iPhone: the Cult of Apple claims another victim

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I bought an iPhone today. :slight_smile:

It’s the 8-gigabyte model. The guy at the Fido booth (booth # k-9 on the map) in Sherway Gardens mall was really helpful.

I knew I was going to be adding the $30/month 3G data package and $15/month 3G “value pack” containing visual voice mail and 2500 text messages to my plan. The Fido rep sorted out that I could replace my existing $45/month voice-and-data plan (100 daytime minutes, 1000 night and weekend minutes, 50 text messages, and 50 megabytes of data on the old network each month) with a $35/month voice plan offering 150 daytime minutes, unlimited night and evening minutes, and unlimited incoming calls.

The rep must have taken 40 minutes explaining things and using the computer and calling in to Fido Central when something didn’t quite work. Fortunately there wasn’t a lineup or anything; maybe two other people asked about the iPhone, and there were two or three other customers there to pay bills and buy accessories.

Since I had already cancelled my cable TV subscription ($25/month) in anticipation of paying for the 3G data, this all works out to me paying about the same in communications charges every month as I ever have, while getting rid of something I hadn’t used in six months (cable TV) in favour of something I really wanted.

Furthermore, while the iPhone was $199, I paid $125 out of “FidoDollars” which I had accumulated as I paid bills and used services over the past couple of years. The remaining $75 is going on my next bill. So I didn’t even have to pay cash to get the iPhone! I was fully prepared to.

So now I’ve got this cool gadget. It has Google Maps… and the Google Maps has a You Are Here button.

Press it and the iPhone uses GPS and triangulates off cellphone towers and draws a map and puts a blue dot on it where you are. There’s a blue circle of uncertainty and as time passes and it narrows things down, the circle gets smaller and smaller. And if you leave Maps running, the dot moves as you do.

I’m loading it with French lessons and Esperanto rock and electronic music. I’m thinking of buying the French/English translation dictionary for it. I also want to figure out how to load other things on it. Time to explore… :slight_smile:

2

And another thing the rep did was deactivate my old SIM in my old phone, then activate the new SIM in the iPhone. This plus activating the new Visual Voicemail plan reset my voicemail, and I lost all saved message, but there wasn’t anything important there anyways. But it’s something to be aware of if you’re already a Fido customer and are upgrading.

3

Welcome to the club =) I just got an iPhone about a week and a half ago and love the damn thing. It took me like 5 minutes to write any kind of text message before, but now I can do it in an instant. Plus browsing, videos, music – awesome, awesome, awesome.

It’s odd. Just six months ago, I didn’t give a damn about anything Apple, but then I checked out the Macbook when I was shopping around for a laptop and haven’t looked back. I am now their bitch. (Although I do still think iTunes sucks, and Apple couldn’t make a good mouse to save their life).

4

And now I’m posting from my iPhone! :slight_smile:

5

I want one! I cannot justify getting one, but oh, do I want…

6

One of my best friends got one. Oooohh…it’s so cool! I’m locked into my phone for another year (I couldn’t afford an iPhone now anyway) but I might get one next year. She got the white 16gig too. We watch a lot of YouTube on her phone :slight_smile: And she gets online and shops.

7

Join us… Join us… :slight_smile:

8

I’m gettin’ mine (and the wife’s) next month. Been researching Rogers’ plans and the best deal I can get seems to be this:

Family plan:

  • $60/mo for two lines which includes 300 Anytime minutes
  • $60/mo for two data packages
  • $30/no for the Visual Voicemail pack and extra text messages call display and stuff for both lines
  • $10/mo for the extended evenings/weekends/whatevers for both lines
  • $14/mo for both system access fees
  • Taxes

So, under $200/mo for both lines – plus the initial $500 for the phones. (She’s getting the 16gb, I only need the 8 'cos I already have a 32gb iPod Touch) Pricier than what I’m paying now by about $80/mo, but what the hell. This is as good as it gets for Rogers, at least until they have significant competition to worry about.

Congrats on the iPhone though – I have the first gen and love it, and now I want the GPS and stuff. :slight_smile:

Oh, and yes. Welcome to the [del]cult[/del] club. :slight_smile:

9

I want one so bad you don’t even know. I promised myself I could have one if I pay off every single bit of credit card debt and live within my budget with extra iPhone room for three months.

10

My husband said “so get one”, but I can’t justify it… unless, as I thought, as a reward for either quitting smoking or paying off all my credit card debt. Great minds and all… Let’s get that Visa bill down to zero!

Me want me want.

11

I think quitting smoking might be easier. :slight_smile:

12

I went down to the AT&T store earlier this week to get one… but found that, despite what I was lead to believe by the website, I’m not eligible for the upgrade discount. In revenge, I had them drop my account down to the next tier.

I’ll probably be buying one for full price next month. sigh

Oh- question… is there a way to sync the iPhone between two computers? I currently sync my phone with my home and work computers, and I’d like to keep that functionality.

13

And now I’m posting on the SDMB from a Greyhound bus stuck in traffic on the DVP.

Well, Zsofia, I paid off all my credit-card debt some time ago, and then got out of a nasty loop involving payday loans, so I can report that it’s definitely worth the struggle. :slight_smile:

14

I think you could sync both computers with an external server, but that’s not quite the same.

15

Congrats

I was just reading HOFO regarding some sap that lost his Iphone on the GO bus and on his birthday of all days. Becareful of what information you keep on the phone , he had to change all his email stuff and banking information.

Ah the fun of a new phone and stuff to make your day go by.

Declan

16

I got mine on the third day it was available. It is, by far, the coolest thing I have even owned.

17

I had a crappy, free Verizon phone for nearly 3 years - I upgraded to the iPhone the first day the 3G went on sale and I LOVE IT! Wait until you start checking out all the apps - I definitely recommend Shazam, it’s super cool. Want to know the name of a song on a commercial? Just hold the phone up to the TV, 30 seconds later, it’s identified by your phone and if it’s available on iTunes you can buy it immediately!

18

After my desktop and large Dell screen died on me I decided I had enough and forked over more than 3 grand on a Imac and two new Ipods.

I wanted an Iphone, but it is not available here in the boonies for another half a year and I needed communication on the go, so I went with Blackberry. Luckily I can deduct the computer ans BB from my taxes.

The cult of Google and Apple grows stronger. The prophecy shall be fulfilled.

19

But we need entertainment, and for that I humbly submit Nintendo. Soon, the trifecta will be complete.

20

As far as I know, you’re limited to one type of thing per computer. There’s a hint article in Macworld about segmented updating. Other than that, the best tool for keeping everything but music synced is probably the (naturally) Apple service offered through Mobile Me.