Sorry – Not!!!

I agree with what you say, but as you were agreeing with me that is no surprise!! I confess that on the few occasions that I pick up the iPhone these days I do like it. I want to be able to use it, it just doesn’t do enough of what I need (yet)

Very strange. Apart from the SSL/certificate issues with me it works fine.

Does your service make you go through a proxy?[/quote]

Have made some progress!!! I have had IMAP issues with my server, that at last seem to be resolved. As a work around I had all my email accounts forwarded to my .mac account. That is no longer the case and I set up two AL accounts on the N95 today and managed to reply to an email from one of them.

At the moment Mail is whirling away on the CM account, one AL account and .mac so I am hoping that is why I was unable to send a reply from my .mac account.

Me, I still like my iPod Touch, as it looks like we are now the only “country” in the entire world that still will be iPhone-less for the foreseeable future! Having said that, I still would like one if it became available. For a couple of reasons.

Price! It’s now at least a hundred dollars less than the equivalent iPod Touch, with more features. (Although there is still that whole monthly thing…)

Usability. I have not used a N95. I have “heard”, though, that the Windows Mobile is just plain crap, and that the Palm software has a lot to be desired. You have to admit that the things that the iPhone does do, well, it’s just plain slick. Yes, there are a lot of things that the iPhone is lacking, but does that make it an inferior product?

To go back to the 80’s, the question which was the quality bag was asked. Not which bag would be better served for groceries. Because a bag can get ruined does not make the quality any less. Because a bag is not designed, nor marketed for one specific purpose does not make the craftsmanship any less. So, there is a standard for quality versus usability.

So really, do as Chris has done. He has a specific purpose for his smart phone and has purchased accordingly. Of course, if it doesn’t measure up, look elsewhere. If the iPhone doesn’t suite your particular use, of course look at others. At least it is not being advertised as doing something it won’t. Everyone knows exactly what the current iPhone will and will not do, so they can make their decision intelligently and not by emotion, simply because it’s from Apple.

In conclusion, no one should be able to say they got iPwnd.

Very strange. Apart from the SSL/certificate issues with me it works fine.

Does your service make you go through a proxy?[/quote]

Yep even over WiFi. I have the latest firmware, and have tried with SSL off. A not going through a proxy.

[quote comment="61778"]I’m underwhelmed too, though the price is at last what it should be, no more ripping us off. I’d be tempted to get one as an ipod, but I think it won’t work unless it’s set up with a phone contract.[/quote]

I think that will be the case, especially as we are going to see the more ‘usual’ subsidised hand set model that we get in Europe – Tim will be pleased as I kept on about that on his shows when the first handset came out!!!!

Very strange. Apart from the SSL/certificate issues with me it works fine.

Does your service make you go through a proxy?

1. My .mac account, which has a load of accounts forwarded to it
2. A gmail account, which has all my gmail accounts forwraded to it
3. A specific client account that is POP only.

They all receive emails just fine.

I can’t send email from any of them. I have tried SSL on and off, numerous ports etc

425 is an unusual port for SMTP. Are you using gmail?

Usual ports for SSL SMTP are 465 or 587. Try changing to one of these.

I gave up using SSL on my N95 due to an authentication/certificate bug between the app and my mailserver, so that could be your problem. You may have to fall back to an unencrypted connection.

If you are using gmail then honestly I find the Java client much better than Nokia’s mail app.

I assume you are!!!

And do you manage to send ok using WiFi or just the 3G network?

Everything that I try just results in the phone hanging at Connecting to mailbox ….

Mine works fine. I use my email service’s authenticated SMTP servers. Which email service are you using? What port have you set – if you are using 25 then try 26 as many networks block port 25.

For mobile users I heartily recommend fastmail.fm over IMAP – just set your other mail to be forwarded there.

Let’s take the camera as an example – no slim phone device can pack a battery big enough with today’s power technology that would run the electronics of a “real” P&S camera for very long, AND still have enough juice to make the odd phone call. Again, this is today. The N95 won’t last beyond a day if you are taking snaps and maybe less, and although it’s a great camera-phone it’s no match still for a P&S.

So if you use all the extras of the N95, ie as a camera, the primary functionality is crippled (ie the battery dies and you won’t be making any calls). If you do really fun stuff like use the GPS to tag your photos the battery goes even quicker.

Despite some great results on flickr for N95 photos I have been less than satisfied with the quality and so, despite this being the best camera-phone SO FAR it’s still not really an option beyond quick snaps posted to a blog for which the iPhone’s 2mp job will also do fine.

Function N95 iPhone
Phone OK Great GUI
SMS OK QWERTY, even if software, thumps the N95 here.
Email Average Excellent (I’ve tried every mobile mail device, app, and protocol out there) + QWERTY.
MMS Great WTF is what most people say. Plus carriers must be going bananas.
Music Great Ummm…iPod so unrivalled + iTMS so this is a spanking.
Video Ish A serious rival for a dedicated PMP and the screen size, so another spanking here.
GPS Superb Yet to be properly tested but pretty sure it’s going to work as expected.
Sync Excellent The only thing that works better than Nokia’s iSync plugins is an actual Apple device.
Build Ish If the iPhone is made like my touch it’s pretty solid.
GUI Oldskool Welcome to the future.
Buttons Fiddly Touch screen with big finger friendly buttons. Could maybe do with a few more real ones.
Camera Excellent Wonder if they found a big pile of cheap 2mp sensors? See above.
Video Excellent Software will give you something back here I’m sure.

On the subject of the N95 have you (or Kenny) got it to send emails ok? For some reason mine wont If so what you using for outgoing server – a regular ISP or the phone network?

Oh well. Needing a new device — with corporate IT capabilities — I think I’m writing off the n95 and waiting for the new Blackberry 9100 (bold) series.

Cheers
Kenny

5 Megapixel Camera
Video Capture Capability
32GB
Sync Notes and To Do
MMS
Skype – I can use it on the N95[/quote]

1. I’ve got my Lumix, very pocketable, which will give me far better photos than my N95 any day. Any situation where I desperately need a snap (eg a recent car accident) the iPhone would have done fine.
2. Video – see above got HD video capture with the Lumix, and there will be apps for video capture for the iPhone I am pretty sure.
3. Yeah with you on that. Need more memory or an expansion slot.
4. Yep this too defies all logic. I hope Apple listen and fix this with MobileMe. But I’ll live without for the mo.
5. MMS – hardly ever use it so not a biggy. Email and social web apps are better ways of sending/posting media content.
6. Yes this would be nice, but again I am pretty sure iPhone + VOIP will come.

The iPhone UI and usability means that even though it lags behind on a feature-matching basis against the N95 and ilk, the sum of all the parts means it still wins for me. I’ll still keep my N95 but it might gather some dust after July 11th.