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Why the iPhone Just Isn’t Me

April 9, 2009 12:33 am By 8 Comments

For the longest time I have been using mainly Windows powered PDAs and phones but with all the iPhone buzz I just had to give it a go. I got myself an iPod Touch 2G after Christmas and have really enjoyed using it.

Obviously there are a TON of reviews of the iPhone OS, so even if you haven’t used one you know about the finger-friendly interface and its tight application integration. It really is just a great platform that is fun to use. Combine that with the incredibly successful app store and this is just a killer experience. So, why would I say the iPhone isn’t my cup-o-tea?

The shortcomings of the iPhone OS have been talked about almost as much as its goodness; things like the missing cut and paste and lack of video/music formats, etc. There are a lot but many of them are going to be addressed in iPhone 3.0.

What I have not been crazy about is the control Apple has placed on the user experience. You no doubt have heard about “Jailbreaking” the iPhone, well that is simply a way of replacing the OS image with one that does not limit you the way Apple intended. Since this is something the casual (or the scared-to-brick-his-expensive-phone) user would do I don’t see this as a good option for most people. So, assuming you don’t Jailbreak your iPhone you are stuck with the design of the OS and how it works.

The iPhone experience is really quite good if you are ignorant of the alternatives or are not interested in making a lot of changes to your phone. You better also not plan on using a bunch of core app replacements; they are poo poo’d by Apple.

My current phone is an HTC Touch, which is certainly not cutting edge. It is not as fast, doesn’t have as large a screen, nor as good a camera as the latest Windows Phones. So, when I found myself using my HTC over my iPod I had to figure out why that is.

As a gadget nut I am always looking for change. I like to try new things, find new ways to do current things and create a new “feel” often. I end up playing with the HTC more than the iPod simply because there is more tinkering I can do. I have 4 different browsers, too many soft keyboards, a ton of Today screen plug-ins, and a couple of calendar apps. These are not the kinds of things you can do with the iPhone. Admittedly, I have this many browsers because none of them do exactly what I want and I have to switch between them, but at least that keeps things interesting and is something I can do.

I fully realize that my experience is not necessarily going to be like others. The iPhone OS just works out of the box; it is slick and silky smooth. Apps work because of the tight control Apple has over the app store, I get that and like the result. I just have found that I get just a little bored with how clinically perfect the iPhone OS is and like to tinker with Windows Mobile.

Having said all that, I won’t be parting with my iPod Touch. There are some things it does VERY well and I plan on using it for a long time to come. I plan on upgrading it to 3.0 and continue to using it for gaming, podcasts, reading and surfing, but my go-to device at this point will be the HTC Touch.

I am planning on getting a new phone this year but not sure what it will be. It isn’t going to be an iPhone though. I think they are great and are perfect for some people, it just isn’t my first choice. The Palm Pre is looking pretty tempting but I haven’t decided if it is too new for me to jump in right away. Most likely I will stick with Windows Phone but I really want a physical keyboard on my next device.

Windows Phones sorely need the 6.5 update and 7.0 needs to truly create a new experience, but we know Microsoft gets that and the results we are seeing so far look promising.

At the very least, there are going to be some great options…which is really what this post is all about.

About Darren Humphries

Darren Humphries has written 78 posts on Mobile Jaw..

Editor, MobileJaw.com Microsoft MVP (Windows Mobile)

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  • http://twitter.com/MobileJaw/status/ MobileJaw

    Why the iPhone Just Isn’t Me: For the longest time I have been using mainly Windows powered PDAs and phones but .. http://tinyurl.com/cz2rkq

  • http://twitter.com/darrenhumphries/status/1481565942 Darren Humphries

    RT @MobileJaw: Why the iPhone Just Isn’t Me: http://tinyurl.com/cz2rkq

  • http://www.MobileJaw.com Mike Temporale

    I had a very similar experience when I used the iPhone for a month or so. While it’s pretty to look at, it just doesn’t go deep enough for me.

    Apple’s restrictions on running a background process is extremely limiting. I flip between programs so often, it would seriously slow me down if the program had to launch it every time I jumped to it.

    Sure, the limitations are things that Apple can address moving forward, and they might very well do that. But while we wait for that to happen, Microsoft is also moving forward and addressing their shortcomings (at least we hope they are. ;-) ). The biggest of which is use-ability, IMHO.

  • http://www.twitter.com/DarrenHumphries Darren Humphries

    I’m a bit surprised that Apple didn’t go with multi-tasking. I like the idea of the notifications idea they have but it doesn’t address being able to quickly jump between apps. I routinely get interrupted with having to do something else while writing an email or editing a contact. I like being able to go to another app and come right back to where I left off, cursor right where I was typing. If you haven’t been a Windows Mobile user this maybe isn’t something you have thought about but once you have had this capability it is hard to leave it behind.

    As I said, iPhone 3.0 will be a very nice update but it isn’t enough for me to make a change on my main device. However, Microsoft needs to take a page from Apple on offering updates more regularly. I understand about carrier and manufacturer having to get on board with it but maybe MS just need to compartmentalize Windows Mobile to sandbox the portion of the OS that isn’t customized by carriers in order to allow core OS updates. It sounds like they are planning on making changes, so maybe we will see something like that soon.

    The biggest challenge facing Microsoft right now is the time it is taking to make these upgrades. The further out they have to plan for version changes the longer they have a locked down OS that competitors can catch up to, even while users have not started enjoying the benefits. Microsoft needs to be FAR more nimble with Windows Mobile changes.

  • http://www.pharfruminsain.com Peter Temporale

    While i don’t own an iPhone,… i noticed a few things that bugged me:

    1) It was a tad weak with the touch keyboard – i would hit other letters quite often.

    2) When you navigated through the menus to something, and then exited that feature, you had to start all over again and navigate all the way back there again. (in other words, it uses the tree structure as a one way street)

    3) The inability to sync it up with Outlook for contacts and calendar is silly. Did they expect me to buy an iMac to do that? ;) :p

  • http://www.nickcornaglia.com NickCornaglia

    Been a long time WinMo user. Since the early PPC and especially the Smartphone years. Tried the iPhone for a bit and thought I didn’t like it. So I went back to a PPC.

    Soon after customizing and tweaking my PPC….then trying to find some new and interesting software….I realized the iPhone WAS for me.

    I hate having to customize WinMo phones to a better ROM or registry tweaks. There was a day when I loved it…but WHY do I need to Tweak my phone as soon as I take it out of the box? It just got old and became a very unexciting proposition.

    Plus new and exciting software was non-existent on both the PPC and to an even greater (lesser?) extent the Smartphone platform.

    Back to the iPhone I went. It has many shortcomings. Many soon to be addressed. But addressed in a safe and secure way directly from the manufacturer. With PPCs and Smartphones….Most times your left to search for tweaks for your specific phone. I like that there is basically ONE Smartphone. Not 100 versions of the same phone by multiple manufacturers/distributers, who may or may not ever update the software on the phone.

    The keyboard grows on you. Just like EVERY new WinMo phone I have ever owned…it takes time to get used to. But I think that once you get well aquainted with a software keyboard on a phone…you’ll never want the clicks of keys to slow you down.

    I do miss MMS (Soon to be fixed)
    I do miss video recording (soon…)
    I miss cut and pasted (soon…)
    I miss SlingPlayer (maybe not so soon)

    All that said…I am a true convert. I love my iPhone. And I will love the next update even more….and the next model of iPhone even more!

    I got a tiny bit bored between updates and jailbroke my phone. Though I like a few of the functions it allowed you to have. I unjailbroke and will wait patiently for Apple to update.

    It does mostly everything I want my phone to do and more. New apps are plentiful and constantly available and growing in numbers by leaps and bounds.

    It’s not the perfect device. But it gets closer and closer and right now is the perfect device for me, in a beautiful package, with a simple, crashless, and consistent to use OS.

  • http://www.MobileJaw.com Mike Temporale

    @Peter – I agree. #1 – I couldn’t type a message without mistakes. I just can’t do it on that thing.

    #2 – The reason the navigation works like that (and I agree that it sucks), is because there is no multi-tasking. So when you close your application it reloads the menu or today page and your location is lost. At least, that’s my understanding. It’s a royal pain. Especially if you’re not 100% on where to find something. You end up spending way to much time navigating back to the same spot.

    #3 – I thought that you could do this? Doesn’t the contacts and calendar get sync’ed from the PC using iTunes? I agree that iTunes to sync contacts doesn’t make sense, but I thought it would do that. Otherwise you would be forced to use Exchange ActiveSync or some sort of Google app to pull them from Gmail.

  • http://www.MobileJaw.com Mike Temporale

    @Nick – You make some excellent points. Microsoft has a long way to come in Windows Mobile. I think Apple, and Google have knocked some smarts back into the WinMo team.

    In terms of designs, I don’t care for the ‘one size fits all’ approach that Apple has taken. I really like the idea of new hardware in different form factors that appeal to different needs and wants of different people. I’ve used just about every form factor out there today, and I’ve come to realize that a physical keyboard works best for me. Same with the non-touch. I can navigate faster and do more quicker than on other devices. I would be very interested in seeing some other designs from Apple.

    In terms of crashless, well I haven’t had a crash since I stopped installing crap app’s and stopped screwing around with hacked ROM’s. I’ve found both Apple and Microsoft’s platforms to be very stable, as long as you don’t install crap 3rd party apps.