Apple iPhone & iPad; what were they thinking?

[Ian_Cook]

I was toying with the idea of getting myself an iPhone, but once I started to read some of the details, I changed my mind..

► No memory card slot
► No USB port
► No Ethernet port
► No Video out

iPads don't have them either.

What kind of idiot would design such versatile pieces of kit, complete with a built-in video camera and digital camera, that have no practical means of high-speed communication with the outside world? Anyone know of something out there in the marketplace that is like an iPhone, and DOES have at least some of the four items listed above?

 

[Waspsfan]

Everything on my IPhone; videos, photos, contacts, tasks, calendar, music, apps... automatically and wirelessly syncs with my online icloud account, so is available for me on any computer whenever I want. Why on earth would I need a usb port or an Ethernet connection on my phone?!

 

[crossref]

Samsung Galaxy Tab

 

[Waspsfan]

Both iPod and iPhone also come with an 'apple' to USB attachment.

 

[PaulDG]

What kind of idiot would design such versatile pieces of kit, complete with a built-in video camera and digital camera, that have no practical means of high-speed communication with the outside world? Anyone know of something out there in the marketplace that is like an iPhone, and DOES have at least some of the four items listed above?

All Apple products have completely closed architectures; Apple like to "own" you completely.

Yet they seem to get away with it rather well. Certainly many of their users will tell you how much better it is to have Apple products rather than things from Big Bad Microsoft...

 

[Ian_Cook]

Both iPod and iPhone also come with an 'apple' to USB attachment.

Really?

Our iShop in Nelson says you have to buy the attachment as an "extra" (and its pricy), and even then, its not a lot of use trying to attach it to your Windows computer because you have to install special software, at a price of course.

Every other digital camera device on the market has USB 2.0 functionality as default standard, and have a removable memory card as default standard.

How could the Apple engineers have overlooked this fundamental connectivity requirement?

I had a customer in today who wanted to me to download her 4GB of photos and videos to one of my photo kiosks and save and save them to a DVD.

No card
No USB
No Ethernet

There were only two ways we could do it...

1. Email 4GB of pictures....good luck with that one
2. Bluetooth.

We used bluetooth in the end, but it took over an hour just to download them to the kiosk. If the bloody iPhone had had a memory card, I could have burned them to a DVD in four minutes.

 

[Ian_Cook]

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Excellent. This looks more like what I'm after. It takes a micro SDHC card and comes with an SDHC adaptor so it will plug into just about any laptop.

 

[Davet]

Ian

The iPhone does come with USB connectivity. The long sot at the bottom that you put the power lead in is also a USB connector, The power lead itself has a USB end that fits in the plug, pull it from the plug and insert into a USB port n your PC. You can then connect to the PC via iTunes, or the PC will also see the device as a Camera allowing you to see and download pictures as from any other camera. The iPhone also has WiFi connectivity.

 

[TheBFG]

Ian

The iPhone does come with USB connectivity. The long sot at the bottom that you put the power lead in is also a USB connector, The power lead itself has a USB end that fits in the plug, pull it from the plug and insert into a USB port n your PC. You can then connect to the PC via iTunes, or the PC will also see the device as a Camera allowing you to see and download pictures as from any other camera. The iPhone also has WiFi connectivity.

yep what he said!

I knew NZ was stuck in the 90's but i thought even they knew how to use this world wide device? :wink:

if as you say it has so many faults why is it one of the most popular products in the world!

and it does have a video output too, watch Sky sports via my phone (wifi) contected to my colour tv (you'll love that when it arives in NZ)

 

[MrQeu]

I won't say I love Apple's ideas, even though I have a MBP, two iPods and work with an iPhone, but some of the problems people have with them tend to be because the want to use them in some way that isn't the best suit for it. 4GB in photos? Well, Apple would tell you that if your are gonna take that many photos regularly, just buy a digital compact camera (good ones start at about $120/100€) and that'll give you better photos, more megapixels, and all the photography stuff you want, because that is not what the iPhone was designed for.

Really?

Our iShop in Nelson says you have to buy the attachment as an "extra" (and its pricy), and even then, its not a lot of use trying to attach it to your Windows computer because you have to install special software, at a price of course.

AFAIK the dock connector comes with the iPhone/iPad as well as the wall charger, with no extra cost. The one I'm using did (the 3G).

And when using the iPhone on MS Windows, you don't need costly special software. I mean, you need iTunes for windows, but that is free of charge.

 

[Davet]

To download photos you don't even need iTunes - plug it in using the USB connector provided free when you buy the Phone, go to "My Computer" and there it is as a camera device. Treat as any other camera.

 

[dave_clark]

the biggest problem i have with iphones is that the phone itself is shit. the number of times i've had to ask people to repeat stuff because the phone decides to lose most of the signal must be in the tens by now (i don't have many friends).

remember when mobile phones were just as clear as landlines? all of them?

 

[upnunder]

I am on my third Iphone now, having had the original 2G- upgraded to the 3GS and yesterday got the 4GS.
They are fantastic- no problems with transferring pics etc through Itunes.
I have an Ipad as well, and I bought a VGA adaptor for a few pounds from Ebay and can plug my Ipad into a Plasma TV or Monitor to watch content on, or my SkyGo account.

 

[Robert Burns]

the biggest problem i have with iphones is that the phone itself is shit. the number of times i've had to ask people to repeat stuff because the phone decides to lose most of the signal must be in the tens by now (i don't have many friends).

remember when mobile phones were just as clear as landlines? all of them?

this is a UK (and possibly USA) problem only, I have an iPhone 4 and it works fine in Australia (no need for a special case, or cover). When I went to the UK and used it on roaming (yes bloody expensive) it had crap reception. When I was in NZ, it had no issues.

Iphone is great, it's biggest downfall is not connectivity with computers (as said ALL are supplied with an apple to USB which doubles as a charger, all have Wi Fi & bluetooth) but it's connectivity with other phones.

You cannot send a business card via text or bluetooth to another phone that is not an iphone. And the same applies to any connection via bluetooth that isn't a hands free set.

Apart from that (which isn't really an issue for me) it's an excellent piece of equipment that takes great pics and videos, considering it's not a primarily camera.

 

[Toby Warren]

I love my Iphone - and I am also puzzled at the lack of USB port comment. I charge mine most days using this - I also move photos and other data this way all the time.

Bluetooth transfer could have been avoided!

 

[Phil E]

RTFM!

 

[Robert Burns]

Radio Trinidad?

:biggrin:

 

[4eyesbetter]

if as you say it has so many faults why is it one of the most popular products in the world!

EastEnders and Coronation Street are the most popular TV shows in the country; the Sun still sells the most gossip rags.

 

[Agustin]

Really?

Our iShop in Nelson says you have to buy the attachment as an "extra" (and its pricy), and even then, its not a lot of use trying to attach it to your Windows computer because you have to install special software, at a price of course.

That's weird - mine came with a USB cord, and I can also use wi-fi.

Every other digital camera device on the market has USB 2.0 functionality as default standard, and have a removable memory card as default standard.

How could the Apple engineers have overlooked this fundamental connectivity requirement?

I had a customer in today who wanted to me to download her 4GB of photos and videos to one of my photo kiosks and save and save them to a DVD.

No card
No USB
No Ethernet

There were only two ways we could do it...

1. Email 4GB of pictures....good luck with that one
2. Bluetooth.

We used bluetooth in the end, but it took over an hour just to download them to the kiosk. If the bloody iPhone had had a memory card, I could have burned them to a DVD in four minutes.

Wrong tool for the job... 4 GB of photos taken with a phone? Why not use a camera? You'll get much better photos.

 

[crossref]

iphones were first, but the battle is over and android won.
sales of android phones in the US and UK are now running higher than iPhone, blackberry and windows phones put together....