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Chip Guru Papermaster Loses Signal At Apple
ColdWetDog writes "Computerworld reports that Mark Papermaster has left his job as Apple's Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering. He was the senior executive in charge of engineering for the iPhone 4 and thus responsible in some unknown fashion for 'antennagate.' His name may ring bells from previous coverage of his jump from IBM to Apple. From a brief blurb on Daring Fireball: 'From what I've heard, it's clear he was canned. Papermaster was a conspicuous absence at the Antennagate press conference. Inside Apple, he's "the guy responsible for the antenna" — that's a quote from a source back on July 23. (Another quote from the same source: "Apparently the antenna guys used to have a big chip on their shoulder. No more.")'" Update: 08/08 03:01 GMT by KD : Swapped out a registration-required NY Times link for a Computerworld one; corrected the direction of Papermaster's career move.
Not exactly a design flaw... it's one little spot. And once you are aware of it, you go right for it like some hypnotized automaton. Some people had to be taught to touch the spot. This isn't a design flaw, and other phones have this second flaw as well in different places you are just as likely to find by accident. They weren't lying, all cell manufacturers also have to deal with it. Some even point out in the manual where to avoid touching, such as the Incredible... it also has a very distinctive "death spot."
From the moment I read Gizmodo's article, I knew this was all hogwash. It's like saying your car is defective because when you twist the starter and hold it there, it makes an awful noise and eventually will burn out... not a design flaw... all starters do that.
I can control your weak mind the same way Gizmodo did. Don't think of elephants! Don't think of elephants! Now... what are you thinking? (yes, that I saw Inception, beauty movie).
The Admin and the Engineer
Wow... really? How the fuck did you get modded insightful for that drivel?
Yes, it's only one little spot. One little spot that bridges two antennae and causes a rather nasty reception issue. Whether or not this actually impacts your personal use in a high-reception area is up for debate, but to be completely unable to accept that it's a design flaw borders on fucking insanity. This is one of those things that they should have caught in testing, but didn't; likely due to a number of reasons.
Other phones having a signal loss when you hold it in the "wrong" spot has more to do with your meat fist fucking with the signal and less (see: none) to do with completing a circuit with your hand. Basically, it's exactly as the GP says.
Now if you and the rest of the rabid fanboys could just accept that and move on, we'd all be much better off.
Other phone case designs don't have the metallic antenna element designed in such a way that it comes into skin contact with the user in normal use! I mean jesus f christ, this is supposed to be a tech-nerd site, not a salon for fashion/design nancies to prance and strut and do their marketing dances.
I mean, come on.