Quote:
iPhone owners, can you comment on the utility of the device WITHOUT internet access? Can I.... download Google Maps, or some static map content (like all those city guides for Palm)?

I don't have an iPhone but you'd be losing one of the major features of the iPhone.

You can use WiFi I guess...

There are 4 feature categories listed for the iPhone on Apple's website.

1. Revolutionary Phone
"iPhone is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows you to make a call by simply tapping a name or number in your address book, a favorites list, or a call log. It also automatically syncs all your contacts from a PC, Mac, or Internet service. And it lets you select and listen to voicemail messages in whatever order you want — just like email."

What is revolutionary about this? Touchscreen phones which let you tap to call have been out for years. The voicemail part is new and thats about it.

2. Widescreen iPod
"iPhone is a widescreen iPod with touch controls that lets you enjoy your content — including music, audiobooks, videos, TV shows, and movies — on a beautiful 3.5-inch widescreen display. It also lets you sync your content from the iTunes library on your PC or Mac. And then you can access it all with just the touch of a finger."

Does what it says

3. Internet in Your Pocket
"iPhone features a rich HTML email client and Safari — the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device — which automatically syncs bookmarks from your PC or Mac. Safari also includes built-in Google and Yahoo! search. iPhone is fully multi-tasking, so you can read a web page while downloading your email in the background over Wi-Fi or EDGE."

Is having HTML email actually a good thing?

I've had Opera on my mobile phone for years now. Does Firefox/IE/Opera on a laptop count as a portable device as well?

4. High Technology

Multi-touch: All the phones and pretty much everything else I've used which have a touch screen couldn't handle more than 1 finger/stylus on the screen at a time so this is nice.

OS X: Eh. Don't care. If the phone works then I don't care what OS is actually running inside. All of my recent phones have run some form of Symbian and it works well for me. I can install and run anything I want.

Wireless: The iPhone is actually lacking in this part because its limited to EDGE only.

Sensors: Cool but thats it.



I think I'll stick with my Nokia...