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The Multi-Purpose Gadget in My Pocket

by Jim Pinto | from Pinto's Archive


Here's a personal quiz: What gadget do I carry in my pocket that does any and all of the following?
  • Browse the web - Google Search, Youtube videos
  • Read and send email
  • Provide Google Maps, with directions
  • Listen to MP3 music
  • Watch movies and videos
  • Play Blackjack, Solitaire, Sudoku, Poker
  • Listen to news on ABC and NPR
  • Read CNN, TIME Magazine
  • Display up to date stock-market summaries
  • Shop on Amazon.com
  • Read Kindle books and magazines
  • Take photos and videos with a 3.1 megapixel camera
  • Play musical instruments - Piano, trumpet, saxophone, ukulele
  • Read Word, Powerpoint, Excel and pdf files
  • Show photos from my Hawaii and Greece holiday trips
  • Update and display Outlook contacts and Calendar
  • Record my voice-memos
  • Display time, with an alarm clock and stop-watch
  • Provide local weather reports
  • Accurate compass and direction finder
  • Cool calculator
  • World Atlas with facts & figures
  • Track daily exercise with a Pedometer
  • Receive and make phone calls and text-messages
Yes, you guessed right - after resisting the urge for too long, Jimmy the Geek finally broke down and got an iPhone. I've gotta tell you, I've had it for about a month now and I'm enjoying it.

As an electronic instrument geek, I enjoy the look and feel. The intuitive touch navigation is delightful; I've yet to read the 215-page manual which I downloaded from Apple's website. When problems occur (usually my own) I simply do a Google-search, and read several blogs and helpful solutions.

After a month of handling, including playing games with several kids, it still has no scratches - I haven't bought a "skin" yet. Countless Youtube videos show how it survives scratches and drops on a concrete floor - yes, the glass breaks sometimes.

The keys to my enjoyment are the thousands of Apps that can be downloaded easily. Most of the items I listed are FREE downloads, though some cost $0.99 and a few $ 1.99. When you browse the Apps through a word-search, there are brief descriptions and screen shots, which makes getting the freebies addictive.

My iPhone provides hours of entertainment for me, as well as for my grandkid-babysitting - finger-drawing, tic-tac-toe, koi-ponds, puzzles. iBeer fills the screen with a choice of beers or mouthwash, and the burp (or gargling) when you finish causes loud laughter; the hilarity and screams increased till I finally took it away.

Hey, I suppose I'm selling iPhones now. Apple has sold over 30 million iPhones and iTouch (the version without a phone). There are now more than 25,000 applications available for download, including 6,000 games by 50,000 developers, with more than 1 billion downloads.

One wonders how this personal multi-purpose gadget trend will continue to develop. It's getting exciting for us consumers. Stay tuned.

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