“I’ve pondered this as I’ve watched people play with their iPhones. The primary reason to get one is for random Web browsing (which iPhone owners generally do to show off the fact that they can browse the Web on their handset) or time-wasting. The latter seems to be the main use of cell phones these days,” Dvorak writes. “I include phone calls in that category. Honestly, how much time does any one person need to yak on the phone? Nearly every time I overhear a phone conversation, the chit-chat is almost always inane, useless, unnecessary.”
MacDailyNews Take: While we, gulp, agree with the bloated gas bag on the last point, he’s obviously not watching experienced iPhone users work, not “play,” with their iPhones.
Dvorak continues, “And when people are not too busy needlessly chattering on the phone, they’re sending messages to all of their friends for no apparent reason.”
MacDailyNews Take: Agreed (even though us agreeing twice with Dvorak in one article means that the Apocalypse is nigh).
Dvorak continues, “When they’re not on the phone or texting, the person is probably goofing around on the phone. In the old days when people were standing in line or otherwise waiting for something, they’d read a book or knit or meditate. Now they fool around on the phone… They play games, sort messages, look for new apps. In other words, they waste time. Really, the iPhone is only the greatest handset around because it has more ways to waste time than any phone, ever.”
MacDailyNews Take: Here are just three examples, each of which has at least 50 other apps in its category:
• Free Books: 23,469 classics for less than a cup of coffee. (See all App Store apps for “books”)
• Knit Counter: A convenient way to store stitch counts and info for multiple knitting projects. (See all App Store apps for “knit”)
• Meditate – Meditation Timer: Elegant and functional meditation timer. (See all App Store apps for “meditate”)
Dvorak continues, “With the economy in the tank, this is probably as good a use of idle time as anything. But let’s face it, this whole phone thing is about wasting time… Cell phones are ruining the country. The economy has tanked in proportion to the growing popularity of the iPhone. This is no coincidence, as far as I’m concerned.”
Talk about wasting time, the full article – Think Before You Click™ – is here.
I like what he says. He hits the nail right on the thumb.
He sounds like an old codger who is angry because the world has left him behind. Strange attitude for a tech writer.
A little off topic but concerning wasted bandwidth
is there not yet a way to turn off safari auto refresh on the iPhone?
I still find this highly irritating and recently wondered how much bandwidth could be saved if the millions of iPhones didn’t all do the same thing.
Just a thought…..
Stuart – “Obviously, this article is somewhat satirical and borderline ironic.”
No. it isn’t. He really means it. You don’t understand. This is John C. Dvorak. The man with such a profound lack of vision he actually said, in 1984:
“The Macintosh uses an experimental pointing device called a ‘mouse.’ There is no evidence that people want to use these things.”
He hates Apple, is jealous to the point of psychosis and will fabricate reality around his infantile wish for Apple to just disappear.
One can pity him only by assuming that over the years he has lost a shit ton of money investing in anything but AAPL.
Actually I think Dvorak is right on this one, my experience is also that the vast majority of phone calls and texting is a complete waste of time. But I think it is revealing: could it be this is just bringing out that Americans really don’t have anything better to do with their time than to call a friend and spend ten minutes telling them they are standing in front of a store watching cars park?
Oh how fun for John, He criticizes Apple and the iPhone as being a failure to be in 2007.
Link : http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-should-pull-the-plug-on-the-iphone
Added to the Hypocrisy of being a tech pundit as he clams to be, he fails again to see the real culture that is iPhone.
John D is a dinosaur, he has filed to adjust with the changing times and in turn keeps putting his head between his legs trying to stimulate some real story.
This is common for John D, Since he was dissed by Apple years ago he has still held a grudge, This is the reason why good old fashioned reporting has fallen into the hands of a select few that have at one time been leaders in the tech reporting field of 15 years ago, now only drying up old bones dimwits “Dvorak” so eager to get a Leading story only to prove that the once insightful reporting years ago has turned into a series of Gum smacking senile nonsense.
Dvorak 1984-2009 HASBEEN and never will be again.
PC Mag is still “PC Mag” no matter how popular Apple becomes!
Well, actually the tech sector would look really damn bleak right now without Apple.
So if anything the iPhone is providing a silver lining for the country — not dooming it.
Geez, I actually took the time to think about this moron’s spew of an article. I feel really gross suddenly.
Didn’t he used to fill in the extra 30 seconds at the end of a weekly broadcast television show around 20 years ago? Sorry, my mistake… maybe someone should sue him over IP rights? No, that presumes there’s something intellectual to protect. Um, impersonating a real celebrity without a license? Maybe he’s ZuneTang in disguise?
However great the iPhone is for real communication, many idiots seem to be talking ALL the time – often while driving. Yak Yak Yak, mindless Yak. In this respect, Dvorak (wanker) is correct.
Does anyone else see the irony of a web journalist decrying what a waste the web is?
Yes, that time they could otherwise spend “wasting” time playing on their laptop or looking at a wall or not talking to anyone around them.
“The economy has tanked in proportion to the growing popularity of the iPhone. This is no coincidence, as far as I’m concerned.”
Yes, you heard it here first folks. All the other stuff you read about what caused the global economic crisis was just a ruse planted by Apple.
Another reason that the world doesn’t need CRAPPLE little phone
I use my iPhone to keep track of my daily schedule, to stay in touch friends and family via email/IM/Facebook/etc., and to take care of business (paying bills, mainly) online. Oh, yeah, and once in a while I call people with it, too.
Sure, there’s also games and other “wasting time” type stuff I can do, but it’s usually more in the “killing time” category – like standing in line at Subway, playing a quick game like Jumbline until it’s my turn to order, or reading a blog or two while waiting for a haircut.
How does Dvorak know so much about what “everyone” is doing on their smartphones, anyway? Is he looking over everyone’s shoulders to judge whether or not they’re doing something productive? Sheesh.
The bigger waste of time is listening to Dvorak’s rants. I wonder if John’s family background has some Amish or Luddite in it. Here’s a guy that was a Windows lacky for so many years, talk about wasting time & energy! John endorsed them as they continued to produce crappy products. The gig is up John. Time t pack up your crap and go home.
Dear John Dvorak,
Eat sh*t.
Love,
An Old Admirer
John is an antagonist who writes great comedy about technology. When viewed as anything else, one overestimates his talent while missing the point.
I used to hate Dvorak. He’s certainly the crankiest tech writer on the planet, but after listening to him week after week on TWiT I’ve grown to like his occasional bon mot and more than occasional reality check on that show for the other full-of-themselves tech “journalists” chasing after the latest shiny thing. I still only agree with him ~40% of the time, but I think you have to listen to him to appreciate him, not read him in print.
Face it – Dvorak is on crack.
He’s a hit-whore looking for a score …
Technically speaking it isn’t time that is being wasted, but rather one’s life and that of course is relative.
Some would argue that spending time web browsing or chatting on an iPhone is a heck of a lot better than say deciding to pick a country at random, insult it, invade it and kill their leader, but those certainly would not be Dvorak compatriots.
So I think he is offering a great challenge when he says “Maybe a killer app will arise and make my complaints moot.”
I can just see it now, some young man calling his mother on the iPhone, getting her to locate him in some foreign on the GPS and watching the red dots around him disappear as he uses his new iXterminator ray now built into the iPhone.
That will sure help the economy.
He is just cranky because he has nearly a year to waste until Windows Mobile 7 comes out.
There are a few things that I agree with him about…
First, there is really no third-party “Killer App” that makes me go, “Damn! I’m going to go buy an iPhone/Android/Palm/RIM so I can use that!” (Although Google Nav comes close). I’m sure John feels the same way.
That said, there may be Apps that, for certain people, they see it and go buy an iPhone/Android/Palm/RIM for it. I have my “Killer App” that I’m working on for iPhone that I know a certain group of people will be tripping over each other to buy. It may not be a huge group, but they’ll want it.
Remember, the only people who were really excited about VisiCalc were accountants.
peecee mag must of desperately needed to fill space to even consider letting this gasbag stench be associate with their name!
Boy, the guy sure knows how to grab attention, even when he isn’t saying anything.
As a Photojournalist, I have to say my iPhone is the most useful and indispensable device I own!
Next to my camera, and the iPhone is still a very close second.
“Nearly every time I overhear a phone conversation, the chit-chat is almost always inane, useless, unnecessary.”
“And when people are not too busy needlessly chattering on the phone, they’re sending messages to all of their friends for no apparent reason”
who is this guy to judge seriously? who died and made him king?