KEY POINTS:
Speaking as a Mac user, it has been a wonderful month having an iPhone. I used to carry my MacBook Pro laptop everywhere. Now, most often I just spring out the door with the iPhone - only - in my pocket and carry no other hardware at all.
The iPhone has all my reminders on it, as set up on my Mac. It has all my contacts, as they are on my Mac. There's access to a Notes taker, and the texting support via SMS is sublime. The Google Maps feature plus GPS is awesome to have in your pocket.
But hey Vodafone, 100 texts is only two weeks' worth for me. From then on I pay per text, so it will be about another $20 on top of my $40 a month Vodafone plan. If I keep doing this, maybe I'll consider the $60 per month plan but even so, I would only get 200 texts total. I wouldn't use the extra 40 minutes talk time the $60 plan nets - I have a cell phone for people to contact me, not me them. The 20 minutes of my current 'iPhone $40' plan is ample for contingencies.
I've noticed it's easy to stay under the 250MB data limit, though - I just download apps via iTunes on my computer and transfer them when I'm syncing, saving my iPhone bandwidth. If Vodafone tweaks its iPhone plans at all, I'd like some more texts in my allocation, please, or a cheaper way to add some.
The iSkin case has been very good, making it easy to grip - and it's robust and slightly bouncy. To some extent it helps disguise the device too, which can be a good thing. Cycling or walking and listening to music is an absolute pleasure, especially as it's so easy to take calls now, although the microphone in the earbud cable isn't as good as that in the body of the iPhone.
I'm really looking forward to the new two-driver Apple earbuds that are coming out soon, with more controls on the cable. Also coz I swear one of my lug-holes is smaller than the other - I find it really hard getting the right earbud in place. The new models have three sizes of bud you can swap.
The basic apps that come on the iPhone are very useful, but it's the provenance of the App Store in iTunes that really makes this thing sing.
Of the free ones, it's surprising what's available - Fring is a goodie, letting me use iChat and Skype straight from my iPhone, as long as I'm inside a WiFi zone. It also taps Twitter and other networking services if you use those.
Tap Tap Revenge is the only game my daughter consistently begs my iPhone off me for; the others seem to have been bypassed and forgotten. Although Drummer and PocketGuitar (both $1.29) still get a look-in sometimes.
Stanza is a pretty awesome free eBook downloader and viewer, with a surprising number of interesting tracts available for free - DH Lawrence, anyone?
I bought WeatherNZ by 'Orsom' for just $5.29, which delivers weather reports from around GodZone and, best of all, high and low tides (summer's coming). Although I just checked and Thames, Wellington and Wanganui have disappeared off my forecast list. Everyone in those locales OK? Or has a terrible cataclysm escaped my attention?
Overseas, streaming radio apps seem to be all the rage, via Apps like WunderRadio and WeatherUnderground.
Since we have NZ iPhone app developers who might be reading this blog, what apps would you like? What apps do you find utterly wonderful? Please do share.
Actually, I have thought of an app I'd like. Since my watch died again, I've consigned it to a drawer. But when I'm walking or cycling and listening to music, it's a pain having to yank the iPhone out of my pocket to check the time. I'd like to be able to set it to announce the time at set intervals, as the system clock in Apple OS X can.
If you have any great app ideas, be quick: if National gets in, Kiwi IT companies' new research and development tax breaks will be scrapped, which may mean that some of our IT companies will head off overseas. That's because for the first time this year, companies are able to claim 15 cents in every dollar spent on R&D, a boon to an industry that's strong but can always do with support - but National plans to scrap these new tax breaks to pay for little personal tax cuts for me and you.
How supportive is that, actually? Does National even have an IT policy yet? Not the last time I looked. Just something about 'more broadband'. Let's hope they know what broadband even is, as National is sounding decidedly 1980s so far. Do some research, you guys. For goodness sake.
Another new development in the Mac world is that Apple lifted some of the iPhone Non Disclosure provisions which had prevented developers even discussing iPhone programming. This news was received with great relief by developers, but was also greeted with enthusiasm by educators, authors and publishers.
It means iPhone-related books can now be published, conferences can be more detailed and iPhone education is unleashed, so expect lots more iPhone development all around.
OK, got to go. I have to, erm - test my video card. (OK, so Call of Duty 4 for Mac just arrived at Ubertec in Parnell - see you later!).
Mark Webster mac.nz
