July 6, 2007
Speed Bumps For The iPhone
Consumer Group Has Complaints; Many Stores Sell Out; Developers Race To Write Programs
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Apple cashiers rush to ring up iPhone sales on portable credit card terminals, June 29, 2007 inside the Apple store at The Grove in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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In The Spotlight The iWait People are camping out and lining up to be among the first to get Apple's new iPhone
There's no time to waste: software developers anxious to find ways to write and market programs tailored to the iPhone's Web browser will be meeting in San Francisco this weekend – just one week after the launch of the hot new device - at an ad hoc conference called iPhoneDevCamp.
Unlike many high level tech conferences, this one is free – organized by volunteers who say the goal is to bring web designers, developers, testers and iPhone owners together to develop web-based applications and optimize web sites for the iPhone to improve the web experience for iPhone.
Consumer advocates are also focused on improving the user experience for the device, an all-in-one cell phone, iPod media player and wireless Web-browsing device.
The Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights has sent a letter to Apple and AT&T Inc., the cell phone's exclusive carrier, complaining that customers were being left in the dark about the procedure and cost of replacing the gadget's battery.
The iPhone's battery is apparently soldered on inside the device and cannot be swapped out by the owner like most other cell phones.
Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Hakes said Thursday the company posted the battery replacement details on its Web site last Friday after the product went on sale.
Users would have to submit their iPhone to Apple for battery service. The service will cost users $79, plus $6.95 for shipping, and will take three business days.
The procedure is similar to the one it has for the company's best-selling iPod players, but because some users will not want to live without their cell phones, Apple is also offering a loaner iPhone for $29 while the gadget is under repair.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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*much cheaper
*less restricted
*USER REPLACEABLE BATTERY (wow.)
*more storage
Microsoft already has "Surface OS". I bet they could implement a scaled down version for a cell phone by next year.
Apple had probably turned many people off to all Apple products for quite a few years. I know I'm not buying anything from them.
In closing from what I've gleaned from Crave (Cnet) the other carriers more than likely turned the iPhone because Apple wanted too much from them. I believe that Apple had to settle for AT&T.
$200 to pay someone to wait in line for iPhone
$600 for the iPhone
$40 activation fee
$1445 24 month contract with AT&T
$85 battery replacement
$30 loner phone while battery is replaced
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$2400 total
...what a bunch of suckers. LOL
Have you noticed that people have really stopped speaking to one another. The only thing you see are people with their heads bowed and looking into these hand hold things.
When my husband and I go out to dinner and there is couple they are both on the phone speaking to someone else. I thought when people go out together they are together.
That is why when people finally do get together and really speak they argu because people have lost the ability to speak to one another.
The biggest losers with all of these new machines are the babies and younger children because they start using these things from very young and they really never learn how to speak and interact with other children.
Now people wonder why the children are gaining weight and they need glasses to read sooner.
I HOPE THEY DON'T REALLY WONDER!!!
For non techies, you can start a basic ATT account, upgrade to iPhone, activate, then revert to basic service, tell ATT you will keep the phone for later activation under a different account (14 days for free), remove the SIM, never replace it, then you have your expensive nanopod for Wifi and PDA.
Use this info at your own risk, I will not be responsible for any midnight raids by the Fascist party enforcers...
However your SIM may not work with another phone, even another iToy, and only ATT SIMs will work with the IToy.
Good iLuck with your new iPaperweight, an informal engadet survey suggests a 40% complaint rate regarding iActivation for this P.O.iS.
Once again, iCorporate greed spoils a possibly good iConcept
My previous estimate gave it a month, some downward revision is in order.
iPhoneDevCamp? Right, spend months writing and debugging serious code for a toy that probably won't be sold by the time you finish testing? Why not just send me the money you are going to waste...
Let me know on the SIM card issue.
:)
Posted by jspearin at 02:32 PM : Jul 06, 2007
JSpearin, I work for AT&T & can tell you, the sim card is supposed to be the same however, you must take the IPhone in to Apple or AT&T to have it removed...much like the battery. (No user servicable parts inside) :o)
Posted by kfestus at 10:00 AM : Jul 06, 2007
That is the main reason I am on a PC. Back when Apple, Commodore, Atari and others were dukeing it out for the #1 spot RadioShack started doing its thing (ie) making sure no one could profit off their technology except themselves. In doing so they and to a large extent Apple painted themselves into a corner. As you notice (computer wise) RadioShack is no longer in the running and Apple is hanging on by the skin of its teeth. The mid 70s proved very good for Bill Gates and some others that decided to make their operating system and Hardware available for experimentation and improvement. That is why I will not buy an Apple unless it is the only thing I can get, and yes! I know that Apple is marginally more stable than a PC. I do not care, with the prices the way they are I can trash my PC and buy a new one cheaper than I can get an Apple repaired.
Let me know on the SIM card issue.
:)
http://iphone.corank.com
If it was using an open standards browser instead of it's own there'd be no need to develop web pages especially for the iPhone because the technology is already on the shelf, developed years ago for wifi connected PDAs and handhelds.
Change a battery. Lose 3 days.(at least once per year); $120
Inferior Edge service; $600 to $1200 per year
Frustration, lost data and missed important calls;
Priceless...
It was so bad that I swore to never buy another Apple product--and I haven't. And, I still will not--the iPhooey and CBSNews.com's completely wrong (and butt-kissing) reporting withstanding.
They make this junk and people actually line up for it only to find out that by the time they get it home and up and running, there's another rediculous piece of junk on the market.
Next problem you will be writing about is the ridiculous AT&T plan, using inferior technology, then charging for an "upgrade" to one that is just a little more current, 3G.
"The cell phone industry is notorious for not being consumer-friendly while Apple has a fairly good reputation,"
Those of us who are the service techs doing warranty service for Apple can tell you that is a blatant untruth.
"Users would have to submit their iPhone to Apple for battery service. The service will cost users $79, plus $6.95 for shipping, and will take three business days."
Told ya so, check my posts from a few days back.
Corporate greed kills another possibly good idea...
- by randalds July 6, 2007 5:39 AM EDT
- Don't have one. Don't plan on getting one (until they come in at less then $100). Rarely even take the cell phone I have now out of the house when I go anywhere and it has Internet access, email, camera, etc. I get all the computing I want and need on my home PC and laptop.
- Reply to this comment
See all 20 CommentsMuch ado about nothing.
Don't have an IPOD or MP3 player either.