The Iphone Hype/Treo 700p

To all of those who braved the elements to be the first ones to have this
phone in your possession, bravo! But...was it really worth it? I have to
admit that I myself was caught up in the hype of the iphone. It looks great
and the internet looked like it would be miles better than any other phone.
But then...I had to think a few things through.

1. I own a Treo 700p and it's the best phone I have ever had. Sprint works
rather well on this phone and I have no issues at all when it comes to this
phone. Of all the smartphones out there, I think this one is the very best
one. If I were to get an Iphone, that would mean that I would have to submit
to the AT@T/ Cingular service for 2 years. Aren't they the absolute worst
when it comes to customer service? And also, the Iphone isn't even gonna get
the EVDO!! So my phone will be faster.

2. Everyone likes the way the Iphone looks. I do too. Everyone likes those
widgets. I do too. Everyone likes those Iphone widgets that come with the
phone. I do too. I liked them so much that I went ahead and put them on my
Treo 700p. Don't ask, just know that it looks great on my phone and it works
rather well. LOL!!

3. Battery life. The Iphone claims to have an 8 hour battery life. That is
awesome. My phone can do 4 hours. But hold on, I have a new extended battery
very capable of doing 8 hours and without a noticeable difference in size of
the battery cover. About 2 mm difference.

4. Ipod on the phone. Very nice looking. But isn't there something wrong
here? The Iphone comes in a 4 or 8 gb model. Although it's enough to put a
lot of music on it, it's nothing like the 40 or 80gb models out there. So
how much could you put into one of those puppies? The answer is: About as
much as I can put into mine. And I can play more different types of movie
files than the Iphone can. DivX and such. I have a 4gb sd card and it's
enough for me to store whatever I want.

5. The Iphone went out of their way to show that apps like Google Maps and
YouTube work really well with their phone. Guess what? It works well with
mine. Google Maps is a great app and I use it a lot for my job. YouTube is
great also when you ant to unwind and watch some funny videos.

6. I have a ton of apps and games that I can use on my phone for just about
any situation. I am sure that in a year's time, Iphone will have lots of
amazing apps. I'm just glad to be far ahead of the game.

7. Now I hear that the Iphone will have a glass cover so that it won't
scratch as easy and it will have better finger recognition. This made me
wonder what would happen if I ever dropped the Iphone on concrete by
accident. I can tell you that I have dropped my Treo 700p 5 times on
concrete and it survived everytime. Sure I've scratched it a little and
dinged it here and there but it works as well as it did when I first got it.
So I know that my phone is quite tough. I hope the Iphone is just as tough.

8. Photos look great on the Iphone and I love that you could resize by
pinching the screen. I love that. But do I really need that? No. My pics
look great too.

9. The Iphone camera is 2mp. Mine is 1.3mp. Not too much of a difference and
my shots look great. My videos look ok too. I wonder how the video for the
Iphone will be like?

10. I love the way the Iphone looks. But I can make mine look great as well.
I can fully customize just about anything.


I could probably go on and on. If I did, I would probably convince you that
the Treo 700p is a great phone. I have had it since Christmas of last year
and it's the best phone I ever had. I will own it for a long time. Do I want
an Iphone? After everything I just wrote? I don't think so. I'm not saying
the Iphone is bad. I am happy to see Apple in this market and very
interested to find out from other people how their Iphones work for them.
But if you want a phone that can do as much, get a Treo 700p. You won't
regret it.

Julio Batista wrote:
> To all of those who braved the elements to be the first ones to have this
> phone in your possession, bravo! But...was it really worth it? I have to
> admit that I myself was caught up in the hype of the iphone. It looks great
> and the internet looked like it would be miles better than any other phone.
> But then...I had to think a few things through.
>

This morning my wife asked me about the Iphone hype and what it was. I
answered that it did what my 700P has been doing for the last year but
had a snazzy design. She then asked me what all the fuss was about, I
answered "Because it's Apple".

Perhaps I'm missing something but so far I have to agree with your
assessment.

g

"g" wrote:
> Julio Batista wrote:
>> To all of those who braved the elements to be the first ones to have this
>> phone in your possession, bravo! But...was it really worth it? I have to
>> admit that I myself was caught up in the hype of the iphone. It looks
>> great and the internet looked like it would be miles better than any
>> other phone. But then...I had to think a few things through.
>>
>
> This morning my wife asked me about the Iphone hype and what it was. I
> answered that it did what my 700P has been doing for the last year but had
> a snazzy design. She then asked me what all the fuss was about, I answered
> "Because it's Apple".
>
> Perhaps I'm missing something but so far I have to agree with your
> assessment.

Nope, don't think you are missing anything. A Treo user who actually uses
the thing would for all intents and purposes be downgrading by going with an
iPhone.

And I really did want an iPhone initially.

But too many deal-killers:
1.) No to-do list.

2.) No memos synced from Outlook, nor anywhere else.

3.) No games. While I wouldn't call myself a die-hard gamer I do have quite
a bunch loaded on my Treo. They come in handy when waiting in line, sitting
in dentist office (or chair) etc.

5.) No stylus support at all (jotting/drawing apps, games, selecting text,
etc.). Granted I don't always need the stylus with my Treo, but it's nice to
have nonetheless.

6.) No editing of Office docs.

7.) Misc apps that I use on my Treo (terminal server client, news reader,
etc.) that I don't want to lose.

Also was not pleased at the number of steps required to make a simple phone
call. Swipe this, flick this, scroll this, and so on. Call me crazy but the
d-pad on my Treo seems easier. No voice dialing on the iPhone either.

Then there are little things that I could really see being gotchas (like no
copy-and-paste or global find). And no removable battery (I have a spare for
my Treo and it has come in handy a few times).

Most "reviews" (the pre-release reviews read more like ad copy) claim the
keyboard is OK but I certainly can't see it being better than the Treo's.

On the plus side the screen is vibrant and the apps that are included seem
to work well. Auto rotate seems to work well too. WiFi is definitely a plus.
The visual voice mail is cool (for me not cool enough to make up for the
other shortcomings).


--
Mike

At 30 Jun 2007 01:17:57 -0700 Tinman wrote:

> The visual voice mail is cool...


Then get it- Callwave.com offers it to anyone for free. You just need
Call Forwarding (to divert your voicemail to their number) and push e-
mail (to receive the voicemails "instantly" as wave files.)

Works slick- I've been using it a few months.

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 08:16:47 -0400, Todd Allcock
<elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote:

>At 30 Jun 2007 01:17:57 -0700 Tinman wrote:
>
>> The visual voice mail is cool...
>
>
>Then get it- Callwave.com offers it to anyone for free. You just need
>Call Forwarding (to divert your voicemail to their number) and push e-
>mail (to receive the voicemails "instantly" as wave files.)
>
>Works slick- I've been using it a few months.


Nice to see someone that has done their homework and not fall into the
trap that most of the sheeples have fallen into and running out and
waiting in line for the neatest new toy. Two week from now you can
walk into any Apple store and buy one of the things if you want to.

People are so stupid, wasting all that time and energy, not to mention
money on a toy that a year from now will be ancient history and
replaced by something better. All that camping out and media coverage
for a frigging phone that lets you see pretty pictures. Most of the
people that are going ga ga over the iphone have an IQ that won't
reach the high for the day and no common sense.

<arat43@juno.com> wrote:
>
> Nice to see someone that has done their homework and not fall into the
> trap that most of the sheeples have fallen into and running out and
> waiting in line for the neatest new toy. Two week from now you can
> walk into any Apple store and buy one of the things if you want to.
>

Uh, you can pretty much do that now. Or even yesterday. Many of the long
waits didn't pan out, in some cases amusingly so.


--
Mike

There is a very comprehensive comparison of several phones here:

<http://www.wirelessinfo.com/content/Apple-iPhone-Cell-Phone-Review.htm>

It includes the Treo 750, so might be interesting to you (I don't know
how different the 700 is from the 750).

--
--Tim Smith

All this discussion seems a little too self-congratulatory.

Look, I'm a 650 user myself, and gave my wife pretty much the same
answer, i.e., that I have zero interest in getting an iPhone, 'cause it
doesn't do anything new for me (THAT I NEED) that I can't already do on
my Treo with Sprint, for a lot less money.

However...

There are definitely some very good and cool things about the iPhone.
The web browser appears to be MUCH better. The processor on the device
seems to run rings around what's onboard the Treo.

And the user interface sure appears to be much cleaner (albeit less
efficient in a few cases).

There's no need for sour grapes. It's a different phone, that's all.
It has good points and bad ones.

"rlsusenet@NOSPAMPUHLEEZschnapp.org" wrote:
>
> All this discussion seems a little too self-congratulatory.
>

Uh, no. I *wanted* an iPhone from its first announcement.

I can't blame myself because it cannot edit Office docs, can't be used as a
modem, doesn't have a dedicated to-do list, and can't sync Notes.

Moreover, I went to a store to buy one. Played around with one for over an
hour. Still didn't buy it.

In addition to the items I already knew it didn't have I was shocked to find
out the on-screen keyboard has no punctuation keys. Good Lord I couldn't
believe it. I wasn't expecting it to work as good as my Treo with KeyCaps
installed, but certainly the ability to enter an apostrophe without
switching keyboards.

Figured the preliminary reviews had to be wrong about no games at all. But
alas there isn't a single one. (Yes I expect that to change, but without
buttons or a stylus they might be limited.)

In addition, way too many steps for my liking to do simple things.

And don't dismiss the no-button thing as petty. Simple things like ending a
call, if you've changed screens, requires bringing the phone screen back up
to end the call.


> However...
>
> There are definitely some very good and cool things about the iPhone. The
> web browser appears to be MUCH better.

Besides the vivid display that's about the only thing I liked about it, and
even then its value diminishes greatly when not using WiFi. And I found
little things that I couldn't believe were not present (as basic as
cut-and-paste).


>
> And the user interface sure appears to be much cleaner (albeit less
> efficient in a few cases).

Have you used one? Try it and then see how efficient it is for just making
phone calls (compared to the Treo, or most any cellphone for that matter).


>
> There's no need for sour grapes. It's a different phone, that's all. It
> has good points and bad ones.

For me far more bad points than good. If some of the deficiencies are
addressed I might feel differently. Though to be frank, the iPhone seems to
be getting a free pass as far as deficiencies go. Many reviews seem to gloss
over them, often speculating that a future version will address them (that
actually makes me less inclined to buy _this_ version).

And I don't have sour grapes. I have a 2+ year-old Treo 650 that I'm looking
to replace. I had hoped that replacement would be an iPhone. Right now that
replacement looks like it will be a Treo 755, a Blackberry, or--bringing up
the rear--a Winmob phone (Winmob Treo is out since I am not going with a
240x240 display). I'd like that replacement to have BT A2DP profile so that
I can use a stereo headset (another thing I just assumed the iPhone would
support).

There is also one negative iPhone point, that I've read in most reviews,
that I disagree with: the recessed headset jack. I think that was a *great*
idea. I believe this was done to take stress off of the plug/jack, which on
some phones is a weak point (like on my Treo).

If I had to guess I'd say the best market for the iPhone--besides the early
adopters and SJ fans that will buy anything with an Apple or Pixar logo on
it--might be the bought-a-smart-phone-but-don't-really-know-how-to-use-it
crowd. I've run into a bunch of Treo owners like this: haven't synced it,
haven't installed any apps on it, but love the full keyboard!


--
Mike

What I want to know is, can the iPhone be set up for a Dvorak keyboard
layout? I'd never buy a Treo, Blackberry, or the like with their
hard-wired keys. It's always baffled me as to why these miniature
devices wouldn't seize the benefit of a more efficient keyboard layout,
since you can't actually type on them anyway.

B

You forgot some of the REALLY cool features on the Iphone....

1> never have to change the SIM card...because you cant. It's inside,safe
and sound.
2> Never have to change the battery..you CAN'T..it's also inside, factory
service item only.
3> Voice dial? thats a "fad" that others screw with, at Apple they simply
dont go there.
4> Glass cover indeed, it doubles as a make-up mirror! Hard as hell to see
outside.
5> "Touchscreen dialing" makes driving the same old car EXCITING!!! Complete
a call or crash?
6> 1900Mhz antenna INSIDE the case.Help protect you from nasty RF, who cares
if it doesnt get out well?
7> Sync? what the hell is that? Apple didnt invent it, so it can't exist or
be needed!
8> EDGE data, why go fast? who is in a hurry anyways? Go SLOW with Edge,
enjoy the ride,take all day.
9> Already obsolete, Rev. 2 is on the drawing board. Your Rev 1.0 will be
landfill material before you finish paying for it.

I am sure i have missed some of those really COOL "features", But damn
it..when its so Chock-full of them you might miss a few.
If you discover some of them, please share the discovery? i need a good
laugh.

My local store sold out the i-phone in 45 minutes. I went if a few days
ago because the i-phone has an unlimited data plan for just $20. All the
other PDA have plans that are $40 or more for unlimited data. That sucks.

rlsusenet@NOSPAMPUHLEEZschnapp.org wrote:
>
> All this discussion seems a little too self-congratulatory.
>
> Look, I'm a 650 user myself, and gave my wife pretty much the same
> answer, i.e., that I have zero interest in getting an iPhone, 'cause it
> doesn't do anything new for me (THAT I NEED) that I can't already do on
> my Treo with Sprint, for a lot less money.
>
> However...
>
> There are definitely some very good and cool things about the iPhone.
> The web browser appears to be MUCH better. The processor on the device
> seems to run rings around what's onboard the Treo.
>
> And the user interface sure appears to be much cleaner (albeit less
> efficient in a few cases).
>
> There's no need for sour grapes. It's a different phone, that's all. It
> has good points and bad ones.

Dave wrote:
> My local store sold out the i-phone in 45 minutes. I went if a few days
> ago because the i-phone has an unlimited data plan for just $20. All the
> other PDA have plans that are $40 or more for unlimited data. That sucks.

On Sprint, I pay $30/month for 500 anytime minutes and unlimited data
(SERO plan). I have a Treo 650.

> rlsusenet@NOSPAMPUHLEEZschnapp.org wrote:
>>
>> All this discussion seems a little too self-congratulatory.
>>
>> Look, I'm a 650 user myself, and gave my wife pretty much the same
>> answer, i.e., that I have zero interest in getting an iPhone, 'cause
>> it doesn't do anything new for me (THAT I NEED) that I can't already
>> do on my Treo with Sprint, for a lot less money.
>>
>> However...
>>
>> There are definitely some very good and cool things about the iPhone.
>> The web browser appears to be MUCH better. The processor on the device
>> seems to run rings around what's onboard the Treo.
>>
>> And the user interface sure appears to be much cleaner (albeit less
>> efficient in a few cases).
>>
>> There's no need for sour grapes. It's a different phone, that's all.
>> It has good points and bad ones.

On Wed, 04 Jul 2007 07:45:53 -0700,
"rlsusenet@NOSPAMPUHLEEZschnapp.org" <NoSuchPerson@bigfoot.com> wrote:

>Dave wrote:
>> My local store sold out the i-phone in 45 minutes. I went if a few days
>> ago because the i-phone has an unlimited data plan for just $20. All the
>> other PDA have plans that are $40 or more for unlimited data. That sucks.
>
>On Sprint, I pay $30/month for 500 anytime minutes and unlimited data
>(SERO plan). I have a Treo 650.
>
>> rlsusenet@NOSPAMPUHLEEZschnapp.org wrote:
>>>
>>> All this discussion seems a little too self-congratulatory.
>>>
>>> Look, I'm a 650 user myself, and gave my wife pretty much the same
>>> answer, i.e., that I have zero interest in getting an iPhone, 'cause
>>> it doesn't do anything new for me (THAT I NEED) that I can't already
>>> do on my Treo with Sprint, for a lot less money.
>>>
>>> However...
>>>
>>> There are definitely some very good and cool things about the iPhone.
>>> The web browser appears to be MUCH better. The processor on the device
>>> seems to run rings around what's onboard the Treo.
>>>
>>> And the user interface sure appears to be much cleaner (albeit less
>>> efficient in a few cases).
>>>
>>> There's no need for sour grapes. It's a different phone, that's all.
>>> It has good points and bad ones.


I too, have a Treo 650 that I am pretty happy with. It is a working
phone that does what I need it to. That is the difference I believe.
the iPhone is a phone for surfing the web, answering emails, listening
to music, gazing at pics, and a phone. It is not a working phone with
any of the business functions many of us need. It is truly a toy.

If Sprint offered it I might get one, not for $500. I will staty with
working phones, because that is what I need. Although I am thinking
about moving to the HTC Mogul.

"Dave" wrote:
> My local store sold out the i-phone in 45 minutes. I went if a few days
> ago because the i-phone has an unlimited data plan for just $20. All the
> other PDA have plans that are $40 or more for unlimited data. That sucks.
>

Except all other PDA data plans are *not* "$40 or more." This is a Sprint
newsgroup. With Sprint you can get unlimited data for PDAs for just $15 per
month (EV-DO too).

The iPhone cannot be used as a modem but Sprint's PDA phones can. For $40
per month you would get not only unlimited data on the PDA phone itself, but
also unlimited data to use the PDA as a modem for a PC/laptop. Not a bad
deal IMO.

What I think is not a good deal is paying full price for the iPhone and
still having to commit to a two year contract. To me a contract is a two-way
street: both parties should get something out of it. What exactly does the
consumer get out of an iPhone contract?


--
Mike

At 04 Jul 2007 10:34:19 -0700 Tinman wrote:

> What I think is not a good deal is paying full price for the iPhone and
> still having to commit to a two year contract. To me a contract is a
two-way
> street: both parties should get something out of it. What exactly does
the
> consumer get out of an iPhone contract?

They get the ability to actually USE it! This thing is so locked down it
won't even work as an iPod until activated, and only with it's contract
SIM- stick another AT&T SIM in and it goes back to paperweight mode...



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:34:19 -0700, Tinman <ask@for.it> wrote:


>"Dave" wrote:
>> My local store sold out the i-phone in 45 minutes. I went if a few days
>> ago because the i-phone has an unlimited data plan for just $20. All the
>> other PDA have plans that are $40 or more for unlimited data. That sucks.
>>

>Except all other PDA data plans are *not* "$40 or more." This is a Sprint
>newsgroup. With Sprint you can get unlimited data for PDAs for just $15 per
>month (EV-DO too).

>The iPhone cannot be used as a modem but Sprint's PDA phones can. For $40
>per month you would get not only unlimited data on the PDA phone itself, but
>also unlimited data to use the PDA as a modem for a PC/laptop. Not a bad
>deal IMO.

>What I think is not a good deal is paying full price for the iPhone and
>still having to commit to a two year contract. To me a contract is a two-way
>street: both parties should get something out of it. What exactly does the
>consumer get out of an iPhone contract?

Also, the iphone doesn't use a 3G network. It works more like sprint did 8
years ago. The iphone networking is similar to a 56K modem. (100kbps max,
actually) Sprint runs more like 300-400kbps.

And who the hell wants a phone that has to be sent back to the factory to
get a new battery? It's one thing to do without an ipod for 4 weeks, but
who wants to do without a cellphone for that period of time?

At 08 Jul 2007 18:06:42 +0000 AZ Nomad wrote:

> Also, the iphone doesn't use a 3G network. It works more like sprint
did 8
> years ago. The iphone networking is similar to a 56K modem. (100kbps
max,
> actually) Sprint runs more like 300-400kbps.

EDGE is good for about 150kbps. I find it sufficient for mobile use on a
phone (e-mail, wap browsing, etc.) Tethering to a laptop is painful,
though. (Which the iPhone can't do anyway.)


> And who the hell wants a phone that has to be sent back to the factory
to
> get a new battery? It's one thing to do without an ipod for 4 weeks,
but
> who wants to do without a cellphone for that period of time?

Everyone is making too much of this, IMO. With GSM, changing phones is
almost as easy as changing socks, and the SIM can easily be placed in an
old or loaner phone for the week it'll be at the shop.

Plus, in this day and age, peoople don't tend to keep phones long enough
for batteries to die! The replacement issue will be a problem for the
guy who buys it used on eBay in two or three years after the original
owner's upgraded to an iPhone II, or iPhone Nano, or whatever they call
the next one.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:40:28 -0600, Todd Allcock <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote:


>Everyone is making too much of this, IMO. With GSM, changing phones is
>almost as easy as changing socks, and the SIM can easily be placed in an
>old or loaner phone for the week it'll be at the shop.

Does the iphone have a removable simcard?
How many people will know to keep their old phone handy? (Reminds me of
AT&T wireless of 2000 where one had to keep their old phone handy to make
analog calls in fringe digital areas because AT&T was too fucking cheap to
arrange fallback analog coverage anywhere within 100 miles of a digital
coverage area)



>Plus, in this day and age, peoople don't tend to keep phones long enough
>for batteries to die! The replacement issue will be a problem for the

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! You're really reaching.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that nobody expects an iphone
to last more than a year.

AZ Nomad wrote:
> On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:40:28 -0600, Todd Allcock <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote:
>
>
>> Everyone is making too much of this, IMO. With GSM, changing phones is
>> almost as easy as changing socks, and the SIM can easily be placed in an
>> old or loaner phone for the week it'll be at the shop.
>
> Does the iphone have a removable simcard?

Yes, based on Walt Mossberg's Mailbox column this week. You have to use
a paper clip to get access to it.

> How many people will know to keep their old phone handy? (Reminds me of
> AT&T wireless of 2000 where one had to keep their old phone handy to make
> analog calls in fringe digital areas because AT&T was too fucking cheap to
> arrange fallback analog coverage anywhere within 100 miles of a digital
> coverage area)
>
>
>
>> Plus, in this day and age, peoople don't tend to keep phones long enough
>> for batteries to die! The replacement issue will be a problem for the
>
> BWAHAHAHAHAHA! You're really reaching.
> I guess I shouldn't be surprised that nobody expects an iphone
> to last more than a year.

Your batteries last only a year??? My Treo battery is 18 months old,
and going strong.

My wife's Kyocera 6035 has to be 5 years old, and its batteries are
working just fine. Okay, so we swap batteries once a week -- so its
batteries have at least 30 months' of uptime on them, each.

At 08 Jul 2007 21:18:38 +0000 AZ Nomad wrote:

> Does the iphone have a removable simcard?

Yes. It's a GSM phone.

> How many people will know to keep their old phone handy?
Some will, some won't. Those that won't can use a loaner.

> >Plus, in this day and age, peoople don't tend to keep phones long
enough
> >for batteries to die!
>
> BWAHAHAHAHAHA! You're really reaching.
> I guess I shouldn't be surprised that nobody expects an iphone
> to last more than a year.


In my experience, modern Li-Ion Batteries last at least twor three years.
I have a four year old PPC (Audiovox Maestro) with a non user-
replaceable battery still humming along. I just bought my first
replacement battery for my Nokia 8290 (my first GSM phone, and my first
phone with a Li-Ion, purchased Oct. 2001) earlier this year. It's
battery gave up the ghost about two years ago but when I found a good
deal on an OEM battery on eBay I brought the 8290 out of retirement for
old times' sake. You can borrow it if your iPhone needs a battery
replacement! ;-)

Again, I don't have (or want) an iPhone. And, all else being equal, I
prefer user-replaceable batteries. My point was only that people are
making too big a deal about this. The iPhone has far more serious flaws,
IMHO, than a soldered-in battery!




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com