Daniel Lovell has won more than two dozen awards for his columns, editorials and investigative journalism. He is actively addicted to the Internet, soda and New York Yankees baseball.
Why I'm not getting an iPhone. And you shouldn't, either.
dlovell, Tue, August 5th, 2008
I must admit I was pretty excited about the release of iPhone 3G. As an AT&T customer, I figured, I wouldn't have to change carriers to get the coolest new gadget out there. And the $199 price tag seemed too good to be true.
So I looked into it. I love my iPod, but I hate having too many things in my pockets. Carrying a phone and iPod around with me just isn't going to happen. Put the two together? Awesome. Add a web browser? Even better.
As it turns out, getting the new iPhone isn't all that easy. Sure, it's $199 with a new contract, but you also have to spend another $30 a month for an iPhone data plan. No thanks. And the more I thought about it, the less interested I was in having my phone and iPod in the same place. Then I started watching the fanboys.
Turns out the new firmware is bunk. Even the most hardcore Apple fans admit it's a bit buggy. On a recent episode of the popular webcast Diggnation, Alex Albrecht lamented that he didn't want to install the new firmware because he heard it was no good. Co-host Kevin Rose (founder of Digg) attempted to show him all the cool new applications he could run on his phone with the new firmware. The result? Crash. Not once or twice. Three times. Rose gave up, still insisting it was a great phone. On a subsequent episode, Albrecht told Rose he had updated the firmware, but the phone was too slow and buggy for him. Rose's answer? He could get Albrecht a line on a new, yet-to-be-released version of the iPhone firmware.
So...how does a fanboy make the iPhone work? He uses stuff nobody else can get their hands on.
Then I listened to some more fanboys talking about the amazing iPhone. They were relating troubles at all, but talking about all the cool features. You can make phone calls. Listen to music and podcasts. Check out Google maps and get directions (not turn-by-turn navigation). You can surf the net. You can play games.
And then it dawned on me. I don't need that at all. My Garmin does a lot of that stuff already, and more. It synchs to my phone, so I can place calls -- hands free. I can load it up with music and podcasts -- WITHOUT using iTunes. I get turn-by-turn VOICE navigation. If I'm looking for a place to eat, I get an organized list of restaurants in the area, with phone numbers and one-touch navigation to them. Same with shopping, entertainment, gas, lodging. My Garmin integrates with Audible books. I can use it to store and view pictures. It even has available language guides, travel guides and more. No web browser, but who is surfing the net while driving?
Buggy? Not even close. I had one issue with bluetooth when I first got the Garmin. After updating the firmware, it's been perfect. Touch screen? You bet. And the interface is super easy. You can even do all the fancy scrolling around the map -- the same stuff iPhone fans like to pretend they invented.
And then I found out about the nuvifone. Quite possibly the next phone I'll buy.
It's got touch screen, and all the things I've already got on my Garmin. With a web browser. It's got the Garmin OS and interface. So far, it looks pricey, but it hasn't been released yet. One must guess that it will have some significant discounts once a carrier gets hold of it.
So for now, the verdict is I'm not getting an iPhone. And you shouldn't either.
Now we'll just have to wait and see what big thing Apple is unveiling in the next month. Some say a tablet PC. Apple says it will change the world.
