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Safer Surfing on Untrusted Networks (Mac Edition)
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Add comment September 27th, 2007
I’ve been a user of Apple products since grade school where I fell in love with them. When I was 13 my parents gave me an Apple II+. 20 years later I still use Apple products on a daily basis.
The recent release on the iPhone was an exciting day for me. I’ve used previous smartphone products before the last being the Samsung Blackjack. That particular phone got so much wrong I returned it the next week. During my return I told the Cingular rep that if Apple were to ever make a phone product I’d buy it on the spot.
Here we are 3 months and 3 software updates later. While I’m very happy to see software updates for a phone, I’m disappointed in your lack of willingness to supply end users with DRM free ringtones, flash drive support and UI customizations.
At this point I have a virgin iPhone running 1.0.2. I have no intent of upgrading until one of the following two things occur.
#1) Apple stops pandering to the music industry in regards to ringtones. I have custom ringtones on my iPhone now from songs I own legally. I refuse to pay Apple one cent more for the priviledge of having a ringtone. That is just absurd. There is absolutely no technical reason why iPhone users can’t use any AAC/MP3 file for a ringtone. You’re forcing users down this rabbit hole for the music industry and your own profits. Stop the madness, your ringtone solution sucks.
#2) The user community comes up with a solution to allow custom ringtones as they work today on firmware 1.0.2. I have tremendous faith that the user community will shine again and hack your “secured” firmware. Just like other companies who have failed in their attempts to stop their respective user communities (Microsoft and Sony) you will fail as well.
While we’re on the topic of customizations let me discuss some features I’d like to see in the iPhone. I’d like my custom wallpaper to be displayed on the springboard and not just when the phone is in a call or locked. What UI designer came up with that stupid idea? Scary.
How about showing a little more feedback about calendar events. This is a smartphone after all, so let’s have it act a little more intelligently regarding events. Show a visible number indicator on the calendar icon for the number of events currently listed for that day. When alerted about an event, allow me to snooze the event for additional time. It should function just like Outlook in this regard.
Allow customization for the order of springboard icons and allow customization of which icons reside in the dock. Again, how could your UI designers miss this? Why would that be locked down?
I’m glad to hear that your allowing rotation of email attachments in 1.1.1 firmware but why stop there. Allow for the rotation of all applications like Mail itself, Google Maps, and Notes. The ability to rotate really improves the keyboard not just the screen width.
I personally could care less about iPhone games or iPhone hacking, but I do want simple yet meaningful features that are in almost every other smart phone. Apple, stop the madness. Stop catering to the music industry and refocus your attention on the true fans of your products. We buy your PowerPC Macs, then switch to IntelMac’s. We buy your iPod’s and iPhone’s yet this is how you repay us? By forcing silly restrictions on content we’ve already purchased.
I’ve already started using Amazon’s new MP3 service. I bought a DRM free album today in fact that you also carry. I paid a dollar less on Amazon and I got DRM free and account free music. It’s time to stop sleep walking Apple and to start paying attention to your paying customers. Stop ruining the iPhone.
9 comments September 27th, 2007
Halopedia Halo Wiki with Halo 3 Walkthroughs, Weapons, and more!
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