I’ve slowly shifted more and more of my computing to the iPhone after picking one up during the launch of the 3G iPhone. While it may at first seem strange to use a handheld device for blogging, podcasting, and general web usage, a slick device like the iPhone (which is actually more of a mini tablet device than a mobile phone), having a device that’s always connected and always in your pocket, with a fully functional Safari web browser and access to all my date (through MobileMe and Evernote), is the perfect device for the mobile writer and musician.

Not only has it made my everyday email/web surfing easier, but it has given me a whole host of useful tools for teaching, photo editing, and more. On any given day, I now use my iPhone in the following ways:

1. Alarm clock
2. MP3 player
3. Blog editor
4. Camera
5. Metronome
6. News reader
7. eBook reader
8. Photo editor
9. Phone
10. Email device
11. Web surfing device
12. List organizer
13. Notebook
14. Lesson planner
15. Recording device
16. Radio
17. GPS
18. Video game platform
19. Portable movie player

These are just the uses I can think of off the top of my head! While I probably use this device more heavily than most folks, I’m sure that almost any iPhone owner had experienced the liberating feeling of having so much computing power in such a small device. It may seem cheesy to say this, but it really is a Mac in my pocket, a digital Swiss Army knife with a surprising amount of power and versatility.

Desktop Replacement

It really not a phone–it’s a portable computing platform with a phone in it.

It’s amazing to think of all the computer-related tasks that I now do on the iPhone. Most of my blogging now takes place on the iPhone using the WordPress application, which is a very slick way to interface with your blog away from home.

Getting used to the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard is a bit of a challenge, but after a week or so of using it I got fairly comfortable with it. Nowadays it’s second nature to me and very easy to type with (especially so when using the two thumb technique).

Though there are some things that you really need a full-fledged computer for, it’s

Changes My Workflow

Being able to work on projects anywhere and everywhere (I’m writing this on a crowded plane in Dallas, for example… though I actually started writing this post in October of 2008) without needing any workspace at all is, for me, extremely liberating.

It may seem odd to do work on a device with almost no functional buttons, if you can wrap your head around the virtual keyboard and other input possibilities of the iPhone interface, you’d be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Universal Capture Device

Though I use my iPhone from morning to night in nearly every aspect of my day, for blogging and podcasting I stick to the following few apps:

1. WordPress for iPhone – there’s a new version of this extraordinarily useful app in the works, and not a moment too soon – I love this app and use it every day to write and edit blog posts while I’m out and about

2. Tweetie – my favorite Twitter client, very useful for keeping up with by Twitter friends and posting regular updates

3. Notebook and Todo – both by Appigo, faster and more appropriate for my needs than Evernote (which I use for information collection on my laptop)

4. QuickVoice – for podcasting dialogue, mobile recording of performances, and much more (including teaching!)

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