[tdenson]

I note in the press that Google have released statistics saying that they see 50 times more internet searches on iPhones than any other phone. I think this demonstrates the sheer usability of the iPhone for web use that some of us have been banging the drum about.

[Ricardodaforce]

That's brilliant.

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricardodaforce

That's brilliant.

Do I note a touch of sarcasm there ?

[chyllyphylly]

I dont think its the iphone's ease of use. More like the fact O2 (dont know about AT&T) gives free data usage from day 1.

If they did it with a N95 that data usage would shoot up

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chyllyphylly

I dont think its the iphone's ease of use. More like the fact O2 (dont know about AT&T) gives free data usage from day 1.

If they did it with a N95 that data usage would shoot up

I disagree. It is the iPhone which encourages web access, not the other way round. It doesn't cost much to get a very usable data plan e.g. TMobile's web'n'walk on an N95 - indeed, the N95 supporters keep saying that you can get an N95 with data plan cheaper than an iPhone. I use my iPhone a lot for ad hoc enquiries on Google etc. and I have just looked at my usage statistics - since 1 Jan I have used 140MB of data and yet I personally probably do 50 times as many web accesses as with previous internet-enabled phones I have owned.

[Ricardodaforce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdenson

I disagree. It is the iPhone which encourages web access, not the other way round. It doesn't cost much to get a very usable data plan e.g. TMobile's web'n'walk on an N95 - indeed, the N95 supporters keep saying that you can get an N95 with data plan cheaper than an iPhone. I use my iPhone a lot for ad hoc enquiries on Google etc. and I have just looked at my usage statistics - since 1 Jan I have used 140MB of data and yet I personally probably do 50 times as many web accesses as with previous internet-enabled phones I have owned.

One wonders just why you need to do all this googling when you are out. As for me I have never googled from my phone and wonder why I ever would. I know the addresses of places I want to visit (here, Autosport, Ebay, BBC et al) so they are bookmarked. How strange that you have a phone (as many of us do) that facilitates easy web-surfing that makes you compelled to use that facility.

[stevej26uk]

I would say it's more down to the clever marketing on apple etc's part, from day one it has been advertised as showing the full web, and rather mileading makes out is the first device to do so which it isnt. I dont know about anyone else but browsing over edge(where available) is still painfully slow in my view.

Try using hsdpa and the go bck to edge or gprs its like going back to dialup from broadband at home.

Th only real advantage of browsing the web on the iphone over browsing on the n95 is the larger screen and touch based controls.

As has been said as well the iphone comes with an unlimited data package so users need not worry about internet costs, their is still a common view held that browsing the net on your phone will result in costly charges although we know this isnt true with most networks coming out with unlimited data.

my wife and I were laughing at the iphone advert the other day, everything the showed the iphone as doing I can do on the n95, podcast, youtube full web, maps, mail etc

Must say I agree as well I rarely use google on my phone as i have all my bookmarks set up on the phone, so only use google when I'm looking for something much the same as at home.

[davisa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricardodaforce

One wonders just why you need to do all this googling when you are out. As for me I have never googled from my phone and wonder why I ever would. I know the addresses of places I want to visit (here, Autosport, Ebay, BBC et al) so they are bookmarked. How strange that you have a phone (as many of us do) that facilitates easy web-surfing that makes you compelled to use that facility.

Slightly embarrassing reason, but you asked!: I was having a coffee the other day and noticed my debit card was missing - much panic later, I was able to re-trace my steps, google for each shop I had visited (over free WiFi), call the shop, find where I had left my card, and go and retrieve it!

In the past I'd have had to either a) drive back to the shopping centre and visit every shop in turn, or b) go home and use Google - or c) (preferably) not leave my bleeding card behind in the first place...

[Sananda Maitreya]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricardodaforce

One wonders just why you need to do all this googling when you are out. As for me I have never googled from my phone and wonder why I ever would. I know the addresses of places I want to visit (here, Autosport, Ebay, BBC et al) so they are bookmarked. How strange that you have a phone (as many of us do) that facilitates easy web-surfing that makes you compelled to use that facility.

odd comment.

you might as well say it's strange that anyone googles at all.

[susie-4964]

The iPhone is a lovely piece of kit, but I'd think twice about paying that price for the privilege of easier Googling while on the move!

[Ricardodaforce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davisa

Slightly embarrassing reason, but you asked!: I was having a coffee the other day and noticed my debit card was missing - much panic later, I was able to re-trace my steps, google for each shop I had visited (over free WiFi), call the shop, find where I had left my card, and go and retrieve it!

In the past I'd have had to either a) drive back to the shopping centre and visit every shop in turn, or b) go home and use Google - or c) (preferably) not leave my bleeding card behind in the first place...

118247, 118118, 118500 et al. All of which could have been called from a £10 Motofone and acheived the same result in less time

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricardodaforce

One wonders just why you need to do all this googling when you are out. As for me I have never googled from my phone and wonder why I ever would. I know the addresses of places I want to visit (here, Autosport, Ebay, BBC et al) so they are bookmarked. How strange that you have a phone (as many of us do) that facilitates easy web-surfing that makes you compelled to use that facility.

There are numerous ways in which web access is useful when out and about. A couple of weeks ago I was staying in a cottage near Sheffield and wanted to know what was on at the cinema that evening. Only yesterday I was in Ikea to discover they were out of stock of what I wanted but in stock at Notingham and Coventry, 2 places I pass regularly. While having a coffee there, out came the iPhone, looked up the iKea website, transferred the post codes of the two stores into Google Maps, and was able to make a decision about which would be the most convenient.
Even just for looking up phone numbers, OK you can call Directory Enquiries, but if you think that paying 50p versus nothing is value for money .....

[stevej26uk]

Google has revealed it has seen 50 times more search requests coming from Apple iPhones than any other mobile handset

just took that from the news report, notice that it says more than any other handset not more than all other handsets together a little twisting of the story there

Given that the apple and 02 adverts heavily promote the web browser its no wonder most iphone users have used google.
Out of the handsets that offer full web, many users probably dont use it hence the lower figures per handset for example I know 6 or 7 owners of the n95 onbly 2 regulary use the web browser.

I had to laugh at the end of the news report:

'The iPhone is the only phone that offers "full-fat" internet with Apple's Safari browser, rather than web designed especially for a mobile phone format.'

I was doing 'full fat' web browsing on my n73 2 years ago !!
Just goes to show what a bit of hype can make people believe.
Apart from the Operating system and the touch screen the iphone is 2-3 years behind as a mobile phone.

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej26uk

I would say it's more down to the clever marketing on apple etc's part, from day one it has been advertised as showing the full web, and rather mileading makes out is the first device to do so which it isnt. I dont know about anyone else but browsing over edge(where available) is still painfully slow in my view.


Th only real advantage of browsing the web on the iphone over browsing on the n95 is the larger screen and touch based controls.

Re your first point above, I do not use the internet because Apple tell me to, I do because it is easy, and 10 times easier than any other internet-enabled phone I have owned.

Re your second point, you have hit the nail on the head. The large vivid screen and multitouch interface is exactly why surfing on the iPhone is a pleasure. My son has an N95 and freely admits it is hopeless for the internet, and he just can't be bothered to use it. He also admits he would have an iPhone if he could afford it - let's be clear here, you do not find me preaching the iPhone is value for money, it's just the most useful phone out there, and that is borne out by the fact that people use it 50 times more often on the internet than its nearest rival.

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricardodaforce

118247, 118118, 118500 et al. All of which could have been called from a £10 Motofone and acheived the same result in less time

I hardly think that is worthy of rolling eyes when 118118 costs 59p +14p per minute.
The calls he mentioned would have virtually cost the same as the phone.

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej26uk

Google has revealed it has seen 50 times more search requests coming from Apple iPhones than any other mobile handset

just took that from the news report, notice that it says more than any other handset not more than all other handsets together a little twisting of the story there

.

Not sure who was claiming otherwise - I certainly wasn't if you re-read my post

[tdenson]

Had a little competition with my son on Saturday. We were sitting in a Macdonalds wanting to know the time of the next showing of a particular film at the Bradford Odeon. He pulled out his N95 and me my iPhone. He was still trying to connect to the internet when I had the answer. Also, I didn't even bother to use the free Cloud Wifi that was in range because contrary to popular belief Edge is more than good enough for such lookups.

[Sananda Maitreya]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej26uk

Just goes to show what a bit of hype can make people believe.
Apart from the Operating system and the touch screen the iphone is 2-3 years behind as a mobile phone.

“All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?”

[Dan Sette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricardodaforce

One wonders just why you need to do all this googling when you are out. As for me I have never googled from my phone and wonder why I ever would. I know the addresses of places I want to visit (here, Autosport, Ebay, BBC et al) so they are bookmarked. How strange that you have a phone (as many of us do) that facilitates easy web-surfing that makes you compelled to use that facility.

You know, it may seem odd, but I've got (and use) bookmarks on the iPhone as well.

Google was useful when house hunting and saw the board of an estate agent that I was unfamiliar with, in an area I didn't know.

Rather than just ringing up and ask what they had for sale and try to describe what I wanted down the phone (and have them try to describe what they thought was suitable), I just narrowed down what I wanted by looking at properties on their website from the comfort of the car and made the appointment by phone.

Quick, simple and would have been impossible on my Vario 2

[stevej26uk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdenson

Had a little competition with my son on Saturday. We were sitting in a Macdonalds wanting to know the time of the next showing of a particular film at the Bradford Odeon. He pulled out his N95 and me my iPhone. He was still trying to connect to the internet when I had the answer. Also, I didn't even bother to use the free Cloud Wifi that was in range because contrary to popular belief Edge is more than good enough for such lookups.

More luck than a true represtation of edge I would imagine, Ive used edge on several devices including the iphone and every time found it to be painfully slow, was your sons n95 getting a 3g signal
Dont get me the iphone is a good phone, but the for the price there are better devices, the 3g iphone should be interesting, browsing with the large screen on the iphone at hsdpa speeds would no doubt be a good experience.
And I have to conceed that the iphone user interface is a lot smoother and faster than the n95 s60 interface.

The use of edge technology has proved to be a good way of speeding up the old 2g netwok and is easier on the battery, but the reason the networks are dropping it for 3g is simple hsdpa gives a faster better browsing and download speed, ever tried downloading an 8meg email over edge its like dial up again!!

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej26uk

Apart from the Operating system and the touch screen the iphone is 2-3 years behind as a mobile phone.

As pointed out elsewhere, I think you are rather belittling those revolutionary features. I needed to make a 3 way conference call today, I know, hardly rocket science. However, I have not tried before on the iPhone and it was just trivial, completely intuitive, one obvious button press - "add another call" from the main phone screen. As it happens I carry round 3 mobile phones, running Mac OS X, Symbian, and Windows Mobile respectively (don't ask). As an exercise I had a go on the other two phones and just didn't even get to first base. I guess I could get the user manuals out, but I don't know where they are.

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej26uk

The use of edge technology has proved to be a good way of speeding up the old 2g netwok and is easier on the battery, but the reason the networks are dropping it for 3g is simple hsdpa gives a faster better browsing and download speed, ever tried downloading an 8meg email over edge its like dial up again!!

Well, there are limits, I can't actually remember the last time I downloaded a file as big as that even from home (given also that many ISP's cap attachments that sort of size). However, I agree, for downloading files, obviously 3G is heaps better. But, the point I and other iPhone users keep making is that there is more to perceived performance than pure bandwidth. Somehow, and I don't know how, but Safari on the iPhone just seems quick in terms of less latency, perhaps it loads pages more efficiently in terms of real time performance, I don't know, but it is certainly very usable.
Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to having a 3G iPhone - but even then I suspect I will have the 3G switched off a lot of the time to conserve battery, and may not bother to turn it on again for the occasional internet access. Often now I find myself in a free Wifi hotspot but stick to Edge because I can't be bothered to go through a logging on process since Edge is fast enough for most of what I want it for. And also I find Wifi very frustratingly erratic where you think you have a connection but nothing happens. The one thing about Edge/GPRS is its consistency.

[Dan Sette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdenson

I needed to make a 3 way conference call today, I know, hardly rocket science. However, I have not tried before on the iPhone and it was just trivial, completely intuitive, one obvious button press - "add another call" from the main phone screen.

Just to wander up a side alley here.

When you made your conference call, was it like having two callers with one on hold and then swapping between them, or could all three parties join in the conversation simultaneously?

[LibertyBell7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej26uk

Apart from the Operating system and the touch screen the iphone is 2-3 years behind as a mobile phone.

Amen. The words of sanity.

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej26uk

More luck than a true represtation of edge I would imagine, Ive used edge on several devices including the iphone and every time found it to be painfully slow!

However, we need to look at the start-to-end time to do a particular task. It's no good the N95 downloading the page in 3 seconds instead of 10 seconds, when the accompanying keystrokes and manipulation of the phone takes 60 seconds against 5 seconds.