Apple iPhone

I'm thinking of getting one as a joint Christmas/birthday present. Does anyone else have one? What do they think of it?

Lucy McGough wrote:I'm thinking of getting one as a joint Christmas/birthday present. Does anyone else have one? What do they think of it?

I can only speak from US experience. Before getting one, make sure you look over the monthly costs, specifically the Data plan. Part of the attraction of an iPhone is the ability to be connected to the intarwebs, but it turns out that such connectivity does not come cheap.

I'm also slightly disheartedned that Apple have blocked the use of Google Voice as an iPhone app, but that's an aside. Four of my colleagues have iPhones and love them, Lucy, and it's the one bit of Apple kit that I have considered owning.

I thought about getting an iPhone but I just couldn't afford the plans and buying it outright was also beyond my budget. I have an LG Viewty and I'm really happy with it. I use the internet a lot on it including a fabulous gmail app.

It's up to you. If you can afford the charges, then it looks funky and fun but there are loads of cool phones with much cheaper rates and equally groovy applications.

I love my iphone more than life itself. It is far and away the best gadget I have ever owned.

sheringham wrote:I love my iphone more than life itself. It is far and away the best gadget I have ever owned.

That's great to know, Sheri - please could you tell me why?

Thanks to Kate and Dave for their help as well

Kate Seadevil wrote: I have an LG Viewty and I'm really happy with it. I use the internet a lot on it including a fabulous gmail app.

I was thinking about the LG Cookie myself. I shall look at the viewty.

Dave Webb wrote:I was thinking about the LG Cookie myself.

Is that a phone or a foodstuff?

Lucy McGough wrote:
Is that a phone or a foodstuff?

I'm hoping both.

Dave Webb wrote:I'm hoping both.

You'll get a heck of a shock when you hear a ringtone coming from your large intestine.

I think I will go for a Google G1 from T-Mobile next time I renew my contract. They look so cool.

The Browncoat Cat wrote:I think I will go for a Google G1 from T-Mobile next time I renew my contract. They look so cool.

I thought about that, but what attracts me to the iPhone is the number of things you can do with the touchscreen. Also, the QWERTY keyboard on the G1 looks a bit fiddly IMO.

If it's a pay as you go, you get 12 months free of unlimited data, if pay monthly free unlimited data. Although this doesn't work if you leave the country.
For its ease of use I'd go for the iPhone, although having seen the Android it's ok and I mean ok. If you really love being able to crack a machine go for it; if all you want is something for phone calls and another couple of app's go for the iPhone. The keyboard isn't that bad on the Android it's probably slightly better than the iPhone, much less miss-pressed keys.

On a side note O2 sucks. I have more problems with O2 then I ever did with Orange or Vodaphone.

What does 'to crack a machine' mean?

Its to crack the Apple software on the phone and place a small piece of programming that allows users to put applications on it from other sources rather than the Itunes store.

Say for example, theres a sat nav piece of software you thought would be handy to have on the Iphone, save you buying a sat nav. Well theres a great package called Navigon.
Problem, it can cost from 70 quid upwards.
But IF you had your iphone "cracked", then you you could find theapp on a bittorrant site, download it, unzip it and install it on the device.
Now, it will install because the device thinks its a legit piece of software.
Whereas before you cracked it, it couldnt complete the task.

Thank-you, 72lf

Lucy McGough wrote:What does 'to crack a machine' mean?

People miss use hack when a lot of the time they mean crack.... In the case of the Android it's one of the easiest phones to get the hardware to do what you want it to do and not what the phones manufacturer want it to do.

Lucy McGough wrote:

sheringham wrote:I love my iphone more than life itself. It is far and away the best gadget I have ever owned.

That's great to know, Sheri - please could you tell me why?

Mainly because it exceeded my expectations. I was hoping for a phone that was also an ipod. Instead I got practically a mini computer. Which is also an ipod. I can take good quality phots with it. I can upload them to picassa, or myblog, or wherever. I can blog. I can tweet. I can browse gallybase. I can use GPS/route finding stuff. I can do email. I can access documents on my me.com filespace. I have apps which enable my iphone to keep accounts, be a star trek phaser, be an ocarina, check the weather, read books, skype.........it's just great. And I can watch Lost on it.

sheringham wrote:Mainly because it exceeded my expectations. I was hoping for a phone that was also an ipod. Instead I got practically a mini computer. Which is also an ipod. I can take good quality phots with it. I can upload them to picassa, or myblog, or wherever. I can blog. I can tweet. I can browse gallybase. I can use GPS/route finding stuff. I can do email. I can access documents on my me.com filespace. I have apps which enable my iphone to keep accounts, be a star trek phaser, be an ocarina, check the weather, read books, skype.........it's just great. And I can watch Lost on it.

You have totally sold me

It is a computer, the von nuemann model is used to classify computers. A computer needs a processor, memory and the ability to input/output information. All the new mobile phones are computers....

Lucy McGough wrote:

You have totally sold me

Yeah, me too.

Dave Webb wrote:

Lucy McGough wrote:

You have totally sold me

Yeah, me too.

Are you going to get one then? At the moment I am genuinely finding it hard to stop myself rushing out and getting one next week.

Lucy McGough wrote:
Are you going to get one then?

When I am settled in the UK and have a job, yes. I think that's the only time I can really seriously afford one. Prior to that, a PAYG LG Cookie seems to be the thing to do.

The money does make one goggle a bit, yes.

It's worth mentioning that it runs Mac OS X, but a lighter version same as the iPod touch and Apple TV. You can SSH into the phone etc...
It's worth getting the 3Gs, there is a big difference in the speed, mine is a hell of a lot faster than everyone's in the office.

Also I'd have a look at Apple's response to the FCC, makes for very interesting reading. Obviously I can't comment more on that.

Um, what do FCC and SSH stand for?