macnews.net.tc
2007-02-13
Even more iPhone thoughts...
Certainly, the iPhone (Apple's, of course) has long been anticipated, and like _any_ person interested in everything Apple, I'm glad Apple's finally come out with the news of it. There's some criticism, as I've said before, about the iPhone not being a platform, i.e. there won't be 3rd party apps. (Which really _is_ a pity if you think about the really great freeware and shareware we're enjoying on the Mac.) Also: It's a simple GSM phone - no UMTS (although there's still hope that the European version will have support for UMTS networks, because the iPhone would seem even older technology over here than it does in the US) at all.
I'm pretty sure that Apple has done a _lot_ for the interface, and I'm a big critic of many phones' UI myself. I'm looking forward to using the iPhone, actually. But there _are_ phones coming out that interest me even more...
One of them is the next Nokia Communicator, the first to use the S60 platform instead of the Series 80 platform. Nokia has only just unveiled it, but there's already a great review out about the Nokia Communicator E90 here at my-symbian.com. This _is_ a smartphone and it _does_ come as a platform. It can use any S60v3 applications out there (there are many) and it comes with a full version of QuickOffice already installed (among a lot of other things). It also _does_ have UMTS support (an American version with US 3G support will probably follow) on top of GSM with EDGE support. Not to forget: GPS is on-board as well. Plus a 3.2 MP autofocus digital camera. And one on the inside for videoconferencing. Apropos the inside of the phone: It has a 240*320px screen. Oh wait, no, that's only the outer support display. The inside is a widescreen (_really_ wide) 800*352px beast. More screen real estate than the original Macintosh, that is. Its browser, of course, is "Safari" as well. It uses the Nokia-Apple coproduction WebKit browser. There's no multitouch-screen, in fact no touchscreen at all, but then again you're not using a highly resolution-challenged display like the iPhone's for browsing the web: 800 pixel width is very good for mobile browsing _without_ any zooming tricks - but of course the software _does_ have its tricks up its sleeve for that as well. WiFi's on-board, of course, as well. And yeah, it's pricey. But then again, it's a pretty darn smart phone. The iPhone, in comparison, looks old. Give the iPhone a higher-res screen, UMTS technology, video-conferencing (after all, Apple _did_ push iChat quite a bit in the past) and we might talk again. For now, the Nokia E90 is the device that tops them all, and the iPhone's just a competitor among many. One which still needs to learn that while "look&feel" _is_ a handicap for most mobile phones out there, technology and buzzwords _do_ count in this market.
I'm pretty sure that Apple has done a _lot_ for the interface, and I'm a big critic of many phones' UI myself. I'm looking forward to using the iPhone, actually. But there _are_ phones coming out that interest me even more...
One of them is the next Nokia Communicator, the first to use the S60 platform instead of the Series 80 platform. Nokia has only just unveiled it, but there's already a great review out about the Nokia Communicator E90 here at my-symbian.com. This _is_ a smartphone and it _does_ come as a platform. It can use any S60v3 applications out there (there are many) and it comes with a full version of QuickOffice already installed (among a lot of other things). It also _does_ have UMTS support (an American version with US 3G support will probably follow) on top of GSM with EDGE support. Not to forget: GPS is on-board as well. Plus a 3.2 MP autofocus digital camera. And one on the inside for videoconferencing. Apropos the inside of the phone: It has a 240*320px screen. Oh wait, no, that's only the outer support display. The inside is a widescreen (_really_ wide) 800*352px beast. More screen real estate than the original Macintosh, that is. Its browser, of course, is "Safari" as well. It uses the Nokia-Apple coproduction WebKit browser. There's no multitouch-screen, in fact no touchscreen at all, but then again you're not using a highly resolution-challenged display like the iPhone's for browsing the web: 800 pixel width is very good for mobile browsing _without_ any zooming tricks - but of course the software _does_ have its tricks up its sleeve for that as well. WiFi's on-board, of course, as well. And yeah, it's pricey. But then again, it's a pretty darn smart phone. The iPhone, in comparison, looks old. Give the iPhone a higher-res screen, UMTS technology, video-conferencing (after all, Apple _did_ push iChat quite a bit in the past) and we might talk again. For now, the Nokia E90 is the device that tops them all, and the iPhone's just a competitor among many. One which still needs to learn that while "look&feel" _is_ a handicap for most mobile phones out there, technology and buzzwords _do_ count in this market.
Labels: Communicator, E90, GPS, iPhone, Nokia, UMTS
- posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 17:29 [article link]
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You like the E90?
That's OK. But WHY?
I read the review - it didn't help: I can't understand how someone can write such a statement with eyes open!
OK. It has GPS. Nice!
It has a real hi-res Display. OK. Nice! I agree: It seems to be a really superb piece of engineer's work.
But why does my heart not beat any faster?
Be assured: There will be an iPhone with GPS and UMTS an a better camera and, and, and ...
But without all that features i still like the iPhone more than every other existing and/or announced gagdet. Because it hits me emotionally! The iPhone is what i've been waiting for!
The iPhone looks good - but not the E90.
fryke, i really like your site. So i'm very sorry, that I'm not able to explain that in detail. But I cannot describe what's obvious for me!
That's OK. But WHY?
I read the review - it didn't help: I can't understand how someone can write such a statement with eyes open!
OK. It has GPS. Nice!
It has a real hi-res Display. OK. Nice! I agree: It seems to be a really superb piece of engineer's work.
But why does my heart not beat any faster?
Be assured: There will be an iPhone with GPS and UMTS an a better camera and, and, and ...
But without all that features i still like the iPhone more than every other existing and/or announced gagdet. Because it hits me emotionally! The iPhone is what i've been waiting for!
The iPhone looks good - but not the E90.
fryke, i really like your site. So i'm very sorry, that I'm not able to explain that in detail. But I cannot describe what's obvious for me!
I understand that the iPhone might spark more emotion. Heck: I'll want one, anyway - even with the old-tech stuff.
But, you see, I'd miss the real keyboard from my current Communicator with the iPhone. Writing whole short stories wouldn't be much fun with an on-screen keyboard, I presume. (I'll certainly give it a chance, though.) But the new Commie just has _everything_ in a nice package that is practical. Plus all the advantages from 3rd party software, the iPhone wouldn't be able to claim - if Apple stays on that page.
The way how the Communicator can be my travel-typewriter, internet-client and office all in one package _does_ make _my_ heart go faster, you know. And with it supporting the newer networks etc., it'll be "newer longer".
You say "There will be an iPhone with GPS and UMTS and a better camera...", and I certainly don't think Apple will simply stop development at this point. But if Apple takes the US market as their gauge, they'll simply _stay_ too old for the European and the Asian markets. If Apple _gets_ it, however, we'll see improved models as soon as the iPhone starts in Europe at the end of the year.
But, you see, I'd miss the real keyboard from my current Communicator with the iPhone. Writing whole short stories wouldn't be much fun with an on-screen keyboard, I presume. (I'll certainly give it a chance, though.) But the new Commie just has _everything_ in a nice package that is practical. Plus all the advantages from 3rd party software, the iPhone wouldn't be able to claim - if Apple stays on that page.
The way how the Communicator can be my travel-typewriter, internet-client and office all in one package _does_ make _my_ heart go faster, you know. And with it supporting the newer networks etc., it'll be "newer longer".
You say "There will be an iPhone with GPS and UMTS and a better camera...", and I certainly don't think Apple will simply stop development at this point. But if Apple takes the US market as their gauge, they'll simply _stay_ too old for the European and the Asian markets. If Apple _gets_ it, however, we'll see improved models as soon as the iPhone starts in Europe at the end of the year.
Hi fryke
one more thing: I'm a developer. And I asked Apple how to develop software for the iPhone.
A few days ago I recieved an e-Mail from apple. It said:
"... As long as the iPhone is not on the market and in the absence of an official announcement about the iPhone as a development platform, your best source of information is the Apple Developer Connection. ..."
To me, that sounds more like "please be patient" than "Get away! We don't want you!"
one more thing: I'm a developer. And I asked Apple how to develop software for the iPhone.
A few days ago I recieved an e-Mail from apple. It said:
"... As long as the iPhone is not on the market and in the absence of an official announcement about the iPhone as a development platform, your best source of information is the Apple Developer Connection. ..."
To me, that sounds more like "please be patient" than "Get away! We don't want you!"
I certainly _hope_ they'll revise the statement Steve Jobs made in an interview shortly after the keynote in January. But that statement, so far, stands: "You don't want your mobile phone to be a platform." He added blurbs about 3rd party apps crashing the whole mobile network, which I found quite funny and uninformed. At least _I've_ not heard about this being a big problem with other manufacturers' smartphone platforms. Or will the Mac soon be Safari/Mail.app, iLife and iWork only, in order to prevent the internet from crashing? ;)
I sure _hope_ Apple revises this. The iPhone could be a _great_ "Newton 3" as far as I can see. Development of apps could be quite easy with Xcode, since the iPhone's said to run a "full" version of Mac OS X.
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I sure _hope_ Apple revises this. The iPhone could be a _great_ "Newton 3" as far as I can see. Development of apps could be quite easy with Xcode, since the iPhone's said to run a "full" version of Mac OS X.
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