iPhone OS 3.0 preview event is Tuesday, and we'll be there live!
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted March 16th 2009 11:30AM
posted March 16th 2009 11:30AM
As a reminder, here's when the whole shindig is set to start:
07:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
11:00AM - Mountain
12:00PM - Central
01:00PM - Eastern
05:00PM - London
06:00PM - Paris
02:00AM - Tokyo (March 18th)
You're staking a lot of claim on something that hasn't actually been released yet. Or have you forgotten that a lot of things can change between the time the marketing and PR dweebs sell you on a bunch of awesome features and the time the product actually comes to market?
Regardless, saying the Pre has "clearly better" functionality is just asking for it. Also, try not to forget that the iPhone does have multitasking. Usually the people who say it doesn't are the people who have never used one. How do you think the iPod app runs in the background while you're doing other things? How do you think you get SMS popups when you're in other applications? How do you think you can continue to send and receive mail after you switch apps? Think about it.
Zak, stop being a damn apologist. The IPhone does not multitask purely because its actively process tasks in the background. I think we all know what we mean by Multitasking when you watch the video of the Pre. Yes, I know the IPhone is not the Pre. But, the way IPhone handles its tasks was just one of a few reasons why I wouldnt be getting one any time soon. When it comes to multitasking, the IPhone is just a glorified IPod with a phone.
"Imagine if your home PC could only open one program at a time, that's the iphone."
The fundamental flaw in your statement is that you are comparing a phone experience to a desktop computing experience and that just doesn't work. You can't work on multiple applications on a phone because the screen is too small. Attempting to port the desktop computing paradigm to a phone is just dumb. The current situation can certainly be improved (personally, I though the Push Notification solution was elegant but unfortunately it hasn't made it into production) but letting applications run in the background when they don't need to whilst consuming very limited resources is just silly.
Truthbringer (lol): I'm an apologist because I described how the iPhone works? That's kind of a stretch, don't you think? You can hate on the iPhone all you want, but it doesn't make you right, and it doesn't make me wrong. You say you won't be getting one because of how it handles multitasking but conveniently leave out any details. Neat! I guess we'll just take your word for it, or something.
Considering the iPhone came out a long time before the iPod Touch did, wouldn't it be more accurate to say the Touch is just an iPhone without a phone? Yeah, it would be. Calling it a glorified iPod would just be stupid.
Zak, buddy think about this for a second. You're an fapping apologist
"How do you think the iPod app runs in the background while you're doing other things? How do you think you get SMS popups when you're in other applications? How do you think you can continue to send and receive mail after you switch apps? Think about it."
You honestly believe that the multitasking that crackberry addict such as my self are asking for is the simple SMS notifications while we are surfing or calling or reviewing documents. You're deluding yourself. I'm sorry. You're an apologist. Yes, it doesnt make you wrong, but for many of us, that doesnt cut it. We're simply asking for a couple of things that would allow us to be, you know productive, as opposed to you know, fashionable. The fact that you defends IPhone's defiencies and turn them into a feature that simply doesnt cut it for some of us, that makes you an apologist.
Case in point. Mac's are better than PC's because they dont get virii.
The PC apologist says "PC's only get so many virii, because the marketshare for PC's are greater, and noone cares about Mac's"
See what I did there. Thats what you're doing by claiming notifacations are the same as multitasking. You're defending an undefendable position because the IPhone isnt a Smartphone, wont be a smartphone anytime soon, and if it were claimed that it is a smartphone, it would lag behind so far to the current lineup of PDA's (let alone previous generation). That doesnt make the IPhone a bad dumbphone though
Some people here sound very ignorant. Believe it or not, probably 97% of Iphone users arent hardcore gadget freaks like most people on this website. Most Iphone users are regular people who dont follow every new technology. Most people complain about the features the iphone lacks, with good reason. Cut and Paste will definately be nice (as will the ability to fwd text messages). But as important as these features are, the proliferation of mobile email sort of negates (or reduces the importance of) these features. Regular iphone owners dont care about screen resolution and A2DP. Most of them havent heard about the Palm Pre. A majority of these users like having a nice pretty phone with good music / media integration. How can some of you even compare the HTC Touch / Nokia N9x / Other Windows Mobile and Andriod phones to the Iphone. This just shows how ignorant you are. While they might be superior in Hardware, they are certainly lacking (sorely) in software and visual panache. Wake up people, its software, not hardware that makes a phone. 5 years ago, I had a nokia 3390 with bluetooth and a sinkful of features. I sold it for another phone because it was too big and was very unfriendly (user interface). The iphone user interface and its seamless integration with Itunes makes it a winner in my book. I dont care about the hardware specs because they dont improve my use of the device. Heck I havent even used bluetooth in more than 5-6 months because I use the wired headphones.. Once again, Software >> Hardware. Just because a device has bluetooth A2DP, HD screen, copy and paste, and ogg vorbis playback capability does not mean it is a better device than the iphone. Specs != Great Phone. A Porsche (Cayman / 911) will always provide an overall better driving experience than a 500 whp honda civic or Mitsubishi Evo. The souped up car might be faster or corner better, but the Porsche will look better, feel better, and drive more effortlessly.
IMHO, The PRE is the only device that comes close to usurping the visual pizzaz of the iphone. But I predict that they will fall short for several reasons
1. Massive proliferation of regular iphone / ipod users. Apple users are usually reluctant to move on to other devices because they are used to the ecosystem. Believe it or not, I love itunes. I could care less for windows media or other "better" software because I am used to itunes and have been using it since I got my first ipod (mini) 6 years ago.
2. Design. The PRE looks nice, but its no Iphone. The 2 year iphone still looks better than most other phones out there
3. Marketing. As you guys have already figured it out, Apple has some serious marketing chops and unparalleled brand recognition.
Thats all folks
Copy paste without real multitasking for all applications really loses functionality quite a bit.
As a reminder, here's when the whole shindig is set to start:
08:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
UM...........Hawaii is now 3 hours behind Pacific! And we're gonna be a state real soon!
Thinks I would like to see are..
* Copy and Paste - I have a number of times wanted to use it not having it meant spending ages writing stuff on paper then putting it back in
* Ability to move all the icons in iTunes. Currently its a royal pain in the arse to organise the icons once you have more than 2/3 panes. I have 6 now and want to add another couple into the middle of my stack and put the games / remote apps on them. To do this at the moment will take an age to move all the apps around one at a time. Give me a GUI to do this please.
* A2DP would be nice or in-car use
* Proper Bluetooth i.e. so I can bluetooth files etc.
MOST important tho - make it FREE (unless there is something really rocket science in there to make it worth while.)
Joshua, don't forget to post 10 reasons why iPhone OS 3.0 misses the mark, alright? Thanks!
I wonder if I'll be able to search for email! That was a feature I really enjoyed on my old Blackberry!
How about streaming music via A2DP so I don't have to use my Aux input cable anymore on my car stereo.
How about making it so I don't see a checkered background when I try to read a really important email and I have to end-task the mail program...
My Palm does everything I need from it right now:
-Phone
-Easy tethering
-Multiple tasks. I could be listening to music, while writing notes about something to do today. My wife phones I add a task or two, go back to my notes without having to close... save...
-I can play NES, SNES, GBA games on it easily when i'm bored
-I can record movies and send them.
I could care less about the size of it, i'm not frail, I want functionality. So far the iPhone is pretty and for the regualr joe out ther,e it works, however for many people it doesn't.
I know someone that every time a new gadget comes out, it's the end all be all and their old device (which used to be the end all be all) now sucks. Can you not be happy with what you have?
All this discussion over something that apple "might" do for 3.0. All I really miss is MMS which might help me move to blackberry storm or palm pre when my contract is up. Other than the usual 'wishlist', I'd like better calander support and be able to transfer txt and voice MSG to my computer.
Hoorah! A live blogging of a firmware update!
Awesome!
No engadget for me tomorrow. I'll take a peak to see if there's a no-apple-news-filter, and if not, I'll be reading elsewhere.
Yet another boring Apple conf.
Basically, when some people are presenting their product as "revolutionary" or "completely-brand-new-and-amazing-oh-my-god-we're-so-great-we're-geniuses-I-love-myself-nobody-did-ever-make-such-a-good-product-as-ours", you can consider it worthless.
That was the case for Assassin's Creed, Far Cry 2 (alright I know these are videogames), and also some other stuff I don't remember about.
So I do feel like we're going to be disappointed by this event as well. Let's see, I guess they're gonna tell us that they have implemented that copy&paste thing every iphone owner has been craving for for years, and you can be almost sure that they won't ever admit that they're pretty late.
Can someone in the non-US parts of the world let us know how MMS works in other parts of the world? On AT&T, we receive a text message saying that we have received a message via. MMS with the following text:
I sent you a multimedia message. You can view my message w/in the next 7 days via the web at www.viewmymessage.com/1 using MSG ID[message_id] Password [password]
Honestly, AT&T, how hard would it be to change that to:
New multimedia message: www.viewmymessage.com/1/?msg_id=[message_id]&pass=[password] - valid for 7 days ?
My prediction is that there will be very little in this software update that is useful, but plenty of stuff to TRY to stop jailbreaking - good luck with that part Apple.
I said it a thousand times, COPY AND PASTE!!! WOW like the world's greatest discovery, even the G1 has copy and paste, and MMS; the only thing is missing is recording, and multi-task i think, anyways, AT&T might get a 1000 more customers in the USA just because of this!?!
wait a sec, even the G1 has multi-task yeah it does. I see Blackberry's, Pocket PC's, Android G1, and Nokia with multi-task CRAP, whats new for apple is old for others..... Come on apple you gonna have to do better then that to impress most of us, we all knew this was coming, now tell me something i dont know!!!!!!!
Totally Agree. I had a Macbook Pro for a year in college before I Ebayed it. Realized too late what I got myself into. Once they moved over to Intel, I was tempted to move back, but then I recalled how bad it was back in college, and decided against it. Some of my favorite PC-Old Mac-New moments:
Two-Button Mice: For years, Mac Zealots telling us, we didnt need two button mice, two button mice were counter-intuitive, etc etc. Until Jobs decided to go with the Flow.
Intel Processors: Again, same story. About crappy and how hot Intel processors ran. Until Jobs bit the bullet and bowed under industry to go both ways.
Boot Camp: We all know how much Apple hates Windows. So they released software so you could run it. Not that you need to. Am I Right? Yeah same old for us, new for them.
And after the IPhone OS 3.0 is showcased it will be COPYPASTE. Jobs would have invented it on his deathbed as his gift to the world (not that I wish death on him, I think he's pretty cool as a person, just hate is business ethics)
Again Australia Gets left out of the Time Zones .....
Yeah, ok. How about "9:00 AM Alaska", too? There are people here who read this blog too! At least one :)
My bet is on an announcement of a Verizon iPhone. I think the pressure's on with Storm and Pre.
Palm should totally have a big announcement at 9am Pacific.
How about listing east coast Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, etc) in your announcement times. We're UTC +10:00 when not on daylight savings time. West coast Australia (Perth) shares Japan time. Yes, I can just add 2 or 3 hours to your Tokyo time, but where do you draw the line as to what countries you cover? The equator, it would seem ;-)
does anybody else think that copy and paste will be pretty finicky to use, and i dont think ill end up actually using it!
like come on, think about it, how often are you rely gona need to use it?