One of the concerns I had about the iPhone was whether it'd be useful out in the wild. I mean, I know it's a cell phone, and everyone knows how useful a cell phone is. But what about everything else? Is the "Internet communication device" really that useful out in the world? Is it $600 worth of useful? Here's what I've discovered so far.
Some information lends itself to a mobile environment, and some doesn't. One example of useful mobile information are movie times. If you're out with friends or family and you decide to check out movie time, what are your choices? Search out a newspaper or call the theater. But with the iPhone, finding the movie times is a snap. Of course, that's not unique to the iPhone, but the iPhone gives access to that information in a very quick, intuitive, and pleasant way. Less frustration is one of the iPhone's selling points for me (as long as it doesn't crash!).
Here is a real life example of the iPhone being useful to me. I was walking to a Thai food place near my apartment I had never been to. I noted the address before I left but didn't write it down. Wouldn't you know it, I forgot the address on route. I was on the right street, but now I wasn't sure where it was. Had I walked passed it already, or did I need to go farther? I whipped out my iPhone, did a Google map search, and discovered I had a few more blocks to walk. Peace of mind thanks to the iPhone. Again, I could have done this on another smart phone. But the unique thing about the iPhone was I added all that information: the phone number, the address, the website, to my contacts list for that restaurant, so I could recall it the next time I call for carry out. It's like a new world for my address book, I had never had this level of detail before.
I also use the iPhone at work to check out sites that are blocked by WebSense. A lot of job-related useful information is blocked by WebSense simply because it is on a blog or in the comments of some forum. Don't get me started on WebSense. Anyways, Ive found the iPhone serves as kind of an emergency web browser when my desktop fails me for whatever reason.
Another way it is useful is that it removes a lot of the weight of what's in my pocket. I don't have to stuff both a phone and an iPod in my pocket, just the iPhone. Now, if only I could figure out a way to have the iPhone start my car and open my apartment door, I wouldn't need to carry my keys with me too.
It's hard to judge if the iPhone is truly worth $600. I mean, it hasn't supplied me with tools that are indispensable. I don't have to know movie times when I'm out with friends. It's not like it's a car that carries your groceries home, or your home computer that let's you write, print, or email your resume. I guess the best way to describe the iPhone is as a luxury tool that helps you get more kinds of information quicker in a mobile environment. For business people, of course that could mean a lot of money. But for the average person, it's more of a luxury. Maybe one day there will be $600 worth of information I come across on-the-go, but that hasn't happened yet. Still, it's a very useful and entertaining device.
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