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[Slurpy]

I think now would be a bad time to buy a 5G iPod. The 6G is almost definitely going to come out this year, most likely using this same interface that the iPhone does. If you were going to get a 5G you should have got one sometime last year.

It will also bring Apple's overall costs down if they order more of those 3.5 inch touchscreens for both the iPhone and iPod in the future. However ... I wouldn't expect the 6G until like November, maybe even later.

Thats in 9 months. Its ridiculous to think someone who wants something now should wait 9 months because something better is coming along. If it was next month, thats something else entirely. But its clear thats its not in the near future, and anyone who wants an ipod now should feel safe investing in the 5G. When the 6G comes out, which will most definitely rape the 5G on features and sexiness, the previous can always be sold, etc. But its not happening anytime soon.

On a differnt note, seeing how Google and Apple are close, they better come out with a plugin/update that would allow picasa to communicate with iTV. I have around 20,000 photos there. And again, if the thing cannot access anything outside of itunes, its officially complete garbage. Hopefully its like frontrow and can access folders.

 

[teiresias]

Given the battery specs and price of the phone I'm not sure they've gotten the tech to a place where they could have a harddrive based iPod using this same interface that would have either A) a good price, or B) acceptable battery life relative to what people expect from the product family.

 

[TheWolf]

the keyboard should make the phone vibrate like it does on the Wii.

 

[soundwave05]

the keyboard should make the phone vibrate like it does on the Wii.

Tactile feedback touchscreens is something I would bet both Nintendo and Apple are working on.

 

[Slurpy]

Given the battery specs and price of the phone I'm not sure they've gotten the tech to a place where they could have a harddrive based iPod using this same interface that would have either A) a good price, or B) acceptable battery life relative to what people expect from the product family.

Throw out all the phone related technologies in there, and stick in a 1.5inch drive instead. By the end of 07 this should be very feasible.

 

[mrkgoo]

the keyboard should make the phone vibrate like it does on the Wii.

Actually, that's a point...does this phone have a vibration mode? My phone is nearly exclusively on silent/vibrate mode.

 

[ghostmind]

"Cisco Systems Inc. to sue Apple Inc. over use of iPhone trademark" - MSNBC

 

[ant1532]

"Cisco Systems Inc. to sue Apple Inc. over use of iPhone trademark" - MSNBC

WHAT.

Apple didn't make a ****ing deal with them? What the hell were they thinking then?

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

"Cisco Systems Inc. to sue Apple Inc. over use of iPhone trademark" - MSNBC

*insert owl picture*

Seriously, no link, no sale.

 

[ghostmind]

*insert owl picture*

Seriously, no link, no sale.

MSNBC.com; banner at top of page that says "Breaking News...blah blah blah"

 

[ghostmind]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16566514/

 

[Wario64]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16566514/

WTF?

 

[Slurpy]

WHAT THE ****??? How can they not have resolved this beforehand?? I thought the link was a joke!

Did Apple just choose to say **** them, ignore their trademark, and deal with the consequences later?

 

[Darko]

:lol

 

[Y2Kev]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16566514/

I honestly can't even imagine how Apple didn't see this coming.

 

[Slurpy]

I honestly can't even imagine how Apple didn't see this coming.

Thats what makes the story seem so impossible.

 

[Crazymoogle]

WHAT THE ****??? How can they not have resolved this beforehand?? I thought the link was a joke!

Did Apple just choose to say **** them, ignore their trademark, and deal with the consequences later?

Well, they had PR on this yesterday, looks like one of the following:

-Cisco dragged their feet, saw the result of the announcement, asked for more money, or licensing as opposed to selling the name, and Apple balked
-Apple dragged their feet, saw the result of the announcement, decided they might have some sort of case due to the iPod name and branding, or otherwise decided to play hardball, knowing Cisco makes nothing if they don't use the name

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

:lol Ahh, that's precious.

 

[Crazymoogle]

The part I love the most is how Cisco's statement paints the name as something truly important that will outlive Apple's phone and be an important name for the world. :lol

 

[scorcho]

I wouldn't be surprised if hackers unlocked it quickly.

Keep in mind though that one of the reasons Apple chose a single carrier was because of the random access voicemail. That is not just a software only feature. Cingular had to make their back-end systems support it. That feature simply won't work on other carriers.

unlocking it for what purpose? one of the coolest features (the visual voice mails) needs to be coded into the carrier's backend. i wouldn't be surprised if their easy conference calling needed extra cingular code as well.

 

[scorcho]

Thats what makes the story seem so impossible.

it's completely possible - Apple has likely been in negotiations with Cisco for quite some time. the talks probably fell apart over money (Cisco demanding a percentage of each unit sold? exclusive ownership of the name? who knows) and some hubris on Apple's part.

this ought to be interesting - Apple really has nothing to fall back on.

 

[Pope Benedict XVI]

Is the name "iPhone" really THAT great? Seems like it will be very expensive.

 

[mrkgoo]

I say the negotiations are already in place, but no publicity is bad publicity, so Cisco decided to just bring it up so it gets something out of Apple's announcement,

 

[soundwave05]

it's completely possible - Apple has likely been in negotiations with Cisco for quite some time. the talks probably fell apart over money (Cisco demanding a percentage of each unit sold? exclusive ownership of the name? who knows) and some hubris on Apple's part.

this ought to be interesting - Apple really has nothing to fall back on.

*shrugs* they could always just rename it. Then Cisco gets nothing. I think Apple was doing it to see how Cisco would react.

 

[capslock]

Geeze, wouldn't it be simpler to just call it 'iTalk' or something? Or 'iCall'?


Here are some other alternatives:

iTel

iConnect

iChat

iCell

iMobile

 

[Nick]

Geeze, wouldn't it be simpler to just call it 'iTalk' or something? Or 'iCall'?


Here are some other alternatives:

iTel

iConnect

iChat

iCell

iMobile

iPhone is cooler.

Anyways, this is a moot point. Apple will work everything out with Cisco, and this will all be resolved in a month or less. They'll throw a couple of money hats, pour some champagne and have cheers to nobody giving a shit about the Cisco iPhone, and everyone talking about the hottest piece of gadget ever released (the Apple iPhone).

 

[wave dial]

iPhone is cooler.

Anyways, this is a moot point. Apple will work everything out with Cisco, and this will all be resolved in a month or less. They'll throw a couple of money hats, pour some champagne and have cheers to nobody giving a shit about the Cisco iPhone, and everyone talking about the hottest piece of gadget ever released (the Apple iPhone).

there is no cisco iphone. it's linksys

 

[Battlezone]

Geeze, wouldn't it be simpler to just call it 'iTalk' or something? Or 'iCall'?


Here are some other alternatives:

iTel

iConnect

iChat

iCell

iMobile

Newton.

 

[Pochacco]

Cisco is Linksys' dad.

 

[Nick]

there is no cisco iphone. it's linksys

http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2007/01/20070110182851.shtml

 

[Slurpy]

*shrugs* they could always just rename it. Then Cisco gets nothing. I think Apple was doing it to see how Cisco would react.

Well, marketing-wise, that would be an extremely stupid move if thats the intention. You take a hell of alot of wind out of a product when you do that- especially in this case. If a company believes it has a chance/ground to sue, it will always sue. I doubt Apple was in doubt over that.

 

[wave dial]

linksys had the iphone name years before it got bought by cisco

 

[GG-Duo]

meh. i dont see why either of them would want that terrible name.

 

[buck naked]

I'm interested to see what form it gets released in internationally; will they keep their single locked-network distribution? 3G might be optional for the USA but I don't think that will fly in a lot of other countries.

The 2008 release date for Asia makes me smile; its a market that thrives on competition and I won't be surprised if the iPhone doesn't make much of a splash by the time '08 around.

 

[Lobster]

Dunno if this is old..

Apple iPhone: a threat to portable consoles?

Posted Jan 10th 2007 5:54PM by Ross Miller
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, Online
We've already stated on the record that we're yearning for iPhone gaming. Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, in an amusing iTunes-inspired megamix, has called out 10 companies or products who should be fearing the upcoming mega-product. And wouldn't you know it, Nintendo DS and Sony PSP make the list.

For the PSP, Croal opines that the iPhone is a "threat to Sony's mobile media and communication ambitions," while also showing us how cool a touch-screen PSP would be. The Nintendo DS, meanwhile, could lose a chunk of the casual gamer market; Apple's iPhone "could cause a lot of casual DS owners to put it in a sock drawer and forget about it."

However, the one thing in Sony and Nintendo's favor is Apple itself, and You as a consumer (both, appropriately, appear higher on Croal's mix). Both portable game consoles are a fraction of the iPhone's price tag, and people may not see the benefit in an all-in-one product that may or may not see a fully-fledged game lineup in the future. Also, both the PSP and DS have a sizeable library of exclusive titles, brand recognition, and history. We'd bet to say that the casual gamer would not be willing to shell out $500 for a product of convergence. Not right now, at least.

Source

All I can really say is..yeah...right..

 

[r.pad]

Wrote this on my 1Up page:

Major Problems

- There's no HSDPA. Yeah, I know Cingular's EDGE is deployed in far more areas, but it's just too slow. Not having HSDPA totally kills the iPhone for me as an Internet appliance.

- Cingular's track record with data sucks. The company is really tight with data use and limits what its customers can do with its products.

- Not only will the iPhone cost $600 with a two-year contract, but to get a reasonable plan with data and SMS packages, you'll be paying at least $100 a month after taxes.

Minor Problems

- The battery is not user replaceable. When iPod batteries bork, you can send it back to Apple for a replacement. That's going to suck for a phone that you use every day. On second thought, maybe this isn't so minor....

- No over-the-air iTunes downloads. This was one of the dumbest things about the Zune and it's even dumber for a phone with EDGE and WiFi.

 

[xsarien]

Many people have legitimate coverage concerns when it comes to choosing a carrier, to dismiss those as factors is foolish.

So instead of just Cingular it would have been Cingular and T-Mobile.

For Apple, GSM was the smarter choice, and I can only imagine the fight they'd have with Verizon to keep all the functionality intact.

 

[Phoenix]

there is no cisco iphone. it's linksys

Cisco owns Linksys.

"Linksys is a division of Cisco Systems that sells products for home and small office networks. Originally founded in 1988, Linksys was acquired by Cisco in 2003. An early adopter of the 802.11g wireless standard, Linksys is a market leader in the United States. Although best known for their broadband and wireless routers, Linksys also manufactures ethernet switching and VoIP equipment."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linksys

 

[aoi tsuki]

Two things i was thinking of yesterday...

1. Nonremovable battery - It's not explicitly mentioned, but given that it hasn't been mentioned, i'm assuming this is the case. i don't know how you guys' cell batteries are, but mine have always been decent for the first four months or so, then i notice a definite decrease in the time i have between charges. This definitely works in Apple's favor, because it increases the desire for current owners to continually upgrade to the next model. i'd really like to see what the battery life will be under realworld conditions.

2. Lack of hard drive - Blame the fact that it would be a bigger drain on the battery than flash memory, but if the iPhone has a vibrate feature (i'm assuming it does), it could also damage the drive over time. The Palm Lifedrive featured a 4GB hard drive, but no vibrate feature. i believe Palm's official response was that the vibrator could shorten the lifespan of the drive.

 

[Nick]

Another funny thing about the Keynote yesterday: when Steve was comparing the UI between smart phones and the iPhone, the crowd was dead silent, because there really wasn't that much of a "wow" factor in the stuff the iPhone could do over the competitors. He was saying, "This is their calendar apps. This is ours." and they looked identical. I thought that was kinda funny.

 

[demon]

- The battery is not user replaceable. When iPod batteries bork, you can send it back to Apple for a replacement. That's going to suck for a phone that you use every day. On second thought, maybe this isn't so minor....

If this is true, that is indeed really shitty and a rather worrisome aspect of a freakin phone. My cell is my only phone, so what the hell would I do if my battery crapped out and I had to send it in for god knows how long?

 

[mightynine]

Why not just call it the Apple Phone? They made the change from iTV to Apple TV...slap the apple logo in front of phone and call it a day.

 

[Slurpy]

If this is true, that is indeed really shitty and a rather worrisome aspect of a freakin phone. My cell is my only phone, so what the hell would I do if my battery crapped out and I had to send it in for god knows how long?

..Which is why I want this device without the phone functionality. I like my phone to be shitty, so I wont freak out too badly when its lost/stolen/damaged. I have no choice but to have my phone on me at all times, in all situations. I sure as hell wouldnt want a device as sexy as that with me at all times, in all situations. But I realize that pragmatically, this is the best move for apple in order to expand their name and influence a completely new market and industry.

EDIT: Every single phone I have ever owned has fallen down flights of stairs, been dropped several dozen times, been thrown with pockets with keys/coins, launched on pavement, and dropped in various food items, among many other things. The latest phone I have, slipped from my pocket a day after I got it, and bounced on the cement a few times in the process. It got several heavy deep scratches. I picked it up, and after a few moments of extreme anger and frustration, I felt relief that Id never have to worry about keeping it pristine for the rest of its existence.

 

[Y2Kev]

..Which is why I want this device without the phone functionality. I like my phone to be shitty, so I wont freak out too badly when its lost/stolen/damaged. I have no choice but to have my phone on me at all times, in all situations. I sure as hell wouldnt want a device as sexy as that with me at all times, in all situations. But I realize that pragmatically, this is the best move for apple in order to expand their name and influence a completely new market and industry.

Yeah, that's true. I want to see how the phone holds up to abuse...and SCREEN GREASE.

 

[Slurpy]

Great read on the secrecy involved during the 30 months of iPhone development, and the consequences of that secrecy. The keynote and revelation t must have been a massive burden off the shoulders of the thousands of people who worked on the phone.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/10/commentary/lewis_fortune_iphone.fortune/index.htm

 

[xsarien]

If the battery can't be replaced, the Cingular register jockeys better be REAL amenable to a 1-year contract.

 

[aoi tsuki]

..Which is why I want this device without the phone functionality. I like my phone to be shitty, so I wont freak out too badly when its lost/stolen/damaged. I have no choice but to have my phone on me at all times, in all situations. I sure as hell wouldnt want a device as sexy as that with me at all times, in all situations. But I realize that pragmatically, this is the best move for apple in order to expand their name and influence a completely new market and industry.

EDIT: Every single phone I have ever owned has fallen down flights of stairs, been dropped several dozen times, been thrown with pockets with keys/coins, launched on pavement, and dropped in various food items, among many other things. The latest phone I have, slipped from my pocket a day after I got it, and bounced on the cement a few times in the process. It got several heavy deep scratches. I picked it up, and after a few moments of extreme anger and frustration, I felt relief that Id never have to worry about keeping it pristine for the rest of its existence.

A good reason to keep a spare phone around. i have spare wallet that i use when i go out clubbing or drinking or whatever. i might end up keeping my SLVR after all.

But yeah, i understand the relief of going from an expensive phone to a cheap one. i used to only buy top-of-the-line cells, and i didn't realize how much i worried about losing or dropping my cell, until i moved, switched carriers, and got some cheap, free-with-contract Nokia. The feeling i felt must be what it's like to not carry any credit card debt.

 

[Y2Kev]

Great read on the secrecy involved during the 30 months of iPhone development, and the consequences of that secrecy. The keynote and revelation t must have been a massive burden off the shoulders of the thousands of people who worked on the phone.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/10/commentary/lewis_fortune_iphone.fortune/index.htm

Insane. How the hell can Apple do this and the government can't?

 

[Phobophile]

Insane. How the hell can Apple do this and the government can't?

I'm pretty sure Apple pays better than the government.

 

[empanada]

Great read on the secrecy involved during the 30 months of iPhone development, and the consequences of that secrecy. The keynote and revelation t must have been a massive burden off the shoulders of the thousands of people who worked on the phone.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/10/commentary/lewis_fortune_iphone.fortune/index.htm

That article makes me believe the iPhone will really remain exclusive to Cingular for a looong time, if it even gets ported to another carrier.

However, he said, he enjoyed working with Cingular. And apparently the sentiment was mutual. Two years ago, Jobs and Cingular's chief executive, Stan Sigman, got together to forge a multiyear pact to work together on the iPhone. The Apple phone didn't even exist as a sketch at that point, but apparently Sigman trusted that Jobs and Apple would deliver on their promise to revolutionize the mobile handset. And Apple trusted Cingular not to meddle in the hardware or feature design. "They let Apple be Apple," one Apple executive said.
...
Jobs hinted again that the exclusive, multiyear partnership with Cingular would yield more phones that just the two iPhone models unveiled today.