Tom’s Tuesday Tech Tip: iPhone®, Blackberry® or Droid®? What’s the Best Smart Phone for a Legal Nurse Consultant?
Time for another CLNC® sound off! Not having learned my lesson from last week, once more into the unknown I go, my CLNC® amigos. Vickie and I have been Blackberry users for so long I can hardly remember a time without omnipresent email, calendar and contacts. So, it’s with a certain amount of fear and trepidation that I bring up the fact that we’ve outgrown our current Blackberries and are looking for the next best thing.
That’s where Certified Legal Nurse Consultants come in. I’ve heard raves about the Blackberry Bold®, seen the myriad of zombie-like minions tapping and sliding away on their iPhones like Alice-the-Goon from Popeye while muttering, “I love Steve Jobs, I love Steve Jobs.” I even listened to a friend describe his Droid with a near-religious fanaticism. This has left me up in the air about what I should choose for Vickie and my next phones.
The Blackberry tends to be the smartphone of choice for many business users and even regular people. Go to a Little League® game here in our hood and just about every parent there is busy emailing each other their schedules and updates, but the Blackberry Enterprise software has a propensity to cause synchronization problems for business users who live and die by their calendars.
iPhones stubbornly refuse to multitask, are slaves to AT&T coverage area and have such a high “cool” factor that they’re rapidly becoming “uncool,” but that doesn’t stop me from wanting one. Droids seem to have been adopted entirely by the “geek” class which, believe it or not, includes me out. That’s why I’m asking you for your help.
Let me know what smartphone you use and why you like it or dislike it. Do you use it to surf the Internet or not, do you email, text, keep your calendar on it, etc? Tell me how the sound quality is when you’re making a phone call. If you’ve had issues that have caused you to switch phones, I’d like to know what they were. I don’t want to hear any complaining about a particular carrier, their customer service or anything else. I only want to hear concrete and real advice regarding the iPhone, Blackberry and Droid or another choice. Remember I’m counting on your feedback for making my purchasing decision.
18 thoughts on “Tom’s Tuesday Tech Tip: iPhone®, Blackberry® or Droid®? What’s the Best Smart Phone for a Legal Nurse Consultant?”
I use the Blackberry and have for over 2 years and still love it. The convenience to my clients for being able to reach me by e-mail all of the time has been a wonderful marketing tool. I need to get better about using the schedule and sych the blackberry with my outlook. It took me some time to get used to the blackberry but now, I won’t leave home without it. Good luck in your quest.
I’ve had my iPhone for well over 2 yrs and absolutely love it! I surf the Internet, check my email, and use my calendar constantly!! It’s truly everything I need and more! The apps I can download are endless and more helpful than words can describe! Hey, maybe Vickie could design her very own app that could be at our fingertips for any added assistance!! Anyway, the iPhone is my choice for sure!! The nurses I’ve enlisted have enjoyed theirs just as much! Hope this helps!!
I purchased an iPhone after losing my Blackberry at LAX a few years ago. I loved my “Pearl.” But I admit I was intrigued with the hype, and as a Mac user (I know, I know) I thought synchronization with my laptop might be easier.
It took me a couple of weeks to begin enjoying the touch screen. It seemed awkward at first, and I missed my real keys. I almost returned the iPhone. But I hung in there, and now I wouldn’t go back.
Here’s what I love: #1: The large screen. Having more real estate to surf the Web, compose e-mail, etc. just improves the experience, and boosts productivity.
#2: seamless synchronization. Being a Macophile, I am not well versed in the iPhone/PC compatibility but a quick search suggests that PC users can achieve equivalent synchronization.
#3 Apps, of course. I am a self-confessed nerd, and don’t have even one game on my iPhone. What I do have is hundreds of books (I owned a Kindle but sold it, and now do –literally–all my reading on my iPhone), GPS-like navigation using cell signal triangulation (another advantage of the bigger screen), calendar/notes/to do list that all sync with my laptop, voice memo function, Google earth, maps, all at my fingertips wherever I am. One of my favorite apps that I use every day is “Remember the Milk”, which wirelessly syncs any change I make to either my laptop’s or iPhone’s “to do” list. The iPhone allows me to carry several medical and nursing references such as Medscape, epocrates, Netter’s anatomy (extra charges to download some of these). I can carry documents I’m working on with me, edit and email them too.
For relaxation, I insert ear phones and play sounds of nature, mellow music, or in the “Brain Wave” app, choose from a number of “binaural beats” that induce selected brainwave frequencies to create the desired state of mind: energized, relaxed, etc. (Sounds scary!)
For fun: one of my favorite apps is StarWalk which uses the iPhone location capability to identify all the constellations, stars, and planets that are visible where you are. As a bird lover, I use iBird to identify birds by sound, flight pattern, appearance. The camera, video, iPod are all nice to have with me all the time.
Keeping up with the news is easy with a quick tap on the icon for any of the major news outlets. I have an app that tracks bills in Congress and allows me to email my congressmen at the touch of a button, with my feedback or concerns. I’m headed to Mexico soon, and downloaded an excellent little app that allows you to “build” a sentence in Spanish. The audio feature helps you to learn the correct pronunciation. Many other languages are available.
Just browse through the app store to see the possibilities. You will find a lot of “fluff” but a good number of very useful and well thought-out applications for almost any interest, whether for business productivity or for pleasure.
Oh yes, if I misplace my iPhone, I can locate it on a map, send a message to appear on its screen, like: “Please return me to my inconsolable owner by calling…” and/or wipe out all the iPhone’s data at the click of a button.
I hope this glimpse into my experience helps in your search for the best phone for your needs.
iPhone, hands down! I had a Trio prior to this. It wasn’t quite a Blackberry, but it did have the touch buttons. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the touch screen and at first it was clumsy for me with email and I made a lot of mistakes. But then….WOW! I was sold. I can text or email just as quickly as any Blackberry junkie. And who said the iPhone can’t multitask? I can be talking on the phone and surfing the internet or using my calendar at the same time. I love Mobile Me. If I make an update to my calendar or address book either on my phone or on my computer, it automatically makes the change on the other without connecting to sync. It works on the cloud principal. I only connect to sync for phone version updates.
The aps are amazing. I use the medical aps all the time while I am writing reports or talking to attorneys or doctors. I use diagnosaurus, medical dictionary and epocrates. They are life savers.
I have AP mobile which sends me breaking news updates as text messages from Associated Press. I read New York Times articles. I keep up on all current health care and insurance legislation. I can tell the app which headline topics to send me. Then I can get the full articles if I want them. I know what the weather is in whatever city in the world I am traveling. I have built in GPS, both as a map and turn by turn. I have an app that will tell me where I parked my car in a large parking lot. Did you ever walk in circles wasting time looking for your car? No more for me, thanks to my iPhone!
I now am the proud owner of a Nook. The Nook is Barnes and Noble’s answer to the Kindle. If I am waiting in an attorney’s office, a doctor’s office or anywhere else, my iPhone syncs to the Nook. It knows where I left off in my book and I can read my book from my iPhone. I love it!
I travel a lot and do not carry a separate iPod. All my music is on my iPhone and I just plug in my head phones and relax. I can track my flights with all sorts of flight information.
My daughter has been a diehard Blackberry user. However, due to her hospital’s server regulations, she could no longer use it because getting hospital mail on her Blackberry caused security issues. However, they could fix that with an iPhone. She was totally bummed out, but now is a total convert. She loves it.
I could not be happier and am totally convinced that the iPhones will only get better and better. The other phones that are out there seem to be a knee jerk reaction to the iPhone, but don’t seem to quite make the cut. I have looked at them and they do not seem to have the same capabilities and seamless operations as the iPhone. I will be interested to see the outcome of your “research”!
About a year ago I had to make the move to a smart phone because I was using a cell phone and an IPAQ to run my medical software and my outlook calendar that I would sync back and forth with my computer, plus other windows based programs. IPAQ became obsolete, and it was better to streamline everything into one. Because I am a T-Mobile user, the only touch screen (medical software is al touch screen) option at that time to run my medical software was the HTC – T-mobile Wing. I have had it since, and like most of the features, but the droid is now the phone that is the step up from this, and have considered it. On the downside, the physical plastic buttons are chipping off the phone, the phone is heavy (it is a computer after all), and the software runs slow even with an extra memory card plugged in to max it out. BUt, it is still the best option to use the medical software, and outlook .. IPOD and Blackberry will not work.
I have used Blackberry now for 5 years and love it. They do have their glitches occasionally with the email system but overall it is good. I market 24/7 available services, so the email function is valuable for me. I use the calendar and contacts sync’d to my outlook and also the task function. My Blackberry is through Verizon and they have the most coverage of any service I have ever used. Have considered going to I phone but AT&T coverage is not good in my area. Like all the I phone apps but function and dependability of Blackberry is my priority. I use the World Edition phone and it has little memory and causes me some problems, so next time I will go the Curve or Bold. Used the Blackberry Storm briefly and THAT was a horrible experience. Took a hammer to it and was very satisfied seeing it in small pieces!
Tom,
I have had a Blackberry Curve now for a little over a year. After having multiple types of phones in the past this Blackberry is one of the best things since sliced bread. I feel like I have my laptop in my pocket. The only real problem I originally had was the small keys, because I have large hands. But this to has passed with practice re how to hold your thumbs. I haven’t tried any of the other smart phones so I can’t compare them with the Blackberry but I LOVE THIS PHONE !!!
Ditto to Dale, Christine and Channa – I am a diehard iPhone owner. In addition to the apps they mentioned, I also have Bump (free) which allows you to share contacts and pictures with others (makes updating my business partner with new client information), an RSS feed app that has Vickie’s blog, my own, as well as some on healthcare and fraud, where I am doing some specialization in consulting. My to-do list of choice is Toodledo, which also does the wireless syncing with my account so no matter where I pull it up, it is up to date. An app called Milebug allows me to track mileage and other travel expenses, run reports on the phone and email them to myself. I have tide tables for when we go boating, Pandora radio that allows me to choose the genre of music, and several restaurant locators. I use Epocrates too, and recently downloaded Keeper, a password vault. For fun, there is always ishoes and iBag…but I digress. I feel like I have only skimmed the surface of the apps that could help me. We will be taking over the world very soon!
I was a previous Blackberry owner and made the switch to an iPhone last year and have no regrets. In fact, it’s one of the best techno purchases I have ever made. Yes, you are correct in that you are somewhat limited in multitasking (depending on the apps you are using), but I consider that a minor issue. After all, too much multitasking can make you unproductive. The AT&T coverage issue has only come up for me a few times early in my purchase, but because of pressure in the market, many improvements have been made.
I agree with the comments from the other iPhone users but here is my addition to that. I’m also a flight nurse in the Air National Guard and I have many large PDF files that I need to refer to quickly and multiple times during any given mission. GoodReader is an amazing app that I can have all of my files on my phone rather than lugging around 25 lbs of publications (yes, I’ve weighed it). It does so much more than I even need.
Another great app is USAA. I live in Kansas but USAA is my bank and it’s in Texas. On the rare occasion I receive a check from someone, I can take a photo of it on my USAA app and it’s instantly deposited.
The iPhone isn’t the most perfect phone in existence, however, it comes very close in my book. The apps are incredible and there is something for everyone.
iPhone!!!!
It is the best phone ever. I have had very limited coverage issues. I love the fact that it is also a iPod. I have music and books downloaded. I have had it for over 2 years and have not had a problem. The best feature is it sync to my Mac and my husbands. Therefore, nothing is ever double booked.
Thank you everyone for the great recommendations. The staff here at the Institute were waiting to see if we’d get iPhones or Blackberries and they’re ecstatic that you’ve motivated me to move to iPhones (I’m excited too!).
As all iPhone users say everyday – I LOVE MY IPHONE! I started out with the first gen, moved on to the 3G, and now have the 3GS. I feel this is the most comprehensive device on the market today and frankly couldn’t spend a day without it.
It allows me to do everything I need in a device: phone, calender, email, text pictures and video, contacts (complete with their individual pictures, info, ringtone, link to their website, link to their Facebook acct, address links directly to googlemaps, and notes), iPod, 3mp camera, all my photos, notes, surf the web with a great sized screen while on the phone, googlemaps with turn by turn listed directions (no need for separate GPS any longer), a compass, records voice memos, and has enough memory to allow me to watch movies while I fly! And so much more.
Some of my favorite apps in addition to all the wonderful apps listed by other users here would include eReader, Davis Drug guide, Wells Fargo, Wallet (for all your passwords – encrypted and linked to each website you visit), bing, Epocrates, MSNBC.com, Pandora radio, Facebook, RingCentral to manage my faxes, even Lose It to track my daily calories and nutritional information!
I have never had a problem with AT&T customer service or getting 3G reception ( I live in the Sacramento, CA area).
For those who have problems with short battery life, I would suggest the Richard Solo backup battery. It’s very compact and adds 80% more battery if you run out.
O.K., I am totally intimidated. I use a Palm pilot, hot sync to my PC, carry my cell phone, and just received a hand held GPS for Christmas; I find my car by hitting the panic button on my remote start. I better get with the times or buy a bigger hand bag. I never realized just how technologically challenged I am!
I’d like to add another recommendation for battery back up for the iPhone. I tried the Mophie Juice Packs and they didn’t work for me at all. Had to return 2 of them for a refund. I just bought a product called the Gum Plus mobile battery pack by iMobile. When it’s fully charged, this unit is capable of providing 3 full charges to your iPhone (or other compatible devices). I don’t have issues with iPhone battery capacity as a rule, but certain usage of the iPhone can drain the battery a bit faster, such as brightening the screen, using on “PUSH” email notification, and the location feature (which you need for the GPS functions, or to tag pictures with your location.) The Gum Plus (and Gum Pro) get good reviews. Not an absolute necessity to purchase such a device, but when you begin to depend on the iPhone’s many features, there’s great peace of mind knowing there is extra juice available if needed when you’re out and about.
By the way, I am very interested in the comments from others regarding the apps they find useful for business (or pleasure). I’d love to somehow continue this discussion, to communicate with other CLNC® iPhone’rs for the purpose of sharing more tips. If anyone has a similar interest, get in touch! Thanks.
Congratulations, Tom on your very excellent decision!!! 🙂
I have used a Treo 650 for 4-5 years and have had no problems with it even though I suppose it is considered a dinosaur. I do not like having to be hooked into all the network stuff and have to pay for stuff that I don’t use. I am currently looking for a Treo 750 or 850 which come either Palm based or Windows based. Both work well on my computers; my XP desktop and my Vista laptop.
I have a Blackberry that I’ve used for over 2 years and have decided I want to try something different as I feel as though I pay for a lot of features that I don’t use. I love the calendar features for keeping track of my appointments and the password protected area where I have all my passwords and user names, but I’ve always felt the phone features on the Blackberry are definitely not of the quality or ease of use as other phones. I’m waiting for Tom to read all of the feedback and make his recommendations.
I’ve already weighed in on the side of the iPhone for the Institute and am sticking to that choice.
For an individual user running Outlook and syncing directly to their computer I think a Blackberry is a great choice. For those Certified Legal Nurse Consultants “living in the cloud” with Google and using Gmail and Google’s calendar I’d go with a phone running Android. What it comes down to is whichever works best for you in terms of need and cell coverage.
LegalNurse.com is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
The National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (NACLNC®) is the largest and oldest association of legal nurse consultants.
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*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
Help keep me techin’,
I use the Blackberry and have for over 2 years and still love it. The convenience to my clients for being able to reach me by e-mail all of the time has been a wonderful marketing tool. I need to get better about using the schedule and sych the blackberry with my outlook. It took me some time to get used to the blackberry but now, I won’t leave home without it. Good luck in your quest.
I’ve had my iPhone for well over 2 yrs and absolutely love it! I surf the Internet, check my email, and use my calendar constantly!! It’s truly everything I need and more! The apps I can download are endless and more helpful than words can describe! Hey, maybe Vickie could design her very own app that could be at our fingertips for any added assistance!! Anyway, the iPhone is my choice for sure!! The nurses I’ve enlisted have enjoyed theirs just as much! Hope this helps!!
I purchased an iPhone after losing my Blackberry at LAX a few years ago. I loved my “Pearl.” But I admit I was intrigued with the hype, and as a Mac user (I know, I know) I thought synchronization with my laptop might be easier.
It took me a couple of weeks to begin enjoying the touch screen. It seemed awkward at first, and I missed my real keys. I almost returned the iPhone. But I hung in there, and now I wouldn’t go back.
Here’s what I love: #1: The large screen. Having more real estate to surf the Web, compose e-mail, etc. just improves the experience, and boosts productivity.
#2: seamless synchronization. Being a Macophile, I am not well versed in the iPhone/PC compatibility but a quick search suggests that PC users can achieve equivalent synchronization.
#3 Apps, of course. I am a self-confessed nerd, and don’t have even one game on my iPhone. What I do have is hundreds of books (I owned a Kindle but sold it, and now do –literally–all my reading on my iPhone), GPS-like navigation using cell signal triangulation (another advantage of the bigger screen), calendar/notes/to do list that all sync with my laptop, voice memo function, Google earth, maps, all at my fingertips wherever I am. One of my favorite apps that I use every day is “Remember the Milk”, which wirelessly syncs any change I make to either my laptop’s or iPhone’s “to do” list. The iPhone allows me to carry several medical and nursing references such as Medscape, epocrates, Netter’s anatomy (extra charges to download some of these). I can carry documents I’m working on with me, edit and email them too.
For relaxation, I insert ear phones and play sounds of nature, mellow music, or in the “Brain Wave” app, choose from a number of “binaural beats” that induce selected brainwave frequencies to create the desired state of mind: energized, relaxed, etc. (Sounds scary!)
For fun: one of my favorite apps is StarWalk which uses the iPhone location capability to identify all the constellations, stars, and planets that are visible where you are. As a bird lover, I use iBird to identify birds by sound, flight pattern, appearance. The camera, video, iPod are all nice to have with me all the time.
Keeping up with the news is easy with a quick tap on the icon for any of the major news outlets. I have an app that tracks bills in Congress and allows me to email my congressmen at the touch of a button, with my feedback or concerns. I’m headed to Mexico soon, and downloaded an excellent little app that allows you to “build” a sentence in Spanish. The audio feature helps you to learn the correct pronunciation. Many other languages are available.
Just browse through the app store to see the possibilities. You will find a lot of “fluff” but a good number of very useful and well thought-out applications for almost any interest, whether for business productivity or for pleasure.
Oh yes, if I misplace my iPhone, I can locate it on a map, send a message to appear on its screen, like: “Please return me to my inconsolable owner by calling…” and/or wipe out all the iPhone’s data at the click of a button.
I hope this glimpse into my experience helps in your search for the best phone for your needs.
iPhone, hands down! I had a Trio prior to this. It wasn’t quite a Blackberry, but it did have the touch buttons. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the touch screen and at first it was clumsy for me with email and I made a lot of mistakes. But then….WOW! I was sold. I can text or email just as quickly as any Blackberry junkie. And who said the iPhone can’t multitask? I can be talking on the phone and surfing the internet or using my calendar at the same time. I love Mobile Me. If I make an update to my calendar or address book either on my phone or on my computer, it automatically makes the change on the other without connecting to sync. It works on the cloud principal. I only connect to sync for phone version updates.
The aps are amazing. I use the medical aps all the time while I am writing reports or talking to attorneys or doctors. I use diagnosaurus, medical dictionary and epocrates. They are life savers.
I have AP mobile which sends me breaking news updates as text messages from Associated Press. I read New York Times articles. I keep up on all current health care and insurance legislation. I can tell the app which headline topics to send me. Then I can get the full articles if I want them. I know what the weather is in whatever city in the world I am traveling. I have built in GPS, both as a map and turn by turn. I have an app that will tell me where I parked my car in a large parking lot. Did you ever walk in circles wasting time looking for your car? No more for me, thanks to my iPhone!
I now am the proud owner of a Nook. The Nook is Barnes and Noble’s answer to the Kindle. If I am waiting in an attorney’s office, a doctor’s office or anywhere else, my iPhone syncs to the Nook. It knows where I left off in my book and I can read my book from my iPhone. I love it!
I travel a lot and do not carry a separate iPod. All my music is on my iPhone and I just plug in my head phones and relax. I can track my flights with all sorts of flight information.
My daughter has been a diehard Blackberry user. However, due to her hospital’s server regulations, she could no longer use it because getting hospital mail on her Blackberry caused security issues. However, they could fix that with an iPhone. She was totally bummed out, but now is a total convert. She loves it.
I could not be happier and am totally convinced that the iPhones will only get better and better. The other phones that are out there seem to be a knee jerk reaction to the iPhone, but don’t seem to quite make the cut. I have looked at them and they do not seem to have the same capabilities and seamless operations as the iPhone. I will be interested to see the outcome of your “research”!
About a year ago I had to make the move to a smart phone because I was using a cell phone and an IPAQ to run my medical software and my outlook calendar that I would sync back and forth with my computer, plus other windows based programs. IPAQ became obsolete, and it was better to streamline everything into one. Because I am a T-Mobile user, the only touch screen (medical software is al touch screen) option at that time to run my medical software was the HTC – T-mobile Wing. I have had it since, and like most of the features, but the droid is now the phone that is the step up from this, and have considered it. On the downside, the physical plastic buttons are chipping off the phone, the phone is heavy (it is a computer after all), and the software runs slow even with an extra memory card plugged in to max it out. BUt, it is still the best option to use the medical software, and outlook .. IPOD and Blackberry will not work.
I have used Blackberry now for 5 years and love it. They do have their glitches occasionally with the email system but overall it is good. I market 24/7 available services, so the email function is valuable for me. I use the calendar and contacts sync’d to my outlook and also the task function. My Blackberry is through Verizon and they have the most coverage of any service I have ever used. Have considered going to I phone but AT&T coverage is not good in my area. Like all the I phone apps but function and dependability of Blackberry is my priority. I use the World Edition phone and it has little memory and causes me some problems, so next time I will go the Curve or Bold. Used the Blackberry Storm briefly and THAT was a horrible experience. Took a hammer to it and was very satisfied seeing it in small pieces!
Tom,
I have had a Blackberry Curve now for a little over a year. After having multiple types of phones in the past this Blackberry is one of the best things since sliced bread. I feel like I have my laptop in my pocket. The only real problem I originally had was the small keys, because I have large hands. But this to has passed with practice re how to hold your thumbs. I haven’t tried any of the other smart phones so I can’t compare them with the Blackberry but I LOVE THIS PHONE !!!
Ditto to Dale, Christine and Channa – I am a diehard iPhone owner. In addition to the apps they mentioned, I also have Bump (free) which allows you to share contacts and pictures with others (makes updating my business partner with new client information), an RSS feed app that has Vickie’s blog, my own, as well as some on healthcare and fraud, where I am doing some specialization in consulting. My to-do list of choice is Toodledo, which also does the wireless syncing with my account so no matter where I pull it up, it is up to date. An app called Milebug allows me to track mileage and other travel expenses, run reports on the phone and email them to myself. I have tide tables for when we go boating, Pandora radio that allows me to choose the genre of music, and several restaurant locators. I use Epocrates too, and recently downloaded Keeper, a password vault. For fun, there is always ishoes and iBag…but I digress. I feel like I have only skimmed the surface of the apps that could help me. We will be taking over the world very soon!
I was a previous Blackberry owner and made the switch to an iPhone last year and have no regrets. In fact, it’s one of the best techno purchases I have ever made. Yes, you are correct in that you are somewhat limited in multitasking (depending on the apps you are using), but I consider that a minor issue. After all, too much multitasking can make you unproductive. The AT&T coverage issue has only come up for me a few times early in my purchase, but because of pressure in the market, many improvements have been made.
I agree with the comments from the other iPhone users but here is my addition to that. I’m also a flight nurse in the Air National Guard and I have many large PDF files that I need to refer to quickly and multiple times during any given mission. GoodReader is an amazing app that I can have all of my files on my phone rather than lugging around 25 lbs of publications (yes, I’ve weighed it). It does so much more than I even need.
Another great app is USAA. I live in Kansas but USAA is my bank and it’s in Texas. On the rare occasion I receive a check from someone, I can take a photo of it on my USAA app and it’s instantly deposited.
The iPhone isn’t the most perfect phone in existence, however, it comes very close in my book. The apps are incredible and there is something for everyone.
Good luck in your search!
iPhone!!!!
It is the best phone ever. I have had very limited coverage issues. I love the fact that it is also a iPod. I have music and books downloaded. I have had it for over 2 years and have not had a problem. The best feature is it sync to my Mac and my husbands. Therefore, nothing is ever double booked.
Thank you everyone for the great recommendations. The staff here at the Institute were waiting to see if we’d get iPhones or Blackberries and they’re ecstatic that you’ve motivated me to move to iPhones (I’m excited too!).
As all iPhone users say everyday – I LOVE MY IPHONE! I started out with the first gen, moved on to the 3G, and now have the 3GS. I feel this is the most comprehensive device on the market today and frankly couldn’t spend a day without it.
It allows me to do everything I need in a device: phone, calender, email, text pictures and video, contacts (complete with their individual pictures, info, ringtone, link to their website, link to their Facebook acct, address links directly to googlemaps, and notes), iPod, 3mp camera, all my photos, notes, surf the web with a great sized screen while on the phone, googlemaps with turn by turn listed directions (no need for separate GPS any longer), a compass, records voice memos, and has enough memory to allow me to watch movies while I fly! And so much more.
Some of my favorite apps in addition to all the wonderful apps listed by other users here would include eReader, Davis Drug guide, Wells Fargo, Wallet (for all your passwords – encrypted and linked to each website you visit), bing, Epocrates, MSNBC.com, Pandora radio, Facebook, RingCentral to manage my faxes, even Lose It to track my daily calories and nutritional information!
I have never had a problem with AT&T customer service or getting 3G reception ( I live in the Sacramento, CA area).
For those who have problems with short battery life, I would suggest the Richard Solo backup battery. It’s very compact and adds 80% more battery if you run out.
Hope this review helps!
O.K., I am totally intimidated. I use a Palm pilot, hot sync to my PC, carry my cell phone, and just received a hand held GPS for Christmas; I find my car by hitting the panic button on my remote start. I better get with the times or buy a bigger hand bag. I never realized just how technologically challenged I am!
I’d like to add another recommendation for battery back up for the iPhone. I tried the Mophie Juice Packs and they didn’t work for me at all. Had to return 2 of them for a refund. I just bought a product called the Gum Plus mobile battery pack by iMobile. When it’s fully charged, this unit is capable of providing 3 full charges to your iPhone (or other compatible devices). I don’t have issues with iPhone battery capacity as a rule, but certain usage of the iPhone can drain the battery a bit faster, such as brightening the screen, using on “PUSH” email notification, and the location feature (which you need for the GPS functions, or to tag pictures with your location.) The Gum Plus (and Gum Pro) get good reviews. Not an absolute necessity to purchase such a device, but when you begin to depend on the iPhone’s many features, there’s great peace of mind knowing there is extra juice available if needed when you’re out and about.
By the way, I am very interested in the comments from others regarding the apps they find useful for business (or pleasure). I’d love to somehow continue this discussion, to communicate with other CLNC® iPhone’rs for the purpose of sharing more tips. If anyone has a similar interest, get in touch! Thanks.
Congratulations, Tom on your very excellent decision!!! 🙂
New Droid geek & lovin it! All in one, easy, intuitive. Gmail, calendar, facebook, phone, pandora & great photos. Works for me!
I have used a Treo 650 for 4-5 years and have had no problems with it even though I suppose it is considered a dinosaur. I do not like having to be hooked into all the network stuff and have to pay for stuff that I don’t use. I am currently looking for a Treo 750 or 850 which come either Palm based or Windows based. Both work well on my computers; my XP desktop and my Vista laptop.
I have a Blackberry that I’ve used for over 2 years and have decided I want to try something different as I feel as though I pay for a lot of features that I don’t use. I love the calendar features for keeping track of my appointments and the password protected area where I have all my passwords and user names, but I’ve always felt the phone features on the Blackberry are definitely not of the quality or ease of use as other phones. I’m waiting for Tom to read all of the feedback and make his recommendations.
I’ve already weighed in on the side of the iPhone for the Institute and am sticking to that choice.
For an individual user running Outlook and syncing directly to their computer I think a Blackberry is a great choice. For those Certified Legal Nurse Consultants “living in the cloud” with Google and using Gmail and Google’s calendar I’d go with a phone running Android. What it comes down to is whichever works best for you in terms of need and cell coverage.
Thank you for all the great comments!