The Iphone has certainly taken over the world by storm! It sold close to 5 million in the fourth quarter alone, in comparison all window mobile based cell phones sold 20 million in 2008.
Analyst expects Sony losses to be six times higher than expected(1.6 billion dollars)
- Thread starter Brimstone
- Start date
And it´s not a good performer, it runs hot, and using for example the Apple Backup solution makes it crawl to a halt.
I hope Sony isn´t so hard pressed that they give up on their Vaio line.
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
Yes indeed apple are the masters when its comes to selling people stuff at double the price with half the functionality.
The iPhone looks great untill you actually want to use it whats its made for. Use gps? stuck with google maps because apple wont allow tomtom to release their software. Want to use skype? Apple wont allow the app because ofcourse the telco's they made deals with dont like that. Want a decent internet connection? To bad you are locked to T-mobile and in my country their internet connection is slow and doesnt have perfect coverage. Want to multitask? you cant. Want to install whatever you want? you cant.
The only thing apple did right is the interface, as always MS is running behind everything again. But Company's like HTC and (free) 3rd party software basically fixed that too. My WM phone is with the exception of adding a new contact completely finger proof for everyday use.
They do the same with their mp3 players. 2 years ago I was looking at a new mp3 player. A iPod nano was 100 euro, no lcd and 1gb. I ended up buying a Creative with 2gb for 50 euro and it was even smaller too and you dont have to use that horrible iTunes.
Pretty much agree with this. The iphone's user interface is slick, but that is about it. I mainly use mine for internet browsing on the go, and in this area the iphone really sucks. Random slowdowns and it keeps kicking me back to the "desktop". My old HTC phone with Windows Mobile was better.
I'm hardcore MS/PC guy and have never in my life ever consider using a piece of Apple hardware or OS, but after playing extensively with my brother-in-laws iPhone 3G on a long road trip to Miami, I have decided that once I can afford it I WILL buy one. I loved it. Love the wireless Internet, GPS, camera, touch interface, accelerometer and most of all, the App Store. Now I understand what all the fuss is about. It won't get me to look at their OS or Macs, but I WILL have an iPhone before too long. So Kudos to Apple.
Tommy McClain
I had a perfect experience with the iPhone on a 20-hour road trip to Miami. Now granted, it's not so fast on the Edge network. However, that was rural areas. Once you're on the AT&T 3G network it was pure bliss. Sure made our 3-day stay in Miami very enjoyable. Never once got out the laptop at the hotel.
Tommy McClain
really ? i've found the new htc touch pro better in every way over the iphone esp with internet speeds. About the only thing missing is the app store , but who needs it when a 5 minute search online can get you 90% of that stuff and for free.
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
They both support HSDPA right? Isnt internet speed more a case of network than the actual device? 2 weeks or so ago I checked with my mate's new iPhone and when trying to view youtube with the build in player (I think the apple and WM one are pretty much identical) he couldnt get it to play on the HQ setting while my Touch Diamond could get HQ no problem. But that is probably because he is on T-mobile and im on Vodafone and Vodafone is the only one not capping the mobile internet connections like crazy.
Stay on target, people!
Save it from what?
specwarGP2
Regular
Your comparison is nothing but an attempt to make Sony look bad and your bias is so blatantly obvious. You bought you vizio at costco, hence the 2 year warranty and 90 day return policy, which is offered on all TVs sold there, including Sony. Furthermore, Sony manufactures a specific line of TVs exclusively for costco to compete with bottomfeeders like vizio. I guarantee you that when you bought your crappy vizio, there also was a comparable Sony for a few hundred more.
I love irony.
Quick check of Costco.com shows the cheapest Sony LCD around 42" to be a 40" model with a 120hz panel for $1,599.00. The cheapest Vizio is a 42" panel for $799.99 and there is also a 42" 120Hz panel for $999.99. Looking at what you can get for $1,599.00 they have a Vizio 50" 1080p Plasma for $1.199.99 and if you find Vizios to be to "crappy" for you you can get a Sharp Aquos 52" 120Hz LCD on sale for that same $1,599.00.
I'm sure you can find more competitive pricing at other retailers and maybe the availability and pricing would be different at a Costco store from the website, but I think you should be absolutely certain of your facts before you call someone a liar even if you don't like their opinions.
I don't know, I'm not seeing much bias in eastmen statement there. It appears to be a valid point for him and you yourself state that Sony's comparable product is a few hundred more.
I use to be a very big consumer for all products Sony as they were synonymous with high end and high quality. From TVs, to walkman to VCRs. Within the last 5 years or so though, I've noticed myself not buying their products. Other than their videogame systems and a 6 year old TV, I don't own any other Sony products. I nearly bought a Sony LCD last year during Black Friday, but because of the price difference and quality, I chose a Sharp instead.
Unfortunately for Sony, they are facing stiff competition in a lot of markets that they've traditionally held court on. Ipod dominates the handheld music player market. Samsung, Sharp, Vizio, LG and others are competing strongly in the HDTV market. X360 and Wii are leading the videogame market.
I'm not sure what it would take for them to lead these markets again, but one thing that they probably have to get right is the pricing. For the most part and in this economy, very people are willing to pay a few hundred more for subtle differences in quality.
Edit: mrcorbo says it better.
thatdude90210
Regular
The consumers electronics landscape changes so quickly. Just my observation from a few general gaming/gadget forums: couple of years ago, when DLP tv's were still competitive for consumer dollars, Sony SXRD's were all the rage. Fast forward to today, and Sony LCD hardly gets mention when people ask about tv's. Samsung LCDs, which are in the same price ballpark as Sony LCD's, seem to have taken their place.
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
Doesnt Sony actually use samsung panels in some of their models?
Off topic !
The laptop computer, which is the better selling computer these days, all have integrated monitors and no expansion slots.
Doesn't mean he's not calibrated to consumer needs. He can be off but since the inception of the Mac, it's pretty clear that he's after the masses, not the enthusiasts. The iMac changed the "grey/beige" computer industry. iPod took over the music world with a minimalist UI, even though at launch the press and people outside the Mac userbase did not see it coming. Despite some outcries, iPod Shuffle sold extremely well even with missing forward/back buttons. Finally, iPhone again reminded the world what they really need in phones.
AppleTV and Air disappoint but Jobs' market perception is extremely sharp amongst the executives.
Yes, but his pitch is based on (sometimes hidden, or even ignored) user desires.
During Kutaragi's time, they worked together for a while to share LCD development because Sony was late to the party.
The laptop computer, which is the better selling computer these days, all have integrated monitors and no expansion slots.
Doesn't mean he's not calibrated to consumer needs. He can be off but since the inception of the Mac, it's pretty clear that he's after the masses, not the enthusiasts. The iMac changed the "grey/beige" computer industry. iPod took over the music world with a minimalist UI, even though at launch the press and people outside the Mac userbase did not see it coming. Despite some outcries, iPod Shuffle sold extremely well even with missing forward/back buttons. Finally, iPhone again reminded the world what they really need in phones.
AppleTV and Air disappoint but Jobs' market perception is extremely sharp amongst the executives.
Yes, but his pitch is based on (sometimes hidden, or even ignored) user desires.
During Kutaragi's time, they worked together for a while to share LCD development because Sony was late to the party.
Yes but the point stands. Brands like Vizio use cheap components, and if you can find the stats, you will find that those brands have more hardware failures and faults than Sony, Samsung and Sharp.
I think its fair to compare Sony with those 2 and the likes of Panasonic, but Vizio are a budget brand without a strong history. A lot of people wouldnt even consider buying a Vizio, purely on the basis of its name, in the same way a lot of people wont buy a Sony because they cant afford one.
They set up a joint company, S-LCD, though I hear now that Sony may be looking towards Sharp.
specwarGP2
Regular
Let's compare apples to apples. Eastmen bought his TV last year. vizio didnt have 120hz class TV last year. So therefore a valid comparison would be to compare Sony's S class LCDs which are specifically manufactured to compete with vizio and other low end TVs at places like costco and walmart and those are priced typically up to a few hundred more than a vizio, not $1800, as he alleges.
Anyone can walk into a walmart or costco and see that there are Sony TVs that are very competitive with the low tier brands.