The iPhone ... Was It Worth The Wait?

Larry Magid Gives His First Impressions Of Apple's Much-Hyped iPhone

(CBS)  I've had the iPhone for five hours. That's hardly enough time to do a full-fledged review but certainly enough to report on my "out-of-box experience" and share my first impressions of this innovative device.

With the exception of four anointed reviewers from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Newsweek, as far as I know no journalists were able to get their hands on the Apple iPhone until the day it was released to the public, Friday at 6:00 p.m. local time. I got my loaner phone at exactly 6:00 p.m. west coast time about two seconds after the doors opened at the Apple store in Palo Alto, California.

That didn't give me any time to test it prior to my first TV shot at 6:02 and I had precious little time with the device for my subsequent radio and TV segments that aired at live at 6:20 and 6:30. But as I write this column, it's already 11:00 p.m. on Friday night and I've had the iPhone for five hours. That's hardly enough time to do a full fledged review but certainly enough to report on my "out-of-box experience" and share my first impressions of this innovative device.

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CBS News technology analyst Larry Magid shows off his iPhone and talks about how popular it made him around town during his first weekend with the new device. (audio)

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My overall thought is that the iPhone's software represents a truly remarkable accomplishment. Sure, the device's ultra thin case and large 3.5 inch display are nice touches, but what really stands out is the user interface that can best be described as inspired. Regardless of how well this device ultimately does, it will always be remembered as the phone that broke the mold from which all others were fabricated.

The big difference – like it or not – is the touch screen and the lack of a physical keyboard. While my very first experiences with the touch screen were frustrating and – five hours later – I still find myself making some mistakes, I can certainly understand the advantage to being able to dynamically re-define the keyboard depending on the task at hand. I can also understand why the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, who had two weeks to use the machine before writing a review, found that after five days of use, he "was able to type on it as quickly and accurately as he could on the Palm Treo he has used for years."

I haven't had five days of practice yet but I have already discovered the device's ability to correct mistakes as you type. Of course Walt's comparison between the iPhone and the Palm isn't setting a very high bar. I've never been thrilled with the keyboards on any of the handheld phones from Palm, Blackberry or any other vendor. Let's face it; unless you have extremely thin fingers, you need a decent sized keyboard to be able to type accurately. Even after five hours, I'm finding myself making about the same number of mistakes on the iPhone as I typically make on Blackberries or other smart phones I've tested.

Over time, with any device, you tend to get better which is why I think – in the long run – most people will find the touch screen acceptable, though I'm sure there will be some who'll never get used to doing without the tactile feedback of a physical keyboard. Before I can be sure, I need at least a few more days with the iPhone.

I do miss the telephone keypad that you get with regular cell phones. True, when you press the iPhone's green phone icon, the iPhone's touch screen turns into the visual representation of a full sized phone keypad, but there's no way that the smooth glass surface can give you the feel of a real keypad. Of course, I'm not all that thrilled with dialing phone numbers from a Blackberry, Treo or Windows Smart phone either. I still prefer the regular keypad that you get with ordinary cell phones.

When it comes to browsing the web, I give the iPhone a mixed review. The good news is that the phone's version of Apple's Safari browser is by far the best browser I've ever used on a hand held device. While surfing the web on a 3.5 inch screen remains far less satisfying than using a full sized desktop or laptop PC, Apple has found a way to mitigate the limitation of screen real estate letting you use your fingers to shrink or expand web pages by pinching (to shrink) or spreading a thumb and finger on the screen to expand text by tapping on it twice.

You can look at a full web page – albeit with microscopic text and graphics -- and then quickly expand it so you can actually read the text on that portion of the page. Using your finger to push the page one way or another lets you easily scroll in any direction. It's not perfect, but it's by far the best tiny screen interface I've seen.

[trskrap]

Just because 95% of new 'toys' are more of the same, doesn't mean that the iPhone is more of the same.

Just as the first graphical user interface with a mouse was ridiculed and dismissed by the masses (1984's Macintosh - don't mention the 1983 Lisa), didn't mean that it wasn't revolutionary.

Ditto with the first iPod in 2001.

Ditto with the first iPhone in 2007.

Face it boys, the rules have changed for mobile phones, for MP3 players, for desktop computers, for laptop computers. Touch Screen interfaces will be everywhere in 5 years.

[sevenveils]

***Hey***, ***It***'***s*** ***an*** ***Apple*** ***Newton*** ***with*** ***a*** ***phone***!

[bequialife]

We can't even get people to vote and you get time off with pay for that. But people spend the night to buy a gadget? Or buy concert tickets? I personally don't get it.

[jacqueline41-2009]

By the way these people act you would have thought God came down from Heaven to say "Hi". My goodness it's just a high priced phone people. Grow up!!!

[hermit22]

anyone have a couple of tin cans and a string to toss my direction to go along with Methuselah my 26 year old bucket of bolts a good 16 year old kid resurected from the car graveyard for $400?

had to pay $75 later for some muffler stuff....
but Methuselah is aiming for 969 years old like who he's named after.

[hypnotoad72]

boolves - very true.

dukeudevil - how dare you insult the overlords of Apple! They can do no wrong. Only we do wrong for criticizing their hyped products.

My media player is an applet on my PDA. I did not need a $400 iPod. (sheesh)

My cell phone does what it needs to do. I need no iPhone.

If I bothered to get a Smartphone (PDA+Cell phone), it'd be little different from the iPhone. Except all-in-one products are usually all-or-nothing. More disposable garbage, just like how people are.

[hypnotoad72]

boolves - very true.

dukeudevil - how dare you insult the overlords of Apple! They can do no wrong. Only we do wrong for criticizing their hyped products.

My media player is an applet on my PDA. I did not need a $400 iPod. (sheesh)

My cell phone does what it needs to do. I need no iPhone.

If I bothered to get a Smartphone (PDA+Cell phone), it'd be little different from the iPhone. Except all-in-one products are usually all-or-nothing. More disposable garbage, just like how people are.

[hypnotoad72]

Oh, what the heck:

http://www.badapple.biz

[hypnotoad72]

barbaraf4 - thanks for the well-reasoned response.

Even a gadget man as myself prefers to standardize on a solid item for years; and not ditch one product for the next every time it comes out. (Especially if customer support is a field one works in.) That tends to get expensive and that trend isn't reversing either.

The iPhone is mere iHype. Combine that with Apple's history of iWaste (google it, there's a website out there that rightly tells of Apple's wrongs) and the people saying all iPhone detractors can't afford one or are just envious are full of sawdust and incapable of much thought apart from basic stereotypes.

[formrusmcsgt]

When you start a company, work 20 hours a day, build up something, then have some morons like you cry about capitalism--- then you will understand what a bunch of stupid f*cks you sounds like. Now I have to get back to building my "capitalist" company (yes working weekends- try it some time you d*cks). So go F*ck yourselves - off line and without any of those toys you so enjoy sticking up your azz (they were built by capitalist companies too). ROFLMFAO
Posted by UnderMyBoot at 08:48 PM : Jun 30, 2007

I'm sure your means of expressing yourself in such a thoughtful manner serves you well in your business, eh?

20 hour days, eh? You probably work 8 and spend the other 12 apologizing for your "charisma".....

[formrusmcsgt]

What more glaring example of unbridled materialism could we observe than to see idiots, who've gone their whole life without an I-Phone, camping out as if one more second of existence without this toy would be fatal......

[barbaraf4]

"All the whining appears to come from those who don't have (or can't afford) an iPhone.
The other idiot who rages against capitalism doesn't have anything either. That usually results from not working and just whining.
Get a life.
Get a job.
Get an iPhone."
Posted by desertrat200 at 07:50 PM : Jun 30, 2007

Actually, my husband and I are enjoying a well-deserved, well-financed, debt-free retirement. One reason it is well-financed is that we didn't feel the need to buy the most recent gadgets, no matter how pretty they were. We didn't deprive ourselves, we were just selective. iPhone is, afterall, a phone. You probably own about a million other gadgets that do all the rest. It is not necessary to carry your life with you in your pocket nor to validate your credit line by buying every new toy. You say "get a life". There is life beyond electronic gadgets.

[barbaraf4]

"Seeing that you work 20 hours a day then perhaps you should examine to whom you are slaving and why capitalism is your God. You seem to forget that many of us have grand children with Ph.D.'s and are not rednecks who are trying to get an enlarged *** or a longer motor home or a bigger boat or whatever. We might see the world as humanity, where we live with others. With people who starve when there is plenty of food. With people who die when there is plenty of medicine. Instead we see our democracy gone. The democracy of Jefferson where people cared for each other is history and we have no right to celebrate it. So get yourself a hummer cause you're a bummer! You have no idea what it's like to be macheted by starving people and living in Darfur and have aids and be urbanized and become a slave at age four. Perhaps your children in their next life, or you yourself should experience this, or better yet - be reincarnated as a barking dog!"
Posted by bbbbbfan at 10:13 PM : Jun 30, 2007

~~

Excellent! Well said!

[dukeudevil]

I have to agree with many here in saying all the hoopla over just a freaking phone exposes America's now very flawed sense of values all too well.

It's just a phone, America. BFD.

[boulves]

The carving for an iPhone just shows us that the basic values of society have changed drastically. People are becoming children (standing in line 2 days for a gadget that is at best flawed) and children becoming orohans because nobody has time to educate them. THE WORLD IS DOOMED

[nskduke]

It might take a year for the price to go down but I can wait.

[smurphydej]

CD, DVD, TREO, DVR, TIVO, Laptop, Flatscreen, Plasma, Ditial Camera, Camcorder, Desktop Computer, Pearl, Xbox, PS 1,2 & 3 and I can go on. I am sure everyone that left a message has one or more of these items. I found myself on line for the Xbox for my son and it was fun. I will wait for the price to go down before I get this phone, doesnt matter what it is there is always hype about the item. Yes you have freedom of speach however before you get on your soap box look around your house at electric items. Just Enjoy

[candojj1]

Seeing that you work 20 hours a day then perhaps you should examine to whom you are slaving and why capitalism is your God. You seem to forget that many of us have grand children with Ph.D.'s and are not rednecks who are trying to get an enlarged *** or a longer motor home or a bigger boat or whatever. We might see the world as humanity, where we live with others. With people who starve when there is plenty of food. With people who die when there is plenty of medicine. Instead we see our democracy gone. The democracy of Jefferson where people cared for each other is history and we have no right to celebrate it. So get yourself a hummer cause you're a bummer! You have no idea what it's like to be macheted by starving people and living in Darfur and have aids and be urbanized and become a slave at age four. Perhaps your children in their next life, or you yourself should experience this, or better yet - be reincarnated as a barking dog!

[fascistusa]

Get Brainwashed.
Get a Slave Job.
Buy *** you don't need.

Try to feel Happy about all the Useless Junk you just bought.


CRAPITALISM:

Capitalists control the public%u2019s behavior telling them to %u201Cwear these clothes, eat this food, have these ideas.%u201D They prescribe a rigid schedule where people willingly are overworked with little sick time and little vacation time. They self-servingly call this %u201Cthe work ethic%u201D.

[desertrat200]

All the whining appears to come from those who don't have (or can't afford) an iPhone.
The other idiot who rages against capitalism doesn't have anything either. That usually results from not working and just whining.
Get a life.
Get a job.
Get an iPhone.