Earlier today I was again praising the iPhone as my ebook reader of choice. Of all my devices, Mac or iOS it is the one most frequently in my hand. It is always with me and, thanks to syncing apps, I’m always my data is never out of date when I open it. I’m not alone in the view that the iPhone is the best computer you own. It’s the one you cannot do without.
Confirmation comes from the Charles Skoda writing in technochocolate which lists a starter-pack of things to do on the iPhone. It’s 33 things long:
- Pay my bills.
- Read a book.
- Book a flight.
- Paint a picture.
- Tune my guitar.
- Make a video call.
- Listen to my music.
- Launch birds at pigs.
- Wake me up on time.
- Create a photo album.
- Share a clever anecdote.
- Write a post on my blog.
- Find the nearest Starbucks.
- Pay for that Starbucks latte.
- Beat my friends at Scrabble.
- Stream a movie or TV show.
- Broadcast a live video stream.
- Make a restaurant reservation.
- Subscribe and listen to podcasts.
- Share a grocery list with my wife.
- Get directions to a friend’s house.
- Add someone to my address book.
- Tell me which direction I’m facing.
- Find out what my friends are doing.
- Record, edit, and share a short film.
- Check the tasklist on my latest project.
- Remind me of meetings in my schedule.
- See new posts from my favorite websites.
- Tune into a custom internet radio station.
- Find out how much money I have in the bank.
- Share a photo on my favorite social networks.
- See how many people are visiting my website.
- Get to those articles I’ve been meaning to read.
Conclusion:
I’m not generating sales presentations or writing books on my iPhone (although, neither is strictly impossible), but I can quickly and easily do more things with this phone than any computer I’ve ever used. This phone that stays on all day long, continuously connected to the internet, and fits in my pocket. The iPhone is the most useful computer in the world.
I’m sure we could all add to that list, while removing a few items (I never tune a guitar, for instance) but the message is clear. As I have said many times before, the best computer (or ebook reader) is the one you have in your pocket, or have with you. It’s as true of computing as it is of photography.