June 2008 Archives

For a guy who loves his gadgets, I'm not a cellphone user. Hell, I'll come right out and say it, I hate cellphones. There ... now I feel better. People walking around having private conversations in public places has always struck me as low rent, if you know what I mean.

As a cellphone hater, the first iPhone held little appeal. While the large touch screen and video functionality was enticing, the high cost and recurring monthly fees kept my wallet in my back pocket. Instead, I found solace in the iPod Touch. I got all of the cool iPhone features without the recurring monthly fees. Beautiful screen. Video playback. Intuitive interface. WiFi support. Email. Web browser. Perfect, right?

Over time I began to see a glaring problem with the iPod Touch: no persistent internet connection. Check for movie times while at a restaurant? How about that important work email? The answer is yes if you're lucky enough to find a free and open WiFi hotspot in the area. The internet junky in me was crying out for sweet release.

Enter the iPhone 3G, App Store, and Mobile Me (what a horrible name). It's the one-two-three punch that's changed my mind. For me it's not a cellphone, but instead is a mobile computing platform. I'll be able to check email, surf the web, play games, watch videos, listen to music and much more.

The icing on the cake is Mobile Me (I still say it's a horrible name). I've been a .Mac subscriber for about four years now and have been satisfied with the service. Granted, it's far from perfect, but I used it for imap email, syncing, and quick access for sharing files and pictures. Mobile Me's (there's got to be a better name) web interface is a breath of fresh air, and the push syncing is the must have feature. I can't wait for July 11th.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm planning on buying and iPhone 3G. For me, the Toyman, it's a no brainer.

* Going forward Mobile Me will be referred to as "the service that shall not be named."