Iphone Pocket PC???

[Ipheuria]

I was listening to the TiPb podcast and heard someone talking about the Iphone being a pocket sized PC. What are your thoughts on this? I'm speaking for myself because what I'm about to write is purely my personal opinion. I don't see my Iphone as a pocket PC. I see it as a phone with extra capabilities. I think the problem with thinking of it as a pocket PC is everyone will think of it as a do all device. They will expect it to do everything, and when it doesn't they will rant about the things they expected it to do that it can't.

 

[sting7k]

I had a PocketPC in like 2002 and my iPhone does more than it did.

 

[Ipheuria]

hmmmmmm maybe I just have the wrong definition in mind personally. When I think Pocket PC, I think of a device that does everything that my PC does only it's small enough to fit in my pocket. So a netbook would probably fit more into my idea than an Iphone. So I guess my personal defination is way off base. Anyway to me my Iphone is just a cell phone that does extra things. So I'm never disappointed because I only expect it to do the basic things. Phone call, text messaging, voice mail, and alarm. Everything else is a bonus to me, and everything I've thought it could do it's done so I've never had a moment when I was expecting it to do more than it was capable.

 

[big9erfan]

My iPhone has replaced my desktop IM client when at home and email unless I need to deal with attachments.

My iPhone IS a mini-pc in my pocket ( aka pocket pc ). It does just about everything I could want, if some of those things are a little difficult sometimes.

 

[rknowlt]

I don't know if I would consider it a "Pocket PC" as in the OP's definition of one, but it has replaced a whole lot of what I used to use my computer for. Email, weather, IM, most facebook, the "usual" website checks (TiPB for example), etc. all would have been things I did on my computer everyday that now all happen at my leisure on my iPhone. And in many ways it is actually easier to use my iPhone than my PC to accomplish most of those tasks.

 

[GMJeff]

I think the term Pocket PC has been skewed over the years. It is a moniker to describe a pocketable personal computer. Some people see a laptop as a personal computer, a desktop or even a calculator.

Yes, a calculator can essentially be called a pocket pc, as it has all of the basics of a small computer. I have seen some graphing calculators out there that can probably out perform a netbook, too.

The Pocket PC that ran Microsoft's OS were some of the earlier versions of, what was supposed to be a desktop in your pocket. More functionality was added year after year to the OS and hardware of these devices until you get what you have today...iPhones, Windows Mobile devices, Symbian devices and Palm OS devices just to name a few.

I would consider the iPhone a Pocketable PC, yes. But only because it has all of the basic hardware of a computer system. A complex OS, memory, display, input/output method etc. The iPhone has more than enough computing power to rival a desktop computer from 10 years ago or so. This includes the software and hardware aspects of the device, too.

 

[sting7k]

Agree Jevangil. The "PocketPC" I had in 2002 was an HP something. And really all it was was a PDA. I think it played music off an SD card. But really all you had was a contact manager, calender, Pocket Office, and that's about it. The iPhone does way more than that.

A netbook also can't do the things my laptop can do; such as play games. Back in 2002 they were just slapping the name on PDAs to probably look cool.

In reality the iPhone, Razr, G1, Bold, Storm, etc are all computers. They just happen to compute differently than the one that sits on your desk. iPhone is hardly an appropriate name when the phone is probably what I use the least. iHandheldComputationalDevice might be a better fit.

 

[Ipheuria]

I don't know if I would consider it a "Pocket PC" as in the OP's definition of one, but it has replaced a whole lot of what I used to use my computer for. Email, weather, IM, most facebook, the "usual" website checks (TiPB for example), etc. all would have been things I did on my computer everyday that now all happen at my leisure on my iPhone. And in many ways it is actually easier to use my iPhone than my PC to accomplish most of those tasks.

Yeah I figured my idea of a Pocket PC may not be everyone's idea. I know all of my posts are my opinion only which may be wrong or right. Very good points by everyone. Do you guys really use the IPhone for all those things? I guess I'm just spoiled but for things like web browsing and facebook I can't use the Iphone the screen is just too small and I like to have full functionality. I use it for email no problem, twitter, to check my facebook, maybe update my status, and if I'm somewhere that I just don't have access to a laptop or desktop and I'm bored I'll tinker with browsing. However replying in threads, creating a post are just too tedious for me on my Iphone. Facebook doesn't have all the things I want to do or maybe I just don't take the time to look around. Anyway I feel there are some things to me that the IPhone can't do which make me count it out as a Pocket PC in my definition, I don't expect it to do those things so it's not a negative to me.

 

[sting7k]

I do all those things. Not heavily but I do post in a few forums from the iPhone and I use the browser a lot. Also in the mornings now instead of my laptop or newspaper with me and coffee it's my iPhone. The facebook app pretty much sucks and always has random issues; still don't know what happened to their 3.0 version they announced months ago. I pretty much never open IM programs on my laptop anymore as I do it all on the iPhone now.

I don't expect it to be able to do the things my laptop does, some people have unrealistic expectations. But you can figure stuff out that still is easy enough to be productive in Safari and with apps. I also play LOADS of games, which I never really thought I would be doing. Just got Duke Nukem' 3D yesterday.

The iPhone just like your desktop is a tool first. You can look at it how you want and make it suit your needs to get things done. Not everyone will use it the same or consider it capable of doing the same tasks. So with that you can define it as you see fit as well.

 

[Ipheuria]

I do all those things. Not heavily but I do post in a few forums from the iPhone and I use the browser a lot. Also in the mornings now instead of my laptop or newspaper with me and coffee it's my iPhone. The facebook app pretty much sucks and always has random issues; still don't know what happened to their 3.0 version they announced months ago. I pretty much never open IM programs on my laptop anymore as I do it all on the iPhone now.

I don't expect it to be able to do the things my laptop does, some people have unrealistic expectations. But you can figure stuff out that still is easy enough to be productive in Safari and with apps. I also play LOADS of games, which I never really thought I would be doing. Just got Duke Nukem' 3D yesterday.

The iPhone just like your desktop is a tool first. You can look at it how you want and make it suit your needs to get things done. Not everyone will use it the same or consider it capable of doing the same tasks. So with that you can define it as you see fit as well.

I fully agree Well written.

 

[Jellotime91]

I use the browser a lot and, after getting the 3GS it has become a much more enjoyable experience. Honestly I remember using the browser on the 3G and it would randomly crash all the time (has never happened to me on 3GS), and every time I tried to input text on full web pages it would be incredibly slow and if I pressed backspace once it would slowly erase everything...

The 3GS has definitely made the computing experience much more viable to me. My browsers crash more on the desktop now than on my iPhone (chrome, firefox, AND Safari...).

 

[Ipheuria]

I use the browser a lot and, after getting the 3GS it has become a much more enjoyable experience. Honestly I remember using the browser on the 3G and it would randomly crash all the time (has never happened to me on 3GS), and every time I tried to input text on full web pages it would be incredibly slow and if I pressed backspace once it would slowly erase everything...

The 3GS has definitely made the computing experience much more viable to me. My browsers crash more on the desktop now than on my iPhone (chrome, firefox, AND Safari...).

Yes exact problem I have with my browser when trying to add replies or start threads it takes so long to write just lagging and then crashes halfway through. So maybe once I get a 3Gs I will start to browse much more often.

 

[GMJeff]

I would have to agree. The 3G has some major issues when it comes to lag sometimes, after I upgraded to 3.0, that is. The 3GS is much more peppy when it comes to processing tasks.

I have used both of my iPhones and my iPod touch for just about everything the devices are made for. I email, browse, text, take pictures and video, run apps like games and productivity tools, as well as use it for shopping lists, to do lists, writing documents and numerous other things.

A lot of computer manufacturers these days are trying to make their niche with lightweight portable computers that fit into handbags and large pockets. Sony is a good example. They have their P Series notebook, small and sexy looking, but most people that review it say the same thing, it is too big to fit in a pocket comfortably, or usually completely. The issue would be that I would use it for the same exact things that I use the iPhone for now. I would still be paying for the internet connection, so I could browse wherever I can get signal, downloading apps, writing documents, checking emails, etc. The one major difference is what you mentioned previously, and that is the phone functionality. I mean the GSM telephone calling ability, not Skype, or some other VoIP software.

One last thing, the iPhone fits perfectly in my pocket, also. Is the iPhone the end all of pocketable personal computers.....no. There will always be someone that can add more functionality in the small form factor of a phone, but Apple has their niche right now, let's see how long they can hold onto it.

 

[whmurray]

I was listening to the TiPb podcast and heard someone talking about the Iphone being a pocket sized PC. What are your thoughts on this? I'm speaking for myself because what I'm about to write is purely my personal opinion. I don't see my Iphone as a pocket PC. I see it as a phone with extra capabilities. I think the problem with thinking of it as a pocket PC is everyone will think of it as a do all device. They will expect it to do everything, and when it doesn't they will rant about the things they expected it to do that it can't.

Well, let them rant. The limitations are being rapidly eliminated.

Horses for courses, but I can now go into the city while leaving my laptop at home. As long as I prepare, I can go to a meeting without a laptop. I can check balances, make payments, check the status of flights and airports, record video with sound, read books, watch movies, give presentations, plan trips and navigate, and display files. Admittedly, I cannot compose more than a short message or even do serious editing but I can download any one of a million e-book titles in two minutes. I could not do any of these things on my first, second, or even third PC. Hell, my third "PC," second laptop, did not even have a graphic display.

I now carry in my hand more computing power than there was in the world when I went to work for IBM Research in 1956. 32 gigabytes in punched cards, the SD cards of the day, would have required 32 box cars to move it (great band-width but high latency).

There will always be things that a "PC" will do better than a "phone" but the capabilities of hand-helds dwarf the PC of five years ago and are growing at a pace that literally amazes me. One of the things that I like is the huge number of purpose-built applications (that hide the OS from me).

"One iPod Touch per kid." What a great value.

 

[Ipheuria]

You guys definately have great points. The thing that gets me excited is the Ghz ARM(I think) processor, get that sucker in the Iphone should be sweet. Once I get a 3Gs perhaps I will be doing alot more also and I would love that because I love being able to browse and check email, tweets, etc now just the delay and crashing of the browser right now is keeping me from replying and creating threads, etc. I figured my idea of a Pocket PC is obviously different from everyone else because it is MY definition as with anything else in life, that's objective. I definitely see your points and fully agree and I'm excited to see the future things to come.

 

[chobbs1]

The computer on the lunar lander had the processing power equal to a CASIO watch! this Iphone fits the definition of a computer. I find that I rarely get on my laptop anymore, as the IPhone is perfectly capable of doing most everything I need to do. So subjectively/objectively/undoubtedly is a pocket pc.

 

[whmurray]

The computer on the lunar lander had the processing power equal to a CASIO watch! this Iphone fits the definition of a computer. I find that I rarely get on my laptop anymore, as the IPhone is perfectly capable of doing most everything I need to do. So subjectively/objectively/undoubtedly is a pocket pc.

On one level, this is simply a semantic question. At another, it is about perceptions and expectations. Perceptions and expectations tend to be generational, with the young tending to think that the world has always been, and will always be, as they found it.

Imagine that five years ago you had tried to describe today's iPhone to anyone.

 

[dwayne.williams]

My iPhone has completely replaced most of my electronic devices. I don't use my camcorder or camera anymore. I used to use my laptop daily, but now I hardly turn it on unless I am backing up my iPhone or getting software updates. I don't have a use for my GPS in my car amymore. I don't use my MP3 player at all. I think you get my point. Why have these things when you can get an iPhone and do everything with a device that easily fits into your pants pocket? I don't even buy or check out books because I have the BN ereader. This device is just so convenient and efficient.

 

[earl-ku]

i will have to agree and disagree with what most of you have said, when i am in front of my pc, all i use is the msn and browser ... which i can also do on the iphone.

but i will not call it a pocket pc yet, as to be able to call it such i must be able to to browse the entire content of the pc, copy and paste from anywhere to everywhere easily ... and simple manipulation of files(text) and such ...

till then it will still be a smartphone for me ... or phones with extra capabilities ...

 

[Cglade]

First off I think that comparing the iPhone to a "Pocket PC" is like comparing a Porsche to a Volkswagen Beetle. Straight out of the box the iPhone is light years ahead of other phones. Jailbreak your iPhone and the possibilities are endless.

Add spellcheck by installing inspell, download movies, music, or any type of file (for free) using Safari Download Manager, download torrents directly on your iPhone using CTorrent and Mobile Terminal, run multiple apps at the same time using Backgrounder, view / navigate through the iPhone file system using iFile are just a few things that separate the iPhone from every other phone. Do I even need to mention the ability to install Cracked Apps?

I challenge anyone to find another phone that can measure up.