In an email to subscribers on Tuesday, Apple Inc. touted its hotly anticipated iPhone, offering prospective customers suggestions on how to best prepare for the device's late-June arrival.
Since iPhone syncs with a PC or Mac just like an iPod, the Cupertino-based company told its customers to behin organizing their content now so they can "start calling, texting, emailing, surfing, listening, and watching even faster" when they get their iPhone.
Apple's suggestions follow:
Contacts
Making a call with iPhone is as simple as tapping a name. You won't need to re-enter all your contacts because iPhone syncs with the address book you already use on your computerâAddress Book or Entourage on a Mac, or Outlook or Outlook Express on a PC. If you keep your contacts on the web using Yahoo! Address Book, iPhone can sync with them, too. To get ready for iPhone, organize your contacts in one of these applications and make sure they're up to date with the latest phone numbers and email addresses. If you don't have contacts on your computer, don't worry. You can still enter them directly into iPhone.
Calendar
Using its built-in calendar, iPhone lets you check your appointments with the flick of a finger. iPhone uses iTunes to sync with the calendar application you already use on your computerâiCal or Entourage on the Mac, or Outlook on a PCâjust like it does with your contacts. If you don't already use one of these applications to manage your appointments, now is a great time to start, so you'll be ready to sync when your iPhone arrives. If you choose not to use a calendar program, that's OK. You'll be able to enter appointments directly into the iPhone calendar.
iPhone is the first phone to come with a desktop-class email application. So now your phone can display rich HTML email with graphics and photos alongside the text. iPhone will even fetch your latest email every time you open the application and automatically retrieve your email on a set schedule, just like a computer does. iPhone works with the most popular email systemsâincluding Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and .Mac Mail. If you're not already using one of these services, now would be a great time to get an account. iTunes will make email setup on iPhone a breeze by automatically syncing the settings from email accounts stored in Mail on a Mac or Outlook on a PC. Don't worry if you're not on one of these email services; iPhone also works with almost any industry-standard POP3 and IMAP email system.
Photos
iPhone has a 2-megapixel camera and a gorgeous 3.5-inch display, so it's a great way to enjoy and show off your digital photos. iPhone uses iTunes to sync your photos from iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Album, or any picture folder on a PC. You can carry thousands of photos on iPhone, but you can start by creating an album or two with 50 to 100 of your favorite photos, so that when you first sync your iPhone, you'll be ready to quickly show off some of your best shots.
Music and Video
iPhone is the best iPod ever. Its beautiful, 3.5-inch widescreen display allows you to easily enjoy the music, TV shows, and movies you have in your iTunes library. If you already use iTunes, you can start getting ready for iPhone by creating a playlist of a few hundred of your favorite songs. If you don't have iTunes, now is a good time to download it and start a music and video library. That way, when you sync your iPhone with iTunes, you'll be able to take your favorite music, as well as a few of your TV shows and movies, with you wherever you go.
iTunes account
To set up your iPhone, you'll need an account with Apple's iTunes Store. If you already have an iTunes account, make sure you know your account name and password. If you don't have an account, you should set one up now to save time later. To set up an account, launch iTunes, select the iTunes Store, and click the Sign In button in the upper right corner of iTunes. Sign in and you're ready to go.
41 Comments
I have a problem with syncing that will probably get worse with the iPhone...
I use a Mac at home and a PC at work.
My music is on my home system, and my primary contacts/calendar is on my work PC.
Apple has yet come up with a solution to let me pull media from one and contacts/calendar from the other.
I'll have to do an ugly hack of periodically exporting to file from Outlook, and importing into the mac equivs.
I really wish Apple recognized the multi system reality a lot of us face.
So does this mean I will have to sign in to my itunes account on the ATT store's computer to activate my iphones? I don't sign into any account on a computer I am not sure is secure.
One account per phone, or can I sign up my wife and daughter on the same itunes account?
I can't wait!
So does this mean I will have to sign in to my itunes account on the ATT store's computer to activate my iphones? I don't sign into any account on a computer I am not sure is secure.
One account per phone, or can I sign up my wife and daughter on the same itunes account?
I can't wait!
I'm sure you just set it up when you get home. You only need the iTunes account to sync your music, contacts, etc. The iPhone will be able to make and receive calls without having an iTunes account configured.
Thanks for those tips Apple, but don't you think you're getting a little full of yourself?
Thanks for those tips Apple, but don't you think you're getting a little full of yourself?
I know, exactly. Passing out the cool-aid early, ain't they? Apple is all like "you should probably prepare yourself, because you're getting an iPhone whether you like IT OR NOT DAMNIT!".
Funny though, I thought this article was going to read more like "you can start preparing for your new iPhone by selling off the family minivan, pawning your engagement ring, or putting one or two of your children up for adoption. Then pack one black moc-turtleneck, two pairs white socks, one pair white sneaks, one pair round spectacles, one pair gay-ass Wrangler jeans and approximately $600 in purchase money stuffed in your shoe."