The James Kilgour BlogA Life Blog.

The iPhone 3GS was the prized product of Apple’s WWDC conference yesterday. But what exactly is so different…

So it has faster speed, a better camera and a bunch of new features, it basically is the same phone.

And Apple are giving the old 3G version of the phone the updated firmware. So basically… what is the point? And why could they have built in the new hardware in the previous version??? I guess they wouldn’t be able to then market a new one and MAKE MORE MONEY. (The three M’s). Come on Apple! Give us something really new. And cheaper please.

JK

The iPhone is such a cool piece of kit, with thousands of cool little apps. After seeing the massive campaign of ads for this iPod come phone, you would be forgiven in thinking that you couldn’t live without one.  I’ll tell you, very easily actually.

Like many other people, I wanted one! The thing that put me off though was signing up to a long 18 month o2 contract, (In the UK, Apple has an exclusivity deal with o2).

Also, the fact that the contract really isn’t that good a deal, and you have to pay for the phone! In the UK, this is like the ultimate mobile sin.

But my opinion on the iPhone changed dramatically when I actually tried using one. Of course, the interface was sleek, and the apps in particular are much better than that of a Blackberry. I’ve always been a fan of iTunes too, so that was a plus. However, the camera is terrible, only 2mp with no flash or autofocus, and the worst part is texting. I absolutely hate the virtual keyboard.

It’s not like I’m new to touch screen phones: my current phone is the Prada Phone by LG (Model 1). I can text on it just as fast as on a physical keyboard. It’s because it uses a standard phone key set on the virtual keyboard. As a result, it’s very easy to use, as the buttons are large.

On the iPhone however, I find each QWERTY key too small. I end up never getting the right letter, and I actually have fairy dextrose hands.

I’ve heard a landscape keyboard will be introduced in the next firmware update, (v3.0). This is by far something that should have been released in the beginning. I’m still skeptical of how easy the keyboard will be to use, even in landscape. Before I even consider buying an iPhone, I will definitely have to try it first. 

JK

We’ve all heard the Apple ad’s, I’m a Mac, and I’m a PC blah blah blah. In my opinion, Macs and PCs are all pretty much the same. They’re both computers, they can surf the web, write documents and organize photo collections. Why does there have to be such a big deal made out of  the difference?

I primarily use a HP Compaq Desktop PC, for day-to-day uses. It has an AMD 64 Dual Processor, 1gb of ram and an 120gb hard-drive. I also have a Acer Netbook, running Linux, and an old eMac, running OS X Tiger. While all three computers run and look differently, they all do the same things. 

On my Desktop, I use Windows Vista. In my opinion, it is a good OS, and I’ve never really had a problem, except once when I installed a bad driver. Lesson learnt. The whole world though seems to be against Vista and why? It’s really not that bad! 

I think perhaps if people actually gave it a go, without having preconceived ideas, built up by those dam Apple ads, then they may feel differently. I’m looking forward nevertheless to Windows 7. As I wrote in my review in January, Windows 7 is an excellent upgrade to Vista.

JK

So at the Apple event that took place a few days ago, Genius was released, a new feature that allows users to quickly find Songs matching the one they are currently listening to.

But is the service much help?

I’ve been using it for a few days so far, and although it shows promise, I really haven’t found it that much of a revolution.

Also, it’s not like it doesn’t take effort. It can be quite slow to update itself, and on automatic, you have to wait a week. For a Genius, it isn’t always that effective either; half of the songs it picks out of my Library of 1600 are nothing a like!

I can see scope though for it; especially on the iPod where it can be time consuming to flick through endless songs to find similar ones you’re in the mood for. However it seems that Apple won’t be releasing the update for older iPods, including my 80gb iPod Classic, which is practically identical to the new 120gb version. Why not? Is anyone really going to upgrade for one small feature like that????? If anything, it rather puts me off…

You can see the new iPod range at Amazon (UK/US).

JK

The iPhone made it’s debut in June of last year, hitting the shelves in the US at a price of $399 (£269 on o2 in the UK). Instantly the phone became a success, despite numerous issues, and its lack of high-speed Internet access.

Now on 11th July, the new iPhone 3g will be released worldwide. Boasting new 3g connectivity, promising broadband speed browsing, slimmer size and basic bug fixes that plagued version 1, the world prepares to put in its orders.

The price? For this new and improved, smaller iPhone? $199 and free on some plans. Yep. $200 cheaper than the original, with twice the speed. In fact, that’s how Apple market the device: “Twice as fast. Half the price.”

So why couldn’t they price the original like that? Apple products are already much more expensive than alternatives (this coming from an iPod lover). Apple does have great, reliable products, and a loyal customer base. Why do they seek to screw them with their pricing. For all those out there who bought the original, I pity you. I can almost guarantee the new version will be even better. And easier on the pocket. You must be enraged.

JK