More on iPhone

A few observations now that I've had a day to play with the phone...

THREE THINGS I LOVE
1. Realtime traffic mapping. I can use it to map my commute home to Vancouver from the Tigard/Tualatin area or vice versa. It will show me, as in this picture, the set mileage (19.3), but also the expected drive time (at the time this was shot, about 30 minutes) based on color-coded lines that indicate current speeds and slow spots on the highways I need to travel. If I see a red section, signaling a backup, I can pick another route. Even without Wi-Fi in our office, I'll be able to get this reading - slowly, granted - via the phone's built-in network connection before I get in the car. And once I'm on the road, I'll be able to continue charting the clearest route wherever I'm going.


2. Multitasking (Amy will hate this). Earlier, during a phone call I took on speaker phone, I responded to a running text message conversation and checked my e-mail.

3. This spot could go to some of the iPod features later (stunningly crisp video presentation, for example, with widescreen display for movies), but for now, I'll say linking straight from addresses I look up online (hmmm, where to go for dinner and how to get there?) or in my list of contacts (where does Joe live, again?) straight to Google Maps to chart their locations. If I were a reporter, man, this would be a great tool. One drawback, if the address (or phone number) on a Web page isn't hypertext, the lack of a cut-and-paste function sucks. If it is, though, just click and you're connected.

THREE THINGS I DON'T
1. The built-in network is, as advertised, REALLY slow. Sometimes it times out before pages load. And, at times, getting that alternative Wi-Fi connection can be a little tricky. Mike and I struggled to get on his home network today, and then got bounced off Portland's MetroFi a few times for some reason. That said, at our house, once I entered the home network password, the phone always goes straight for the better, faster connection. And, when I walked into the neighborhood coffee shop around the corner this morning, the phone automatically picked up that Wi-Fi and asked me if I wanted to use it.

2. No drag-and-drop loading of iTunes, at least for now. Everything must be synced to get in the system. That's fine and expected for contacts, calendars, mail and bookmarks. But it's an extra step I'd rather not have to deal with for music, podcasts and videos. Instead, in the case of music, you have to create a playlist and then sync it to the system. Once it's on, the music appears as it normally would on an iPod, but the runaround factor is annoying. And I don't recall it being advertised, which feels a little deceptive. Frustrated the hell out of me last night - and when I called this afternoon they said, "Yep, sorry, no drag-and-drop." Maybe an eventual software update can remedy that.

3. Safari, with no Flash and other limitations. Wish I could use trusty old Firefox with all the bells and whistles. But, really, as Amy will tell me, I don't need to get ALL the Web ALL the time.