I already own the iPhone! (Well, not really!)

[Paul Robinson]

Let's see, I have a small cell phone in my pants pocket that runs on the Cingular network and a SONY Clie TJ-37 in my shirt pocket.

With the exception of tapping the screen to make calls, I have just about everything else:

phone, camera, Wi-fi, touch screen, MP3 player, tap on screen to enter text or navigate, etc.

But I also have more than the iPhone will have for years!!

I have ebook readers, a slew of games, lots of astronomy programs, Docs to Go, spreadsheet, database programs, automatic news and newsgroup updates (Avantgo, iSilo), etc.

My Clie and T3 have flip covers and navigation & app buttons--which the iPhone lacks! (My T3 even has just as big a screen as the iPhone--but has the advantage of collapsing to a smaller length.)

I can do more for lots less $$ than the iPhone can!

So why do I still want one?

[Genjinaro]

Why you'd want an iPhone list:

the letter "i"
8gigs (unless that isn't enough or hate that being the maximum)
Biggest fad device
Most of what you have now, cramed together
Because you can't skin you device without a fight
Because everyone will hype it

(I still don't get why its cool to love Apple for this & hate Sony for the PS3, like its on the rage to hate Sony? What the hell is with that!? *Is a Sony fanboy and veering off Topic *)

[Nine]

If you really want the letter i, it crops up regularly on Sesame Street reruns for free.

[Paul Robinson]

i Grok it!

[Adama D. Brown]

But I also have more than the iPhone will have for years!!

Hell yeah.

[berylrb]

i Grok it!

Heinlein, right?

I'm not going to add much. To the debate, but I seem to recall over on the TX forum that the big gripe against Palm is lack of creativity, innovation, and just plain exciting fun.

Well that is the iPhone folks! Sure it might take 3 generations to catch up. But look at what iPod innovation did for the mp3 player market and associated markets, eh?

Early adopters always pay more, but how sweet it is to fuel innovation. For instance I drive the generation II Toyota Prius, 2004, first run of the new body and ICE. I knew that by 2007 stuff I paid extra for would be standard. But I'm proud to have been an early adopter. I'm willing to fuel the future. I like my TX but it appears Palm has left innovation to others, so I say viva la Apple!

[Paul Robinson]

Agree, agree! There is a cool, sleek, innovative feel to the Apple stuff... It's much the feeling I had when I first got a Palm... the same amazing feeling I had when I first used a Mac-- knowing that someone really got it right! Same thing happened with a TiVo. One delights in a brilliant interface!

I did have an eye opening experience vis-a-vis the iPhone yesterday when I was using Graffiti to enter some info into my Clie. It's really good having options-- bring up the keyboard when needed or use the stylus to print stuff. Perhaps Jobs is still anti-Newton and anti-handwriting recognition. Imagine trying to do Graffiti with one's finger!! (Actually, I just tried it and it works pretty well-- almost as well as with a stylus... hmm...)

So, how do you like your Prius? That's really cool that you have one! We test drove one and it was amazingly quiet and futuristic. What kind of driving do you do and what kind of mpg are you getting? I understand that reports on expected mpg were wildly inflated, but have never heard from an actual user!

We do lots of small trips, under 5 miles, and have been tempted...

Yes, Heinlein... Stranger in a Strange Land.

[Tom LaPrise]

8 gigs? I could install the FAT32 driver on my Zodiac 1, pop 2 4-gig cards in, and have 8 gigs. Aaaand the same bunch o' stuff that Paul Robinson mentions. The Zodiac cost me $179 (but I got a backup for $110) and my phone cost $30. (Yes, two 4-gig cards would cost too, but I can put whatever I want on 'em.)

Actually, I'm pretty happy with my current 2 gigs of SD capacity.

[Curious Cat]

Let's see, I have a small cell phone in my pants pocket that runs on the Cingular network and a SONY Clie TJ-37 in my shirt pocket.

With the exception of tapping the screen to make calls, I have just about everything else:

phone, camera, Wi-fi, touch screen, MP3 player, tap on screen to enter text or navigate, etc.

But I also have more than the iPhone will have for years!!

I have ebook readers, a slew of games, lots of astronomy programs, Docs to Go, spreadsheet, database programs, automatic news and newsgroup updates (Avantgo, iSilo), etc.

My Clie and T3 have flip covers and navigation & app buttons--which the iPhone lacks! (My T3 even has just as big a screen as the iPhone--but has the advantage of collapsing to a smaller length.)

I can do more for lots less $$ than the iPhone can!

So why do I still want one?

The answer is in the last question, "So why do I still want one?" The emphasis here being on "one". Sure you can have 2 or more devices that do almost everything that the iPhone does but the iPhone will be only one device. This is the age of convergence where the more your device can do, the less devices you need. I just finished setting up a home theater. Do you know what's the biggest "must have" device for someone who has bought a home theater, per CNET? It's a universal remote!

The iPhone also will have a large screen that doesn't have to sacrifice room for all the input keys, much more efficient. You can use your fingers instead of pulling out a stylus all the time if you haven't lost it. The scrolling of contacts, finger manipulation of web pages to scroll and zoom plus many other features are also improvements over the status quo. There is nothing in the list of things that your devices can do that you can say for sure that the iPhone either doesn't do it or will not possibly have equivalent, if not better, functions. Whether or not it turns out to be a great device when it finally comes out, it certainly has moved the expectations of future phone/PDA's up a few notches, IMO.

[berylrb]

... The iPhone also will have a large screen that doesn't have to sacrifice room for all the input keys, much more efficient. You can use your fingers instead of pulling out a stylus all the time if you haven't lost it. The scrolling of contacts, finger manipulation of web pages to scroll and zoom plus many other features are also improvements over the status quo. ...

You make a great point CC!

I completely forgot that I'm on my second stylus. The reason I like mOcean over pTunes for one is the big buttons. The reason I groan when using BibleReader and Agendus Pro on my TX is because the icons are so dang tiny and I have to pull out my stylus, completely forgot about that. LOL, nonetheless I still try to use my fingertip especially on BibleReader and am constantly going who knows where.