iPhone in Actual Use

Quote of the day:
“I’m recording our history now on the bedroom wall,/ And when we leave the landlord will come and paint over it all.”
--Ani DiFranco

There has been so much said and written about the iPhone, but nothing replaces actually using one for a while. It’s incredible. Really.

It doesn’t do anything revolutionary, but the way it does what it does IS revolutionary. It combines cellphone, e-mail, calendar, notepad, photo albums, camera, internet access, video playback, audio playback and a reader for MS Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and pdf files in a small, sleek package that is both easy and fun to use.

You can just pick it up and get your current weather forecast or stock quotes with one tap. You can carry enough music and podcasts to listen for five days without repeating anything. You can download movies and TV shows.

All of this synchronizes completely with your computer. The synch begins when you drop the phone in its charging dock.

The video screen is sharp, crisp, vivid and easy to read. Navigating is all done by tapping and dragging a finger or two across the screen. After I did this for a couple of hours it started to become natural. The motions and process are intuitive.

It’s easy to learn on your own, but Apple is having free introductory classes for any questions.

The criticisms of the iPhone have mostly centered on technical aspects. I have not yet read a complaint that the phone is hard to use.

It is expensive, though my Palm Treo was, too. And please don’t compare this to the Treo (Palm organizer, e-mail, internet and phone). I know the Treo. The Treo was my friend. Believe me, the iPhone is no Treo.

Comparing the iPhone to the Treo, or any other high-end cell phone, is like comparing Paris, France to Toledo, Ohio.