I just got an iPhone, and am happy with my purchase. Had been eyeing it for a number of months, maybe over a year. It replaces a bulky camera (which I did not own and would have bought), BlackBerry (which I own and will sell in recoupment) and iPod (which I also own and will sell.) A picture of my little fellow Noah (2, almost 3) is above. The monthly fees are actually better than what I had for a less extensive contract now expired with Verizon and Sunday and the service has been great. The email service looks great on the phone and is approximately as efficient as that of the BlackBerry, and the internet service is great.

The map service on the iPhone is so efficient that I have wondered whether there is a GPS element within the phone that I cannot find within the literature. Twice I have been able to get to my exact location - once in Reisterstown, once in Alexandria, a city I know a whole lot less well - on its maps so quickly that I have wondered: am I reading the map or is it reading me. Eerie. I love being able to view YouTube videos or at least to hear them; you can go from listening to Sinead O'Connor to Serbian Orthodox chanting relatively quickly. The iPhone also plays music with or without earphones, which I appreciate; am more comfortable setting the iPhone to play in the car without fiddling either with it or with earphones. I could use a car charger, may buy one soon.

The only complaint - no, respectful suggestion for their next X.0 upgrade of their software - is to make it easier to batch send an email to an email list and to copy email lists from one email to another.