[rhudeboye]

Wooo Hoo!
Problem solved. This is the scenario I was shooting for.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38002805/ns/te...ience-wireless/

Assuming this comes to fruition, I'll just have a short 6 month wait till I have my cake.

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[Cloud9...68]

These smart phones all look so cool. However, I have yet to jump on the bandwagon, because I'm struggling to figure out how having one would enhance my life. Here are my "paramaters":

- I've never played a video or computer game in my life, and have zero interest in ever doing so. That seems to knock out 80% of the aps for these things.

- I don't run my own business, so I don't have a great need to check emails or voice messages remotely (just a humble engineer for a semiconductor manufacturing company)

- I'm not into music in a big way, and have never owned any type of MP3 player

- I'm not a camera junkie (my dad was, and a childhood of squinting in the sun for his endless infernal pictures pretty much beat any potential interest in photography out of me)

- Ditto for video

- I don't do facebook or (huh??!!) twitter. The appeal of the latter absolutely blows me away. Who the freak cares that so-and-so is standing in the express checkout line at the grocery store waiting for some soccer mom counting her coupons?

So, while I've been trying to talk myself into getting one of these for years due to the sheer coolness, I struggle to see what I would ever use one for, other than as a phone, which would be a huge waste. Thoughts?

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[biotechee]

Finally, someone who feels the same way I do regarding social networking sites!!!!! Absolutely hate them! But then I'm a bit of a loaner as it is...

Also hate the whole smartphone deal- I struggle whenever I have to get a new phone because I simply want the ability to make a phone call. Trying to find a decent looking phone to just make phone calls is hard. I don't need a camara, I don't need a music player, I don't need 5 bazillion voice mail boxes... AND I don't want to check my email or surf the web or play a game on the phone! Don't get me started on texting- waste of energy!

I made it through most of my life without that ability, I think I'll be alright. That said, I do like having the ability to make call from the car or anywhere for that matter - helps in an emergency. And I see incredible value in giving my daughters that ability too. My wife gets mad at me often because I hate talking on the phone - my point is you'll be home in a few minutes, tell me everything then!!!!! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

But, I must admit, I am a big MP3/iPod fan. Have had an iPod now for at least 5 years and I use it often. First one I had was the mini and now I have a nano. I use them both often (keep the mini in the car, use the nano while mowing the lawn, working around the house, etc.). I find iTunes to be extremely easy to use and have never had a problem with it - even the transfer of songs from an old CD is pretty simple. My only gripe with it is the inability to have a mirror image of it on my work computer so I can grab a song while at work. I am sure there are ways around it, but I don't want to frack with the work PC too much...

And Cloud- I sympathize with you regarding the camera thing. My father was very similar and I hate taking pictures to this day. This also makes my wife mad as apparently it is my sole responsibility to digitally document our family's growth!!! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

Cliff Notes: I don't get the whole smartphone thing and I don't plan on having one in the foreseeable future.

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[flash]

while i have the iphone and love it, i don't do what most people do with it - i rarely use it - i think i have enough roll over minutes to make it nonstop through the rest of the obama administration

i actually pay extra NOT to have text messaging

i don't give out the number much

i have a message on there asking people not to leave voicemails unless it's an emergency

it pretty much lives in the car

i rarely use the internet function, but it has come in handy a few times (checking flight status when i am waiting at the airport)

i never tweet or whatever that is

i have used the MP3 player on it, connected through the ipod jacks in the cars

lol - mostly i play solitaire

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[Cloud9...68]

Ah, I feel much better now. The smart phone was one of the top answers to a recent poll that asked "What's the one thing you could never do without?", which I find pretty amazing. What did these people do before smart phones were invented?

Also, I cringe at paying another 30 bucks a month for internet access, which is the thing I would probably use the most if I had one of these things.

I think it's something (but certainly not exclusively) of a generational thing. People who are hooked on Facebook and Twitter, which by and large are younger people, probably use their smart phones constantly. The social networking sites then would tend to serve as a bridge to learning the devices' other applications.

I can better relate to what Betty White said on her recent Saturday Night Live appearance: "This past week I've learned all about Facebook and Twitter. And my conclusion? What a waste of time!"

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[flash]

what the heck is a smart phone?

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[Scott Collins]

one that never rings

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[flash]

lol - i was going to make a wise crack like that, but figured i'd leave it up to others - nice

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[jfrahm]

I am one who wants to prevent technology from eroding normal social interaction, but having recently gotten a Droid I am liking it a lot. I stayed away for a long time, not wanting to spend the money every month and also wanting to take clean breaks from the technology when I was out and about without a lappy. It is hard to resist messing with the phone to check news and email and stuff when I should be relaxing, but it does help me be more productive and responsive, and hopefully I will develop good limits.

I do not care for happy hour when everyone at the table has their noses in their phones though. Thankfully that usually does not happen too often and then only for a couple minutes, but it's worse when your friends are into fantasy sports.

I did not consider an iphone. ATT coverage here is crappy, I dislike iTunes and really dislike Steve Jobs' "Walled Garden" where they decide what apps you can download and run. No thanks. Macs and other Apple products are great if you like doing things their way... but if you like choice and doing things your own way, not so much. I have had a couple Macs over the years (some great hardware) so I have actually worked with them quite a bit. They are OK but frustrating if you really want access to a lot of software and tweakability.

Facebook is great for keeping in touch with people far away. People who live a couple hours or 5000 miles from me are just as close now. It is much easier to keep in touch and meet up with options other than phone/voicemail. SMS is excellent for that. Also having a device that can tell you where someplace is and what the hours are (and give you a map or turn-by-turn) is pretty handy. I have gotten two invites to foursquare... probably not interested.
Twitter I can see using for business status updates (it was great during the ash cloud debacle) but not for my personal goings on.

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[Cloud9...68]

Joel,

Just so I understand, you primarily use your Droid for checking emails and surfing the net, and for Facebook. Is that about it? Not sure that would be enough to justify the cost for me...

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[flash]

lol - yeah - i want to use this stuff as little as i can, and consider them all "necessary evils" - tweaking and customizing is not on my list of things i ever want to do - i don't want to spend any time learning anything, and really only want basic functions, and have it work right out of the box - that's why i go apple - i can't remember the last time i had to tweak or fix anything on one of my macs, and only had one weird thing ever happen with my iphone - my wife is constantly having to install this or add that to both her computer and her blackberry - no thank you - my phone sits with a dead battery for a week at a time, and that's just fine with me - lol - i sometimes go 3 weeks before i check it

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[968Syncro]

Some of the functions of the Droid that I find valuable:

- find local things: whereever I am I can get a list of nearby restaurants, bars, ATMs, coffee shops, and a whole bunch of other categories. Listed in order by distance from your current location. Just click on the one you want and it loads the address into the nav app and instant directions to the place. (Aloqa)

- the nav app is free (google maps / nav) on Android. Voice controlled. I just speak the name (or address) of the business or location, click once or twice and the nav app gives directions to the location.

- the tunewiki music player. Shows the lyrics to the song as it is playing (no other steps needed, it finds the lyrics in the internet for the song on your phone).

- google maps (just in general).

- shop savvy: great stuff, when you are out shopping, just point the phone at the bar code on the box of a product, and it finds a whole bunch of local stores and web sites that offer the same product and gives you the corresponding prices (great for comparison shopping while you are out, no need to go home and research).

- note taker. I was at a conference today, took notes on the droid, and they are on my PC when I got home.

- voice notes: just speak a note and it appears in your email or someone else's email.

- Pandora: free music radio according to your taste (you create the radio station you want).

- integrated stuff in one device! calculator, note taker, nav device, tune players, alarm clock, flashlight, stopwatch, etc. (I love multi-tasking tools, that is why my garage is not so full of lots of specialty tools).

- youtube app: if you read email, or web sites on your phone with a youtube link, you can just watch the video there, no need to go back to the PC.

Nice stuff, cool stuff, not so useful:
- google sky map: just point the droid to the sky at night and it shows you what constellations you are looking at (uses onboard, compass, attitude sensors, location, and time of day).
- I don't use the social stuff except about once a month when bored.
- all the games you want including multiplayer (play real person rather than just the computer).
- speedometer app (uses GPS to display your speed and records a track you've driven including altitude).
- weather bug with alerts (based on GPS, wherever you are).
- first aid / health apps like Epocrates (you never know when you might want medical info on the go).
- voice web search (don't have to type, just speak what you want to search).
- voice text messaging (YEAH!!!! no more pecking at little keys, just speak and send text messages).
- google goggles: take a picture of anything and google attempts to identify it (it isn't so good at cars, but lots of other items). Opens browser with links correspond to the item identified (if identified).

I know it is individual choice, some people find these things useful, others don't. But I wanted to relay some of the things I have found useful. And oh, all of the above are free apps, no pay for any of them.

Roland

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[Scott Collins]

I don't text, tweet, or send IM's. I work with a few younger folks who stand around talking to you and texting to 10 other people simultaneously. They are never really there, mentally.... jfrahm, totally agree with you. My opinion is that lot's of young people will now grow up lacking real social skills, but having great skills on Facebook. I am worried.... I have seen high school kids wreck themselves emotionally by getting "wrapped around the axle" of Facebook. They can't stop...

I just got a refurb iPhone 3G (8GB) for $49, 550min/month for $39/month and the $15/month data plan. My previous plan was $39/month for just a regular phone with the same minutes, but without the rollover I will get now. The novelty of email wore off years ago, so I am not worried about getting wrapped up in that. It's not a job requirement to have it on my hip.

So, I feel OK with shelling out $15/month more to have web, email, and my schedule integrated and sync'd from laptop to phone very easily.

I bought my wife one of these about a year ago and it has been great for her. With 3 young children, the iPhone (or any smart phone for that matter - 968Syncro: Droid sounds cool!) allows her to use web, email, etc., while on the go or with her hands full with children.

<b>MOST IMPORTANTL</b>Y, it allows me to enter schedule items on my laptop, and then sync to her iPhone. That way, she has my schedule, which can get crazy during concert season and during marching band. I hit a grand slam with this one. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] The only way it misfires, is if I forget to enter an item, or she forgets to look. But if she forgets to look, she knows she is toast, and just has to eat it. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]

Since I use a MacBook, the iPhone was a logical choice, and has worked as promised. I appreciate the argument from those in the computer realm (not I) about the excessive controls in using Apple software. It just has not been an issue, because I am most likely [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif[/img] so ignorant of what other possibilities are out there, I don't know what I don't know.

All this being said, I get paid $0.00 from Apple to promote their stuff, and my buddies use everything under the sun. One of my buddies who works for ETS says my Mac is a "toy". I got the last laugh though, when Sibelius music software would not operate properly on his PC and he has to use my "toy".

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[Cloud9...68]

968Syncro - Wow, what a great, informative post! That's what I was looking for. Several of the features you describe actually sound like things I would use. The Droid sounds like a great product (I'm sure the iPhone is fabulous, too), plus I worked for Motorola for over twenty years before they spun our division off, so anything that contributes to Motorola's success helps keep my future pension afloat (yes, such things do still exist, though they are going the way of the Tucker).

Are these features intuitive and easy to learn? I'm with Flash in that while I won't hesistate to tear into just about any project on my cars, I have zero patience with learning how to use features on electronic devices. I can't even figure out how to use the calculator on my old LG EnV (at least I think that's what it's called). I found it a couple of years ago, but haven't been able to find it again since! Aaarggh!!

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[flash]

everything i see about the droid looks great - lots of cool apps and such - looks very much like a copy of the iphone

the thing i wonder is can i connect it to my mac, have itunes automatically come up, and just hit "synch" and have my calendar, phone book, and all that just go right in? i tried the palm units for a while, and while they were cool gadgets, they were not transparent interfaces - i tunes and the iphone have been incredibly simple, which is exactly what i need - i just don't have time to tinker

gadgets are cool, but if you spend more time learning them and tweaking them than if it was done manually, then they are impractical

two questions:

1. do computers make our life better and simplify things, or do they just complicate them and actually take more time than if we did it manually?

2. as a result of computers, do we now find ourselves missing out on many of the cool things we did before we had them?

my wife hates my iphone, so i get the idea of personal preference - i think she just doesn't understand that sometimes you don't have to take as many steps - she hates macs too, but has never really sat down with one to see how much easier it is to use - i tend to think that is the mindset of many - i think many people are just used to having to take all those extra steps and such, and the simplicity might lead them to think they are toys

a good parallel would be the new automatic transmissions versus a clutch - the autos are faster shifting, get better mileage, are safer, and are more reliable, yet some people do not want to give up the left pedal - sometimes no matter how much logic you might apply, personal preference may still win out

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[rhudeboye]

good point about personal pref. But I feel some dismiss it as nonsense even though they haven't tried it.

Actually, on my touch there are only 3 games, Simon says, some penguin thing and bowling. I have about 25 other apps that I find very usefull. ie. I have an app called around me - Say Im looking for a shop that sells tile. I can type in tile and around me will locate and give me directions to all the Tile shops that i'm near. It knows my location by the GPS built in the phone. It also gives me the phone number hours of operation etc. I can call ahead by pressing the number on that screen if I had the iphone. It works very well.

I also have Pandora, Kodak picture gallery, flashlight, ebay mobile (for bidding on the go), fandango (for buying movie tickets while on the way to the theater), i.TV, google earth, snap tell (take a pic of a weed whackers bar code in home depot and the phone searches for the best price), The weather channel, check please, don't forget the milk( great scheduling and task tool) and others. All good stuff.


I understand that many just want to make calls. This post is to show that many apps are useful.

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[flash]

yeah - i have a few apps i use from time to time too - the list of apps for the iphone is so long i don't know if i'll ever see them all, let alone get them - many are free - i think the only app i've paid for so far was an italian translator

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[rhudeboye]

Another useful tool that, if in Italy, you will need to keep on you.

A buddy of mine has a business where he takes credit card orders often over the phone. he use to rely on faxes when hes not in the office, but now, Yup, there's an app for that.

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[968Syncro]

Hi Cloud, and all,

Well, should have mentioned that most of the things I listed are certainly available on iPhone as well. Maybe on Windows Mobile or other smart phones also. Like rude listed some things as well. The new Windows Mobile 7 coming in 1/2 year or so should be a huge advance over the older Windows Mobile phones.

- all of the google oriented features on the Android phones are probably not so well integrated in the iPhone. This includes the mapping and the voice functions.

- the iPhone has apps that the Droid does not yet have. Even Windows Mobile has apps that are not available on iPhone or Driod.

- on Droid the synchronization features with outlook are poor. I was a Windows Mobile user for about 5 years before this Droid, and of course it did proper sync with Outlook. The Droid has excellent sync with Exchange (service side outlook) for corporate users, reported to work very well, but not with standlone outlook (some 3rd party apps claim to solve the problem but I haven't tried them). Droid does of course have excellent syncrhonization with all the google stuff: email, contacts, calendar, picassa (photos).

- to answer the one question, yeah these apps are all very intuitive, they don't have much pre-configuration. But yes, it will take time to learn them, will require effort to practice the ones that you would like to be available quickly. Many of these you will have to find in the app store and download them. And yes some will require that you go through the preferences and set it up the way you want. Simple example, the "voice to email" doesn't know your email address, you have to set it up. Don't know any way around these problems, you do have to learn the features and options and set it up the way you want (same with iPhone). The only one I ever really struggled with was an app to turn your droid into a pc/web cam. My laptop has no built in pc/web cam, have to go buy a USB camera of some kind. But there is a Droid app that allows you to use the droid in the same way. Tough to set up, need a piece on the Droid and a piece on the PC. although it was documented as prototype in the first place.

Only advancement (learned from the conference yesterday, Qualcomm's Brew in case anyone is interested) is that all the App stores will be adding recommendation engines. Right now when you go to an app store, you have to hunt and search and almost do a linear examination of all the available apps to find one that may be interesting. In the future, the app store will get smarter and make recommendations based on your past app usage and other interests.

Not sure about the other stuff. My answer is that yes all the PCs and technology have made things better, however at a far greater cost than we envisioned. Costs might include: can our kids think well, will they be able to write a letter, the time stolen by maintaining all this stuff (we no longer just sit on the front porch and talk and do nothing). Internet of course is invaluable, and huge cost saver. Wireless changes the way we live, changes our definition of society, the stuff coming in wireless in the next 5-10 years will be even greater, we are still in the early stages of mobile apps.

Roland

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[flash]

lol - yeah - i often think computers have done us more harm than good, if only because people no longer seem to know the difference between "they're", "there" and "their", or "too" and "to"

here are some rhetorical questions that should be a good indicator: when is the last time you sat and read a book? (a real book with paper pages and all, not a digital facsimile) when is the last time you sat down and had a cup of coffee and a conversation without being interrupted by an email, phone call, text, or whatever? when is the last time you went out to see a musical performance? (rather than catching some snippet on youtube)

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