iPros and iCons

I'm not exactly an "early adopter" of gadgets. Yeah, it may look like it sometimes, given how gadget-happy I can get. But I tend to contemplate these things for quite a while before moving (unless pushed by circumstances). So the iPhone has been out for how long now? And I've been looking at it and saying, "Well, it's cute and all, but I like my Treo and am happy with it. And this whole stranglehold they have on applications means that DataViz hasn't come out with iPhone versions of my two favorite smart-phone programs yet." That last being the main sticking point: I really can't get by without a way to have Excel files on my pda, and I'm completely addicted to Passwords Plus, an encrypted code-locked system for keeping track of account numbers, passwords, etc.

And then the other day I had a "Doh!" moment. It's not like DataViz is the only company in the world that makes programs with these functions. A little poking around and sure enough, there are multiple iPhone options already in existence that do what I want. At this point, the pluses of the arrangement start pushing at me. Better compatibility with the computers. Wider functionality. And I already use ATT for my cell phone carrier (and am not currently under a locked-in contract, so I'm eligible for the device discount). And the basic plan, which includes unlimited data-connection time, is only $15/month more than my current cell plan.

So I'm not going to run out and get an iPhone tomorrow. Or this month. Or -- given how mentally crowded the holiday season always gets for me -- this year. But I've decided rather firmly that I have an IPhone in my near future. Mmmmmm gadgets.

Quizzy Things

For those who like taking all those amusing little quiz memes, try this quiz on U.S. civics issues that I ran across via Daily Kos. I'm rather proud to have gotten 32 out of 33 questions right (and the one I missed was because I accidentally second-guessed myself ... but on the other hand, some of the ones I got right were because I'm good at analyzing multiple choice questions). You won't get clever results to post in your journal, but you can find out how you stack up against the average respondent in their original survey.