| iPhone

I really like my iPhone. The WiFi is nice at home, there is no need to carry a shuffle or Nano, and the voicemail is very slick. I still am learning to make the most of it but I have no regrets. That being said, there are a few deficiencies that must likely will be addressed in the future in either software and hardware updates.

For some reason Apple is staunchly against 3rd party development and seems to be very concerned with clamping down on exploits of holes in the iPhone's software. Perhaps they are afraid of DRM circumvention or more likely they have an agreement with AT&T. Let's also not forget that the iPhone plan with AT&T is a bit pricey by comparison to a traditional telephone; however, this is typical with most smart phones using unlimited data plans. There are also rumors that Apple may be developing in house software so that they can sell it via iTunes. More gravy for Apple I guess.

The major downside to the iPhone that could easily be patched is the lack of Multimedia messages. This is a mystery to me as to why they have not implemented it. I'm sorry but I don't want to go to a website to view a multimedia message when almost all current generation cell phones have this capability.

Those downsides that would require new hardware include a move to 3G (more bandwidth but less latency as compared to Edge) communication instead of Edge. Edge is just too slow. AT&T may still release Edge2, but again this would still likely require a hardware revision. The other downside that would require a hardware refresh is the battery life. When not using the web and moderate phone usage, I can get three days or so out of a charge. However, with heavy non-WiFi cell based internet browsing, the battery life dwindles to one day or so. I have not really tested the battery life when music is used as I have been very limited in my music listening of late.

If I had a functional phone, I would wait until the next hardware refresh. If my phone crappy and I couldn't or didn't want to string it along any further, I would get an iPhone. Who knows when Apple will release the next revision. As usual they are very tight lipped about such things. Most people in the industry seem to agree with your opinion on the next release date. Apple seems to follow a fairly regular annual hardware refresh schedule in its product lines. Late 08 seems to fit this well.

Your other option is to buy a non-iPhone AT&T phone/contract now and upgrade to the iPhone later when v2 arrives. AT&T does not check if you are eligible for an upgrade as a current AT&T customer when you upgrade to the iPhone. The plan is more lucrative and the hardware is not subsidized AND you are signing a two year contract. Thus, no extra cost and no penalties for early termination. At least that is how it worked when I spoke with the AT&T during the purchase of mine.

jA-El: If the radiator that is in your car is in descent shape, it is more likely not the radiator itself but that either the pump is bad and/or the thermostat is not working properly and causing the fluid to get too hot. Check there first I would say. This is assuming that the oil system is working fine and the engine is not damaged (cracked block or bent rods).

D>M>