iPhone versus Treo 750v
I now have my own iPhone 1st Gen. Running software version 2.0 I notice the following problems with the iPhone:
- Like the Treo (Windows Mobile 6, Treo 750v), the iPhone doesn't natively support group SMS texting, but the native messaging program of each phone can still compose a message to many people: you just have to keep adding them from contacts each time, which can get boring, and not feasable for really large event lists.
- On the Treo, I had to download a 3rd party app called Group SMS by Shailesh Ashar to make group txting easier. Group SMS integrates with the 'categories' feature of Outlook contacts allowing it to instantly pickup those. But its pretty buggy and slow and although you can paste, you can't copy.
- Clipboard support: The iPhone lacks copy paste function! Lets say that again: the iPhone doesn't have a clipboard or method to select text in a text box. This is super stupid. All Smart Phones for the past 5 years have had clipboard - pretty much that main point of having a smart phone in my opinion.
- SMS folders: on my Treo 750 and Treo 650 (PalmOS) both had the following: inbox / outbox / sent / draft, whcih seem very logical. You can go to a previously sent message, copy text from it, and paste into a new message. Can't do this on the iPhone, heck it doesn't even have an inbox / outbox. In fact, it would appear that it is possible to lose a half-composed txt by mistake somehow, something i will no doubt discover at some stage once i get used to it.
- Quick Text: similar to having a clipboard, this function on both the Palm and Windows smartphones allows the instant insertion of any number of pre-defined snippets of text. I have a bunch setup for common things, usually have a nice big one that describes my next gig in detail with the lineup and door prices etc, that i can send very qucikly to anyone who might txt me. This is impossible in the iPhone, but a great feature on both Treos!
- Treo can send and receive MMS messages - you know the ones with pics, videos, and sounds? Yep those. iPhone can't use those.