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[okno]

A question for the iPhone thread:
I'm upgrading from my Blackjack II refurb to an iPhone. I have two options: upgrade to a 3G now for $100, or upgrade to a 3GS for $200 in mid-September. I don't mind paying the extra money, but is it worth the wait?

It's absolutely worth it, in my opinion. You get double the memory space, it's faster, you can record videos (unless this is just part of OS 3.0?), and you get the better graphics card. If you get the 3Gs, you're future-proofing yourself until the next iPhone iteration comes out. So it's up to you, really. If you're fine with the 3G in it's current state and don't really need much more than what it offers, go for that, but if you feel like you're going to want to keep up to date with everything as it is released then go for the 3Gs. I got the 3Gs instead of the 3G and I don't regret it in the slightest.

 

[mrkgoo]

It's absolutely worth it, in my opinion. You get double the memory space, it's faster, you can record videos (unless this is just part of OS 3.0?), and you get the better graphics card. If you get the 3Gs, you're future-proofing yourself until the next iPhone iteration comes out. So it's up to you, really. If you're fine with the 3G in it's current state and don't really need much more than what it offers, go for that, but if you feel like you're going to want to keep up to date with everything as it is released then go for the 3Gs. I got the 3Gs instead of the 3G and I don't regret it in the slightest.

Agreed.

I'm not sure if you get double space or not, as he hasn't specified the sizes (is there an 8gb 3G any more? I'm not sure), but there is NO reason to get the 3G. To save $100 now only to feel the upgrade come June 2010? The 3Gs will tide you over until 2011. The 3G is a slightly improved Gen 1 iPhone. It will be dropped next year, I reckon.

 

[Blackhead]

Kind of hard to take that type of criticism from a company that wants to stick it to the customer with $5 contact searching. Then it just comes across as 'we want to charge more for our crap!!!' whining.

Having said that, I completely agree that there is some stupidity going on with the whole submission process. Stuff needs to be addressed, and quickly.

Still, I'm not sure I 'get' the problems with the pricing. I think if the app is worthwhile there is a market for it at certain prices (above 99 cents). But obviously there is a ceiling. I'm not sure what solutions people are looking for here.

EDIT: Interestingly, that blog post seems to be gone now.

It does seem like whining sometimes. Look at the top paid Productivity or Business categories, you can find a few $10+ apps there. There is a $29 app at no. 14! Games are a completely different market though but what did they expect? What is the appstore competing with? Valve? Or DSi Shop and WiiWare? Prices are WiiWare > DS > Wii. Or did these developers think that prices would be the same on the iPhone as on the Mac?!

Personally, I've played lots of fun games on the iPhone but never seen anything that compares to a DS game. Likewise I've had more fun with some flash games than I've had with PS3 games but, hey, the flash games were free. I've bought a worthwhile $25 app (Jaadu) and a useless $10 one (Orb Live. fuckers never delivered on the promised Mac support). When the supposed high value apps appear I'll consider them. Mind you I think the iPhone, despite the abundance of fun games, is a poor gaming platform. Horrible battery life etc

It's absolutely worth it, in my opinion. You get double the memory space, it's faster, you can record videos (unless this is just part of OS 3.0?), and you get the better graphics card. If you get the 3Gs, you're future-proofing yourself until the next iPhone iteration comes out. So it's up to you, really. If you're fine with the 3G in it's current state and don't really need much more than what it offers, go for that, but if you feel like you're going to want to keep up to date with everything as it is released then go for the 3Gs. I got the 3Gs instead of the 3G and I don't regret it in the slightest.

would you give up using an iPhone for a month and a half :lol ? I say get the 3G now, return it before the window is closed, then pick up the 3GS

 

[Iron_Scimitar]

Can someone recommend a good iphone desktop dock? I went onto Amazon and the reviews are all over the place. I'd like a dock that can accommodate my rubber case so I wont have to take the case off when its sitting in the dock.

Any recommendations?

 

[womp]

I have a Touch and have been hesitant to upgrade to 3.0, quite frankly I don't find a single option in it worth upgrading for, however with the Apps heading into 3.0 exclusive territory (Space Invaders) it is getting more tempting.

My question is if anyone on here who has upgraded their Touch to 3.0 has been seeing the problems that it seems many people have been having when doing so? Mainly the WiFi signal issues. It scares me since I use my Touch as basically a portable browser for the most part.

 

[Tokubetsu]

Ordered a 3Gs from apple.com last Saturday morning with free shipping that shit still hasn't shipped yet =|

 

[kaching]

While Apple has had a head start, if things continue, all signs point to developers doing just that. I love my iPhone. Sure, it's worrying to me that more and more negative feedback for the App Store is rearing its ugly head. But what really worries me are the consumers that simply brush off valid criticism because that developer hasn't made anything "worthwhile" or "it's their business, they can do what they want".

Will it take more blog posts?

As long as it's balanced against the 50000 or so apps that have been approved in a single year, sure, let's have the conversation. But more often than not, the full context surrounding the rejections is ignored and reports of these rejections aim to make a mountain out of a molehill.

It's unavoidable that a service as popular as the iPhone AppStore will become a victim of it's own success in some ways. You can't expect thousands of developers to be without some complaints and this will unavoidably grow over time. It's not being brushed off, it's the nature of the beast. The only thing that is being brushed off is the histrionics - this is a market that didn't exist a year ago and yet people speak with a sense of entitlement completely out of perspective with that reality.

 

[littleorphanfunk]

for anyone who bought the navigation app. how does it compare to a standalone navigation unit. is it pretty snappy with the 3gs. i really want the tom tom app, but im gonna be doing some traveling in the next couple weeks and would like to have turn by turn. i wish it was a little cheaper though 70 bucks is pretty steep for a software app, i can buy a standalone garmin or tom tom for that

 

[LCfiner]

for anyone who bought the navigation app. how does it compare to a standalone navigation unit. is it pretty snappy with the 3gs. i really want the tom tom app, but im gonna be doing some traveling in the next couple weeks and would like to have turn by turn. i wish it was a little cheaper though 70 bucks is pretty steep for a software app, i can buy a standalone garmin or tom tom for that

the navigon software has worked pretty well for me. tested it out in and around my city (montreal) and the directions were accurate and the redirection calculations were fast.

overall, i like it a lot. very polished, and great full screen graphics of highway exits and signage to help guide you to the correct lane.

the UI uses text that is a bit smaller than i would like for a device that should be easy to glance at but I can still deal with it. I like the voice (female voice) as it cuts through the sound of music well. also, a future free update will apparently mute songs out when the voice gives directions.

pro: the map scrolls very smoothly instead of the stop and start movement of most apps. i like that touch.

pro: it uses navteq maps which are supposed to be pretty good. I had no issue with out of date streets but, as always, some areas may not be as well represented.

another pro: it integrates with the iphone address book so you can fill that full of POIs on your computer address book or imported from google maps on the phone instead of being forced to use the POI database inside the app.

pro: the iphone touchscreen kicks the ass of the pressure sensitive touchscreens of most devices out there. seriously, they are almost always shit. not here.

con: there is no "text to speech" so proper street names will not be spoken aloud. only highway numbers and distance to the exit.

con: takes longer than a dedicated GPS to gain a signal. less than a minute but it could be faster, i feel.

con: phone call comes and you answer it, you no longer have navigation abilities as it quits you to the phone app immediately. could be troublesome if someone calls while you're in the middle of a tricky route

for 70 bucks i'd say it's comparable to other non text to speech devices out there. the convenience of having it in one device with my music and phone outweighed the cons i listed above so i sold off my old dedicated GPS.

 

[littleorphanfunk]

you have a 3g or 3gs?

seems like a good first effort, and im glad theres another non subscription based navigation app that will give tom tom some competition. i think ill wait until they at least put out the tom tom and see how much it is and how it compares. hopefully its some time in august like they were planning

 

[mrkgoo]

It does seem like whining sometimes. Look at the top paid Productivity or Business categories, you can find a few $10+ apps there. There is a $29 app at no. 14! Games are a completely different market though but what did they expect? What is the appstore competing with? Valve? Or DSi Shop and WiiWare? Prices are WiiWare > DS > Wii. Or did these developers think that prices would be the same on the iPhone as on the Mac?!

Personally, I've played lots of fun games on the iPhone but never seen anything that compares to a DS game. Likewise I've had more fun with some flash games than I've had with PS3 games but, hey, the flash games were free. I've bought a worthwhile $25 app (Jaadu) and a useless $10 one (Orb Live. fuckers never delivered on the promised Mac support). When the supposed high value apps appear I'll consider them. Mind you I think the iPhone, despite the abundance of fun games, is a poor gaming platform. Horrible battery life etc


would you give up using an iPhone for a month and a half :lol ? I say get the 3G now, return it before the window is closed, then pick up the 3GS

Good final point! 1.5 months is a long time to be without...

Anyone know what can be done about Apple Logo of Death? Basically, I can't reboot if I have significantly changed my application map, without trying to reboot 4-5 times, and then connecting to my computer.

Restore from backup doesn't work, and I don't really want to restore from scratch and systematically add apps back on. I guess it's a lost cause. Really, why does Apple need the mobilewatchdog to kick in after two minutes?

 

[LCfiner]

you have a 3g or 3gs?

seems like a good first effort, and im glad theres another non subscription based navigation app that will give tom tom some competition. i think ill wait until they at least put out the tom tom and see how much it is and how it compares. hopefully its some time in august like they were planning

3gs. not sure if it runs slower on the 3g. reviews in the app store seem to be good regardless of the hardware used.

yeah, the tom tom one is interesting since it integrates with the cradle and can help get a better signal in city centers with skyrises.

buuuut. the navigon is going up to 100 bucks in august and who knows how much the tom tom app will cost. (my guess: 80-100 plus 50 for optional hardware cradle)

at 70, i think it's a fair price for this kind of app. But at 100 and over, it's getting too close to the price of text to speech units that offer a better experience.

 

[HBP]

Anyone know of a decent speaker setup with a dock that charges the 3GS (none of my current ones do) looking for a small one that isn't $100 for my desk at work.

 

[Iron_Scimitar]

Anyone know of a decent speaker setup with a dock that charges the 3GS (none of my current ones do) looking for a small one that isn't $100 for my desk at work.

I'd recommend the Logitech speaker setup, but its kinda big. I only paid $60 for it.

 

[Alfarif]

the navigon software has worked pretty well for me. tested it out in and around my city (montreal) and the directions were accurate and the redirection calculations were fast.

overall, i like it a lot. very polished, and great full screen graphics of highway exits and signage to help guide you to the correct lane.

the UI uses text that is a bit smaller than i would like for a device that should be easy to glance at but I can still deal with it. I like the voice (female voice) as it cuts through the sound of music well. also, a future free update will apparently mute songs out when the voice gives directions.

pro: the map scrolls very smoothly instead of the stop and start movement of most apps. i like that touch.

pro: it uses navteq maps which are supposed to be pretty good. I had no issue with out of date streets but, as always, some areas may not be as well represented.

another pro: it integrates with the iphone address book so you can fill that full of POIs on your computer address book or imported from google maps on the phone instead of being forced to use the POI database inside the app.

pro: the iphone touchscreen kicks the ass of the pressure sensitive touchscreens of most devices out there. seriously, they are almost always shit. not here.

con: there is no "text to speech" so proper street names will not be spoken aloud. only highway numbers and distance to the exit.

con: takes longer than a dedicated GPS to gain a signal. less than a minute but it could be faster, i feel.

con: phone call comes and you answer it, you no longer have navigation abilities as it quits you to the phone app immediately. could be troublesome if someone calls while you're in the middle of a tricky route

for 70 bucks i'd say it's comparable to other non text to speech devices out there. the convenience of having it in one device with my music and phone outweighed the cons i listed above so i sold off my old dedicated GPS.

Wow, thanks for that. Came back into this thread to see if anyone had bought and played with it. I don't have a dedicated GPS, but the idea of having something for cheap that doesn't have a monthly fee has me foaming at the mouth. I will be purchasing this this weekend, thanks to your recommendations!

 

[ant_]

This is my friends iPhone theme.

I think it looks fucking ugly, he thinks it looks amazing. I think it looks cluttered. I don't understand how people can have themes like this. What does GAF think?

 

[Husker86]

This is my friends iPhone theme.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c335/Va1or/iphonewallpaper.png[/IMG
I think it looks fucking ugly, he thinks it looks amazing. I think it looks cluttered. I don't understand how people can have themes like this. What does GAF think?[/QUOTE]

I think it looks fine, though I would change the background since it washes out some of the text on the App names.

edit: You changed the background on me, I think that one looks even better.

 

[The Elite]

Ordered a 3Gs from apple.com last Saturday morning with free shipping that shit still hasn't shipped yet =|

Ordered a 3Gs from Rogers in Canada on June 23rd and nothing.

 

[itxaka]

Hoooly fuck, I just realized that my actual contracts expires the 4th of August! Than means I will be able to switch companies and get a goddam 3gs 32Gb finally!!


Is there a lot of difference between a 16Gb and a 32Gb? How big are the games/apps/etc?


OMG! I'm so pumped!

Should I jailbreak it? I read a bit about it, sounds really easy and the time to do it before 3.1 hits and everything is patched.

 

[Burger]

This is my friends iPhone theme.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/3772344577_35d2ac50f5.jpg
I think it looks fucking ugly, he thinks it looks amazing. I think it looks cluttered. I don't understand how people can have themes like this. What does GAF think?

Ugh. Your friends phone should be shot out of a cannon into the sun.

 

[YuriLowell]

This is my friends iPhone theme.

I think it looks fucking ugly, he thinks it looks amazing. I think it looks cluttered. I don't understand how people can have themes like this. What does GAF think?

Looks like vista phone.

 

[LCfiner]

This is my friends iPhone theme.

I think it looks fucking ugly, he thinks it looks amazing. I think it looks cluttered. I don't understand how people can have themes like this. What does GAF think?

it's an affront to mankind.

but it's not as good as this:

because what's better than one floating dock than five floating docks?

 

[Buckethead]

This is my friends iPhone theme. What does GAF think?

I like the Dock thing, but the background is ugly as sin and there's way too much gloss and web 2.0 bullshit design mentality. Circle icons also are hideous.

So with some refinements could be a solid theme, but yeah right now not so much. The only iPhone theme mod I've ever liked is Spargett's Shelves and I don't think that will ever change.

 

[jonnybryce]

Looks like vista phone.

The first thing I thought was Vista, too.

It's ok. Not amazing, I think the wallpaper kills it. A more simple abstract wallpaper would be better.

 

[bionic77]

It looks like there is a small piece of dust or dirt trapped under my screen. Is there any way for me to get rid of it?

And would this somehow be covered under the warranty or am I dreaming?

 

[Tobor]

Ugh. Your friends phone should be shot out of a cannon into the sun.

:lol This.

It never gets old how people like to shit up their interfaces.

 

[Husker86]

Wow, you all are really against changing Apple's plain theme...

edit: The one LC posted IS ugly though.

 

[Vyer]

Wow, you all are really against changing Apple's plain theme...

edit: The one LC posted IS ugly though.

I guess I'm not against it, but I haven't yet seen one that was worth a damn.

 

[OverHeat]

Ordered a 3Gs from Rogers in Canada on June 23rd and nothing.

Order mine last week and got it on monday you got screwed.

 

[Gary Whitta]

I never get tired of these shitty custom themes, it's like the iPhone equivalent of badpaintingsofbarackobama.com :lol

 

[Operations]

I guess I'm not against it, but I haven't yet seen one that was worth a damn.

I like the Eraser/Eraser 2 themes, and the Silent Hill one is amazing.

 

[ant_]

Glad you guys agree with me :lol :lol
It is fucking ugly, that's no question. After I showed my friend some of your responses, he's going to change it now. :lol


Myself, as far as themes go, I need simplicity. Cluttered shit makes the phone look horrible imo. So I stick with the default Apple theme. There's only a few themes I've really ever liked, but I still prefer the plain Apple theme to all of them.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Glad you guys agree with me :lol :lol
It is fucking ugly, that's no question. After I showed my friend some of your responses, he's going to change it now. :lol


Myself, as far as themes go, I need simplicity. Cluttered shit makes the phone look horrible imo. So I stick with the default Apple theme. There's only a few themes I've really ever liked, but I still prefer the plain Apple theme to all of them.

Yep.

I think most of us agree that it isn't bad to be changing the theme, but every theme is either stupidly ostentatious or way too simple. It seems like no one makes anything that's just good and plain.

Shit like this is hilarious. What the fuck is going on with some of these icons? Half of these don't even look like buttons. How the fuck does tapping a realistic umbrella feel like the thing you should be doing?

 

[JB1981]

how do you download new iphone themes?

 

[ant_]

Shit like this is hilarious. What the fuck is going on with some of these icons? Half of these don't even look like buttons. How the fuck does tapping a realistic umbrella feel like the thing you should be doing?

And I love how the settings thing in the dock is covering up the Safari logo. Shit is so damn ugly.

 

[Gary Whitta]

There's nothing more amusing than amateurs who think they can do better than the best professional GUI designers in the world.

 

[Burger]

And I love how the settings thing in the dock is covering up the Safari logo. Shit is so damn ugly.

Why is the facebook icon actually the iPhoto icon, and the Photos icon the Preview icon?

What is the difference between the AIM icon and the SMS icon ? One actually is AIM, the other is MSN.

Stocks is using the Numbers icon, and Notes the Pages icon. App Store is the OS X Application icon, which is awful anyway.

It quite simply, makes no sense. It's as if somebody thought he would make a theme, ran out of time and effort, and just hobbled together something out of icons they found lying around their mac. It should be deleted from the planet.

 

[hoqhuuep]

C'mon guys, not all themes are bad...

 

[Gary Whitta]

C'mon guys, not all themes are bad...

So the App store logo is the word "Apps" inside a red square. Genius.

All the others are just inferior versions of the existing default icons. What's the point?

 

[Mik2121]

I just started this theme mock-up but didn't bother finishing it..

... I didn't dig the icons at all (plus I used photoshop presets because I didn't feel like making the icons from zero).

edit - And I stopped doing it because even if I finished it and I ever made it available for jailbreak iPhones, I would rather use the original theme, seeing how I'm too used to it.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

C'mon guys, not all themes are bad...

The icons are pretty clean and have a consistent style, but I'm not a fan of the font.

 

[Gary Whitta]

The icons are pretty clean and have a consistent style, but I'm not a fan of the font.

Look like it's trying to be the Palm Pre font (which is awesome and I'm quite envious of) and failing.

 

[Nazgul_Hunter]

I love my theme

+ I also love Tris, the best version of Tetris on the iPhone (sadly, got pulled because of EA)

 

[Blackhead]

There's nothing more amusing than amateurs who think they can do better than the best professional GUI designers in the world.

:lol ok all you theme haters need to calm the fuck down.

Not everything Apple touches turns to gold. The default dock is distinctively disturbing.

Not everybody who makes a theme is an amateur. Some are [obviously] professional designers themselves.

C'mon guys, not all themes are bad...

http://i28.tinypic.com/3rlom.jpg

Yeah the Calendar icon looks weird and you should adjust the reflections of the icons in the dock. That aside I'm a fan of the theme and backgrounds are to each her own

I just started this theme mock-up but didn't bother finishing it..

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w251/KimHaeChul/iphonerandomtheme.jpg

... I didn't dig the icons at all (plus I used photoshop presets because I didn't feel like making the icons from zero).

edit - And I stopped doing it because even if I finished it and I ever made it available for jailbreak iPhones, I would rather use the original theme, seeing how I'm too used to it.

I'd be interested in that for a particular categories folder/springboard page. Probably try it with a wood background...

Look like it's trying to be the Palm Pre font (which is awesome and I'm quite envious of) and failing.

? it's a neutraface font, i think. Quite popular

Spoiler

among those on MacThemes and the like

ps the palm pre font is available if you are interested ;p

 

[Vyer]

I do like the clean, simple icons and the unified color schemes of some themes. But, to be honest, I have seen very few 'wallpaper' images for the iPhone that just work with the icon layout.

 

[Enzom21]

The "illumine" theme is pretty nice.

 

[Gary Whitta]

The "illumine" theme is pretty nice.

Why is the stamp on the back of the envelope?

 

[Liquid Helium]

The problem with themes is that they (obviously) don't change most of the icons for your apps, and then you end up with it looking really inconsistent.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Why is the stamp on the back of the envelope?

:lol

 

[Husker86]

There's nothing more amusing than amateurs who think they can do better than the best professional GUI designers in the world.

Oh Jesus....