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View Full Version : The "iPhone/iPod Touch is great but" thread...


maestrowork
03-16-2009, 08:48 PM
I'll start by saying I love my iPhone. It's the first PDA/Smart Phone (and I've owned many) that I really enjoy using, that is very useful. The apps are what make it worthwhile.

But there are so many things that are still not right, and I can't believe after more than 2 firmware and numerous software upgrades, they still haven't fixed them yet.

- the Camera is an afterthought. Gosh, it has one of the worst cameras of all smart phones -- no zoom, no adjustments, no flash, and the shutter button makes it hard to take self-portraits. WTF? And there's absolutely no reason why it can't do videos (some third party "hackware" already does videos on the iPhone).

- the keyboard. I've gotten used to it but the autocorrect is not very useful and downright pathetic (compared to, say, the Blackberry). The keys are too small and I pity people with fat fingers. I am getting used to not having real buttons (no textile feel) but I'd love to have bigger keys. I love the Blackberry's SureType keyboard, which has large keys and a very good dictionary/autocorrect function. Apple can really learn something from RIM.

- Lack of landscape mode except for Safari. WTF? There should be a landsacpe mode for almost everything that requires the keyboard: Mail, Notes, SMS. In fact, I think landscape should be the default for SMS, for example. It just makes more sense.

- iPod controls.... I'm not happy with the iPod controls on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Why do I have to go all the way to "setup" to change the frigging equalizer or iPod setups? It should be easily accessible within iPod. The playlist, etc. are kind of clunky, and there needs to be a better integration with iTune.

- App switching. It's a pain now. You have to quit the app and go back to the Home screen, then switch to another app. So not intuitive and clunky. I know, they want to have just ONE button, and it's cute in concept. But in practice, it's cumbersom. At least have some kind of shortcuts to do app switching.

- No sync for Notes. What? Did they fall asleep when they're designing MobileMe? You can sync email, calendar, address book... but you can't synch your notes and to-do lists? That's absurd.

- Storage. The iPhone needs a capacity upgrade. 16GB is not enough.

maestrowork
03-18-2009, 08:03 PM
I forgot:

- no cut and paste

- no voice memo or audio recorder

- no A2DP support (stereo Bluetooth headphones)

- no peer-to-peer connection (Bluetooth or RF)

- no way to use it as an external modem (without hacking it)

But rejoice! Many things will be fixed or improved in the upcoming iPhone 3.0 release (but not the camera -- seems like it remains an afterthought).

http://www.apple.com/iphone/preview-iphone-os/

Medievalist
03-18-2009, 10:41 PM
There's support for creating apps with cut and paste in SDK 3.0 though . . . which suggests iPhone 3.0 will have it.

maestrowork
03-18-2009, 11:43 PM
There's support for creating apps with cut and paste in SDK 3.0 though . . . which suggests iPhone 3.0 will have it.

Right. If you watched the presentation video, you'd see that they're introducing cut and paste into OS 3.0, and it's available across the board for every app.

samoht9
04-15-2009, 08:50 AM
Old thread, but I had to throw in that for notes you can always use Evernote. Sign up at evernote.com for a free account. Automatically syncs notes to their servers and can be accessed from any computer via the internet or their desktop app if you like. Also has voice recorder notes.

Bluetooth syncing with other phones is going to be implemented in 3.0, but so far I have only heard talk about use for games. Hopefully it adds to that. Although a lot of apps do a good syncing job over wifi as long as you are on the same router at this point.

The external modem thing is because of ATT. I blame the service not the phone itself. IMO not that big of a deal, but I'm not out a lot where I have to have internet on my laptop.

I agree on the dictionary can be a pain and it took forever for me to get it trained well enough. Although I gotta say I hate the keyboard in landscape mode. I have a number of apps that support it and when I access it, it just doesn't feel right. May have gotten too used to portrait mode and can't come back.

Inky
04-15-2009, 04:20 PM
Gah!
In reading this, and that we're on our way back to the states after 10 years of living in Europe, I'll just stick with the original plan & get the kids and I a Blackberry.

They have the iPod touch for all their music needs...but it sounds like the iPod Touch phone is more hassle than it's worth.

Thanks for the insight.

sheadakota
04-15-2009, 05:38 PM
I feel so pathetic and out of touch- I read Ray's post and thought he was posting in a foriegn language- I didn't understand one word-

I have a cell phone- it's, well - a phone. I punch in numbers, I hit send, it calls people.

I have no clue how to even access my voice mail. Pathetic, I know.

Inky
04-15-2009, 05:45 PM
Actually, someone emailed me to lemme know that there now exists a Senior Citizen's Phone--overly large key pad, and simplified...yanno...for those of us that HATE gizmos & want it stupid-simple.

Haggis
04-15-2009, 05:54 PM
What's a cell phone?

Inky
04-15-2009, 06:03 PM
What's a cell phone?
Oh, that's right...you're still using one o' these, ja?

http://www.utahseofirm.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/megaphone1.jpg