Six months with iPhone
It was inspired by the similar text about Nokia posted here .
I’ll try to understand the iPhone user experience. Without much admiration for the device, but also without mudding competitors.
Everything is pretty simple here. There was a need to combine in one device a telephone, a book reader, a pdf reader, a digital voice recorder, some kind of email client. Before that, there was an hp hx4700 PDA, but everything was spoiled by its operating system. As a result, it was decided to get a lot of happiness in the apple case.
Did it work out? Let's try to figure it out.
Everything written below refers to the official iPhone 3G.
It must be said that the phone - exactly the phone - Apple turned out still so-so. The Nokia 6300, which I had before the Jobs product, is much more convenient in the telephone part. For example, in Nokia there is an auto answer (which is important for motorists with a headset in their ears).
In addition to the headset story, it’s worth mentioning the choice of sound source. The idea is not bad, the implementation is also. Sometimes you need to turn on the speakerphone without disconnecting the headset from the device.
The vaunted Spotlight works in contacts according to one known to him laws. For example, searching for organizations is working fine, but Spotlight simply ignores the text in the notes for the contact.
Placing SMS and MMS in the form of chat - 5 with a plus. But when sending SMS to several people, iPhone automatically offers to send MMS. Moreover, it is not clear what moves him to such a step. Apparently, the very idea that MMS may not be configured for several recipients is deeply disgusting to the iPhone.
Pleased with the ability to assign their tags to phones. No need to guess which of the three mobile phones a person is Moscow. We change the label to “Moscow” and live happily.
The answer is simple. Shortbook A program can do almost anything. In terms of readability, it is no worse than AlReader or HaaliReader for Windows Mobile. The only problem is downloading files. They can either be downloaded directly from our Internet, or you need to raise the ftp server on the computer. Or - as I started doing recently - I use a local network file wash.
It was the work with pdf, tested on the iPod Touch 2G, that became the reason for buying an iPhone. I recall with horror RepliGO for a PDA, which required conversion for each file, and at the same time did not guarantee normal viewing.
On iPhone, the main pdf reader is GoodReader. Although comparable convenience on small documents (up to 30 megabytes) provides, for example, Files Lite. The screen, however, is small. But the small physical resolution is offset by the convenience of navigating the document.
Would I change my iPhone to a specialized reader on eInk? Not. But not because the reader is worse, but simply because the all-in-one option suits me personally more.
At first, Apple did well. Voice notes were of unlimited length, arranged, and everything would have remained fine, but then firmware 3.1 suddenly appeared.
Apple ruined everything. With firmware 3.1, voice notes are limited to 77 megabytes (approximately 35 minutes). Why - this secret is great. The forums have relevant topics where the problem is discussed, but there is no progress. In firmware 3.1.2, everything remained bad. Apple is silent.
But a voice recorder is needed. Therefore, I did everything well on my own for $ 1.99. Bought Griffin iTalk. The program is simple like a bagel, it can write audio notes of any length with a voice recorder. Ordering is made, perhaps, even simpler than in a standard application. Writes to aiff, which is then converted using foobar2000 to any convenient format (and even to some uncomfortable ones).
iTunes Perhaps this works differently on a poppy, but on a PC - the apotheosis of insanity.
My personal complaints about tuna can be divided into two groups:
1. Program glitches.
2. The perverse logic of synchronization.
The glitch hit parade is led by a couple of errors: “iPhone could not be synchronized: you do not have enough rights for this operation” and “Cannot save iPhone library file: you do not have enough rights for this operation”. In the first case, the phone interrupts synchronization. In the second, you have to download the program again.
ITunes also generates these errors when working with administrator rights from an administrator account.
Another glitch iTunes - duplication of programs. Now, according to the brainchild of Apple, I have three copies of AppBox lite, 4 copies of Doodle Jump, and so on. Naturally, all these programs are singular on the phone. What's even more ridiculous - removing the checkmark from any copy in the "program synchronization" leads to the removal of the program from the phone.
And then we smoothly move on to the next point.
It would seem easier? There are two data sets, on the phone and on the computer, there is the date of the last synchronization. Everything that is changed in the phone is transferred to the computer; all that is changed on the computer is on the phone. What is changed there and there gives rise to a synchronization conflict - here it is supposed to ask the user what he thinks about this. Well, the checkmarks from the series "synchronize contacts - synchronize video - synchronize all sorts of other types of content."
“So this is exactly what is in IT!” - the user will say. And it will be wrong. The above is an example about program synchronization. The fact that I do not want to synchronize programs does not mean that I want to delete them. But no alternative has been proposed. Either sync or delete.
Same thing with other types of content. Either they are synchronized or deleted. Itunes is an unpleasant thought that something might just lie in an iPhone. And the synchronization of this content may well be completely unnecessary to me. A breakthrough was the checkbox "process music and video manually."
"But what about the fight against piracy!". But no way. Well, absolutely nothing. Because next to the iPhone, a flash drive is sold for $ 10. Which, by the convenience of transferring files, is much better than any iPhone.
Is the user customizable?
On the one hand, there are many devices in similar weight and size characteristics. But after thoroughly feeling HTC Touch HD, Nokia 5800, Nokia N97 and the like, I took an iPhone. For the glitches and brakes of WinMobile were pulled back by Hewlett and Packard, and I did not notice any changes. But Nokia has the ability to produce semi-finished products and then finish them.
What is missing? Multitasking! And ActiveSync for synchronization =)
I’ll try to understand the iPhone user experience. Without much admiration for the device, but also without mudding competitors.
Why an iPhone?
Everything is pretty simple here. There was a need to combine in one device a telephone, a book reader, a pdf reader, a digital voice recorder, some kind of email client. Before that, there was an hp hx4700 PDA, but everything was spoiled by its operating system. As a result, it was decided to get a lot of happiness in the apple case.
Did it work out? Let's try to figure it out.
Everything written below refers to the official iPhone 3G.
Telephone
It must be said that the phone - exactly the phone - Apple turned out still so-so. The Nokia 6300, which I had before the Jobs product, is much more convenient in the telephone part. For example, in Nokia there is an auto answer (which is important for motorists with a headset in their ears).
In addition to the headset story, it’s worth mentioning the choice of sound source. The idea is not bad, the implementation is also. Sometimes you need to turn on the speakerphone without disconnecting the headset from the device.
The vaunted Spotlight works in contacts according to one known to him laws. For example, searching for organizations is working fine, but Spotlight simply ignores the text in the notes for the contact.
Placing SMS and MMS in the form of chat - 5 with a plus. But when sending SMS to several people, iPhone automatically offers to send MMS. Moreover, it is not clear what moves him to such a step. Apparently, the very idea that MMS may not be configured for several recipients is deeply disgusting to the iPhone.
Pleased with the ability to assign their tags to phones. No need to guess which of the three mobile phones a person is Moscow. We change the label to “Moscow” and live happily.
Book reader
The answer is simple. Shortbook A program can do almost anything. In terms of readability, it is no worse than AlReader or HaaliReader for Windows Mobile. The only problem is downloading files. They can either be downloaded directly from our Internet, or you need to raise the ftp server on the computer. Or - as I started doing recently - I use a local network file wash.
PDF viewer
It was the work with pdf, tested on the iPod Touch 2G, that became the reason for buying an iPhone. I recall with horror RepliGO for a PDA, which required conversion for each file, and at the same time did not guarantee normal viewing.
On iPhone, the main pdf reader is GoodReader. Although comparable convenience on small documents (up to 30 megabytes) provides, for example, Files Lite. The screen, however, is small. But the small physical resolution is offset by the convenience of navigating the document.
Would I change my iPhone to a specialized reader on eInk? Not. But not because the reader is worse, but simply because the all-in-one option suits me personally more.
Dictaphone
At first, Apple did well. Voice notes were of unlimited length, arranged, and everything would have remained fine, but then firmware 3.1 suddenly appeared.
Apple ruined everything. With firmware 3.1, voice notes are limited to 77 megabytes (approximately 35 minutes). Why - this secret is great. The forums have relevant topics where the problem is discussed, but there is no progress. In firmware 3.1.2, everything remained bad. Apple is silent.
But a voice recorder is needed. Therefore, I did everything well on my own for $ 1.99. Bought Griffin iTalk. The program is simple like a bagel, it can write audio notes of any length with a voice recorder. Ordering is made, perhaps, even simpler than in a standard application. Writes to aiff, which is then converted using foobar2000 to any convenient format (and even to some uncomfortable ones).
What do not like
iTunes Perhaps this works differently on a poppy, but on a PC - the apotheosis of insanity.
My personal complaints about tuna can be divided into two groups:
1. Program glitches.
2. The perverse logic of synchronization.
Glitches "Tuna"
The glitch hit parade is led by a couple of errors: “iPhone could not be synchronized: you do not have enough rights for this operation” and “Cannot save iPhone library file: you do not have enough rights for this operation”. In the first case, the phone interrupts synchronization. In the second, you have to download the program again.
ITunes also generates these errors when working with administrator rights from an administrator account.
Another glitch iTunes - duplication of programs. Now, according to the brainchild of Apple, I have three copies of AppBox lite, 4 copies of Doodle Jump, and so on. Naturally, all these programs are singular on the phone. What's even more ridiculous - removing the checkmark from any copy in the "program synchronization" leads to the removal of the program from the phone.
And then we smoothly move on to the next point.
Perversions with synchronization
It would seem easier? There are two data sets, on the phone and on the computer, there is the date of the last synchronization. Everything that is changed in the phone is transferred to the computer; all that is changed on the computer is on the phone. What is changed there and there gives rise to a synchronization conflict - here it is supposed to ask the user what he thinks about this. Well, the checkmarks from the series "synchronize contacts - synchronize video - synchronize all sorts of other types of content."
“So this is exactly what is in IT!” - the user will say. And it will be wrong. The above is an example about program synchronization. The fact that I do not want to synchronize programs does not mean that I want to delete them. But no alternative has been proposed. Either sync or delete.
Same thing with other types of content. Either they are synchronized or deleted. Itunes is an unpleasant thought that something might just lie in an iPhone. And the synchronization of this content may well be completely unnecessary to me. A breakthrough was the checkbox "process music and video manually."
"But what about the fight against piracy!". But no way. Well, absolutely nothing. Because next to the iPhone, a flash drive is sold for $ 10. Which, by the convenience of transferring files, is much better than any iPhone.
Summary
Is the user customizable?
On the one hand, there are many devices in similar weight and size characteristics. But after thoroughly feeling HTC Touch HD, Nokia 5800, Nokia N97 and the like, I took an iPhone. For the glitches and brakes of WinMobile were pulled back by Hewlett and Packard, and I did not notice any changes. But Nokia has the ability to produce semi-finished products and then finish them.
What is missing? Multitasking! And ActiveSync for synchronization =)