Apple hits back at Verizon

Can your phone on your network do that?

rattyuk - 23 November 2009 01:38 PM

Apple hits back at Verizon

Well, I’m glad to see the marketing guys are reading AFB. They did some quick work here!

Posted: 29 October 2009 08:50 PM
I’m surprised T has not used the CDMA implication of using data and voice at the same time in a marketing campaign. All these comments about multi-tasking 3rd party apps on the iPhone when generally there is little benefit, and a key multi-tasking scenario (look up a detail while on a phone call) is not supported because of Verizon’s network. You think you’d want to market that when you are getting the public to compare carriers.

cranium - 23 November 2009 11:21 PM

rattyuk - 23 November 2009 01:38 PM

Apple hits back at Verizon

Well, I’m glad to see the marketing guys are reading AFB. They did some quick work here!

Posted: 29 October 2009 08:50 PM
I’m surprised T has not used the CDMA implication of using data and voice at the same time in a marketing campaign. All these comments about multi-tasking 3rd party apps on the iPhone when generally there is little benefit, and a key multi-tasking scenario (look up a detail while on a phone call) is not supported because of Verizon’s network. You think you’d want to market that when you are getting the public to compare carriers.

I wouldn’t go so far as saying there in no benefit to multitasking on the iphone.  I had a experience just yesterday which would easily have been solved by multitasking.  I was using the Navigon software for GPS navigation and my wife called just when I needed the GPS on an unfamiliar road.  The problem was even if I want to call my wife back and get to navigating the Navigon software takes about 30 seconds or more to reboot. I think Apple will enable 3rd party multitasking with the release of Iphone 0S 4.0 but it will be extremely limited for the original Iphone and Iphone 3G since they do not have alot of RAM 128MB vs 256MB for the 3GS.

For anyone interested in Multitasking concepts

Ocean Observations has some cool concept videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/oceanobservations#p/u/1/W9Irt_J2c7o

For those with Jailbroken phones
Redmond Pie offers a UI for backgrounder called Multiflow which give a Palm Pre kind of functionality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrGLGoB88So&feature=player_embedded

To say that there is /no/ multitasking on the iphone seems wrong to me.

I think it is more accurate to say you can only multitask with select Apple apps. I can do many things while iTunes plays. I can be doing things and have texts come in, My email and calendar also sync in the background.

Also as the add says, I can be on a call and doing data related tasks at the same time.

I think that this models the level of multitasking that most non-techie computer users live with on their PCs.

I definitely wasn’t saying there is no benefit to multitasking 3rd party apps. There are at least three very useful scenarios where it comes to mind: (a) your GPS app that takes so long to restart (b) IM apps (c) apps that are constantly logging or tracking info like “where am I”. I’m sure there are many others. My point was merely that the vast majority of 3rd party apps don’t scream out for multi-tasking and that most arguments made by other device champions make it sound like these apps are in use by 90% of users 90% of the time. I think the ability to make/take a call and get data is a much greater priority for the average user. Given that opinion, I find it hard to take the multitasking statements in the iDon’t ads.

Overall, given all concerns, I think Apple has made the correct call with their chosen priorities. I too hope we’ll see some sort of improvement with the next major update. However, I think limited abilities, say being able to designate one or two ‘hot apps’, would be sufficient to satisfy almost all scenarios and still leave a device that ‘just works’ without adding unnecessary complexity or stealing battery power unbeknownst to the average user.

The multitasking of the base Apple functions does work very well. One of my most commonly used scenarios is to spend most of the time just listening to a video podcast while banging away on the web researching the topic being discussed.