and jill user will find that that pretty intimidating to use people like firmilar objects.
Also, how can you compare a 22 year-old phone to today's technology?
Hmm. Interesting. I guess "ugliest...phone ever" wouldn't include something from 1984. What an interesting definition of "ever."
Quote:
Yes I do, I have TONS of playlists. But the problem is I don't always want to play an entire list sometimes I want a song from 1 list and then after one from another and so on, so yes that ends up making it take time.
So you're saying it would be better if the iPod abandoned the clickwheel and included a keypad so you can just quickly tap in the first few letters of the song title. Quick, tell the mp3 player manufacturers your idea so they can come out with the iPod killer.
Quote:
I meet all kinds of new people in my day to day life and sometimes need to quickly exchange numbers right then and there because we don't have much time. And I know this happens to other people as well. On my sony ericsson it takes me seconds to use the keypad, I'm not sure what company's phone you're using but the sony ericsson way of doing it is extremely easy and quick.
I'm using a PDA phone that has Microsoft Windows Mobile. So opening my contacts, entering new info and organizing it is likely even easier than with your Sony.
Quote:
Also, texting is an important feature that many people use, which is why it's standard on any cell phone these days. Video recording and cameras are not, text and phone are. Especially with the current generation. All the time I see people texting each other, in all kinds of places. Text messaging is a big deal.
Just because a feature is standard doesn't mean it's because everybody wants it. It's standard because the cell carriers know they can make big bucks off yet another feature that they can charge for. Verizon charges 10¢ per message inbound or outbound with no allowances built into your calling plan. That can add up if they can make everybody use it, and they know the clueless kids will.
Quote:
Another problem with the ipod and especially in small lists(like your alpha and number rows) is over shooting. Alot of people while trying to be quick actually slow themselves down because when you move your finger faster while not percisely looking you'll go further than you needed to scroll and then have to scroll back, and sometimes you go back 1 too many, it gets frustrating, I've seen quite a few people do it. I can see this happening with a numbers and letters especially.
Which is where the clickwheel shines and why no other mp3 player has ever matched the iPod's ease of use. The fact is that it is easy to compensate for overshoot, assuming you're clumsy enough to let it happen in the first place. Most people who've ever been even half-decent with a video game won't have the problem.
Quote:
Also I think it's funny that you only commented on 1/3 of my post. What about my solution to what I considered the problems? It's pretty unfair to hate on my opinion and not pay attention to my solution, which may be way better than the orignal idea that I didn't like. Looks like you don't want to consider the fact that my idea might be a bit better than yours.
Or maybe I just didn't like it enough to even address it? You're not exactly using everything I wrote either. For instance, you mock me above with "speak into the iPod." Apparently you didn't notice that I wrote in my first post that the earbuds should include a microphone boom, which means you wouldn't have to do any such thing.
Hmm. Interesting. I guess "ugliest...phone ever" wouldn't include something from 1984. What an interesting definition of "ever."
You know what I meant. You're just nit picking. If I called a pontiac sunfire the ugliest car ever would that be true? No obviously not, some old model-T or whatever would beat it but no one drives those just like how no one uses a cell phone from the 1980's. So fine if you must nit pick.
That would be the ugliest phone in today's market and most likely in current memory.
Quote:
Originally posted by Kolchak
So you're saying it would be better if the iPod abandoned the clickwheel and included a keypad so you can just quickly tap in the first few letters of the song title. Quick, tell the mp3 player manufacturers your idea so they can come out with the iPod killer.
When the hell did I say that or even imply it? I'm talking about using a god damn phone not an mp3 player.
The part you quoted didn't mention a friggin' keypad or that something was wrong with the ipod's design.
All did was respond to your comment about my lack of playlists. I said it takes a while to go between playlists from song to song. That's a fact. I don't have a problem with it, but I would have a problem with navigating that same way on a cell phone. Which is the whole point of my arguement.
Quote:
Originally posted by Kolchak
I'm using a PDA phone that has Microsoft Windows Mobile. So opening my contacts, entering new info and organizing it is likely even easier than with your Sony.
That would have a seperate keypad for typing which is nothing like the average cell phone so how are you even speaking on an experience you don't even go through? And you'd suggest that your keypad should be replaced with a click wheel?
Quote:
Originally posted by Kolchak
Just because a feature is standard doesn't mean it's because everybody wants it. It's standard because the cell carriers know they can make big bucks off yet another feature that they can charge for. Verizon charges 10¢ per message inbound or outbound with no allowances built into your calling plan. That can add up if they can make everybody use it, and they know the clueless kids will.
Hey guess what? If nobody wants it then nobody is using it, which means they would be wasting money implimenting a feature no one really wants. A service meets a demand, if there weren't people willing to text message time and money would not be wasted offering it. Obviously text messages are in big enough demand that cell phones and cell companies MUST provide it. Who cares what age group is using, how much it costs and why. They ARE using it. No companies MAKE people use it they WANT to and NEED to, which is why companies can charge what they please. It's dumb to think somehow cell phone companies force people to text message each other. Do cell phones only allow calling at certain times of the day and the rest of the day they can only text message? No. People text message when they want IF they want to. I don't know how your suggesting people are being forced into anything. If you don't want to spend your 10cents don't.
Also I love the biased example of Verizon. Because everyone opertates just like them right? I can recieve text messages for free. And send them for free to anyone on with my provider. Which just so happens to include my girlfriend, the only person I ever really need to text message anyways. If I need to text someone else maybe I'll spend the dime if it's worth it to me so what 10cents once or twice a month isn't a big deal. Also text messages can be bought in packages and bundles if you know you'll be sending that much, some plans can even give you unlimited text messages. The point is there are options.
Quote:
Originally posted by Kolchak
Which is where the clickwheel shines and why no other mp3 player has ever matched the iPod's ease of use. The fact is that it is easy to compensate for overshoot, assuming you're clumsy enough to let it happen in the first place. Most people who've ever been even half-decent with a video game won't have the problem.
It isn't about clumsiness it's about the software not moving as fast as you do, so when it stops it stops a bit too far. Plus it's called making a mistake, people do that.
Quote:
Originally posted by Kolchak
Or maybe I just didn't like it enough to even address it? You're not exactly using everything I wrote either. For instance, you mock me above with "speak into the iPod." Apparently you didn't notice that I wrote in my first post that the earbuds should include a microphone boom, which means you wouldn't have to do any such thing.
Any worthwhile phone also has to have the option to speak into the phone it's self. What if you loose your headpiece or forget it? What if it breaks? Every phone has to offer the ability to speak into it, if you can speak into a treo you'd better be able to speak into an iPhone. If not they should call it:
"iPod with phone headpiece"
And while you didn't like my idea I can almost guarantee you that's much closer to what the iphone will be like.
One again the arrogance of Apple computer shines through here. Apple believes it can take on the mobile phone companies who dominate everything. If they piss off motorola, then motorola can go to the other companies and say "look Apple is going to try to attack us all.." and then gang up by getting all the carries on board with iradio, which would be bad for Apple. The carriers REALLY do have the ability to completely lock Apple out of the phone business, and Apple has no respect for that.
Yes, Apple needs carriers, unless it starts its own wireless business. That would be quite an undertaking. Can't see that hapening yet.
I hope Apple gets to dealing with Verizon. Here comes one user request to Verizon. The thing with these carriers is that they desire customers, and so if there were an Apple phone, I would think that there are carriers who would want it. When I ask about Blackberries for carriers around here, they are not deaf to such queries. We don't have to just accept what someone wants to force us to have.
Yes, Ecking, about Verizon you are right, they like to charge for text messages.
Ummm...after a year of using my Sanyo, I must say the Motorola OS on my Razor is vastly superior. Teh only complaint I have is I cant have one contact entry with many phone numbers, other than that, it is perfect, wheres the downfall? what have I not seen?
I have a Sanyo SCP-4900 (I think) and it is an excellent phone. I never turn it off and it still lasts for over a week, though I don't talk on it much. It has taken a lot of abuse too. In terms of reception, it was the carrier's best phone. The phone was easily better than any of my family's Moto phones in terms of reliability and quality.
Yes, Apple needs carriers, unless it starts its own wireless business. That would be quite an undertaking. Can't see that hapening yet.
Apple wouldn't need to be its own real carrier. My understanding is that it is possible to start a virtual carrier, I understand that Disney has a wireless service but without having to build an infrastructure.
Are you absolutely certain it would take that much longer than tapping it out with one thumb on a keypad? You're forgetting there are only 26 letters, 10 numbers and only a couple of other symbols. It'd be lot easier to cycle through those than through hundreds of songs, especially if there's an on-screen keyboard display like quadriplegics use. Pushing buttons repeatedly and looking back and forth to the screen to make sure you've pressed the buttons enough times isn't exactly an optimal data entry process itself. At least with the iPod interface, you'd never have to look at the click-wheel. Not that most people care that much about texting anyway.
Yes they do. Texting is only just taking off in the states. It's massive in europe. Most phones now have predictive texting anyway, so you don't have to type each key 3 times to get a letter. The orginal reply to your post was very accurate and in line with usability.
Originally posted by Kolchak Just because a feature is standard doesn't mean it's because everybody wants it. It's standard because the cell carriers know they can make big bucks off yet another feature that they can charge for. Verizon charges 10¢ per message inbound or outbound with no allowances built into your calling plan. That can add up if they can make everybody use it, and they know the clueless kids will.
[/B]
Here in the developed world though, ie. Europe, most plans come with hundreds and possibly thousands of free SMS messages and it costs nothing to receive them. Ad you can text people on other networks and even text to landlines. Most people use SMS daily, sometimes more than they actually use voice. An iPhone without good texting would be about as popular as a fart in an elevator.
In Australia, texting costs 25 cents PER 160 characters. The telcos make hundreds of millions in profit every year.
But it's much cheaper than voice calls, which are on most telcos charged per 30 seconds (some are 1 second), etc. Different telcos = different offers and plans/bundles.
I'd love to see an 'iPhone' with good features (i.e. excellent UI- something Apple are extremely good at), and a simple design. Something snazzy, slim, and sexy. A clickwheel would be pretty nifty, if done right.
Comments
Originally posted by Kolchak
Really? My impression is that most people consider iPods sleek and beautiful. So how can something that looks just like an iPod be the ugliest ever? Especially since I've seen some of the ugliest phones ever. 1984 Motorola DynaTAC "brick," anyone?
Yes the ipod looks nice. Now pick it up and speak into it. That's the difference between a phone and an ipod. Besides I bet you that jack and jill user will find that that pretty intimidating to use people like firmilar objects.
Also, how can you compare a 22 year-old phone to today's technology?
Originally posted by Kolchak
And how many songs do you actually have on the iPod? A couple of thousand? Do you have that many contacts in your phone? Besides, Apple being Apple, I fully expect they would use iTunes and iPhoto-like folders to give contacts organization. Seems to me your big problem is you don't organize your songs by playlist.
Yes I do, I have TONS of playlists. But the problem is I don't always want to play an entire list sometimes I want a song from 1 list and then after one from another and so on, so yes that ends up making it take time.
Originally posted by Kolchak
Only for putting new entries into the phone and dialing new numbers. How often do you do that? The former shouldn't be done from a keypad anyway. It should be synced from your Mac.
I meet all kinds of new people in my day to day life and sometimes need to quickly exchange numbers right then and there because we don't have much time. And I know this happens to other people as well.
Originally posted by Kolchak
Are you absolutely certain it would take that much longer than tapping it out with one thumb on a keypad? You're forgetting there are only 26 letters, 10 numbers and only a couple of other symbols. It'd be lot easier to cycle through those than through hundreds of songs, especially if there's an on-screen keyboard display like quadriplegics use. Pushing buttons repeatedly and looking back and forth to the screen to make sure you've pressed the buttons enough times isn't exactly an optimal data entry process itself. At least with the iPod interface, you'd never have to look at the click-wheel. Not that most people care that much about texting anyway.
On my sony ericsson it takes me seconds to use the keypad, I'm not sure what company's phone you're using but the sony ericsson way of doing it is extremely easy and quick.
Also, texting is an important feature that many people use, which is why it's standard on any cell phone these days. Video recording and cameras are not, text and phone are. Especially with the current generation. All the time I see people texting each other, in all kinds of places. Text messaging is a big deal.
Another problem with the ipod and especially in small lists(like your alpha and number rows) is over shooting. Alot of people while trying to be quick actually slow themselves down because when you move your finger faster while not percisely looking you'll go further than you needed to scroll and then have to scroll back, and sometimes you go back 1 too many, it gets frustrating, I've seen quite a few people do it. I can see this happening with a numbers and letters especially.
Also I think it's funny that you only commented on 1/3 of my post. What about my solution to what I considered the problems? It's pretty unfair to hate on my opinion and not pay attention to my solution, which may be way better than the orignal idea that I didn't like. Looks like you don't want to consider the fact that my idea might be a bit better than yours.
Originally posted by webmail
One again the arrogance of Apple computer shines through here. Apple believes it can take on the mobile phone companies who dominate everything. If they piss off motorola, then motorola can go to the other companies and say "look Apple is going to try to attack us all.." and then gang up by getting all the carries on board with iradio, which would be bad for Apple. The carriers REALLY do have the ability to completely lock Apple out of the phone business, and Apple has no respect for that.
I imagine the other phone companies would look at Zander somewhat quizzically and say...
"You're an ass Zander, your phones are a joke, your technology too old and you let Apple walk all over you last time."
Then Nokia would get back to implementing Apple's WebKit browser technology across the rest of their phones.
Originally posted by ecking
Yes the ipod looks nice. Now pick it up and speak into it. That's the difference between a phone and an ipod. Besides I bet you that jack and jill user will find that that pretty intimidating to use people like firmilar objects.
Also, how can you compare a 22 year-old phone to today's technology?
Hmm. Interesting. I guess "ugliest...phone ever" wouldn't include something from 1984. What an interesting definition of "ever."
Yes I do, I have TONS of playlists. But the problem is I don't always want to play an entire list sometimes I want a song from 1 list and then after one from another and so on, so yes that ends up making it take time.
So you're saying it would be better if the iPod abandoned the clickwheel and included a keypad so you can just quickly tap in the first few letters of the song title. Quick, tell the mp3 player manufacturers your idea so they can come out with the iPod killer.
I meet all kinds of new people in my day to day life and sometimes need to quickly exchange numbers right then and there because we don't have much time. And I know this happens to other people as well. On my sony ericsson it takes me seconds to use the keypad, I'm not sure what company's phone you're using but the sony ericsson way of doing it is extremely easy and quick.
I'm using a PDA phone that has Microsoft Windows Mobile. So opening my contacts, entering new info and organizing it is likely even easier than with your Sony.
Also, texting is an important feature that many people use, which is why it's standard on any cell phone these days. Video recording and cameras are not, text and phone are. Especially with the current generation. All the time I see people texting each other, in all kinds of places. Text messaging is a big deal.
Just because a feature is standard doesn't mean it's because everybody wants it. It's standard because the cell carriers know they can make big bucks off yet another feature that they can charge for. Verizon charges 10¢ per message inbound or outbound with no allowances built into your calling plan. That can add up if they can make everybody use it, and they know the clueless kids will.
Another problem with the ipod and especially in small lists(like your alpha and number rows) is over shooting. Alot of people while trying to be quick actually slow themselves down because when you move your finger faster while not percisely looking you'll go further than you needed to scroll and then have to scroll back, and sometimes you go back 1 too many, it gets frustrating, I've seen quite a few people do it. I can see this happening with a numbers and letters especially.
Which is where the clickwheel shines and why no other mp3 player has ever matched the iPod's ease of use. The fact is that it is easy to compensate for overshoot, assuming you're clumsy enough to let it happen in the first place. Most people who've ever been even half-decent with a video game won't have the problem.
Also I think it's funny that you only commented on 1/3 of my post. What about my solution to what I considered the problems? It's pretty unfair to hate on my opinion and not pay attention to my solution, which may be way better than the orignal idea that I didn't like. Looks like you don't want to consider the fact that my idea might be a bit better than yours.
Or maybe I just didn't like it enough to even address it? You're not exactly using everything I wrote either. For instance, you mock me above with "speak into the iPod." Apparently you didn't notice that I wrote in my first post that the earbuds should include a microphone boom, which means you wouldn't have to do any such thing.
Originally posted by Kolchak
Hmm. Interesting. I guess "ugliest...phone ever" wouldn't include something from 1984. What an interesting definition of "ever."
You know what I meant. You're just nit picking. If I called a pontiac sunfire the ugliest car ever would that be true? No obviously not, some old model-T or whatever would beat it but no one drives those just like how no one uses a cell phone from the 1980's. So fine if you must nit pick.
That would be the ugliest phone in today's market and most likely in current memory.
Originally posted by Kolchak
So you're saying it would be better if the iPod abandoned the clickwheel and included a keypad so you can just quickly tap in the first few letters of the song title. Quick, tell the mp3 player manufacturers your idea so they can come out with the iPod killer.
When the hell did I say that or even imply it? I'm talking about using a god damn phone not an mp3 player.
The part you quoted didn't mention a friggin' keypad or that something was wrong with the ipod's design.
All did was respond to your comment about my lack of playlists. I said it takes a while to go between playlists from song to song. That's a fact. I don't have a problem with it, but I would have a problem with navigating that same way on a cell phone. Which is the whole point of my arguement.
Originally posted by Kolchak
I'm using a PDA phone that has Microsoft Windows Mobile. So opening my contacts, entering new info and organizing it is likely even easier than with your Sony.
That would have a seperate keypad for typing which is nothing like the average cell phone so how are you even speaking on an experience you don't even go through? And you'd suggest that your keypad should be replaced with a click wheel?
Originally posted by Kolchak
Just because a feature is standard doesn't mean it's because everybody wants it. It's standard because the cell carriers know they can make big bucks off yet another feature that they can charge for. Verizon charges 10¢ per message inbound or outbound with no allowances built into your calling plan. That can add up if they can make everybody use it, and they know the clueless kids will.
Hey guess what? If nobody wants it then nobody is using it, which means they would be wasting money implimenting a feature no one really wants. A service meets a demand, if there weren't people willing to text message time and money would not be wasted offering it. Obviously text messages are in big enough demand that cell phones and cell companies MUST provide it. Who cares what age group is using, how much it costs and why. They ARE using it. No companies MAKE people use it they WANT to and NEED to, which is why companies can charge what they please. It's dumb to think somehow cell phone companies force people to text message each other. Do cell phones only allow calling at certain times of the day and the rest of the day they can only text message? No. People text message when they want IF they want to. I don't know how your suggesting people are being forced into anything. If you don't want to spend your 10cents don't.
Also I love the biased example of Verizon. Because everyone opertates just like them right? I can recieve text messages for free. And send them for free to anyone on with my provider. Which just so happens to include my girlfriend, the only person I ever really need to text message anyways. If I need to text someone else maybe I'll spend the dime if it's worth it to me so what 10cents once or twice a month isn't a big deal. Also text messages can be bought in packages and bundles if you know you'll be sending that much, some plans can even give you unlimited text messages. The point is there are options.
Originally posted by Kolchak
Which is where the clickwheel shines and why no other mp3 player has ever matched the iPod's ease of use. The fact is that it is easy to compensate for overshoot, assuming you're clumsy enough to let it happen in the first place. Most people who've ever been even half-decent with a video game won't have the problem.
It isn't about clumsiness it's about the software not moving as fast as you do, so when it stops it stops a bit too far. Plus it's called making a mistake, people do that.
Originally posted by Kolchak
Or maybe I just didn't like it enough to even address it? You're not exactly using everything I wrote either. For instance, you mock me above with "speak into the iPod." Apparently you didn't notice that I wrote in my first post that the earbuds should include a microphone boom, which means you wouldn't have to do any such thing.
Any worthwhile phone also has to have the option to speak into the phone it's self. What if you loose your headpiece or forget it? What if it breaks? Every phone has to offer the ability to speak into it, if you can speak into a treo you'd better be able to speak into an iPhone. If not they should call it:
"iPod with phone headpiece"
And while you didn't like my idea I can almost guarantee you that's much closer to what the iphone will be like.
Originally posted by webmail
One again the arrogance of Apple computer shines through here. Apple believes it can take on the mobile phone companies who dominate everything. If they piss off motorola, then motorola can go to the other companies and say "look Apple is going to try to attack us all.." and then gang up by getting all the carries on board with iradio, which would be bad for Apple. The carriers REALLY do have the ability to completely lock Apple out of the phone business, and Apple has no respect for that.
Yes, Apple needs carriers, unless it starts its own wireless business. That would be quite an undertaking. Can't see that hapening yet.
I hope Apple gets to dealing with Verizon. Here comes one user request to Verizon. The thing with these carriers is that they desire customers, and so if there were an Apple phone, I would think that there are carriers who would want it. When I ask about Blackberries for carriers around here, they are not deaf to such queries. We don't have to just accept what someone wants to force us to have.
Yes, Ecking, about Verizon you are right, they like to charge for text messages.
Originally posted by a_greer
Ummm...after a year of using my Sanyo, I must say the Motorola OS on my Razor is vastly superior. Teh only complaint I have is I cant have one contact entry with many phone numbers, other than that, it is perfect, wheres the downfall? what have I not seen?
I have a Sanyo SCP-4900 (I think) and it is an excellent phone. I never turn it off and it still lasts for over a week, though I don't talk on it much. It has taken a lot of abuse too. In terms of reception, it was the carrier's best phone. The phone was easily better than any of my family's Moto phones in terms of reliability and quality.
Originally posted by NordicMan
Yes, Apple needs carriers, unless it starts its own wireless business. That would be quite an undertaking. Can't see that hapening yet.
Apple wouldn't need to be its own real carrier. My understanding is that it is possible to start a virtual carrier, I understand that Disney has a wireless service but without having to build an infrastructure.
Originally posted by Kolchak
Are you absolutely certain it would take that much longer than tapping it out with one thumb on a keypad? You're forgetting there are only 26 letters, 10 numbers and only a couple of other symbols. It'd be lot easier to cycle through those than through hundreds of songs, especially if there's an on-screen keyboard display like quadriplegics use. Pushing buttons repeatedly and looking back and forth to the screen to make sure you've pressed the buttons enough times isn't exactly an optimal data entry process itself. At least with the iPod interface, you'd never have to look at the click-wheel. Not that most people care that much about texting anyway.
Yes they do. Texting is only just taking off in the states. It's massive in europe. Most phones now have predictive texting anyway, so you don't have to type each key 3 times to get a letter. The orginal reply to your post was very accurate and in line with usability.
Originally posted by Kolchak Just because a feature is standard doesn't mean it's because everybody wants it. It's standard because the cell carriers know they can make big bucks off yet another feature that they can charge for. Verizon charges 10¢ per message inbound or outbound with no allowances built into your calling plan. That can add up if they can make everybody use it, and they know the clueless kids will.
[/B]
Here in the developed world though, ie. Europe, most plans come with hundreds and possibly thousands of free SMS messages and it costs nothing to receive them. Ad you can text people on other networks and even text to landlines. Most people use SMS daily, sometimes more than they actually use voice. An iPhone without good texting would be about as popular as a fart in an elevator.
But it's much cheaper than voice calls, which are on most telcos charged per 30 seconds (some are 1 second), etc. Different telcos = different offers and plans/bundles.
I'd love to see an 'iPhone' with good features (i.e. excellent UI- something Apple are extremely good at), and a simple design. Something snazzy, slim, and sexy. A clickwheel would be pretty nifty, if done right.