My iphone 3g story

I went to window shopping iPhone and ended up buying one. First I used it for 10 minutes. I felt it very userfriendly compared to my T-Mobile Dash. It's internet browsing experience on wi-fi is second to none. 3-g speed on AT&T is OK. YouTube videos are great. I also found App Store with 100s of free apps very cool. When I called T-Mobile to check if my wife's contract is over, they told that even I am outside contract. Amusing..Then I found that that day is the last day of the current billing cycle. I would call it divine intervention (LOL). I went into store again and encountered a smart orange tshirt clad, what Apple calls 'genius'. He seemed to know all about Apple products and very less about ATT plans which Apple mandates to sell. I bought the iphone and the whole process of credit checking, number porting, and credit card swipe is all done in less than 10 minutes. It was thoroughly professional. No waste of time anywhere. The Geniuses in apple store carry a handy POS terminal  connected over wi-fi with them and come to the customers. Not like in other stores.  Then the genius asked me if I am interested in Apple Care Protection plan (70$) and other accessories like phone case, protection skin(30$ and above) etc which I denied. Then he brought the iphone from inside. The funny thing is the way he held the iphone. I wish I handled my new born son so carefully. With the light in the eyes he gave it to me and encouraged me to ---guess - access internet. Yes, not to make a call. That is where the core strength of iphone lies it seems. I made a call and I found there is a strange echo. I did not like it much. Went to ATT store in the same mall and added my wife to my iphone family plan. This process is also seamless. I played it since last 3 weeks, also used it at NYC, JFK, Subway station, Penn Station etc...I found that the reception is excellent compared to my T-mobile. Though I pay 20$ per month more than what I pay T-mobile, I think it is worth every $.

Coming to features, I will cover push email, web browsing, internet access, ipod, iTunes, you Tube and App Store

Onething I liked in Windows Mobile 6 which I miss in iphone is Exchange GAL.  Usually I do need to get some of my colleagues contact details while I am on the road. Windows Mobile Exchange access used to fetch me addresses from Company Address book. With iphone I get at most my Exchange contacts. It is certainly limiting. Calendar sync is also not as elegant as in WM6.

Web browsing is a treat. I get 3G almost every place I go in Tampa and New York and browsing is fast.  If I check in any hotel, I see wifi. So I am connected. It is a wonderful device in that aspect.

Only thing I miss is tethering iphone to use its 3G with my laptop. ATT seems to be blocking this which is a shame. We already pay for the internet..what if we use that in emergency to check email?

ipod is decent. Not a replacement for your 30GB gadget. But a wonderful alternative. if you organize your music into playlists and shuffle them often with latest ones, I think you can always carry fresh music as well as your favoirites.  It is much better than WM 6's handicapped Windows Media Player Mobile. If only Apple gives a way to insert a MicroSD card, no need to buy an ipod. But Apple knows that and hence they prevent that. Also they may be thinking in cloud terms and keep content away rather than in the device.

iTunes is good. I think I like this version than the big monolith in the laptop for its ease of use and singular nature.

You Tube is a killer app. Wonderful clarity and excellent streaming speed on both 3G and Wifi. 

App Store is another killer app. What a brilliant design? UI is clean, buying an app is a cake walk. Download of app and visual progress bar on the app being downloaded and installed is a testimony of Apple's UI poweress.

I downloaded Twitterrific, CheckPlease, Facebook, Linkedin, Wordpress, Googlr, Wikipanion, Currency, Units, IMPlus and Pandora. All the applications are well designed. 

My complaint - 2 weeks of usage..and none major. Perhaps security because when the users type password, each letter briefly highlights in magnified mode. I always felt that someone is watching my iphone and can read my entire password within few feet away in the line of sight. Creepy...

Otherwise...it is a good gadget...I am a happy iphone user.