We Talk Shop

 Last Monday I was able to test out the new iPhone in our Apple store. Although it was already four days after it was released, people were still lined up and anxious to see it.

The iPhone is thinner and lighter as I expected. The control buttons were minimalistic and simple - true to its Apple roots. I was very impressed with it its fast response to touch, but at times I thought it went too fast that I couldn’t remember what I pressed on the screen so that I can go back. However that was easily remedied by the main control button on the unit itself, a small circular button at the bottom (or the right, depending on your perspective), which easily takes you back to the main menu.

Most fascinating feature for me was how the content of your screen turns horizontal when you turn the iPhone. We’ve all seen the ads, but it’s pretty great to see it in person. Browsing the web was easy and not as frustrating as you would experience with a regular cell phone, with its big screen, zoom in/out feature, and easy scrolling by running your finger up or down the screen. I was not able to test out the sound quality (I refused to wear those ear buds that has probably been inserted in plenty of ears), but browsing music allows you to see album art (when viewing horizontally), or view your music list as you would in iTunes.

So would I buy an iPhone? I would if I could. But I would probably wait for the next generation, in case there are any problems with this first round. Also, AT&T phone plans for the iPhone are very expensive, and that’s something that should be considered.

The iPhone has that cool factor, but not $600 cool for me. Others have commented that it is just a glorified handheld device, only in color and with a faster processor. But hey, Steve Jobs sold us the coolness in this little package and I’m not surprised that throngs of people bought it. 

Has it been done? Has the iPod finally been ousted from its throne? CNET awarded the Toshiba Gigabeat S with its editors’ choice ranking and gave it the highest rating yet of any mp3 player (8.3 out of 10). That’s right, besting the iPod 8.0 rating.

As an iPod devotee since the 4G B&W, like others, I’ve oohed and ahhed over the stylish curves and clickwheel design, but been frustrated by the battery life falling way short of expectations. Just last week my seven-month-old 5G Video’s battery drained in less than five hours of playing music - after a full charge. If Apple ever makes a generator, don’t buy it.

Even if Toshiba has created a superior product, can their player surpass the iPod’s profitability? It’s unlikely unless third-party accessory makers embrace the Gigabeat. The popularity of the iPod has created businesses, many of which primarily sell iPod gear. I’ll admit, seeing Toshiba’s new media player has me wanting to get my hands on one, but after investing a few hundred dollars in iPod accessories, I’ll be waiting to see if some of my favorite accessory designers jump on the Gigabeat bandwagon.