No iPhone for Me

I've been asked a few times today how I like my iPhone (assuming I've gotten one) and then the question morphs into disbelief about why I haven't gotten one. I shall explain here the shortcomings I see with the iPhone and then I shall demonstrate my irony (or hypocrisy).

Firstly, the lack of external application support hurts me quite a bit. On my Treo 650 I have a few 'killer' apps that I find absolutely necessary:

• An unabridged English Dictionary (it's sadly missing my favorite word: impactful)
  
• Foreign language dictionaries from english -> german,french,latin.
  
• Some sort of popular topical information. I have a shortened copy of the wikipedia and a popular culture reference application to this purpose.
  

The iPhone, when it's near a wifi network or has decent GSM signal, would do ok with 1 and 3 and in fact would far exceed #3 in usefulness. However there aren't really any great english<->latin dictionaries online that are easy to use.

Then we have to discuss the offline problem. I use these extensively in times when I can't afford the lag of trying to use the Internet, or worse, when there is no Internet (e.g., on an airplane).

Insert Irony

I went to brunch with today. He bought an iPhone yesterday and I am now unable to control my desire. After a visit to a local numismatic den I headed over to the Apple store only to learn they'd sold out 10 minutes before I arrived. I am sad. :(

Give me chores or give me death by tribbles!

Saturday - Well day one of the sabbatical began rather slowly... like being at sea for a few weeks... time just dragged on. I read two of the Unfortunate Series books, did some piddling around the house and finally ended up at dinner with Max and Sam. On the way back, Mr H called from the Stanford ER. He injured himself by trying to pick a fight with the asphalt in Palo Alto. :( I arrived after a frantic drive where, of course, I had unfortunate encounters with every red light and slow drivers on the road. When I got there he looked so awful; I wanted to just give him a big hug. Thankfully he's ok and after some warm soup and a nap all began to look up. I commend him with giving purpose to my first day as a "outcast" :)

Sunday was, well, very boring and not worth mentioning!

Today (Monday) was perhaps the most productive day I've had in along time (save last week where I was frantically trying to do a month's worth of work in 3 days). I got the car washed, paid my coin habit-maker off (requiring 60 seconds inside a Google building), called the plumber, the gutter guy, hit the post office (Star Wars stamps are cool!), took my extra coins to the Coinstar machine, paid bills, had breakfast @ Hobbees, fixed the digital cable, booked a trip to Vegas, booked a day at the spa (thanks for the gift card!), then I cleaned the garage out, bought first aid kits online, read book 7 of the Unfortunate Series and took pictures of the destruction in my house. Evidence Here. I'm going to wrap it up by owning that haunting blue 5.10a route. Phew. Out of breath yet?

All in all, very productive. Pretty soon I'm going to be out of things to do and then I'll be in serious trouble. :)

I miss you all!