Whoever wrote the message above is making the typical mistake in attitude towards i-mode. It's not a substitute for the internet. The websites I access on the internet and through i-mode are completely different.
i-mode: weather, stock prices, news bites, subway train guides (useful in a system as complicated as Tokyo), ring tones, restaurant guides.
Internet: News (discussion and long articles - slashdot included), and actually that's about it. When I want information in depth I get it on the web, when I want it at once and briefly I get it through the phone.
I agree text entry is a pain through the numeric keypad. But the neat mini keyboards they sell at the phone shops help out here. But recent studies here in Japan show that young Japanese people's thumbs are much stronger and more flexible than those who are used to typing on keyboards (adaptive evolution?).
If you want a PC internet experience, go out and get a laptop and a PC card to connect it with your cell phone. If you want useful information on demand, portable email, and a fashion statement, just get the phone. They are complementary goods, not interchangeable.
Slashdot Mirror
Whoever wrote the message above is making the typical mistake in attitude towards i-mode. It's not a substitute for the internet. The websites I access on the internet and through i-mode are completely different.
i-mode: weather, stock prices, news bites, subway train guides (useful in a system as complicated as Tokyo), ring tones, restaurant guides.
Internet: News (discussion and long articles - slashdot included), and actually that's about it. When I want information in depth I get it on the web, when I want it at once and briefly I get it through the phone.
I agree text entry is a pain through the numeric keypad. But the neat mini keyboards they sell at the phone shops help out here. But recent studies here in Japan show that young Japanese people's thumbs are much stronger and more flexible than those who are used to typing on keyboards (adaptive evolution?).
If you want a PC internet experience, go out and get a laptop and a PC card to connect it with your cell phone. If you want useful information on demand, portable email, and a fashion statement, just get the phone. They are complementary goods, not interchangeable.