The trouble with a iPhone is....

[Gerry]

I've had my iPhone for a week now, and I'm well satisfied. Not sure what you mean by overpriced? Compared to what? Other smart phones, or regular phones, or no phone? I paid $200 (plus the data plan-$30/month), and I believe I got value for my money.

I'm glad you included the plan in the cost, because it is very much part of that cost. Although you neglected to mention that the plan went for 2 years. 12*2*30+200=US$920. Personally I would like an iPhone for US$200 with no asterisk, just as it was advertised by mister Jobs. I think that US$920 is way too much to pay for a phone that is locked down as much as the iPhone is. Want to use Google Voice, search for text within a webpage, switch the rotation of the display so that it works while on your side in bed, switch providers? All these things and a lot more, which should be easy, require you to hack your phone and in doing so lose other functionality and void your warranty. Worth US$920? Heck NO!

Personally I'm hanging out for Nokia's N900 to get multitouch. Either by switching to capacitive touch or to use something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv3X5y-ajtc

At the moment I haven't seen any laptop phone which is worth the money being asked. N900 is close, but without multitouch, Nokia fails. Till something good comes out I'll be sticking to my Sony and ask to borrow an iphone when I need it, because luckily everybody else on the planet has one.

[bob]

yep, ya gotta pay for that datastream, and without it, the iphone's just a phone... and, in my opinion, not really too much of a phone (my old nokia was handier as a phone). However, now I can do much of what I previously did at the computer (mostly checking sites for info) while I'm in the passenger seat of a car, or drinking my morning coffee at Dennys, or waiting in line at the post office, or whereever. I really can't (at least not at the moment) do web development from it, or update Shell City, or clean out databases, rtc... Well, I could, but it'd be more inconvenient from the small touch screen. And of course, I don't have all my desktop apps loaded on it. But yes, for passive internet use, it's just fabulous. Worth the $30/mo, and the initial $200.

[xXJackXx]

kinda on topic....I'm looking at getting an android based phone. Waiting on the snapdragon based phones to come out (which is soon) Anyways, I'm looking at an initial cost of AUS$600+ depending on the model I go with from what I've seen. Now thats buying the phone out right. The plan I'm looking at going on is a $5 per month and pay 1.5c/mb. Now with this plan phone calls are kinda expensive (something like 30c/per 30 sec) Anyways its not a contract/plan so I can leave when ever I want and who I'm going through also provides a free VOIP account!

So VOIP calls are like 15c/per min and with the right codec I'm looking at 1mb/5min. So works out seriously cheap using the VOIP to make calls.

I don't know how much data/calls your getting with that $30/per month but I know I'm looking a better deal with how I'm going to do it.

[bob]

I don't know how much data/calls your getting with that $30/per month but I know I'm looking a better deal with how I'm going to do it.

Unlimited data for $30/mo. The phone portion is separate. My wife and I share 600 minutes a month across two phones for $59 (American) (plus a few "small" service charges, tariffs, taxes....)

For your plan, Jack, I wonder if you could work Google Voice into your phone--free calling. But you'd pay at your data rate, for the data transfer, I think.

[xXJackXx]

Unlimited data for $30/mo.

For your plan, Jack, I wonder if you could work Google Voice into your phone--free calling. But you'd pay at your data rate, for the data transfer, I think.

Oh yeah forgot you guys don't get data quotas! But I've heard that you might be getting it soon with the US telcos looking at how AUS does it.


Hm the Google Voice thing is something I'll have to look at when I get the phone, but it should be doable I guess.

[bob]

Oh yeah forgot you guys don't get data quotas! But I've heard that you might be getting it soon with the US telcos looking at how AUS does it.

We used to have them (think AOL), but most isp's don't impose them anymore.

[bob]

Posting this from the phone -- still getting the hang of the graphical keyboard. These keys are damn small, especially in the vertical mode. Also, I hate switching keyboards between numbers/punctuation and letters... Still, for what it is, even with it's limitations, pretty damn handy...

[Gerry]

yep, ya gotta pay for that datastream, and without it, the iphone's just a phone

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying you can not get it for US$200 without the plan. The plan is part of the cost of getting the phone. Try looking around for an iPhone 3GS without a plan and you will see the real cost of the phone.

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=3GS+no ... &_osacat=0

^Funny. The only one that comes up has a buy now price of US$919.97. My above calculation put the cost at US$920. 920 - 919.97 = US$0.03. Kinda close.

[Gerry]

Posting this from the phone -- still getting the hang of the graphical keyboard. These keys are damn small, especially in the vertical mode. Also, I hate switching keyboards between numbers/punctuation and letters... Still, for what it is, even with it's limitations, pretty damn handy...

Keys on the virtual keyboard are only clicked when you remove your finger from the screen. So you can put your finger on the screen, move it till you're sure you are on the key and then release. You will find the graphical keyboard a lot easier to use after you start doing this.

[bob]

good tip!

[bob]

first real iphone complaint--why does ecverything Apple makes have to be so fuckin' proprietary? To make a simple app, you need a mac.... And try exploring the phone's directory structure.... The plug for the charger... On and on it goes... file types.... What a pain the the wazoo.

[xXJackXx]

why does ecverything Apple makes have to be so fuckin' proprietary?

because its apple and they want you to buy there stuff.....

[bob]

The iPhone's inbuilt mail client sucks big time -- why can't you create folders and rules?

[Gerry]

The iPhone's inbuilt mail client sucks big time -- why can't you create folders and rules?

Because Apple has always focused on looks over functionality. If a feature is going to make something look more complicated or less pretty then it's not going to make the cut.

It's not for me, but there are millions out there who would choose a curved sexy one button mouse over a regular looking mouse that can right click.

[bob]

It's forcing me to use the web-based form for gmail, which does have a phone-enhanced version, so at least I don't have to forgo email on the phone. Hell, the iPhone email client is just ungovernable...