iPhone/Smartphone stuff

[Ben Scott]

On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 4:42 PM, Warren Luebkeman <warren at resara.com> wrote:
> The requirements are really just a cool phone, with lots of features (Email, GPS, SSH, VNC/rdp client, etc)

  Define "etc".  You have to understand, this is important.  If you
don't establish precise requirements ahead of time, you're more likely
to end up with a phone that won't do what you want it to.

  To wit, as Bill McG has been saying, the iPhone is not a very
friendly platform.  You run what Apple says you can run.  You don't
really buy an iPhone; you're just renting it from Apple.  So if you're
looking to *do* cool things -- especially if you want flexibility in
software -- the iPhone is not a good choice.  (Unless you're willing
to dive into the world of, ahem, "third-party modifications", which is
really dicey.)  Apple has put up roadblocks (perhaps intentionally,
perhaps not) that have inhibited things like SSH, VNC, and RDP
clients.

  If you just want it to *look* cool -- to impress others -- buy an
iPhone.  Apple certainly has most people convinced they're the best
thing since bitmap graphics.

> ... good Internet browsing.

  The iPhone is probably one of the best at web browsing.  I've used
it briefly, and it's pretty slick.  Short of going to a separate
device, like a Nokia table as Bill McG mentioned, that's your best
phone browser.

> ... Windows mobile seems pretty cloodgy ...

  Windows Mobile, nee Windows SmartPhone, nee Windows PocketPC, nee
WinCE, is definitely not pleasant to use.  My personal favorite is
that, even in it's latest and greatest incarnation, you still have to
go into control panel and manually close any apps you've opened.
Sheesh.  Ten years and Microsoft still hasn't figured out how to
implement the "Close" button?

> From what I have heard about the Blackberry, its Internet browser is not so great.

  That's about how I'd describe it.  It's better than many phone
browsers; nowhere near as good as the iPhone.

  BlackBerry is definitely focused on the business market.  They're
all about sync'ing PIM data with Exchange or Notes servers; they've
got lots of security and IT management features.  They've got a whole
package built around extending traditional business applications into
the BlackBerry platform.  From what I've read, even the 2.0 iPhone
software is still very limited when it comes to this kind of thing.
Whether you care is, of course, up to you.

> I guess I would like to know what people think is the best "IT" guys phone ...

  See above about requirements.  As an IT guy, I want you to tell me
what you want before I tell you what you should get.  :-)

> Do any iPhone users have any problems with the onscreen keyboard?

  Some people love it, some people hate it.  I'm more in the latter
category; I really want buttons to guide my finger placement, and
tactile feedback.  (I use an IBM Model M keyboard, if that tells you
anything.)  Suggest you try it yourself.

-- Ben