Dad and His iMac and iPhone

Well, this weekend found me linking up with my dad to help him take a big step forward into the world of mac. Three years ago, he had started using an iPhone 3GS. The reason for his leap into the world of iPhones was simple. He had calculated the cost for his landline phone and long distance to be similar to the cost of an iphone with a data plan. He was able to move his phone number across to the iPhone, and, he was able to enjoy the benefits of nationwide calling, web browsing, mapping directions, watching videos, Facebooking, and so much more. He absolutely loved making the switch. Also, because everyone in our family is an AT&T customer, he has been able to keep his minutes of usage very low on his account, and often has minutes rollover to the next month.

He had been considering a new phone for most of the year and when the iPhone 5 came out, he decided to make his move. He and I visited an Apple Store near Pittsburgh, PA, and he was able to walk out the door with a new phone. Even better, he was able to move all of his files, photos, calendars, and apps on his phone to iCloud. So when he turned on his new iPhone, everything that was on his old iPhone was there--including his wallpaper.The people at the Apple Store were incredibly friendly and enthusiastic, and were also very patient with my dad as they walked him through some of the initial aspects of set-up that were continued and built upon when we arrived at home.

In addition to purchasing his iPhone, he took the plunge and grabbed up an iMac as well. The last computer he purchased was back in 2000, and it had died and gotten resurrected at least three times. I spent a good chunk of the weekend helping him get set up, and moving photos and music to his new computer, but I think he is pretty well set now.  Any calendar appointment, email, note, contact, or reminder that he sets up on his phone immediately syncs with his desktop, so he is able to easily see birthdays, dr. appointments, and more on his computer. Furthermore, we went out and bought him a back-up hard drive, so he can use time capsule to back-up his computer. That's a new and needed concept for my dad (and for anyone really). 

Last night, as a result of his new acquisitions, we were able to play around a bit and talk on FaceTime using both his phone and his computer. There is a lot for him to learn and explore on his new pieces of technology, but my dad is already learning some cool tricks, and really enjoying his purchases. I even found him a free app that allows a person to learn how to type, one step at a time.

I'm excited for my dad to be able to explore more on his tools, and I think my dad is pretty excited about exploring as well. It may seem a bit strange, but it was really enjoyable to be able to help my dad get set up on all of this new technology, and I'm glad I could serve him in this way. He has done so much for so many people throughout his life, including me, that it was just great to help him get set up. I really hope he can get as much use out of these tools as he did his previous phone and computer.

I now have an iPhone4

Well, last Wednesday I took the plunge and bought iPhone 4. I haven't used all of the features yet, but so far I'm really impressed. My old phone was an iPhone 3G that was given to me by my best friend in the whole world, Willie. I used it pretty heavily, and it served me well for blogging, tweeting, emailing, phone calling, and more during the time I had it, but the last few months it wasn't quite working up to par. I talked with a number of people before taking the iPhone 4 plunge, and all agreed that regardless of proximity sensor, antenna, and other issues that iPhone 4 would be a massive improvement from my old phone.

So far it's been great! I had a brief scare on Friday when the phone didn't turn on. I took it to the apple store to check for possible tech problems, but it was an easy fix with a reset. So far I've only had a couple of issues with dropped calls, and on one of those occasions it was directly related to the way I was holding the phone. I'll probably take advantage of Apple's generosity and apply for their iPhone 4 case program.

Right now my big issue is the proximity sensor. Sometimes I mute calls or put people on speakerphone when the touchscreen touches my face. Again, I can make adjustments and prevent a repeat of the problem.

Anyhoo, I have really enjoyed the privilege of being able to have access to this phone. Is it for everybody? Probably not, but this phone's predecessor was a huge help to me over the last several months, and I'm sure that iPhone 4 will be a great tool for managing my schedule, responding to emails on the go (when necessary), and even serving as a great telephone.

Who would have dreamed that there would be day when we would carry our phones around with us? Who would have dreamed that we would be able to have video phone calls on these portable phones? Who would have dreamed that a telephone would have a more powerful computer with more memory than the standard desktop of ten years ago?
Beyond this, who would ever imagine we would live in a world where people communicate by text, email, tweets, phone, and more?

It's pretty amazing how much technology has advanced in ten years. What do you think about smart phones, and all of the portable technology to emerge since the year 2000?