This will be such old news to all you long-time iPhone owners, but after a recent upgrade from my 1st gen iPod Touch to an iPhone 3GS, I have once again been reminded how well Apple gets the little things right. Previously I had the mentality that the iPod Touch is the iPhone without the phone. But there are a few others components on the iPhone that have been a nice addition.
Obviously the camera is a nice thing to carry around. But it’s the software involved that has been so impressive. Navigating from taking a photo or video to reviewing your “Camera Roll” is so smooth and intuitive, it’s pleasurable to use. And just having a camera always with you will result in a lot more photos.
Another app that I love having built in is the Nike + iPod. I’ve used my iPod Nano to sync my runs to the Nike+ service for a few years, but it’s a night and day difference on the iPhone. The little touches like being able to pause your workout even when the phone is locked are pure genius.
Serious runners, please avert your eyes from the pace in the image above …
Further Adventures in Cheap, Reliable Internet Access)
What finally drove me over the edge to signing on to a 3 year contract was the fact that it could actually save me money. By choosing the highest data plan available with my Internet carrier, I get 3 GB of data transfer per month, including any tethering to my computer. Since my internet access is already so expensive, I should actually save money by using my first 3 GBs of data every month on my iPhone.
The cell phone access is an extra benefit to cheaper internet.
It’s these small touches of design ingenuity that endear me to Apple products. Never having used a Palm Pre, a Nexus, or any of these ‘contenders’, I can only assume that this is what they are missing.
