iPhone vs. Everything Else

[Bluebriz]

What kind of technical stuff do you need to do with the iphone? Since the last update i just plug it in to recharge at night and it syncs and backs up wirelessly while I sleep. If you set that up for her you wouldn't have to ever touch it again. Then again, like you said things may not go smoothly on a PC. :)

Don't you still have to use Itunes to import CDs and put them onto the Ipod?

[mretzloff]

Don't you still have to use Itunes to import CDs and put them onto the Ipod?

Unless you jailbreak it, yes.

[Kentos]

Don't you still have to use Itunes to import CDs and put them onto the Ipod?

What's a CD? ;)


Haven't bought a CD in over 10 years.

[Bluebriz]

What's a CD? ;)


Haven't bought a CD in over 10 years.

I still buy them. Have bought a few things on Itunes but I like to have the physical cd!

[Bluebriz]

Unless you jailbreak it, yes.

In that case I could use dtunes? I've never used it, can I use it to put more music on the Itouch from my CDs?

[Go West Young Man]

In a Windows environment try looking at MediaMonkey, it lets you move music on and off of iProducts much easier than using iTunes.

[buffdaddy]

I was Iphone owner since the original Iphone all the way up to the Iphone 4. I still like the Iphone but when I bought the 4 I kind got bored with it. At the time HTC had released the Evo 4G and I was smitten with it. So I returned my Iphone and jumped ship to Sprint and bought the Evo 4G. I wasn't all that familiar with Android but I was instantly impressed with all the things you can do to customize it. From then on I knew I would never buy another Iphone.

I still own several Apple products (Ipad, Ipod touch, Ipod classic) but Android is just so versatile as far as customizing the phone the way you want to it look and perform. Manufacturers like HTC and Samsung have caught up with Apple in terms of hardware. The screens on HTC's 1x line and the Evo 4G LTE (which is the 1X twin just tricked out a bit more) are just as good if not better than the Iphone. Plus with Android handsets you have things like SD card slots to expand the memory HDMI ports, and removable batteries (although it seems like HTC is moving away from that with the 1X/EVO line). Not to mention the dual core snapdragon processors just scream.

In terms of software, with the release of Android 4.1 (Jellybean) I think Android is right there with Apple in terms of ease of use, and things like notifications. I think it will be interesting to see what Apple will have up it's sleeve for the upcoming Iphone. Bigger screen, their own mapping software etc.

Not saying one is necessarily better than the other because it took Android a while to catch up to Apple. But I guess it comes down to what you're comfortable using.

[cluelessdude]

If you want to naviagate B&B all day on your phone (like me) then get the Samsung Galaxy S3 (I have the S2). The big screen size is great and I hardly log onto B&B from a computer yet look how many posts I have!

[OldSaw]

I'm really liking this device, guys. Nevermind that I've never owned a smartphone; everything is intuitive and very easy to use. Possibly the best smartphone for the not-so-smart, like yours truly Once again, I compared it side-by-side with the new iPhone 4S in the store. Simply put, I prefer the Galaxy in every practical way. Texting is much less cumbersome with my thick fingers, which was a major factor for me.

inb4 iPhone forum members defriending me. Oh wait, I don't have any friends

Sounds like you made a good choice. Even though I prefer the iPhone, it sounded like your number one preference was screen size.

Regardless of platform, you are now more connected than ever. I am totally amazed at this new technology. Last night I was hanging out with my brother-in-law and he told me about an online store that I was interested in, so I asked him to email me the link. He whipped out his phone and in just seconds I had the link in an email on my phone, all while sitting around a fire in the north woods of Wisconsin.

[OldSaw]

Good choice!

I missed out on the iTunes discussion but if you're a Windows/PC user, there are a lot of other applications out there that you can use instead of iTunes for your iPod/iPhone that are better.

Before I had an iPod and a Mac, I just used File Manager in Windows to manage my music and had hundreds of songs on my old (non smart) phone and even on my Palm Pre. Even though I have iTunes now and like the way it syncs, if all I had was music I really don't see the need for a special app. However, with these new smart phones I think some sort of app might be important for keeping everything backed up.

[OldSaw]

What's a CD? ;)


Haven't bought a CD in over 10 years.

You can get them at the library, load the music onto your device and then return them.

[Slash McCoy]

Apple loves to hold your hand and make all of your decisions for you and treat you like a baby. And itunes sucks. But the iphone is a staggeringly versatile piece of hardware if you are not one to be satisfied with what Apple allows you to do with it.

Like others have said, I am blown away by the camera and the display.

The glass is surprisingly tough. I dropped my iphone 4 numerous times on steel decks before finally dropping it JUST right and shattering the back. It still played, though. I replaced the back with an aftermarket red one. Cool. I was thinking about getting a red front for it, too. Unfortunately it was NOT as tough as the original and I broke it sitting on it. I replaced it again, and replaced the year+ old battery before it goes bad. Shortly afterward, I bought the new 4S. The 4 I bought factory unlocked in Singapore at Lim Sim Center. (GREAT place to phone shop!) The 4S I bought factory unlocked from Apple. I use mine overseas more than in the U.S. so I needed the flexibility.

Recently I decided to jailbreak both of them and haven't looked back. The current version of Absinthe will jailbreak the current firmware, 5.1.1. Mine is still 5.0.1 but I have no plans to upgrade right away. I gave the 4 to my ex and she loves it.

Jailbreaking opens up a whole new world. All the stuff that everyone has created for the iphone that Apple disapproves of and won't allow you to run, you can run. No, you do not have to run pirate-ware on it, either. Lots of legit free and paid apps out there. Cydia is your friend, if you are just starting out. Once you start finding Cydia limiting, there are ways of accessing the file system directly. The WHOLE file system. iFunBox is the easiest tool to use for this if you aren't big on SSH and terminal programs and such. Once I found that I forgot all about those geekier tools. I can install stuff directly from my PC. I can copy my music to and from my PC without itunes. I can edit plist files. I can do pretty much anything on my phone that I can do on my computer, actually. As long as you change your root password from alpine to your own choice, it is pretty secure. I can't even begin to list the cool features of my highly modded iphone 4s. Yes, I can download stuff! I am waiting for a decent binary newsreader so I can download stuff from usenet as well. Yes, you can do torrents but it is still a little kludgy because nobody has written a free standing bit torrent client for it yet... it is a safary plugin. There is an app for tethering that does not let your carrier know you tether. I use Tmobile and they encourage it so no biggie for me. There is a mod for allowing facetime etc on 3g so you are not limited to using stuff like that on wifi. Wow I can go on and on. Basically, the iphone as apple would have you use it is of limited usefulness and a droid is actually better, except of course for the stunning pics and video you can take, and the excellent display. But the jailbroken iphone is incredible. I just don't get tired of fiddling with it.

The OP I think mentioned downloading. Downloading anything on the stock software is nearly impossible. Jailbroken, not a problem.

The battery IS replaceable. You void the warranty, but you can do it yourself. Same for changing the back and front. You can get cheap stuff or you can get factory parts. I do wish it was simply a matter of sliding the case open and popping a new or freshly charged one in, but well, that's Apple for you. They want you to upgrade your phone when the battery goes dead. I would also like to see two sim slots, like the Chinese knock-offs, and a micro SD card slot for expanded memory, but that's Apple. Still, a marvelous piece of hardware.

Too bad you have to mess up the slim profile with a case, but after finally breaking the back on my old 4, I am a believer in cases. Currently I use an OtterBox on a belt clip. It has protected my 4s from drops and from rain so far.

Yes the included headset is pretty basic. That is a good thing to upgrade if you might want to use it. Also get some external batteries. I have two with solar charger cells on the front. I leave them on the dash in my truck and always have a charged one in my pocket. There is a case that incorporates a battery in it for LOTS of backup juice.

"There's an app for that" applies twice as much for the jailbroken iphone than its dull cousin. Cydia repositories are just the beginning. And you can write your own apps without getting a developer's license from Apple. If you want to write a game called "Lesbian Amputee AppleSauce Wrestling Smackdown", well, it's on you. Want the carrier name and logo to disappear? There is an app for that. But Apple doesn't have it in the App Store. Want seconds displayed on the clock? There is an app for that. Want milliseconds? Write the app, if you are able, and don't mind the battery drain. Want to port your C++ apps to the iphone? It can be done. Want your phone to take a pic of whoever picks it up and tries to unlock it? There's an app for that. Want your phone to take a pic of whoever simply picks it up? Sounds like an easy app to write. I am simply ecstatic about this device now. I liked it okay before, but it is a killer phone now.

I wouldn't care to switch to a droid at all, at this point. My ex has her eye on my 4s, and her BF has his eye on her 4 that I gave her and can't wait for the handmedown process to take place, so I will probably be a two iphone owner when the 5 comes out. The BF can buy his own.

One problem, though it is a small one. Tmobile uses a band for their 4g network that the iphone currently does not have. However, my pay as you go plan is $50/month with unlimited minutes, text, and internet, but only the first 100MB is 4g anyway. Also the broadband is often congested in urban areas so not much faster than the EDGE network, which I can get on the iphone. So I lose out on the first 100MB being a little faster. Hey, for a Grant note, I am okay with that. But if you intend to use 4G with Tmobile and want one of the more expensive plans with a few GB of 4G, you want a Droid, not an iPhone. BTW I do NOT recommend a CDMA phone or carrier because the rest of the world, aside from Japan and Korea, pretty much only offer GSM service. And it is simple to pop out your US sim and stick a local sim in there when you travel.

As a wifi only device, of course the iPhone shines. But if you go wifi only, and you don't need GPS, you may as well opt for a much cheaper iPod touch and use Skype for calls.

Okay, that's all I got to say about that.

[mretzloff]

Just out of curiosity, are you Samsung S3 owners able to fit the phone into your pocket comfortably? The phone just seems very large.

[Matt555]

Just out of curiosity, are you Samsung S3 owners able to fit the phone into your pocket comfortably? The phone just seems very large.

It is huge (especially compared to the iPhone). I don't own one yet but have played around with one. One way to look at it is that it is no bigger than a bi-fold wallet, while being far thinner. It just makes sense that screens are getting bigger though considering how much people use their phones now for internet browsing and texting. I am interested in seeing what size the next iPhone will be. I am guessing it will be 4 inches and Android is already phasing out all of their 4 inch phones for 4.5 or 4.6 inch screens like the S3.

[Kentos]

Slash, if you posted that from yer 4s I bow down to your typing skilz!!

[Slash McCoy]

No but I have posted to the forum using the iphone. It is easier if you turn the phone on its side and use the keyboard in landscape mode. Also beware of the spell checker. It can be very unpredictable.

When I first started hearing about the ipad, I figured it would basically be an iphone about 50% wider and longer. I would love that. Then I saw an ipad... it is a laptop without the mechanical keyboard! TOO BIG! The iPhone could use a big brother that would BARELY fit in a shirt pocket. Something still small enough to carry around on a belt holster but only just small enough. IOW, bigger than any of the other smart phones. That's the only thing missing (other than Tmobile's 3g and 4g bands) from the phone. Well, and dual SIM ports and a microSD slot. And maybe a solar cell back. Or a balsa back that could be loaded with diamond paste for post-shave stropping. Or a secret refrigerated compartment to keep a cold beer.

[heybatter]

check out Audiogalaxy....stream your entire music collection on the go. Who needs mp3s on your phone?

[heybatter]

Just out of curiosity, are you Samsung S3 owners able to fit the phone into your pocket comfortably? The phone just seems very large.

I own the Galaxy Nexus which is a hair bigger than the S3 and yes, it fits into my pocket comfortably. Unless you are the type to wear skinny jeans I don't think that the size of the phone is a problem at all.

[Techichi]

I've owned every Iphone from the original up to the 4S. I sold off my Iphone and got a Galaxy SII. I'll never look back. I'll probably pick up the S3 in a month or so.

[chris.hale]

I don't understand why people claim to hate itunes. I've never had a problem with it, it works every time I go to use it, buying music or downloading podcasts is simple, so what's the problem?

Ah, then again, I do run it on an iphone and a macbook...

I would be tempted to blame your PC before blaming itunes, honestly. It sounds like something in your PC is not communicating properly?

To be honest itunes is the main thing that keeps me away from Apple devices. I bought an ipod because I wanted a stereo in the kitchen that I could dock an MP3 player into, and they're all built for the ipod. Most of my music collection is already MP3, so it was just a matter of installing itunes on my PC where they live and pointing it at the folder and waiting while it synced. That was simple. However my wife had a stack of CDs that she wanted on the ipod, so I showed her how to rip and tag mp3s, and she spent several hours ripping the CDs to her laptop. Problem, the ipod will only accept music through itunes, which isn't installed on her laptop. So I installed itunes, told it where her music is, and it wiped all of mine off the ipod. I ended up having to transfer all of her music to my PC via a USB stick, so that itunes could sync for a third time, and this time put all of the music on.

My other MP3 player is my Android phone. To put music on that, I can connect it to any PC using a standard micro USB cable and drag and drop music to and from the "music" folder on my phone with no additional software required. Surely that's easier than itunes?