iPhone: The "Good-Enough" Tool

When I first got my iPhone, I assumed I would use it mainly for a cell phone and the extra features like web browsing and email would be nice but not critical. After all, web browsing, email, photos, video, etc in a tiny screen couldn't compare with a full size monitor.

But a funny thing happened. Because the iPhone was always with me and ultra portable, I started using it a lot more than I expected.

1. "Good Enough" Camera: I have a Canon T1i DSLR camera which of course takes much better photos than the iPhone. But I tend to take it only on vacations or hikes on nice sunny days because of weight. But when I see good candid shots at other times I am out and about, the only camera always at hand is the iPhone. So I take a surprising number of pictures on it. With my luck, it will be the only camera at hand when I see Bigfoot, but at least I will have a camera...
2. Good Enough" Calendar: The Calendar and scheduling systems on my computer are much more robust than my iPhone. But I use the iPhone for my personal schedule because it is always with me. So when my son asks if I can go play Frisbee Golf with him (and get thoroughly trounced) I know right away if that time is open.
3. Good Enough" Web Browsing: Web sites look much better on a full size screen, but Safari on the iPhone lets me quickly find local businesses, stores, restaurants, parks and entertainment wherever I am. And it is always ready to surf.
4. Good Enough" Video Watching: While the screen is small, I can catch YouTube and other videos no matter where I am. Great for when I am stuck in airports or other waiting areas or when I want to share with someone I am meeting.
5. Good Enough eMail: I had NO intention of ever using the iPhone for email because of the small screen. But on one trip, I had trouble connecting to the local hotel's wireless Internet with my laptop, so I used the iPhone and it's cell provider Internet to do my email via Gmail. It worked better than I expected. I wouldn't want to type a 3 page email on the little keyboard, but for short replies to my partners and team members to keep me on top of my business when I travel, it worked great.
6. Good Enough" Music: The iPod function of the iPhone easily holds enough music to keep me happy, so I don't need to carry a second device.
7. Good Enough" News: The iPhone is now my personal newspaper. I choose RSS feeds that match my interests and read them on my iPhone. If I have to wait for my wife for any reason, or spend time in a waiting room, I just open the iPhone and catch up on the news. I have stopped buying newspapers.
8. Good Enough" eBook Reader: I love to read and I am a voracious speed reader. This is a problem when I travel because I would normally need to take 8-10 paperback books to travel for a week. But my iPhone has over 100 ebooks on it. As an added bonus, I can read them at night without turning a light on and disturbing my wife. Yes a Kindle or other larger ebook reader may be nice, but once again the iPhone is always there, so why buy and carry another device?
9. Good Enough" Maps and GPS: I am good at reading paper maps, but having unlimited maps of nearly everywhere in my pocket is amazing. I have used this feature while traveling and it saves me buying maps.
10. Good Enough" Astronomy: I am a backyard star gazer and I use iPhone astronomy apps to give me clear sky charts, tell me when the sun and moon moon rise and set and even puts entire star maps of the heavens in the palm of my hand.

The iPhone isn't the best at anything I use it for, but it is the tool I use the most because it is the one always at hand. Sort of like a Swiss Army Knife compared to a skinning or hunting knife. Not as good, but when it is the only knife you have, it is good enough. For short trips, I don't even take my laptop anymore, I just use the iPhone instead.

Could I run my entire business from my iPhone? Since I have taken my business totally virtual by using Gmail, and other online tools, I probably could. Typing is still a lot slower than on a standard computer, it is a shame that Apple hasn't made an external keyboard to plug into it. With an external keyboard for the iPhone, I could probably leave the laptop home when I travel.