How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed Life?

[FalTorPan]

I'm considering the purchase of a smartphone or an iPod Touch. To this point I've stuck with my ordinary cell phone. I don't even text more than perhaps once or twice per month.

To those of you who use teeny tiny Internet-connected devices, such as a Blackberry, iPhone or something similar, how have affected your lives, for good or ill? What am I missing?

EDIT: This thread probably best belongs in the Sci/Tech forum. D'oh!

 

[Horizon]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

While the thread is here, I'll answer.
I use a Palm Pre. Technically, this is my second smart phone. The first one I didn't have a data plan for so I used it like a PDA and a phone. It was nice being able to write notes, listen to music and take calls on one device.
I use the Pre as an internet connected device and it has changed everything.
In addition to being able to do all of the above, I can now look up directions / information immediately (while my wife is driving, of course (or she does the looking up)). When we are out shopping we can comparison shop right there. If we get hungry and want to try somewhere new we can look up ALL the restaurants around us.
Neither of us even LIKED texting before. Too difficult for us on the number keypads. With an actual keyboard it opened up a line of communications with our younger friends.

As for the different types of smartphones out there: USE THE 30 DAY RETURN OPTION. If you are not satisfied with what your phone is doing, go try a different one.
Like I said, I use a Palm Pre. I LOVE WebOS (the operating system), but the phone... meh. Since it is only one of two phones with WebOS, I'm sticking with it.

Good luck!

 

[Forbin]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

Hell, I don't even use my cell phone more than for emergencies. No wait, I used the tip calculator once. Hey, until they get subspace comms on these things, their use is limited.

 

[GalaxyX]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

Wow, my iPhone basically replaced the Laptop I was carrying around, completely.

I do this on a daily basis:

1. Keep tabs on ALL my business E-mails.
2. Call people that I need to call (80% business 20% personal) and generally be reachable for them to call/text me.
3. Do 90% of my banking online with it.
4. Listen to my music.
5. Keep track of my expenses
6. Use it as a memo pad. When I remember something that needs to get done I type it (sometimes voice it in)
7. Constantly logged onto MSN Live Messenger.
8. Check the weather
9. Check important stuff like when the sun rises and sets (good for riding my motorcycle, so I know when it will get dark)
10. Work on my IT studying, including reading E-books and watching videos I convert to iPhone format.
11. Browse the internet when I'm away from my home PC, check forums like Trekbbs with it, etc.
12. And of course, playing the occasional game when I'm stuck in boring situations or have some time to kill.

 

[Wingsley]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

How have these gadgets changed life?

They distract their owners and cause alot of traffic accidents. The only thing worse that sitting peacefully in a crowded restaurant only to hear someone else's cell phone ring is to be sitting peacefully in a crowded restaurant when you nearly die of embarrassment when your cell phone rings.

The most positive aspect of pocketable music devices is when they're playing music (while simultaneously being considerate of others). The most positive aspect of cell phones is when you're done communicating with them and you can turn them off and put them away.

The most annoying aspect of either is when they become a distraction... or someone else's toy starts distracting you...

The most dangerous aspect of any of these toys is when the level of distraction becomes a physical menace to the point you (or some other fool with their own toy) has a wreck.

All that having been said, it is so wonderful to have a device that fits in your pocket that you can send or receive phone calls wirelessly. (When you're in a location that doesn't suffer from blockage of cell towers) It's also great to be able to carry 1,000 of your favorite songs in your pocket.

Just don't loose that toy. They can get expensive.

 

[GalaxyX]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

Text-n-drive people are imbecils.

Our government cracked on those guys not a moment too soon. Cell Phone and GPS use while driving is now illegal here and you will get ticketed if caught.

 

[Angelsilhouette]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

Mine has been an absolute pain. >.< I first got the Motorola Devour and had to return it twice due to defects. The second time, I swapped it for a Droid and it's taken far more of my time than it should have. It's got all sorts of nifty things on it, now: ringtones, live wallpapers (one that I've even paid for), and various other little apps and games I've spent far too long in the market finding.

I had to pick up a case to keep me from constantly accidentally hitting parts of the touch screen with the heel of my thumb (I got the ultra-thin Incipio, thankfully. Any thicker and I would have been very very upset because even this thing's thickness interferes with me hitting the top row of qwerty keys and touching icons at the edges of the screen)

Also, if the keypad is showing on the screen and I forget to hide it, I keep accidentally beeping people if I move the phone slightly away from my face and back as the screen reactivates and beeps them before the proximity sensor shuts it off again.

It refuses to allow itself to be turned off while charging; if you do, it will switch itself back on shortly after; best bet is to put it into aeroplane mode, instead.

Overall, it feels like a lot more of a shackle than my old phone since (up to the point I seduced myself into getting a www phone) I'd been trying very hard to disconnect myself from things like that.

Otherwise it's a really neat phone.

 

[RapidNadion]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

I'm frequently stunned by the low level of enthusiasm for mobile phones on the Trek BBS. When I was a TNG-obsessed kid toting his Playmates tricorder and communicators in the 80s, I would have killed to have the kind of handheld gadgetry we have now. As for those who bemoan the damage they've done to courtesy - blame the users, not the technology.

Yesterday serves as a typical example for how my smartphone (also a Palm Pre, though I've used many platforms) fit into my day:

Left the house. Listened to Pandora radio for the ten-minute walk to the train. Also checked Twitter feed for my local transit authority to check for delays.

Read news on train.

Arrived at rendezvous with carpool companions. Texted those not present to see where they were. Received call from driver.

Driver's in-car GPS wasn't working. Used Sprint Navigation on my Pre to get us where we needed to go.

After the gig, we wanted lunch. Did a local Maps search to find nearby food - found a beautiful apple orchard with deli-type place. Awesome sandwiches! Took photos of the group to savor the fun memory.

On drive back, updated Facebook with something like "Awesome sandwiches!" and posted the photos.

Listened to podcasts via Stitcher radio on my walk to job #2 office, while texting girlfriend and emailing boss #2.

Etc., etc.

I know this sounds like a piece of ad copy, but it's a pretty typical day for my smartphone and me. They're wonderful little devices ... so long as you keep an extra battery or two handy.

 

[Wingsley]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

All of these things are wonderful if...

1: You live in a developed area where there is good cellular tower coverage.

2: 3G actually works

3: Street-level mapping is up-to-date and actually works

4: You and everyone else who owns there devices uses them responsibly.

The bottom line? The technology is still evolving, still crude with obvious weaknesses, and the same can be said for the social etiquette for using these devices. Maybe it will be different 25 years from now. We'll see...

 

[Unicron]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

EDIT: This thread probably best belongs in the Sci/Tech forum. D'oh!

Sorry I haven't beamed it over there yet. Work has been busy for me of late.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

I'll start off by saying I used to be a staunch anti-cell guy. I hated cell phones. I hated how obnoxious people were with them. I especially hated the people who would text or take a call while I'm trying to talk to them. Hello! I'm sitting here, in your presence, carrying on a conversation with you! Put the fucking phone down!

Initially, I got a cheapo cell phone just for emergencies. It became necessary once I started having kids, so my wife could reach me if anything happened. After a couple years of that, I decided that, if I was going to have to carry one of these things, it could at least do more than take calls--since I rarely use it for that.

So, I got a Palm Centro. I love it, despite the technology being a bit long in the tooth. I have quite a few games on it, which is nice when I need to pass a few minutes in a waiting room or while we're waiting for a few more people to show up at a meeting. The calendar features are a lifesaver, since I tend to forget things. I use the memo feature for shopping lists and all sorts of other things--beats carrying around a bunch of slips of paper. I keep contact information for all my friends in it. The mapping feature is immensely useful, especially since I get lost a lot (damn New Jersey). I also have both work and personal email on it.

As far as communication goes, I'm more inclined to use text messaging and IM than actually call people. My phone has definitely helped me get more organized, be more productive, and stay in touch with friends and family. I know that reads like an ad, but it's true. The 3G connectivity is just gravy, as far as I'm concerned. It's nice to be able to put on some streaming radio now and then.

I'm frequently stunned by the low level of enthusiasm for mobile phones on the Trek BBS. When I was a TNG-obsessed kid toting his Playmates tricorder and communicators in the 80s, I would have killed to have the kind of handheld gadgetry we have now. As for those who bemoan the damage they've done to courtesy - blame the users, not the technology.

This isn't too surprising. I've said in threads like this before that Trek fans are more likely than average to be socially maladjusted, shy, and awkward--not the kinds of people who would typically have cell phones glued to their heads 24/7. Not making a value judgment about it, it just is what it is.

I'm perfectly fine with making it illegal to take calls or text while driving, in any case. Around here it's already illegal, and you get a $500 fine if you get caught.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

I have an iPhone 3G currently. While I don't want to oversell it and tell you it completes me or it's the greatest thing ever, wherever I go (as long as I have a signal), I have email, google, googlemaps, internet, a notepad, a calender, the internet in general, and whatever apps I have downloaded: shazam to id songs playing, kindle to read books, a currency converter, weights and measurement converter, a stop watch, and a bunch more (many of which are mere novelties). It replaced my palm pilot completely since my phone's addressbook has names, addresses, phone numbers, websites of friends and colleagues. It replaced my mp3 player and has much greater memory capacity. I can also watch digital copies of movies on it. I use my home computer much less, and usually for "bigger jobs" which require bigger programs and computing power (photo and video editing, word processing, etc.). Generally I'm more mobile and have to run to a terminal less to do all of the above tasks. It's a bit of a Swiss army knife for me.

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

GPS use while driving is now illegal here

Then what's the point of having one?

 

[Kestra]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

I'm frequently stunned by the low level of enthusiasm for mobile phones on the Trek BBS. When I was a TNG-obsessed kid toting his Playmates tricorder and communicators in the 80s, I would have killed to have the kind of handheld gadgetry we have now. As for those who bemoan the damage they've done to courtesy - blame the users, not the technology.

This isn't too surprising. I've said in threads like this before that Trek fans are more likely than average to be socially maladjusted, shy, and awkward--not the kinds of people who would typically have cell phones glued to their heads 24/7. Not making a value judgment about it, it just is what it is.

We also like to be different.

 

[Arrqh]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

GPS use while driving is now illegal here

Then what's the point of having one?

GPS use while driving is not illegal in any Canadian province that I'm aware. It is illegal to program them while driving in BC and Ontario, so you just have to set up your route before you go.

 

[RapidNadion]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

I'm frequently stunned by the low level of enthusiasm for mobile phones on the Trek BBS. When I was a TNG-obsessed kid toting his Playmates tricorder and communicators in the 80s, I would have killed to have the kind of handheld gadgetry we have now. As for those who bemoan the damage they've done to courtesy - blame the users, not the technology.

This isn't too surprising. I've said in threads like this before that Trek fans are more likely than average to be socially maladjusted, shy, and awkward--not the kinds of people who would typically have cell phones glued to their heads 24/7. Not making a value judgment about it, it just is what it is.

We also like to be different.

Ha! Me too ... I've come to pursue that desire by only carrying mobile devices that are somewhat different in their own right.

 

[TheBrew]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

I have a phone running Android 2.1. It is pretty awesome. I have some emergency music on it, I keep my calender synced on it, do FB through it (which means I waste less time on Facebook overall since the app only does the basics and none of the games), I have a guitar tuner, a chord chart, I do my banking on it, I have Google NAV (which is free turn by turn voiced directions), I can look up constellations in the night sky by pointing my phone at it, do a quick price comparison by scanning the barcode of a product... pretty much my phone allows me to do a lot in one small device. It streamlines my life and lets me be more efficient.

Last week, I was iffy on a shirt. I took a picture on me trying it on and sent the picture to a group of my friends to get their opinion. I was able to get multiple opinions from people three time zones away instantly.

 

[Santaman]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

My mobile phone ISN'T smart, its a phone damned and nothing else, if I want to take pictures or the like I'll use a camera and so on, also forget iPod and the like, no MP3 player, I've got a perfect late 80's era walkman, you know, with compact casette.

 

[Flavius]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

I'm frequently stunned by the low level of enthusiasm for mobile phones on the Trek BBS. When I was a TNG-obsessed kid toting his Playmates tricorder and communicators in the 80s, I would have killed to have the kind of handheld gadgetry we have now. As for those who bemoan the damage they've done to courtesy - blame the users, not the technology.

This isn't too surprising. I've said in threads like this before that Trek fans are more likely than average to be socially maladjusted, shy, and awkward--not the kinds of people who would typically have cell phones glued to their heads 24/7. Not making a value judgment about it, it just is what it is.

We also like to be different.

And at times think different.

As to the point of this thread: the smart phones I have owned so far (iPhone, iPhone 3GS) I have used as a mobile computing device (and as a phone) and still enjoy using it - it's a master piece of industrial design. It has enriched my life much more then it has actually changed it.

 

[FalTorPan]

Re: How Has Your Smartphone/iPod Touch (Portable WWW Device) Changed L

Thanks for sharing your experiences and opinions, everyone!

I'm very close to buying smartphones for my wife and me. I'm still trying to justify (to myself) the one-time purchase price of the phones, as well as the increased cost of the cell phone plans.