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2007-06-24
, 20:24
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Posts: 3,401 |
Thanked: 1,255 times |
Joined on Nov 2005
@ London, UK
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#42
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Not looking good for the iPhone if this is anything like accurate - from engadget...
Summary: A dodgey phonebook and it's difficult to type SMS/text or emails...
Could it be that the iPhone looks wonderful, sounds great, has a ground breaking UI but is in fact a complete PITA to use as an actual phone?
Last edited by Milhouse; 2007-06-24 at 20:28.
Remember the winning Engadget commercial, "The Long Arm of Steve Jobs"? We posted it after the break, but finding someone who's spent some serious time with a pre-launch iPhone and getting them to talk is basically a lot like that. Still, we managed to smuggle out some freshly leaked details from a very trusted inside source who's been fooling around with a unit. Here's what they had to say:Click on for more impressions on the headset, browser, YouTube, and more.
- The keyboard was simply described as "disappointing". Keyboarding with two thumbs often registers multiple key presses (two or three at a time) resulting in a lot of mistakes. The best way to type is with a single finger (as shown in most of Apple's demos), but two thumbs is supposedly very difficult. After trying it for a number of days our source gave up using their thumbs.
- The text auto-correction only works well for simple words, but doesn't work for proper names. We can only assume this bit will get better with time as Apple fills out its predictive text dictionary.
- "It won't replace a BlackBerry. It's not good for text input. It's just not a business product."
- The touchscreen was said to, in general, require somewhat hard presses to register input, and needs some getting used to.
- In addition to its dock, the iPhone comes packaged with a polishing cloth (the thing's supposedly a fingerprint magnet, no surprise) and the usual smallish power adapter.
- The Bluetooth headset will debut in the $120 range, and will come with its own dock for charging both the phone and the headset. The headset will feature a miniature magnetic charging interface á la MagSafe.
Ok, that's all we've got for now. At this point we're just really looking forward to putting the spurs to this thing -- Apple is hyping this product like nothing we've ever seen before, and we're ready to bring every detail to light. In the mean time, here's that commercial again.
- The Bluetooth headset has a hidden LED and is supposedly a very small and elegant device. Sound quality is said to be "typical". There is no clip; like many headsets you're expected to just let it hang out of your ear, as previously shown.
- The browser "worked well" but page load speeds on EDGE were just as slow as expected. It sounds like 3G users will have a tough run with this.
- Users must scroll through the address book (or use the alphabet-drag on the side) -- one cannot bring up the keyboard and type in a name, as many of us are used to.
- Shocker: YouTube over EDGE didn't work well at all, and will basically necessitate use of WiFi.
Could it be that the iPhone looks wonderful, sounds great, has a ground breaking UI but is in fact a complete PITA to use as an actual phone?
Last edited by Milhouse; 2007-06-24 at 20:28.
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2007-06-24
, 21:17
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Posts: 355 |
Thanked: 9 times |
Joined on Feb 2007
@ Helsinki, Finland
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#43
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Hmmmmm......
N800:
1. Handwriting recognition = Useless
2. Camera = Useless
3. Current OS = Useless (debatable)
4. Phone = Oppssss..... doesn't have one
5. Wifi = Not bad
6. Keyboard = Tip, tip, tip, tip ( darn defective touchscreen)
The hits just keep on coming. Hopefully Nokia sees the error (N800) of its ways and designs a product that is usable right out of the box.
N800:
1. Handwriting recognition = Useless
2. Camera = Useless
3. Current OS = Useless (debatable)
4. Phone = Oppssss..... doesn't have one
5. Wifi = Not bad
6. Keyboard = Tip, tip, tip, tip ( darn defective touchscreen)
The hits just keep on coming. Hopefully Nokia sees the error (N800) of its ways and designs a product that is usable right out of the box.
__________________
"Einstein was right. " "Einstein was probably one of them" - Close Encounters of the Third Kind......
"Einstein was right. " "Einstein was probably one of them" - Close Encounters of the Third Kind......
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2007-06-24
, 21:33
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Posts: 16 |
Thanked: 0 times |
Joined on Mar 2007
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#44
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The OP has some very good points... I did months of reading on the N800 before I bought it but after I bought it I found it to be a huge disappointment. It's just not meant for the average consumer, I'm not a linux hacker by any means so I managed to figure out how to install new apps but... I shouldn't have to rely on other people for basic applications. If this device is going to sell itself as a cool multi media chat device than is should do that out of the box well. Right now as it stands... The address book SUCKS it can't import Vcard version 3, photo viewer sucks can't slide show or organize photos essentially it's the same as filemanager in windows 3.1 or windows explorer. The chat program is limited to only google talk which is still in beta, I have yet to video conference with anyone beause I can't find anyone with an N800.
The browser can play non flash video files in the browser... and EVERY program feels like it has a different UI that you have to learn.
I think Nokia was onto something it had it's time to be the best at what it did with the N800/700 and blew it.
Gone are the days where you can't just sell someone a piece of hardware and ask them to write the software. Everyone expects a complete package Syncing is a must!!!!
The browser can play non flash video files in the browser... and EVERY program feels like it has a different UI that you have to learn.
I think Nokia was onto something it had it's time to be the best at what it did with the N800/700 and blew it.
Gone are the days where you can't just sell someone a piece of hardware and ask them to write the software. Everyone expects a complete package Syncing is a must!!!!
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2007-06-24
, 21:35
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Posts: 3,220 |
Thanked: 326 times |
Joined on Oct 2005
@ "Almost there!" (Monte Christo, Count of)
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#45
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Originally Posted by sapporobaby
1. The HWR isn't useless (I can print faster than I can pen-tap on the keyboard), there's just a lot of room for improvement. The "HWR" that came standard on my P910 -- Jot -- was pretty useless too, but installing Decuma Alphabetic made a world of difference.
Hmmmmm......
N800:
1. Handwriting recognition = Useless
2. Camera = Useless
3. Current OS = Useless (debatable)
4. Phone = Oppssss..... doesn't have one
5. Wifi = Not bad
6. Keyboard = Tip, tip, tip, tip ( darn defective touchscreen)
The hits just keep on coming. Hopefully Nokia sees the error (N800) of its ways and designs a product that is usable right out of the box.
2. Likewise, the camera isn't useless, but more a solution in search of a problem. I believe the application idea I proposed elsewhere (a photo-notepad) could be very useful.
3. The OS is great (after all, Debian is the OS God uses!), but the user interface is flawed. I believe the same will go for the iPhone, as Apple has long ago sacked the only people it had who even knew how to spell usor intarrface.
4. The N800 doesn't need to be a phone.
5. The WiFi on the N800 is by far the best I've ever seen in a portable device.
6. The big keyboard works rather well. Unfortunately I'm one of those people who need tactile feedback, which is why I alternate between HWR and a BT keyboard (with the exception of the Xterm, which doesn't "do" HWR very well).
I see the N800 as a sort of Swiss Army pocket knife: Out of the box it doesn't do a lot of things very well; and a new user does need to read the manual to learn what each sharp implement does (not to mention that he can really cut himself if he doesn't); but in the end you'll be able to do a lot of things that people without a Swiss knife can't do, or can't even imagine are possible.
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2007-06-24
, 21:45
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Posts: 16 |
Thanked: 0 times |
Joined on Mar 2007
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#46
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The OP has some very good points... I did months of reading on the N800 before I bought it but after I bought it I found it to be a huge disappointment. It's just not meant for the average consumer, I'm not a linux hacker by any means so I managed to figure out how to install new apps but... I shouldn't have to rely on other people for basic applications. If this device is going to sell itself as a cool multi media chat device than is should do that out of the box well. Right now as it stands... The address book SUCKS it can't import Vcard version 3, photo viewer sucks can't slide show or organize photos essentially it's the same as filemanager in windows 3.1 or windows explorer. The chat program is limited to only google talk which is still in beta, I have yet to video conference with anyone beause I can't find anyone with an N800.
The browser can play non flash video files in the browser... and EVERY program feels like it has a different UI that you have to learn.
I think Nokia was onto something it had it's time to be the best at what it did with the N800/700 and blew it.
Gone are the days where you can't just sell someone a piece of hardware and ask them to write the software. Everyone expects a complete package Syncing is a must!!!!
The browser can play non flash video files in the browser... and EVERY program feels like it has a different UI that you have to learn.
I think Nokia was onto something it had it's time to be the best at what it did with the N800/700 and blew it.
Gone are the days where you can't just sell someone a piece of hardware and ask them to write the software. Everyone expects a complete package Syncing is a must!!!!
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2007-06-24
, 23:27
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Posts: 112 |
Thanked: 6 times |
Joined on Feb 2006
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#47
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I have yet to video conference with anyone beause I can't find anyone with an N800.
Tell you what... why don't you send me chat invitation for a one-time quick video chat so we can both check this thing out....
I'm going to send you a PM with the details.
Later.
__________________
1 Gig Generic MMC, Sprint EV-DO for data(25-45 Kb/s d/l speeds), & Samsung A940: one GREAT phone! 
1 Gig Generic MMC, Sprint EV-DO for data(25-45 Kb/s d/l speeds), & Samsung A940: one GREAT phone!
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2007-06-25
, 03:36
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Posts: 13 |
Thanked: 0 times |
Joined on Feb 2006
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#48
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I rushed out to buy the 770 back in the day. It served me well for a while-- a reasonable bridge between my Blackberry and my laptop. I enjoyed being able to get apps for it, although the primary applications that I used tended to be built-in. I had high hopes of the word processor, the ability to SSH, all of these cool little things.
The first realization is that these extras weren't really what Nokia had planned on. (Why do you have to go through all the hoops for root access?!) The device was somewhat functional out of the box, able to handle some basic functionality (that didn't justify the price of the unit).
The iPhone has a chance at being much better-- based on the attention to details, and a careful selection of features. The screen resolution is a shame, but I'm realistic. Size is more important for a mass-market device. Any higher resolution wouldn't do anything to improve the device for the average user.
The thing that really scares me about the iPhone is if thumb typing doesn't work well. I really need to replace my Blackberry in the next few months. I really hope Apple is able to pull this off.
...And, I really hope it helps to jump start Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, and the others to develop better products.
The first realization is that these extras weren't really what Nokia had planned on. (Why do you have to go through all the hoops for root access?!) The device was somewhat functional out of the box, able to handle some basic functionality (that didn't justify the price of the unit).
The iPhone has a chance at being much better-- based on the attention to details, and a careful selection of features. The screen resolution is a shame, but I'm realistic. Size is more important for a mass-market device. Any higher resolution wouldn't do anything to improve the device for the average user.
The thing that really scares me about the iPhone is if thumb typing doesn't work well. I really need to replace my Blackberry in the next few months. I really hope Apple is able to pull this off.
...And, I really hope it helps to jump start Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, and the others to develop better products.
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2007-06-25
, 04:05
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Posts: 729 |
Thanked: 19 times |
Joined on Mar 2007
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#49
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Apple doomed themselves when they selected AT&T.
I live in the largest county in North Carolina and AT&T GSM coverage there is spotty at best. As long as you're alongside a major highway/road you're fine.
At least until you walk into your house and it goes down to 1 or 2 bars.
Just today at a family reunion a friend of mine remarked he was thinking about getting an iPhone when it launched. I told him to forget it since there was ZERO coverage within miles of his house where the reunion was.
He said "damn, guess I'm not getting one."
Apple should have hounded the crap out of AT&T to grow out their networks more.
I've even tried contacting AT&T to see if they want to slap a tower in a "dead zone" on our property towards the south but to no avail.
Only last week did they finally get around to changing the network name from "Cingular" to "AT&T" here in NC.
Pathetic.
I live in the largest county in North Carolina and AT&T GSM coverage there is spotty at best. As long as you're alongside a major highway/road you're fine.
At least until you walk into your house and it goes down to 1 or 2 bars.
Just today at a family reunion a friend of mine remarked he was thinking about getting an iPhone when it launched. I told him to forget it since there was ZERO coverage within miles of his house where the reunion was.
He said "damn, guess I'm not getting one."
Apple should have hounded the crap out of AT&T to grow out their networks more.
I've even tried contacting AT&T to see if they want to slap a tower in a "dead zone" on our property towards the south but to no avail.
Only last week did they finally get around to changing the network name from "Cingular" to "AT&T" here in NC.
Pathetic.
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2007-06-25
, 04:31
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Posts: 468 |
Thanked: 610 times |
Joined on Jun 2006
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#50
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Originally Posted by sapporobaby
I don't understand: if your N800 is defective (like you say: a problem with your touchscreen ) why don't you get it fixed? It's really easy, just send it in for repair and nokia will fix your n800. You can't be out of warrenty because the device is only available for like 6 months.
Hmmmmm......
N800:
1. Handwriting recognition = Useless
2. Camera = Useless
3. Current OS = Useless (debatable)
4. Phone = Oppssss..... doesn't have one
5. Wifi = Not bad
6. Keyboard = Tip, tip, tip, tip ( darn defective touchscreen)
The hits just keep on coming. Hopefully Nokia sees the error (N800) of its ways and designs a product that is usable right out of the box.
If your n800 is broken no wonder you have a negative impression of the device. Surely you can't compare a defective N800 to a not yet released apple product?
The touchscreen on the N800 works well in my opinion. And text entry using the
thumbkeyboard is a good way of user input. Early reports on the iphone virtual
keyboard are a bit negative. That doesn't suprise me much because the iphone
keybpad is just as small as the keybboard on the n800 using a stylus. I tried that using
my fingers and it sucks.
Also the webbrowser on the n800 seems to be more compatible because of the flash
support that the iphone is reported to be missing (at least at launch).
I love the internettablets because of the high resolution screen and the good
webbrowser. The pdf viewer is also very nice. Reading pdf files will suck on the iphone because of the smaller low resolution screen.
The iphone is an ipod, that's it main thing, they just added some phone and pda functions.
The n800 is a webbrowsing tablet. And is slowly becoming a real internettablet (with im, voip, flash,mail,media player getting better )
Last edited by Bernard; 2007-06-25 at 04:34.
The problems with service in the US in general has to do with an immaturity factor. Apple will be remiss to launch an EDGE phone in Europe. They know it would not fly but as there are not many 3G networks in the US when compared to Europe and the rest of the world. It's not Apple's fault that there are no real high speed data networks in the US
"Einstein was right. " "Einstein was probably one of them" - Close Encounters of the Third Kind......