New Apple Lust Objects

I've been pretty amazed by the coverage of this - I maybe didn't expect a pric drop a couple of days ago, but certainly within a few weeks of now. Look at the amount the Razr dropped in price over its first year - I don't think we're going to see $99 iPhones in six months.

As I didn't feel I was entitled to anything back $100 of store credit seems like a good deal.

From that register article:

Unlike the iPhone, which is locked down at the carrier's request, third-party applications will not be restricted on the Touch.

Is this confirmed?

so i know i shit-talked it like two days ago, but it turns out the nanos aren't that ugly in person

Although I have a laptop, I rarely take it out and about. I turned it on in the airport and there were half a dozen wireless networks available. Are most of them subscriber-only? For one-off use, do you have to physically find a place to pay and get credit? How do people tend to use public wireless? I find it all a bit of a mystery. It would be a better technology if you could have a menu of all the payment choices from your laptop/iPod Touch.

I still don't get the point of the iTouch. It's just a touch-screen version fo a Nano, isn't it.

I think people are underestimating how much the size and quality of screen makes a difference. People who've used the iPhone say it really is nice for watching video on in a way the old iPods never were.

lots of pubs have free wireless

Yeah, I know there are lots of free places, but I'm interested in the payable side of it. Also, some people say that using free open wireless leads your computer wide open to attack.

Talking about wireless, my netgear modem is crapping out of me ALL THE FUCKING TIME. How do I know if it's the modem or the provider. :-(

Many public-but-not-free wireless networks let you connect but then redirect any http requests to a welcome page. A lot of hotels work this way, and Starbucks does too, I believe. In hotels, you're usually asked for you name and room number, which are then checked with the hotel's booking database. In Starbucks you're asked to pay for time with a credit card. "The Mesh" in Brixton also does this (though I don't know if they still exist).

Many public-but-not-free wireless networks let you connect but then redirect any http requests to a welcome page.

Oh right - that's what I thought it should do, but the one I tried didn't. Thanks.

Unlike the iPhone, which is locked down at the carrier's request, third-party applications will not be restricted on the Touch

whaaaat? oh, that's fucking bollocks, surely. i mean, that'll kill the iPhone dead. won't it?

i get some BT roaming minutes nonsense with my broadband account, which i've not used yet 'cos -- like alba -- i rarely take my laptop out. however, it'd be bloody useful with the iPhone. the deal is basically that you get free access to consenting wireless providers; there seems to be a pretty long list of people on board. openzone, that's what it's called.

FYI, alba: the university across the road from our office has a wireless server called GCC public onto which i can log from my desk ;)

In Starbucks you're asked to pay for time with a credit card.

Ah, if it were only this simple. In the US, you're given the T-Mobile login page, meaning if you pay for their unlimited access plan you theoretically log in and it just works. Or you set up a new account, or do a one-time credit card payment.

In reality, if you're a cell customer and have a plan with unlimited access (they have an edge/802.11 unlimited plan), they at no time tell you what the hell to log in with and it is documented NOWHERE. It turns out that the username is your 10 digit phone number and the password is the last four digits of your social security number (wtf).

But back to the original point, I still wonder if this means that Starbucks has a separate router for iPod/iPhone crap, or if it's using the T-Mobile one, or what. If Apple has had to deal directly with T-Mobile for the wireless part, it might mean interesting things down the road.

This thread makes me want to get all Ted Kazinsky.

xpost back to own musings: also: we're not 100% sure who the UK carrier for the iPhone will be, are we? there were stories that O2 had got it, but AFAIK that's not yet been confirmed.

one thing's for sure: if it's orange, i won't be getting a fucking iPhone.

xpost: riiight; writing that from your fucking stone tablet, are you?

free wi-fi, what a world we live in.
who's down for some warchalking?

————————
Sent from my iPhone Wireless Handheld

I think the 02 thing is confirmed now.

hmmm.

So how large is the 160GB pod? And will it burn my skin?

Those who can't imagine anyone needing that much pod storage need to try harder to imagine me.

Well, "need", admittedly.

anyway, so yeah. i bought a new nano. they're pretty rad.

Tempted by the 160GB but it might be overkill.

Tempted by the 160GB but it might be overkill.

I have 2.5TB of encoded audio and video. 160GB is not overkill.

Quite honestly, Elvis, I honestly expected you to have *more* than that! But I'll give it a few days.

Elvis, you know there's a distinction between an attic, a wardrobe, a suitcase and a wallet.

Fuck this is a long thread. Without searching all the way through it. Would now be a good time to but a new iMac?

Well they just came out with new ones, so yeah - get a snazzy new one, or an old one at bargain rates.

Don't give me options! Are the new ones any good? I mean they look good, but I know nothing.

MY $100 8 GB IPHONE WILL BE DELIVERED WITHIN A FEW HOURS

Ned I believe the spec says that the new iMacs are 1) harder, 2) better, 3) faster, and finally 4) stronger.

Note how I choose to ignore the deluded boasts above.

A WINNER IS ME

I just asked my parents for that ipod touch. In Japan it's much cheaper (compared to Belgium). HURRAH!

We can't use the iphone here, I think. Alas. Or maybe thank my wallet. heh

i saw my first iphones in line here at TIFF. i felt like such a hick.

rof ftban

1^8

new imacs kind of crappy. Hate the glossy screen - even in a normal environment - windows, overhead light, but no giant fluorescents or anything, it has more glare than any monitor I can remember (including ancient CRTs).

oh come on man i'm at work and shit xpost

This thread makes me want to get all Ted Kazinsky.

OTM.

WAIT how did Dan get the $100 iphone.

Im definitely getting one in november

also:

Unlike the iPhone, which is locked down at the carrier's request, third-party applications will not be restricted on the Touch

you can buy unlocked iphones on ebay. one seller said it was working fine on t-mobile. the only thing not working was the readable voicemail but thats only because t-mobile dont have that ability yet. these unlocked phones are going for over $1000 though. How hard is it to unlock a phone? I unlocked my t-mobile phones just by calling customer service and saying i was going overseas and needed to use the phone with an international carriers sim. they emailed the code straight to me.

I got it through the same site that I am trying to get a free jacket from via this thread: Who wants to help me win a jacket?

So anyone going to be buying an iPhone @£269 and £35 a month?

some sort of hacked ipod touch looks a better deal for downloading pr0ngoogle maps :(

How hard is it to unlock a phone?

It's a lot harder than it is with normal phones with an iPhone, but the ($50) software-based hacks that have finally come out do work, apparently. Problem is that Apple have to show AT&T that they are trying to stop it, because of the deal exclusivity and revenue-sharing. The next iPhone update could make the unlocked phones not work. The hackers would probably get around it again, but it's not ideal. Of course, you could just not install the update, but there are new features/bug fixes that people presume are around the corner.

However, a bigger problem with unlocking is, you still have to pay the monthly AT&T tariff for the minimum of two years, right? There's no way out of that.

There is a pay as you go tariff as well. There are also free tools for unlocking the iPhone.

unlimited data and free cloud wifi is not bad for £35. hmm.

funny that this is being widely reported as a £900 phone when you're still getting your minutes/texts/data (albeit not many minutes/texts and bad coverage on the data)… it's not common for other phones to be decried as £700 phones when you have to sign up for two year contract to get it for 'free'… thinking about it in these terms, £700 for yr phone needs (which you'd be paying anyway, if you're on a contract) + £200 for the ipod touch bits of it + a £70 premium for all the other niceties (ability to add calendar items, visual voicemail, all the features distinguishing it from the ipod touch…)

it's not THAT bad... but yes still steep and I won't be buying one

They said this tariff would be available to all 02 customers though.

How much is the pay-as-you-go version?

I reckon there is unlikely to be one in the UK. In the US it is the same price as the contract version.

However, a bigger problem with unlocking is, you still have to pay the monthly AT&T tariff for the minimum of two years, right? There's no way out of that.

nope, you can avoid that. uk terms look pretty reasonable to me - i was paying £30/month last year for 200 mins, 200 sms, unlimited gprs.

How can you avoid it?