Connecting The Pieces Of My Digital Life

New, over there on the left – between "Fresh Tweets" and "Feed Reading" – is a slideshow of pics (many of which have also been included in a tweet) direct from my iPhone. I've only just begun this direct shooting and sharing, so it's a short slideshow at the moment.

iPh*cking iPhantastic iPhone!

The desire became overwhelming around 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon.

So, with a call to the Apple Store and a confirmation of untold [Literally. The employees can tell you if they have stock or not, but are forbidden to say how many. – Ed.] 8 Gig versions in stock, I convinced Holly that the future of our freshly hatched marriage depended on my acquisition of an iPhone. At three, we made an early Holiday exit and raced like a restroom out of order for the Galleria.

Once there, we tore into the mall and first made a beeline for the ground floor Cingular (the Galleria store has not had its at&t makeover yet). I popped my head in, "Any iPhones?" The three employees sitting around all just shook their heads silently and pointed up. To the Apple Store, Holly!

An interminable escalator ride up behind three large Red Bird Fever carriers, and a power walk halfway down the mall later, the glowing beacon of the faithful was before us...

A throng encircled the central bar peering over the shoulders of those tapping away on the ten or so iPhones tethered to it. Defeated, I thought, "There's no way I'm getting one." However, defeat was mercifully brief. Cloud (he goes by his last name; his first? Chris.) drifted over and asked if he could help with anything. I think I managed to get out, "Eight gig i Phone?" His answer? "Sure." [It took everything I had not to make a 'silver lining' crack just then. – Ed.] He went in back and came back with a ridiculously small black box. But, before handing it over, he turned to Holly and asked, grinning, "Do you support this purchase?"

And, with her blessing out of the way, bing-bang-boom – Holly's an iWidow for the rest of the weekend.

Oh, here's my review: Apple overpromised and overdelivered – it's much cooler than the hype.

Can you hear me now?

I want an iPhone.

It is truly another beautifully designed piece of hardware from Jonathan Ive and team offering what looks to be brilliantly integrated functionality.

While I realize there are other phones that have comparable capabilities. And I know there are other phones with touch screens that are beautifully designed. And I know that Apple and its Mac OS aren't the only game in town. As a matter of fact, we just bought Hol an HP with Vista and having never worked on a PC up to that point I was surprised to find I absolutely love it. Well, maybe ‘love’ is a bit strong but I certainly don’t have the sense that I’ve been sullied by the ’dark side’. The HP is an attractive, well-crafted piece of hardware and Vista, from my perspective at least, is an intuitive, easy to use OS. However, having acknowledged all of that – I still want an iPhone.

As for The price. Well, $499 for the 4GB and $599 for the 8GB is what technology like this should cost. It’s a sophisticated piece of technology – not a pizza. And, speaking of which, it should never end up in the sorry position LG’s chocolate ended up thanks to the flagrant disregard the carriers seem to have for the value of of the hardware in this industry. [Full Disclosure: At one time I worked on marketing for Nokia but have no residual allegiance of any sort. – Ed.] From what I’ve seen of it the chocolate is a sexy little mobile phone confection that deserved better. [BlackBerry had a phone end up in a similar sad, pathetic position with a different pie slinger. Almost, but not quite as sad. – Ed.] But I digress.

I want an iPhone. Check out the new TV spots then tell me if you don’t want one too.