“We all know that in the technology world, the hype about new products often doesn’t match reality,” David Haskin reports for Computerworld. “So it’s fair to ask: Is the iPhone as good as its hype? In particular, does iPhone’s much-discussed touch-screen interface really make using the device simpler and more intuitive?”
“Everybody will have an opinion, but what’s need is something more objective and definitive. So an expert in the field — Perceptive Sciences, an Austin, Texas-based usability consulting firm — was asked to examine and compare the iPhone and two competitors [HTC Touch and the Nokia N95],” Haskin reports.
Haskin reports, “The results of its tests were unequivocal: While the iPhone is not the most feature-rich device, this group of experts found that when it comes to usability, iPhone does, indeed, live up to its hype.”
“In terms of usability, iPhone blew away its two competitors. Its overall score in the usability tests was 4.6 out of 5. The HTC Touch was a distant second at 3.4, and the Nokia N95 scored 3.2,” Haskin reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “john” for the heads up.]
The findings are rather obvious to anyone who’s ever used the iPhone and tried to use or seen people try to use the others. For others, it’s helpful to cut through the FUD. Here’s a video comparison:
Apple’s iPhone:
HTC Touch:
Tell that to Maddox.
Apple continues to BLOW the compitition.
The rest don’t stack up.
I ran into an old business associate of mine last weekend. He saw my iPhone and asked about it. After about 5 minutes he was blown away. He said he had heard all sorts of claims but thought it must have been mostly hype. After seeing it demo’d he said Wow, the hype is for real. We had a chuckle over the $200 price drop, but it was quite evident that the new pricing is what got him actively checking out the iPhone, and this guy has plenty of money. The iPhone now not only looks damn sexy and droolworthy, it is now a great value. Sales are going to go through the roof over the next 6 months.
And in other news, scientists discover that the sun is really hot.
Apple’s products ALWAYS beat the competition in “Usability”.
This study is all wrong. I want to be able to create and edit full blown PowerPoint presentations, multi sheet Excel spreadsheets and minimum 1000 page Word documents. I will never buy a Smartphone that cannot do any of these things. Yes it may take me several days and I may get a massive headache doing PowerPoint slides on a tiny screen, but its worth it. Thats why I love Microsoft and their dynamic duo of leaders Bill Gates and Ballmer. They had the foresight to see that user would love to be able to fully edit and create MS Office documents on their handhelds no matter what the screen size.
Is that you Zune Tang?
“Usability tests show Apple’s iPhone blows away the competition.”
A sixth grader could have told us that!
The iPhone is marvelous!
What is amazing is that the guy who did the HTC Touch video honestly seems to think he owned the iPhone! People get so caught up in their own way of doing things that they miss what is around them.
“People get so caught up in their own way of doing things that they miss what is around them.”
You just nicely summed up the thought process of the majority of computer users.
Man, that HTC phone, in addition to being unusable, is friggin’ butt fugly!!!
Tonight I’m not eating steak. We’re having sushi!
With the iPhone I have:
* a phone where I can actually HEAR the person at the other end (especially my husband and he’s not exactly Mr. Smallvoice)
* a calendar that I can sync with my Mac so I can keep track of appointments on the go
* real Internet so I can check transit schedules and sports scores easily
* real email so I can check it on the way to school and make sure my instructor’s going to be there
When it was first announced, I went “eh” — now I wonder how I survived without it.
Now all they need to do is make it possible to sync notes between the iPhone and the computer, and we might be close to a Palm-killer.
MW: I wish I’d had the money to buy Apple stock when everyone was predicting its demise — I’d be a multimillionaire by now…
justme2:
You said “Now all they need to do is make it possible to sync notes between the iPhone and the computer, and we might be close to a Palm-killer.”
Just email text or Word documents to your iPhone. The save them.
Usability tests show Apple’s iPhone blows away the competition
As a Mac fan I must say yes. However the competition REALLY sucks for right now.
I’m seeing some brand new products that are in prototype stage that combine 3D GPS, 3G phone, camera, music, photos, video and a full fledged operating system with a REAL processor all on a device slightly larger than a iPhone with a similar touch interface.
You can toss your laptop, phone, gps and camera right in the trash, this thing will do it ALL!!
Lets say this, if Apple doesn’t come out with something that totally tops the iPhone come January, they are going to be left in the dust by this new device come March 2008.
I’m not kidding. Oh they also need to improve quality control too.
Because the same folks making the new toys I’ve mentioned are the ones behind the defective iPod Touch, iPhone and Fatty screens.
They are setting up Apple to fail.
“I want to be able to create and edit full blown PowerPoint presentations, multi sheet Excel spreadsheets and minimum 1000 page Word documents. I will never buy a Smartphone that cannot do any of these things. Yes it may take me several days and I may get a massive headache doing PowerPoint slides on a tiny screen, but its worth it.”
While the remark is facetious, it does bring up a decent point.
The one place where the iPhone lost was in functionality. Third party developer support is important for these sorts of things. If the phone can’t do the things I want to do, it doesn’t really matter that it can do the things I don’t care that much about effortlessly.
Do not fret, children! New and much better iPhones are on the way!
@MacFanatic–
It’s easy to think that once this mythical device shows up, everyone will eat it up. Chances are, they won’t. Likely, it’ll cost too much, the implementation of the tech will be less than stellar, and usability may be functional, but not fun.
If iPhone– and basically all of Apple’s products– shows anything, it’s that more features isn’t necessarily better. Even basic phones now are clogged with crap people don’t use or don’t know how to use.
And let’s not even begin to get into the issue that “REAL” processor you mention is going to bring swapping out batteries that last 2 hours to power the REAL holo-deck.
It’s pretty hard to imagine lil’ Susie out with her friends with a pocket fool of batteries to swap out because she’s looking for the nearest Regal Cinema in 3D. Never mind that she’s the product of public education and can’t read a map anyway, let alone 3D.
The only 3D she knows is on her report card… Somebody stop me…
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Oh, and if what you say about the manufacturers setting Apple up to fail is true, the biggest concern is not the newest, coolest communications device on the block. It’s the impending third world war.
Cool! But I love my blackberry http://www,myeclinic.com
I live in an area that does not have AT&T;so……..
But what the iPhone has done is to make me realize how totally useless or unuseable 90% of features are in my conventional cell phone.
Never considered it before, just accepted it.
Like Windows (hmmm, think there is a connection?)
Every day I get people coming up to me and saying “Hey! You’re the guy with the iPhone, right!? Let me touch!”, etc.
Of course it blows them away. That’s been evident since I’ve gotten it
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I get a kick out of folks who want the iPhone to “do everything!” If you think back to the first Leopard intro, remember the new features coming in Mail? Notes, lists, etc, etc. At the time I was thinking this was not what email was intended and his Steveness was travelling the MS path. But now it begins to make much more sense as part of a long term plan to sneak features in “thru the back door…”
Two things that amaze me-
1) I got an iPhone yesterday (even though I have a company issued Samsung). Amazing!
2) “Perceptive Sciences, an Austin, Texas-based usability consulting firm”. Perception in Austin? Amazing!
MW:analysis
@TowerTone,
Chirp.
I have no doubt that the iPhone interface has greater “usability;” I love the interface! But I wish I could agree as for my overall definition of usability – mine includes being able to do all you need to do.
The fact of the matter is that my Treo does almost everything the iPhone does (the one exception is playing iTunes protected content). When it comes to music, photos,email, the web, and watching videos the iPhone kicks the Treo’s ass; no doubt. And when it comes to looking cool and having an awesome interface the iPhone wins again.
But when it comes to syncing notes, tasks, multiple calendars, databases, office docs, freeware, games, etc the Palm wins hands down. (Oh and with Treo you can take videos and send MMS videos and photos to others).
But Palm wins for just one reason: being around longer and being open to 3rd party development. I am positive that if Apple allowed full 3rd party support the Treo would cease to exist because all the holes will be filled.
It’s frustrating to me because I would LOVE to have an iPhone but I rely on too many apps that are on my Treo but has no equivalent on the iPhone. It’s really making me mad right now because I need to replace my 650 due to too many drops and I wish the iPhone could do it for me… but I’ll probably end up with a 680.