I tried the new iPhone in a store the other day. I have not been its fan since its birth, for reasons I cannot lay my finger on. However, one thing I realized that I perhaps was using the sense of touch in a different way. And maybe this is the reason I do not like the multi-touch quality of iPhone.
I do a lot of things without looking at the phone I use. I know the keypad, there are speed dials, re-dialled numbers, receiving calls, listening to music, activating the silent mode - none of these require me to actually look at it. I can do it by feeling the buttons. With a buttonless interface, I have lost this sense of touch and the ability to use them without using my eyes. So much for the touch-screens!
I understand that you can use iPhone as a computer too and has other great features, but as a phone it is not in my list. And I wondered if there was anyone else who shared this feeling, what do you think!
August 4th, 2008 at 3:00 am
As my phones got smaller (and so did their buttons), thus my ability to silent a ringing phone without even taking it out of my pocket deteriorated. You’ve got it nailed that the iPhone has taken this to the extreme!
One must of course consider the overall mix of use cases. I am willing to give up pocket-silencing for a really usable PDA/phone.
August 4th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I share the same feelings. Here in the Philippines, text-messaging has become such a big part of everyday living that most Filipinos (myself included) have perfected the fine art of writing a text message with one hand while doing something else. It’s so common to text unconsciously here that it’s no longer offending to see someone texting somebody else while they’re talking.
I think the iPhone’s limited features with regards to text messaging will be its downfall when it finally hits the Filipino market. Sure, it looks great, it has nifty features and it even sounds cool, but a regular Juan has no use for anything fancier than text.
Yes, many Filipinos are tech savvy enough to get the most out of the iPhone’s features, but for the most part, we Pinoys crave the painfully awesome sensation of a swelling thumb after a 24-Hour texting session…