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iPhone a hit, but...

The launch of the iPhone, Apple’s new phone, Internet and multimedia device, was a success at every level last week.
andrewbyline

The launch of the iPhone, Apple’s new phone, Internet and multimedia device, was a success at every level last week.

First you had the usual army of tech geeks, lining up for days in front of some American retailers in order to be the first to purchase the device. As usual the media took notice of these long lines, ratcheting consumer expectations into a frenzy.

Then you had the reviews. Apple gave tech reviewers iPhones about two weeks in advance of the launch date in order to get as much media attention as possible for their device, and for the most part the reviews were positive. CNet ( www.cnet.com ), one of the stingiest and most respected review sites on the web, gave the iPhone an 8.0 out of 10. Their customers, however, gave the iPhone a 6.6, once again proving that inflated hype and expectations are almost always deflated.

Lastly, Apple posted the kind of sales numbers in less than three days that investors drool over. Some 525,000 units were sold in the first weekend, with many stores running out of stock. Launches in Europe and Asia will follow in the next few months once production catches up to the demand, en route to projected worldwide iPhone sales of 10 million.

There are no planned launch dates for Canada, which is the result of both manufacturing limitations and the fact that the phone is made to be compatible with AT&T/Cingular services, and is therefore not fully compatible with any wireless services offered in Canada.

Maybe it’s just as well for Canadians. By all accounts, the iPhone is far from perfect or affordable at this stage.

Most negative reviews have noted that the iPhone is actually less capable than other cell phone/MP3 players on the market. There is no support for stereo Bluetooth or the 3G standard, which is a basic feature for other phones, and the sound quality varies. They also noted that users have to sync to their computer to manage their music content, that there isn’t much in terms of applications — no games, no productivity software. The web browser is also slow, and doesn’t support most video or flash content. The fact that the storage is not expandable was also identified as an issue, as even the 8 GB model could prove to have too little storage for video, music, games and other applications that presumably will follow the launch.

Other reviews looked at the price, and the way costs will add up for early adopters. Right now it costs about $499 for the 4 GB model and $599 for the 8 GB model (all figures in U.S. dollars). The activation fee is about $36, which includes a mandatory two-year contract. There are three plans available, for $60, $100 and $220 a month, that will cost you between $2,000 and $6,000 over two years when you include the cost of the phone.

Macworld Magazine ( www.macworld.com ) has a side-by-side comparison of plans that shows the iPhone in a favourable light when compared to devices like the Blackberry. The iPhone costs a lot of money, but people are already paying it.

Putting Whistler on the Facebook map

Judging by how fast my own Friends list is growing, Whistler loves Facebook.

If you’re not already a Facebook user, Facebook is a social networking website that allows people to build lists of contacts, sign up for groups, post photos, plug-in to third-party community software, send messages, share thoughts, and generally post all kinds of personal information that you might be better off keeping to yourself.

While people can create mini-networks within Facebook, you have to get the approval of website administrators to create a new regional network.

There are several benefits to having a formally recognized regional network. The first is that the network will make it easier to find and connect with other people from your area, rather than the usual process of hooking up through mutual friends’ and less formal groups.

The second benefit is the ability to post notices for events taking place in the regional network, such as concerts, fundraisers, and community get-togethers. Just click on the calendar icon and you will be able to see all the events taking place in your region, and see what events the contacts on your Friends list are planning to attend.

Lastly, regional networks also have an active Marketplace, which is basically an online classified section with a list of items for sale, items wanted, housing, jobs, and free stuff.

Whistler, BC is not yet recognized as a regional network, but could soon be added. A group of locals — Jamie Tilson, Mathieu Notargiovanni Preville, Patrick Tarswell and Craig Gorst — have officially petitioned Facebook to have Whistler, BC added as a regional network, and collected the names of 1,377 Facebook users from the Whistler area in less than two weeks. That well exceeds the mandatory 10 per cent of the population required to be considered for regional network status, and Facebook has responded by saying that they hope to add Whistler in their next network expansion.

No word on when that may be, but it’s still pretty amazing to consider how much support the submission received in such a short period of time.