By James Holloway on Wednesday, 16 July 2008
 Now that a few days have passed since the second coming launch of the iPhone 3G and the iPhone/iPod operating system update, the web has had a chance to absorb and digest Apple's phone and software. As you can expect, pretty much every aspect of the iPhone 3G has been examined in great detail and yes, it has even been put through a blender.
Rather than jump on the bandwagon and report on every single iPhone development as it happens, we thought we'd sit back for a spell, then survey the scene and take our pick of the best coverage. Which is just what we've done, after the cut.
The chaps at Gizmodo gave the iPhone 2.0 OS a thorough going over, unearthing some of the minutiae among the array of changes. Their conclusion may be of interest to those tempted to upgrade their iPhone hardware: Gizmodo points out that, if forced to choose, it'd take the software upgrade over the hardware faster than you can say false dichotomy.
That said, its full iPhone 3G hardware review gives high praise to 3G connectivity speeds, though perhaps best of all is its iBrick announcement and tongue-in-cheek look at the iPhone video-conferencing kit. Meanwhile, Lifehacker point out the real benefit of upgrading to the iPhone 3G: helping you get lucky.
Interestingly, at CNET, the editor's iPhone 3G review is almost two points higher than the average user rating. In its review, Engadget isn't not alone in raising concerns with the iPhone 3G's battery life.
Touch Arcade, a site dedicated to gaming on the iPhone, points out one of the lesser-known hardware features, with the iPhone getting one over on the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP as a gaming platform with its built-in rumble feedback for games that support it, simply by making use of the vibration-alert motors.
Asi Sharabi has even given up his Nokia 6310i, object of obsession of many a mobile phone enthusiast, for an iPhone 3G. That said, a recent Facebook status seen on his blog's front page doesn't bode well: "I thought 3G would be much faster".
As reported the UK launch of the iPhone 3G wasn't exactly hitch free, with Macworld among the sources blaming failed credit check procedures for failed phone activations. The Daily Tech reports on "the great iMess", which left American customers also unable to activate their 3G iPhones, either in store or at home.
In his article Scarcity, Seth Godin discusses how Apple could have better managed the issue of iPhone scarcity by rewarding, rather than potentially annoying, its most loyal customers.
When it actually works, MobileMe seems to be garnering largely positive feedback, as PC Mag's review attests. Lack of support for IE7 is one of the more contentious issues. Exhibit A: this MobileMe screengrab from Flickr user factoryjoe and its subsequent comments: "Patchy browser support, zero standards compliance, zero accessibility: did they actually outsource its development to Microsoft".
Mactropolis is not impressed by having to hand over credit card information to trial the service, risking billing if you forget to cancel. Because of the technical issues, they even recommend waiting a week before even beginning your trial. ZDNET's The Apple Core blog points out the teething problems in syncing iCal data with MobileMe.
Xocide observes that, what with the Windows Me operating system, perhaps the Mobile Me meltdown was inevitable, attributing the problems to the "Me" curse of naming software.
Macworld have made their recommendations from the first wave of third party iPhone Apps, while others have published dedicated lists for social networking apps, science-related apps and games.
So that's that. Or not – iPhone 2.0 tips and tricks are still turning up on a daily basis, and new applications are appearing at the iTunes store, too. The Unofficial Apple Weblog is our favourite place to keep an eye on this stuff, but rest assured that we'll keep you apprised of any major developments at Mobile Computer.
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