john-d said:
All things considered I regret not replacing my 1st Gen phone w/ another of the same.
Interesting you say that, as I decided NOT to get the 2nd gen iPhone since:
1) I don't NEED the military-grade location pin-pointing provided by GPS.
In fact, I think Apple shot themselves in the foot somewhat by implementing an elegant location-finding work-around for the 1st-gen phone, using cell-phone triangulation and proximity to wi-fi networks, etc. It'll find my location within a 1/4 mile (worst-case scenario: a few hundred feet is typical) without sucking down battery power like a GS-enabled device would. I find that sufficient for MY needs, an excellent example of making more use out of less. I found this approach to be a PERFECT example of the Jobs philosophy, making the most out of what you DO have, rather than cluttering life by adding MORE nice (but optional) features that in the long run end up distracting from the experience due to undesirable consequences (like shorter battery life).
Let's put it this way: if you're lost in an unfamiliar town, and you can't find your way with the 1st-gen's location finder and the map, then you're beyond help, I 'd say! Let's not forget the old-fashioned method of looking around to determine your exact location, LOL. Those addresses on homes DO serve a useful purpose. :)
2) I don't NEED 3rd-gen HSDPA on my cell-phone.
For my needs, the pokey EDGE network is fine for 'on the go' use. While it would be nice to have a faster connection, it's not worth spending the extra $$$ for service I already have at home (6 mbps high-speed DSL, and a 2mbps mobile broadband card).
I've had EVDO access on my iPhone via a EVDO wireless router before (which is basically the same or faster speed as what you have on the latest iPhone's HSDPA network), but found it easier to use a laptop and an EVDO card for "real" tasks like e-mailing, surfing/browsing, etc. I got rid of my Kyocera KR1 router recently, but realized I missed the idea of a mobile EVDO connection, so bought the Sierra Wireless Compass 597 USB EVDO modem. I would've gone with the newest iPhone if I thought AT&T were going to allow tethering for data to a laptop, but it seems they've been the usual corporate nimnoids by trying to block such efforts. Fine, I went with the USB modem instead. Chalk one up for Verizon.
And as an added bonus, the 597 has a GPS chip inside, which integrates with my MBP (although practically speaking, I don't see how frequently I'd need the direction-finding of a GPS chip: maybe I don't get out of town often enough, as I usually know where I'm trying to go!).
Why not surfing from the iPhone? For me, the small iPhone screen limits the usefulness of the device, especially if you're spolied by a 17" laptop, 23" Cinema Display, etc. I'd have to be really desperate to use the iPhone's screen (and sometimes I do, in a pinch), as almost ANY task is going to be easier on a 'real' computer vs doing it on the iPhone.
Real world example: I was booking a hotel reservation the other day in my car (relax: I was parked!), and it was quite a slow and painful experience on the iPhone, since I had to enter a lot of data that I knew was readily available (via auto-completion) on my laptop. In the end, the iPhone didn't even complete the reservation process (some error encountered), so I still had to dig out the laptop to re-accomplish the same task. This had NOTHING to do with the speed of the connection, per se, but regardless, the end user experience, the sum total of the parts, was not as satisfying. What took a painful 5 minutes on the iPhone took less than a minute on a 'real' computer.
No, for quick data checks, the current pokey-slow EDGE network is fine, as generally speaking, when you're in the "real world" and on the go, you have other things to distract you from how long it takes to download. You can always find a near-by wi-fi network (AT&T offers free access at local Starbucks for iPhone users), if needed.
Unlike the teens who DO spend all day on their iPhones surfing, etc, I see my iPhone as a portable, easily-accessible EXTENSION of my laptop and desktop, useful for entering notes (e.g. mileage), keeping track of appointments (iCal) and contacts, checking e-mail (which I don't bother saving on the iPhone), sending the occasional text message, not to mention it's integrated iPod functions (so I can catch up on podcasts at the gym, or listen to music in the car). Of course, it's a phone, but it's a relatively minor part of the total picture for me.
Too often people overlook what the iPhone DOES well, and focus on the flaws! Part of human nature, I guess, but I dare say Apple is working on a fix for what ails users (and dropped calls are annoying, but hardly a new phenomena: the cell companies have touted fewer dropped calls as their mantra for years now, in response to such complaints. Has Apple eliminated the problem? Of course not).
This too shall pass: last year it was something else that people were griping about....
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