so, yeah! stevenote fever is sweeping INTERNET. traditionally, i've had a sweet tooth for many things apple, and networked/media things silver and/or shiny in general. for example, last year i ordered a macbook pro (and tivo 3) the instant i could. hmm but this year... this year i guess i only have next year's macworld to look forward to.
the (`)tv (as my friends are typing it) is kinda ho-hum. we knew it was coming, it doesn't do anything a mac mini plugged in to your tv can't really do, and it doesn't even do tivo. if i could actually rip all my dvds with iTunes and use it, that would be something. we'll see what 2008 brings.
now the iPhone is something that should be tailor made for me! i mean honestly. an ipod and phone that fit into one pocket? with a phone ui actually designed by apple? even now i find myself getting excited about the idea, and yet...
the first problem is that it seems a little big. i mean, this isn't 2001 anymore! the most awesome thing about the first iPod was that i could carry all of my music with me everywhere. but then i accidentally tasted the sweet nectar of the mini, and have not been able to look back. i don't even carry around my signature sony headphones anymore, now that i live this ultra-portable life! you see, i can't have the weight of the iPod keeping me down as i race to catch a D-line train in the morning. and oh, the unsightly bulges...
but i guess steve probably drives around or sits on airplanes a lot, and the size is probably acceptable to him. and i suppose are people who carry around not only a standard iPod, but a blackbear-y as well. i guess they'll be ok with using one of those beasts, but i want one nano-sized device to carry around with me (i still don't care about video on the iPod).
but the real killer tile of the iPhone is... the interface? shocking, but turns out to be true.
the first problem with the touch interface is that it doesn't give you physical feedback. this is the same problem that the dock connector iPod had. namely, it's difficult to tell if you clicked on a button or not. it just feels awkward. there's a reason why people enjoy clicky keyboards, or the weight of fine piano keys.
my receiver remote suffers a similar, but slightly different, problem. without physical buttons, it's difficult to navigate the ui while looking at something else, such as your television. this remote is less cluttered, like the iPhone's interface, but that doesn't make it more usable. in fact, the newer revision of this remote has more physical buttons, exactly to correct for this problem.
in comparision, the all-wonderful tivo remote is totally usable while concentrating on your tv. the buttons come in many different shapes (and colors!), and there are a few different "zones" that you'll use depending on what you're doing: flipping through tivo menus, actions used while actually watching recorded shows, and a number pad. and the buttons feel good both to the touch and the push. it's a great device!
(actually, i think we liked sony's tivo remote even a little better. go figure.)
the current iPods are great at this, too! i do a lot of volume and track skipping while my iPod is in my pocket, out of sight. i would be disappointed to have to give up that functionality, as simple as it might sound.
with all these considerations, i shudder to imagine writing text messages or emails on this device.
that leaves web access as its only possible savior, to which i will simply scoff, "the screen's too small."
so yeah, i'll be waiting for the second gen, or maybe an iPhone nano.
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