Since its release in late June, critics have heaped praise on Apple Inc.'s iPhone, with the Wall Street Journal's Walter Mossberg calling the device a "breakthrough handheld computer." But Theo Frechette '09.5 wanted to experience the new technology for himself.
The day the iPhone launched, Frechette was among the many Apple fanatics waiting in line at a Boston Apple store, eager to be one of the first to get his hands on Apple's latest gadget.
"I was incredibly excited about (the iPhone) from the moment Steve Jobs gave the keynote (announcing it) in January," Frechette said. He admitted that waiting for eight hours - when the store actually had plenty of iPhones - may have been excessive.
Benjamin Schnapp '07 MD '11 was also at an Apple Store on June 29, but he was on the other side of the counter as an employee. Schnapp, who worked at Providence Place from September 2006 until August 2007, said lines for the iPhone stretched almost the entire length of the mall, and anticipation in the line was high.
"(The Apple Store) blacked the windows," he said. "It was very exciting, watching the throngs of people in front of the store."
As an Apple Store employee, Schnapp was able to use the iPhone before it was officially released and eventually ended up purchasing one himself. "It fit with what I wanted from a phone," he said. "You can get your hands on it and be able to use it right away. That's what I've always liked about Apple stuff."
Both Frechette and Schnapp said the iPhone has made their lives more convenient. "It really has just integrated my life, particularly by having constant access to everything that's on my computer," Frechette said.
Schnapp said he often uses his iPhone during trips to Boston, where he travels to visit his girlfriend. "I pull out Google Maps to check the traffic, I'll use it to listen to music on the way and if I get a phone call, it's right there."
Nathan Sashihara '08.5, who received his iPhone as a gift from his parents, was more reserved in his praise.
"It's made small improvements on many parts of my life, but I wouldn't say it's greatly changed it," he said. He noted that the iPhone's built-in Safari Web browser was a huge improvement over the browser on his old phone, a Palm Treo.
Though the iPhone has been available for almost three months, students say not enough of their peers have purchased the gadget for it to seem prevalent on campus. Sashihara said no one else he knew - beside family members - owned an iPhone, and Schnapp said the phone is still rare enough that he'll get remarks from classmates when he uses it on campus.
Frechette has managed to use that novelty to his advantage. "I've gotten a call at a party, and within seconds a swarm of females want to see (my iPhone) and play with it," he said. "It really is a girl magnet."
But Schnapp said he thinks the popularity of the iPhone will soon increase, making it less of a novelty. "I get the impression (the iPhone) will be a big Christmas thing," Schnapp said. "I'll come back for second semester, and a couple more people will have them."
In a letter to iPhone users, Apple CEO Steve Jobs explained that Apple had cut the price of the iPhone from $599 to $399 in order to fuel holiday sales.
Schnapp said he reluctantly accepted the logic of the price drop, despite missing out on the break. "It's probably the right thing for them to do," he said. Frechette agreed, saying that, if given the choice, he would buy the phone when it was first released all over again.
One drawback for current iPhone users at Brown is the difficulty in using either of Brown's two official Wi-Fi networks. Though the iPhone can connect to the wireless network called "Brown," it only retains the connection for 10 minutes, according to Tim Thorp, Computing and Information Services manager of training and communication.
When computers connect to the Brown network, a pop-up maintains the connection by refreshing every 10 minutes. Because the iPhone version of Safari cannot handle the wireless update technique, users have to reauthenticate every 10 minutes.
Brown also uses a network called "Brown-Secure," which is also unavailable to iPhone users because the iPhone does not include the necessary encryption protocol.
The current dilemma is that CIS is "stuck in the middle," Thorp said. "We have controllers that come from a company called Aruba, and we have iPhones from Apple." He said solving the problem would be easier if the iPhone allowed for third-party software.
"We're waiting for updates that fix this," Thorp said.
Although iPhones can connect to AT&T's EDGE network, the speeds provided by Brown's network are much higher.
But for most iPhone users, connectivity is a small drawback. "It's still a great device," Schnapp said.
