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Video: iPhone vs netbook in extreme rally car typing challenge
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When Crave gets bored, odd things happen. We'll fly RC planes through the streets, we'll dress up in costumes and expose our cleavages, hell, we'll even drag a big-ass 20-inch laptop through the London Underground -- just for kicks.
Our latest stunt continues this tradition of recklessness, we think you'll agree. In this video, we decided to pit an iPhone against a netbook to see which is the true king of mobile productivity. Rather than attempt this stunt on a train, in a coffee-shop, or somewhere equally lame, we thought we'd do it in the back of a £1m rally car. Yup, that's how we roll.
Our challenge was pretty simple: hop into the passenger seat alongside 14-time European Rallycross champion Kenneth Hansen, hurtle around Lydden race track in Dover, and attempt to type, 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' -- a pangram, or holoalphabetic sentence containing every letter of the alphabet -- on to each device.
It might sound easy enough, but Ken's Citroen C4 does 0-60mph in 2.39 seconds -- quicker than some Formula 1 cars -- on gravel. Then there's the fact the car can generate three times the force of gravity in a corner, and has a passenger cabin so hot and so inhospitable it could put Texas to shame.
So what'll it be? The netbook with its full Qwerty keyboard, or the iPhone with its touchscreen and clever auto-correction feature? There's only one way to find out!
Correction: We stated in the video that Kenneth Hansen is Swedish. He's actually from Denmark. Our båd.
Updåte: Nope, we were right the first time. Kenny's Swedish. Sorry if we offended any Scandinavian sensibilities there. Please don't pillage us.
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Comments 22
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anonymous 29 April, 2009 14:29
Bonkers.
Ian Morris 29 April, 2009 16:02
You missed out brown in the iPhone test. GO AND DO IT AGAIN.
Rory Reid 29 April, 2009 16:49
DoH! Taxi!
Nick Hide 29 April, 2009 17:10
Pretty sure the brown was in his pants.
Nyadach 30 April, 2009 09:14
Fantastic Rory...you're a star!
anonymous 30 April, 2009 10:13
My theory is the iPhone sits in your palm, and therefore moves with your body, making it eair to type, the notebook would be bouncing on your lap, not moving with the rest of your body, making it harder to see and type on.
I think if you did the same thing on a train or on a normal road, while it would be a lot more boring to watch the notebook would win hands down.
That's my theory anyway. :P
anonymous 30 April, 2009 11:42
But the fact is you can't view this video on an iPhone because of Flash Player ;-)
anonymous 30 April, 2009 11:55
Frivolous though this particular exercise was (and skewed by the iPhone's auto-correction) the netbook manufacturers could go to a bit more effort. Rather than just miniaturising a conventional laptop, they could design it from the ground up for mobility, though it would probably end up more like a UMPC. Trouble is, when they have tried sensible things like putting the pointing device at the top right, people have laughed at them rather than rewarded lateral thinking. Frankly if we rot in this mire of conformity where the only distinguishing feature between netbooks is the colour of their paint, it's hardly surprising.
anonymous 1 May, 2009 05:36
I disagree that it was "skewed" by the iPhone's auto-correction. I think this is simply an extreme example of why the auto-correction is even there. I can attest that I type a lot of e-mails while getting jostled on my city's busy streets, so auto-correction saves my butt on a daily basis.
anonymous 1 May, 2009 08:40
Indeed - you'd get just as good results with any phone, and better results with any non-touchscreen, as your fingers could stay resting on the keys over bumps.
anonymous 1 May, 2009 15:33
"Rather than just miniaturising a conventional laptop, they could design it from the ground up for mobility"
So... Like the iphone?
anonymous 1 May, 2009 17:23
And this proves what again?
anonymous 1 May, 2009 18:30
I can't watch the video on my iPhone so I don't know who winsfor that reason a netbook my be better but I don't know.
anonymous 3 May, 2009 22:10
Firstly he's not a rally driver as he's in the passengers seat.
Secondly, it's a RALLYCROSS car and they DO NOT HAVE PASSENGER SEATS installed.
Geeez, will people do a proper check of the 'facts' beforehand!
Thirdly, a true comparison would be to of used '2' touch screen phones like the HTC Touch Diamond and the iPhone.
Rant over, Like the car though awesome power of Rallycross cars.
anonymous 4 May, 2009 11:20
what? you just said
"its not a rallycross car"
then you said
"like the car though awesome power of rallycross cars".
What are you saying, man??
anonymous 4 May, 2009 20:48
the last post should really be ignored..doesn't know what he is typing hehe..!!
magnusonf1 11 May, 2009 09:16
When he was using the Netbook, he had the iphone in his hand! I think that would hinder any chance of typing in any situation. Then when using the iphone, he had both hands free!
this test is a little unfair I think.
anonymous 12 May, 2009 09:27
I'm a little confused how you can compare a touch screen interface to a tactile keyboard when attempting to type inside a fast moving, and bumpy car?
Its pretty obvious the tactile keyboard is going to be easier to type on as you can feel the keys. It would be like asking someone to compare how fast they can touch type on an iphone compared to a mobile phone with a key-pad.
The tactile keypad will win each time, as tactile feedback always makes it easier to type!
I find it hard just trying to type on an iphone when on the bus to work some times (dont get me wrong, I love the iphone and think the on screen keyboard is great)!
anonymous 12 May, 2009 09:31
Although it does aspear the video shows the iphone being easier to use (maybe I should eat my words)... yet what would the performance be like if he turned the iphones spelling correction off?
I would like to see that comparison!!
anonymous 16 May, 2009 02:10
yet another example of overpaid under achievers trying to be "hip" waste of fuel, waste of time, waste of breath, get as life dorks.
anonymous 29 May, 2009 12:23
Hip? Who the hell says "hip"? Or "dork"? God you're a dweeb.
anonymous 19 November, 2009 15:17
I think this video was fake. I find it more difficult to 'type' on an idiot-phone than my symbian nokia and I definitely find it easier to type on a netbook than ANY phone. Sorry, this doesn't prove anything at all.