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Walt Mossberg Reviews the iPhone

Posted by kdawson on Tue Jun 26, 2007 08:44 PM
from the hands-on-early dept.
Communications Handhelds Wireless Networking Apple
WSJdpatton writes "Walt Mossberg tested the iPhone for two weeks, in multiple usage scenarios, in cities across the US. His verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is on balance a beautiful and breakthrough hand-held computer. Its software especially sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry, and its clever finger-touch interface, which dispenses with a stylus and most buttons, works well, though the lack of physical buttons can be a hindrance." Digital Daily has a roundup of early iPhone reviews.

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[+] Linux: Walt Mossberg Reviews Ubuntu 642 comments
sciurus0 writes "Mainstream technology journalist Walt Mossberg recently reviewed an Inspiron 1420N with Ubuntu installed by Dell. Citing problems such as an oversensitive touchpad and poor multimedia support, he suggests that 'from the point of view of an average user, someone who wouldn't want to enter text commands, hunt the Web for drivers and enabling software, or learn a whole new user interface' Ubuntu isn't a good choice compared to Windows or OS X."
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  • Other reviews (Score:5, Informative)

    by daveschroeder (516195) * <das@NoSPAm.doit.wisc.edu> on Tuesday June 26, @08:45PM (#19657923)
    (http://das.doit.wisc.edu/)
    David Pogue, New York Times [nytimes.com]

    - "so sleek and thin, it makes Treos and BlackBerrys look obese."
    - After walking around with the iPhone unprotected for 2 weeks, no marks on it. Glass smudges are easily wiped off.
    - 700 megabytes is occupied by the phone's software
    - Making calls can be a 6 step process if phone is off.
    - Web, Email is superior
    - Battery Life Test: 5 hours video, 23 hours audio. Note: did not turn off Wi-Fi and other features as Apple suggests.
    - Typing was OK. Difficult at first, but learned to "trust" the keyboard. "The BlackBerry won't be going away anytime soon."
    - Cites AT&T network as iPhone's biggest downfall. Cites Consumer Reports survey which ranks AT&T network as last or second to last in 19 out of 20 major US cities.
    - AT&T's EDGE cellular network: "excruciatingly slow"
    - Slideshow of photos [nytimes.com] taken with iPhone
    - Video Review [nytimes.com]

    Steven Levy, Newsweek [msn.com]

    - bottom line is that the iPhone is a significant leap
    - The iPhone is the rare convergence device where things actually converge.
    - e-mail looks more like you're working on a computer than a clunky phone
    - YouTube videos work great on Wi-Fi, but can display in a lower quality when you're not at a hotspot and are using AT&T's EDGE network
    - unless I did a lot of video watching or Web browsing, [the battery] could generally last the day
    - I've been jamming it in my pocket with keyrings, coins and pens, and so far it's nearly as good as new.

    Edward Baig, USA Today [usatoday.com]

    - Apple's iPhone isn't perfect, but it's worthy of the hype
    - The revelation is that it's also comfortable to hold and touch.
    - I expected to miss the tactile feel that a physical keyboard provides. I didn't.
    - You can hold a conference call with up to five people.
    - No voice recognition or voice dialing
    - halfway decent internal speakers for listening if you set the thing down
    - iPod games are not compatible with iPhone
    - our company tech department raised questions about the security settings Apple required with our Microsoft Exchange servers.
    - Battery life didn't prove to be a big problem in my unscientific tests

    Walt Mossberg, Wall Street Journal [wsj.com] (the submitted article's highlights):

    - Our verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer. Its software, especially, sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry, and its clever finger-touch interface, which dispenses with a stylus and most buttons, works well, though it sometimes adds steps to common functions.
    - largest, highest resolution screen of any smart phone they've seen, most internal memory
    - Impressive battery life and thin
    - Feels solid
    - Regarding the touch keyboard: "After five days of use, Walt -- who did most of the testing for this review -- was able to type on it as quickly and accurately as he could on the Palm Treo he has used for years."
    - Can't use T-Mobile SIM cards
    - Wi-Fi capability doesn't fully make up for the lack of a fast cellular data capability
    - Multitouch: "effective, practical and fun"
    - No way to copy/paste text
    - Microsoft's Exchange system support
    - Voice call quality was good, but not great
    - Can't record video
    - No Adobe Flash support
    - Songs can't be set as ringtones
    - Apple says it plans to add fea

  • PLEASE! - GIVE IT A REST! (Score:2, Insightful)

    by throatmonster (147275) on Tuesday June 26, @08:52PM (#19657969)
    I'm as big an Apple Fanboy as any, but the daily iPhone woodies from the editors is even making ME puke. Please guys, lay off the Kool-Aide!
  • Seriously, did anyone expect Mossberg to write anything else? He's been cheering Apple since before I can remember. I think he has the logo tatoo'd on his keaster!

  • face oil / greasy finger smears?? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 26, @08:57PM (#19658019)
    This is a serious question. I know my face tends to be a bit on the oily side and the littlest bit of grime on my fingers will leave a nice blotch on the screen.. I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone else mention this for the iphone. It's also a major PITA when I let people borrow my phone, then I have to wipe their face sludge off my phone. the Iphone looks like one giant magnet for grime.

  • I dunno about the rest of you... (Score:5, Funny)

    by mattgreen (701203) on Tuesday June 26, @09:00PM (#19658031)
    But when I get my hands on that sweet, sweet iPhone, I'm going to literally cry with joy. Lately, I have been unable to sleep. All I can think of is holding it and putting it in my pocket. Truly, Wednesday is going to be the best day of my life. The only problem is I have to find some friends to call on it. It is odd that none of the reviews mentioned how well the device performs in basements, as that is my primary dwelling place.

  • Knowledge wins out (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Space cowboy (13680) * on Tuesday June 26, @09:00PM (#19658033)
    (Last Journal: Friday April 27 2007, @02:20PM)
    So, it seems as though those people who have actually *used* it seem to *like* it. Unlike the majority of stories, posts, blogs, etc. etc. we've seen recently.

    I've lost track of just how many uninformed iPhone-hater pieces I've seen over the last week. Of course, most of that is just blog-spam, and to get more clicks, you just say something controversial... As always, follow the money - then you can make a more-informed decision as to whether the opinion being espoused is worth anything.

    Oh, and always ignore anything Dvorak or Enderle say...

    Simon.
    • Re:Knowledge wins out by dwater (Score:2) Tuesday June 26, @09:22PM

      • Re:Knowledge wins out (Score:4, Insightful)

        by LKM (227954) on Wednesday June 27, @03:14AM (#19660351)
        (http://www.lkmc.ch/)
        I don't think anyone expected the iPhone to be flawless. For example, I think most people would agree that a physical keyboard works better than the on-screen keyboard. But the on-screen keyboard has the advantage that it only takes up space when you actually need it, so the question isn't whether the on-screen keyboard is as good as a real keyboard, but whether it's a good trade-off.

        So it's perfectly possible to like the phone while at the same time noting that the keyboard doesn't work as well as a physical keyboard.

        Which obviously means that the iPhone isn't the perfect phone for everyone.
        [ Parent ]
    • Re:Knowledge wins out by ocelotbob (Score:1) Tuesday June 26, @09:30PM
    • Re:Knowledge wins out by sssssss27 (Score:1) Tuesday June 26, @09:59PM

      • Passion wins out (Score:5, Insightful)

        by shmlco (594907) on Tuesday June 26, @10:35PM (#19658819)
        (http://www.isights.org/)
        "I'm not surprised people like it, actually I'd be more surprised if people didn't like it."

        Actually, to me that's the hallmark of successful design: Invoke passion. Make something that some people love and that some people hate and you'll have a market.

        Too many companies design by committee and focus groups to the point where the end result is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Others seemingly design by comparison chart, cramming in feature after feature, and often for no more reason than to fill in the blanks.

        The later approach also seems to be favored by commentators here on Slashdot. But by walking a mental checklist of missing features, they also miss what it does do. And by all accounts, does to the point of elegance.
        [ Parent ]
    • Re:Knowledge wins out by badasscat (Score:2) Tuesday June 26, @10:14PM
    • Re:Knowledge wins out by Jeff DeMaagd (Score:2) Tuesday June 26, @10:32PM

    • Not an apple hater...but looks aren't enough (Score:5, Insightful)

      by scuba_steve_1 (849912) on Tuesday June 26, @10:33PM (#19658801)
      I started working on a "Mac" when it was called a Lisa. I subsequently owned many (actual) Macs and wrote software for the OS professionally (6.x, 7.x, 8.x). Okay, I'm now a Windows user (got tired of the fight...and frankly, XP is just fine)...so I am not a basher...nor am I a fan boy.

      Me? I'm not buying it. Sure, the external looks are great...sexy even...as are the visual bells and whistles in the UI...but features? They just are not there for me. Not even close.

      Visual voice mail is neat. I'm sure the iPod also has some other exclusive neat tricks in there...but I have a year-old Treo that does what the iPhone does and more...for $200. Start with the overlap:

        - Email
        - Web browser
        - MP3 player
        - Phone
        - Addresses
        - Videos
        - Camera
        - Google maps with integrated calling
        - SMS
        - MS Office compatibility (iPod?)

      and a range of other similar functions. Don't bother critiquing the individual Treo apps, because unlike the iPod, I can replace them with other apps. For example, the new version of Opera Mini provides the same means to view an entire web page and zoom in. There are dozens of replacement apps for any one of the above functions.

      Now let's look at some core features of the Treo that the iPod lacks:

        - Multiple carriers
        - High-speed 3G network
        - SD card slot...for essentially infinite on-the-go storage for MP3s et al.
        - Numerous hard buttons to immediately get to the phone, MP3 player, or another app...and they are all programmable
        - Can record video
        - Has a GLOBAL find function
        - CUT & PASTE (between apps)
        - IM
        - Tactile sensation on keyboard for typing...or for dialing

      and perhaps the most important feature:

      I CAN ADD APPLICATIONS TO IT :-) ...and I do...all the time. Games, JVMs, new browsers, whatever I want...from thousands of freeware and commercial titles.

      Yes, Walt claims that he finds the onscreen keyboard to be acceptable...but any Treo user can dial on the screen or on the keypad...and almost everyone I know dials on the keypad when they aren't selecting an existing contact. The actual keyboard and 5-way nav key allow you to use the phone when you aren't staring right at the screen. Yes, we shouldn't dial while we are driving, but we do, and you can do it without looking while using a Treo.

      Hey, the iPod raises the bar...by a large amount...and the screen is 50% larger than that of a Palm-based Treo (320x480 instead of 320x320)...but a $600 phone that is not expandable and is only offered by one carrier with a two-year lock-in? One to which you cannot add software (outside of...ahem...AJAX-based apps)? How about one that claims to be a smart phone killer yet lacks basic features like cut & paste and global find? Yes, it has wifi. Great. So do many phones.

      No, this is a beauty competition. I applaud apple for getting into the market and raising the bar, but I just cannot see how someone thinks this unit is worth the expense compared to other competing devices. I suppose techno lust is powerful...and form often wins out over function. Me? I'll wait a year or two and see what the next versions can do...and how the competition responds.

      Your mileage may vary.

      $0.02
      [ Parent ]
      • Re:Not an apple hater...but looks aren't enough by saunderscc (Score:3) Wednesday June 27, @12:07AM
      • Re:Not an apple hater...but looks aren't enough by Space cowboy (Score:2) Wednesday June 27, @12:12AM

      • Re:Not an apple hater...but looks aren't enough (Score:5, Interesting)

        by SuperKendall (25149) on Wednesday June 27, @12:25AM (#19659523)
        Start with the overlap:

        Yes and all MP3 players play music. Yet there are differences in operation, that have made the iPod a great success while other models languish.

        But of the things you mention, very few are problems with the iPhone many people cannot realistically get 3G, but in many places they get get WiFi. I don't need to be able to record video with it (heck, I didn't even really want a camera!). And saying an SD card slot offers "essentially infinite storage" means you have to buy 8GB worth of SD storage to get the inifinte amount of storage to come close to the iPhone, much less the issue of managing cards. I'll bet your "global find" doesn't tell you which of the swapped out cards something is on...

        As for the keyboard, all the doubters say they would miss it. Yet all of the reviewers say they do not, even those that started with doubts. So what are we to think might be more correct?

        To go along with your admission of being a happy Apple fan, let me say that I was a rabid Palm fan. I convinced many people to buy Palm pilots. I even recently bought a Palm Zier for someone, because it was perfect for what they wanted to do - and indeed they are delighted with it.

        But years ago, ater my Palm V gave up the good fight and stopped listening to the stylus, I waited for a phone/PDA from Palm and got... the treo. I don't know what forces drive men to crave tiny keyboards, but they do not find a hold of me. It is not that I have large hands, I can thread needles with great dexterity and have excellent finger accuracy. I hated the space the keyboards took, and across many devices (not just the Treo) I hated typing on said small keyboards... and so i waited for Palm, who I still consider to once have been a company of innovators as great as Apple has ever been, to deliver to me a "real" phone PDA that was worthy of the legacy.

        Apple has delivered the phone I have waited for so long for Palm to build.

        Over time, we will see expandability (in applications anyway), growth of features, and a browser that makes actually using AJAX based applications thinkable instead of madness. One thing common to the Apple experience is that feature sets and usability improve with time - it was true of the iPod and there's no reason to think it will be any less so for the iPhone.

        How do I think it's worth the expense? Because I have used he other devices, even the Treo, and the iPhone appears to suck about $1000 less than those, never mind $600.
        [ Parent ]
      • Re:Not an apple hater...but looks aren't enough by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Wednesday June 27, @01:38AM
      • Re:Not an apple hater...but looks aren't enough by mgblst (Score:2) Wednesday June 27, @05:04AM
      • Ringtones and Games LIKELY by Jeremy_Bee (Score:2) Wednesday June 27, @04:29PM
      • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
    • Re:Knowledge wins out by suv4x4 (Score:2) Tuesday June 26, @11:09PM
    • Re:Knowledge wins out by poot_rootbeer (Score:2) Wednesday June 27, @01:11PM

  • No SIM? (Score:1, Informative)

    by mhmehkri (1004126) on Tuesday June 26, @09:01PM (#19658049)
    Seems like SIM cannot be changed. Now what is the use of terminating cingular contract? Just end up carrying a 600$ music player that cannot make phone calls? From the article - "But the iPhone has a major drawback: the cellphone network it uses. It only works with AT&T (formerly Cingular), won't come in models that use Verizon or Sprint and can't use the digital cards (called SIM cards) that would allow it to run on T-Mobile's network. So, the phone can be a poor choice unless you are in areas where AT&T's coverage is good. It does work overseas, but only via an AT&T roaming plan."

  • In other words (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ocelotbob (173602) <ocelot&ocelotbob,org> on Tuesday June 26, @09:05PM (#19658089)
    (http://www.ocelotbob.org/)
    More of the same. The more I hear about the iPhone, the more I realize it's completely useless for my purposes. No real expandability, no real messaging applications, no real improvement from even phones such as the sidekick. Add a lack of ability to serve as a data modem and being tied to a crappy provider, and I would have to say no thanks.