I gotta tell you folks, I never liked the iPhone… I am not a big fan of Apple Computer Systems. I used their computers throughout the 90s and up until 2005 since I worked in the Design business but honestly I just never liked them… mind you I never liked PCs either… I had Linux (ubuntu for those interested) installed on my main home PC for a while but I got frustrated when I would get freelance design work and couldn’t use the native linux software to finish the work. I know their is software that could do the job … I was just not proficient enough in it to use it.
So! I pretty much hate all operating systems equally… And I have to say the same goes to the iPhone’s operating system. Its slow… I mean reeeeaaally slow compared to say my old Palm Treo 650… of course the treo had half the screen size and resolution … didnt have 1/5th the processing power and didnt have wifi. Incidently I own a 2G… in Egypt buying an iPhone cost an arm and a leg so I bought it used for a little more than you would buy it in the states (or canada) with a contract.
So why am I writing about the iPhone in a Voice Over Blog… Well I see it as one of 2 ways…. You can read the name of the blog as Taji’s VOICE EMPORIUM or you can read it TAJI’S VOICE emporium either way I can write whatever I want to about anything I want to 🙂 except this actually does have baring on my work as a Voice Over Talent.
And why did I buy an iPhone in the first place? Well the fact of the matter is that I wanted a replacement for my Treo 650 which was and is working fine… but I wanted something I could use to improve my VO business. So while I was reading a Harlen Hogan (or is it Hogan Harlen) article he mentioned that he used his iphone to read his scripts) I liked that idea and since smart phones cost a crap load in egypt I figured I’d get a used one at a good price. Needless to say I won’t listen to Harlen ever again… but till something better hits the market I’m stuck with it.
I use my iPhone to do the following:
- Check my emails (all 4 of the active ones using Mail.app and Safari)
- Check and update my twitter feed (using twitterfon)
- Check my blog comments and approve them (using Safari)
- Read Voice Over scripts off the iphone while recording (using the Mail.app)
- Convert Currencies when writing up quotes for clients (using Currency.app)
- Read Quran off of it (Free iQuran.app)
- Check my voiceover-casting.com msgs (Safari again)
- Check for the right time for the 5 Daily Islamic prayers ( iPray app)
- Take photos and movies of my family (Camera.app and Cycorder)
- Call my Canadian financial contacts using Skype (using fring.. the skype client is crap)
- Check my linkedIn status (using the LinkedIn App)
- Check my google analytics statistics at midnight everyday (Safari)
- Let my wife check her Facebook ( I cant stand facebook)
- Check my Paypal balance (using the paypal app not that I have much there anyway)
- Use the ipod app to playback any foreign language words I have to say in a script (so I can pronounce them right) (iPod.app)
- The phone to make calls (Phone.app)
So the fact of the matter is that although I think Apple suck… and that one day in the near future someone will port Google’s Android operating system to the Apple Iphone hardware and I will be crazy smug and satisfied with knowing that I was able to break every possible restriction that Apple wants to put on MY phone install a completely different (and superior … until I start hating that as well) operating system I still use their phone pretty heavily which means I also hate the fact that they didnt make the battery upgradeable or removable.
Oh I must also mention that my phone is Jailbroken so I can download applications off Cydia (and Icy) and Installer.
I would also like to mention that this is my Blog’s 50th post. I wanted to make this something special but the project I am working on is taking longer than expected so I decided to give you a glimpse into my mobile phone use and abuse.
Incidently I highly recommend for these two electronics gadget news for any of you gadget buffs:
http://www.engadget.com
http://www.gizmodo.com
I have their RSS feeds bookmarked on my computer (incidently you can bookmark my rss feed to check on any new posts I make at the Emporium)
So yes I do depend heavily on my iPhone… it forced me to go wifi at home although my wired router was working perfectly well. I am more connected… quicker to respond… more in tune with my business…
but still… I wish it was faster… smarter… and not an apple product. Because I dont like people telling me what I can and can’t do with stuff that I own.