Or worse still, "beam me up Scotty."
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Or worse still, "beam me up Scotty."
Computer says NO!
I am not big on mobile phones - generally only carried around for emergencies - but I bought an iPhone via Vodafone (as they offer much cheaper running costs).
Why an iPhone? Well I needed a GPS, and I uploaded a package for $79 that is simply superb. It has saved my bacon a few times already.
I like the 16 GB memory for a music and photos (no interest in video), and this makes a wonderful alternative to my iPod.
The still- and movie cameras are excellent, and they get used.
As a phone I find the large buttons such a relief for someone with fingers that are as thick as mine and whose eyesight requires glasses for reading.
Plus, the on-board keyboard is actually useable for emails.
This past weekend was spent on Rottnest Island with the family, and I was able to not only receive all my emails, but view the forums with full graphic content on a decent sized screen. I doubt that I will do this very often, but the option is great.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Im a bit surprised this thread hasn't been flooded by the usual "Blackberries as just so much better you need your head read for being moronic enough to buy a stupid iPhone" crowd. I love mine.
All of the above comments but I will add one app that makes for great time on holidays with the kids. Its called Geocaching, go to Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site to find out all about it but there is no other device on the market that gets close to the iPhone for caching. Makes it the stand out IMO.
I've had an iPhone for nearly 2 years and i wouldn't use anything else now. I love it.
I recommend it to everyone who asks (and some who don't) and without exception, everybody who has got one on my recommendation has said "yeah you are right, these are great"
Also surprisingly good to watch movies on.
Thousands of applications to download, with more being developed every day. I've got a few that I thought were good enough to pay for but most of the ones i have are the free version.
Sebastiaan56, we've been Geocaching for years. Great fun. There are some really clever puzzles involved in some of the caches. :U
I was hesitant at first to purchase an iPhone. After my missus and me both got one each for the first week I was pulling my hair out with this contraption. Sending messages made my blood boil and there were so many new things I was really confused....
But after a month or so of 'iPhone Experience' I love the bloody thing. I could not ask for a better phone. I mean, fast internet speed at my beck and call? You could not imagine how many times a quick Google Map search has helped me out.
I've had the iPhone for 2 months now and I'm pretty happy with it. The only thing that really pees me of is the position of the mute switch. I am constantly (accidently) switching the phone to mute and because of this I miss quite a few calls. I've seriously considered putting a drop of CA on the switch to stop it accidently being moved. Does anyone else have this problem?
This in itself is the most important reason to get an iPhone, as someone who has slogged it up the hill to the gate in the middle of winter on more occasions than I can recall makes me very glad to hear this.Quote:
Originally Posted by rsser
two things I might add:
1. battery life... investigate it and make your own decision.
2. $120 Chinese copies on epay, bonus is dual sim, probably don't do all the apps, same battery life, a little slower.
You guys have me curious about the iPhone. I have been making fun of my colleagues many of whom have iPhones. I currently have a telstra phone, must be 4 years old and itching to upgrade. So whats the best plan? I like the sound of a 32gb iPhone to replace my iPod.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grumpy John
What provider did you go through GJ, What about Stinkalot?
Did you guys sign up to a plan or is this prepaid?
Did the phone cost a lot to buy?
How much bandwidth do you get per month for internet?
I'm with Telstra, The iPhone cost $99 (8 gig) on a $40/mth plan. Not sure of limits I wasn't paying much attention to the salesman. Got the phone at JB. I think the 32 gig was $200 up front. HTH
We have two 32gb 3GS phones connected through 3. As we have been with 3 a few years we also get a loyalty credit per month which is handy.Quote:
Originally Posted by pellcorp
Mine is on an older plan as it was better value to upgrade for me so I am on a $29/month plan with 1gb data (upgraded due to older plan) ...... cant remember the exact monthly cost for the handset but it did work out cheaper than the new plans when everything was considered. Call costs are lower than current plan but not by much.
The Stinkette has the newer 3 iPhone plan of $49/month + $10/month for the phone and 250mb data. For some reason reason (only known to 3) even though she was previously on the $49 version of my plan it was better for her to switch to the new iPhone plans but not me on the lower cost plan ..... perhaps as the entry level iPhone plan is now $39/month.
I would have thought that I would have used a bit of data as I often check work email via the internet when out of the office or surf the net when waiting at the airport etc but so far I haven't even put a dent into the allowance of 1gb. I think that they give me 1.125gb for some reason and after sending a quite a few work emails during the week it is still 1.08gb. The Stinkette doesn't use her 250mb as far as I can tell.
As for a replacement for the iPod it is handy to have the music on the phone but I still love the capacity of the iPod classic ..... but on short trips it saves having to pack the iPod and phone. Better than the iPod for watching video podcasts.
Everybody will have different requirements however I like the fact that it is basically a little pocket computer where I can check home and work email quicker than booting up the laptop, can easily keep track of the calendar and notes as well as access the internet. This is more important to me than using it as a phone.
I am with Vodafone as they offer about 4 times the download capacity as Telstra. Telstra have better coverage but they are very expensive when it comes to one using the internet.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Vodaphone and 3 are merging, so that might make the offers from vodaphone / 3 very interesting in the long run.
In fact vodaphone / three merged sometime ago (1 year or so ago apparently). Nothing much has changed except that 3 now roams to vodaphone and telstra networks where three coverage ends.
I am close to signing on the dotted line for a Three $49 cap (+ $5 rental) for 250mb data and a 16gb iPhone (black)
At the same time SWYMBO will be signing up for a $29 cap with phone included (has no interest in iphone or data)
We are both on a joint account at telstra at the moment and our phones are 5 and 10 years old! This is the last thing we have with telstra as our home phone is now voip over ncable.
However before i do that Sir Stinkalot has agreed to visit to confirm our coverage at our house in lara. The reason being that the edge of a Three network gap actually slices through the icon representing our house on the Three network map :~ All I care about is that I do not roam between two different networks at home even if no data is available. So hopefully early next week,
Update on my iPhone saga :)
I checked the network coverage map myself on the three.com.au website and we are now smack bank in the middle of broadband without a 2g site in range!
Suffice to say I am really confused. Surely they can't have updated their maps during the day.
I am remaining pesimistic to avoid disappointment, (but inwardly hoping its true)
Edit - Map was updated yesterday, so maybe the three girl this morning was looking at old data!
Cheers
Jason
Trapster = the greatest iPhone app ever. This app alone makes iPhones worthwhile.
Jason, I'm right in the metro area with 3 and some days the phone signal shows near max reception and other days low signal.
Really p*sses me off when I make a call with a low signal and only when finished does the screen show the phone was roaming and Telstra's cash register has been filling.
Re low signals, I've read of guys getting a directional antenna (where their phone has a socket for one) and aiming it at the nearest tower. There's a govt website somewhere that indicates tower locations.
It might have been vodaphone cash register as three roams to vodaphone first as I understand it.Quote:
Originally Posted by rsser
Whatever. Still Telstra in the country, and in the last year or so my unit mostly recognises the network there but refuses to connect to it.
I now use a cheap Telstra 'blue tick' phone outside of the capitals for emergency comms. Have got connection in marginal areas where those with supposedly Telstra roaming capability on their 3 phones have had nothing.
Got the 3 iphone this morning. If we have issues with roaming in the country will consider a prepaid telstra for emergencies too. Very pleased with it already. I can see the attraction.
For those of us who live in remote areas with no coverage, a mobile phone is just something we have that's handy when we go to the city. I do have one of those hi gain aerials on my car, and that extends the range by an incredible amount and is a must if you live in the country.
It is very noticable when we ever go to some function in town that there are so many people pretty much permanently on the phone, whereas at any local function there is never anybody on the phone (no service here). Makes you see how antisocal these things really are, after all we all survive quite nicely without a phone glued to our heads all the time.
Yeah, I survive quite nicely on min. calls per month too Bradford. Most for work, and a few to hook the laptop up to the net with the Tesltra phone as modem when my partner and I go travelling. Pay through the nose for that but it keeps us in touch with the family and otherwise helps us manage our affairs remotely.
I think that this thread has moved somewhat off topic :~. As I recall my original post was about the wank factor of the iPhone, not about the merits of various carriers. My earlier question still has not been adressed,
"I've had the iPhone for 2 months now and I'm pretty happy with it. The only thing that really pees me of is the position of the mute switch. I am constantly (accidently) switching the phone to mute and because of this I miss quite a few calls. I've seriously considered putting a drop of CA on the switch to stop it accidently being moved. Does anyone else have this problem?"
I'm still waiting to find out if I'm the only person clumsy enough to keep knocking the mute switch on.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->
Nope I don't get that problem. I've got one of these type of silicon type covers on mine which prevents the mute switch from being accidentaly switched.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grumpy John
JohnQuote:
Originally Posted by Grumpy John
I gave my wife an iPhone for Christmas 2008
She loves it and convinced me to also get one, so I've had one since January 2009
It's a great photo album
It's a great web browser, when you don't want to cary a laptop with you
It's a great toy for keeping kids ammused
It's a capabe GPS
It's a capable iPod and portable movie player
and some of the apps are really useful
BUT as a phone I hate it.
More than once it's been within a second of being crushed under my boot or smashed into a wall -- I even walked into an Optus store one day about two months after I got it and asked "how much to take it back?"
the only reason I keep it is that I've loaded some WW videos on it
as a phone it's such a complete dog that I've put the SIM card back into the 6 year old Nokia
I have no problem with my silent switch thinging but I do use a silicone cover.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grumpy John
Now to move back off topic.
As far as wank factor is concerned, I use the wank factor aspects much more than the phone capability - I only instigate about 3 mobile calls a week. Except when I go overseas my mobile calls rarely exceed $10 a month. 99% of my use is via wireless networks at home and work.
In terms of the wank factors, it's definitely the best synchronized PDA thingo I have ever owned and would have bought one sooner even just to use as a PDA if I had known this.
I listen to and watch a lot of pod casts in bed so I made this stand up for it so that it can sit on top of a tripod. Also useful for making movies or taking pics of myself doing woody stuff with the phototimer.