POTD

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Dipshits

I really enjoyed reading all the hullabaloo about Apple's iPhone announcement. I've been so consumed with work that I haven't had the energy to comment until now, but I do have some observations and questions.

Observations

I'm amazed by the scores or dipshits who state that because the iPhone is missing some specific feature it will fail. Often followed with the statement that "without feature X, there is no way I'd buy the iPhone."

The missing feature X has variously been 3G network access, the ability to open MS word documents, a physical keyboard, GPS, Outlook integration, and so on.

Either the web is full of people living in the few places where 3G networks exist and who the most obscure features of ultra-modern mobile phones, or lots of people are full of crap. Given my informal survey of the cell phones people use, I'm tending to think it is the latter.

One other interesting argument seems to be that because the iPhone isn't the perfect mobile phone, it will fail. Really. Get over yourselves, people.

Questions

Snarkyess aside, it seems there are some salient open questions. In no particular order...

1. How do you reboot the phone? I don't think I've ever had a phone that didn't need to be reset periodically.


2. Is the battery really sealed in there? There are some situations where an extra battery is a real life saver.


3. Of the 4 / 8 gig of storage, how much does the OS take? I've heard varying estimates. And is the free space available to phone functions as a single pool, or is it partitioned for different functions?


4. We know that the phone will be closed to some extent, but we also know that additional software will be available for loading onto the phone. How will this work -- entirely through iTunes, or is there over-the-air updating capability in the works?


5. How many functions are tied to the SIM that ships with the phone, or what functions will I lose when I put in a different SIM?


6. Can it vibrate when I get a call? I do love the vibration.


7. Did anyone do usability studies with DTMF systems, like voice mail and automated phone services? How easy is it to dial some numbers when I'm engaged on a call?


8. Can I use any of the phone's available memory for general storage? For example, save an e-mail attachment to a "folder" on the phone?


9. How is the iPhone integrated with Leopard (MacOS 10.5)? Given the silence, I imagine there is either something cool in the works, or the integration will be underwhelming.

POTD

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My God. The holidays flew by. Where did they go? I can't believe it is already mid-January.