iPhone questions

J

JamesTXSD

Active member
I didn't want to hijack Hank's thread about a back-up GPS, but have some questions about the iPhone. Here's El and Bill's post that has my curiosity:

Hank-
A suggestion - if it is to be used as a back-up - too small for primary - we use our iPhone for a dandy backup - it has built in GPS, for a few bucks we have an app from Navionics that includes all the charts of the east coast (and the internal GPS spots you right on the chart). This is a possibility for you to consider, especially if the other features of the iPhone are useful for you. We leave the laptop home, now, when traveling - have Internet all over much of the US. Email to family is easy, handy camera, news, our own music -

Might not work for many, but for us travelers (on and off water) it has been great - even saved us some money since we have given up the monthly aircard expense for the laptop, have no land line phone or connect to Internet and monthly cost for the iPhone connect is less than combo of former costs.

This is sent 'on the road' with iPhone navigating us on highway, to good restaurants, places to stay and weather watch - just as good while cruising on the boat - even was our primary nav aide on a remote lake in Montana when we could not find a chart this summer.
_________________
El and Bill on Halcyon
Halcyon 2000 CD 22
Cruising America's Waterways - Halcyon Days
Click to expand...

And now my questions:

When you are using the iPhone as your GPS, are you incurring any charges or minute usage from AT&T?

While you can use the iPhone as your camera, what are you doing for imaging software and archiving? As you might expect, I shoot LOTS, use an external hard drive to archive those images, and will work them up for different sizes for printing, posting, etc.

Is there an external keyboard for the iPhone or are you using that small screen to type?

Looking at the national coverage maps, Verizon seems to cover much more territory than AT&T. It is truly rare that we don't have some kind of coverage with Verizon. In fact, just a couple nights ago, we had wireless broadband but couldn't get a good phone signal. Folks that I've visited with in our travels who have AT&T have said they couldn't get a phone signal when we've been able to; certainly not an everyday occurrence, but often enough that I've noticed.

Do you each have a phone or are you sharing the one?

I have an iPod Touch, and the features on it are similar to the iPhone without the phone. It has minimal memory compared to a full featured laptop and the wifi reception on it is likewise less than my beloved MacBook Pro laptop. Battery life with the iPod Touch is a couple hours at best with anything running on the screen. When you use the iPhone as your GPS, do you have to keep it plugged in to 12v? What kind of battery life are you seeing in actual usage?

Frankly, there is a "murmur", perhaps a hint of a rumor, or maybe wishful thinking that AT&Ts contract with Apple will come due in early 2010 and Verizon (with a broader customer base) is trying to get the iPhone. Verizon employees will neither confirm nor deny this rumor. :wink: I could use a new phone, since my old "crank up, contact Miss Elly the operator to make an outgoing call" KRazor phone is getting long in the tooth... but I have been holding out, with the hope that Verizon and Apple will come together. I admit it, I have iPhone envy but don't see any way that I could give up my laptop in place of that little-bitty screen and no keyboard. Since we all know that you two are minimalists and we are not, is this a case of smaller and less is better (for you) or do you see this as truly adequate in place of your laptop? What are you using at home when you want to work up images for your website? Are you taking photos while out and about and then working them up later with the laptop or is the iPhone your only tool for that? Same thing with writing... I can see an occasional post, but what about when you are writing something more involved?

I'd welcome input from others with experience with the iPhone, as well as Bill and El. Inquiring minds want to know. TIA for responding.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
I don't have an iPhone, like Warren I will wait until iPhone is available on Verizon. There is no question, Verizon has much better coverage, we have had both, as well as T-Mobile - nobody holds a candle to Verizon in coverage.

I know you were asking about iPhones, but I am going to tell you about the BlackBerry Storm anyway, since you are already a Verizon customer, and this is something you can have now, while waiting for Apple and Verizon to come to their senses.

Patty and I really love our BlackBerry Storms. Verizon had (maybe still has) the Storm for $150 with a $100 rebate and the second one free, so two BlackBerry Storms cost us a net of $25 each. Bill and El share the iPhone, I guess part of the "minimalist" deal. Patty and I go different directions on a daily basis, so we each need our own phone. Even if you are not "qualified" for a phone upgrade, it seems the Verizon store managers will give you the deal on the Storms, they are anxious to get you on a data plan I think...

My BlackBerry Storm can do one thing the iPhone can't (without risking turning it into a brick anyway) - it can be used as a tethered modem for my Macbook, so I can use the Macbook anywhere there is cell phone coverage. I did this along side the freeway in Oregon when we lost the wheel (!) and floating out in the middle of Lake Powell (when Navajo Mountain, where the towers are, is in sight!). It tethers via Bluetooth, and is therefore a bit of a battery hog on both the phone and the computer, but was very easy to set up and works very reliably.

With all these internet enabled smartphones, its the service plan where the bucks add up. The Verizon data plan is completely separate from your phone minutes, and is $30 a month more than your regular cell phone plan minutes. This covers all your data transfers on the BlackBerry, whether email, web, Slacker Radio (streaming music, cool) or GPS. Our GPS is the phony triangulation version, not real satellite GPS, and there is no Navionics app for BlackBerrys - yet. However it works great with the mobile version of Google Maps.

On Verizon there is a 5 gig per month data limit, which I have never even come close to - I think you would have to be downloading serious music or video to approach that limit. My tethering option costs an additional $30 a month but is totally worth it to me ($60 a month over the phone rate). Patty does not have the tethering option, since we only needed it on one phone. I think you could set up tethering whether you paid for the option or not, but it would violate the terms of service. I assume AT&T must be similar, but will have to let AT&T customers confirm that and give you the details on their phone and data rates.

Bill was saying there is a separate keyboard accessory for the iPhone, and I think was planning to get one. He'll have to tell you whether he ever did or not, and how he makes out typing on the little keyboard. We are quite comfortable with the virtual keyboards on our Storms, there are a couple of options, and we use the one where you get big keys that you tap one, two or three times for different letters. The other option is a virtual qwerty, which is one tap for each letter but the keys are too dang small for my fat fingers. Of course using it for tethering to the Mac is best for email or web, because you get a real screen and keyboard! But on the road, email is a snap even directly on the Storm.

Our Storms have an 8 gig micro SD card standard, again I don't know about the iPhone but I assume the more you pay the more memory you get. This is plenty of memory for music and photos for us. The Storm takes fine pictures but really I prefer my Canon Powershot A1100 (I liked it so much that I bought a second one after I smashed the first one in a tumble at Lake Powell). I don't know about the iPhone but on a Storm you have no image editing capability.

So my pitch (and I think Warren would agree), IF you are on Verizon and don't want to swtich to AT&T, while the BlackBerry Storm is not an iPhone, it is a pretty good alternative for Verizon customers wanting email, web, streaming music, GPS and other apps on their phone.


JamesTXSD":s6zf317n said:
I
And now my questions:

When you are using the iPhone as your GPS, are you incurring any charges or minute usage from AT&T?

While you can use the iPhone as your camera, what are you doing for imaging software and archiving? As you might expect, I shoot LOTS, use an external hard drive to archive those images, and will work them up for different sizes for printing, posting, etc.

Is there an external keyboard for the iPhone or are you using that small screen to type?

Looking at the national coverage maps, Verizon seems to cover much more territory than AT&T. It is truly rare that we don't have some kind of coverage with Verizon. In fact, just a couple nights ago, we had wireless broadband but couldn't get a good phone signal. Folks that I've visited with in our travels who have AT&T have said they couldn't get a phone signal when we've been able to; certainly not an everyday occurrence, but often enough that I've noticed.

Do you each have a phone or are you sharing the one?

I have an iPod Touch, and the features on it are similar to the iPhone without the phone. It has minimal memory compared to a full featured laptop and the wifi reception on it is likewise less than my beloved MacBook Pro laptop. Battery life with the iPod Touch is a couple hours at best with anything running on the screen. When you use the iPhone as your GPS, do you have to keep it plugged in to 12v? What kind of battery life are you seeing in actual usage?

Frankly, there is a "murmur", perhaps a hint of a rumor, or maybe wishful thinking that AT&Ts contract with Apple will come due in early 2010 and Verizon (with a broader customer base) is trying to get the iPhone. Verizon employees will neither confirm nor deny this rumor. :wink: I could use a new phone, since my old "crank up, contact Miss Elly the operator to make an outgoing call" KRazor phone is getting long in the tooth... but I have been holding out, with the hope that Verizon and Apple will come together. I admit it, I have iPhone envy but don't see any way that I could give up my laptop in place of that little-bitty screen and no keyboard. Since we all know that you two are minimalists and we are not, is this a case of smaller and less is better (for you) or do you see this as truly adequate in place of your laptop? What are you using at home when you want to work up images for your website? Are you taking photos while out and about and then working them up later with the laptop or is the iPhone your only tool for that? Same thing with writing... I can see an occasional post, but what about when you are writing something more involved?

I'd welcome input from others with experience with the iPhone, as well as Bill and El. Inquiring minds want to know. TIA for responding.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
Click to expand...
 
I don't know much about the iPhone, but both the girls are eligible for upgrades next month and both of them want to get new iPhones. I'll be sticking with the BlackBerry unless the girls convince me how cool the iPhone is. I doubt it. I like the real buttons for keys. Jamie would prefer the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm like P&P have, but AT&T doesn't carry it so as not to compete with themselves.

So, in a month I may be able to answer a little more about the iPhone. Now all I know is the data package for it costs the same as the BB.

I gotta say, though, I really like the BlackBerry. I had the Curve for a year (both kids have those now) and then I got the Bold when it came out. All of our BlackBerrys have satellite GPS, and use the cell tower triangulation trick only when they can't get a true GPS fix, or to get the general location faster than waiting for the satellite (that's why Google Maps initially shows my location within 1000 meters, and then gets it down to 3 meters in a minute or so and keeps it there - or so I think). I'm kind of surprised the Storm doesn't have satellite GPS.

Pat is right on in saying the BlackBerry is not an iPhone, and that is a huge selling point for me. I use the work features of it a whole bunch and have little use for the play features. But if the kids start making fun of me for not having fancy stuff, who knows? I do know that I will have to get an account with the iPhone App Store for the kids to download any programs or music on the new phones because you can't just plug in a USB and use the mem card as an external drive like we do now. Most of the stuff is free, but they don't call it a store for nothing. So, if the bill goes up the phones might not last.

I use the USB to transfer pictures, videos, documents and whatever between the BB and the computer. Bluetooth and email work for that but plugging in is simpler. I do not use the navigation capabilities much because the boat and the car both have that covered. I have used Google Maps to find the best route to an exact address a couple times, but it is rather awkward while driving.

The data package at AT&T is $30 on top of the phone bill for either the BB or iPhone. Unlimited data but no tethering without paying more. I'm sure Verizon costs are competitive but I don't know. We get better coverage with AT&T vs. Verizon in this area, although it is really a toss-up, so we stick with what we have. The kids say AT&T rules, or rocks, or is the bomb, or whatever is trending. But they are both teenage girls now and with Verizon I could read their text messages online if I chose, and with AT&T I can only see who they communicate with. Might have something to do with their preference.

Geez, Jim, I'm sure glad I was able to help you so much with your questions.
 
To try to answer your questions, Jim - and some are answered well in Eric's post from Active Captain - well worth the read for those interested in this question.

When you are using the iPhone as your GPS, are you incurring any charges or minute usage from AT&T?

I don't think so - we use the GPS lots and have not exceeded our minute supply.

While you can use the iPhone as your camera, what are you doing for imaging software and archiving? As you might expect, I shoot LOTS, use an external hard drive to archive those images, and will work them up for different sizes for printing, posting, etc.

We archive our photos via USB connection to our laptop, and there store or 'work them up.'

Is there an external keyboard for the iPhone or are you using that small screen to type?

There are external keyboards available, and as Pat says we considered one, but we have become fast enough we find don't need one for our day-to-day usage while traveling. Wouldn't want to write a thesis on the iPhone but it works fine for an essay. (and it does have an on-screen keyboard, and using our son's 'for work' Blackberry, we much prefer the finger-touch keyboard on the screen. With the phone held sideways, even my clunky fingers can type easily)

Looking at the national coverage maps, Verizon seems to cover much more territory than AT&T. It is truly rare that we don't have some kind of coverage with Verizon. In fact, just a couple nights ago, we had wireless broadband but couldn't get a good phone signal. Folks that I've visited with in our travels who have AT&T have said they couldn't get a phone signal when we've been able to; certainly not an everyday occurrence, but often enough that I've noticed.

I think this is the Chevie vs. Ford issue. We have had AT&T since our first cell phone, and then and still often have coverage when Verizon standing next to us is cussing - and we've cussed when the opposite occurs. We do not find AT&T coverage a problem, and we travel the US widely. Perhaps Verizon has as edge (as Verizon users claim, but then Ford might also have an edge). :lol:

Do you each have a phone or are you sharing the one?

El and I are rarely more than twenty-two feet apart so we only have one phone.

I have an iPod Touch, and the features on it are similar to the iPhone [without the phone. It has minimal memory compared to a full featured laptop and the wifi reception on it is likewise less than my beloved MacBook Pro laptop. Battery life with the iPod Touch is a couple hours at best with anything running on the screen. When you use the iPhone as your GPS, do you have to keep it plugged in to 12v? What kind of battery life are you seeing in actual usage?

With our usage, the battery easily lasts a day and we recharge (either 12v or 110v) overnight. We have not been limited by memory shortage (yet).

Frankly, there is a "murmur", perhaps a hint of a rumor, or maybe wishful thinking that AT&Ts contract with Apple will come due in early 2010 and Verizon (with a broader customer base) is trying to get the iPhone. Verizon employees will neither confirm nor deny this rumor. I could use a new phone, since my old "crank up, contact Miss Elly the operator to make an outgoing call" KRazor phone is getting long in the tooth... but I have been holding out, with the hope that Verizon and Apple will come together. I admit it, I have iPhone envy but don't see any way that I could give up my laptop in place of that little-bitty screen and no keyboard. Since we all know that you two are minimalists and we are not, is this a case of smaller and less is better (for you) or do you see this as truly adequate in place of your laptop? What are you using at home when you want to work up images for your website? Are you taking photos while out and about and then working them up later with the laptop or is the iPhone your only tool for that? Same thing with writing... I can see an occasional post, but what about when you are writing something more involved?

An iPhone is certainly not a laptop - working up images is much better on the larger screen of the laptop - most pictures I take with our 10X camera, since we enjoy nature photography and the phone does not have telephoto. I wouldn't buy the phone for the camera (but the resolution is pretty good on our new one). But I don't always carry a camera when visiting friends or family - then having one on the phone is handy.

Also, I would certainly select a laptop keyboard to do major writing.

Yes, we do believe in simplicity in our lives - and space, when living aboard or on a long driving trip without an RV behind, is a major factor for us. We can easily 'give up' the larger laptop when on the boat or in the car and find that a great advantage - would we do that living in an RV or at home? No, of course not - the larger screen and keyboard of a laptop is much better. But, we're not talking about at home - we use the iPhone when traveling on boat, in car, abroad (oh - try to use Verizon overseas). We don't see the need to 'connect' the iPhone to the laptop, since we don't carry the laptop when traveling and we have wifi connection for the laptop at home.

Hope this answers some of your questions. We aren't experts by any means, and the technical stuff is beyond us - we just know that it is practical and useful for us and we generally resist gizmos.
 
El & Bill":1yet4cd8 said:
We archive our photos via USB connection to our laptop
Click to expand...

So you can simply cable the iPhone to the computer? Then you can do backup/restore and load music/pics/videos onto the phone also?
 
Yep but no connection for the laptop through the iPhone to the Internet. That's the advantage of the Bluetooth connection through Blackberry, as I understand it.
 
There is another aspect to coverage besides the national map. It is "dead spots." At least around here, both AT&T and T-Mobile have terrible coverage holes, while Verizon (with a few exceptions like the Preston - Fall City Road, which is the Valley of the Shadow of Death for all cell signals) pretty much blankets the region without the dead spots from which AT&T and T-Mobile suffer. I suspect that is probably true most everywhere, which is kind of the point of the "can you here me now?" ad campaign. Rings true here at least.
 
Thanks for the answers, suggestions, and opinions, folks - good information! :thup I truly appreciate the experiences and links related here.

At this time, I use my phone for the following:

making and receiving phone calls.

Yep, that's it. It is strapped to my side almost all the time. I don't text or send photos with it. I don't even shoot photos with it, since I have a nice pocket camera that has a zoom lens and lots of resolution. When I have to add a new name to my contacts list, I grumble over having to use the 10-key pad to input the letters. I can certainly see where it would be nice to be able to look up a website or get info at any time... but I'd probably just spend even MORE time on this forum. :roll:

I'm a definite Mac kinda guy. In fact, I laugh every time those Mac vs PC commercials come on. I relate with the young, hip, slender, cool guy... even though I look more like the PC guy. :mrgreen: We used Macs in the studio, and have them at home. I'd give up my phone before I'd give up my MacBook Pro. BUT, I keep hearing and reading about all the cool apps available for the iPhone. I even downloaded a couple charts from Navionics for my iPod Touch, but it is just old enough that they won't work on that. So, I yearn for an iPhone, with its sleek feel and lack of teeny-tiny buttons I see on the BlackBerries. IF (and that's a big IF) I were to switch, the phone would have to do double duty as the modem for our laptops... connected to our Cradlepoint wireless router so we can both be on at the same time. We do run over the 5 gig amount on occasion, but I laugh at that limit because we are one of the few fortunate ones who were early adopters and still have an unlimited wireless plan... Verizon would like to have us switch. And because we make most of our phone calls to family, we time our calls to be during the "free" times... and we have an old, no longer available SMALL phone plan.

If Verizon and Apple can get together, I will be all over that iPhone. I'll check into The Andersons' suggestion of a BlackBerry. Keep the suggestions coming. Tell us how you're using that phone in ways beyond the can-you-hear-me-now stuff.

Thanks and best wishes,
Jim
 
Pat Anderson":o6dusmal said:
So my pitch (and I think Warren would agree), IF you are on Verizon and don't want to swtich to AT&T, while the BlackBerry Storm is not an iPhone, it is a pretty good alternative for Verizon customers wanting email, web, streaming music, GPS and other apps on their phone.
Click to expand...

Totally! :thup :thup BTW today I turned on the GPS feature in my Storm (an extra $10 I think.) Dunno if I will keep it but they have a free month offer, so...

Warren
 
My wife and I both have iPhone 32 gig 3GS and we love them. About 4 months now.

1. No extra GPS charge

2. USB connect to computer with their iTunes software only. Farly simple. Camera is not worthy of much archiving in my opinion. Video mode is ok, follow the link in my signature and view the Mackinac Bridge video for a sample. Stand alone camera is still the best.

3. I've heard of keyboards for them but, have never looked into it. The on screen keyboard is suprisingly easy to use and is slightly larger when the iPhone is tipped sideways.

4. If you can wait, go with Verizon, they have a much larger 3G network. We are commonly in the Edge network which is much slower. But, we still have had service everywhere we have been.

5. We have 2 iPhones, mine is mainly used at work, and hers has replaced the laptop for checking the C-Brats posts.

6. Battery life as a phone is about 2 days for me. As a music player 7 hours. As an internet device maybe 4 hours nonstop. As for the GPS, it is a combination of the internal GPS sensor and the internet to provide you with the map that you see. So for a navigation device it will be 4 hours or less. Also screen brightness is a killer. We have 2 chargers in every vehicle and the boat just in case.

7. I've heard that rumor too. I goto www.macrumors.com for my info.

8. Use a computer for posting pictures and writing books. iPhone is great for shorter text posts on C-Brats (I do a lot more now), music and videos, and internet. We use ours everywhere. I have 20 movies and 1038 songs in mine and connect it to the monitors on my radio and Garmin in our 16, my truck and my wifes car. I keep finding new ways to use it for more. There are other phones with similar capabilities but, none have the smooth interface like iPhone and large amount of available applications. I still haven't bought one yet, I'm still happy with the free ones. We take a lot of pictures and e-mail them back and forth and message through the e-mail also (free method, standard text messaging is extra but, I've seen an app that somehow works around that). Built in road navigation is great without buying an app.
 
I've been using an iPhone for several years now and love them. I normally carry a laptop with me as well, but the iPhone is perfect for quick emails and light internet browsing. I've gone on trips up to around 10 days with just the iPhone and didn't miss carrying around a laptop. It's very easy to use and the typing works surprisingly well. The app store has really improved the functionality of the phone, it's pretty amazing how many apps are available and how much they can do. If you have a wifi connection Skype is particularly cool, since you can make almost free calls from your iPhone completely independent of your voice plan. This is great when traveling internationally (I've found it pretty easy to find free wifi in cities, it's tougher in many of the places we use our C-Dory's). Apparently it will be enabled for use over AT&T's network sometime in the near future. Speaking of AT&T, I think they are fine. They are the only provider that works at both our house and cabin. Sure, there are some places where Verizon works better, but there are also places where AT&T works better. The GPS in the 3G and 3GS is independent of the phone portion of the phone, except that it uses triangulation at first to provide a ballpark idea of where you are. Triangulation, which the first iPhone depended on, doesn't work that well (when I was in my house on the south end of Mercer Island it though I was in Renton) and you won't incur additional charges unless you use data in a foreign country, but it's easy to turn off.

Connecting the iPhone to your computer is easy. All syncing (unless you are set up with exchange) is done through iTunes and is very simple on a Mac...I've never done it on a PC. I have mine set up with an exchange server, and it works brilliantly. Address book, calendar, and email are all synced wirelessly. Photos, movies, music, etc are transferred when connected via USB. Anyone who has synced an iPod will recognize the interface in iTunes.
 
I don't know. My daughter came over with her iPhone and showed me some things. Maybe I do need one of them fluffly toy phones. She has the newest one (3Gs) and it does more than I realized. I suppose I could get used to the touchscreen deal. She has a good screen protector cover on it and I didn't even realize it was on there. Then Hank emailed and said I was a dork for not having it so maybe. I played with the browser for a while and it gets the same grade overall as the BB. They both have their quirks - just different ones. I'll let the kids try theirs for a month or so and see what's up. I'm good for an upgrade too, so maybe. I actually started this post over an hour ago and have been playing with the iPhone a lot in the meantime. I'm not so sure I'm ready to give up the BlackBerry.
 
El and Bill":3b51gs0o said:
Yep but no connection for the laptop through the iPhone to the Internet. That's the advantage of the Bluetooth connection through Blackberry, as I understand it.
Click to expand...

I just got the iphone a month ago. If you keep the firmware at 3.0 and do not go to 3.1 there is very easy fix so that the iphone can be tethered to your laptop.

Using the gps does not use any of your mins. GPS keeps on working even if you have no cell coverage. That means that your map programs like NAVIONICS will work just fine even if you have no cell service. Google maps that require internet updates stop if there is no cell coverage.

I have added a few of the apps. The NAVIONICS maps are nice and don't cost that much ($9.95 each) right now. They were $4.95 for awhile. I called NAVIONICS marketing and suggested that if you buy one of the NAVIONICS card for your chartplotter they should give a one of the iphone maps. They thought that was a good idea and so you will see that soon.

Over all, I'm not overly impressed with the phone and wouldn't go out of my way to get one.

I have always found AT&T voice service as good or better than Verizon. With the iphone I have used the data with the phone a lot. I can tell you that AT&T 3g data service sucks, at best.

I am anti Verizon because they block features that are built into the phones. I figure you paid for the phone and shouldn't have to pay again to have them turned on. Well, the iphone is similar, like tethering but like I said above if you stay at 3.0 this can be overcome. The iphone also does not allow a program to run in the background. This limits what would otherwise be good apps for the phone. An example is the Google app Latitude. It gives you tracking on your phone. It is useless because when the phone goes to sleep it stops tracking.

The battery is not going to last longer than a day even if you turn off wifi and the gps.
 
Just for the record, we synch the iPhone to a Dell to load songs, contacts, and the like into the iPhone.

Like you, Jim, a phone was simply a phone and all we needed. Our son (the techie) showed us how the new iPhone could make life much easier for us while on the boat or in the car - so before heading to the NW on the boat last summer we picked one up and he was spot on. We find it very useful for our style of living.
 
There has been a reference to ActiveCaptain's iPhone article in this thread. That article is old and is in the process of being re-written right now along with the navigation article. We expect the articles to be released this week with the very latest iPhone information with regard to using it on a boat.

In general, the iPhone is an excellent device and the 3GS is most probably the strongest and most capable smartphone that exists right now. But it has some limitations and issues and it's important to understand them before jumping off to purchase one. Our new article is pretty critical and gives a real plus/minus look at all aspects of iPhone use for cruising on a boat. It's easy to be taken in by the hype. It's better to enter with eyes open wide.

We're into our 8th week since leaving Maine on our boat and have about 1,000 nm burned through so far. Although we have some 20 phones onboard, the iPhone is the only one I've been using for real life and for planning during our cruising to live with the issues it has. It has been an excellent tool but it is so important to really appreciate the issues or else it can cost a lot more money to give you the capabilities you might need on your boat.

I'll post an update when the articles are up. We're stuck for weather on the Chesapeake Bay right now and it's a perfect time to finish up the edits!
 
We use both Iphone and Sprint Palm Pre due to living in South Sound and due to work requirements:

IPhone is great except it does not multitask like Palm Pre and Googles Android phones that are on the Horizon including two with Sprint and some with Verizion.

Iphone Navionics Maps are very useful -and faster than my Lowrence to do a quick check of tide or currents someplace ahead on the route.

Navionics Maps are loaded in Iphone ram - do not require ATT connection to work once downloaded

I have to use Iphone now as its really the only smart phone that really has good medical apps - - Palm used to - with their old OS - Win mobile been there several times, even Steve Balmer doesn't like it

Long term - I will likely turn off ATT and use the iphone as GPS enabled and wi fi enabled PDA - unless 3G comes to S Puget Sound

Long term - will probably dump the Palm Pre - great multitasking OK but very slow on real work apps for health care

Google android - not as nice an interface as Iphone but improving - Version 2 reportedly looks much better to be released Nov 1 - 10,000 apps. -

In side to side comparisons of Sprint, Verizon - with older Palm 700 P- Sprint is the best carrier for voice and data for where I work and live. Fortunately their customer service at least for me has improved dramactially.- -

ATT is great in 3GS area - but voice quality between Iphone -ATT and Sprint Pre - Sprint wins no question in the non 3G area

Data downloads for Sprint quite good.

I think I would wait a couple more months for Google android devices across most markets before buying a new phone. Google android will likely force Apple to release Iphone to other carriers -
Not sure how long it will take for Navionics to make it to Android.

I Don't work for any of these companies. Used to run a consulting company that helped MD's reduce medical errors thru PDA technologies.

Jim
 
Some other things to think about:

Consider the software available for a smart phone and how it will talk cross platforms in case you migrate your data later: Win, Mac.

Examples:
Documents to Go - basically MS Office in your pocket - works on Mac, PC, Iphone, Blackberry, Win Mo, Android and soon Palm Pre

Splash ID - great software to store your data like credit cards etc encrypted
Probably one of the best cross platform products: Win, Mac, Iphone, Blackberry, Symbian, Win Mo, early stages of Android and Palm Pre - these two apps are must haves for me.

Evernote is a great app: copies any web page, or data, can do OCR on a photo and then word search for text in photo - Its on Cloud, Win, Mac, Iphone, Palm Pre and others.

A new sync technology is available that lets these applications say on a PC or Mac sync over your own home wireless network without wires to your Iphone or other smart phone. -

On the flip side:
There are not enough cross platform apps that have solid tasks lists that sync to desktop and PDA. - Its ironic that Iphone has 85,000 apps but so far I can't find a good prescribing app, that is cross platform. -

Just be sure you don't trust all your data to the Cloud - like the Million Side kick users with T Mobile - who had data backed up and recently lost by Microsoft subsidiary .

Just a few thoughts -

Jim
 
Hello all!

My situation is similar to many: Verizon cell phone service is better than AT&T where I live and work. I would like an iPhone but won't switch service to AT&T.

My solution: use Verizon's "MiFi" router and an iPod touch.

The MiFi is an EV-DO router and WiFi 802.11 hotspot in one small device. (Sprint has an similar offering.) The MiFi is a very small, wireless device that connects to Verizon's cellular network, just like the iPhone does on AT&T's network. It is small enough to fit in a shirt-pocket. It can be recharged when plugged into car, house and USB ports from a laptop. Battery life is in the 3 or 4 hour range.

The MiFi also acts as an 802.11g access point (w/ WPA2 support) and accepts up to 5 WiFi clients, like a laptop or an iPod touch or a camera, etc.

With the MiFi you are a "mobile hot-spot". You and 4 of your friends / devices connect to the internet through a secure wireless connection wherever you have Verizon ev-do coverage.

The iPod Touch is different from the iPhone 3GS in that it lacks a cell-phone, GPS and camera. I think the loss of the GPS and the Camera are unfortunate, but acceptable, trade-offs. For a phone you can use Skype on an iPod touch. Not perfect, but usable.

I am a network systems consultant so I routinely benefit from being able to get one or more computers connected to the internet at my client's sites. On the boat it's has been great for laptops and iPod Touch. I've had meetings on the boat and provided safe, high-speed internet access to my guests.

GPS: not having a GPS can be a balance-tipping issue for some. So far I've been able to live without GPS because well the truth is because I already have 3 other GPS devices (including a Garmin 496 with WX) so I don't really need another GPS very often. When you are connected to the Verizon network, or another national-brand WiFi hotspots with an iPod sometimes you get "current location" services from the triangulation of cell phone towers.

99% of the applications are available for both the iPhone and iPod. I won't go into any details on how impressive the set of available software is, i am sure that others have.

Carrying around three or more mobile devices (for me: the mifi, iPod Touch and a Windows mobile phone) isn't for everyone. But, if you are happy with Verizon service and don't want to switch to AT&T then this is one way to have an iPod connected to the internet.
 
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