OT - What's an iphone?? « Singletrack Forum

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OT - What's an iphone??

108 posts & 34 voices | Started 2 years ago by rkk01 | Latest reply from porterclough

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DrJ - Member

Last Friday I was on a business trip in Aberdeen. I needed to travel back to Amsterdam via Copenhagen on 2 separate flights (are you following ? ) I had a 45 minute connection in Copenhagen, and no access to a computer except my iPhone. I checked in by internet, and received a boarding pass via a web page. I caught the connection with minutes to spare. If I'd had to check in the conventional way I'd have missed the flight.

(BTW - I don't remember travelling on a plane with a video screen other than in business class. No doubt they exist, but not on the KLM and SAS flights I have taken)

Posted 2 years ago #
GrahamS - Member

Most long hauls have personal video screens these days, but few domestic or short haul budget. Though the last one I got (Air Canada) also had USB ports to keep your phone charged

Posted 2 years ago #
DrJ - Member

I'm too old and soft to fly long-haul in Economy

Posted 2 years ago #
GrahamS - Member

LOL, I'm too poor to fly anything but!

Maybe if I gave up this expensive phone...

Posted 2 years ago #
deadlydarcy - Member

Charlie Brooker actually has one, but he realises that to do his "thinking man's slightly left of centre Jeremy Clarkson", he needs to take the piss out of anything popular. We all fall for it...

Posted 2 years ago #
Talkemada - Blocked

Oh dear...

Posted 2 years ago #
Kevevs - Member

Certain people think these gadgets enhance themselves and make them better people with more status and kudos. That's bollucks of course, for them I really want Charlie Brookers app to be real, and mandatory..

"1. An app that makes the iPhone scream 'I'VE GOT AN IPHONE!' each time the user pulls it out of their pocket. Once activated, it would be impossible to switch off. The only way to stop the constant embarrassment would be to repeatedly crack the device against a wall, or preferably your own face, until it shattered."

These things will be totally commonplace and old soon enough. get over it!

Posted 2 years ago #
CountZero - Member

The iphone is 'limited' in that it lacks a few fundamental features that could make it really useful, such as effective Bluetooth capability with data transfer, the ability to use it as a portable storage device, optical connection, storage expansion via SD card or similar, and a front mounted camera.

I have never needed Bluetooth to transfer any kind of data; anyone wants something that's on my phone I'll email it.
Mass storage device; well, I could use my phone, I've got Airshare, so copying via wifi is what I'd normally do, however, there's a neat little jobbie that plugs into the dock that will take an SDHC card up to 32Gb should I want to remove data or copy data when away from my computer.
FM radio; who the **** wants a shitty FM radio on a phone? They don't work away from a large urban area, hell, my local FM transmitter barely reaches three miles out of town in the car, and wouldn't give a signal on my old Nokia at the back of my house when I can see the transmitter from my bedroom. Idiots keep bleating about iPhones needing FM Radio, but why? What's there you could possibly want to listen to? I can listen to any BBC or independent station from any part of the UK, I listen to KROQ in LA, CBC Radio 3 in Canada...
I've even listened to a radio station from the Faro Islands. Try doing that on your crappy FM radio.
When Viewranger becomes available for the iPhone then not only will you have OS mapping available but mapping for lots of European countries, plus you can get Geo Survey maps for the whole USA for free, all installed on the phone so data roaming isn't needed. FWIW, I use Memory Map Free on my phone, so I've got the whole UK to 1:1million and 1:250k, and a big chunk of 1:25k from Marlborough to near Bristol plus the Forest Of Dean, for less than £20 so far. I love
OTA (over the air) map downloads. Then there's all my ebooks for when I can't be arsed to browse the net, or listen to some of the 1100+ songs on here, or listen to Canadian indie rock or whatever.
Yeah, I guess the iPhone is a ‘toy’, in some people's opinion; probably about the same as my 17＂laptop is
seeing as how the phone gets used several dozen times a day, compared to the laptop sitting under the TV for weeks at a time. Whatever. If all you want a phone for is to play dumb games, then I guess an iPhone is a toy. However
mine happily replaces most things I use a laptop for, so I tend to think of it as a useful day-to-day pocket computer with always on Internet capability.

Posted 2 years ago #
Kevevs - Member

I remember when I was a kid and owning a commodore 64 would be the shittest hottest thing ever and I could play all the coolest games with 16 colours and it had that sid chip that sounded amaaaazing and a proper keyboard. I'd get all the bestest games, and it was better than my spectrum and my Texas instruments ti44a before that, and my atari VCS before that. I really needed it. I finally got one. Then everyone else got an amiga or an atari st. Then I really needed one of them, so I sold mt GT freestyler to get one.

I was 13. I hope I don't think like that anymore!

Posted 2 years ago #
HeathenWoods - Member

Lol, yes indeedy Kevevs.

I've got a crap phone. Having said that, I can get tinternet and fillums on it tho for the day when my brain finally becomes totally empty. I take it on long journeys too just in case my eyes stop working, the book i've taken spontaneously combusts or both.

I must admit that the thought of 00s of freeware apps hasn't got my pulse racing so i'll pass on an iphone for now, eh.

Posted 2 years ago #
Talkemada - Blocked

FM radio; who the **** wants a shitty FM radio on a phone? They don't work away from a large urban area, hell, my local FM transmitter barely reaches three miles out of town in the car, and wouldn't give a signal on my old Nokia at the back of my house when I can see the transmitter from my bedroom. Idiots keep bleating about iPhones needing FM Radio, but why? What's there you could possibly want to listen to?

You sound almost angry. Calm down dear!

Internet radio requires internet data plan with contract. I don't want a contract, as I'm not beholden to my 'phone so much I am willing to waste money on one. If you're someone who uses a 'phone a lot, then fair enough. My crappy little FM radio 'phone is fine for me. It receives Radio 3!

Personally, I'm not bothered at having an amazing life-changing mobile device with me at all times. I can chat to friends, admire the view, read a book/paper/magazine, do stuff that people did before the iphone revolutionised life.

As for gadget willy waving; I have a media centre computer that has a nice big screen, loads of hard drive space, can play Megabastard 4 type computer games, etc etc. TBH, I don't spend that much time in front of it.

I spent a couple of days playing with my iphone,then got bored with it. 'Oh look, I can send someone an email whilst sitting on the bus!'. Wow. How incredibly amazing.

I was 13. I hope I don't think like that anymore!

Posted 2 years ago #
DrJ - Member

Personally, I'm not bothered at having an amazing life-changing mobile device with me at all times. I can chat to friends, admire the view, read a book/paper/magazine, do stuff that people did before the iphone revolutionised life.

And yet, here you are, typing away on an internet forum...

Posted 2 years ago #
GrahamS - Member

So to summarise your position Talkemada:

- you don't want an iPhone because it lacks an optical audio connection and front facing camera, which are fundamental requirements that it is "maimed" without.

- You only need a phone to make phone calls.

- yours has an FM radio.

- no one could possibly find having access to computery stuff on a smartphone truly useful for business.

- your computer and phone are essential requirements for your job.

Yep. All very coherent.

Posted 2 years ago #
deadlydarcy - Member

I used to get stuff done during the day before my phone made it easy to browse and interact on STW. Time to ditch it. It's far too useful.

Posted 2 years ago #
rkk01 - Member

I expected this to get half a dozen replies!!!

OK - much of it heated debate about the pros and cons about iphone ownership, but all useful.

So for the users - can I plug any USB card reader into the phone to transfer files (assuming a standard to micro USB adapter?

Posted 2 years ago #
deadlydarcy - Member

No, I don't think so.

Posted 2 years ago #
Dylan08 - Member

Iphone...? who...?

Posted 2 years ago #
robdob - Member

I saw a feller drop one onto a concrete pavement recently. I thought he was gong to cry.

I've done that several times with mine, without any protective cover, and it's perfectly fine.

I've thrown mine very hard against a tiled wall, taken it in my shorts pocket on every MTB ride I've done, dropped it countless times on every kind of surface. Never had a case, use it very very often and it still works fine 20 months later (I got the 3G when it came out). I reckon thats pretty durable, don't you?

The problem is with iPhones is that you need to spend some time (say the first 3-4 weeks) using it regularly and finding out what it can do. There are loads of little things you can add on which make things a bit easier or quicker. Ok you can do without them but why not try it?

If you get an iPhone and just use it as a phone then you are going to be a bit dissapponted. Because it's going to be the same as a £5 Tesco PAYG jobby. As all phones will be...

If you're happy with your phone then that's ok, an iPhone does require a decent contract or PAYG with unlimited data but that's the same as most smartphones nowadays anyway (In 20 months I have downloaded 6.5gigs worth of data!!!).

Internet radio requires internet data plan with contract. I don't want a contract, as I'm not beholden to my 'phone so much I am willing to waste money on one.

Ahhhh. You can get PAYG plans with unlimited data now you know!

Posted 2 years ago #
glenh - Member

rkk01 - nope.

The usb connection is for plugging the phone into things, not plugging things into the phone.

Posted 2 years ago #
Talkemada - Blocked

So to summarise your position Talkemada:

I'll do it for you:

I had an iphone, I found it lacked certain features I wanted (USB data storage, Bluetooth file transfer, expandable/swappable storage). I didn't really find any of the 'apps' all that useful (I have a tiny spirit level on my keyring). I bought a bolt-on to use the internets. I found I simply didn't use it when out, and it was too flaky to do anything like radio or video streaming when moving about. I figured a contract with internet data was a lot more than I spend currently, for something that I wouldn't really use. So, an iphone wasn't for me.

My current cheapo 'phone does the things I want it to. It's not flash, and if I lose it/smash it, it's not the end of the world. It's got a bloody good battery though.

I think the technology of the iphone is fantastic. The touch-screen feature is a joy to use (I did find the 'keyboard' a bit fiddly though). There's features in an iphone that could be utilised to enable people with physical disabilities to use computers more easily. I'd love to see this exploited. The overall idea of a 'multi-thing™' really does seem to have arrived.

See, I've got no problem with the iphone, just the evangelising that seems to go with ownership. If some of you were to read back what you've written; you've warbled on about a 'phone, ffs. How do you think people would take it, if you waxed lyrical about a car, or a bike, or a toaster? Think about it.

The iphone satisfies the geek in many of us. That's not a bad thing. But some of you really do sound like teenage boys, as Kevevs has shown us so eloquently.

If your happy with your iphone, fine. But you don't hear people with other, just as good smart phones wittering on about them anywhere near as much, do you?

I'll reiterate; for most people, the iphone is little more than a fashion accessory. If you're one of those special people who don't fit into this category, then good luck to you. Don't expect the rest of us to have 'seen the light'.

(Sent from my electric kettle, via UHF radio waves)

Posted 2 years ago #
algarvebairn - Member

I like the way texts appear "conversationally" on the iPhone. You don't need to jump from sent messages to inbox to see what has been said. Although I'm 38 so maybe shouldn't be sending texts.

I also like how certain websites have apps other than mobile sites.

Battery life is a bugger though. Nothing that a (for me) £7 car charger couldn't sort out.

Posted 2 years ago #
MrSmith - Member

if you waxed lyrical about a car, or an inbred, or a toaster? Think about it.

plenty of people do this. it's what internet forums are for, reasserting your choice through sharing the experience.

(it's what makes them tedious too)

Posted 2 years ago #
ooOOoo - Member

it's what internet forums are for, reasserting your choice through sharing the experience.

Or just being contrary

Ooops sorry IGMC

Posted 2 years ago #
GrahamS - Member

I accept that it wasn't for you. You have simpler/different needs and that is fine.

I just object to people telling me that I'm just a fashion victim, that I've wasted my money on a toy or that I only got it some kind of status willy waver.

To me it's just a very useful device that gets used heavily.

you've warbled on about a 'phone, ffs

on a thread where the OP has specifically asked about an iPhone.
Is that worse than showing up on such a thread to warble on and insult folk who own one?

Posted 2 years ago #
DrJ - Member

See, I've got no problem with the iphone, just the evangelising that seems to go with ownership.

I don't see any evangelising here. I see someone asking about a phone, someone popping up like a Harry Enfield character to criticise iPhone owners, and said owners responding with real-world examples of how their iPhone was useful.

Posted 2 years ago #
algarvebairn - Member

I am a bit concerned that I find myself picking up my Iphone and checking it every couple of minutes. Seems a bit obsessive.

And a lot of Iphone users do come across as being evangelical about it. Me included. I was showing a mate something on it and told me to "calm down, you only bought the thing. You didn't invent it"

Posted 2 years ago #
ooOOoo - Member

It's the 'if it's not built into the iphone then why on earth would you need it' bollox that gets really tedious. Then when it's built into the new version it's suddenly indespensible!

Posted 2 years ago #
kimbers - Member

its a communication tool that makes you less likely to communicate with people around you

or indeed look up from your hunched over position finger poised in tapping position and see the world,

Posted 2 years ago #
DrJ - Member

It's the 'if it's not built into the iphone then why on earth would you need it' bollox that gets really tedious.

No, what's really tedious is the "iPhone is fatally flawed because it doesn't multitask/support Flash/make toast" bollox.

Posted 2 years ago #
Talkemada - Blocked

It doesn't make toast?

How useless is that??

Posted 2 years ago #
PeterPoddy - Member

I have an iPhone 3G. If think it's effing superb. I use it a LOT, every day, and at home it's virtually replaced my PC for everything but photo editing and upload, and the odd thing I need to print out.

But you know what, I'm virtually embarrased to own one with all the slagging off it gets on here.

I think I may get something crapper like a Blackberry (I had to help someone set up a Blackberry to wireless internet on Sunday. Lordy, what a piece of rubbish that is. If it was mine it'd have gone whistling out the bloody window. Very poor indeed) so I can be in with the 'I'm so cool because I'm anti-iPhone cool' gang.

Or maybe I'll just get the next gen iPhone in the summer and carry on being very happy and pleased with it, and it's astonishingly easy to use features that make said Blackberry seem like a ZX81.

Posted 2 years ago #
ooOOoo - Member

yeah why would you want toast, when you have the best thing since sliced bread

Posted 2 years ago #
ooOOoo - Member

No, what's really tedious is the "iPhone is fatally flawed because it doesn't multitask/support Flash/make toast" bollox.

OK you get by fine without them.
If they were included though, would you ask for them to be removed?

Posted 2 years ago #
GrahamS - Member

If they were added for free and didn't affect the rest of the system then I wouldn't ask for them to be removed (though I'd still want to be able to turn Flash off).

Likewise if it could be updated to shit out golden eggs every day then that would also be good.

No one is saying it is perfect.

Posted 2 years ago #
porterclough - Member

I really like my iPod Touch - best handheld computer since the old Psion Revo. And also it's an iPod...

However, it seems that if I decided to get a version of the Touch that also makes phone calls, I will suddenly be a fashion victim. Is this solely because HTC owners are the telephonic equivalents of Skoda drivers in STW World?

Posted 2 years ago #