Best Buys for 2010: The iPhone

This is Part 2 of the good bits I’ve bought for my business. Here’s Part 1: Best Buys for 2010: Software, WebWare and Other Digitools

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You can read all over the Web about what iPhones do, so we’ll skip that. Instead, here’s a story about what I couldn’t do when I was without my iPhone for 11 (very) long hours.

My husband jokes about my iPhone being attached to my hip…and really? It usually kinda is. But I left it on the counter at Staples during the typical remove-the-glove-dig-out-the-debit-card-swipe-the-debit card-push-the-buttons-sign-the-screen-hand-over-the-loyalty-card-get-back-the-loyalty-card-take-the-bag-plus-receipt-thanks-for-shopping-at-Staples commotion.

Here’s what went through my head when, 15 minutes later, I realized I’d left my iPhone behind:

Too bad that coupon was for delivery only. No biggie, I’ll order the toner from Staples.com right now before I forget…

Oh shit. Where’s my phone?

Unfortunately for me, Staples was closed when I went back. And of course, I reached for my phone to call and see if someone was maybe, hopefully, hiding in the back. And I thought—

Shit. No phone.

Which became the evening’s theme song.

Shit. No phone.

I must have thought, “Shit, no phone”—with increasing volume, and sometimes with gritted teeth—one hundred times between leaving my iPhone at 8:55pm and picking it up at 8:02 the next morning.

While we read magazines in the Borders Café—

Somerset mags feature the niftiest artists. Ooo, she has a blog. Lemme go peek at what else she… Shit. No phone.

Wow, that’s a nifty project. Wonder how much those little test tubes are? I’ll do a quick Google sear… Shit. No PHONE.

STUFFED is a fun mag. Oh wow, their first issue is sold out in paper form, but they have a digital version online. Would be great to see their first…shitnophone.

How long until Borders closes? Lemme check the time…shitnophone.

I’d love to get a few of these magazines, I wonder how my bank balance is doing? Lemme che…shitnophone!

And after we got home—

@bloominglater had a great idea, which Dan seconded: MobileMe. I’ll break out the laptop and get that started so if this happens again—which it bloody well WON’T—I’ll be better prepared. Okay, 30-day trial started, now I can set it up. Shitnophone.

Grr. Well, I do have a laptop. <type type type> Okay, I’ve suspended the phone service, changed all my passwords, got sympathy + love from my wunnerful Tweeps. And hey, I do have a laptop. Anything I could do on the iPhone, I can do on the laptop! Now I’ll just play games with @WineDivaDesigns before bed. Oh crap, Words for Friends is only an iPhone app. SHITNOPHONE!

<breathe breathe breathe> That’s okay, I have a new magazine. I’ll go old school, like @AlexiaPetrakos said! <Read read read> Oh! An idea! I wonder if that domain name is taken… But the laptop is tucked in its bag and I’m tucked in my bed. Shit. No phone.

Forget it, I’ll just close my eyes and relax. I can finally finish the last hour of that audiobook… ShitnoPHONE.

Grr. Grr. GRR!!! Whatever, I’ll just sleep. I’ll just SLEEP.

Oh dear. Dan’s snoring kinda loud. No biggie, I’ll just play that White Noise rainstorm thingie to tune him out so I can get to slee… Shit. <whimper>

And that’s just the CliffsNotes. There were way more Shit No Phone moments, but they were all along those themes.  The only time I didn’t reach for my missing iPhone was from 3:30am to 7:30am, when I slept. And you can believe I woke up reaching for it.

And why wouldn’t I? It’s my alarm clock. And my morning routine is to check my calendar, the weather, my email, my bank balances, and Twitter, so I know what in the world (literally) I’m dealing with before my feet hit the floor.

My Luxurious Necessity

What a luxurious necessity: The ability to discover new worlds, answer every question, chat with every friend, spend and monitor my cash, do my work, and indulge every idea from the palm of my hand.

Whenever. Wherever.

No bulky laptop to lug around. And when I’m tucked in bed, no big bright laptop screen, clickety-clackety keys, and whirrrrrrring fan to keep the husband awake–or exile me to another room—in my creative late night hours. Just a pen, a pad, my busy brain, and my iPhone.

I haven’t owned it a year, yet it’s indispensable.

So.

There are lots of phones kinda like the iPhone.

And there are separate gadgets that do things the iPhone does.

But there’s only one iPhone. And it does a lot. All by itself.

For me, anyway.

Photo credit: William Hook