30 Days with iPhone
This section of the site is my running diary of my experiences with the iPhone over my first 30 days of owning one. I’ll post one article a day on some aspect of using the iPhone, what I’ve liked and disliked, what I’ve learned.
30 Days with iPhone - Day 60 - Checking In
I’ve been living with the iPhone for over 60 days now and my life is no better and no worse.
I’ve been living with the iPhone for over 60 days now and my life is no better and no worse.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 30 - The Bottom Line
Well here we are – Day 30 of my use of the iPhone. Time to sum it all up.
Well here we are – Day 30 of my use of the iPhone. Time to sum it all up.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 29 - Bluetooth
Now that I’ve got a new phone – the iPhone — I plan to keep using an earpiece. Apple offers its own iPhone headset, but it’s $130. Seems a little pricey to me. I finally started using my earpiece with my iPhone today, though, and the experience leaves a little to be desired.
Now that I’ve got a new phone – the iPhone — I plan to keep using an earpiece. Apple offers its own iPhone headset, but it’s $130. Seems a little pricey to me. I finally started using my earpiece with my iPhone today, though, and the experience leaves a little to be desired.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 28 - The iPhone Web?
Not that long ago I wrote in praise of 37signals’ ta-da list, which had been adapted for the iPhone. I still think that that’s pretty cool, but now that I’ve learned that Google has created an iPhone-specific search interface and that other websites are creating iPhone versions, I’m rethinking that position.
Not that long ago I wrote in praise of 37signals’ ta-da list, which had been adapted for the iPhone. I still think that that’s pretty cool, but now that I’ve learned that Google has created an iPhone-specific search interface and that other websites are creating iPhone versions, I’m rethinking that position.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 27 - Good Questions
At the party I mentioned yesterday, people asked a lot of good questions about the iPhone. They were questions from people who were interested in the device, who had followed its hype a bit, but weren’t obsessed with it. In short: they’re the typical customer for any tech product. As such, I thought it might be valuable for me to repeat their questions here and to give my answers.
At the party I mentioned yesterday, people asked a lot of good questions about the iPhone. They were questions from people who were interested in the device, who had followed its hype a bit, but weren’t obsessed with it. In short: they’re the typical customer for any tech product. As such, I thought it might be valuable for me to repeat their questions here and to give my answers.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 26 - Party Tricks
I brought my iPhone to a friend’s birthday party last night. Once the word spread that I had an iPhone on me — I was the only person there with one — a lot of people asked if they could hold it, look at it, use it. I let them.
I brought my iPhone to a friend’s birthday party last night. Once the word spread that I had an iPhone on me — I was the only person there with one — a lot of people asked if they could hold it, look at it, use it. I let them.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 25 - Troubleshooting
For the most part, my iPhone has been pretty reliable. Which is as it should be. Consumer devices that need to be always-on and ultra-reliable like phones should crash rarely if ever.
For the most part, my iPhone has been pretty reliable. Which is as it should be. Consumer devices that need to be always-on and ultra-reliable like phones should crash rarely if ever.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 24 - Motion Sensor Slowness
One of the iPhone’s neat features is it ability to automatically reorient the screen from portrait to landscape when you turn the phone to the side. This feature is the kind of thing that gets first-time users really excited — it’s like the iPhone knows what you want it to do.
One of the iPhone’s neat features is it ability to automatically reorient the screen from portrait to landscape when you turn the phone to the side. This feature is the kind of thing that gets first-time users really excited — it’s like the iPhone knows what you want it to do.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 23 - Predictive Text
The other thing that was supposed to make the iPhone keyboard usable was the phone’s predictive text feature. Which is a great idea, except that the predictive text feature doesn’t work very well.
The other thing that was supposed to make the iPhone keyboard usable was the phone’s predictive text feature. Which is a great idea, except that the predictive text feature doesn’t work very well.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 22 - Photos
The camera on the iPhone is really nice. The pictures that it takes are lovely — bright, clear, great colors, and no pixelization. Hard to ask for more from a phone camera.
The camera on the iPhone is really nice. The pictures that it takes are lovely — bright, clear, great colors, and no pixelization. Hard to ask for more from a phone camera.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 21 - Video
Watching video on a cell phone has never been a very appealing prospect to me. The screens were small and relatively low quality. Downloads were painfully slow and, as a result, clips were abbreviated at best. This is yet another thing that the iPhone changes.
Watching video on a cell phone has never been a very appealing prospect to me. The screens were small and relatively low quality. Downloads were painfully slow and, as a result, clips were abbreviated at best. This is yet another thing that the iPhone changes.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 20 - iPhone-Specific Websites
Though the iPhone’s browser is a full web browser giving us virtually all the features of a standard desktop web browser (notably, of course, Flash and Java support are still lacking), Apple has released guidelines for website development customized to the iPhone.One great example of this kind of iPhone-specific web content that I came across this week is 37signals’ Ta-da List.
Though the iPhone’s browser is a full web browser giving us virtually all the features of a standard desktop web browser (notably, of course, Flash and Java support are still lacking), Apple has released guidelines for website development customized to the iPhone.One great example of this kind of iPhone-specific web content that I came across this week is 37signals’ Ta-da List.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 19 - Email Questions and Requests
After having used the iPhone for close to three weeks, I have a question about and a few requests for revisions to the iPhone’s email client.
After having used the iPhone for close to three weeks, I have a question about and a few requests for revisions to the iPhone’s email client.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 18 - Games
I’ve never been too much interested in playing games on my cell phones. The screens are too small, the controls too limited, and usually carriers want me to pay for the games.
I’ve never been too much interested in playing games on my cell phones. The screens are too small, the controls too limited, and usually carriers want me to pay for the games.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 17 - The Glory of Drag and Drop
One of the things I like most about the iPhone’s interface is its use of drag and drop. I’ve never seen it on a cell phone before (it may well be out there on other models, I just haven’t encountered it) and it’s awesome. I’d like to see a lot more of it on the iPhone in the future.
One of the things I like most about the iPhone’s interface is its use of drag and drop. I’ve never seen it on a cell phone before (it may well be out there on other models, I just haven’t encountered it) and it’s awesome. I’d like to see a lot more of it on the iPhone in the future.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 16 - Software Updates
The iPhone has been out for a couple of weeks and by now both its users and Apple have a pretty good idea of what about the phone’s software is working well and what could stand some improvement.
The iPhone has been out for a couple of weeks and by now both its users and Apple have a pretty good idea of what about the phone’s software is working well and what could stand some improvement.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 15 - Thumb vs. Finger
One curious thing I’ve noticed in using the iPhone is that its interface seems to respond better when I tap buttons and icon using my index finger than it does when I use my thumb.
One curious thing I’ve noticed in using the iPhone is that its interface seems to respond better when I tap buttons and icon using my index finger than it does when I use my thumb.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 14 - Bummering
The excitement of the iPhone has worn off for me a bit.
The excitement of the iPhone has worn off for me a bit.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 13 - Call Quality
After having made a pretty decent number of calls with my iPhone, I can say that the call quality of the device is just fine. Some critiques of the iPhone have labeled the call quality as substandard or just OK. I’d disagree. I think it sounds good.
After having made a pretty decent number of calls with my iPhone, I can say that the call quality of the device is just fine. Some critiques of the iPhone have labeled the call quality as substandard or just OK. I’d disagree. I think it sounds good.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 12 - Size
I’m starting to wonder if the iPhone is too big. I’m not necessarily a big devotee of miniaturization. I don’t need the smallest gadgets. But I like being able to slip my old phone — a Motorola RAZR — into my pocket and still have room for my keys or wallet or something else. With the iPhone, there’s not much extra room in my pockets.
I’m starting to wonder if the iPhone is too big. I’m not necessarily a big devotee of miniaturization. I don’t need the smallest gadgets. But I like being able to slip my old phone — a Motorola RAZR — into my pocket and still have room for my keys or wallet or something else. With the iPhone, there’s not much extra room in my pockets.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 11 - Storage Capacity
My main iPod is an 80GB iPod video. My music and movie/TV show library keeps it a little less than half full. As you can imagine, though, not much of that library resides on my iPhone right now.
My main iPod is an 80GB iPod video. My music and movie/TV show library keeps it a little less than half full. As you can imagine, though, not much of that library resides on my iPhone right now.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 10 - Requests for iPhone Version 2
The iPhone is, overall, a great first effort in a new space for Apple. The device, despite some quirks, is very solid. Still, after 10 days of using it, I already know the things I’d like to see in the next version of the iPhone.
The iPhone is, overall, a great first effort in a new space for Apple. The device, despite some quirks, is very solid. Still, after 10 days of using it, I already know the things I’d like to see in the next version of the iPhone.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 9 - Update on Battery Life
New details have come out this week about the battery replacement plan, though. It now seems, though, that if your iPhone is covered by a warranty — either the standard one-year version or the extended two-year variety (available later this month) — when the battery needs replacing, you’ll be spared losing your phone for three days.
New details have come out this week about the battery replacement plan, though. It now seems, though, that if your iPhone is covered by a warranty — either the standard one-year version or the extended two-year variety (available later this month) — when the battery needs replacing, you’ll be spared losing your phone for three days.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 8 - Web Office Suites
As a writer, the iPhone makes me very excited. I’m excited by the idea that this pocket-sized device could replace my laptop. A few years ago, I had a Handspring Visor with a collapsible keyboard. Each device could slip into a jacket pocket and I could take my writing work with me wherever I went. This turned out to be a great boon to my productivity — I got work done everywhere.
As a writer, the iPhone makes me very excited. I’m excited by the idea that this pocket-sized device could replace my laptop. A few years ago, I had a Handspring Visor with a collapsible keyboard. Each device could slip into a jacket pocket and I could take my writing work with me wherever I went. This turned out to be a great boon to my productivity — I got work done everywhere.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 7 - Battery Life
I’m starting to get worried about the battery life on my iPhone. Not that there’s anything wrong with it now, of course. I’m worrying about what it’s going to be like in 12-18 months.
I’m starting to get worried about the battery life on my iPhone. Not that there’s anything wrong with it now, of course. I’m worrying about what it’s going to be like in 12-18 months.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 6 - The Cool Factor
If you move in certain circles, hardly anything makes you cooler right now than having an iPhone. I found this out firsthand yesterday in a meeting where I had the only iPhone.
If you move in certain circles, hardly anything makes you cooler right now than having an iPhone. I found this out firsthand yesterday in a meeting where I had the only iPhone.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 5 - Browser Stability Issues
Whether I was on the WiFi networks I found or using the EDGE network, I found that Safari just wasn’t very stable. It crashed all the time — when I was zooming in or out, when I started scrolling through a page before it had finished loading, when I clicked links.
Whether I was on the WiFi networks I found or using the EDGE network, I found that Safari just wasn’t very stable. It crashed all the time — when I was zooming in or out, when I started scrolling through a page before it had finished loading, when I clicked links.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 4 – The Network
Along with the keyboard, the other feature about the iPhone that inspired the most concern and handwringing has been its use of AT&T’s old and somewhat slow EDGE network for Internet connectivity (the iPhone can use WiFi, too, but WiFi networks are not universally available).
Along with the keyboard, the other feature about the iPhone that inspired the most concern and handwringing has been its use of AT&T’s old and somewhat slow EDGE network for Internet connectivity (the iPhone can use WiFi, too, but WiFi networks are not universally available).
30 Days with iPhone – Day 3 – The Keyboard
The advance press on the iPhone generally held that the quality of the onscreen keyboard was going to be one of the most important factors in the success of the device, if not the single most important.
The advance press on the iPhone generally held that the quality of the onscreen keyboard was going to be one of the most important factors in the success of the device, if not the single most important.
30 Days with iPhone – Day 2 – Activation Woes
Probably the single biggest issue I’ve been reading about with the iPhone, hear on iDay 2, is the difficulty many people are having activating the iPhone. It seems that AT&T’s network has been overwhelmed by requests for activation.
Probably the single biggest issue I’ve been reading about with the iPhone, hear on iDay 2, is the difficulty many people are having activating the iPhone. It seems that AT&T’s network has been overwhelmed by requests for activation.
30 Days With iPhone: Day 1, Part 2
iPhone in hand, I give my first impressions and frustrations with the device. Overall, it's a big hit with me.
iPhone in hand, I give my first impressions and frustrations with the device. Overall, it's a big hit with me.
30 Days With iPhone: Day 1, Part 1
My notes on preparing to get an iPhone. T-minus 8 hours and counting.
My notes on preparing to get an iPhone. T-minus 8 hours and counting.