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Thread: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

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    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Ok am Loving my new iPhone (was even looking at prices of Apple Mac laptops the last day there.. but still cannot justify getting one just to write a few iPhone applications ) However I have come across a number of slightly annoying limitations.

    I have a couple of email accounts on my iPhone and one of which I get regular junk and/or circulars/newsletter emails (some subscribed.. others spam) I have been known to get 20 or 30 emails in one sitting. I spent ages looking for the "Mark all as Read" option. Turns out there isn't one!! the only way I found to do it online was to run a SQL script against the database in the iPhone and set all emails read flag to true.. ah but that needs a jailbroken phone.

    Some apps I've seen online (netshare for example) are not in the Apple Store. You need to install them via Cydia. Again you need a Jailbroken phone.

    want to record video? Jailbreak !
    Want to change look and feel or interface? Jailbreak !
    mess around with the unix core? Jailbreak !!

    (I'm seeing a pattern forming here)

    now normally I have no hesitations when it comes to invalidating warranties etc but I've never had a phone so locked down as the iPhone before.

    What are the risks (if any) to jailbreaking an iPhone? I know how to do it.. seen many informative sites out there but anyone done this and had any problems?

    What about iPhone firmware updates? I assume you'll no longer be able to install these? so would it be advisable to try waiting for the "imminent" update before jailbreaking? or just wait and don't bother with the jailbreak?

    Jailbreaking or not it's still a great phone.. even if it is tempting me into looking at Mac products just to code for the damn thing !! no.. I must resist !! I will not be lured to the Dark side

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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Quote Originally Posted by Beowulf View Post
    What are the risks (if any) to jailbreaking an iPhone? I know how to do it.. seen many informative sites out there but anyone done this and had any problems?
    I've wondered a few times about jailbreaking mine, but have yet to take the plunge. If the 3.0 update is all it's cracked up to be, quite likely I won't.

    But...

    As far as I can determine, if you've jailbroken your phone, and something goes hideously wrong, if the worst comes to the worst...

    You can still slap it into recovery mode and restore the official firmware through iTunes without breaking sweat, making it all happy and 'legal' again. I really don't think you lose anything by jailbreaking it at this stage...

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    Registered User Magic Hans's Avatar
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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    iphone? Pah!!

    I'll be getting the latest clone from china,

    The CECT M88, complete with GPS and wifi!!!

    And I get it's not locked down!!!

    lol

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    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Quote Originally Posted by Magic Hans View Post
    iI'll be getting the latest clone from china,

    Hmm..

    I'm reminded of a line from HHGTTG

    "Looks, like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow"

    I was a staunch supporter of the Windows OS. I loved my TYTN II windows mobile device. It "did what I wanted it to" unfortunately it didn't do what I wanted it to WELL !

    so it looks like an iPhone, has a user interface like an iPhone .. it's still a windows mobile device at heart.

    I'm not one of these Apple fan boys. I'm a Windows Developer , and know the windows os (both mobile and otherwise) backwards. Would I go back to a Windows Mobile device? possibly.. if they every get their fingers out and iron out some of the wrinkles. At the moment my iPhone suits me fine. It's not perfect.. far from it.. but it's less unperfect than my Windows Mobile was.

    From what I've seen online the CECT M88 is quite slow on the screen draw/refresh front. And the video's I've seen there's been some pretty small icons on the screen and the user using a stylus. which (I speak from experience here) is fine until you lose the stylus (and again I speak from experience here.. no matter how careful you are.. you WILL lose it at some point)


    It looks good, don't get me wrong. a bit thicker perhaps. but it looks like a fairly reasonable phone for those that don't want an iPhone.

    however it's SO like an iPhone it's scary. I mean, even down to the icons etc. if the iPhone is so bad.. why duplicate it cell by cell?

    it's a bit like putting a Ferrari body kit on a Ford Anglia !

    I may be wrong (and I hope I am) but the fact it's Windows mobile trying very hard to be something else.. .. hmm, I forsee tears in the future.

    I guess Those that can Innovate.. those that can't imitate.

    I'm still a Windows OS guy.. I just have a peculiar Kink now

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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Quote Originally Posted by Beowulf View Post
    I'm still a Windows OS guy.. I just have a peculiar Kink now
    But the cracks are showing.... mwahahahahaha...

    Having said that, I'm actually looking forward to installing and using Windows 7, because it actually looks pretty good - so maybe that works both ways.

    And on a serious note, I'd say you're bang on the money. Apple do get a fair few things wrong, but what they usually get right (or, at least, better than most of the competition) is the interface. Apple have managed to make the first phone I've actually enjoyed using.

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    Registered User martingold's Avatar
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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    And on a serious note, I'd say you're bang on the money. Apple do get a fair few things wrong, but what they usually get right (or, at least, better than most of the competition) is the interface. Apple have managed to make the first phone I've actually enjoyed using.
    can you use one to make telephone calls?????

    see here

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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Quote Originally Posted by martingold View Post
    can you use one to make telephone calls?????

    see here

    Sure I can! Next time I see you, I'll give you a demo

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    Registered User martingold's Avatar
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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post

    Sure I can! Next time I see you, I'll give you a demo
    oh thanks just what i need another i phone demo

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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Quote Originally Posted by martingold View Post
    oh thanks just what i need another i phone demo
    Any time. Happy to help

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    Papa Smurf
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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    And on a serious note, I'd say you're bang on the money. Apple do get a fair few things wrong, but what they usually get right (or, at least, better than most of the competition) is the interface. Apple have managed to make the first phone I've actually enjoyed using.
    Its all about the User Interface innit - stable, simple and attractive - enabling users to actually enjoy using their gadgets is surprisingly a popular idea that makes money If only microsoft had realised that years ago

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    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Well.. After advice from friends.. some saying yay and some saying nay I weighed up all the pros and ... erm.. actually there were pretty much no cons of note.

    So I jailbroke my iPhone last night. Really easy.. the actuall process took about 10 mins.. the longest part was downloading the software and backing up the iPhone.

    All my apps still there and work as they did previously. I can do everything I did before. I now have cydia on my iPhone for installing apps. and it's a breeze to use.

    It's completely reversable too.. I want to reset my iPhone back to normal? no problem press a button and blammo it's a vanilla iPhone again. But for the time being I have MMS (Swirly MMS.. I keep calling it Twirly MMS for some reason ) and Video recording (Cycorder) oh and I can also download Youtube vids for offline viewing

    happy days.

    (still.. as yet.. am unable to mark all as read in my email.. but only because I can't find the app to do that .. but then I did only Jailbreak my phone just before bedtime last night)

  12. #12
    Registered User Magic Hans's Avatar
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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Hasn't Andriod got the running now?? 20 phones out this year [excluding all those wonderful clones from china, which will surely have no chinks!! lol]

    A refreshing change from windows bloatware, and straight jacketed apples.

    Qigi i6! Here I come!!


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    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Quote Originally Posted by Magic Hans View Post
    windows bloatware.
    I agree with you there...

    Quote Originally Posted by Magic Hans View Post
    straight jacketed apples.
    And again.. although I have mastered the art of Apple Escapology .. and surprisingly you don't need to dislocate your shoulder in the process.

    After Wednesday I'll see how the vanilla 3.0 OS stands up. Still very impressed with Android.. my Fiancée got an Android on my advice.. there were just a few issues with it I didn't like.. swings and roundabouts really. good phones but the G1 didn't really grab me. The nokia's left me cold and I'd had a windows mobile 6.1 and didn't want to go back.

    Still think the Apple wins hands down though (which sticks in my throat as a Windows Developer guy)

    away young man.. away!

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    Registered User andystyle's Avatar
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    Re: Jailbreaking an iPhone. Pros and cons?

    Morning all...logged back into the forum in the first time for aaages, and this caught my eye.

    I had an iPhone 2G for a year (got one off of eBay when the 3G hit the streets) and had it unlocked / jailbroken due to it being an AT&T model. The major downside to a jailbroken phone, over time, is instability in my experience. Whether that's just with the 2G (maybe someone with more knowledge can tell me) I don't know. However, running it just unlocked on v2.2.1 was much quicker and stabler than running it unlocked and jailbroken. Of course, I can't comment on running an iPhone just being jailbroken and not unlocked!

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