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5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

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Re: 5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

#31

Post by axod »

yummyfajitas wrote: post #30
axod wrote: post #26

This is really a ridiculous article if you can call it that. "iPhone won't play patent- and DRM-free formats like Ogg Vorbis and Theora." Why do I care that a few cents of the price of my iPhone went in licensing the mp3 format from "Thomson Multimedia and Fraunhofer IIS-A". As a user, it plays mp3 files. Which is all anyone cares about. If it only played DRM files I'd have a problem with it and wouldn't buy it. Look…

I have quite a few ogg files. Converting to mp3 before using on an mp3 player is very annoying. Plus, libogg is BSD licensed, so why not include it?

it'd be a nice to have, sure, but I don't think it's a deal breaker. Majority of people are likely to have mp3s. It's nice not to add too much complexity and potential for bugs/issues...

Re: 5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

#32

Post by SteveC »

ozanonay wrote: post #6
dejb wrote: post #4

Thank god for some sanity. I cannot for the life of me understand why otherwise intelligent geeks fawn over locked Apple products and the iPhone in particular.

Perhaps because it's a delight to use and look at? Occasionally, when something is designed better than any other comparable device, you have to pay to use it. In this case, you pay by following a few of their rules.

I heard the same thing about iPods and when I actually used one I found them to be horrible.

Re: 5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

#34

Post by apgwoz »

tstegart wrote: post #24

Ok, using logic 'n all, a lot of the arguments don't make sense. Which is sad, because put differently, I'm sure whoever wrote them could have made them effective. The iPhone does not completely block free software. Last time I checked, there was free software available in the App Store. Developers are welcome to release their code I presume. A lesser argument to the response that Apple decides what is and is not on…

> The iPhone does not completely block free software. Last time I checked, there was free software available in the App Store. Developers are welcome to release their code I presume.

Yes, there is software in the AppStore that is gratis, and developers can of course share their code. However, I can't recompile it and run it on my iPhone right away without it being distributed through the AppStore. Will Apple reject applications that have only minor tweaks? What if the modifications I want to make are not changes that the original developer wants and they are unwilling to merge them? Where does that leave me? Not with Free Software as it fails to meet the requirements.

Re: 5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

#35

Post by akeefer »

apgwoz wrote: post #29
extantproject wrote: post #3

All cell phones expose "your whereabouts and [provide] ways for others to track you without your knowledge" via cell tower triangulation. At a minimum, this point is FUD.

But do other cell phones provide novices an SDK and a few simple functions to get position via GPS and do a HTTP POSTs while entering an item in "Joe's shopping list" application? Perhaps they do, but without a constant connection to wifi or EDGE/3G that the iPhone has, you'd have to authorize it, in order for it to be sent. Probably not so with the iPhone. It's designed to constantly talk to the Internet (it's even…

The early reviews I've read seem to indicate that you will need to do that authorization. See:

http://gizmodo.com/5014732/3g-iphone-first-hands-on

"I noticed that the iPhone asked me for permission to give both the maps program and the camera app permission to use my location."

Re: 5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

#36

Post by jotto »

newt0311 wrote: post #27
jotto wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the main reason Apple can ensure quality. They limit the scope of their hardware so there are no unexpected use cases. Visual voicemail "just works", the app store "just works". The problem is that the iphone appeals to geeks, and many geeks are privacy/FSF/EFF purists.

Why not instead have optional quality? Provide a set of approved programs but still let users install what ever they want.

Doesn't Microsoft Windows kind of do this? You can optionally use these "certified drivers" and software from big vendors, but there are always the long tail of apps, widgets, bleeding edge drivers, smiley faces etc, that people will always download and spoil the user experience.

Point is, it doesn't work for Microsoft. It's a slippery slope, once you open your platform to anyone (which is great), you'll have a nightmare of support.

I agree, the optional policy works fine for power users. I know many geeks who use Vista with no problem because they use the "certified" software.

Re: 5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

#37

Post by tstegart »

apgwoz wrote: post #34
tstegart wrote: post #24

Ok, using logic 'n all, a lot of the arguments don't make sense. Which is sad, because put differently, I'm sure whoever wrote them could have made them effective. The iPhone does not completely block free software. Last time I checked, there was free software available in the App Store. Developers are welcome to release their code I presume. A lesser argument to the response that Apple decides what is and is not on…

> The iPhone does not completely block free software. Last time I checked, there was free software available in the App Store. Developers are welcome to release their code I presume. Yes, there is software in the AppStore that is gratis, and developers can of course share their code. However, I can't recompile it and run it on my iPhone right away without it being distributed through the AppStore. Will Apple reject a…

You're right, the definition of free software they use makes things very sticky. But while there might be restrictions on what applications can be made, Apple hasn't said they will restrict free versions of other people's software. I mean, sure, you can't probably get Firefox on your iphone, but if people wanted to get together and create a free version of an application that someone else is selling, sort of like Open Office vs. MS word, I don't see that being shot down. The author implied that would never be allowed, but I don't see why not.

He is correct though, and I acknowledge, that Apple is a closed system. There probably won't be more than one web browser on the iPhone, or more than one music player. Some applications there won't be open source or free versions of. But as many people have said, they are perfectly fine with that. If you want to play OGG files, buy a different phone.

I think what the author fails to note is that its unlikely there will ever be a completely closed industry again. Apple may not allow some free apps, but someone else will. Gone are the days where every choice in an industry was closed or propriety. So what I say to him is, if you don't like Apple's system, don't buy it. Buy the phone that's better.

Re: 5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

#38

Post by cwp »

apgwoz wrote: post #34
tstegart wrote: post #24

Ok, using logic 'n all, a lot of the arguments don't make sense. Which is sad, because put differently, I'm sure whoever wrote them could have made them effective. The iPhone does not completely block free software. Last time I checked, there was free software available in the App Store. Developers are welcome to release their code I presume. A lesser argument to the response that Apple decides what is and is not on…

> The iPhone does not completely block free software. Last time I checked, there was free software available in the App Store. Developers are welcome to release their code I presume. Yes, there is software in the AppStore that is gratis, and developers can of course share their code. However, I can't recompile it and run it on my iPhone right away without it being distributed through the AppStore. Will Apple reject a…

Do you really think downloading from the App Store is the only way to get software onto the phone? If you want load recompiled software, you need the SDK. But then, you need the SDK to recompile the software in the first place, so it's not much of a burden.

Re: 5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

#39

Post by omouse »

SteveC wrote: post #32
ozanonay wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps because it's a delight to use and look at? Occasionally, when something is designed better than any other comparable device, you have to pay to use it. In this case, you pay by following a few of their rules.

I heard the same thing about iPods and when I actually used one I found them to be horrible.

I'm curious, what was horrible about it?

Re: 5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G

#40

Post by j2d2 »

pavelludiq wrote: post #19
jotto wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are people so upset about this? They provide a great shopping experience for their customers, and a great distribution channel for your apps. This is a service worth paying for.

The problem is that this channel is THE ONLY ONE.

It's not different from Apple's usual way of business. Look at their control of apple hardware and the software that controls the hardware. Things "just work", to quote almost everyone, with apple because of their control. I am happy to elaborate if the comparison to their hardware business isn't sufficient.

I don't mind Apple's pursuit of control over their stuff because they have done little to convince me they can't be trusted with the power. On top of this, their control has led to a consistent and smooth experience with their products.

I must state that I'm not an iPhone developer. I speak as a happy consumer only.

I agree that I'm not upset by this.

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