I think there's a lot more to this situation than we know right now. Apple hasn't commented officially on the situation yet. Has Google? I read some (second hand) reports that AT&T denied any role in the removal of the Google Voice applications which makes sense since they offer various models of Google Voice capable BlackBerries. This leads me to wonder if Apple isn't working on a deal with Google to officially support Google Voice in the iPhone OS. It certainly makes more sense than Apple making this huge anti-competitive strike against a company they are otherwise friendly with over a product that is invite-only and not even a blip on the radar to Apple. A deal between the two companies opens a lot of interesting possibilities especially when you consider Apple is looking beyond carrier exclusivity and is rumored to be launching an iPod Touch with a built in microphone -- along with the rumored tablet device. Until both Apple & Google release a statement on this I'm convinced they're working on a deal. Apple has been known to withhold information for PR purposes even if it's causing them bad PR. (ie, copy & paste in iPhone 3.0. They could have just said yeah, we're working on it -- but instead they refused to comment)
I can't help but feel that if you consider your phone just a phone, rather than a defining characteristic of your personality, you're less likely to be so outraged at its shortcomings.
Steven Frank "quitting" the iPhone is a bigger deal. If the rumours are to be believed then Arrington is about to be a competitor to Apple (in the tablet space). That plus his history of histrionics kind of tempers my interest in his opinions of the iPhone.
I'm feeling pretty disillusioned about my iPhone recently. I'm basically waiting for a sufficiently-captivating Android device. I'm curious to see what the Hero will be like, once I have a chance to hold it and they've had a chance to smooth out (and speed up) the software stack.
Michael Arrington does know how to keep things interesting. Even if we resist, somehow articles from TechCrunch reach the front page of HN. Not that I have any real problem with it, but can we somehow filter the front page to contain a maximum of 5 or so sensationalist articles?
This Google Voice fiasco by Apple and/or AT&T is slowly mushrooming into a nuclear cloud. I wonder when CNN, BBC et al will start picking it up...<p>When this hits mainstream, who knows what kind of public backlash will ensue.
This is a little petulant, but the plot over why kill GV is interesting. Since skype is on the iphone, and GV is on other phones with AT&T, it is curious why GV was rejected.
Just thinking through this problem some, I had a quick thought that would be neat to see: "Carrier Apps". These apps would have lower level access to the iPhone and to allow true background processes (listening for calls, texts, setting a data connection). You would download a carrier app and it would "install" itself as a preference pane. Basically I would like to see carriers treated more like preferences/apps than partners. I know this couldn't happen until after AT&T exclusivity came to an end. I think it makes sense: Apple could then converge the iPod touch/iPhone into one product. Don't want a cell service? Don't install the app. Makes room for the tablet to be dropped in for use with a 3G provider or just as a wifi device too. Just a thought. I'm sure there are plenty of holes in it.
I'm not sure exactly how the tech works, but if GV works over the data network, similar to skype, I'm concerned the quality, connection time, and amount of dropped calls would be worse than a regular call. The iPhone drops enough calls as it is, I imagine it could get much worse if the phone had to open an app, third-party or not, and place calls over the data network.<p>And what about SMS? For me to use GV full time, I need the ability to send SMS's from my GV number. MMS as well. I hope this functionality will be built into the app, if one ever makes it to the device.
I'd only own a phone for the computer/WiFi part. And I won't have some freaking manufacturer telling me what software I can and can't run on MY computer.<p>That HTC Hero that's in the pipeline looks awesome. (Price??) I saw an advert & review for it yesterday for the first time. (It runs Flash! uses SD card.)
I think Arrington is bluffing here and I'm calling his bluff.<p>I would probably do the exact same thing in his position. There's no way I would quit the iPhone, and I bet he won't either. He's just using his powerful voice to put more heat on AT&T and Apple to reverse this decision.<p>And I'm glad he is. I hope it works.
Voice transcription sounds pretty cool (in Google Voice). It's speech recognition, but the nice thing about this particular application is that it doesn't matter if it's not real time.
So he's been using the perfect phone for two years then a new service comes and gets rejected and he drops the best mobile computing platform ever?<p>I know everybody is milking the GV fiasco, but this borders on stupidity.
I have loved the Automobile, but now I am quitting the Automobile.<p>This is not an easy decision.<p>I was there in January 2007 when it was announced and I bought the first Automobile as soon as it was available. I happily bought the Automobile 3G a year later. I’ve proudly yelled “I Am A Member Of The Cult Of Automobile.” I’ve been an unabashed cheerleader for this mode of transportation to all who’ll listen. And I’ve scoffed at drivers who said they’d abandon the platform.<p>But I’m not going to upgrade to the Automobile 3GS. Instead, I’m abandoning the Automobile and DOT. I will grudgingly pay the $175 DOT unregitration fee and then I will move on to another mode of transportation.<p>What finally put me over the edge? It wasn’t the routinely congested highways, something you can only truly understand once you have owned an Automobile (and which drove my friend Om Malik to bail). I’ve lived with that for two years. It’s not the lack of parking spaces at home. I’ve lived with that for two years, too. It certainly isn’t the lack of a feed bag, that has never bothered me. No, what finally put me over the edge is the speeding debacle.<p>Most of you won’t know what I’m talking about, so I’ll explain.<p>Speeding is a way to get where you're going faster than everyone else. Here’s an overview of the service if you aren’t familiar with it.<p>I’ve always wanted to use speeding but there’s a big switching cost - crashing your automobile and dying. Too many roads are not built well enough to operate an automobile at sustained high speeds and are too dangerous to use for speeding.<p>But now Firestone is planning on rolling out a new line of tires that are supposed to handle well at high-speed, so I can drive as fast as I want no matter what condition the road is in.<p>Or so I thought. Chevrolet and the DOT are now making speeding illegal. Why? Because they absolutely don’t want people doing exactly what I’m doing - driving as fast as they want and using their roads as a racetrack.<p>So I have to choose between the Automobile and speeding. It’s not an easy decision. Except, it sort of is. Firestone isn’t forcing the decision on me, Chevrolet and the DOT are. So I choose to work with the company that isn’t forcing me to do things their way. And in this case, that’s Firestone.<p>So what mode of transportation will I use next? Well, that decision is easy, too. I’d move to the goat because I believe it is the best vehicle out there other than the Automobile 3GS. But Firestone hasn’t created a tire for the goat yet, just motorcycle and bicycles. So for now I’m going to use the new bicycle speeding tires. As soon as something better comes out, or Firestone makes an tire for the goat, I’ll switch. And keep on speeding. No long commute to work for me.<p>And Chevrolet, if you ever decide to put the hammer down on DOT and do the right thing for your loyal customers, I’ll consider switching back. In the meantime, I’ll just use one of many go-karts parked in the garage to test out new roads.
If I understand correctly...he's "quitting the iPhone" because it's an unsatisfactory VOIP handset...<p>Of all the things Apple claims the iPhone to be, I don't think this is one of them; so I'd say that the problem has more to do with his purchasing choices than anything Apple and AT&T are up to...
Wow! There is a pretty strong reaction against Apple.
OSNews released an editorial yesterday that promises to publish news for the next 1984 days that works against Apple's PR.
<a href="http://www.osnews.com/story/21918/The_Camel_s_Back_Broke_1984_Days_of_Bad_PR_for_Apple" rel="nofollow">http://www.osnews.com/story/21918/The_Camel_s_Back_Broke_198...</a>
Looks like Mikey is looking for some filler for a slow end-of-week news cycle. Plus, he can continue to add more follow-up "content" on Pre & Android experiences.<p>Just more "jurinal"-istic pablum. Next.