So, maybe you’ve heard the news that a little device called the iPhone is being released tomorrow. Then again, maybe you haven’t heard that news. It’s been pretty subdued. No big media blitz or anything about this. Nope, definitely quiet this release.
Now, I won’t be camping out on any streets or outside any stores to buy an iPhone. Nor will I be plunking down $500-600 of my hard earned cash for one those. (A chunk of change that size is designated to a new Digital SLR, that I may get someday. Perhaps when I’m 40 or something…) But if my boss were to purchase an iPhone for me, I definitely wouldn’t protest. In fact, I would accept it graciously. And then I would run out of the room and do a happy dance for my new toy.
(Speaking of the iPhone as a toy, check out this video. Funny stuff… OMG! I Got An iPhone!)
No matter what though, I need a new smartphone and that decision has to be made in the next month or so. I’ve been using a Treo 650. Which was fine and dandy when I got it, but I’m kind of disenchanted with it now.
The web browser on it SUCKS. The PDA has been randomly rebooting itself, crashing as I’m searching for something or locking up on calls. And my service from Verizon has been terrible. I don’t know if it’s the Verizon service on this particular phone, or Verizon service in my area or if it’s some other problem entirely, but large portions of my home are dead spots and I rarely get more than 2 bars on the signal. But since all of my work calls are directed to my cell phone, I kind of need it to work.
I’m trying to decide if I want to go with a newer model of the Treo because I know the OS, I know I can tie into my work’s e-mail and calendar with ease and all of my data will transfer easily. Or I could go with a Crackberry. My brother has a Pearl and it seems like a pretty sweet device. I know I could connect to my work’s network with that, but we have limited licensing for that product’s direct connectivity to our servers.
And there’s the beautiful iPhone. I might be able to convince my boss to purchase one of those for me. But it’s on an entirely different cell network, it’s an unknown/untested device and it doesn’t communicate with any calendar or address software that I use. I’d have to switch to using Yahoo or Apple calendar/address books. I don’t mind using Apple’s calendaring software, but I typically use a desktop PC with two giant monitors for my work all day and use my Macbook for testing and for all of my work throughout the evening (so I can sit in the family room as opposed to my office). I like being able to sync my PDA to a computer and it’s more convenient to do it at the main work computer that I sit at 8-5 (or 6-4:30 as it usually works out…).
I like having options available to me, but sometimes I wish the information was presented much more clearly. I hate going to company’s websites for their products because they get so caught up in doing Flash presentations with 360 degree views and short video clips of their product, that is is hard to just find a good outline of all the details, software, etc.
Maybe I need to check Consumer Reports or some other source that isn’t directly tied to the manufacturer.
On the outside, I try to project an image of having it all together. But underneath that, I'm kind of a disaster. Hence... the name of the site: GlossyVeneer. 
