Brief Hands-On Report--iPhone Software 2.0

I have been using iPhone Software 2.0 (Build 5A347) since Thursday afternoon when I downloaded it off Apple's servers (link from AppleInsider) and manually installed it with iTunes 7.7 by clicking Check for Update button while holding down the Option key and navigating to the download. The whole process took only 15 minutes or so because I did it before Apple released the iPhone 3G and Apple's iTunes Store servers went down repeatedly under the activation load. Since installing iPhone Software 2.0 also involves activation through iTunes, the process leaves one's iPhone useless if the iTunes servers are down until one can connect and activate it.

iPhone Apps

App Store is a new application for downloading (free or purchased) other new applications from the iTunes App Store.

Contacts is the other new application that comes with iPhone Software 2.0. One no longer has the open the Phone application to view one's contacts, it can be done directly.

Settings has new menus.

• Fetch New Data turns on the "push" function and allows one to set the "fetch" function. Push is the new feature of MobileMe that allows almost instant updates of email, contacts and calendars on our iPhone and linked Macs. Fetch allows one to set periodic updates of the same applications or manual updates. The latter saves battery life. Unfortunately, it looks like only one MobileMe account can be set up with push and I have two accounts, one personal and one for business/work. It's not clear which contacts and calendars are associated with each account since I only have one Address Book and one iCal on my Macs.
• Mail, Contacts and Calendars integrates the preferences for each email account, contacts and calendars.

Maps does not appear to be changed for the original iPhone despite articles that appeared saying otherwise. It does not drop a blue pin on my location--I think that is reserved for the iPhone 3G with satellite GPS.

There are many changes on the sub-menus within the existing applications, most dealing with MobileMe settings.

iPhone iTunes App Store

I downloaded two applications off the new iPhone iTunes App Store, Remote and WeatherBug. Both are free. The downloads via my iPhone and installation went without a hitch.

Remote (Apple) allows one to use an iPhone as a remote controller of the iTunes application on a Mac or an Apple TV. Unfortunately, on Apple TV it only controls the play of photos, movies, videos, TV shows and songs that are also on your Mac but not the iTunes Store to rent movies. So don't misplace your Apple Remote.

WeatherBug shows a bit more details of the weather in a particular city, including a webcam and Doppler radar image. Unfortunately, the free version only allows one to use three cities.

I have not yet enabled MobileMe, partly because it is still not functioning well. I will write about my experience once I figure out how I want to set it up since push is only available for one MobileMe account and after I have used it for awhile. [Bill Fox]