Author: Terry White

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My iPhone first impressions…

iPhone unboxed

I was able to snag an iPhone at my local Apple store today! I was in and out of the store by 6:15PM. Everyone in line (over 100) seemed upbeat and friendly. Apple had a very cool display in the window that counted down the last 30 minutes before the doors opened at 6PM.

Now on to my initial impressions…

First I must say that Apple did an excellent job not only organizing the rollout in their stores, but they also did a great job with the packaging. The iPhone is in a box no larger than it needs to be which should appease the eco groups out there. The iPhone box includes the iPhone of course, a dock, a USB to iPhone /Dock cable, earbuds with integrated mic/remote and a USB wall adapter for charging that is about 1/3rd the size of the old one.

After unboxing my iPhone I plugged it into the dock and USB port on my MacBook Pro. iTunes 7.3 fired up. Although the phone was in the source list it was not selected by default. So I sat there a few seconds waiting for something to happen and nothing happened until I clicked on it. Then I got the walk through to either transfer an existing number over or set up a new account/phone number on AT&T. Since I already have a family plan account, I just had to add this new phone to it and it gave me a new phone number (couldn’t use my old number because it’s tied to my corporate account at work). That process took less than two minutes and the phone was activated! I couldn’t believe how fast that went.

Next I began the process of syncing my content. It’s all done through iTunes. I was able to sync all of my contacts, all the calendars I wanted, my email accounts, Safari bookmarks, favorite songs, favorite videos, favorite podcasts, and a few movies. Now I only have about 236MB left out of 8GB. However, I got it all on there! Including a full length movie just to test. That movie takes up about 1GB and I can delete that once I’ve tested/watched it. I would have loved to have had a 16GB iPhone, but 8GB will do for now. 4GB is definitely not enough for my needs. Syncing took a while. Longer than I expected, but not too long. It probably took about 20-30 minutes to sync everything including 855 contacts, many with photos.

The first thing I tried was the web browser, not sure why. Since it detected my Wi-Fi network it asked for the password for it. I have two networks. One with WEP and one with WPA security. No matter what, the iPhone would NOT logon to my WEP network with the password. I had to finally dig out the HEX key and key that in, which leads me to the virtual keyboard. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. It will definitely take some getting used to. The HEX key was a challenge because it consists of just about every other character being a number. The iPhone virtual keyboard displays letters or numbers but not both at the same time. So I would type a letter and then have to switch to the numbers just to type a number and then back again. It’s also not apparent to me how to do Caps Lock. I tried double tapping the shift key and holding it down. Neither one worked. So with each letter I had to also press the shift key (although this may not be necessary for HEX). Granted this was not the normal use for the keyboard. Later I typed a few emails and while it works, the auto correct could be better. It seems to not suggest the word you’re trying to type until you’re on the last letter or two. By that time you can just finish typing. It would be great if it would LEARN as you go to get better. Not sure that it does. I haven’t tried EDGE yet for web/email. I’ll do that tomorrow when I’m out and about and away from Wi-Fi. However, Wi-Fi is VERY FAST and I’m afraid that I’ll be spoiled rotten by it.

Palm Treo 650, iPhone and iPod 80GB

Palm Treo 650, iPhone and iPod 80GB

Aesthetics

The iPhone is beautiful! It’s got a bright easy to read screen and it feels so small in my (larger than most) hands. Almost a little too small. Again, your hands are different and therefore it may feel just right. While early reviews say that they didn’t have a scratch on it, the back looks like it would scratch up over time. I have no proof of this, it’s just my observation.

The iPhone looks to be less than half as thin as my Treo.

Does it live up to the hype or not?

Actually so far I would have to say yes. Keep in mind that I have my complaints about missing features that I will cover more thoroughly in the full review. However, my initial impressions are very good. I can see kissing my Treo 650 good-bye. Palm should be very afraid right now. It’s slick, it’s sleek, it’s fast, it has a beautiful UI (user interface) and works as advertised (so far in the few hours I’ve had with it). Can it be improved upon? ABSOLUTELY!

 

Now it’s time to answer some questions I’ve had and posted earlier

Bluetooth
Does the iPhone have Bluetooth hands-free car support (download address book to car)?

  • Yes and no! It worked in my wife’s car, but not mine. In my car I can make hands-free calls, but not see the address book on my car’s screen.

Can it be used for DUN – use it as a wireless modem to your MacBook, PowerBook, etc.?

  • It doesn’t look like you can. I ran the BT setup assistant and the Mac OS Found NO extra features on the iPhone during the pairing process!

What’s the compatibility like with non-Apple headsets?

  • Haven’t tried yet – wait for the full review later this weekend.

Can you Redial/Answer from non-Apple headsets?

  • Haven’t tried yet – wait for the full review later this weekend.

Is Bluetooth syncing of Contacts, iTunes, etc. possible?

  • Nope

 

Phone
Does it use a SIM card that is user accessible?

  • Yes, but I’m not sure what good it will do you yet. I will try putting my other SIM card in and see what happens. My guess is that it won’t work since the one that comes in the iPhone is Newer!

Does the iPhone support voice dialing?

  • Nope

Will there be a VoIP solution for making calls while on Wi-Fi?

  • Not that I’ve seen yet.

Can I use iTunes songs as ring tones (mp3 or AAC)?

  • Not that I’ve seen yet.

Can I assign ring tones to contacts?

  • Yes

Does the iPhone support Address Book categories?

  • Correction – I found the "groups" button above the contact list. So YES, the iPhone does support Address Book Groups.

How is it for one hand operation?

  • Haven’t tried yet – wait for the full review later this weekend.

Is there a single button speed dial feature? (looking at the tutorial, it takes at least two taps to speed dial)

  • No, it requires you to press home, then phone then favorites, then a favorite you want to call.

 

Calendar
Does the calendar have Alarms?

  • Yes

Can I add/modify calendar entries from the handset?

  • Yes

Does it have multiple Calendar support from iCal?

  • Yes, but all your calendars show up as one calendar on the iPhone.

 

Notes
I assume this will sync to the new Mail app in Leopard, however what other notes programs will it sync to?

  • There doesn’t appear to be any support yet for syncing notes on the Mac. You can create them and email them on the iPhone itself. This is disappointing! I like creating notes on my Mac and syncing them to my Treo. This will be missed unless someone steps in and provides a solution quickly.

 

iPod
Can I listen to music over Bluetooth?

  • No

Can I sync music from one computer and contacts/calendar from another?

  • Haven’t tried yet – wait for the full review later this weekend.

Will iPod games work?

  • No

 

Web/Internet/Email
What happens when you visit a site that has Flash content?

  • Since it doesn’t play Flash content, the site has to have an alternate image for those 2% of the computers out there that don’t have the flash player. All you see is an image or a broken graphic. This has to be fixed soon. Why have a full featured browser that can’t play Flash content?

Does it have connectivity to MS Exchange servers beyond IMAP?

  • Nope, although Steve Jobs says they are working on something.

3G support (when? and will my version 1.0 phone be upgradable to it?)

  • Other reviewers say you’ll need to buy a new iPhone to get 3G whenever Apple decides to put it in.

MMS support?

  • Not currently! This seems retarded.

What happens when you click a link to download a file from a website?

  • You get a message that says “Safari can’t download this file”

Will there be .Mac integration?

  • Beyond .Mac email, I see no other .Mac integration. This puzzles me too. They have Yahoo push email, but not .Mac push email.

 

AT&T
What will the data plan(s) cost?

  • $59/month on up which includes 450 minutes, unlimited data and 200 text messages/month.

Rollover minutes/family plan?

  • Yes, you can put it on a Family plan and enjoy rollover minutes. This is cool.

Can you put it on a corporate plan?

  • No, not currently

Do I have to activate it on the spot?

  • No, take it home and do it via iTunes.

 

Other
Is there a GPS option, coming?

  • No word on this.

Does it have an Alarm Clock?

  • Yes, even with multiple alarms – sweet!

Does it have a World Clock?

  • Yes, a nice one.

Can I use my own sounds for alerts other than ringtones?

  • Not that I can see

Does it have Unit conversions in the Calculator?

  • Not that I can see

More later after I do some more playing.

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They’re calling it "iDay"

I won’t even bother going into the details about today being the official launch of the iPhone, because unless you’ve been locked in a closet for the past 4 weeks you already know! Yes, the lines started forming yesterday at many locations such as the AT&T stores in major metropolitan areas. As I’ve said before, I’m not a camper and don’t believe in spending the night outside just to get a new gadget. However, it’s hard to ignore the buzz and anticipation. So I took the day off and decided to cruise the area and check out the happenings. I have an AT&T corporate store less than one mile from my house. I went there first and there were only 3 people in line as of 1:45 PM today.

Not much of a wait yet at this AT&T store.

 

I only counted 3 chairs so far. Smart move to come here as opposed to the Apple Stores.

The AT&T stores close at 3PM today and reopen at 6PM when the iPhone goes on sale. I then headed over to my local Apple Store in Troy Michigan and things were a lot different. I see the line the minute I walked into the mall. It snaked around the corner from the Apple store which is about 200 feet away. I estimated anywhere from 75 to 100 people in line at 2PM. So far everyone seems upbeat and civilized. Most people brought their own chairs or pads to sit on the floor. I was lucky enough to have friends that volunteered to hold a place in line (at the 30th spot and they even managed to grab a bench) for me even though they aren’t buying iPhones for themselves. Now that’s what I call friendship!

This is the beginning of the line…

 

The Apple store closed at 2PM. They’re hanging black vinyl so that we can’t see what their doing in the store to get ready for 6PM.

A little less than 4 hours to go… Expect a full review here once I get one and get it up and running…

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Thanks for coming out last night

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who came out last night to my Adobe Photoshop CS3 presentation at the Somerset Apple Store. The American Society of Media Photographers were the organizers for this special event and I want to thank Brendan Ross for setting this up. I also want to thank my buddy Joseph Grey for grabbing the shot above. We had a great group of photographers as well as some folks that were new to Photoshop. Since this presentation was just about Photoshop I had more time to drill down into the new features of Bridge CS3, Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended. The Somerset store has recently been remodeled and provided a great venue for this type of presentation.

Of course I’ll be back at the store later today for the other big event 🙂

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Adobe ships Lightroom 1.1 update

Adobe has shipped the Photoshop Lightroom 1.1 update which is a free update to all Lightroom 1.0 users. Although this update is modestly called 1.1, it really packs in quite a few useful features beyond the normal bug fixes. This would be a 1.5 update by most other software standards. I’m really happy about this update because it incorporates two of the features that I wanted most and really pushed for. The first one is a little checkbox in the image import dialog box that allows you to Eject your Memory Card after the import is complete. It was always a pain to have to remember to go back to the Finder to do that before. Now it happens automatically. The second one is actually one that most would not encounter. I actually store my images on my Mac OS X Server. It’s a dedicated Mac here in my home office that we all access. It gets backed up daily, etc. etc. While Lightroom 1.0 had no problem with this setup and referencing the images there, the problem came in when it was time to delete an image. I would go through a shoot rejecting the images I didn’t want to keep and then when I went to actually delete those rejects Lightroom would give me an area because it was unable to move those images to my local trash. Now in Lightroom 1.1 I get a dialog box with the option to delete those images immediately. I couldn’t be happier!

The next big feature is one that I didn’t ask for personally, but now I’m really glad it’s there. The Lightroom Library is now called a Catalog. This means that you can have multiple catalogs (only one open at a time though). This is important for me because it also allows you to export images to a catalog (complete with previews and edits) and import catalogs. So now when I import images while out on location using my MacBook Pro, I can do the work on the plane ride home. When I get home I can move the images to my server and then export that catalog and then import it into my desktop Mac Pro. This way both computers will have access to the same images with all the edits. Having this option really makes multiple computer workflows so much easier.

Lightroom 1.1 also incorporates all the latest enhancements from Camera RAW 4.1 including support now for over 160 different Camera RAW formats. There are tons of other subtle changes that will greatly enhance your use of Lightroom. Don’t walk, but run over to adobe.com and download this must have update.

If you would like to see this update in action be sure to check out tomorrow’s episode of the Adobe Creative Suite Video Podcast.

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iPhone rate plans and activation details announced

 

iPhone week is in full swing and today Apple/AT&T announced the long awaited rate plans and activation details. As suspected you’ll buy your iPhone from either Apple or AT&T and go home and activate it via your iTunes account, major credit card and social security number. I think this is brilliant as it will certainly keep the lines moving as people just pick between the two models, pay and leave the store.

Apple has released details of the service plans that will be available for the iPhone. Three special monthly plans are available:

– $59.99 for 450 voice minutes
– $79.99 for 900 voice minutes
– $99.99 for 1,350 voice minutes

All three plans include unlimited data (email & web), Visual Voicemail, 200 SMS text messages, roll over minutes and unlimited mobile to mobile calling. Plans have a $36 one-time activation fee and are two year contracts. Family plans and Rollover minutes will are also available. In addition, any standard AT&T service plan may be chosen. Existing AT&T customers will be able to upgrade their existing plans for as little as $20 more per month.

Apple® and AT&T Inc. today announced that iPhone™ users will be able to activate their new iPhones using Apple’s popular iTunes® software running on a PC or Mac® computer in the comfort and privacy of their own home or office, without having to wait in a store while their phone is activated. Activating iPhone takes only minutes as iTunes guides the user through simple steps to choose their service plan, authorize their credit and activate their iPhone. Once iPhone is activated, users can then easily sync all of their phone numbers and other contact information, calendars, email accounts, web browser bookmarks, music, photos, podcasts, TV shows and movies just like they do when they sync their iPods with iTunes.

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CS3 Tour – New York – Live!

I’m here in New York at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel which is the last stop on the CS3: Creative License Tour. We have over 850 people registered for this event. I’m here with my colleagues: Sebastian Distefano – showing the Design Premium Suite, John Schuman – showing the Web Premium Suite and Kevan O’Brien showing the all new CS3 Production Premium Suite. I love New York. This two day event started out with some really interesting pre-conference breakouts before the main event this afternoon. Be sure to check out the new CS3 logo’d items introduced in LA and here.

I’m posting this blog entry live using Adobe Contribute CS3 during my keynote address.

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iPhone – unanswered questions

The iPhone is only days away from going on sale to the public, but I still have lot’s of unanswered questions. Apple has “leaked/announced” a few more tidbits like the fact that it will now have up to 8 hours of battery talk time, an impressive 250 hours of standby time and it will have a glass protective, more scratch resistant screen instead of plastic. Also we now know the 12th icon is for YouTube (which will be interesting to see how that works over Edge). However, I’ve been waiting to get more details and I can’t believe that Apple would expect everyone to buy an iPhone without disclosing the full specs first. As I think of a new question I jot it down in my notes. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

 

Bluetooth
Does the iPhone have Bluetooth hands-free car support (download address book to car)?
Can it be used for DUN – use it as a wireless modem to your MacBook, PowerBook, etc.?
What’s the compatibility like with non-Apple headsets?
Can you Redial/Answer from non-Apple headsets?

Is Bluetooth syncing of Contacts, iTunes, etc. possible?

Phone
Does it use a SIM card that is user accessible? (rumor has it as NO)
Does the iPhone support voice dialing?
Will there be a VoIP solution for making calls while on Wi-Fi?
Can I use iTunes songs as ring tones (mp3 or AAC)?
Can I assign ring tones to contacts?
Does the iPhone support Address Book categories?

How is it for one hand operation?
Is there a single button speed dial feature? (looking at the tutorial, it takes at least two taps to speed dial)

Calendar
Does the calendar have Alarms?
Can I add/modify calendar entries from the handset?
Does it have multiple Calendar support from iCal?

Notes
I assume this will sync to the new Mail app in Leopard, however what other notes programs will it sync to?

iPod
Can I listen to music over Bluetooth?
Can I sync music from one computer and contacts/calendar from another?
Will iPod games work?

Web/Internet/Email
What happens when you visit a site that has Flash content?
Does it have connectivity to MS Exchange servers beyond IMAP?
3G support (when? and will my version 1.0 phone be upgradable to it?)
MMS support? – rumor has it as NO.

What happens when you click a link to download a file from a website?

Will there be .Mac integration?

Why no .Mac “push” email. It really seems odd that they would choose yahoo mail for this over their own solution instead of both.

AT&T
What will the data plan(s) cost?
Rollover minutes/family plan?
Can you put it on a corporate plan? – rumor has it as NO.

Do I have to activate it on the spot? – rumor has it as NO, you bring it home and do it remotely

Other
Is there a GPS option, coming?
Does it have an Alarm Clock?
Does it have a World Clock?
Can I use my own sounds for alerts other than ringtones?
Does it have Unit conversions in the Calculator?

Most of the above questions come from my use of other smart phones. So these are the little things that I’ve become accustom to that I would like to know if the iPhone has? Apple has posted this 20 minute guided tour that shows you how to use an iPhone. If we don’t find out before the 29th, I will certainly give a complete review and answer these questions after the 29th. I’ll be in line on the 29th, but camping is not my thing. So we’ll really see how many they actually have in stock on day one?

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Leave no iPod shuffle behind

It’s no secret that there is a BIG business in iPod accessories. One of the biggest markets is iPod cases. I look for useful practical cases that do a good job in protecting my iPods and also make it easy to carry them. I didn’t really see anything that I liked for the second generation iPod shuffle until I ran across the Mophie Bevy. This iPod 2g shuffle case is designed to put your iPod shuffle on your key chain. It also allows you to wrap your earbuds around it too. It’s very light weight and does a good job of keeping the iPod from getting all scratched up on the front, although the back is still exposed. The Bevy also doubles as a bottle opener. Sure, why not?

Thanks to the Bevy, I always have my iPod with me. The Bevy goes for $15, is available in multiple colors and is available from the Mophie site.

The guys at Mophie put together this video as they shipped their first batch to Apple in Cupertino for evaluation and consideration for the Apple Store:


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CS3 Tour – Live in Hollywood!

I’m here in Hollywood at the Renaissance Hotel which is the seventh stop on the CS3: Creative License Tour. This is one of the two day events. We have over 800 people registered for this event. I’m here with my colleagues: Sebastian Distefano – showing the Design Premium Suite, Abbas Rizvi – showing the Web Premium Suite and Kevan O’Brien showing the all new CS3 Production Premium Suite. The LA crowd is lively and in the groove. This two day event started out with some great pre-conference breakouts before the main event this afternoon. This evening we have more breakouts and activities including the InDesign Users Group.

I’m posting this blog entry live using Adobe Contribute CS3 during my keynote address. I hope to see you in New York.

Also check out some of the CS3 Logo’d Wearable Gear that was unveiled at this show.

 

The view from my hotel room. It’s the famous Hollywood sign.

This facility was awesome and we presented to a standing room only crowd.

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More iPhone details/hype

For a product that is a mere 11 days away from shipping, Apple has not released very many final details. However, today Apple Announced that the iPhone would have up to 8 hours of talk time. Now we’re talking (ooh that was bad, I know).

 

June 18, 2007—Apple® today announced that iPhone™ will deliver significantly longer battery life when it ships on June 29 than was originally estimated when iPhone was unveiled in January. iPhone will feature up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback.* In addition, iPhone will feature up to 250 hours—more than 10 days—of standby time. Apple also announced that the entire top surface of iPhone, including its stunning 3.5-inch display, has been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass to achieve a superior level of scratch resistance and optical clarity.

“With 8 hours of talk time, and 24 hours of audio playback, iPhone’s battery life is longer than any other ‘Smartphone’ and even longer than most MP3 players,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve also upgraded iPhone’s entire top surface from plastic to optical-quality glass for superior scratch resistance and clarity. There has never been a phone like iPhone, and we can’t wait to get this truly magical product into the hands of customers starting just 11 days from today.”