Smart phones, ipads, gps devices, kindles, etc. Do I NEED these things?

[Kathleen in VA]

I'm beginning to feel like an old fogey. I was young enough when computers came on the scene that I picked up on how to use them with no problem, same with surfing the internet. Now I see practically everyone I know pulling out their smart phones, flicking their fingers all around and pulling up family photos, checking email, checking the weather, making travel plans, and the list goes on. These are the same folks who won't go anywhere without their gps device and many of these folks have Kindles or something like them.

 

I feel like I've got enough to keep me busy already and the idea of learning how to use another technological device sounds overwhelming. I feel like Mr. and Mrs. Hoggett in the movie Babe when their son gives them a fax machine for Christmas. (Although Mr. Hoggett did end up using it :)).

 

Do you think it will get to the point where these devices are absolute musts for navigating (figuratively) our world? Should I just bite the bullet and start saving for this stuff so I'm not completely left out of the information loop? Or will I be able to hobble along with my laptop and internet connection and my cell phone that is only a phone?

[Koerarmoca]

I have a GPS but nothing else fancy. I get lost all.the.time. so it was almost a necessary evil. I like it when I have friends or family in town too because I stink at directing people now its just "lets see what the GPS does" lol.

 

sure I would like to have all the fancy gadgets but I like to stay behind I just got a laptop this past year that was a big step.

[BikeBookBread]

Don't feel out of it just because you don't... BUT, I just replaced my old standard cell with a Motorola Android device TODAY, and I'm having a BLAST with it! I bought it (no contract, so paid full price) at T-Mobile, and use pre-paid. Not the cheapest plan, but not the most expensive either. I have been using it at home on wi-fi, which has been fun. My e-mail shows up right on my phone... it's a lot of fun...

 

But still, I wouldn't feel out of it. It's a new toy, and I'm sure the shine will wear off at some point... but I do love it!

[T'smom]

Well, I'm only 32 and I don't have a smart phone or e-reader. Now, I couldn't live without my GPS! But, I'm fairly new to the area and can't find my way out of a paper bag. If I still lived where I grew up and knew my way around, I probably wouldn't have it. If you WANT those things, then save up and get them. But if you don't want one- spend your money on things that make you happy. IMO, buying something because everyone else has it, doesn't make you happy!

[melissel]

I definitely don't think you NEED any of those things, but some can make your life easier. I do like having a smartphone--the Internet access on the run is very helpful. But I could totally live without it if I had to.

 

Of the other things, all I have is a GPS. Again, I like it, it's convenient--but I could totally live without it.

 

As for the rest, meh! Not for me. I guess I'm a 36-year-old fogey :lol:

[WTMCassandra]

Well, my iPhone sure FEELS like a necessity. :lol:

 

It's a huge help to me as a very busy homeschooling mother.

 

I use it as an ereader (I know the screen is small, BUT I'm never without a book!).

I use the calendar feature extensively to be sure we are not double-scheduling. I can set reminder alarms (very helpful!).

I use the phone (of course) and the contacts are very helpful--I keep directions in the notes.

I keep homeschooling/convention talks to listen to with the iPod feature.

I also have uplifting music.

I use a library program to access my homeschool inventory when I'm out somewhere to ensure I'm not buying a duplicate book.

I can take a picture of a book and instantly find out if I can get it online cheaper.

I have apps of every description, including apps for the children when we are waiting somewhere (logic games, a Rush Hour lookalike, etc.). Hey, I can play Scrabble anytime I want to! I used a professional timing app to track a rocket competition this past weekend.

I have Greek vocabulary flashcards for their Greek studies.

I can check my email on the go if I need to.

If my son asks an obscure question while we are traveling, as long as I am not driving, I can google it on the spot--why does he always ask such arcane stuff in the car???

I now always have a camera on hand--I used to always forget mine for important events.

I have basic GPS capability so I don't get lost when we take trips.

 

And I could go on.

 

But frankly, I think an iPhone is enough for me. I don't need an iPad or Kindle. I can't justify the extra expense.

Edited March 22, 2011 by WTMCassandra

[ELaurie]

the Borg (and the WTM boards) - you may not need them, but once you have them, "resistance is futile - you will be assimilated" :D

[Kathleen in VA]

Y'all are funny.:D Well, seeing how I rarely leave the house I really don't feel the need to be connected when I'm out. I usually make a once a week trip into town for groceries, the library, etc. and then I'm back in my snug, cozy house until the next week. I do like the idea of being able to play Scrabble anytime I like.:) I can see how it would be super convenient for folks who are always on the go and have lots of activities going on all the time. I'm a homebody so perhaps I'm fine with what I've got. I've lived in Northern Virginia since 1972 so I guess I don't really need the gps either.

 

I'm wondering, though, if these devices will become like telephones when they came on the scene. I think most people thought they'd never get one, but now they are ubiquitous. Very few people live without them.

 

Before cell phones were invented, I actually felt the need for such a thing. My dh is a letter carrier so getting hold of him during the workday required a phone call to the po and his supervisor - aacckk!! Now I can just leave a message on his phone and he can get back to me on his lunch break. I was so excited when I got my cell phone because I already needed it.

 

These other things aren't like that for me. I can see why they're popular, but I don't feel like I personally need them. I keep wondering, though, if all these things will be daily necessities eventually - the way we see running water and telephones now. I guess I'll just wait and see.

[WTMCassandra]

Well, seeing how I rarely leave the house I really don't feel the need to be connected when I'm out. I usually make a once a week trip into town for groceries, the library, etc. and then I'm back in my snug, cozy house until the next week.

 

*wistful sigh* This is how I long for my life to be. But alas, I am in a different season of life now. A Really Great Day is one where I do not have to leave the house. And it's very rare.

 

I've just found that as my children are bigger, they have more interests. My 14yo is a mother's helper. I outsourced a couple of classes this year and have to teach classes myself to pay for them. We are heavily involved in church and a rocket club. We have piano and handbell lessons. We go on educational trips in our RV. I am helping start a homeschool bookstore and am an officer in a homeschool association. Et cetera . . . et cetera . . .

 

How DO you do stay a homebody with your children the ages they are?

[Starr]

Kathleen, remember when we broke down and got answering machines? Right now I just don't think the money is worth is for me to have an I Phone but if I had one I'm sure I would get used to it! :D

[LibraryLover]

Need? Nope.

 

Although I now speak of my life pre and post iphone.

 

Today i used the GPS/Map on my iphone for the first time. I was good to go while my dh was still trying to type it all into the GPS. We were thrilled.

[Kathleen in VA]

*wistful sigh* This is how I long for my life to be. But alas, I am in a different season of life now. A Really Great Day is one where I do not have to leave the house. And it's very rare.

 

I've just found that as my children are bigger, they have more interests. My 14yo is a mother's helper. I outsourced a couple of classes this year and have to teach classes myself to pay for them. We are heavily involved in church and a rocket club. We have piano and handbell lessons. We go on educational trips in our RV. I am helping start a homeschool bookstore and am an officer in a homeschool association. Et cetera . . . et cetera . . .

 

How DO you do stay a homebody with your children the ages they are?

 

Well, we just can't afford to participate in things - the funds just aren't there. Dd18 takes piano lessons but ds22 drives her there and she pays for them. She also teaches the two youngest. I used to take the two older boys to Civil Air Patrol once a week, but they are, of course, able to drive themselves any place they want to go now. We only had one car the first 12 years of our marriage so I got used to being home a lot. Also, I have 6 screws in my back and continue to have back trouble, so I actually avoid being out. I end up draped over the grocery cart by the time I'm done shopping and it takes me two or three days to recover.

 

Kathleen, remember when we broke down and got answering machines? Right now I just don't think the money is worth is for me to have an I Phone but if I had one I'm sure I would get used to it! :D

 

Yes, and what about caller ID? Now that's a useful invention!! Don't know how I lived without it. I think I'd enjoy an iPhone too - but the price tag - ouch! Still, they look fun.

[LibraryLover]

I've never had caller ID on my landline. I stopped answering my phone a hundred years ago. Email me. (Er, text me)

 

 

Well, we just can't afford to participate in things - the funds just aren't there. Dd18 takes piano lessons but ds22 drives her there and she pays for them. She also teaches the two youngest. I used to take the two older boys to Civil Air Patrol once a week, but they are, of course, able to drive themselves any place they want to go now. We only had one car the first 12 years of our marriage so I got used to being home a lot. Also, I have 6 screws in my back and continue to have back trouble, so I actually avoid being out. I end up draped over the grocery cart by the time I'm done shopping and it takes me two or three days to recover.

 

 

 

Yes, and what about caller ID? Now that's a useful invention!! Don't know how I lived without it. I think I'd enjoy an iPhone too - but the price tag - ouch! Still, they look fun.

[Kathleen in VA]

I've never had caller ID on my landline. I stopped answering my phone a hundred years ago. Email me. (Er, text me)

 

Yes, that's definitely my preference too, but there are certain times it's just not workable. Dh can't email me from work, our church sends prayer requests and notifications through a phone program, mil is tech challenged - you get the idea. There are lots of folks I wish would email instead of calling - I'm soooo not a phone person - but it seems they prefer hearing my wonderful sweet voice.:D

[catalinakel]

Right there with you, Kathleen! I sure hope these things don't become necessary. I loathe the day when I need a machine to tell me where to go to get somewhere. And a smartphone would be nice, but, for me, only to be able to go online at the drop of a hat. But I am not gonna pay for home and mobile internet at the same time! No how, no way. I know that in many ways I am an old fogey....I still look at airplanes and think about how amazing it is that there are people inside of them flying through the air. I have a ninety year old friend who tells me she still sees airplanes as things that cause people to become minature in order for them to fly through the air, then they get big when they land. We are a blessed(and, in many ways, spoiled) people!

[PinkInTheBlue]

Just my quick reply without reading any other comments:

 

Need them? No, of course not. However, my life has greatly benefited from having many of them. A number of them have been a positive influence on not only my life but the life of my family (even children). I highly recommend a Kindle (any ereader you prefer) and a smart phone (I recommend the iPhone even though it is indeed more expensive). Oh, and a wonderful GPS in the car. I'm a believer in technology for the good. :)

 

My thoughts. :)

[ItsJustMe]

I don't have a smartphone, just a normal cell phone that has a decent keyboard to send texts on when it's absolutely necessary. I'm so connected when I'm in the house, I find I want to be less connected when I'm out of it (whether just out with the kids, on a date night, on vacation, whatever... less is better for me, in that sense).

 

The iPad has been convenient, but not necessary. Our GPS has been very helpful.

 

The one thing I couldn't live without is my Kindle. I'm a voracious reader and the Kindle has been one of my best purchases ever. I can't read for long on back-lit keyboards, so the eInk screen on the Kindle and the wide availability of books, being able to increase the font size as my eyes get tired, instant downloads without having to go to a library (I get a lot of books on loan from several libraries with great digital collections), and the ability to declutter my house and get rid of a lot of bookshelves... well, let's just say that I'm in heaven.

 

My two oldest still living at home have their own Kindles, too, and much prefer them to paper books. And my youngest (8) is clamoring for one now, too, so it won't be long before we'll have 4 Kindles floating around the house.

 

All that said - no, you don't need any of it. A GPS is so helpful, though. That's the only thing on your list that I'd see leaning more toward a "need" than a "want" if you're a traveler and don't have local maps to get around when there are traffic delays due to a wreck or sudden road outages, or whatever.

[Barb_]

 

I'm wondering, though, if these devices will become like telephones when they came on the scene. I think most people thought they'd never get one, but now they are ubiquitous. Very few people live without them.

 

 

I think they're more like PCs. A personal computer used to be a luxury, but with the rise of the internet, computing has fundamentally changed how we operate as a society. Once it was assumed everyone was online, people who aren't, whether for monetary reasons, lack of access, or simple rejection of the technology, are at a distinct disadvantage. The internet has almost created its own underclass. Not that I think going without a smartphone dooms you to the underclass :lol: but they really aren't telephones. They're tiny little pocket PC's. I think they are in their own way changing the how we do things on a societal level as owning one becomes less of novelty and more of an assumption.

 

Barb

[Peela]

They are definitely not necessities.

I have an IMac, an Ipad and an IPod. I have a mobile phone that I hardly use but I do intend to upgrade to an IPhone in the next couple of months when my contract runs out.

I am not mobile phone savvy at all and it has taken a couple of years for my family to train me to actually charge the thing regularly so they can call me. I don't hand the phone number out because I don't want anyone other than family phoning me in the supermarket, as ds15's Scout leader did the other day. I don't know how she got my number- I must have written it down once on a permission form in a moment of insanity!

But I do admit having my mobile phone is handy for staying in contact with the kids and dh, especially for meeting up when we are all out and about. Beyond that- I prefer email. I don't like phones.

Technology is meant to serve us- we are not meant to be slaves to it. If you can use a computer I am sure you can work out any of these other things if you needed to.

[TravelingChris]

For my life right now, the Android phone has been a really blessing. I have been travelling and also have a lot of medical issues going on for all my children and for me. Here are the things it has helped me with so far- navigation (I don't need a GPS because navigation is free with Verizon Droid phone), being able to locate things like restaurants, pharmacies, attractions, when travelling in an area I don't know, being able to use the www anywhere, being able to get emails anywhere, and this is just the beginning. I haven't even gone into the fun stuff.

[3lilreds in NC]

I have all of those things! Well, I don't have an iPhone yet, because dh wants me to wait for the next version, coming out in June. I didn't want one with AT&T and am thrilled that Verizon finally has it!

 

Yes, you do NEED them. You need the Apple versions. My dh works for Apple so you can consider it a personal service to my family if you get them. :D

 

I do have an iPod Touch and I LOVE IT. I use it to read all the time, and it's so handy when I'm sitting in Isaac's room in the dark waiting for him to fall asleep. It's also handy during school when I want to look something up quickly but don't want to bother with the computer (it interrupts the flow to get up and go there etc).

 

We have an iPad too. I don't use it as much when I just want to read for fun, but it's awesome for using to read for school. I can use it with all the lovely books on Mainlesson.com (Yesterday's Classics), and there are so many books that we will read for school that are available for free or nearly free, it's fabulous. MUCH easier to cart that around than my crate o' books.

 

Another great feature for me is that Isaac loves to play games on them, and he will be busy, quiet, and not destructive for quite a while as he plays with them. I am continually amazed at how well he does with them! He is so funny.

 

I have a GPS and while no one died when I didn't have one, I am SO THANKFUL for mine. I spent a lot of time being lost before I got it, and have found it invaluable since we moved, especially. I look back over all the times I could have used it since I started to drive (far longer ago than I'd like to discuss :lol:) and think it is a miracle device.

[Lady Florida.]

I have a GPS, an iPhone, and a Kindle. Do I need any of them? Of course not. Well, maybe the GPS as we do go places often with our hs group. But even then, I could find directions online and print them, which is what I did before I got my GPS*.

 

However, I don't understand the desire to resist new technologies. I want to live in the current times I live in, not the past. I don't wish to be left behind or to feel old. And I AM old :lol:. How old? Check the over 50 thread. ;)

 

The Kindle was a birthday present. I didn't ask for one, but dh knows how much I love to read, and he actually put money aside to get me one. My iPhone was a present from my late mother. It's a long story, but most of her estate was taken by the state of Florida for my brother's various fines. The state doesn't care that half of that money wasn't his. There was a small amount left, and I used some of it to get my phone. So now I tell people my mother bought me an iPhone.

 

*When I first got my GPS, I always looked up directions on Mapquest or Google, then put the address in the GPS to see if it would come out right. It was as if I didn't trust the GPS. I suppose that was showing my age a bit.

[Parrothead]

For the past couple of years I complained too. I didn't want to have to keep up with all of these small electronics. I figured it would get to the point that I would have to wear a duty belt again just to keep up with them. I told dh that I did not want a bunch of hand-held devices. Why, oh why, couldn't someone invent something, one something, that does it all. I now have a smart phone with an Android operating platform. It has a Kindle app, GPS app, notepad app, messages, calls, internet, etc. I even have a flash light app. One device, many uses.

 

So, no, if one wants to keep up with the world of tech, one does not need all the devices. If one has no desire to keep up, of course, one doesn't need any of it.

[Nestof3]

I love,love, love my iphone. DH bought it for me for Valentine's Day. Prior to that, I've always had just a cheapy cell phone and thought nothing of it.

 

We also have a GPS which I have found comes in handy when I'm driving alone, and we took it to San Diego with us, and it helps so much. Now, if you have an iphone, you can get a GPS.

 

What I love about my iphone?

 

It is SUPER easy to use. My DH needs my help on the computer but not on his iphone.

 

It has fun apps for the boys, and I've found a few I like as well.

 

It comes with or I have downloaded useful apps such as:

 

1. P Tracker Lite (keeps a log of all of my cycle with start dates, # of days in between, fertile days, etc.) It comes in handy when the doctor asks me when my last period was, I don't remember, and he/she essentially wants me to take a wild guess.

2. I click on the maps application, it takes me straight to the store/person I'm looking for, and from there I can get directions, add them to my contacts, even upload a photo of the person (cute but not necessary). :)

 

3. Texting is very easy. I was never a texter before, but just this morning one of John's customers called, and it was so much easier to text him the message than to call, wait for his voice mail to answer (he's on a mower and can never hear the phone), leave the message, he calls his voice mail, retrieves the message. This way, when he picks up his phone, the little message is right there.

 

4. I can price shop while out and about. I can see if a book in a used bookstore is out of print and what it sells for on Amazon.

 

5. I can check my email (and even the boards) while I'm out and about.

 

6. You can stream Netflix and Pandora with it. It acts as an ipod too.

 

7. I love the calendar app. I enter events, and I choose when I want an alarm. I usually choose the day before and an hour before.

 

8. My dh can check the weather with it.

[Nestof3]

Well, I don't have an iPhone yet, because dh wants me to wait for the next version, coming out in June. I didn't want one with AT&T and am thrilled that Verizon finally has it!

 

 

 

Bummer -- so we should have waited until June? We're Verizon customers too.

[BlsdMama]

It depends. Would they serve a good purpose for YOU?

 

I never needed a GPS. Then we moved 1800 miles away from where I grew up and near a huge city. Now I NEED a GPS.

 

I don't need a smartphone.

I am (GASP) glad my laptop broke. (I won't be replacing it.)

 

Some of these things only serve to distract us from the real world and being very present with the people we are with, like our kids.

 

So, if they serve a good purpose, sure. But it should be an INTENTIONAL choice, not a reflex.

[RoughCollie]

Or will I be able to hobble along with my laptop and internet connection and my cell phone that is only a phone?

 

I have a GPS. It is necessary because I get lost easily and frequently, and always have. Without it, I could not find my way home unless I limit myself to going to the same few places in the nearest town.

 

I have a Kindle. I love it. I can read in bed without disturbing DH. I take it with me wherever I go. I will never have to mail boxes of books c/o general delivery at a vacation destination again. I still read regular books, but I leave them at home. I love my Kindle, but it is not a necessity.

 

I don't have any of that other stuff, and I don't want or need it.

[lionfamily1999]

You only need the kindle :D

 

The rest is just window dressing. Use your computer, or a map :lol:

[Lady Florida.]

I now have a smart phone with an Android operating platform. It has a Kindle app,

 

Actually, that's why dh bought me a Kindle. He saw me reading on the tiny screen of my iPod (which belongs to ds now that I have an iPhone), and thought I'd like something bigger. I really had no issue with reading on the smaller device, and didn't think I'd want a Kindle. I had no idea how much I'd come to love it. It does make a difference, for me at least.

[Kathleen in VA]

I have all of those things! Well, I don't have an iPhone yet, because dh wants me to wait for the next version, coming out in June. I didn't want one with AT&T and am thrilled that Verizon finally has it!

 

Yes, you do NEED them. You need the Apple versions. My dh works for Apple so you can consider it a personal service to my family if you get them. :D

 

I do have an iPod Touch and I LOVE IT. I use it to read all the time, and it's so handy when I'm sitting in Isaac's room in the dark waiting for him to fall asleep. It's also handy during school when I want to look something up quickly but don't want to bother with the computer (it interrupts the flow to get up and go there etc).

 

We have an iPad too. I don't use it as much when I just want to read for fun, but it's awesome for using to read for school. I can use it with all the lovely books on Mainlesson.com (Yesterday's Classics), and there are so many books that we will read for school that are available for free or nearly free, it's fabulous. MUCH easier to cart that around than my crate o' books.

 

Another great feature for me is that Isaac loves to play games on them, and he will be busy, quiet, and not destructive for quite a while as he plays with them. I am continually amazed at how well he does with them! He is so funny.

 

I have a GPS and while no one died when I didn't have one, I am SO THANKFUL for mine. I spent a lot of time being lost before I got it, and have found it invaluable since we moved, especially. I look back over all the times I could have used it since I started to drive (far longer ago than I'd like to discuss :lol:) and think it is a miracle device.

 

I keep my laptop right next to me so I don't need to get up and go anywhere when I need to look something up, but if it ever dies I think I'd like something a bit less cumbersome. I like the idea of reading from a small device like a Kindle or iPad, too. Right now I've got books stacked up on both sides of me. Also, I've seen a lot of offers for free ebooks and haven't been able to take advantage since my computer can't download the digital kind. Alas, my laptop does not have an intel chip. Oh, and I'd love to support Apple :) - we are diehard Apple fans here.

 

I have a GPS, an iPhone, and a Kindle. Do I need any of them? Of course not. Well, maybe the GPS as we do go places often with our hs group. But even then, I could find directions online and print them, which is what I did before I got my GPS*.

 

However, I don't understand the desire to resist new technologies. I want to live in the current times I live in, not the past. I don't wish to be left behind or to feel old. And I AM old :lol:. How old? Check the over 50 thread. ;)

 

The Kindle was a birthday present. I didn't ask for one, but dh knows how much I love to read, and he actually put money aside to get me one. My iPhone was a present from my late mother. It's a long story, but most of her estate was taken by the state of Florida for my brother's various fines. The state doesn't care that half of that money wasn't his. There was a small amount left, and I used some of it to get my phone. So now I tell people my mother bought me an iPhone.

 

*When I first got my GPS, I always looked up directions on Mapquest or Google, then put the address in the GPS to see if it would come out right. It was as if I didn't trust the GPS. I suppose that was showing my age a bit.

 

It's not so much that I am resistant to learning new technologies - although that does seem scary to me and is probably a lot easier than it looks. It's mainly the price - we just don't have a lot of "extra" money (is there such a thing?). But your post brings up a lot of questions in my mind.

 

Mainly, if I could only choose one of these devices, which one should it be? Or, in other words, which device covers the most bases?

[jelbe5]

We have iPod Touches and have recently added a Kindle and an iPad to our collection.

 

Do I NEED these things . . . no. But I do like them! :D

 

It is rather funny because until recently my dh was the supreme "gadget" person in our house. He owned an electronic thingy before the Palm Pilot took off. When he first had his Palm he kept telling me how I should let him buy me one, etc. etc. I was very leery of them at first. I kept thinking, "What do I need that thing for?" Well, he left his with me for a couple of days so I could "test" it. I loved it! For years I struggled with sticky notes and NOT putting things down on a paper calendar. For some reason I felt motivated to use the Palm. I ended up getting one. Then we purchased Palm phones. We still have and use those, but now we also have the iPods and are discussing the purchase of iPhones. The iPod really is my "portable brain" which holds my contacts, appointments, to-do lists, school related notes and so on.

 

The Kindle is great . . . it holds the books I am reading as well as many of the school books we are using. It is a portable library. It is also very comfortable to hold and read from. Love it!

 

We just added the iPad when the price of the 1st gen. models dropped. This is where I finally passed my dh in the "I want this gadget" disease. I had no real justification for one. I just WANTED one. I don't ask for much (don't get much anyway :lol:). But I really wanted one of these. I am loving the bigger screen, I can put different types of ebooks on the device (you can only put Kindle formatted ebooks on the Kindle) and we are using it for school also. Yes, it is a toy, but it sure is a fun one!

 

We visited the Kennedy Space Center a couple of years ago and went on the "Then and Now" tour. We visited the launch pad where John Glenn blasted off from. The room was crammed full of huge refrigerator-sized Burroughs computers. I can only imagine how hot that room must have been at times. My dh pulled out his Palm phone and whispered to me "There is more computing power in this little phone than in this entire room of computers." I find it amazing how far computers have come in such a relatively short period of time!

[Kathleen in VA]

I love,love, love my iphone. DH bought it for me for Valentine's Day. Prior to that, I've always had just a cheapy cell phone and thought nothing of it.

 

We also have a GPS which I have found comes in handy when I'm driving alone, and we took it to San Diego with us, and it helps so much. Now, if you have an iphone, you can get a GPS.

 

What I love about my iphone?

 

It is SUPER easy to use. My DH needs my help on the computer but not on his iphone.

 

It has fun apps for the boys, and I've found a few I like as well.

 

It comes with or I have downloaded useful apps such as:

 

1. P Tracker Lite (keeps a log of all of my cycle with start dates, # of days in between, fertile days, etc.) It comes in handy when the doctor asks me when my last period was, I don't remember, and he/she essentially wants me to take a wild guess.

2. I click on the maps application, it takes me straight to the store/person I'm looking for, and from there I can get directions, add them to my contacts, even upload a photo of the person (cute but not necessary). :)

 

3. Texting is very easy. I was never a texter before, but just this morning one of John's customers called, and it was so much easier to text him the message than to call, wait for his voice mail to answer (he's on a mower and can never hear the phone), leave the message, he calls his voice mail, retrieves the message. This way, when he picks up his phone, the little message is right there.

 

4. I can price shop while out and about. I can see if a book in a used bookstore is out of print and what it sells for on Amazon.

 

5. I can check my email (and even the boards) while I'm out and about.

 

6. You can stream Netflix and Pandora with it. It acts as an ipod too.

 

7. I love the calendar app. I enter events, and I choose when I want an alarm. I usually choose the day before and an hour before.

 

8. My dh can check the weather with it.

 

I'm glad you said it is easy to use, Dawn. The thing is, when I'm watching other people use theirs, it looks so beyond me - so terrifying (that's the part that makes me an old fogey I suppose). I can see how texting would come in handy, but I've never actually texted anyone so I'm insecure about it. The apps you mentioned are the real draw. I've often been at library book sales or Goodwill wondering if the book I'm holding is worth buying or not - I've even called home and asked someone to check at Amazon for me, so there's something I might actually put to good use. Then again, I can see myself falling into a dark technological hole and never emerging again - especially when I think back to the other post about being able to play Scrabble anywhere, anytime.:D

[Parrothead]

Mainly, if I could only choose one of these devices, which one should it be? Or, in other words, which device covers the most bases?

If you do not want a monthly fee - (phone plan with data charges) the next best bet would be an Ipod Touch. The Apple Store has so very many apps - many for free.