So I guess I should retire the ‘ol “N95″ category for this blog.

“Wait, What?!”

…you may be asking yourself… Yes, I did just buy it in June of this year, so that’s… 5 months and a few days of ownership. Man, I think that’s a record for me!

Here’s the reason:

I want an iPhone. There. I said it.

My dutch friend (yes, the fact that he is Dutch has just about zero relevance here) accused me of “flip flopping”. Yes, I would agree with that….

I went from using an Apple for my first computer, to hating Apple, to buying an iPod, then Airport Express, then a Powerbook, to hating Apple again, to installing Linux on my Powerbook (a post is in the works), and now back to wanting to get an iPhone.

Can I not just make up my mind and stick with it?!

Simple answer: No. With technology, I cannot make up my mind. 

Great, but didn’t I just buy the N95? Money don’t grow on trees, son!

Read the title of this entry: I sold the N95 for RMB 2600 (yes, he did a good look over today and found all the nicks and scratches….). I’ll be in Portland, Oregon on the 21st of December. I’ll buy the iPhone there for US$399. Tax free. That’s around ~2950 RMB. So, it’s a NETT ~300 (depending of exchange rate fluctuation from now ’til then) for a new phone.

The ONLY two things I am going to miss are the 5mpx camera and the GPS mapping. But I can live with that. I have a nice 6mpx Canon point-and-shoot, and maybe I’ll get the Garmin Nuvi. Maybe not…

China don’t have no 3G, so don’t need that shiz.

One of the things I critisized theiPhone was in the past was the lack of earth-shattering technical advances – specifically that it only packed 2.5G (Edge).

The N95 worked on just about any network available on earth. quad band GSM, UMTS, WCDMA, X59TQP, AJAX75, POS1000, whatever blah blah. (Ok, not the U.S. 3G network, but I don’t live there, so…) I now realize: who gives a crap!? I don’t travel much outside of China…

Seeing that China won’t be getting 3G (or at least a western-standard for 3G) any time soon, it doesn’t make any difference.

Also, let’s not forget that Beijing just upgraded to EDGE. So the iPhone fits perfectly here.

So, Chris is a Mac geek now!

Not so fast there. I am perfectly happy with my Linux set-up at home. I still don’t like OSX, for various reasons. And I still don’t support Apple’s sadistic genius business model(s), as a consumer, that is.

But remember – I won’t be using the iPhone in the states. I’ll be hapilly using it, unlocked, on the China Mobile network. No profit sharing from me! I’m sticken it to the “man”!

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  • http://www.beijinglug.org Fred

    Hi! Heard the latest ones don’t unlock. Besides the phone functionalities are a bit limited (gets into your way after a while). Rest of it is good, I mean the UI and the fact that unlocked ones can install any app…

    Just my 2 cents

  • xuedi

    Haha i love your writing style chris
    “Money don’t grow on trees, son!”
    really refreshing while reading !!

    thanks for posting
    xuedi

  • http://www.cdrum.com Chris

    Xuedi, thanks! I’m testing a new style… will see how it goes. You’re the first one to comment on it (and good thing that it is positive!)

    Fred, I read somewhere that you need to first downgrade the firmware to 1.1.1. I’ll be doing the research over the next 2 weeks (as, according to my plan, I’ll be in the U.S. 2 weeks from today at an Apple store…)

    Also, yes, I’ve gotten feedback from several people that several “standard” phone features are limited, such as there are some sms issues, you can’t save a received vcard as a contact, etc. But, we’ll see… I already sold the N95, so… no turning back – unless something happens in the next 2 weeks…

  • http://www.cdrum.com Chris

    Fred, it seems you’re right – the newer iPhones with the 4.6 bootloaders cannot be unlocked, yet. Grrr. Well, they’ve got 2 weeks to figure out a way!

  • Ali

    I wasnt waiting for this to happen. But I am happy you finally went through on the decision to get yourself one of these. Where are you buying your iPhone from? Also, 3G is going to be in Beijing next year. I am getting the 3G signal now from too many places around town. Its just a matter of time now I think. Also, I could not wait to read about your post on the crater next to home. A little sad you did not post a piece on the Beijing’s readiness on speaking English for 2008.

  • http://www.cdrum.com Chris

    Ali,

    iphone – from the states.

    I’ll look into the English story…

  • http://www.cdrum.com/2007/12/18/some-people-may-accuse-me-of-flip-flopping/ Chris Drumgoole » Some people may accuse me of “flip-flopping”…

    [...] happened to the iPhone idea? Well, I’ll give you the short straight-to-the-point explanation so as to avoid boring you to [...]