Photo: Apple.com
Photo: Blackberry.com
I've been living a dual mobile life with both an iPhone and a Blackberry Pearl for almost six months now, and I thought that before we before we get overwhelmed with new gadgets rolled out at CES and Macworld, I would check back in on my developing relationship with the iPhone. I appreciate its charms much more after working with it for a while, and I have found an important new use for it, but it is significant that I have not come close to setting aside my Blackberry yet.
After the jump, you'll find my side-by-side comparison, written from a busy working Mom's perspective:... Read more
My iPhone and I got off to a rough start. I rushed in to buying one and initially felt that the actual device did not live up to the hype. It's clear that only a miracle could have met everyone's expectations after all the buildup, but part of my lukewarm response was due to the fact that the other gadgets I relied on, my Blackberry Pearl and first generation iPod Nano worked just fine. It took a lot to convince me that merging these devices was worth the hassle of carrying around the iPhone, which neither fits snugly in a small pocket nor hangs from a neck lanyard.
But there is good news. Now that I have used it for four months, I may finally be ready to swap my Blackberry Pearl for the iPhone, at least some of the time. I appreciate the fact that I can do just about everything but blog on the iPhone. Emails, messaging work well. The calendar application on the iPhone motivated me to finally get into using synchronized iCal on my Mac in addition to a paper calendar. The visual appeal of iPhone's interface finally got through to me. While my Blackberry can do email, messaging, internet browsing, and calendars, it all looks better on the iPhone.
... Read more
"Summer lovin' had me a blast. Summer lovin' happened so fast..."
When iPhone came out, I fell hard. I was all ready to sign up as an early adopter. After all, the iPod tops my list as the gadget that has improved my life the most over the the past five years (with TiVO in a close second place). Apple convinced me that the iPhone was the next quantum leap in the digital lifestyle.
Well, now that iPhone and I have been together for a couple of months, I wish I could kick it to the curb like a summer fling. Unfortunately, we're bonded together by a two-year contract. Why hasn't iPhone been the end-all, be-all device I was hoping for?
... Read moreI've been drooling over the iPhone for months now. June 29th can't come fast enough for me. I have been an Apple user for almost 20 years now, going way back to my Macintosh 512 enhanced. In 2002, as soon as I saw an iPod I recognized it as a great tool for moms to "reclaim their mind space" by taking along their favorite music and podcasts with them on the go. The iPhone takes this a step further by combining a smart phone and mobile entertainment center in one device.
I am surprised we haven't seen more iPhone marketing directed at parents. Maybe Apple thinks they don't need to target us specifically, because they already have the world buzzing at a fever pitch, but I think that there are many features that make iPhone attractive to busy moms in particular. With iPhone there is no longer a need to bring a laptop on a trip just to show movies to the kids. No more juggling the cell phone and iPod in one purse. Depending on the robustness of the online interface in a real-life situation, I can imagine leaving my laptop at home for many trips to rely on the iPhone for surfing, email and blogging. I can already guess that the biggest challenge will be to share it with my daughter on occasion while making it clear that it is "mine."
I love the idea of being able to bring my photo album with me as well. I bet this feature alone might get tech-savvy grandparents on board.
The iPhone's fingertip move-and-zoom interface looks like something straight out of the thriller Minority Report. I predict that the large browser screen will be a huge success. My only concern is the smooth type pad without physical keys. As discussed in The New York Times, there is something familiar and comfortable about physical keys. Typing is a tactile experience. Time and experience will tell us whether we can willingly accept the trade-off, losing our keys to preserve the big screen.
I'll report back when I've had a chance to try the iPhone and compare the experience side-by-side with my current smart phone, the Blackberry Pearl.
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