Posts tagged iPhone

In response to Nokia’s “We prioritize antenna performance over physical design if they are ever in conflict” article, John Gruber of Daring Fireball wrote

Judging by how their phones look, must be a lot of conflicts.

I thought the same thing, but wasn’t able to succinctly state that message as well as Gruber. I think it shows, however, that “Antennagate” has really become a marketing monster more than a widespread issue. Is it real? Certainly, as I can place my finger over the slit and stop data from coming to the phone. More important though, would I have noticed it if these “journalists” weren’t trying to create a scandal? The answer is no. Most important, is this issue going to make people, including me, return their phone? I’ll get to that answer near the end.

As for Apple’s press conference, it took me two days to sit down and get all the information. I watched the conference, read some live-blogs, and followed the reaction. As expected, reactions were mixed, but overall, you could place most reactions into two buckets; reasonable and unreasonable. I’m in the “reasonable” group, so I thought I’d throw my perspective out to the internet. 

First, this post isn’t to downplay the issue. For some users, this issue is a hassle. I’m fortunate (I guess) that my natural instinct is to hold the phone in a way that does not cover the slit on the left side (I do hold the phone with my left hand). The phone is so thin that I can’t imagine putting the “death grip” to make a phone call, as the fingers would hit my face.

Anyway, I thought Apple’s response was incredibly reasonable. If you take away all the extras from the presentation, it boils down to two main points. First, if you’re having issues, then a case fixes it. So have a case on the house. If you don’t want a case, then return it with no restocking fee.

In essence, you don’t have to keep the phone if it’s not what you want. What I know though, is that everyone “wants” to keep the phone. No one wants to return it. If you don’t believe me, ask someone who owns one, or just go to the Apple Store and see one. Once you hold it, or see the Retina Display, the phone sells itself.

That gets to the crux of the issue, though, which is the society we live in. People, by nature, have a sense of entitlement. Phones, like any product, are a series of tradeoffs. People recommend products based on the overall tradeoffs that were made, and how they fit the person’s persona. Some journalists would rather complain, believing they’re entitled to an expensive fix (or a new phone), when they can simply go out and get another type of phone.

Noticed I said “journalists” in the last paragraph. I said that because I know a lot of people who own iPhone 4’s. Not one of them have stated they think less of the phone because of the antenna issues. As a matter of fact, it’s 100% agreement that this is the best phone ever made.

Therefore, I think Apple went “way above” where they needed to go. Phones aren’t perfect, as Jobs stated. Most users, sans tech journalists, are not letting this issue stop them from purchasing one (although maybe Consumer Reports scared Apple). If you are concerned, bring the phone back and buy another brand. Which takes me back to whether people (including me) would return their iPhone. 

Nokia, RIM, Microsoft, and others are making official statements, in an effort to attract iPhone customers. As stated earlier, phones aren’t perfect, and are a summary of trade-offs which attract a certain type of customer. In the end, a small minority may return their phones, but most will look at the value the iPhone 4 brings when compared to these other brands and stay. Again, just go to the Apple Store and see the Retina Display and the overall design. Then, go look at a Blackberry and its trackball. While everyone wants a perfect solution, including me, reasonable responses understand they’re is no perfect solution, so we want the best solution. People may threaten that they’ll leave you, but in the end, if you’re the best, few actually leave.

4Notes offers Universal access to your notes on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Access your notes from any device, and updates are automatically synced to your other devices and the web if you have a Press Start Games account. 

Since the initial release, 4Notes has added a ton of features such as Data Detectors, Drag/Drop Support, group synchronization, iPad support, multitasking, reminders, and so much more. The best news is that at $4.99, it’s an incredible value.

My goal has always been to get 4Notes into as many hands as possible. With the update of v2.0, I realized my goal of having 4Notes sync the way I’ve always wanted it to sync. In other words, not only does 4Notes sync without user interaction, the app syncs even if you leave the application (iOS4 Required with compatible hardware).

Now, my focus has turned to increasing volume. With that goal in mind, I’m proud to announce that a free version of 4Notes has been submitted to the app store, titled 4Notes Free. 

4Notes free offers many of the features of the original, premium version of 4Notes. Incredible features such as multitasking, syncing between your iPhone and iPod touch, emailing notes within the app, and drag/drop support. 4Notes Free also provides users the ability to add and update notes from our web application. 

As shown below, 4Notes Free offers a compelling package to users who want a free, simple, and powerful note taking application for their iPhone and iPod touch.

The original 4Notes offers substantial value over the free version, and will continue to be updated with enhanced functionality. Right now, the paid version offers iPad support, sync capability over cellular networks, categories, note reminders, data detectors, and lacks ads. It also offers 25x+ the storage capability. In other words, no matter what type of notes application you’re looking for, 4Notes Free or 4Notes should be able to satisfy your requirements.

4Notes Free also utilizes iAds, Apple’s ad service. If you do download the free version, please support the work by clicking on the ads. They’re really cool.

4Notes Free should be available later in the month of July, depending on Apple’s current review times.

Version 1.1.1* of 4Notes has been submitted to Apple. Along with the enhancements for v1.1, this release provides the following.

• Last Note Shown on Startup (iPad). Previously, 4Notes on the iPad always showed the first note on startup. With this release, 4Notes starts with the last note shown on the previous run. 
• Group Synchronization Fixes: Specifically, Deletion of Groups now syncs across devices. For example, if you delete a group on the iPad, that deletion is replicated on your other Apple devices. Also, modifying a note’s group will tell 4Notes to sync the note to the cloud.
• Compose Button (iPad). Clicking the “Compose” button will bring up the keyboard, no matter if Data Detectors is enabled or disabled.

As always, feedback is always welcome.

* As of this writing, some aspects of this post talk about future features & functionality which have not been approved by Apple for distribution in the iTunes App Store. At this time, Press Start LLC does not guarantee these features will be submitted, approved, or found in a future update.

I thought that making it universal was obvious: my customers don’t need to pay again for it on the iPad, nobody accidentally buys the iPhone version on the iPad and gets a bad experience, and I get the benefits of only managing one app. Win-win.

- Marco Arment

I completely agree with the sentiment above. Universal applications are a win-win for users as well as developers. To me, as a developer as well as a user, universal applications show the user that you want them to have the best experience. 

I wish Apple had a way to filter applications when I search that promoted universal apps. I’m aware of the plus-sign (‘+’) that is beside certain applications, but I would love even more promotion. The value of universal apps to the user should not be understated. 

To understand the value users get from a universal application, take a look at a Cultured Code forum post defending separate applications for iPhone and iPad.

Things for iPad required additional resources (such as a contractor) for development and additional marketing and business development resources. 

We feel that considering the functionality and design of Things for iPad, it’s priced fairly. 

Now, circumstances for apps and developers are all different. This post is not stating that Cultured Code made a bad decision, or that they’re wrong. What I am trying to point out is that developing for the iPad and iPhone is not trivial. It is not taking completed functionality and “skinning” it with a new UI. You are creating many more views and controllers, as well as doubling your test effort to ensure a great product. 

So, I’m not against companies and developers that sell separate builds to recoup costs. However, I think users should really understand the sweat that goes into a universal build and support developers who make our lives easier. 

4Notes is a universal application. I think it is a great distinguisher that one version allows users to install on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. As time moves forward, I plan to support more apps that do the same.

4Notes v1.1 was submitted to Apple last night. It’s been a long road to get this new version completed, but I’m really happy with the results.

4Notes has received tons of positive feedback since its introduction 7 months ago, even being featured on the iTunes App Store front page. This version takes the simplicity of 4Notes and brings it to the iPad, allowing seamless syncing between your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. For example, make a change on your iPhone while you are out. When you get back home, the change will be on your iPad. Or, create a grocery list on your iPad and access that list from your iPhone while you are out. Syncing just works (Press Start Games Account and Setup required).

With support for the iPad, I wanted to let everyone know that 4Notes will be a Universal application. What’s “Universal” mean? It means that you pay once for 4Notes, and it will work on all 3 devices. Think about it. There won’t be a need to buy a “for iPad” or “HD” version. 

Here’s how 4Notes looks on the iPad.

and iPhone…

I’ll have much more to say about 4Notes over the next week (there are many more enhancements besides iPad support), but I wanted to first thank everyone for their support. Creating a Universal application is much more work, but the result is worth it. I’ve been creating and updating notes between devices for a while now, and am very pleased with the results.

Depending on Apple’s review cycle, 4Notes will hopefully be available in Mid-May. 

- Seamless Syncing for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
- Add URLs, email addresses, and phone numbers to your notes.
- Drag/Drop Support. Manually reorder rows. 
- Better Group Control & Synchronization. 
- Better Accessibility, including support for VoiceOver.
- All the features of version 1.0.

See the website for more information. Note that some aspects of this page talk about future features & functionality which have not been submitted and/or approved by Apple for distribution in the iTunes App Store. At this time, Press Start LLC does not guarantee these features will be submitted, approved, or found in a future update.