I’ve had a few days with an iPhone and I’m very impressed with the form factor and the interface, not so impressed with ATT’s service options, a skinny features set, and so I have to list what I hope will show up in a subsequent system update.

I’m hoping a software update is forthcoming.
I’d like to see:
Ipod music manual management, drag and drop
The iPod on the iPhone doees not behave like an iPod. It should. This is not a “little brother” like the shuffle,
It should be a full featured ipod.

Better Dock connector support
(my monster cable will only charge but not route audio
through the connector..as does my 3 g ipod) I should be able to play this iPod through my computer and my
monster ipod adapter.

Some software tools for the camera pre-photo capture.
The camera is nice, but it would be better if you could dabble with exposure controls a bit. Since there’s no flash,
this would help in the available light situations.

A widget manager for new software, and a way to turn off software I don’t want.
Uh SMS? I’d rather have ichat….can’t I just get rid of it?

Newton Style Speech and Text tools….
I want Victoria or Fred to read me my calendar. Drag and Drop clipboard and selection. A better keyboard or
incorporate configurable gestures.

Other Stuff
File management. Bluetooth Sync. Disk mounting. Network browsing, Printing, Flash support, RSS support.

I’ll add more as I think of them…
This is an OSX based machine, so I would think Pages and Keynote (maybe mini versions of such) would find their way
here…

-that’s all for now-
owl

With the Boston Stores sold out of iPhones by July 4th, I took a look at the scammers on craigslist selling
4 gig units for 600 or 700 dollars (delivered):

“Have extra unopened 8GB iPhone I bought for my twin sister who no longer wants it. I went to the Apple store yesterday and they said the 8GBs are sold out so don’t wait and get it ASAP. Can meet you in Watertown or Harvard Square.”

And Ebay’s listings are mind boggling….this certainly reminds me of a Christmas Season when I worked at Bradlee’s (now Target in Watertown) and all world was needing,wanting despairing for that Ugly Cabbage Patch
Doll for little Judy. I remember the store had a shipment of like one box. (10?20? but only 5 were put out
by the staff, the Manager and the Department managers scooped up the rest before they hit the floors)
Meanwhile, in the holiday rush people were offering gobs of $$ to have these horrid things by Xmas.

At least the iPhone doesn’t come with a Birth Certificate and Adoption record…

The big blog spiel right now (folks who really want one, but their store is sold out….) is the ultimate put-down
for Apple: “I’m waiting for version 2″ . Will there even be a Version 2? Hmmm. Methinks the geek/goon speculation index is being influence by the Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field. I suppose the next version will have a 32 gigabyte sshd, a pedometer, A tachyon particle analyzer, Mammography sensor and Cigarette Smoker detector.
I’m sheepishly on the fence about the iPhone, yes i want one, no I don’t want to spend the money.
FYI, remember today’s iPhone is tomorrow’s pet rock.

Just to put in another good word about the defunct Newton. I did email on it, I had terminal services on it, I had a web Browser on it. Data was pervasive as were some fundamental apps (like address book). But even better was when i started it thing up it would tell me :” July 5th 2007, No meetings today, no events today”
This is something today’s iPhone doesn’t do (maybe in a software rev…) This was 10 years ago!

jeez…..

Before this iPhone thing appears lets review the known info (with my comments in parentheses)

Screen size = 3.5 inches (larger than my current phone with a 2″ screen -nokia 6030- and much thinner)

Screen resolution= 320 by 480 at 160 ppi (nokia is 128×128….and very ugly and dim)

Input method = Multi-touch (great! can’t wait for this..)

Operating system = OS X (10.5 that is…)

Storage = 4GB or 8GB (would you be surprised if a 16 gig one showed up as well?)

GSM= Quad-band (MHz: 850, 900, 1800, 1900) (apparently ATT is beefing up the network)

Wireless data=Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) + EDGE + Bluetooth 2.0 (Wifi!! Bluetooth 2.0 spec is low powered w/up to 2mbs, possibly, 3mbs data rate)

Camera = 2.0 megapixels (perfect for capturing a moment without superceding your regular camera with better resolution)

Battery

Up to 5 hours = Talk / Video / Browsing (I hope the power connector is small and light)

Up to 16 hours = Audio playback (hmmm, i don’t plan to keep a lot of music on this phone)

Dimensions = 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches / 115 x 61 x 11.6mm (nokia is 4.09 x 1.73 x 0.71 inches)

Weight = 4.8 ounces / 135 grams ( nokia is 3.17 Ounces)

Some other stuff you may not realize about this iPhone and some of my personal speculation.

1)There will be a bluetooth earpiece..not sure if it will ship included or is extra, but it will also be Bleeding Edge Technology.
Bluetooth 2 also means keyboards, and concurrent use with multiple devices.

2) WiFi on this thing is a big deal…so are widgets…so is OS X. A Beefy version of this device will more than replace your
“got to get back to my computer” syndrome for appropriate email response. After I tried setting up WAP and then paying for the
enhanced data stuff for my nokia…it was a terrible terrible eexperience which didn’t work (and doesn’t) work as described.
I wonder if streaming radio will be supported….i wonder if Flip4mac will be on the iPhone…Lots of questions and lots
of potential developer opportunities.

3) Everybody is very hot on this interactive Touch technology and I’m sure Apple will give us an excellent device with a great
interface we will all love (and it will get better- think 1st gen ipod ->5th gen ipod-this is a 1st gen iPhone)
But since this is OSX and OSX has a great amount of Universal Access behavior built in. This is one of the other ways to input and
control stuff on your Mac. So am I out of line to predict some kind of voice interface in the iPhone. The combined forces of Voice/Touch input
and control intrigues me a lot. In my car -driving around with Janis singing “Mercedes Benz” say the iphone rings- and annouces “It’s Steve Jobs” , then i could say “Voice Mail” and it would send the call to voicemail, and put me back to my Janis tune.
If I said “answer” it would put me through. maybe i could tap the screen to answer as well…my current phone i either
pick it up or let it go to mail -MANUALLY turning down the radio first.

4) Big Readable buttons… The worst parts of the Nokia are the little buttons and the tiny dim and ugly screen. With a touch interface and big high res screen you’re going to see a HUGE difference in handling this phone from the get go. The old Tactile interfaces are great (like a
touchtone phone or a typewriter- they are something we had to “adapt” to)and with the touch interface there is potential for some interesting customizations (more likely if a widescreen ipod with wifi comes out as well) .
I agree with Mr. Jobs, that care would be needed in the developer tools so as not to screw up the phone integration. But Widgets are a particularly docile environment to program interfaces with. You can build a widget in about 5 minutes with Apples dev tools. So for the iPhone- expect a bit of HUI customization.

5) I held out to get a cell phone until last May..when I thought a surprise iPhone would show up…(and indeed the Motorola version was like
a .5 version) but the Cingular folks were singular in their ineptitude about how the web stuff was supposed to work (MEdia net is a joke).
There is nothing worse than having a device that can’t do ALL the things it’s supposed to do. In my small world, a survey looking for anyone who uses all the features of their Treo or Blackberry comes up with nobody…including me… who has the time and patience to deal with
the issues these devices create in trying to do what they advertise them as. They all suck. Convergence devices suck. period.
This is the attitude Apple has had since the days of the (wonderful) Newton (R.I.P.). They are right. But I think the market for USEFUL
portability of Messaging and Phones-calendars/contacts/simple information -is here although there are a wide range of devices
few are actually useful outside their initial function as a phone (or a texting device). Thanks to Apple the “Groupthink” of the device makers
will change!- because when the iPhone rolls out this month it will blow away the competition feature wise.

Meanwhile, my contract with Cingular (and my Nokia battery is falky) is up so I’m ready to renew with “ATT” (as they are called now)
and get MY iPhone (when available).

-owl

Apple’s Leopard delay announcement (delaying 10.5 OS release until October and devoting resources to finish up work on the iPhone’s upcoming (now late) June release) is causing a lot of consternation in the press and various blogs. The stock dropped a couple percentage points (hey folks, a good time to BUY). A lot of boo-hoo-hooing amongst the bleeding edgers and, I’ll admit to this, plans for workgroup
upgrades are getting reorganized.

Traditionally Apple has rolled stuff out on a fairly regular basis and as I’ve mentioned before about the iPhone, announcements without
products has not been their traditional (though it has happened) M.O.

So here’s a little bit of my imagination working overtime in trying to predict what Apple is up to:

1) iPhone will show up in June with LOTS of press and becomes a smash hit right out of the gate- (i know I want one…yipes..and I hate cellphones)

2) We will see some Amazing hardware come out. Many Apple products are due for a facelift: iMacs, Mac Mini,a touch screen laptop, new displays, a small business server, and and update of AppleTV should show up by August.

3) We’ll have a Leopard beta at the WWDC, but I would imagine an official release will happen well before October. The 6ish month
delay is a long time, and also- new hardware with new OS is probably better delivered before Schoolyear 2007-8 . Servers need
to be in place (oh yeah an update to Apple server would be nice- how about a mini-server with upto 3 tb and expansion>)

4) if the above is not possible with new hardware- how about a “Leopard Pass” that gets you the OS for 5$. (Ever notice those “proof of Purchase” coupons that come with your hardware? Let’s use ’em!)

5) Application updates are waiting for 10.5; iLife- iWork (with the xl killer), Logic Pro, –this would be nice…can we get them this summer?

We are not suffering with Tiger though-no matter what happens from here on with delivery schedules and announcements (Final Cut Studio 2 and Server look very powerful indeed) Tiger works very very well. And subsequent OS’s need to be as (or more) stable than
what Tiger is right now.

Don’t hold your breath- breathe easy –

I updated to WP 2.1.1 and it flummoxxed up the theme i was using…so i spent most of
yesterday trying to make it work. In the end I had to update WP to 2.1.2 by hand…
(which is real easy, just don’t replace your content folder and keep your wp-config.php
on hand) and then i went to the new widget/default theme until i find or create a theme
i like. I had used Semiologic but there’s something wierd about the Bluehost sql
and some of the Semiologic stuff….
That’s all for now!

Here’s an excerpt and a link to an interesting comment… (Hey I’m slashdotting slashdot here….) in which the subject matter is that Linus Torvalds submitted code fixes to the Gnome folks in response to their whining about his complaints
about it. Mr Torvalds did the right thing here. Hilariously, the classic invocation
of
Godwin’s law is also mentioned about the link.

Mr. Peter Anonymous makes an interesting point vis-a-vis the Apple VS Orange cliche.

Linux.com | Linus fires latest shot in GNOME Wars

Apples and oranges Neutral

By
Anonymous Reader on 2007.02.16 16:38 #95914

I find it very annoying the the (sic) apple developers fail to provide many of the features that have been standard with oranges for years. For example in oranges there is a very hand segment feature which allows the fruit to be broken up into small convenient bite size peaces. With apples the only way to do this is to use a third party utility such as a knife. I have tried to submit patches to get segments into apples but the developers arnt interested telling me that it is just to much the orange way and thats not the way apples are. Against this kind of mentality what can you do. Lets not even get on to oranges convenient juice feature and how hard it is to get juice out of apples. Hint requires a full application suit.Peter

Finally the Apple iPhone is announced…so all we have to do is wait for it to be released in June. I’m not going to talk about
price point- everyone knows that phone purchases may be subsidized by Cingular, and fortunately my Cingular
contract runs out in May -just in time to update my Phone (a Nokia 6030) – to an Apple phone. It looks stunning, and it does
ask the question of where doth Apple head with these things. Apple is unique in acquiring technologies and really absorbing
the details in order to present the technology to the public in an Apple-y way. the iPhone a phone reinvented with
some very cool technology attributed to it (Elegant design and Elegant user interface is what Apple is all about- eh?) might
help the Apple bottom line in promoting more “halo” effects and associations for Apple devices.
For instance, Apple TV- now I’m not entirely convinced this is what the consumer needs or wants. It stands out as a new device capable of streaming video and funneling the digital home’s media to a TV. And i think one would want the new Airport Extreme box as well along with this. But clearly this stands to have Apple really bring on the Movies and tv shows- it would have to find a place along with cable and fios tv or HDnet content and digital satillite. I was hoping the Apple TV was a router as well but it’s not.

Still, I’m ready to buy these things now- but we have to wait a month for these to show up- (and six months for the Phone) which i think is the first time Apple has announced a complete line of Vaporware….this to me – is disconcerting- My feelings
right now for Apple are mixed- excited that they have new products- but dissappointed that they aren’t available as they
are announced- traditionally a huge advantage for Apple’s surprise tactics of super secrecy and revelation at MacWorld.

So the iPhone announcement- last weeks’ loose secret with lots of speculation attached to it- is this weeks’ gotta wait for it
device- I’m not sure of the point Steve Jobs is trying to make by not having these items available today in the Apple stores.
I HATE waiting for technology that is announced but not quite available. Apple is so secret in advertising upcoming products and features of these things- this continued wait for actual in hand product is frustrating to me and my customer base who, right now,
need these “rumored” products and will go elsewhere (to other vendors)-because these products are weeks away.
it all sounds good, Apple- but put out the hardware!!