iphone

Everyone who knows me, knows I am all about the latest and greatest technology. I must have the fastest computer, the most gadgets and toys, and be connected to the internet all the time. I just can't get enough.

That noise you all just heard is everyone who knows me laughing their heads off because in reality I am a Luddite. Sure, I have a computer- a pretty good one, though a couple of years old- and I know how to surf the web, but that's about it. Jim covers me technology-wise at work, the IT guys at school and teaching assistants in the classroom.

So, with that as a preamble, I got an iphone over the weekend and it's pretty cool, especially for a boring old guy like myself. I have barely scratched the surface of what it can do but here is a mini-review. Aesthetically it is great. A little smaller than I imagined, a black front with a silver back. A nice weight to it. Functionally it was very easy to set up and get going. There are hardly any instructions I just followed my nose.

I heard about problems with the keyboard- it's not tactile- but it wasn't an issue for me. There is a smart function so when I typed Windu for Windy, it corrected me. The internet was great. A few button pushes and I was on the Windy Cine website watching our demo reel in the middle of the park. A few more pushes later I was reading this blog. It wasn't DSL fast, but middle of the park connected to nothing, on my phone it was plenty fast.

I haven't played with the ipod or the video functions yet, I need to update my operating system first, but the biggest drawback so far is the ATT network. Its reach is not as good as other providers. My other concern is that I don't get carried away with surfing the net as I drive down Lake Shore Drive. I can see the headline now, "Dumb filmmaker101 kills himself while Googling himself."

PeterH