Is an iPhone/Smartphone worth it?

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by aigel

As much as it helps you get spare time activities introduced into your work day it also helps work day activities to get introduced into your spare time. It is a bum deal IMHO. In the old days you could enjoy a track day, completely turning off work, family and even news ...

George

Yes and no, it's a double edged sword. Some of us have jobs where we are never truly "off".

My current gig is easier to turn off than my last 2.

Two companies ago I had people in Japan/Australia, Germany, France, England, Spain, NY, Utah, TX, California and Washington.

My day started at 6am when I woke up and ended at 10pm with the frequent calls in the middle of the night from APAC.

My wife hated it.

One day we are at our local St Patties Day parade, i'm on the phone, she makes a comment about it, I looked at her and told her the truth, "if it were not for this thing then you'd be standing here alone because I'd be in the office"

Yes it sucks to have it intrude on personal stuff and I take great pains to keep it to a minimum but it's a reality of my business.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Yes it sucks to have it intrude on personal stuff and I take great pains to keep it to a minimum but it's a reality of my business.

How was your business conducted 15 years ago...did people in your profession work 24/7?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by red-beard

I found my keyboard-less touch screen only phone (HTC HD2) a disappointment. I loved the high speed, the large screen etc. But the on screen keyboard sucked monkey balls.

Have you had a chance to play with a phone that's running Swype?

I think that all touchscreen devices should be running it. I'd love to have it on my ipad. It's REALLY fast and easy.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by rcooled

How was your business conducted 15 years ago...did people in your profession work 24/7?

Pretty much. We had pagers before the cell phones.

We even had a primitive form of "email" for the APAC territories.

If you needed to get a message to someone on the other side of the world/time zone you'd send them a fax so they'd get it when they arrived in their morning.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

As I mentioned the net connectivity and weather app are great, but only part of the picture.

I was always thought texting was stupid. Now I send a couple dozen texts a month max. If you want to get a short message to someone that you don't really need to talk to it is great. I eat lunch with a buddy one a week. I can send a text to confirm that he can make it and we agree on a restaurant. The name of a restaurant, and a time is all it takes. He replies with OK and I know it is on. Done in 15 seconds.

Yes, texting is better than a call under certain circumstances.

The note app is great. On a regular basis while I am working in my garage I discover I am need something from the parts store. I make a quick note on it and the next time I am at the store I pull up my parts needed list.

There is a great app available for Android and Apple devices call Catch. It's a note app with a twist. You sign up for an account at catch.com (free). Then, when you write a note, the note can be synced to the web. For instance, I can write a note on my phone (maybe something I need from the store), add something to it from my ipad and my PC, and then have all of the entries available on my phone at the store. It also allows links, pictures and audio notes. It's pretty darn slick.

The other day in the garage I took pictures of my all of tools with my regular digital camera for insurance proposes. I transfered those to my home computer, then made a 180 MB zip file of all of them, and copied them to my phone. My phone is like a USB thumb drive, I can store any computer file on it, and copy it off to any computer with a wireless network. It is always with me. It is a great music player. I have a few movies on there but I admit I have never watched a full movie on my phone. But anytime I need a Blazing Saddles fix I can whip out my phone and watch a scene or two.

It is way more than just a phone, it is a small computer, music player, digital file storage, GPS & camera and it does make phone calls as a bonus.

GPS, Compass, route recorder (you can record a route that you walk, bike, drive, whatever via GPS using the Google "My Tracks" app).

In Houston, there is a website that shows the traffic on the major freeways around town. THere is an app that ports the real-time traffic to the phone. It's much better than using the website from the phone.

Need directions to a new restaurant that you want to try? It's in the phone. Need to call someplace, get the number from the phone. Yes, you can do that stuff using 411 (not usually free these days).

I understand the resistance that some of you have, and I can imagine that some folks would not find them useful, but IMO, smart phones are as useful as the Internet, computers, email, cell phones.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by rcooled

How was your business conducted 15 years ago...did people in your profession work 24/7?

Yes, but you can't apply how things were done 15 years ago, to how things are done today. I was interviewing a guy once for a position as a network engineer. We were talking to him about how he worked under pressure. At some point he said something like "10 years ago this company did business just fine without email." The implication being that if they got their work done without it before, they could still do it now. It doesn't work that way. Years ago, things weren't as global, years ago, lots of jobs had pension and retirement, years ago, there was no email, no cell phones, no electricity, no indoor plumbing. Just because people managed without at some point in the past, does not mean that you could turn it all off today.

The world has changed and certain things are expected. If you try to go back in time to a simpler time, you'd probably have to lose a lot of the modern advantages while you gave up some of the encumberances.

[GH85Carrera]

Yep almost every business is different because of the Internet. 15 years ago (1996!) my desktop computer did not have near the power of my phone, and nothing like the versatility of my phone.

I helped develop a state of the art film recorder. It cost 100 grand and could expose a 8x10 piece of film with very high resolution. Now I have a 10 grand inkjet printer that can make a better in every way final print in 1/10 the time.

[RWebb]

phones don't have GPSS - they do simulate it, or have geolocation, by using cell tower info

they will not work when you are far from cell towers - and that includes some paved hwys; you'll need a GPSS for that

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by masraum

The world has changed and certain things are expected.

You're absolutely right...the genie's out of the bottle and isn't going back. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy technology as much as the next guy. I have iPods, iPads, laptops, gps and cell phones too. I just find it interesting how quickly mobile devices have risen to the status of "necessity". We're witnessing the birth of a phenomenon here that will eventually have a profound effect on most everything people in the civilized world do. Probably something along the lines of what Henry's Model T did for the status quo back in the early 1900s, only reaching so many more people.

[aigel]

From what I understand the OP is buying this out of his own pocket. I advise not to blow that kind of money for a smartphone. If your work buys it, it is a different story, and then it means that you are having a job that requires being plugged in and you won't get around using it.

I go on trips to the mountains where I have no reception. These are the best weekends. But I do have to announce it - these days it is expected you are a phonecall away.

George

[livi]

Originally Posted by jyl

But have you seen the fluffing app?

I designed it.

[GH85Carrera]

The smartphone has become an important part of modern life. You may be able to survive without it, but the younger people will do whatever it takes to have a smartphone. I remember the days of dial up Internet that was metered by the hours of use. It cost 20 bucks a month and if you used it much you ended up with a second phone line. Now I have a WAY faster connection everywhere I go. We never even imagined being able to stream a movie to a hand held color high resolution device.

I often go for days at a time without making a phone call on my iPhone. I rarely go more than a few hours without using my smartphone for some other task.

Just yesterday I needed a new blade for my edger. I whipped out my phone to take a picture of the model number of the blade. When I went to the mower shop they handed me a blade with a different number. They went back and got one with the same number and the only difference was the size of the mounting hole. My phone saved me the hassle of a second trip to the store and the delay of getting ready to edge. This is the actual photo from my phone. I did crop it some for this post but with the phone it is real easy to zoom in and clearly read the number on the blade. Heck there is a PhotoShop app right on the phone.



I know I could have done that same task with a pencil and a scrap piece of paper. But I would have to almost lie down to get close enough to read that tiny little hard to read number, double check the number was written down correctly, and remember to carry that piece of paper with me until I got to the store. I was trying to read the serial number on a new radio. That number is just tiny. A quick photo with my smartphone and it is very easy to read the photo.

I have to pay 100% of the cost of my phone, and my wife's phone to boot. I can share her calendar so if one of us has an appoitment is will show up on just my phone or we can share, it is up to me to decide.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by RWebb

phones don't have GPSS - they do simulate it, or have geolocation, by using cell tower info

they will not work when you are far from cell towers - and that includes some paved hwys; you'll need a GPSS for that

Hmm, I don't know about that. My phone "sees" satellites (usually around 8) when I have the gps running. I am aware of the cell tower triangulation thing, but I. Think that some phones do have gps capabilities.

[cgarr]

Geolocation, by using cell tower info is not going to get you within 20 feet? The only info that is loaded thru the cell service is the map overlays not the GPS locations.

[masraum]

Http://electronics.Howstuffworks.com/gps-phone.htm

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by cgarr

Geolocation, by using cell tower info is not going to get you within 20 feet? The only info that is loaded thru the cell service is the map overlays not the GPS locations.

That is correct. If you crank up the map function and have no cell reception you get just a dot in the middle of the screen. The phone will know where it is, but you will have no frame of reference. Once you get reception it can put in a map and show where you are. A real GPS has a built in map database stored on the unit.

[techweenie]

Some of you guys seem to have odd perceptions about modern technology.

1. You can turn the phone off. It's allowed.

2. We do not use the phone to connect to "the Internet." We use it to connect to people.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by techweenie

Some of you guys seem to have odd perceptions about modern technology.

1. You can turn the phone off. It's allowed.

2. We do not use the phone to connect to "the Internet." We use it to connect to people.

One friend was very leery of getting a cell phone. His wife finally bought him one and he carried it but only his wife had his number. He still turns off the phone on occasion.

[cgarr]

I take the battery out of mine and wrap it in lead foil at night!

[gprsh924]

Having a smartphone allows me to get a ton of work done without being in the office.

For those complainig about being overconnected, it's as simple as not answering calls or emails until you decide you are back on the clock.