Johnny Carson used to say that if you were ever lost in the desert, the easiest way to get help would be to mix a martini. Immediately, you'd be surrounded by a dozen people telling you, "That's not the way to make a martini!"
In the same vein: If you ever want to get e-mail, just announce on the 'net that you've purchased some piece of electronic equipment. Your inbox will instantly fill with messages from people telling you, "That's not the one you should have bought." And I just want to say here that some (some, not all) Mac users are really insufferable in this way. Every time I post here that I'm having the tiniest dilemma with my PC, I get some e-mail that says, "Get a sledge hammer and smash that piece of crap machine into smithereens, then go out and buy a Mac. All your problems will be over." Apparently, no one has ever had the slightest problem with a Mac.
Anyway, I mention all this because I just got an iPhone. The briefest mention of it here the other day is already bringing me comments like, "Good to see you're wising up that Apple is the only way to go. Any day now, you'll see the light of day and get a Mac." (I know how you people feel. I used to own a Betamax.)
I got rid of the Blackberry that served me well for years because (a) it was malfunctioning, (b) I wanted applications it doesn't have or doesn't do well, and (c) I had a great offer for a 3G iPhone with 32 megs. Did I make the right choice? So far, I think so.
I like the e-mail handling better on the Blackberry but the phone part better on the iPhone. Or at least, I think I will once I get my car kit properly configured, which is going to take a partial reinstallation. But I'm getting used to typing on the new machine and I'm enjoying the speed and variety of applications…like checking the news or weather or making restaurant reservations. The Blackberry wasn't really made for that kind of thing…though I did like the one that allowed me to program my TiVos at home. The iPhone, for some reason, has nothing comparable yet. I also like the little MobileMe interface.
I haven't gotten into music and podcasts, nor have I used the camera much. All in due time. But I'll be reporting as I play with the thing and this is my first report. More will follow.