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The approach was brutal.


The summit.


On top we chilled and regrouped before descending.


All in all in was a sweet trip.



Ok, that was pretty lame, I apologize. I just wanted to test out uploading pics from my iPhone to my .mac web gallery. Basically I was able to take a pic with the phone and email it to my web gallery where it was automatically uploaded to my photo site and is ready for hotlinking. Volia! This feature will be fun come winter!

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Since this awesome TR was done with my new iPhone I thought I'd add some info on the device as well.

FULL DISCLOSURE:
I currently work for Apple although I don't plan to be here forever.
I received my iPhone for free. While I couldn't afford a $600 phone normally, if I could, the iPhone is most likely the phone I would purchase.

Here's my old phone that I got as part of a contract a couple of years ago. I think it had web and email access but it was fairly limited. I just used it as a phone (imagine that) because I wanted a small, durable phone with a decent battery life. It served its purpose well enough for my needs but I was happy to see it go.


Here's my new phone.

The iPhone


Once you unlock the phone through the touch screen the main menu appears. There's literally only one physical button on the screen of the device.


iTunes is used to manage and activate the phone so if you've had an iPod the interface and process is very similar. Its pretty cool to be able to activate the phone from the comfort of your home.

From left to right the menu includes.

SMS texting
The text conversations are stored in a instant message format as opposed to an inbox where each message is checked one at a time. This saves time and makes it easier to follow the entire conversation which often can stretch over a series of days. It doesn't however have the ability to attach files or pictures to your text messages at this time.


Calendar
The calendar is pretty straightforward and somewhat limited. Basically apple just calls every thing from an appointment to a birthday an event.


Photos
As somebody that owns a digital camera and enjoys taking pictures, being able to carry my favorite photos with me wherever I go and actually enjoy them (thanks to the 3.5 inch screen) has been nothing short of amazing. I love it.


Here are the thumbnails of your albums.


Just touch the screen and flip through them in full screen or choose a song from your the iPod and you have an instant slideshow.


Camera
The camera is a basic 2 megapixel camera that does a decent job for a camera phone. A pre-focus on the shutter button would be nice though. With out it the subject has to be really still .


YouTube
These have been a great time waster and easy excuse to check out something funny, cool, interesting, etc on teh web. Flash based videos currently do not play on the iPhone however.


One of my favs is the Saturday Night Live skit, Cock in the Box.


Stocks
Employee or not. It doesn't take a stock broker to read that chart.


Google Maps
These are incredible. Find directions by map or satellite.


Here I used it to get some beta on an upcoming backpacking trip. The maps load really quick too.


Weather
Set up the local weather for your favorite towns.


World Clock
Dominate the global time zone.


Stop watch
Time your laps on your local stash.


Calculator
Number crunching madness.


Notes
Write yourself a motivational message, grocery, or to-do list.


Settings
This menu is incredibly easy to navigate which in tun makes the phone easy to set up and use. Most folks wont even need to consult the manual.


Phone
The phone has been great. Adding contacts is a snap through the touch screen keyboard that appears and the numbers on the keypad are large easy to use.


Some additional phone features include 4way calling which is so easy a kid can do it, favorites, recents, and a really cool feature called visual voicemail. This lets you check your voice messages in the order that you choose based on priority or preference as opposed to the order they are received.


Email
Multiple accounts can be added via POP or IMAP.


Receive spreadsheets and PDFs. You currently cannot send them (other than forward) however.


Web
Sync your favorite bookmarks from your computer to you iPhone. Checking the avy report this winter will be a snap!


The experience on the web is awesome. I've only been on the internet through a phone once in the past and it was nowhere near as nice. This is the real deal. The only downside is not Java support at this time. Hopefully it will come in the future.


Pop open multiple windows.


Splitboard.com


The forum.


To zoom in you can tap the screen, pinch out with your fingers, or turn it sideways.


Page load times on sites like sb.com and ttips are around 7 to 8 seconds, TGR takes another couple of seconds. AT&T uses The Edge network which is slower than the 3G networks that are out there. I describe it as slower that cable but faster than dial up. I'm sure the network will get better over time but in the meantime the phone also features wi'fi access which can often be faster the Edge. Either way, having the internet in your pocket it pretty damn cool.

If your goinging to check out a big TR with a bunch of pics your download times will vary depending on a number of things. Edge vs wi-fi, signal strength, size of TR, etc.

iPod
New features include touch-screen controls and cover-flow album art.


Video thumbnails.


Unlike the spotty YouTube quality videos, if you load on higher resolution videos the picture is great.


The iMac and the iPhone compliment each other well.


For comparison, here is my iPhone vs my wife's Razr. From an aesthetic standpoint, I think the iPhone is much more attractive looking. You also don't have to constantly flip it open and shut (which is almost as annoying looking as people that talk into their phones like walki-talkies).


Conclusion
While the iPhone isn't perfect it sure is a cool product that pushes the market forward .

The things I'd like to see added in the future:
Mac HD (hard-drive) feature
The ability to attach files to text messages as well as email
The ability to save pictures from websites
Longer battery life
Multiple email deleting
Java support