iPhone - Generation II

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

OK, I will admit the iPhone is a cool looking gadget, but all of the reviews leave me saying that it is cool, but it won't do the things I need it to do.

My Treo680 will do everything I need, but the screen (320x320) and the thumbboard-button interface is not ideal. And it is bigger/heavier than the iPhone. My Lifedrive does much of what the iPhone can do, and has the same size screen and is almost a mini-laptop replacement. But it doesn't have cell phone capability.

If I really wanted to ditch my lifedrive and Treo combination, and replace it with a single device, I'd need it to have additional capabilities. The $599 price would not be a problem, since I'd be ditching 2 devices for 1.

So....what features will Gen II need to make it workable for you?

I need:

Exchange active sync
An External keyboard interface (for serious work)
3G speed
Word, Excel and Power Powerpoint software with editing capability
DUN (Dial up networking for my Laptop) through Bluetooth
Swappable battery (for international flights)
VPN and network drive connection capability
Some sort of SD card slot.

I would like it to have:
IR interface
VOYP when in a Wifi Hot Spot

What else would you like to see?

holtjv · 06-30-2007, 07:34 AM

the iphone doesn't use activesynch? I thought for sure it did, similar to treo--you configure the pull, right? I also didn't know you could edit WORD, et al., with a treo.

the battery is nearly a deal-killer for me, too, as is the "4 screens to dial".

I don't see them ever enabling VPN access--another draw away from bb to the treo for the dev team.

but hell, I'm going to get one for one of my star emps who is dying for one, so maybe I'll pick up 2

.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

VPN and file folder access is killer.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by holtjv
the iphone doesn't use activesynch? I thought for sure it did, similar to treo--you configure the pull, right? I also didn't know you could edit WORD, et al., with a treo.

Documents to Go comes as part of the standard software on the Treo650/680. The one that comes with it does not read native PDF files. But Doc-to-go versions 8 and up will. They are on version 10 now, which will read and write Office 2007 files.

The one thing that the Treo680 will do that the Blackberry can't, play audio files, or at least the ones that our company uses. We get our voicemails in e-mails. The treo can pickup these voicemail attachments and play them, but the Blackberries can't.

And I do have to say, that the active-sync feature/push e-mail, on the Treo is not as good as a Blackberry.

on-ramp · 06-30-2007, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by red-beard

I need:

Exchange active sync
An External keyboard interface (for serious work)
3G speed
Word, Excel and Power Powerpoint software with editing capability
DUN (Dial up networking for my Laptop) through Bluetooth
Swappable battery (for international flights)
VPN and network drive connection capability
Some sort of SD card slot.

that's called a laptop. lol... why would I want all those gadgets on a portable device?

onlycafe · 09:25 PM

i am still waiting for the dick tracy wrist-radio.

HardDrive · 06-30-2007, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by on-ramp
that's called a laptop. lol... why would I want all those gadgets on a portable device?

Wow are you out of touch.

Joeaksa · 07-01-2007, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by HardDrive
Wow are you out of touch.

In more ways than one, for a very, very long time...

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
Right - your set of requirements seem a little extreme for the average user - even the average business user. The iPhone syncs with Outlook right now...

-Wayne

Really? With the exception of 3G, my Treo will do all of that. And if I used one of the Verizon Treos, I could add 3G speed.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Syncing with Outlook was fine back in the day, but Active Sync will sync the calendar, e-mail and contacts on the fly. It also allows push e-mail, similar to the Blackberries.

I walk around with a Portfolio and keep my Lifedrive and a keyboard in there. I can pull out the Lifedrive and start taking notes in a few seconds. Also, the small factor makes it much less distracting than a laptop during meetings.

I think that is a TX but it gives you a good idea of what the Keyboard and Lifedrive looks like.

Izze · 07-01-2007, 03:00 AM

I must say that the iPhone looks really cool!!

...but of course in needs to be updated with the above stated items to be taken really serious. Perhaps next year?

....and no i do not want 3G UMTS....i want LTE (Long Term Evolution) with mobile +100Mbps....and i want it now!!

http://www.3gpp.org/Highlights/LTE/LTE.htm

Wickd89 · 07-01-2007, 08:46 AM

My blackberry does most of this stuff:

phone
internet
link to my company outlook/email
predictive text
camera
traffic maps
GPS

This is just one great advertising push! More power to them...

HardDrive · 07-01-2007, 10:21 AM

on-ramp, I'm a network engineer specializing in messaging for a Microsoft gold partner in Seattle. I think I have a pretty good idea of what the 'cell phone' market looks like.

on-ramp · 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by HardDrive
on-ramp, I'm a network engineer specializing in messaging for a Microsoft gold partner in Seattle. I think I have a pretty good idea of what the 'cell phone' market looks like.

There is a great gap between the Engineering and the Marketing world. i dont think the typical cell phone user wants to do excell spreadsheets or powerpoint presentations on a little screen

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Then why would you want to surf the net on one?

Posting a message or two on the BBS while sitting in the dentist's office would be cool. Looking up how many seats are at the Hollywood Bowl, while you're there, that's cool. Doing full-scale research, etc, surfing on a tiny phone - not very practical.

My phone is going to be returned, probably today. I need "reminder beep" functionality as a bare minimum for a phone to be useful to me. Silly me for thinking that this was programmed in the iPhone. Shame on me for being impulsive and buying the 1st generation of a product. You'd think I would have learned already, and that I would have thought twice...

-Wayne

on-ramp · 07-01-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by red-beard
Then why would you want to surf the net on one?

surfing the net is different.

that screen is 2.4" x 4.5" Try working on an excell spreadsheet or doing a powerpoint , it's not practical

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I do it all the time. I had a phone conversation on Thursday last week and discussed an Excel spreadsheet. I was being driven across town at that time. Pulling up the Excel sheet on my Lifedrive was much easier than starting up my laptop.

HardDrive · 07-01-2007, 02:05 PM

on-ramp, you are partially correct. The bulk of the cell phone markets is folks who simply want to make calls, and perhaps have some entertainment functionality. But $600 is a lot of money, and many of the people who are willing to put out this kind of $$$ for a device will be power users. If Apple does not add business friendly capabilites, they are cutting themselves off from a important market sector.