my iphone and i

I love my iphone and feel very fortunate to have one. They are still too expensive for my taste, but the user experience is so good, so much better than anything else I've ever used, that I think everyone should have one.

This is not an iphone homage. The web has no need of another one of those. It's a reflection on why it has become so important to me. It's a device I literally always have with me.

I've had "devices" for many years. A bevy of cell phones, palms, pocket pcs, blackberries and the like have lived in my purse. I always ended up carrying two, though. I always needed one for voice and one for email, calendar, organization, etc. Not because one device couldn't theoretically do it all, it just wasn't easy or convenient. That meant I had 2-3 contact lists, at least 2 phone numbers, 2 chargers, and 2 devices to keep track of.

No more. I carry only one, and it happened quickly. When I first got the iphone, I immediately left on a trip from the US to Russia and Moldova. I carried two devices, as I always did before. The non-iphone began to give me trouble right away. It wouldn't roam, or sync, or be helpful in any way. The iphone was a dream. I didn't need to remember country codes when trying to call home. My iphone knew where I was and adjusted. It also turned into a "local" phone for other people. When I'm in Moscow, people in Moscow call me with a local call--how cool is that?

I turned the other device off, and I've never looked back. I am officially a one-device woman. Device monogamy is new to me, so I'm still working through it.

I like the weather button. I like knowing what the weather is in Chisinau, and thinking about what the village children are encountering as they walk to the after-school program. Do they still have the coats and socks we bought the last time I was there? I like knowing the weather in Moscow, and in Johannesburg. I think about the day-care workers making morning rounds to help get children who live alone ready for school. Are they hot? Cold? I like knowing the weather in Rome and wondering if I'll ever see it. This may be as close as I'll ever get.

I like the camera--it's pretty good! I like the navigation, and once used it when a friend and I were hopelessly lost and jet-lagged in Vienna at midnight in November. Brr! I don't have a GPS system in my car, so I've used my phone as a substitute at times.

I like the SMS texting--I can communicate with people under the age of 25, and with my boss, (who is older than 25.) I know it could be more full-featured, but it's still really good. I like watching my stocks---will this be the day, please god, that I can quit working? Maybe tomorrow. . . .

I like the clock, I like the ringtones, and I like the notes. I like it all except the ipod feature.


Odd.