Biz phone(y)?

Question

Level 1

56 points

Biz phone(y)?

Apple isn't touting the iPhone as a biz phone is it? If so its yesterdays technology tomorrow.

I grabbed a 3G. Had a Treo680 (palm OS)
The Treo out of the box:
Can read and write Office docs. (Word, Excel, and read PDFs)
Can store the files on the phone.

iPhone? gotta buy an app that can only read the office files.

"it does *everyting" Yup does. And rather cool I might add.
So I'm sitting the the airport waiting for my plane, listening to music. Hop on the plane, watch a movie, listen to some more music. Get off the plane and need to call my client. Oops can't. Battery dead. No prob, just pop in a new battery. LOL.

My Treo could play music, videos/movies, surf the web, etc. And I can replace the battery in 4-6 seconds.

All I want is basic functionality out of this cool device.
Let me store files on it, create files on it, and make it easy to transfer the files between my MacBook and it.

Once again, I could xfer files to and fro via bluetooth or sync on the treo.
(and ain't the Treo OS like 5 years old???)

The iPhone is really cool on glitz, but rather lacking in substance.
(adding an SD card slot would be cool too)

I do like it, but its NO biz phone.

Mac Mini & G5 Dual 2.0 2.5GB RAM 400+GB hd, Mac OS X (10.4.3), Where's my Convertable laptop/tablet mac???????

Posted on Oct 10, 2008 7:34 PM

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Answer 1

roaminggnome

Level 10

106,401 points

Oct 10, 2008 8:45 PM in response to MudShark

Wow!

Sounds like you really failed to do your research before purchasing your iphone.

I hope there is still time to return.

If these things are important, you have certainly purchased the wrong device.

Millions have determined that the iphone does fit their needs, but it is certainly not for everyone.

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Answer 2

hexonxonx

Level 4

2,495 points

Oct 10, 2008 9:15 PM in response to MudShark

So it doesn't fit your needs. Sell it and move on.

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Answer 3

Oct 10, 2008 9:29 PM in response to MudShark

You failed to read all the reviews regarding the phone's failings and shortcomings. No, it is by no means a biz device. I've stated this many times... If you need a phone and an email device which you must rely on for business, the iPhone is not for you. It lacks the robustness of an upscale reliable operating system. The various apps (Mail, Safari, Google Maps, etc) are also lacking robustness and are dated, only working properly some of the time and lacking many basic features we have all come to rely on in the workplace. I speak from a year and a half of experience and have had to feel sorry for all of these people who find out the hard way that it's not much more than a toy.

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Answer 4

Tamara

Level 6

13,744 points

Oct 11, 2008 6:04 AM in response to MudShark

It works fine as a business phone for me. If it doesn't meet your needs, return it.

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Answer 5

Oct 11, 2008 6:52 AM in response to Tamara

It works fine as a business phone for me too! Much more than my HTC Touch ever did.

Message was edited by: Dynamite DJs

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Answer 6

tokatta

Level 3

869 points

Oct 11, 2008 6:56 AM in response to MudShark

Remember that your definition of a "Biz Phone" is not everyone's. Creating and Editing docs is a great example: Blackberry is considered a business phone but it doesn't do this... because most people don't. It is infinitely more productive to do this on computer. My iPhone displays Office files just fine, nothing to buy.

Adding an SD card - the iPhone has more built-in capacity then any Treo. You would have to cary around a bunch of 2GB SD cards. If you have a newer phone that supports SDHC then you could carry around 2 16GB cards i guess. But if you want a business phone, then you should have plenty of room for docs and email by limiting your music and movies.

Files and file sync - many 3rd party apps do this and they are free. they work over wifi - lots more laptops (what i sync with) have WiFi then BT transfer. You can do the transfer by setting up an adhoc network between your MacBook and iPHone and use the "Air Sharing" or other applications.

Replaceable battery - no - but there are external batteries that are the same size that plug in the bottom.

It sounds like you rushed to buy something without researching it first. I don't think that is the iPhone's or Apple's fault.

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Answer 7

Oct 11, 2008 7:03 AM in response to MudShark

MudShark wrote:
So I'm sitting the the airport waiting for my plane, listening to music. Hop on the plane, watch a movie, listen to some more music. Get off the plane and need to call my client. Oops can't. Battery dead. No prob, just pop in a new battery. LOL.

My Treo could play music, videos/movies, surf the web, etc. And I can replace the battery in 4-6 seconds.

Lenmar and Kensington make external rechargable batteries that can recharged the phone at least twice on a charge. Your Treo was clunky, twice the thickness and twice the weight of the iPhone - partly so the battery could be swapped. The portable chargers are a better approach, because they don't require you to handle a heavy, cumbersome phone (I know; I had a Treo als) just to have swappable batteries.

Also, your Treo couldn't really surf the web; it could surf the proxy server operated by Palm that reformatted the pages to fit on that tiny screen that couldn't be zoomed and could only be scrolled with a stylus and scroll bars. If that is your idea of an ideal browser I'd be happy to take the useless iPhone off your hands and you can go back to a Treo.

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Answer 8

Tamara

Level 6

13,744 points

Oct 11, 2008 7:11 AM in response to Dynamite DJs

I tried an HTC Touch in the store and I wasn't too impressed.

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Answer 9

MudShark Author

Level 1

56 points

Oct 11, 2008 7:38 PM in response to MudShark

Did anyone read the FIRST sentence of this thread??????

My comments were based on IF apple was touting the iPhone as a biz phone.

As a phone its fine, cool and killer. I do like it. I just feel its a bit behind the times and/or apple is going for 'cool' over usability. (which seems odd for a company that feels its way ahead of the pack)

A smart phone it isn't. I'll give it a 'clever phone'. Its better then the Symbian OS. (I can't comment on the Windows Mobile, never used it nor plan on it.)

I guess I'm spoiled by the treo and its 6+ year old OS (which also doesn't have malware or virri: marketing crap. OSX isn't that much more secure, its just less targeted)

The iPhone is still young (kinda) and with the SDK out its got a lot more potential. I'm gonna have to roll my own for a few things. (Like I need more projects)

PDF storing and viewing should have been built in. Having to go into mail to view one is a massive kludge for a simple task. There are a bunch of 3rd party apps, but a lot want to 'call home'. Battery life is a premium.

I bought FileMagnet and it works great, BUT I have to have WiFi on to make it work. The adhoc is also a kludge (hotel life). I gotta drop my LAN connection just to transfer a couple of files and then reset to infrastructure? Who calls that easy? Or sensible?
Why no BT xfer? (its even a Apple to Apple xfer, macbook to iphone)

The GUI is awesome on the phone. Safari is flawless thus far (don't like it on the Mac). Mail is better the the Mac version too!

I DO like the phone, it just needs some fundamental features that Apple can toss in an update.

And anyone that doesn't like my complaining is MORE then free to stop reading it. Seems you all over the drama of it 🙂
(just a little sarcastic humor. No shots at anyone)

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Answer 10

MudShark Author

Level 1

56 points

Oct 11, 2008 7:54 PM in response to MudShark

LOL. Yup got yanked. Imagine that!
Can I call 'em or what?

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Answer 11

MudShark Author

Level 1

56 points

Oct 11, 2008 8:12 PM in response to tokatta

tokatta, what are you using to view the office files?

I have a fairly large Excel file that displayed fine (though lloonngg load time) on my treo, but FleMagnet runs out of memory loading it. (scary !!)

Just viewing would be ok. Though I have a few calcs in excel I'd like to preform (I'll fire up the SDK for that if need be and make a stand alone app)

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Answer 12

Oct 11, 2008 8:22 PM in response to MudShark

OSX isn't that much more secure, its just less targeted)

Yes it is - security thru obscurity is a myth.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/18/technology/circuits/18POGUE-EMAIL.html?ex=1223 870400&en=fc14934933eada84&ei=5070

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Answer 13

MudShark Author

Level 1

56 points

Oct 11, 2008 8:23 PM in response to Allan Sampson

wanna buy a lower east river crossing?

NYT? Yeah, a HIGHLY reliable source for tech info. lol

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Answer 14

Oct 12, 2008 4:59 PM in response to MudShark

David Pogue is a reliable source for technical information, even if the rest of NYT is not. OS X, Unix and Linux CAN be hacked, but it is much harder to hack them than it is to hack Windows. Like the old question, how many locks should you have on your front door? At least one more than your neighbors have.

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Answer 15

Tamara

Level 6

13,744 points

Oct 12, 2008 5:45 PM in response to MudShark

Sounds like you should go back to your Treo. Heck, you can have my Treo. I don't miss it at all and I find that I'm a lot more productive with the iphone.

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