Why I Am Thankful: Thanksgiving iPhone Style
Today in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd write a different kind of article. Rather than trying to figure out what's coming next for the iPhone or how to make it better, I wanted to look at the product the way it is. Rather than complain about missing features like copy/paste or support for MMS, I want to look at what features this device does have. All year round we are constantly demanding more, but do we ever stop to really think about how far this technological gem has taken us? On this Thanksgiving Day, it's time to recognize why we are thankful for the iPhone.
Thank you for Mobile Computing
My iPhone has completely killed my desire for a netbook. Of course the Treos and Blackberrys of yesteryear allowed us to surf the web or check our emails, but after using the iPhone for any substantial amount of time I ask you, did they really? It may have worked to get quick and dirty information, but the keyword here is dirty. Funky formatting, unloadable images and a truly awful experience that made users gasp, “I’ll check this out when I get home.” Managing email was a nightmare! Mailboxes were constantly full and led to memory management issues.
Thanks mobile Safari for showing me webpages the way they look on my Mac Pro; thanks for giving me a constant experience wherever I go. Mail.app, thanks for taking care of the storage issues, allowing me to easily change between mailboxes, and for formatting my email properly.
Thank you for being my personal concierge
“Where am I exactly?” “Where is the nearest…?” “How do I get there?” I don’t remember asking any of these questions even one time since being introduced to Maps on my iPhone. One click locates me, and a quick query tells me what’s around. Oh, did I mention it gives you phones numbers and directions right to my desired destination with traffic information? Just a few short years ago we thought MapQuest was cool. Maps, thank you for redefining utility!
Thank you for worry free syncing
How easy is it to back up your iPhone… umm all you do is plug in your sync cable and it saves a copy for a rainy day. Make a change on your computer and have it instantly take effect on your iPhone. Try putting music or pictures on any other device, let alone full-length movies. In high school it was cool to carry pictures in your wallet, in college that was lame. No problem, I now have a beautiful digital frame in my pocket to show off my photos. Guess what, it holds a heck of a lot more than 16 pictures too! Pinching to zoom in and out and swiping around rather than toggling through menus to see pictures is, well, AWESOME!
Thank you for self-enhancement
I am constantly surprised by all the new tricks my iPhone learns. What about waking up one day and realizing that my iPhone could figure out where I am and help me find things around me, without GPS?! Or finding out that along with all the great apps I knew I was getting, I now have access to thousands more. And oh, even though I was already in love with Maps, just a couple weeks ago it transformed into a even more powerful tool.
The iPhone doesn’t have to keep getting better. I happily paid the asking price for my iPhone knowing what it could do that day. I had no condition of needing more in the future. Unlike most girlfriends I have ever had, I accepted my iPhone for who it was. New blackberrys have new software, but if you have the last model, too bad. Either upgrade or live without the storm of new features. Not my iPhone though, I can rest assured knowing that even if I don’t demand it, new features and utilities will come my way. Thank you iPhone, you didn't have to but I am sure glad you did.
Thank you for the App Store
I thank my iPhone for knowing that it can’t rely only on mommy and daddy to grow, even if daddy’s name is Steve Jobs. Now I truly have access to almost anything I can dream up on my iPhone. If I want to play my iPhone like a flute, I can. If I want it to replace my PSP, it can. I’ve also tossed my voice recorder and radio because my iPhone now takes care of it. There are thousands of apps in the App Store. Even if you only find 10 that you love, that’s more than enough to transform your day-to-day life.
App Store, thank you for easy installation. Most times no computer is needed to gain a new app. I never need to find the company’s website to get the download file or follow complicated installation instructions. I have a one-stop shop to find any app I am looking for, and then get it. That’s it, no tech geek needed, just a few finger taps. I have excitedly deleted all my old .prc files and love the user interface of the App Store.
Thank you for being you
I could go on feature by feature until it is no longer Thanksgiving. I can tell you how certain apps are more useful to me than my car. But that’s not what is important. Today I am thankful that the iPhone has really changed my life. No, that is not being overly dramatic or just plain cheesy, it’s true. Life is just easier now. The real internet is in my pocket. Apps make it ridiculously easy to get information I want. I can solve problems I always thought there was no solution to (hello Shazam). The user experience was designed to be intuitive to everyone. I am thankful that my iPhone just works. Other devices offered a lot of value, but they came with more than their fair share of pain to realize any of it. The iPhone wasn’t designed that way. So before we get mad that something is not the way we’d like, we should stop and consider the alternative, because maybe the feature is not missing, maybe it was left out for our own good.
Happy Thanksgiving iPhone, I am very thankful for you today and everyday.