Jailbreak 1.1.3 -- Just Don't Do It

Over the last several days, I have used the "Nate True" soft upgrade to 1.1.3 and have attempted to upgrade using the "official dev team" upgrade. My experiences are as follows:

First, the Nate True soft upgrade worked as described. However, since I had a number of jailbreaked applications on my phone when I executed the upgrade, they all vanished from the summerboard. When I used installer, I could see the package logged as installed. Most of the packages could be uninstalled and then reinstalled and they appeared in the summerboard and worked as before the upgrade.

Unfortunately, there were several that would take a "script error" and would not delete (from memory, two were the Guitar and he HP21 Calculator). Since the installer thought they were installed, I would not reinstall them. It was for this reason that I decided to use the dev team's "official" upgrade.

Unfortunately, after a day of attempting to use the directions found on http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/01/27/guide-jailbreak-any-iphone-with-113-macwindows/, I did not succeed. On top of that, I have had to restore the phone and lost all contacts, calendar, stock, weather, and notes entries. While I can recover much of this information, I cannot recover all of it.

As a result, unless you simply want to hack the phone for the "fun" of it, I HIGHLY recommend that you leave the phone as Apple intended it. With each subsequent upgrade that Apple releases, the corresponding steps to jailbreak that phone become increasingly complicated and subject to numerous errors. My net out is that the effort is simply not worth it. If and until such time as a jailbreak method becomes MUCH simplified and provides the capability to recover previous data, I am sticking with what Apple has provided.

iPhone Improvements

It has been almost 4 months since the iPhone was introduced. In that time, Apple has had the opportunity to experience the requests, complaints, outrage, and lawsuits of an opinionated, activist--but evidently severely loyal customer base. Across the multitude of papercuts that Apple has managed to inflict by its omissions of feature and function in the iPhone, what are the key ones that could make many of these complaints go away?

Well first, their announcement of an SDK has certainly quieted a mass of customers and hackers alike. By offering the SDK, iPhone now has an avenue for legitimate third-party applications. This capability should address the issues related to push email, alternate email clients, games, chat, and other applications that are already available through the hacker community.

However, my highest priority would be Flash capability. I never realized how pervasive Flash is used on Web sites until I started using the iPhone to cruise the World Wide Web. For sites that embed Flash as part of their site, the lack of Flash represents an inconvenience. However, for a number of sites, the lack of Flash means the site is not accessible. If iPhone is going to be an Internet access device as Steve Jobs described it when the iPhone was introduced, then Apple must provide Flash. It doesn't matter whether Flash is a Web standard, whether it is consistent with Web 2.0, or whether it is something Apple dislikes. The fact is Flash is a de facto standard on the Web. If iPhone is going to truly be an Internet access device, Flash is a requirement.

In the same way, the iPhone needs true Java support. If I am going to be able to use the iPhone on the go, use it as a substitute for a PC to browse and use Web content, then I am going to require access and use of www.TheDailyShow.com (Flash required), Google Docs and Spreadsheets (Java/AJAX required), and the ability to successfully enter text seen in an image to validate I am a legitimate user (never has worked).

Most of the rest will take care of itself (who knows, the third-party providers may provide resolution to these papercuts). The key for Apple is that when competitive products start providing these capabilities, Apple is going to be competitively disadvantaged. When that happens, Apple will find that providing those capabilities will not be enough to regain those customers. The clock is ticking and is now at 4 months. By the end of the year, I would predict that it will be too late. Does this mean iPhone will be a long-term failure? No, but it will mean iPhone will be relegated to a small percentage of the market--as what happened with the Mac. As seen with the Mac, market share can be regained, but it is a very slow, tedious process.

Why Do You Buy An iPhone?

This week has been a sobering one for the legions of iPhone early adopters and an object lesson for those considering a purchase of one. The trigger: Apple reduced the price of the 8Gb iPhone by $200. (Lost in the uproar was the announcement that Apple is retiring the 4Gb iPhone.)

However, the real discussion should be, "So, what? Why did I buy a iPhone in the first place?" Of course it is somewhat distressing that your investment of 60-plus days has depreciated $200 (or $100 now that Apple has offered a rebate--something you won't see from other wireless phone companies). But here are some things to consider. First, I bought my iPhone at retail at an Apple store. If I'm upset about the $200 price reduction, imagine how those people feel who paid north of $1,000 on eBay for one! Or what about that lady that was handing out $100 bills to secure a place at the front of the line? I think her iPhone cost around $1,600 when it was all said and done. This is the misery loves company approach.

Second, ask yourself whether you would have paid an additional $50 if Apple had originally priced the iPhone at $649. For many of us, the answer would have been yes. If it was, then you shouldn't be too upset because you just demonstrated that you didn't buy it for the price, but for some other reason. That reason could have been to be first. If so, there is a price for being first in any technology and you just experienced it. It is true being first adopter of a hybrid car, an HD television, or a laptop with a new generation processor.

The reason could have been to get you hands on new technology and a new user interface. If it was and you thought the value of that technology was $599, guess what, Apple just gave you a $100 gift certificate. That's because the technology has not changed (or if loading ringtones or accessing iTunes is considered technology, then the technology value has actually improved). You were getting value out of the technology before the announcement and now Apple has offered you a $100 credit. Once you past the emotion, that is a pretty sweet deal.

Third, I can only assume that Apple has a market that they have targeted with the iPhone. That target does not consist only of early adopters. My guess is that many are price buyers and were waiting for a certain price range to be met. This move was aimed at that part of the market. It may hurt that you paid more for the same technology, but this is a market reality and is not unique to Apple products.

Finally, as mentioned by numerous blogs, Apple is getting ready to introduce another model iPhone--probably a 16Gb version. They had to make room at the top end of their market price range to bring out that phone--most likely $599. My guess is that it will come out before Christmas. And just so you are not surprised, sometime next year, the 8Gb phone will either drop in price further or be taken off the market, and the 16Gb phone will be reduced $100-200 to make way for the next 3G and/or 32Gb model. It is simple market dynamics.

By the way, when the overpriced 3G model does come out, there will be a line at the Apple Store's door.

I've gotten my value out of the iPhone. But thank you, Steve for the noble gesture. I can't think of too many other companies that would have done what Apple did with the credit offer and definitely would not have responded as fast.

My next post will get back to my extended review of the iPhone continuing with Part IV.

Walter W. Casey, Ph.D.
Sent from my iPhone