Archive for October, 2008

iPhone – initial use and thoughts

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

It’s now a week on and my iPhone has had some use (not much). It has highlighted a few useability points that the Treo is much better at.

Useability issues for the iPhone:

  • iPhone lock is only 4 digits (Treo is a password of whatever length)
  • in SMS app, there’s no character/message counter (so you can see how many SMS messages you will send, and how close you are to starting a new one) – the first ‘phone I’ve seen without one!
  • in SMS app you can only delete a whole SMS ‘chat’ (not individual messages) – annoying, but the same as Treo.
  • in the call log you can’t delete an individual entry (useful if you keep track of calls, but made a typo when making the call)
  • there is no cut/copy/paste (eg to copy text or a ‘phone number from an SMS into another file, or to mass-delete text).
  • the Contacts search only matches from the start on forename, surname, or company name.
  • there is no ‘global search’ (this is of most use for Contacts, where you may specify a particular type, eg taxi, to find ‘phone numbers quickly, but also useful in password-database apps, etc); there is one on Treo (which can search and present data from all apps concurrently.
  • there are no little menus or ‘help’ areas for the apps, which can mean you don’t understand what you’re being asked to fill in (perhaps the fault of the app).
  • email – inability to select/exclude IMAP folders.
  • unable to ‘background’ applications that could really do with that feature (eg VoIP/IM)
  • no sync-ing of notes to an OSX app (although Missing Sync for iPhone will provide a front-end on OSX)
  • no easy on-screen controls once apps are backgrounded (for those that can be, eg ipod music player) – just an icon showing music playing. (You can press the button on the headphones microphone to pause/play, if you have it plugged in, or you must switch back to the ipod app).
  • inability to download music/video from the Internet to play later (except through syncing or iTunes store)
  • podcasts, etc, need to be sync’d through iTunes (rather than downloaded directly over the network) – at least for podcasts not offered through iTunes shop.
  • [if you're expecting to be able to use VoIP apps over 3G then you'll be disappointed, but shouldn't be too surprised, as mobile companies want call revenue!]

Positive useability points for the iPhone (over my Treo 600) are:

  •  you can set 2 appointment alarms (saves having to modify the alarm time when the first one goes off)
  • if you make a call and someone calls you, you can drop the current call and answer the new call (my Treo couldn’t do this, annoyingly).

Even though I’ve not used it much, the browser and related apps seem to crash fairly frequently – when I’ve been browsing apps in the Appstore (look at description and then go back) it has gone back to the beginning of the list. This is annoying when you get 2/3 down a list of 650 and have to scroll and search a lot to find where you got to. It’s disappointing that this happens with an Apple application on an Apple site.

Additionally, I’m one of those people who leaves the protective film on devices to save the screen. I’ve become more realistic over how effective these films are that come with the device – of course they tend to curl and peel fairly quickly, but some can last a while if you’re careful (as my Cowon A3 player can attest). I decided to order an invisibleSHIELD for the iPhone 3G when I bought it in the hope that the original protection would last the ~2 weeks until the invisibleSHIELD arrived. After 2 days the film covering the back is collecting dust/grit and flapping about and the film on the front is curling .. perhaps it’ll last a week if I’m careful!

For my password app I’m waiting (and hoping) that ikeepass will get released soon!

All in all I’m rather disappointed with the current functionality (and restrictions) on the iPhone. It feels as if a lot of the functionality has been missed out to keep the UI more simple, which is fair enough in some cases, but in a week of use I have already found numerous tasks which cannot actually be carried out (or are very difficult) on the iPhone as opposed to a 4 year old Treo smartphone.

The iPhone (and the Blackberry before it) ushers in a time where mobile ‘phones are used to access the Internet/email. However, the iPhone rather limits the huge benefits this could bring by severely restricting downloads and lack of multitasking – 2 things that are deliberately hampered by Apple (as opposed to the OS being unable to multitask, as was the case for PalmOS on the Treo).

I only hope that Apple will realise the benefits of allowing customers this functionality (rather than them either having to hack the iPhone, or choose and alternative smartphone) – they are definitely the market leaders for design .. let’s hope they now provide the required functionality in an up-coming OS release!

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Initial thoughts – Treo to iPhone

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

My main mobile ‘phone for the past 4 years has been a UK Palm-OS based Treo 600 (I say this because the US version of the Treo 600 is akin to the Treo 650 in the UK). The Treo has been expiring for a while so I needed to find a replacement fairly quickly;  I finally decided that I would go with the iPhone as it contains some pretty innovative technology.

For me, the good points of the Treo are:

  • usable mobile apps (not pointer-guided)
  • good keypad (for fast ‘typing’)
  • good battery life
  • can sync via infra-red (so you don’t need a cable)

The bad points of the Treo are:

  • a race-condition which can cause data-loss in certain circumstances.
  • no multitasking (eg messenger-type apps were almost unusable).

My main concerns with the iPhone were:

  • basic usability (including typing on the soft keypad)
  • migrating data
  • Apple’s restrictive control over the device and applications allowed on it.
  • restrictions on what audio/video formats can be used.
  • battery life

The iPhone utilises the touch-screen as a soft keypad; whilst it’s difficult to press the letters you’re aiming at, the word matching overcomes most of the typos I’m initially making.

If you ask for a demonstration of the iPhone you’ll be shown the effects of the built-in accelerometer (eg portrait/landscape view depending on how you hold the iPhone) and also multi-touch effects such as zoom in/out in the web browser – both pretty impressive (with regards to the utilisation an availability of the technology in such a device).

The iPhone uses iTunes to sync and, on an Apple Mac, it syncs to iCal, Address Book, etc, so whatever sync’ing software you use for your old ‘phone needs to sync to those apps (or you need to import the data into those apps).

My brother tried to sync his Treo to his Apple Mac found all sorts of problems, both himself and mentioned in forums. He recommended the Missing Sync applications. I took a look at them and noticed that Missing Sync for iPhone includes a migration assistant and, in addition, also backs up SMSes, call logs, and notes (which iTunes doesn’t do).

Assuming you don’t jail-break your iPhone, the only way to install applications are if they have been sanctioned by Apple and made available on the iTunes app store. The positive side of this is that Apple should be vetting applications before allowing them; the negative side is that, if Apple don’t want people to have particular functionality on the iPhone then they will not allow the application on the store (whether it’s malicious or not). Fortunately the number of applications available (both pay-for and free) on the iTunes app-store is increasing significantly, and hopefully this will continue.

I have been hearing that the iPhone needs to be recharged every day but I suspect that depends to a large extent on how much and how you use it. Obviously enabling all features (such as wifi, 3G, bluetooth, polling email) will drain the battery, along with the colour screen.

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Treo mobile ‘phone replacement

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

After my Palm III handheld, that I’d had for many years, died I replaced it (and my mobile at the time) with a PalmOne Treo 600.

Initially I used my Palm III for calendar, contacts, memopad, passwords (through a free little application called ‘strip‘) primarily, but also used Avantgo for reading some web news, and occasionally Mappy. All the data I entered was done so into the Palm III (rather than through ‘Palm Desktop’) as I had it with me when I needed to add the information.

Moving to the Treo I gave up using Avantgo due to a combination of me not syncing the device as often as I should (data not being added through the PC, so no need to sync to see it on the Treo) and Linux being my primary OS (no Avantgo app, or any other app that provides new data to my Treo).

Combining my handheld and mobile proved to be of mixed benefit – it meant I carried around a single device instead of two, which was good; however it meant that the ‘phone was quite chunky, and it also proved annoying if I needed to look something up when I was on the ‘phone (eg a password, ‘phone number, or check my calendar for availability).

The web browser on the Treo was pretty basic but functional if required; the email program’s lack of IMAP support (POP3 only) meant I didn’t use that.

The biggest niggle I have/had with the Treo (and it is big under the circumstances) is that there is a race-condition that means you may have to hard-reset the device and lose data. The pre-requisite is that I lock the Treo with a password. When I missed a call and someone left a message, a screen comes up on top saying “XX called a left a voicemail” with  a “listen” and a “cancel” button. Sometimes ifI press the “listen” button the Treo reboots and forgets I’ve pressed the button. Thus, the Treo boots to the lock screen, and then the “you have voicemail” application runs after and pops up. The problem is that the screen doesn’t redraw properly so you end up with a blank screen where I can type my password, but no button to click “OK” to let me in. I can’t backup the device when it’s locked and the only way to get back in is to do a hard reset! Bye bye any data since I last sync’d!

Two years ago I was looking for an up-to-date replacement and ended up getting the Nokia E70 as it was able to do VoIP. Running a Series60 OS (Psion’s handheld OS, before Nokia bought the remnants company) I thought it should be quite good. Unfortunately the VoIP application was severely limited (no use to me) and the pain of exporting/importing/fixing data from Palm to Series60 meant that I never used the E70, and the Treo lived to fight another day (or couple of years, as it turned out).

Fast-forwarding to today, I was looking for what I had hoped of the E70 and a bit more – email, web access (finding out if the London transport system is working, etc), a map application (preferably with GPS) to avoid getting lost, secure terminal (ssh), and a camera would be nice (for emergencies) .. and a suitable mobile talk-plan. I’ve become wary of getting a ‘phone off-contract (Orange were happy to  pay towards the new handset if I signed a new contract, but would not support or insure it which they would do otherwise) – I’m not that desperate to get a particular ‘phone!

I shortlisted to two smartphones – the Apple iPhone 3G on O2 (hardly a surprise) and the Nokia E71 on Orange (my current mobile operator). It would have been great to actually try these ‘phones out to check real-world functionality and useability, but that is reserved for the realm of the reviewer; in liu of this you have to make do with reviews (that tend to cover the basics) or ask friends.

For the iPhone 3G I asked friends who had them and they all raved about it. For the Nokia E71 the most in-depth review I could find was from allaboutsymbian which proved to be very good but left me wanting to try the ‘phone for myself.

In the end, and despite an excellent offer from Orange (who I’ve been with for 12 years or so), I tentatively purchased an iPhone 3G and talk-plan, hoping that the iphone would live up to the hype and the O2 service would be as good or better than Orange.

Let’s hope I made the right decision!

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(We)blog starter

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

From back when (we)blogs started I had considered writing one. That thought didn’t last too long when I saw what rubbish most people wrote, and considered what pearls of wisdom I had to offer the Internet community (in short, not much). I consider blogs to be like a diary – documentation about point-in-time thoughts or actions rather than being for procedures, reviews, etc.

From time to time I have reconsidered and come away with the same answer as above, even when my brother asked me to set up a blog on his website. I’ve generally preferred to document stuff on a wiki, as that seems a more logical way to organise and provide my information for people.

Sometimes, however, there have been times when I’ve considered the best software or hardware to use for something (eg what mobile ‘phone to get), or noted down a procedure thinking it was a one-off .. and then, months or more later I’ve wondered why I made that particular decision.

This is the reason I am starting this blog .. for me as a personal reference. If others gain use from it (aside from abusers) then fine.

Let’s see where this takes me …

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