Comments on: The Bad Touch(stone)

Has anyone modified their Touchstone yet? Maybe further adhering the coil to the case? I find it strange that the problem only presents itself at 100% charge. Shouldn't it occur at random intervals if it's a hardware issue?

journalistic integrity?

(Which is not to criticise with "obvious hatred", unless you're one of those people who think Apple are totally beyond reproach. Then you might find yourself becoming overly defensive on the Internet at the slightest provocation...)

As for the iPhone - seriously, I'm not having a go at it. Everyone I know who's picked one up recently has some kind of complaint. May feel more solid in your hand, but that's perception. Reality is it breaks just like anything else does. Maybe it's different amongst your own circle...

Sure it breaks. But I've gotten 2.5 years of experience with these phones, and the only reason one experienced a hardware fault was when I dropped it on asphalt. I've got to admit, that one is pretty much my fault. But the phone having a spider-web crack across the entire glass screen, yet still functioning 100% for the next two months, that's all Apple build quality, right there.

Like I said, hardware quality is not a common complaint among iPhones. If you're going to complain about the platform, there are plenty of other things to choose from. However, touting the Pre as some sort of solid hardware in it's wake is maniacal.

If you're ever in the US, stop by a Sprint store. If you can find a working display model, I'll buy you a beer. Then walk into a Best Buy or Wal-Mart and try to find a non-functioning iPhone. If you can, I'll buy you one.

Tim Carroll wrote:
As for the iPhone - seriously, I'm not having a go at it. Everyone I know who's picked one up recently has some kind of complaint. May feel more solid in your hand, but that's perception. Reality is it breaks just like anything else does. Maybe it's different amongst your own circle...

I'm guessing that your iphone carrying friends are telling you what you want to hear. abosco is right. There are plenty of things to complain about the iPhone. Build quality is not one of them. It's worth noting that the customer satisfaction rating for iPhone's is way above the average.

http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2009082

The Pre's build quality sucks - and I said so right after I used one.

Cheap wobbly slider, low grade plastic, cracks, flimsy USB door, etc. and this was after weeks(!!!)

The iphone isn't perfect - the screen on my wife's original iphone cracked after six months. The phone still functioned, however Apple replaced the phone free of charge.

My iphone 3gs had a scratch on the inside of the screen - I went to the Apple store and Apple replaced the screen in 30 minutes.

Also, experimented with your google links (BTW, google is no substitute for journalistic integrity).

Try typing in "Palm Pre Build Quality"

While most of the google links regarding iphone build quality talked about "hairline scratches", the Pre build quality issues are orders of magnitude worse (here's my favorite):

"I'm on my THIRD pre (yellow box). Over the last two weeks, I've noticed an increasing amount of play with the screen. I've also noticed that on the left side of the device the two sections are separated enough that i can almost see the innards. When I push them together, you can hear squeaking. On top of that, the device came with a loose power button that doesn't click nearly as firmly as that of other devices."

"I already exchanged my first one due to a faulty screen, and will likely also exchange my current one because of a wobbly/loose slider. Hopefully third time's a charm."

Third time's the charm? Maybe there should be a Tamara Hope commercial using that slogan...

Here's a fun experiment: type "iphone build quality" into Google. Let's see what the top results are, shall we?

When you sell around FORTY MILLION UNITS WORLDWIDE, you're bound to run into the statistically defective units. And of course, the people with the biggest problems are often the ones who complain the loudest. Remember when we were hearing about the Pre's supposed 50% return rate?

You're full of shit. Stick to talking about the advantages of multitasking, not about criticizing the manufacturing capabilities of the company that has manufactured the single most successful consumer electronics device of all time, the iPod. If build quality really was shit, Apple wouldn't have so many repeat customers.

On the contrary, how many people's last PDA was the m505?

Other than an example like that, I'm not sold on multitasking. From all the reviews that I've read, people like the one-step task switching of webOS more than the two-step process on the iPhone. But beyond Pandora, the push notification system does a pretty good job of letting you know when you have an IM in AIM. And really, that's my biggest use of multitasking.

Do you have any other uses for multitasking in the Pre's defense?

And of course, the people with the biggest problems are often the ones who complain the loudest. Remember when we were hearing about the Pre's supposed 50% return rate?

Yep. I'm not saying "iPhone manufacturing is shit". I'm saying "iPhone manufacturing is the same as anything else." Somehow, this meme has gotten out there that Apple's products are of some amazingly higher manufacturing standard than the competition. It's simply not borne out by reality, in my experience. That's all I'm saying. Nobody should have a problem with that, considering it's just an anecdotal observation.

As for multitasking - it's great. One swipe across the gesture area to flick to another app - very handy for, say, referencing a web page whilst slapping an email together, or flicking from the camera to the Photos app. The notification area that grants you limited control over the music player (or other apps that choose to use it) whilst in other apps is great too.

Gekko wrote:

Pre's multitasking is more like "saved state via a screen shot" in actual practice. BOGUS AND LAME!!!

really? I still haven't used one, or even seen a working one in person. So it still takes time for the application to be responsive? Is it as long a time as the initial start up?

I was expecting better.

That is to say, I don't believe one can equate Apple and Palm defect/return rates given no other information.

abosco wrote:
Yeah, but the iPhone/iPod Touch have that feature as well. While the music is playing, double tap home, and a control menu appears as a pop-up.

I did not know that! Thank you abosco.