I just wanted to answer this publicly since so many people keep asking. The answer is “No, I will not be standing in line for an iPhone on Friday. In fact I don’t plan on getting one anytime soon.” This has nothing at all to do with how great or not great I think the iPhone is. I believe it is quite cool actually. My problems with getting one fall into three main buckets.
First, I need my phone to access my Microsoft Exchange environment at work. Right now we are using the Good software on our smart phone to tap into Exchange. It works quite well and offers a lot of control. Unfortunately this doesn’t work on the iPhone, at least not yet. Since my phone and monthly bill are paid for by the company, that is a show stopper.
Second, I got my current phone, a Treo 680, less than a year ago. That may not seem so big to some people, but it was a $400 or so phone and I don’t toss that large a purchase easily. Sure I could transfer it to someone else or something, but that just seems wasteful. And then on top of that would be the $600 or so purchase of the iPhone. Just not the kind of money I am going to invest – especially on something that doesn’t have one of the key features I need. (See reason #1 above.)
And finally, I am not going to stand in line and fight the masses to get version 1.0 of a product that fails reasons #1 and #2. I have never done that. Not for phones, not for video games, not for consoles, not for cars, not for nuthing. I just don’t do it. I can wait six months or so and relax. Let someone else take the hits. By the way, I don’t get up at 5 am on the day after Thanksgiving to go shopping either. I wait until around 10am or so when the crowds have died down. Amazingly, most of the good deals are still there.
So, unless someone wants to give me one, I won’t have an iPhone in the near future. It is sad, I know, but that is just the way it is. Check back with me around Thanksgiving though, because my contract will be up for renewal . . .
Just found this review and info of the iPhone too. Very interesting stuff.