Why I Got An iPhone

Since I got my new iPhone 4 with Verizon I've caught quite a bit of flak from a few friends over why I did this so I thought I would take the time to answer some of those questions, comments, and accusations here with my blog.

The number one reason is that I happen to like the ecosystem of devices and services that Apple offers.  My first computer was an Apple IIc back in 1983 and I've had an affinity for their products since then.  During the 1990's after Steve Jobs was forced to leave the company I left the Apple fold and embraced the Windows ecosystem as at that time that was where the "action" was as far as devices went.  My first semester at East Carolina University I purchased a Power Mac 6100 and went back to Apple for a time.  After my time at ECU I was simply not in a position financially to go back to Apple products and had to make do with an assortment of Windows based machines, most built by myself.  However, over the past three years I've managed to get to a point where I could afford the "Apple Tax" and have done so with no regrets at all starting over a year ago with my old Macbook and followed by my iPad and iMac.  Now with an iPhone everything is in place.

The second reason for an iPhone, and going all Apple, is that I just want my stuff to work.  I want to turn it on and have it ready to do what I need/want it to do then.  I do not want to have to spend time trouble shooting why something is acting up or crashing.  The one thing I hate about Windows the most is registry bloat that required me to reformat a computer every six months and then spend time reinstalling software and settings to my liking.  Windows 7 was probably the best experience with Windows I've ever had but it still required me to do reformats and reinstalls every six or seven months.  

I'm at a point in my life where my time is very valuable to me.  Between work and family concerns my free time is very limited, even more so over the past year.  This is part of the reason I refuse to do tech support or computer repair for anyone, even friends and family, anymore.  I simply do not have the time to spare nor the patience for it.  Using Apple products and services makes my life easier and saves me my valuable time.  I don't have anything to prove as far as my "Geek Credentials" go.  I've been there and I've done that.  I even created a Hackintosh a few years back when it wasn't so easy as it is now so nothing else needs to be done there.

The third reason for getting an iPhone is the ecosystem of content that Apple has created.  I have over a terra byte of movies and TV shows that I have purchased through iTunes over the past few years.  That is a HUGE investment and now that I have an iPhone I can view this content on my iMac, my iPad, or my phone.  This is important to me.  Yes, I have an iPad and could take that with me but it's an iPad!  It's not the smallest device to be lugging around on a daily basis whereas I never leave home without my phone device.

And the fourth and final reason is that secretly I've always wanted an iPhone.  Since day one back in 2007 when it was first announced for AT&T only.  I hate AT&T so much that I refused to even consider it then.  Now that it's available on another network, and one that is giving me a rather sweet deal thanks to the fact I can get a discount through my employer, it's a no brainer decision on my part.  For me it's worth the Early Termination Fee from Sprint.

And at the end of the day that's all that really matters.  I don't care if some accuse me of being a traitor.  I've had seven smart phone devices in three years covering four different mobile operating systems.  I'm not betraying anyone.  I don't care if some say I'm dumbing down and can't believe I would "sell out".  It's what I want and it's what I'll be using.  I'm happy, who cares what others think.