iParadise Lost

So for many of us this will be like the week after a tired and emotional Christmas. With the dust settling on the registration and MobileMe fiasco it is now time to look at how this phone works on a day to day basis, dipping into the Apps store and with my business and traveller’s hat look at how I actually use the slab.

The iPhone has changed the way we think about software on a phone and has made the browsing experience a joy (save the lack of Adobe Flash support). Given the leaps forward Apple has given Smart phones it is always too easy to say why doesn’t for example doesn’t it make my tea for me in the morning, so often is the case for demands on an all-in-one handheld device.

I can live without a 5MP camera, video support and MMS but here are 3 little things that leave me wondering why they were left out:

1 Cut and paste – Why is this so hard, can someone tell me? Is it because there is no central menu interface?
2 Multiple images send to MobileMe – again is this really rocket science?
3 Spotlight search – all that great technology is already on Mac OSX so why not on the iPhone?

Let’s hope with the time out on Apple’s 10.6 new feature development it means we’re going to get the phone OSX up to speed with more frequent updates. I presume we will get an update soon as there is a massive bug in the contacts file which keeps the contacts page from scrolling for at least 5 seconds after tapping on the app.

Oh and one last thing, doesn’t anyone have the feeling that Palm should have been here with the iPhone years ago they had a massive developers and programmes library. I remember around the year 2000 using my mobile phone modem on a Palm IIIc to pick up email and plan my working day and it was really pretty impressive back then. But now I hear the next Treo 800w is going to run Windows Mobile, what’s all that about?

So how was your first week with the phone ?

So here we are live from the Regent street Applestore and following the less the shiny launch of the new in the cloud Mobileme contacts, calendar and email service Apple has to day removed all reference to the word push on their website.

And the reason, well on top the big mess that users have had over the last seven days different contacts on the computer the webserver and iphone their definition of push was really stretching it to the limit. It's now been replaced by this wording:

When you make a change on one device, MobileMe sends the new information up to the cloud, then updates all of your other devices. Your iPhone or iPod touch is updated in real time. And on your Mac or PC, it happens automatically every 15 minutes.

Hmmn I've asked for a official quote from an Apple rep here in the store- none's forthcoming yet but it seems the Exchange for the rest of us moniker gone too , I wonder when the lawyers called in the shots.

In the last hour Apple has added an apology for the rocky roll out and offered 30 days extra membership extension. Better late than never but this could have come so much sooner...

Oh by the way for all of you non 02 users the iphone dev team just jailbroke an iphone

Yippee I’m free

I am in a mess, well not really me but my contacts, calendars and other sync stuff and the culprit for turning it upside down Apple and their new Mobileme sync and push info services. If you are an Apple fan your heart would have sunk last week not just getting hold of the pesky iphone but then activating it, syncing it and then if you were already a .mac member accessing your email contacts and web page and groups on the new mobileme service which superceeded .mac.

Cut to a almost a week later and my contacts on my mobileme web server, my macbook and my new iphone are all different, even a trip to applestore genius lead to a mobileme still has some issues admission (you're telling me!) and over at arstechnica there's a fab iphone review that blows apart apples definition of what is real push email/ messages making anyone who was about to bin their blackberry not crush it underfoot or pass it on to their uncle or friend but actually think twice before stepping over to Apple first enterprise ready phone.

That all said they still shipped a million units this weekend...

But come on guys an email to all your mobileme clients admitting you screwed up would take the edge of your self congratulatory stuff when it come to the iphone's first week in the fold....

Now that the glitches and furore over the launch are dying down and if you are new to the iphone like me and looking for a little more guidance than the FInger Tips guide that came in the box here's where you can go.

There are currently two free alternatives to help you get the most out of your little slab of tech fun. The first is a downloadable PDF from Apple support that runs to 196 pages.

Next there is a rather nifty iphone friendly guide on line which can be viewed on safari, save it to your iphone menu and you can quickly refer it anytime you are in need - great to have with you for the first few week on the road.

I am off to the new App store on my phone to see what software is worth having on your phone next week.

Given the I activated my iphone in the early hours of friday morning, it was not without surprise that the process went smoothly and the hiccup was the lack of mobileme support the new in the cloud. mac service for calendars email and contacts. Our micro press had hoped to host all our illustrators images there too but alas that will have to wait.

But when my girlfriend picked up her own iphone today well now that was a different story - strange -4 error messages and still no activation so a comatosed iphone we have.. Given the the US came on line mid afternoon I think it may be monday until we see something happening...

Didn't Apple see this coming ?