(a) I don't want to spend $658.99 (with plan) for anything
(b) After roughly 300 recharges, the questionable battery life will start to fade
(c) My company already pays for my crackberry misadventures (note to self: write post about "snoozing with 'Berry")
(d) My device is not on the slower Edge network, yet I already look like a dumbfounded chimpanzee happening upon a stone monolith as I wait for a Google search to execute
(e) I could rely on the Wi-Fi alternative, but what if I start dating someone who frequents my favorite hotspot, and then we part ways? Too risky.
(f) Remember the first iPod? Now think 2G nano. Now you wait.
Anyway, I was watching some of the more popular YouTube videos this morning when my computer froze. The video featured New York Times technology columnist David Pogue reviewing the iPhone for the CBS evening news. I've noticed media bias in the coverage of Apple products before (e.g., MicrosoftNBC's coverage over recent months, not to mention how the news site buries negative MS publicity, such as when they were ordered to pay $1.52 billion to Alcatel-Lucent in the largest patent award in history). But this one befuddles me. Here's what happens on the clip:
Pogue first runs down a list of positives for the new gizmo, which are considerable. As he does so, he continuous to scroll through the phone's various features with the camera providing a closeup of the device. Then it gets interesting. Pogue says, "All the criticisms are also true. There is no keyboard except for on the screen. It can be a little slow at first to tap out text. It's the AT&T network, and the Internet, when you're in a wireless hotspot, is very fast. But when you're out in AT&T network land, it's very slow." (emphasis added)
No big deal, right? Obvious criticisms. But this is not about Pogue and his opinions. It's about the video's opinions. For just as Pogue's nonpolemic switches from pros to cons, he switches from the photo viewer to the iPhone's digital keypad to type a "new note." Buried in the switchover, and appearing with the text near the top of the iPhone screen (where it reads "1 of 405" in picture mode one moment and "new note" in keyboard mode the next), are these words, for a small fraction of a second:
"Very slow"
Don't believe me? Here:
And no, I don't have time to doctor images, nor would I know how. And you can try moving from screen to screen near the 44 second mark yourself:
The question that remains is, who at CBS added the text, and why? Was it just a prank, on a whim, or was it more purposeful? And if the latter, who stands to gain? I leave those answers to you, dear reader.
Vaya con Dios - Ordinary Skill
6 comments:
I deleted my previous post b/c of a glaring spelling error.
It could be that the iPhone states the obvious, "Very Slow", when it's having trouble connecting (e.g., IE indicating it's "waiting" or "loading"). [Now that I think about it, isn't there some browser out there that will say the connection is too slow and ask if you want to keep trying?]
IMHO, the market demo is all wrong. The iPhone is hip and flashy; all the cool kids will want one. But, the phone is really expensive, not something most teens or college kids will have the cash to pony up for, esp. when you consider the $100/month data plan subscription. Young professionals have the money, the savvy, and the desire, but the iPhone doesn't work with corporate email servers and synch technologies, meaning IT departments aren't going to make the iPhone an option. Somehow I just don't think being able to watch YouTube on the iPhone makes up for all the disadvantages (high price, corp incompatiblity, slow connections).
I doubt it - the reviewer is switching between photos and notes, two functions that do not require a connection.
Nice try, though, cyn!
Exactly--nice try!
This is me, David Pogue, and I was the one who gave CBS the demo.
The Notes program, which is what's shown in your screen capture, smartly gives each page of notes a title--named after the FIRST LINE OF TEXT on that page.
I had let a buddy try out the iPhone's virtual keyboard, and asked him if he thught it was slow. So he had typed, "Very Slow." (haha!)
That's what you saw on the screen--the title of his notes page. Had nothing to do with the AT&T data connection.
Although that IS very slow!!
--David Pogue
NYTimes
(woops--spelling should have been, "asked him if he THOUGHT it was slow")
Thanks, David! I am humbled and impressed that you even found my blog. And allow me to speak for many when I say that you have one of the coolest jobs in the world : )
Cheers,
Ordinary Skill
Post a Comment