Scribblings

Disclaimer: - This is not written as full fledge review, there are a million out there explaining each feature. What this is, is a opinion or an gist of things you should expect and know before you decide on anything regarding the phone

Let me get this out first, I’m always telling people not to get the iPhone and I feel like a hypocrite for not just owning one but also getting the 3Gs on the first day of it release. But thinking hard, I’m not a hypocrite. Nope not in any way you cut it.

First let me talk about the 3GS, it’s definitely not twice faster than the 3G, it’s at least three or four times faster. It boots up way faster and you really see the difference in games. Also the battery is marginally better. And the fairytale end there. I couldn’t see any difference at all in the signal strength and no improvement in handoff between 3G to Edge. I must be looking like a circus clown when jumping left to right to catch a strong Edge signal to make calls. Also there is no big difference in Push interface, gmail(on the iPhone) is still not push capable and I never had problem with MobileMe for day one. Also the biggest disappointment for me was that there is no cosmetic changes, it looks exactly the same as the 3G, doesn’t even have a ‘3G S’ logo on it and I’m getting bored of the design now. So to recap, yes it’s faster and yes it’s marginally stays up longer but that is it. And you might wonder why I got it, ah; I was up for an upgrade and to see this for myself. O, I forgot; it’s got a compass though I still haven’t found a use for it, other than realizing that I’m facing SW when I work; is that good? Or is that the reason I’m not getting that hike?

Second, let me say a few words on the 3.0 OS. Mostly good news here, yes you get the ‘innovation’ of cut-copy-paste (OMG what a fuss this has been). Yes you get the video recording and also the much asked for voice control. Though out of ten tries not even once I got it right. But overall the new OS feels nice and fast. I here there are about 100 odd small improvements done here and there and I believe them. Now you get a percentage next to the battery indicator (no more guessing) (note: - though this worked only on the 3GS and not on the 3G). It also has a ‘Find my Phone’ feature for mobile me users, nice touch but not all that effective.

There this looks like a decently put together review, but still doesn’t explain why I’m not a hypocrite for asking people to stay away from it. And here goes…

Ah, before I dwell into that, I need to get a shout out to their customer care folks. Their call center, though inadequate as anybody’s; they don’t boast they know better than you. But their ‘Genius Bar’ is outstanding. Very pleasant, timely and they take the time to make you fell better.

Ok, brass tax. The phone is plain stupid. It’s very colorful, innovative (but it’s been 3 years) touch screen, easy to use and has million apps (really) to do just about anything. But still it’s all so stupid. First of all this is a phone, and I expect to get phone calls in it (Hello!!!). This doesn’t happen half the time. As I talked about this before, you make a call in 3G signal (very low) then it tries to switch to Edge the call drops. And in the iPhone 3G, most of the time I don’t receive a call, the person calling me happily hears the ring and the VM prompt but nothing on this end. I have changed the phone, changed the sim, and restored it a million time, still no calls.

Still this is not the reason I call it stupid. The smartphones in market for years now can do all the stuff this phone can do and some more and do it better. What I would suggest is, get this phone if it’s your first smart phone, and then quickly move on to an HTC or an Xperia. WM phones have always been so solid and unbelievably versatile. Now that these companies are realizing that there is a market for smarphones, you see a lot of innovations or improvements in the least.

Now for the folks in India, iPhone is a huge no-no. There is no 3G and GPS, so basically you won’t be able to do anything on the iPhone except make and receive calls (which it’s bad at). And considering that, it’s bulky. In my opinion get an iPod touch or an Archos (Archos if you ask me)

I had watched all the Harry Potter films and even once tried to read the 'Goblet of fire' but couldn’t get past all the detailed descriptions of how the magical washing machine worked or the clock showed where the Weasleys were at any given time. So for the most part I have been relatively Potter free. But about two years back, one way or the other I got pulled into the fiasco. I stared listening to the audio books and my friend filling up the gaps as we went. As they say, once you have sampled it I couldn’t get enough.

That is why looking back I find the movies to be so inadequate. I know, my heart crossed I know that a book cannot be made into a movie word for. I loved the Watchmen though, which for the most part stuck pretty close to the novel. I also loved the Lord of the rings series, though its was not an exact replica, it nevertheless it captured the essence of the books and you can say I loved both the book and the movie of V for Vendetta. Though both were very different , they both still had that touch. But here, the books are so complex and well thought off; it is a disgrace to deviate from it; to be fair I thought the fist four movies were decent (though I hate the way Dumbledore is portrayed), This is where the fifth and sixth movie faulters, The half blood prince is so off the mark, it not only neglected the book as a mere annoyance but created huge plot holes which is both unnecessary and stupid. How can Harry just stand there and stare when Dumbledore is being killed? Or why is the Borrow burnt down? Or why is Tonks calling Lupin “Sweetheart”? Or how on earth can Draco Malfoy disarm Dumbledore one on one? Then there are things with even bigger consequences, how will Harry know where Hufflepuff’s cup is (he was closing his eyes when Ginny hid the book)? Or that Nagini is the last Horcrux (Dumbledore does not talk about the other horcruxes except for the Book, Ring and the locket) or if he is roaming from one coffee shop to another when he is not in Hogwarts, then why would Madeye Moody die?

Now that’s off my chest, I actually wanted to talk about the books and the Harry Potter universe as a whole. There are loads of things I liked, but a few I loved. One being how Dumbledore is portrayed, He looks old but he is the single most powerful wizard, he has the elder wand but thinks of it as a duty he needs to burden rather than use its power, he was offered the post of Minister of magic but doesn’t trust himself with the power, how much he loved Harry, but still send him onto the world equipping him with enough knowledge but not showing him the way and in all likelihood lead him to his death. And how he always saw and spoke to the good in people, when everyone saw Snape as a coward or a spy, Dumbledore trusted him. Even when everybody saw that Harry was special for escaping the killing curse, Dumbledore knew Harry was special not for escaping the killing curse (as everyone did) but for he was pure at heart, that he wouldn’t be drawn in by the all the power or that when he saw into the mirror, he saw only the things which were taken away from him and not any riches or glory. Dumbledore in any sense is the true hero of this series(If not the whole seven books, read the last two chapters in Order of the Phoenix to understand this) .

I also loved all the side stories, yes Ron falls in love with Hermione and yes Ginny gets Harry but I’m so intrigued by the love between Tonks and Lupin, I loved the way it was built up. Tonks is still my fav character in the series. Then the masterpiece, Snape. Snape has got to be the most complex character ever conceived. He is hated on all sides, hated by the Death eaters for being Dumbledore’s yes man and despised by the Order for being a spy to Vodemort. And he had to protect the kid who looks so much like the person he despises the most and yet receive no credit for it. Harry hated him till his death. But the most striking part is love he had for Lilly. Read the book guys, no mater if you know the story or seen the movies or even read it once. Every time I read it, my heart leaps with sorrow. Half blood prince with the deathly hallows has got to be the most complex, emotional and personal book I have ever read.

When questioned by Dumbledore on his love for Lilly,

Dumbledore: "After all this time, Severus?"

Snape: "Always."