i-believe

i never thought it would come to this. After several years of cynicism, watching from the sidelines and just not getting it, i have finally succumbed and purchased an i-phone. i was not swayed by its ability to turn into a light-saber. No, it was the fact that the IT help-desk guy had one when I went to collect a new laptop, and he was raving about it.

This is my first Apple purchase, and i think i finally see what all the fuss is about.

As a nokia fan for years and years - have dropped several, which still worked perfectly, knew what all the buttons meant for texting, functionality generally excellent - i finally get the selling point to the iphone. Not sure what its technical term is, but the user-interface, friendliness, ease of use - whatever it is called - in my eyes, outweighs virtually all of the functionally superior benefits that other manufacturers may eschew.

Don't get me wrong - there is a minimum standard which every phone must meet eg. bluetooth, decent camera, video recording etc, which have all been added, and which i couldn't do without, but the usability and usefulness is simply staggering.

In the same way that Apple were not just selling a portable music device with ipod - they were selling the ability to access your entire music collection wherever and whenever, so the iphone is not just a phone. It is, at least in my eyes, a means of organising and getting the most out of me and my stuff - be that my social diary, planning meals at home, staying in touch with people, as well as of course listening to my entire music collection, reading books or watching films. And it does it in such a cool, seamless and easy way that even a 5 year old could work it (or should that be a 35 year old, because 5 year olds nowadays can already work pretty much anything vaguely computer-related). Which is by far its biggest selling point.

And as for the apps, what is there not to love, apart from maybe that there is too much choice. Personally, i can't wait to try out Jamie's 20 minute meals, which is one of the top 10 apps, as well as co-pilot, the cheaper, highly-rated alternative to Tom-Tom.

How many gifts, gadgets and gizmos go untouched because they are so difficult to set up, use, or maintain? In fact, if you were to price gadgets, mp3 players or phones based on usage, or utilisation, i am guessing that the iphone would actually come in cheapest - and that's something i never thought i would hear myself say.

Believe me when i say, you won't get it until you try it.