iPhone
I splurged this weekend. I went out and got an iPhone. Until recently I was a very happy dumb phone user. I had a cell phone that made calls and got voicemail and I was completely happy. Then my brother in law got an iPhone. Curious about what all the fuss was about, I tried his. I was hooked. My old dumb phone was suddenly deficient. Yeah it could get the Internet on it, but who wanted to look at that on a 1.5 x 1.5 inch screen? In fact getting the Internet on cell phones has been around for a while now, but Apple has made it easier and more enjoyable to do so on their phone. They have people like me, previously happy with their dumb phone, thinking about buying an iPhone. That is a big step. Until I bought this still rather pricey phone, I had always been the type of person who got the phone that came free with the cell plan. I never bought a cell phone.
Now I have all sorts of things I am doing with my phone. I found out that there is a free app that I can download to sync my Google Calendar to my iPhone calendar (essential for work and for a family of four). There are a lot of medical applications (free and paid) as well as fun things like a program that turns your iPhone into a lightsaber sounding device. I am learning how to type using iPhone's touch screen, it takes a little practice. I don't find it as cumbersome as John Halamka does, but I never had a Blackberry to compare it too.
There are a lot of things that I am learning and finding interesting. So I am going to take one for the team. I am going to unselfishly test this new device and report back on its medical and library applications. It will be hardwork but somebody has to do it.
posted by The Krafty Librarian @ 9:36 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
I am just like you used to be. The last time I got a new cell phone (2 years ago), I told them I just wanted something that made calls. Now, two of my friends have iPhones and some have iTouches, and I feel like I have to have one.
I love the GPS navigator and the camera the best. Plus, I love the fact that you can download different apps and video games onto the phone. Now that my phone contract is up, I'm thinking of taking the plunge and getting an iPhone.
You didn't have to splurge, really. You could have bought a Windows Media Pocket PC/Phone months ago for less than 100 bucks and bought a data/voice plan with 500 minutes of voice and unlimited data for 30 bucks if you weren't worried about the "cool" "cachet" that comes with saying you have an iPhone.
Do you use a Mac in your office? Are there any applications that you can use simultaneously on the PC and an iPhone--lightsaber notwithstanding?
J,
While my post implies that I was rather flip and ran out and bought the iPhone on a whim, I have been researching the phone and our calling plans ad nauseum. Just ask my husband before I ran out and "splurged."
After researching it and comparing my ATT cell plan with similar ATT plans, the unlimited data and talk minutes between the PC phone and iPhone were fairly close. Other people have other plans and needs for a cell phone, and the cost of a PC phone or an iPhone (and the plan) may not be justified for their anticipated use of the device.
The full screen for Internet viewing was one of the main things I liked about the iPhone. The whole full screen is what made me consider dumping my dumb phone. I also like Google's phone (but not on ATT plan), the Tilt ($299), and the Duo ($179). Currently both the Tilt and Duo have mail in rebates that make them a little more pallatable cost wise, but they are still pricey at $199 and $79 respectively (after rebate). The Tilt wasn't available at the time to play with and I wanted to "test drive" before I spent that kind of money. So, it was between the Duo and the iPhone.
Therefore I looked at functionality. My iPod mini died so I did like the fact that the iPhone would be able to easily take over my iTunes. Honestly the Window platform for the Duo was not a positive or a negative for me. It doesn't matter whether I have a Mac or a PC in my office because I can't install anything or sync up anything with it anyway because it is locked down thanks to hospital IT. The iPhone syncs just fine with my personal laptop for my needs.
The Duo includes the full Microsoft Mobile Office Suite for creating and editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, as well as an Adobe Reader client for viewing PDFs. But I don't see me really using (editing) Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on my phone. I am able to view a PowerPoint and PDF on the iPhone.
Both phones sync with Outlook's Calendar, but I don't use Outlook's Calendar because I find Google Calendar better serves my needs. Both phones offer real time email updating and viewing with full full support for Microsoft Exchange server and POP3 and IMAP. So both phones can get Outlook email and contacts as well as webmail (Yahoo, Gmail, etc.) I only use Outlook for work email and to be honest just getting permission to access work email from off campus is not worth the hoops just to add it to my phone regardless of whether I bought an iPhone or a Duo. I have my iPhone sync to my webmail.
The Duo does not have GPS. My husband and I have been mulling over getting a GPS for the car. So far we are fine using a map book for in town driving, but there have been a few times when we are out of town and don't have a map that a GPS would have been handy. The iPhone has a GPS, I haven't tested it yet. I know the Blackberry has a GPS, but like I said I wanted a full screen and it doesn't have a full screen.
After test driving the two phones out, the iPhone came out ahead. If I really wanted the keyboard or didn't care about the full viewing screen the Blackberry along with a whole slew of other smart phones would have been nice.
I just have the iTouch and only because it came as part of an education discount on an iMac, but I am now planning on getting the iPhone when our current contract runs out.
So far I've only downloaded free apps but it has been fun - like Labyrinth LE. There are several free things (and lots more paid things) that make it a useful demo for the docs. And I recommed checking out Unbound Medline from Unbound Medicine http://www.unboundmedicine.com/ - I like it better than PubMed's own mobile interface. I've also set up access to Dynamed (after getting a serial # from EBSCO).
I plan on downloading the Stanza reader as well, to see what kind of use it might have as a book reader.
On a more personal note, with the FM transmitter I received for my birthday, I'm listening to lots of great podcasts in the car - I can pause during Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me so I don't miss a thing.
Were you "tethered" to ATT by another few months on contract and had to stay?
I have an HTC Touch which is also a non-keyboard device. The screen is a wee bit smaller than the iPhone. It's currently 99 bucks. It was 150 after rebate when I got it a year ago.
*It doesn't matter whether I have a Mac or a PC in my office because I can't install anything or sync up anything with it anyway because it is locked down thanks to hospital IT.*
Haha, yep. Good ol' IT. Same story everywhere, apparently.
*I don't see me really using (editing) Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on my phone. I am able to view a PowerPoint and PDF on the iPhone.*
You might not think so now, but I've taken MS Office files out with me to the stacks and done some maintenance work out there just because I could.
*The iPhone has a GPS, I haven't tested it yet. I know the Blackberry has a GPS, but like I said I wanted a full screen and it doesn't have a full screen.*
I think nearly all of the HTC Pocket PC devices have GPS, mine had to wait a few months for the update, but it's fully functional now.
You mention "full screen" a few times--no offense, but people who think that they will replicate the web experience of a 19-21 inch LCD powered by a desktop [or even a notebook] with a huge processor on a mobile device are going to be in for a let down no matter what sort of device they are using. With that in mind, it's not a big deal for me and so the iPhone's advantages in that area didn't matter to me.
Mail seems to be a wash. My device gets it's Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo etc. pushed to the device and just like you I don't the option of using Exchange.
At the time when I was researching these devices, you couldn't customize the iPhone or really add any software to it unless Jobs et al allowed it. Bottom line is, if you want to use the iPhone as it is out of the box you'll be happy. If you want something you can customize and use more for work than just an iPod that makes calls, you'll probably want a Windows Mobile device.
If you want to text until your thumbs turn to bloody nubs, there's the BB.
Wonderful for people who like them, but I don't WANT to be in touch that much. There are advantages to going for a walk, or being out in the wilderness, and not having instant access to e-mail, Google News, my favorite blogs and newspapers, and the plethora of other information sources that are usually at hand. Of course, this is being written by someone who takes a computer on camping trips...
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