I'm speaking about my new Apple iPhone that I've owned now for about two weeks now. As far as utility goes, its the best bang for the buck of any electronic device in my shack. The damn thing is amazing!
As a phone its superb. But its many other features make it outstanding. Yeah, I know, you're probably tired of hearing people gush over their Apple iCrap, but you'll have to overlook me today, I'm in iGush mode.
I bought the 16GB refurbished iPhone directly off the AT&T web site, and it was a damn deal compared to the store price. My phone looked perfect, not a scratch or blemish on it. Actually what I did was to upgrade our three phone lines from our old Cellular One plan to AT&T. We had been out of contract a long, long time.
I've tolerated people gushing over their iCrap for months. “The damn thing is just a phone, it CAN'T be all that, can it?” Friends and neighbors, let me state without hesitation that is is officially “all that.”
Of course, I've suffered since January with the close-but-no-cigar iClone. The home screen on the phone is identical to the iPhone, but beyond that it pales in comparison. Probably the biggest hassle on the iClone is the on-screen keyboard inteface. The Chinese designed their on-screen menus and the keyboard to be used with a stylus; the iPhone interface is designed for fingertips. It makes a huge difference too.
Beyond its use as a phone, it makes a dandy GPS. I was surprised at how well it worked compared to my Mio GPS unit. The only thing it doesn't do (yet) are voice-announced turn-by-turn instructions. I had seen dash mounts for iPhones but never saw why — now I know. I'm going to get one for my car.
As a GPS, it works better than either of the GPS units I've owned. I can have it in the car, shielded by the metal roof of my SUV, and get excellent results. No need to have it in the windshield, in the clear.
I have Google Earth installed on my iPhone, and its flat amazing how it will pinpoint your location and display it for you on the map or aerial photo. When I took my daughter to her music lesson Tuesday night, I parked in the east lot at St. Joseph church in Bardstown. I asked Google Earth to show my location, and it zoomed in all the way down to the street level, showing me parked in the correct lot, with only about 50 feet difference from my actual location.
I have a WiFi detector I downloaded from iTunes that detects wireless networks within range, and I've used that to connect to a variety of open WiFi sites. I have several different news aggregator apps, including Yahoo and a service powered by the AP. I have a tracking app for the ISS location, and a number of games I downloaded for free.
The applications available make the iPhone a tremendous value as a powerful handheld computing device. I remarked on my Facebook page that the only thing it lacks is a police scanner and ham radio receiver. “Is there an app for that?” I asked — not realizing at the time there was!
There's an app called “Emergency Radio” that allows you to channel surf the audio streams of about 100 different police departments that have radio audio available on the Internet. The local cops aren't on the list, unfortunately, but its a fascinating app that sure is fun to listen to.
There's no ham radio app, but you can download and watch youtube videos about ham radio if you wish. Right now I'm working to create a morse code ringtone. What else would you expect from a ham??
The one thing I haven't tried is to put music on the phone yet. I've been so busy playing with it, I haven't had time to try to add tunes to the thing.
For the gadget-inclined (and I think that includes ALL Amateur Operators!), you won't find a better buy.
The only hazard I believe is worth mentioning is the free Bowling game application. You “throw” the ball by moving your arm in the correct motion and then taking your thumb off the screen of the iPhone at the appropriate moment. I damn near threw my iPhone across the room the first few times I tried to make a 6-10 split … I don't think “stupidity” is covered by the manufacturer's warranty!
I'm off to Louisa tomorrow for the hamfest. I've got Rocinante fueled up and ready to roll. Yee-hah!