Nerdgasm: My first 24 hours with the Iphone.

I know, I know. I previously wrote several blog entries on why the Iphone rocks, but you shouldn’t buy it. But I also said if Apple fixed a few of my main problems, I could be persuaded to change my mind. And I still say, if you are happy with your wireless carrier/phone, don't want to spend big bucks on AT&T service, or just want a media player, the Ipod Touch is a great product for you. All that being said...

Three of my biggest issues with the Iphone were the price, the lack of Flash internet support, and no Mobile Itunes. All three of these were recently addressed. Apple dropped the cost an amazing $200 after less than 60 days on the market, announced flash support was coming in a software update, and announced the creation of the Itunes WiFi store.

I was intrigued, but still stuck in my commitment to Sprint. Well, much to my surprise, Sprint and I decided to part ways yesterday due to a lack of coverage near my home and a cancellation of the construction of a new tower that would have had me covered. It turns out that the $110 I paid Sprint a month didn’t justify me using exclusively Verizon roaming minutes. So now I was a free man and wasn’t sure what to do. The new Ipod Touch, still highly recommended, is out and I was waiting for mine to arrive. After extensive research, I was finally convinced to overcome my fear of having a bigger phone and as of yesterday, I joined the Iphone masses.

It took a few hours of waiting to port my number from Sprint to AT&T. Yes, as much as it killed me, I decided to opt for exclusivity rather than hack it to work on T-Mobile. I just didn’t feel like dealing with re-hacking the phone every time an update comes out, especially with Flash coming in the next big one. Setup was a snap and all done through Itunes. One wonders why all cell phone setup can’t be this easy?

After a few minutes of firmware updates, the Iphone appeared on the left side of Itunes with all my playlists and music. After about an hour of entering in my contacts to Windows Contacts and syncing up all my music and movies (converted using Cucusoft’s DVD to Iphone tool), I disconnected my phone and was ready to explore my new device. Let me just start by saying this… Wow, just Wow.

I knew from the tech demos I have seen and played with that Apple’s mobile interface was something special. After hours of using it, I am more impressed then ever. Everything just works seamlessly. With very few exceptions, a user can figure everything out without assistance. And the few things I couldn’t figure out quickly, were a snap with one quick Google search.

The device is essentially a video Ipod, with a phone, browser, email program, and a few useful widgets for checking Google maps, weather, stocks, appointments, and taking notes. Within 30 minutes, I had everything running and customized, was connected to my home WiFi network for high-speed internet, had my Gmail synched, set my favorite YouTube videos, and was watching Pirates of the Caribbean on the beautiful screen. Every feature is either done right or better than has ever been done in a mobile device before. From evolutionary things like visual voicemail and the ease of scaling and centering any picture for your background, to revolutionary features like the web browser and flipping cover art.

Are there things I would change/improve upon? Yes. More memory for sure (it only comes with 8GB with no expansion capability) and paying an extra buck for custom ringers, even though I already bought the song, is a little silly. That being said, the Apple operating system (OS) is a dream and puts all other smart devices to shame. This OS is not a leap forward, it is a revolution. It seriously feels like going from an 8 track to a DVD. I do miss having a small phone that fits in my pocket, but only until I push the ON button for my Iphone. (Although the Iphone does fit comfortably in my cargos.)

One glance at that vibrant screen with my Halo background and even after a day, I can hardly remember crappy mobile internet, menus that are hard to navigate, and ever having a phone that didn’t do everything, and I mean everything, I want a mobile device to do. The Iphone is the most amazing techno gadget I have ever seen or owned. If you call yourself a tech guy/gal, have the means, and don’t mind selling your soul to AT&T, you owe it to yourself to get an Iphone. If not, at least pickup an Ipod Touch and join the revolution.