[dabigkahuna]

After my last visit to the Apple store, I'm thinking more seriously about getting an iPhone. I didn't like the cost of service plans (minimum of $70 apparently - but then realized that no matter what service I go with, it seems all have those rates for a phone that is similar to the iPhone.

Also, I had originally considered an iTouch, but seems that for the exact same price I can get one of the iPhones with the same memory. So, as a general starting point, is there ANYTHING an iTouch can do that an iPhone can't (or an iTouch does better)?

I've found the best way to decide major purchases is to look at the negatives first, then the positives. So, with that in mind, I'd be interested in anything about the iPhone that you DON'T like or think some other phone does better (if another is better at something, it would help to know what phone you are referring to - I may opt for that instead).

[Tom_Diola]

I have the iPhone 2G.
It's perfect.

The iTouch cannot make something called A phone call ....

Too bad (for us) you live so close to the Apple Store.

[dabigkahuna]

LOL! Well, I was kinda thinking more in terms of whether the iTouch had any capabilities that exceeded the iPhone!

[dabigkahuna]

No one has any criticisms of the iPhone or things other phones may do better?

Well, let me ask a question:

What about ringtones? My present phone is the first one where getting ringtones was a factor and, frankly, I found it kind of annoying to buy ringtones for the money they wanted, especially when some of them weren't permanent but only good for some period of time! No way I'm going to pay for temporary usage!

But what I really wanted was to be able to use clips of music I already own. I finally found workarounds to do that - a pc program that let me cut a small portion, create the proper file type, but then there was the hassle of getting it onto the phone as a ringtone. Had to send the file to some website which then could be accessed by the phone to install it.

So what are the idiosyncracies of the iPhone when it comes to ring tones?

Another question. With the changes in the iTouch and apparently more emphasis on games than before, does everything that runs on the iTouch also run on the iPhone?

[Tom_Diola]

Yes

[dabigkahuna]

Does "yes" refer to everything running on an iPhone that runs on the iTouch? If so, great.

Had the morning off so made a special trip to the Apple store. Seems there is one thing that doesn't run on the iPhone - that Nike thing (don't know exactly what it does, but I'm not planning on using it so I'm not concerned about that). Tried a phone call - very happy with the sound quality at my end and the person I talked to said I sound fine. Maybe a bit better than what I have an WAY better than what I had before.

One thing that irritates me a little is that apparently you can't listen to music on blue tooth headsets. A lot of times I'd just be listening to podcasts so it would be nice to be able to go wireless with the blue tooth headset I'd use for speaking on the phone. So that's a small bummer. Don't know if that is the case with all blue tooth enabled phones.

[dabigkahuna]

I wanted to put this question in a seperate post.

I had trouble with a specific website and maybe some iPhone users can help me with it.

The site is maps.google.com

I can get to the site, but it just shows me the starting page - a map of the whole U.S. I can't zoom in the map (I couldn't even get the normal zoom - two finger action - to work).

What I want to do is this:

Zoom in on Oahu Hawaii. On my home PC, when I zoom in close enough and you are viewing an area where buses run, you will see little bus icons at every bus top. If you select one, you can see all the buses that come to that stop and what time the next one of each is. Very helpful if I could access that on the road. I don't have a car - one reason I can't go to the Apple store any time I want to.

I also couldn't select the box where you can type a specific address. A worker tried and he couldn't either.

I assume it just doesn't work with that site, but maybe someone could be motivated to try that google site just to make sure it wasn't an isolated problem?

Thanks.

[Tom_Diola]

Talk about High Maintenance.

You weren't trying to do the maps.google.com on the iPhone were you?

Does Hawaii Have 3G?

- - -

Actually if you have a 3G iPhone you just use a different method (much cooler than going through Safari)!

You find where you are by hitting a little button whilst in the Maps Application (not Safari) and that will tell you

where you are. Then you can probably find that little bus thing on the map and do the thing you want.

You're like in the dark ages man . . .

[dabigkahuna]

High maintenance? I have questions. I ask them. And in one case I asked if anyone would check out a specific site I couldn't get to work with the iPhone. And I did it on a forum where people try to get answers. I'm pretty sure I'll do that based on what answers I need.

Yes, I was trying to use maps.google.com on the iPhone.

I assume Hawaii has 3G, though I can't say for sure. I did mention to one worker that I had read about the iPhone had some issues sometimes staying connected at 3G speed and would drop to 2G - at least in some places. I wanted to know if there were problems around here. He said he never heard of anyone having a problem with that - if there is no 3G here, that response either wouldn't make much sense or he would be ignorant of this information. I can't tell you which - but I assume from it that we have 3G.

If we don't, would that affect using the site (besides the speed factor)?

Okay, I understand there is a map thing on the phone. I didn't try it, but one of the workers may have. I know after we couldn't get google maps to work, he said he wanted to try something else. Maybe that was the iPhone map, but I can tell you that whatever it was, it never showed the bus icons no matter how much we zoomed in. Apparently the bus company gave google access to their data, but that doesn't mean they have done so for all mapping sources. I know Mapquest won't show it either. Google is the only one I'm sure of and the only one I ever saw the local bus website mention.

> You're like in the dark ages man . . . <

I have no idea why you make such remarks.

[Tom_Diola]

I typed in Oahu in the google maps .
Found your little busses but did it all on a desktop
Machine.
3G is like twice as fast as 2G.
Your Apple store employees aren't very
Capable - or they're tired of your endless
Questions without any purchases.

About the forum: It's a two way street - i.e. if you need help the forum responds

if we need help we expect you to help - how can you help the forum if you don't

own a Mac or an iPhone?

[dabigkahuna]

1. I know I can do google maps on a desktop - the problem is doing it with an iPhone. Maybe it isn't possible for some reason (iPhone limitation or an issue with how google maps works). Or maybe there is a way and I just had bad luck. I know better than to make absolutel conclusions from one test. Things happen - sometimes unexplained things. So I try to double check.

2. I know 3G is faster. When you brought up the question of 3G in Hawaii, it sounded like you were making a point about my problem with that one website.

3. The employees may not be as up on things as they should, but since I've noticed some lack of knowledge from my very first visit, it has nothing to do with how many times I've been there - with how many workers I've seen, I don't recall talking to the same person twice. And I'm pretty sure I'm entitled to ask as many questions there as I wish. However, I'm always very aware of how busy they are on each visit. If they are busy, I normally try to get someone, when they finish with someone else, to just answer one or two quick questions. If they have lots of workers who are just standing around because of the lack of customers, I ask a lot more. Just basic consideration.

And I've always told them my expected time frame for actually buying - assuming I decide to buy. I don't pretend about it. If you think I have to purchase if I ask lots of questions, you are just wrong. My money, my rules. That's all part of business.

> About the forum: It's a two way street - i.e. if you need help the forum responds <

Apparently not with uncalled for insults in some cases.

> if we need help we expect you to help - how can you help the forum if you don't own a Mac or an iPhone?<

So, anyone asking questions here has to help others (fine), but must also buy products even if they decide from the answers they get that it isn't for them? Or must buy on your timetable? Or must have a limit to their questions?

Strange, but I've helped lots of people on forums and never acted that way. But that's just me. I've even been in charge of forums I'm particularly knowledgeable about - sometimes spending a LOT of time helping individuals who are trying to get lots of information. Heck, in the case of answering questions on forums about Hawaii (since I live there), I've even made special trips to locations people ask about. You know, because I'm trying to be HELPFUL. I certainly never say, "You should provide information for others but you can't do that because you aren't here to learn it first hand".

Geez.

But go ahead, tell me I'm living in the dark ages again. It won't make any sense though.

[dabigkahuna]

Went back to the Apple store and tried google maps again. No luck with that, but apparently in my efforts to zoom, I managed to tap something that took me to google for moblie phones. At that site, I was able to select "maps" and zoom in to find the bus icons. Unfortunately, I couldn't tap to open them - a necessary step to achieve what I hoped.

Next I tried the "map" option on the iPhone menu. I could zoom that one in too, and see the bus icons, but couldn't proceed any further either.

But I found out enough good things and bought the 16 gb version. I've been playing around with it since them, pretty much randomly. Got a lot of phone numbers put in and internet bookmarks. I like the GPS, though I probably have only a little use for it here unless I need to locate a business or something.

I want to check the wi-fi and how best to use it while minimizing power drain (I assume the repetive searching wastes power once you have a signal that does the job. But that part is all new to me since I've never had wi-fi on anything before. They have wi-fi at school so I guess I'll get some testing done there Monday. I did pick up a lot of signals walking home through the mall (most locked), but didn't have time to try any of the unlocked ones. I certainly can't pick up any signals in my apartment unless outside the concrete walls but even then, they are locked anyway.

I thought there would be a couple games included since I believe the Nano includes two or three, but if any are already on the iPhone, I haven't seen them. Before I buy any, I need to research them.

Now, if the rumors are true that Apple may be bringing out new macbooks in mid-october, I may be buying one of them too sooner than expected. I really hope they improve the graphics on them.

[dabigkahuna]

Okay, this is NOT good.

First, I apparently had some issues with iTunes and the iPhone when I plugged it into the USB port. Not having any prior experience with it, I didn't really know what was supposed to happen but:

The first time I got some sort of message - after my PC said it found new hardware - that there was a problem.

Plugged it in again and got to iTunes automatically and saw an item on the left column for the iPhone. But I couldn't find anything about syncronizing which I was told should come up. I have, since then, plugged in in a number of times without ever finding a sync function.

At various times I would get this message though:

"iTunes unable to load data class information from sync services. Reconnect or try again later".

Finally, earler today I suddenly did have iTunes come up with something about syncing. I followed the instructions and at one point it said it would update my iPhone (it came with version 2.0.2). Okay, I have that start. Took a long to time load on the computer and extract, but eventually it popped up with a message saying it had failed!

I also noted that my iPhone screen showed a USB plug at the bottom of the iPhone screen with an arrow pointing up to an iTunes icon. It stayed like that for a long time, but nothing seemed to be happening. Eventually the screen went off. After a long wait, I tried unplugging the connector. Nothing would turn the iPhone on! I tried plugging it back into the connector and noting happened either. Later I tried plugging it in again and I get the same thing on the screen, but nothing happens and tapping the screen or pushing buttons does nothing.

So I now, after manually entering a lot of phone numbers, etc, I have a completely non-working phone!

[dabigkahuna]

Update:

Well, things are working. Just kept trying different things. Finally I closed iTunes on the computer and restarted it. It then gave me the option to restore the phone to its original settings, which I did. It also did the upgrade.

But I had to do the phone numbers over again. I have since had one successful backup of those. I have more to input, but I'll make sure I keep doing those syncing processes along the way!