iPhone Review
I finally broke down and bought an iPhone… had to see what the buzz was about. Here’s my review of it and how I envision that our members could use an iPhone to do basic tasks with EzineArticles.com.
First, a review of the basics of the iPhone: It’s a very useful version 1.0 device, especially when you’re in a WiFi area as it will use the WiFi instead of the slower AT&T Edge network for access.
What it lacks: A lot. It’s not designed for business…and I bet their next gen version will be much more business savvy in terms of its power. It lacks an easy way to install applications, lacks cellular carrier options (AT&T sucked for me this weekend when their techies are playing when they should be monitoring their network for uptime/availability), lacks ability to arrange the home page the way you want it, lacks compatibility with many iPod devices (Bose’s SoundDock for example), lacks a quality speaker, missing a basic IM client for Instant Messaging on any platform, it doesn’t have walkie/talkie or direct connect Nextel type functions; it can’t record video, doesn’t support flash yet, they forgot to tell you that you’ll need to buy an adapter to plug in regular headphones, you can’t use your songs for ringtones and you can’t buy iTunes songs from it yet.
What rocks about it: It’s insanely easy to use. When you’re on WiFi, it’s fast enough to be acceptable. It’s always on and requires no boot time so for that late night ‘look something up’ when your PC is shut down, it’s a great alternative. The 2 mega pixel camera takes pretty good photos. The built in iPod is neat. Most of all is the web access from anywhere you can get either WiFi or AT&T’s Edge network. This has transformed my day between office to home runs or when I just need a quick access to info for something… or when shopping at Best Buy yesterday I realized I could save $40 by buying the same thing I was looking at from Amazon.com.
How I can see EzineArticles Members using an iPhone: You can log into your account and see if your pending articles are approved/reviewed yet, you can comment on blog (several of my recent blog comments were done via the iPhone while on the road) or article entries, you can email us for member support or reply to an EzineArticles Inbox email, or you can just check your stats.
Summary: This is a device that has already changed the mobile Internet experience & expectations of what’s possible. Even with all of its ‘lack’…it’s a very useful version 1.0 device. If you’ve got an iPhone, I’d love to hear about how we can make your EzineArticles.com experience better on the iPhone?
Some interesting ways I’ve used it already: Installed iPhone.BeeJive.com for my Yahoo IM client; purchased James Bond movie via Amazon unbox and had it sent to my guest bedroom Tivo to watch while I was on the way home from the gym; checked the swimming pool schedules this morning to make sure it was available for circle/lap swim; tracking stocks, weather, etc…; logged into various business sites and intranets to track performance; Saved me $40 on a Slingbox Pro that I almost bought at BestBuy; Researched 12″ sub specs to compare prices before making a purchase decision; Identified movie show times and bought movie tickets online on the way to the movie, saving time from standing in line; Checked uptime on websites throughout the day…even though we’ve got a team doing this, I feel better just knowing we’re up; Looked up football roster stats while at a game Saturday night… Do you see a trend here? The iPhone helps to save time and money by providing faster and convenient access to relevant info. Just bought an arm strap for it and will be testing it in the gym this week.
Chris: If you own a blackberry how do the two compare? Do you need both?
suschar
[Reply]