Engadget - New Details

[plumbingandtech]

This is the same Ryan Block and Engaget that had "inside info" the iPhone would be delayed till Oct.

They really should stick to recycling press releases because I for one do not believe any apple rumor they spew. They lost all crediblity to me on that subject as far as I am concerned.

 

[clevin]

Sounds like someone quoting Steve Ballmer.

I have tremendous faith in the in digital keyboard. I can't wait until Friday.

let me know how u feel when u got it.

 

[Cleverboy]

He will always poo poo the iPod and the Apple TV for instance, for whatever Archos or Sansa device he is using at that time. Thats fine, and personal opinion, but I feel most of it is wanting to be a balance to a lot of the media love Apple gets. Which is not being objective.

Agreed. I think balance is important, but sometimes "imbalance" can slip in to the point of inaccuracy. Lots of Mac/Apple haters out there LOVE to hear Apple getting bashed for something. There is no greater need for this know (in certain eyes) than with the iPhone. Gizmodo has given up defending themselves and openly calls themselves Apple Fanbois, just to preempt the moaning from the disinfranchised.

Veronica is an Apple fan. What is your point?

She sure is. There's no reason to even bring up their relationship with respects to Blocks partisanship. Block certainly doesn't deny industry impacts though, but I think he's got a LOT of pressure to not simply "love" Apple. For that matter, I think Tom Merritt and Molly are also a bit guarded.

This is the same Ryan Block and Engaget that had "inside info" the iPhone would be delayed till Oct.
They really should stick to recycling press releases because I for one do not believe any apple rumor they spew. They lost all crediblity to me on that subject as far as I am concerned.

LOL. I almost forgot. Talk about a rush to share bad news. At it again, isn't he?

1. Gates likes Engadget
2. Jobs likes Gizmodo

Choose your side. The pen is mightier than the sword. Draw your weapon.

~ CBoi

 

[plumbingandtech]

At it again, isn't he?

Maybe someone out there is trying to short Apple stock again

 

[jur1st]

As a happy owner of the Wii, I've seen many reviews for games slam the usage of the remote for controls. Many of these reviews proved to be inaccurate as it simply took a little time to adjust to the unique motion sensing interface. (Look at much of the discussion of SSX Blur)

I have a feeling that it will be much the same with the iPhone. Initial reviews will be mediocre with a great deal of negativity towards the keyboard...until people get used to it.

 

[clevin]

I have a feeling that it will be much the same with the iPhone. Initial reviews will be mediocre with a great deal of negativity towards the keyboard...until people get used to it.

as a ppl who pay attention to apple's products, the media pays much more praise than critics for any stuff out of apple even when its crap, this industrial bias is more "for" apple than "against" apple.

 

[surferfromuk]

Classic Engadget.

If the general public get the idea that Apple = perfection then it's simply game over for the rest of the crap-tech-pc world because the switchers will gain critical momentum.

I don't think we've heard the last of the 'bitching'. Fortunately, ( I hope), anyone smart enough to use a current phone is smart enough to try it for themselves...

...and we all know that means 'smiles all round'!!!

 

[Gonzlobo]

If my Google Reader has 2 iphone reviews spooled up - one 100% positive & one 80% positive - I'm going to read the more subjective (read 80%) review. Why? Because it's my feeling they're going into the review with unbiased opinions. The last thing I want to read is MacFanBoy's review as it will be written with Stevie's hand.

I would hope apple's engineers take negative reviews into account first and use them to improve the product's firmware on a weekly, then monthly basis.

 

[Project]

If my Google Reader has 2 iphone reviews spooled up - one 100% positive & one 80% positive - I'm going to read the more subjective (read 80%) review. Why? Because it's my feeling they're going into the review with unbiased opinions. The last thing I want to read is MacFanBoy's review as it will be written with Stevie's hand.

I would hope apple's engineers take negative reviews into account first and use them to improve the product's firmware on a weekly, then monthly basis.

Granted, and I would like to think everybody agrees.

The point is, just look out for those who go the other way as far as being subjective.

 

[BryanLyle]

If the iPhone can do half of what they promise, it will crush the Motorola Q I have now. I still have a year left on my Verizon contract and I am hoping by then, there will be a way to connect to an Exchange server to pull down email (other than IMAP and Safari). That is the ONLY deal breaker for me now.

 

[slffl]

Really?

Engadget's one of the best technology blogs out th.... oh wait, you must be a fanboy, and they once said something bad about stevie & company. Take off the rose-colored glasses, not everyone marches in lock step with apple.

Heheh, and you're exactly what I mean. I'm a fanboy because I think Engadget is are anti-Apple zealots?? Interesting.

Do you also think the mainstream media is 'liberal' as well?

Over the years of reading Engadget and Gizmodo pretty much daily, it's obvious (to me) from their blog posts they don't like Apple. Almost every Apple post either mentions something about Jesus, God, fanboys, Steve almighty, not enough features, features it does have suck, etc etc.

But when it comes to non-Apple products, it's different. They try very hard not to say anything negative. For example, two new 17" laptops just came out from Toshiba and another brand. I noticed they have 1440x900 screens. Now, if this was a 17" Macbook Pro, they would have been all over that. Just one of many examples.

Most of the readers are the same. Go into any Apple post and you will see 80% of the comments are anti-Apple zealots. Go into non-Apple posts and do you see anyone saying "Toshiba sucks! Get an Apple!"?

Both Engadget and Gizmodo used to just post the details and facts about new gadgets. However, they now like to add all of these little jabs and negative comments, I guess to make the posts more interesting for the anti-Apple zealots.

 

[Project]

Almost every Apple post either mentions something about Jesus, God, fanboys, Steve almighty, not enough features, features it does have suck, etc etc.

This is 1000% true in respect to Ryan Block. His ****** little remarks are tiring. Granted, there are lots of Mac fanboys, but there are those of us who genuinely love Apple products and can still draw the line between appreciation and religious zealotry.

 

[marksman]

My take is anyone who has become comfortable and excepting of the poor choices out there for smartphone and like devices, will likely not like the iPhone interface, at least at first. Those people who don't like the clunky way smartphones and like devices work or have avoided them all together, will likely find the iPhone a more natural and comfortable experience.

Call it speculation on my part, but I am pretty comfortable in my assessment.

 

[marksman]

There's a good reason why the rest of the world has moved to hardware keyboards.

I got two:

1) Cell phone manufacturers hate cell phone users.
2) Cell phone companies never learned how to make a proper user interface for their devices.

 

[plumbingandtech]

This is 1000% true in respect to Ryan Block. His ****** little remarks are tiring. Granted, there are lots of Mac fanboys, but there are those of us who genuinely love Apple products and can still draw the line between appreciation and religious zealotry.

Agreed.

 

[Gonzlobo]

Do you also think the mainstream media is 'liberal' as well?

Absolutely. CNN wasn't called the Clinton News Network for nothing.

(snip) But when it comes to non-Apple products, it's different. They try very hard not to say anything negative....(snip)

I just went to Engadget and read their last review... it's about micr*soft's Ergonomic Desktop 7000 keyboard. One line says it's cool because it uses wireless technology, yet pans it because it doesn't use standard bluetooth technology. Later in the review it says 'it's not much to see here'.

In my - and maybe yours - opinion, this is an unbiased review. If it was about an apple product, you'd dismiss it as being anti-apple because it pans 2 features of the product.

 

[Project]

Absolutely. CNN wasn't called the Clinton News Network for nothing.



I just went to Engadget and read their last review... it's about micr*soft's Ergonomic Desktop 7000 keyboard. One line says it's cool because it uses wireless technology, yet pans it because it doesn't use standard bluetooth technology. Later in the review it says 'it's not much to see here'.

In my - and maybe yours - opinion, this is an unbiased review. If it was about an apple product, you'd dismiss it as being anti-apple because it pans 2 features of the product.

It wasn't by Ryan Block, which is basically what this thread is about as he is the guy who covers the big Apple stuff. The different writers at Engadget do have very different styles.

 

[Cleverboy]

Three somewhat suspicious things to note:

1. Nothing new.
2. EVERY point is a negative comment.
3. ALSO, interesting, that given the demonstration of the technology on Apple's website (click here), that anyone would imply this is "resistive" (pressure based) touch screen technology and not "capacitive" (conductive).

there are three things about this post that makes me think it isnt real....

1) its negativity, nothing nice to say about the phone, its got to have something good to talk about
2) the hard pressed for the screen (which was discussed earlier)
3) magsafe power adapter for the bt headset??? that makes no sense, magsafe was made so when someone trips on the cord it doesnt yank the electronic with it.. a bt headset doesnt have enough weight to detach from the adapter.. it makes no sense at all...

GMTA. I didn't catch the magsafe. I'd written it off by then.

~ CB

 

[toneloco2881]

I'm sorry guys/gals but I think your a little off mark when it comes to Ryan Block. He seems reasonably objective to me when it comes to reviewing products. I do get the sense sometimes that he feels the need to critique Apple products a little more closely, but that's because of the cries of Apple Fanboy every times he writes an Apple article. Apple is also a HUGE advertiser for them so I don't get the notion that Microsoft is in their pocket. He derides the Zune every chance he gets. Plus, on the day of the iPhone introduction he called covering it the greatest day of his professional life!

All I'm saying is that with the amount of mainstream press Apple gets at anything they do, he may feel the need to temper that with a little bit of objective criticism. The guy had to create a seperate RSS feed, because of the incessant whining over all their iPhone coverage! Perhaps he DOESN"T want to get labeled as an Apple fanboy, for fear of hurting Engadets credibility. Cut the man some slack.

 

[Project]

Plus, on the day of the iPhone introduction he called covering it the greatest day of his professional life!

.

His biggest paypacket, no doubt

http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/01/12/engadget-10-million-page-views-on-iphone-day/

 

[kdarling]

Not that this says anything worth getting riled up about, but I actually had this impression too. Three somewhat suspicious things to note:

1. EVERY point is a negative comment.
2. ALSO, interesting, that given the demonstration of the technology on Apple's website (click here), that anyone would imply this is "resistive" (pressure based) touch screen technology and not "capacitive" (conductive).

The negativity is not surprising, considering how falsely positive some of the hype has been. I mean, ads showing instant map downloads, that seem to know where you are? Just look at all the posts from people on the net who were convinced it had GPS. People off the net are going to be surprised.

Re: touch. Marketing animations and ivory tower wikipedias are nothing compared to thirty years experience with touch devices. As I commented before, I've seen people try to push harder many times on capacitive screens, because something about them just doesn't register well, and they're used to trying harder on resistive types. It's a natural human response when a light touch doesn't work. It doesn't imply anything.

Regards, Kev

 

[Gonzlobo]

(snip) I've seen people try to push harder many times on capacitive screens, because something about them just doesn't register well, and they're used to trying harder on resistive types. It's a natural human response when a light touch doesn't work.(snip)
Regards, Kev

Folks (I hear) had initial problems moving from IBM Selectric typewriters to PCs. Now that they're accustomed to today's keyboards, they probably could not type on a typewriter again! People will get use to the iphone's keyboard.

 

[kdarling]

Folks (I hear) had initial problems moving from IBM Selectric typewriters to PCs. Now that they're accustomed to today's keyboards, they probably could not type on a typewriter again! People will get use to the iphone's keyboard.

Yes, most will get used to it.

On the other hand, there are some whose fingers, for various reasons, act to a capacitive touch screen just as if they had gloves on. Weird? You bet !! Used to drive us nuts in the touch business. Callouses, hand lotions, and I swear, just plain DNA differences ;-)

Regards, Kev

 

[zap2]

as a ppl who pay attention to apple's products, the media pays much more praise than critics for any stuff out of apple even when its crap, this industrial bias is more "for" apple than "against" apple.

Or maybe, just maybe, the media reviews Apple's stuff, and its good, so they say good things about it!!


(I'm sure there are Apple fan boy reviewers, and Anit-Apple fanboys reviewers, but overall I'd say Apple gets good reviews more often then not, because they make good products more often then not)

 

[bloodycape]

First it's Engadget. They LOVE to hate on Apple.

Just wait to get the iPhone in your own hands. I'm sure there will be some who don't like the keyboard, but there will be just as many who love it. It's not going to be a thing where it will be unusable with 100% of consumers.

No, but I am willing to take a bet that at most around 45-55% users of the iPhone will be at least un-satifyed with the keyboard in one way or another.