Starbucks and Apple, Sittin' in a Tree

So I just learned (via a text message to my phone), that iphone users can get access to free wi-fi at Starbucks. This makes two of my favorite pastimes, drinking coffee and surfing the web, all that much more enjoyable. I've been reading about this for almost a year now, and I'm not sure why it took so long to put into effect.

iPhone Update

Well, I haven't gotten in line to buy the new iPhone 3G yet. I did, however, download the software update and have been playing around with it for a few days. The best part is, of course, the app store. I've downloaded several of the free apps and they're great. There's this useless, but cool program that turns the iPhone into a Star Wars light saber. Its pretty damn cool. I also downloaded the Facebook and New York Times applications (for free). Now I can waste even more time--yay!

Vacation

We just spent two weeks back in Boston. It was great seeing lots of old friends and old stomping grounds. Strangely, I found that I enjoyed the snooty, unfriendly people and the homicidal drivers. I had to drive by the new Apple store on Boylston St. We ended up buying a few Apple products while in Boston, taking advantage of the low (compared to Chicago) sales tax.

Iphone Update

I've had the Iphone for a while now.

Verdict: Its great, I think its worth every penny we paid for it. Once a new upgrade is released, I think I'll buy one for Kelly. I don't listen to music all that much, an occasional audiobook maybe, but I use the web browser all the time. I'm fairly impatient, and I always find getting annoyed waiting in line, on the phone, at a restaurant, or whatever, and now I have something to keep me busy during those times. Kelly appreciates the phone because I no longer bug her (as much) to hurry up all the time. The camera is okay, not great, but its a big improvement over my previous phone camera (ie: I didn't have one).

Additionally, Apple stock is going through the roof, partly due to the iphone, so that's a bit of a bonus.

Iphone, my phone

Other than marrying me and having Julia, the best thing Kelly ever did for me was buy me an iphone a few weeks ago. As I wrote earlier, I wasn't planning on buying the version 1.0 of the iphone. I actually refrained from breaking the shrink-wrap seal on the iphone for about a week, debating whether or not to return this very expensive piece of hardware (I've never gotten anything but the el cheapo free cell phones in the past). In the end, I decided that since I hadn't upgraded phones in four years, I was entitled to spend a bit on my next one. Thanks Kel!

I've been using the phone for a few weeks now, and its about as cool as the commercials demonstrate. I've been using the phone to surf the web as I commute (on the train) to work since my laptop died. The camera is not great, but I've never had a camera phone before, so I can't complain too much. I haven't noticed any problems with call quality, and unlike my previous phone, I can actually get cell phone signal inside my office. All in all, I've been very satisfied with the phone, and I hope they sell a bajillion of them.

Toy Store (for Brian)

During my El tour of Chicago, I stopped off at Chicago and State. Why here? Its right in the middle of the high-end shopping district of Chicago centered around Michigan Avenue. This is the land of Nordstroms, boutiques, luxury high-rise condos, and fancy restaurants. The streets teem with shoppers and tourists all day and most of the night. But most importantly, its the home of one of the largest Apple Stores in the world. Located at Michigan and Huron, this free-standing store is an edifice to all things Apple.

I've always been a fan of Apple computers. My very first computer ever was an Apple //e way back in the eighties. I later bought a performa and wrote my graduate school thesis on it (and played a lot of games). I actually briefly ditched Apple for a home-constructed PC, assembled by my friend A-. This was during the dark days of Apple computers. I literally felt so bad about turning to the dark side, that I bought a few shares of Apple stock to reaffirm my loyalty. As fate would have it, my loyalty has been rewarded over the years by an enormous run-up in the price of Apple stock. Unfortunately, being a poor student at the time, I couldn't afford to buy many shares of AAPL, so I'll have to keep my day job for now. Still, anytime I'm near an Apple store, I have to drop in a see how "my" company is doing.

The Michigan avenue Apple store is ALWAYS packed. These days with the rollout of the iphone, it seems even more crowded than usual. I walked into the store, checked my email on one of the powerbooks, and then wandered over to the iphone table. I've played with the iphone before, at other Apple and AT&T stores, so I wasn't too disappointed that every display model was in the hands of a customer. Its a wonderful device, and I'll probably get one when my current contract expires and the fix some of the version 1.0 bugs.

I left the store happy, except for a gnawing thought in the back of my mind,"I should have bought more AAPL stock in 1998."