Why the Apple iPhone will blow away other PDAs
After getting into a lengthy discussion in a forum about why I prefer the iPod over other MP3 players, I began discussing the rumored Apple PDA and why it will be a great product for Apple to launch. I've had some really crappy non-apple players. This love for the iPod isn't fan-boy-ism. It's happiness after years of frustration that makes me want to recommend it to other people. I always try the crappy products and then end up dumping them for Apple. I've had tons of problems with phones. Now I have an HTC 8125 Windows Mobile PDA. It's ok, but there are so many things I wish it would do that could be so easy to integrate. If Apple comes out with a PDA that does these things I will buy it right away because I'm tired of trying to do it myself.
I wish my PDA had widgets or something like them. Right now if I want the temperature I have to get online and go to weather.com to find it. Same for weather maps. I'm sure there's some third party software that will do it, but buying all those little programs ads up. I wish I could get directory phone numbers and maps easy. Google's application locks up ALL the time and is very glitchy on my PDA. I want iChat that's easy to use and integrates with my address book quickly. It took me forever to find a decent AIM client that wasn't cumbersome or cost too much money, and even now it only works half the time. I also needed extra software to make it sync with my Mac the way I wanted it to. Another example is simplicity of use. To get to different things I use often takes many key strokes. If I want to look at call history I can't hit the down button like most phones. I have to go to phone mode, get out my stylus, click on phone history, and scroll and click on the number I want to call again. Also, programs stay open with Windows Mobile. Why is this? There's no fast application switching without another third party software and if your memory gets filled, you have to go through another thousand key strokes to find the memory manager and close the running programs. No EXIT button in a program? Why is this hard? There are a few programs with it, but not on the software that comes with Windows Mobile. It's been like this since Windows CE.
All that to say this. I'll bet good money that if Apple makes a PDA, they will take care of all of these problems and more and create a new flavor of mobile computing... Ease-of-Use. That's something that Apple wants to do and has done on all their other products. They don't have to do it to sell units, but they will anyway. Many companies just slap a product together to make a buck and don't care if it works well for the consumer. Microsoft is proof of that. Apple Gets It!
I wish my PDA had widgets or something like them. Right now if I want the temperature I have to get online and go to weather.com to find it. Same for weather maps. I'm sure there's some third party software that will do it, but buying all those little programs ads up. I wish I could get directory phone numbers and maps easy. Google's application locks up ALL the time and is very glitchy on my PDA. I want iChat that's easy to use and integrates with my address book quickly. It took me forever to find a decent AIM client that wasn't cumbersome or cost too much money, and even now it only works half the time. I also needed extra software to make it sync with my Mac the way I wanted it to. Another example is simplicity of use. To get to different things I use often takes many key strokes. If I want to look at call history I can't hit the down button like most phones. I have to go to phone mode, get out my stylus, click on phone history, and scroll and click on the number I want to call again. Also, programs stay open with Windows Mobile. Why is this? There's no fast application switching without another third party software and if your memory gets filled, you have to go through another thousand key strokes to find the memory manager and close the running programs. No EXIT button in a program? Why is this hard? There are a few programs with it, but not on the software that comes with Windows Mobile. It's been like this since Windows CE.
All that to say this. I'll bet good money that if Apple makes a PDA, they will take care of all of these problems and more and create a new flavor of mobile computing... Ease-of-Use. That's something that Apple wants to do and has done on all their other products. They don't have to do it to sell units, but they will anyway. Many companies just slap a product together to make a buck and don't care if it works well for the consumer. Microsoft is proof of that. Apple Gets It!

4 Comments:
interesting points - I've read numberous posts on the apple rumor sites that supposedly Jobs doesn't want any function more than a click or 2 away.. I have a feeling you're right. Apple will take care of some of the problems.
I agree with all your user interface points. I run Windows Mobile 5 on a Garmin iQueM5 PDA and have a wifi card and bluetooth to EDGE. It is adequate, but could be so much better. My wife has an 8525 from HTC and they have a great hardware design but it really showcases how clunky Windows Mobile is.
I posted some thoughts on my blog, meauxgreen.blogspot.com about the Apple PDA, I call it the MacNewton to distinguish from the iPhone, but I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Mike
Re: exiting apps - that's why I've stuck with my Sony Clie for so long - wonderful Palm apps that, when you leave them, they close. No saving, no nonsense, no fuss. Sadly the battery is dying and of course the line is long since discontinued so it looks like I'll have to fork out for the Nokia N95 when it comes through - Symbian operating system which I'm hoping / understand is Palm related.
I got an AT&T phone right around the launch of the iPhone. I needed one before college started so I went with the AT&T 8525.
I chose that mainly because in the future I could write my own apps for the phone, since I'm a computer science major.
I would say the interface of an iPhone is nicer, but I really like my 8525. I'll see what apple has to offer when my contract runs out in another year and a half.
I also upgraded my phone to Windows Mobile 6, its a little nicer than 5. Spb offers great apps for WM5 & WM6 phones.
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