# The iPhone is absolutely brilliant **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 30, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003 "2007-06-30T02:09:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/141 "2007-07-03T15:31:51Z")
Well stated, **Merkwurdigliebe**. It feels good to “drive” it. Maybe if the Apple folks were to take over Ford? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/142 "2007-07-03T15:40:32Z")
Actually, that could be a fun game. If Apple took over Ford, the engine compartment would be sealed shut. You’d be restricted to using local roads only (no interstates for you). Anyone else want to take a shot? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/143 "2007-07-03T15:57:13Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn] Actually, that could be a fun game. If Apple took over Ford, the engine compartment would be sealed shut. You’d be restricted to using local roads only (no interstates for you). Anyone else want to take a shot? [/QUOTE] Sure; It would probably cost more, but; Owners would absolutely love their car. GM and Chrysler owners would be _real_ jealous. It would be easy to drive at high performance levels. It would be beautiful! I’ll stop there. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/144 "2007-07-03T15:59:27Z")
[QUOTE=Merkwurdigliebe] I dunno, the whole lot of people who argue that, “Well mine does all the same functions” just don’t get it. It’s like the whole Atari 7200 vs. Nintendo debate that I remember. Yes, sure they are equal in power, but it’s the software that counts. The Nokia and Treo versions simply can’t compete with Apple’s expertise in UI design and Industrial design. People say, “Ooh, well I can surf the web on my X too!” Of course you can, but in an incredibly unintuitive way. Apple is about making things that simply work, and don’t hassle you. I say it’s sour grapes for the people who say that all they need a phone to do is X, Y, Z. People say that about cars too, but that doesn’t stop people from enjoying a BMW or Mercedes. And if you’ve ridden in one before you can see yes, it does the same things as a 92 Ford Taurus, but it does it in a much more elegant way. Here’s an example of how BMW engineers their cars. You know the springloaded handle on the inside of the car just above the door? On normal cars if you let go, it snaps back shut. On a BMW, there is some kind of damper system that allows it to gently go back to it’s original position slowly. Now who ever thought that was a problem? Nobody, but it adds to the overall fit and finish and perceived quality. The same goes for the iPhone and most Apple products in general [/QUOTE] Well, I’d like to tinker with an iPhone and see what it’s like. My BlackBerry is pretty good, and the software is pretty damned intuitive to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/145 "2007-07-03T18:04:57Z")
No interest in the iPhone, so I’m not certain if this is something anyone wants, but today’s [Giveaway Of The Day](http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/) is the “Wondershare DVD to iPhone Converter – a very powerful yet easy-to-use DVD to iPhone Converter program”. No idea if it’s useful or not, but if you’re reading this on July 3rd, then you can get it for free. [QUOTE=Mindfield] WTF? Berke is writing comics again? When the hell did this happen? How long has it been going on? AND WHY DIDN’T ANYONE INFORM ME, DAMMIT?? I thought he retired after Outland. Great. Now I’ve got to find all of the back issues and, if available, books. [/QUOTE] Well, you only get a month’s worth, but you can keep up [over here](http://comics.com/wash/opus/archive/). ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/146 "2007-07-03T18:15:07Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] WTF? Berke is writing comics again? When the hell did this happen? How long has it been going on? AND WHY DIDN’T ANYONE INFORM ME, DAMMIT?? I thought he retired after Outland. Great. Now I’ve got to find all of the back issues and, if available, books. [/QUOTE] By the way, he doesn’t go by “Berke” anymore. It was after a trip to England, that he realized that “Berke” is supposedly a very bad thing to say over there. I heard him go through the story on NPR about 3 weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/147 "2007-07-03T18:41:10Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] By the way, he doesn’t go by “Berke” anymore. It was after a trip to England, that he realized that “Berke” is supposedly a very bad thing to say over there. I heard him go through the story on NPR about 3 weeks ago. [/QUOTE] Talk about yer half-assed reply! 😉 (note the winky) 🙂 So what’s it mean, and what’s he go by now. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/148 "2007-07-03T18:59:35Z")
He goes by “Hammerstein Albrecht” now. You got me. He goes by the entire “Berkeley”. It says on his [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Breathed) page why he changed his name back. It sounds like “Berk”, which is apparently slang for “cunt”, after looking at the Wiki entry for “Berk”. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/149 "2007-07-03T20:16:35Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] He goes by “Hammerstein Albrecht” now. You got me. He goes by the entire “Berkeley”. It says on his [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Breathed) page why he changed his name back. It sounds like “Berk”, which is apparently slang for “cunt”, after looking at the Wiki entry for “Berk”. [/QUOTE] Cool! ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/150 "2007-07-04T05:20:22Z")
Hey, guys, I’m posting this via my new iPhone! ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/151 "2007-07-04T05:28:58Z")
[QUOTE=Aeschines] Hey, guys, I’m posting this via my new iPhone! [/QUOTE] They’re open tomorrow, but no iPhones. I’m going by anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/152 "2007-07-04T06:59:46Z")
The Apple Store in Keystone (Indy Northside) had them aplenty today. Obviously, I don’t agree with the naysayers here. As a Mac user, this device instantly changes my life for the better: 1. I never used iCal because it was cumbersome always to use it via the Mac. The iPhone syncs perfectly with the calendar, finally making truly useful. 2. Same thing with the Address Book program. Not very useful before, now a hyperpowered phone book for my phone. It syncs too, of course. 3. E-mail super easy to use. 4. Visible voice mail–now this is awesome! 5. Google maps that I can always use in the car or wherever–a godsend! 6. All that and an iPod too. I never owned an iPod before, so now I have it all in one and it’s perfect. Most of the criticism about individual features or a lack of individual features has been quite apt. This thing has a long way to go. Just a few things I noticed that I haven’t heard mentioned yet: 1. The calculator needs to be a full scientific calc replete with functions. This ain’t it. 2. Syncing music and photos isn’t the way to do it. One should be able to updload and download photos to folders freely (and the iPhone should come up on the Mac just like an external hard drive, etc.). 3. There should be a greater choice of widgets, and there should be a folder to dump ones you don’t use much. (But the whole widget thing is still pretty primitive in Mac itself. There are few I find useful.) 4. Foreign language text support. I can read Japanese e-mails but not type them. And so on. But that’s OK. It will be exciting to see how this thing evolves. I also predict greatly increased sales of Mac computers based on desire for the great combo of Mac and iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/153 "2007-07-04T08:21:13Z")
[QUOTE=DustyButt] The Navy can make a request for flying pigs… it doesn’t make 'em real. [/QUOTE] I’m wondering if you ever seen an F-4 Phantom Declan ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/154 "2007-07-04T08:30:20Z")
[QUOTE=Declan] I’m wondering if you ever seen an F-4 Phantom Declan [/QUOTE] Proof that with a big enough engine a brick can go supersonic. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/155 "2007-07-04T15:06:26Z")
Checked local store availability last night (online). All red dots. ☹ I already posted this, I see. I’m going out of town Friday. I want to show it off. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/156 "2007-07-04T16:14:58Z")
I went to my local Apple store last night (Mall of America, Bloomington MN) and they were sold out, but the salesguy said they were getting more **daily.** I really like them, but I’ll wait a bit to get mine. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/157 "2007-07-04T17:33:34Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] What’s this about a non-replaceable battery? That doesn’t make sense. -FrL- [/QUOTE] Is it really “non-replacable” though? They said that about the battery in my PDA too, and while it was a [PITA to replace](http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-jeQabIs8bqoEpXpPksi4LZLimzw-?cq=1&p=66), I was able to do so. Once I bought the right tool bits. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/158 "2007-07-04T17:41:55Z")
[T-Mobile to sell iPhones in Germany.](http://sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=dtelekoms-mobile-unit-cli&chanID=sa003&modsrc=reuters) > [@](#): > > Without citing sources Rheinische Post said in a preview of a story to be published on Wednesday that T-Mobile is expected to sell the iPhone exclusively with a T-Mobile contract for around 450 euros ($612) starting Nov 1. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/159 "2007-07-04T17:51:03Z")
Now that I think about it, I’m wondering if you couldn’t buy a German iPhone and then use it with T-Mobile in the US? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003/160 "2007-07-04T17:54:09Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Now that I think about it, I’m wondering if you couldn’t buy a German iPhone and then use it with T-Mobile in the US? [/QUOTE] Depends on the locks applied. Also, internal settings would be different (language of display, etc). However, certain internal settings, such as the number to retrieve voicemal from and the number to send text messages to, follow the account and are stored on the SIM card, so it might just work. 🙂 If you can get an unlocked one in Germany, more power to you! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iphone-is-absolutely-brilliant/410003.md?page=9)