Actually - much like the iPhone is a shell on MacOS X Lite (ok - not that lite), it would be trivial to develop a shell and application suite that essentially duplicates everything the iPhone does - and throw in a multitouch panel and the appropriate driver, and you'd have that too.
err.. Dylan are you delusional? - Any phone, no matter how advanced the hardware is, is worthless if the software sucks. ...and if Windows Mobile/Palm/other Linux alternatives can't even produce a basic animation, or even a smooth fade for that matter, then how can they even compete w/ the iPhone?
The true beauty of the iPhone/iPod Touch isn't the hardware - I mean hell, other manufactures have been putting out faster, way more powerful hardware for years before the iPhone - the true beauty is the software. I mean say w/e you want, but you have to pull your head outta your ass to see that the iPhone is literally the FIRST phone, or any mobile device really - that has a GOOD gui. Where it's actually made by professional designers, rather then the developer's kids as it seems to be the case with most devices these days.
Seriously, name at least ONE device which would have great fonts, great outlay of everything, one that would be as easy to use and would be as intuitive as the iPhone.
I dunno, maybe it's just cause I'm a designer that I'm so picky when it comes to these things, but it just sickens me to see all these ass-ugly interfaces on everything from phones, to car navigations, to tv's to most other electronics these days. I mean finally the hardware is getting pretty sexy for the most part... yet the software is still stuck in late 90's...
Well, maybe sometime eventually in the distant future, people will realize that "design" is much more then making something look pretty.
@ Michael La Framboise So you would rather have a ridiculously overpriced phone that is extremely limited by lack of hardware, and its only redeeming factor is that the interface has fade effects? Yep I'll pay hundreds for a device that does not have 3g, GPS, unlocked from factory, easy programmability, a real keyboard, requiring iGarbage (aka iToons) on my computer, or any other standard piece of hardware on a cheaper pocket pc for a device that has an interface that will fade. Sure a nice gui is a good thing, but get the hardware right the first time. Software can be changed, once you have a device, the hardware can’t
Windows Mobile 6 is great. Look at the O2 range of smartphones. They are a joy to use. and are more feature packed than an iPhone. For starters they can MMS and install 3rd party apps, in fact they are made to do so!
I'm really tired of all this iPhone bullshit. Whenever an apple product comes along it seems like an ignorant bunch of people think they are the best. I know that Windows Mobile isn't perfect, and its not as pretty with all zooming and fading of home screen items like an iPhone. Windows Mobile was engineered as a data organization system, and its very good at its job.
I can honestly say I love windows mobile. Its worked fine for me, and I'm not going back to any other phone. Its been around longer than an iPhone too. and ive never had a reson to want to look for an alternative.
@Feffrey, you completely missed the point that MLF was trying to make and I suspect many other people don't get it either. You can cram every imaginable hardware feature into a phone but it is crap if the UI is crap. I agree with MLF - there isn't much out there with a decent UI. Everything is mostly cobbled together as an afterthought by engineers who dabble a little at UI design, but sorry to say, UI is often neglected but the field of study in UI design is much deeper than engineers realise. Engineers make the worst designers and vice versa. Successful products deliver on 2 principles: form and function. You're right that software can be changed, but before the iPhone came along, who was bothering doing a damn thing about the UI in phones?
I don't think it is actually fair to compare Windows Mobile/Symbian with the iPhone. The iPhone does a few tasks really well, and looks good in the process. The other two are true smartphone platforms where you can do a whole lot more, but forgo some UI swishiness.
Choose the phone for your needs, not based on some dogma. It is a piece of metal and plastic, not a religion!
For the record: I'm just plain sick of the fanatical Mac fans that claim the iPhone = Jesus. I rock a Mac laptop, and keep a PC desktop. My phone, currently windows mobile, but not due for an upgrade for a WHILE. Not until I can get an iPhone on a decent network. True, its the prettiest phone ever, but as far as functionality and getting stuff done, it falls short. I love Mac I really do, but I'm not going to bash every device and claim its the messiah when the call quality is crap, and it doesn't have real-time GPS, and it doesn't support bluetooth stereo. Seriously, who did the math on that? when I see someone attempting to show off with their corny white cords, I laugh, because I'm completely wireless. So, until the iPhone gets some BASICS down, I can only say it is a device that has merit, but it is not quite perfect. I think the integration to other Mac devices is admirable and shouldbe followed, I also think that the UI is great, and it has definitely put a flame under the asses on phone designers everywhere, but EDGE + WiFi = stupid. The network needs to be tops regardless of WiFi. As far as losing the race before leaving the gates... by the time AT&T gets their 3G, both Sprint and Verizon will be rolling out their 4G networks, providing speeds comparable to current WiFi. I want to say that the iPhone is the best device, but I can't for the fundamental fact that it lacks common sense features, and the network blows. The reason why the iPhone ended up on AT&T is because the company was willing to bend to Steve Jobs' demands, not because it was technologically suitable or superior. As a standalone device it's awesome, but when you bring it back to reality, back to society, a phone isn't only as good as it's software, but it's only as good as the network it's on.
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"the devices will run on Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform"
Windows Mobile ≠ iPhone-like. Not even close. These things have lost the race before even getting out of the gate.
A Nokia phone like the iphone but running Symbian ?
That's my dream come true !
It might give Apple a kick towards opening up their phone to third party apps. GIve us what WE want Apple, not what YOU want !!!
Thankyou Nokia.
dylan
Actually - much like the iPhone is a shell on MacOS X Lite (ok - not that lite), it would be trivial to develop a shell and application suite that essentially duplicates everything the iPhone does - and throw in a multitouch panel and the appropriate driver, and you'd have that too.
YOu're confusing applications with OSes.
err.. Dylan are you delusional? - Any phone, no matter how advanced the hardware is, is worthless if the software sucks. ...and if Windows Mobile/Palm/other Linux alternatives can't even produce a basic animation, or even a smooth fade for that matter, then how can they even compete w/ the iPhone?
The true beauty of the iPhone/iPod Touch isn't the hardware - I mean hell, other manufactures have been putting out faster, way more powerful hardware for years before the iPhone - the true beauty is the software. I mean say w/e you want, but you have to pull your head outta your ass to see that the iPhone is literally the FIRST phone, or any mobile device really - that has a GOOD gui. Where it's actually made by professional designers, rather then the developer's kids as it seems to be the case with most devices these days.
Seriously, name at least ONE device which would have great fonts, great outlay of everything, one that would be as easy to use and would be as intuitive as the iPhone.
I dunno, maybe it's just cause I'm a designer that I'm so picky when it comes to these things, but it just sickens me to see all these ass-ugly interfaces on everything from phones, to car navigations, to tv's to most other electronics these days. I mean finally the hardware is getting pretty sexy for the most part... yet the software is still stuck in late 90's...
Well, maybe sometime eventually in the distant future, people will realize that "design" is much more then making something look pretty.
@ Michael La Framboise
So you would rather have a ridiculously overpriced phone that is extremely limited by lack of hardware, and its only redeeming factor is that the interface has fade effects?
Yep I'll pay hundreds for a device that does not have 3g, GPS, unlocked from factory, easy programmability, a real keyboard, requiring iGarbage (aka iToons) on my computer, or any other standard piece of hardware on a cheaper pocket pc for a device that has an interface that will fade.
Sure a nice gui is a good thing, but get the hardware right the first time. Software can be changed, once you have a device, the hardware can’t
You got your equation wrong
Windows Mobile > iPhone-like
Windows Mobile 6 is great. Look at the O2 range of smartphones. They are a joy to use. and are more feature packed than an iPhone. For starters they can MMS and install 3rd party apps, in fact they are made to do so!
I'm really tired of all this iPhone bullshit. Whenever an apple product comes along it seems like an ignorant bunch of people think they are the best. I know that Windows Mobile isn't perfect, and its not as pretty with all zooming and fading of home screen items like an iPhone. Windows Mobile was engineered as a data organization system, and its very good at its job.
I can honestly say I love windows mobile. Its worked fine for me, and I'm not going back to any other phone. Its been around longer than an iPhone too. and ive never had a reson to want to look for an alternative.
@Feffrey, you completely missed the point that MLF was trying to make and I suspect many other people don't get it either. You can cram every imaginable hardware feature into a phone but it is crap if the UI is crap. I agree with MLF - there isn't much out there with a decent UI. Everything is mostly cobbled together as an afterthought by engineers who dabble a little at UI design, but sorry to say, UI is often neglected but the field of study in UI design is much deeper than engineers realise. Engineers make the worst designers and vice versa. Successful products deliver on 2 principles: form and function. You're right that software can be changed, but before the iPhone came along, who was bothering doing a damn thing about the UI in phones?
I don't think it is actually fair to compare Windows Mobile/Symbian with the iPhone. The iPhone does a few tasks really well, and looks good in the process. The other two are true smartphone platforms where you can do a whole lot more, but forgo some UI swishiness.
Choose the phone for your needs, not based on some dogma. It is a piece of metal and plastic, not a religion!
For the record:
I'm just plain sick of the fanatical Mac fans that claim the iPhone = Jesus.
I rock a Mac laptop, and keep a PC desktop. My phone, currently windows mobile, but not due for an upgrade for a WHILE. Not until I can get an iPhone on a decent network. True, its the prettiest phone ever, but as far as functionality and getting stuff done, it falls short. I love Mac I really do, but I'm not going to bash every device and claim its the messiah when the call quality is crap, and it doesn't have real-time GPS, and it doesn't support bluetooth stereo. Seriously, who did the math on that? when I see someone attempting to show off with their corny white cords, I laugh, because I'm completely wireless. So, until the iPhone gets some BASICS down, I can only say it is a device that has merit, but it is not quite perfect. I think the integration to other Mac devices is admirable and shouldbe followed, I also think that the UI is great, and it has definitely put a flame under the asses on phone designers everywhere, but EDGE + WiFi = stupid. The network needs to be tops regardless of WiFi. As far as losing the race before leaving the gates... by the time AT&T gets their 3G, both Sprint and Verizon will be rolling out their 4G networks, providing speeds comparable to current WiFi. I want to say that the iPhone is the best device, but I can't for the fundamental fact that it lacks common sense features, and the network blows. The reason why the iPhone ended up on AT&T is because the company was willing to bend to Steve Jobs' demands, not because it was technologically suitable or superior. As a standalone device it's awesome, but when you bring it back to reality, back to society, a phone isn't only as good as it's software, but it's only as good as the network it's on.