<p>I went from a cheapo creepo cell phone to an iphone in Dec. I love it, I accept that you can never have the newest or the best for more than an instant when it comes to electronics. I still am tech challenged but have found wonderful uses for my phone daily at work. Blackberry friends miss the business stuff but I never had it. New iphones will cost more per month, that’s enough to make me happy.</p>
<p>Ot–going to Canada for a week next month–any hints for iphone use–I don’t plan to make calls. What do I do to use/avoid high bills, other than turn off?</p>
<p>How can anyone like Gates over Jobs? At least when it comes to business and technology. One is an unoriginal cutthroat monopolist and the other at least somewhat creative and a good dresser.</p>
<p>lamom-
When you go to Canada or any foreign country for that matter, set your phone to manual not auto download. That way when you click on e-mail or any of the data functions, you can wait and do it where there is free WiFi instead of accidentally downloading data at a high international roaming rate.</p>
<p>BTW OP:
LOVE!!! my iphone. I used to waste tons of time on puter playing with the check e-mail button, now I am on the move and not attached to the desk. PLUS, for a mom during prom and graduation time, it beats carrying around a bunch of loose photos of those events for someone that wants to see the pics(or not-LOL). I also love my weather and directions and since I am a YouTube nut that is just plain fun. I also have lots of down time and make tons of lists (it is handy for both). In the past I traveled with my heavy laptop just for e-mail, this is sooooooooo much better. Don’t care that the next gen is being launched, current one is fine with me…</p>
<p>The only real creative stuff Apple has is the user interfaces. While they are intuitive, they lack advanced functionality other devices have (file format compatibility, a step behind in computer technology, difficult to modify, etc.). That’s not to say MS doesn’t do some of this stuff, but Apple is notorious for this kind of stuff.</p>
<p>And how is a black sweater and jeans equate to being a good dresser? I’m not saying it looks bad, but it’s nothing to compliment someone on</p>
You must be pretty young or you missed a court ruling in 1999. Remember Netscape? Microsoft used its illegal monopoly powers to destroy a new technolgy company. And if you don’t believe me how about a Federal Judge who listended to days and days of evidence on the issue.</p>
<p>I was sold on the iphone when I got a message from my son last fall on “ichat” that he was north of La Crosse, Wisconsin. He sent me a few photos and we chatted as he was travelling in a car. He wasn’t driving!!! I was 8,000 miles away. I am sure there are many devices out there that do that. I don’t know but since we are a Mac family and have been for over 20 years, this one works just fine.</p>
<p>Are you kidding me? I knew someone was going to bring this up.</p>
<p>Packaging a free internet browser with your OS is standard procedure. Mac OS does it with safari. Many linux distributions include firefox (or some other browser). It doesn’t prevent people from downloading their favorite web browser. Not to mention, how would you download another web browser without one already on the PC? You’d have to transfer it from another computer which is a PITA in the 90’s (and to some extent today as well).</p>
<p>Antitrust suits rarely make sense. The criteria used for determining a monopoly would apply to so many more things (which shows how ridiculous the law is). iTunes has a huge share in online music sales. Nobody is calling them a monopoly. The US government has a huge share in government in the US (100% in fact) and nobody is calling them a monopoly.</p>
<p>Yeah, well, whatever about Jobs vs. Gates. Just assume that I’d rather eat glass than line Jobs’ pockets and tell me (please) what is the coolest/most functional pocket phone/music/video thing? Please. Thanks.</p>
<p>I like toys as much as anyone. I have an Ipod, but I can’t figure out why I would need anything like an Iphone. I have a Sprint Sanyo phone. It’s very thin, and doesn’t weigh down my pocket. I can call from it: I can text from it; I can do pictures, but I’m too cheap to pay the extra money to actually send them via the phone. What else do I need to do? If work needs me then can call me. I live a short bus ride away from the office and email is available on my home computer. We take a very lightweight computer with us when we travel.</p>
<p>Please enlighten me–other than the “gee whiz” factor why do I need an Iphone?</p>
<p>tsdad, I am the same way BUT having internet wherever, whenever for my son is a big deal. I can understand not having to carry a laptop computer as well on trips. My son and girlfriend both came to visit last Christmas and they came with their iphones and had their own personal computers in their pocket. Since I have a wireless network at home they just tapped right into it But I just have a no nonsense phone. In fact, I could get rid of that and do just fine most of the time when I am not travelling. I am thinking of getting one though. Why? to keep up with the technology since it is kind of my line of work…at least for now…sigh…it’s either that or toss it all in and start planning my garden.</p>
<p>I know the pirates of 156th Ave NE can be a pretty ruthless bunch, but it looks to me like the best way to be sanctioned by EU bureaucrats is to be a successful American company.</p>
<p>Perhaps a bit OT but my household is literally counting the days until we’re rid of AT&T service. We’ve been locked into it since we signed on with Cingular 4 years ago and haven’t had a single day since without dropped calls. SO, which phone and plan do Verizon wireless customers recommend for people NOT looking for the latest bells and whistles? Sons want to text message. Parents just want to send/receive calls.</p>
<p>I was about to start a new thread, but decided to conserve instead.</p>
<p>I’m getting an i-phone next week.<br>
What are your most favorite applications for it? Seems like there are hundreds of them available. I particular like the level, and a couple of the games that a friend has. Any recommendations for apps that are ‘must haves’?</p>
<p>I want a phone that doesn’t turn on when I don’t want it to. That doesn’t start calling people when I don’t want it to. That turns off when I tell it to. Right now I have a Wing and I hate it. I don’t access email. I do try to use the Calendar.</p>
<p>Worrywart- I have Verizon and wouldn’t go back to any of the other carriers even if offered free service for a year! Being able to make and receive calls where ever I am is why I have a cell phone it the first place! For 3 people, we have the 700 shared minute plan and never use all of the minutes- but almost all of D’s friends use the same carrier too. We have the unlimited TM plan add-on for $10/month, which is the best part, since D is a singer and prefers to text rather than talk. To make use of the new Friends and Family, you have to have 1400(I think) minutes- if the family was larger, I’d go for it, but we are just fine with what we have.
Re. phones- that is a topic in and of itself! Had my upgrade (from the wonderful and ever-reliable LG VX8300, which I loved dearly) last October and entered into a nightmare! Wanted to get the LG Dare, but the store manager was pushing the LG Voyagers, hard. Not liking conflict, I went along, and then went through 4 more of the rotten things (another plan member had trouble with 2). End of that one, went back for my Dare, left with a Motorola Krave, which is a cool looking phone! Problem with that was that it had a lot of glitches. I found a Verizon tech who called Mororola and found out that even though the company issued a software upgrade in April, it didn’t work and was withdrawn the next day!! The earliest that the fix would be reissued was going to be June, so then Verizon put them on special and sold them for $50!! Finally, I got my LG Dare and I LOVE it!! So much, in fact, that I’m getting one for my D before she leaves for college…</p>
<p>I love my iPhone, which I’ve had for about two months. I have a rule against using it for business e-mail unless I am away on a business trip (I am self-employed, so I can set my own rules). The sound quality of the phone is great, the AT&T access okay but not fantastic (we switched from Verizon). I love having my calendar and address book with me at all times. I stopped carrying around family photos years ago, but now I have them again, and they look great on the screen. Fellow iPhone users have asked me, “Do you have any pictures?” It has made my life more efficient and even more fun.</p>
<p>KarenColleges, my favorite apps:
New York Times, NPR Mobile, Huffington Post, Bloglines for news and RSS feeds (there are parallel apps for those with other political leanings)
Sol Free (addictive solitaire)
Evernote (have used it on my desktop for a while, and now sync it with the iPhone)
Pandora radio
WeatherBug
Google Maps
Facebook
my bank’s mobile app
mobile versions of sites I use a lot: Flickr, Fandango, Open Table, PhoneFlix (that’s Netflix)
the clock to set alarms at my desk (much easier than using iCal on the desktop)
Wikipanion (mobile Wikipedia)
and more (including an app that finds the closest Starbucks)
My Audible downloaded books are easier to navigate on the iPhone than on the iPod.</p>
<p>All of my apps have been free, except for New York Times crosswords, which I haven’t used much yet. I still haven’t gotten around to putting music on it, but we do have an MP3 hookup in our car. </p>
<p>Could I get along without my iPhone? Probably. Do I want to? Nope.</p>
But I just have a no nonsense phone. In fact, I could get rid of that and do just fine most of the time when I am not travelling. I am thinking of getting one though. Why? to keep up with the technology since it is kind of my line of work…at least for now…sigh…it’s either that or toss it all in and start planning my garden.</p>