The iPhone Wait, The App Store etc.

I wonder how long I have to wait before I can upgrade to an iPhone? Supplies are low, and it seems like new accounts are favored over existing customers.

I think that Apple miscalculated the number of 16GB phones required. Given a choice, I think most people would rather spend the extra $100 for the extra storage.

Personally, I don't even have capacity issues with my first generation 4GB Nano, and the syncing is usually related to cycling the podcasts that I listen to every day. 8GB is probably satisfactory for me, but if I get an iPhone, I expect it to last a few years, and who can predict what I'll be using it for 2 years from now?

I was going lukewarm on the phone (because of the rates) until I started browsing the iPhone app store a couple of nights ago. I remembered that there are going to be some key apps that I want (Evernote, Things) that will fill in address the shortcomings in my current Windows Mobile device (I did think about getting an iPod Touch and keeping my phone, but that seems a little unwieldy).

There are some questionable apps in the App store, however. The most notable one being a "Contraction Timer" for pregnant women. Priced at $9.99 (are you kidding me?), it seems to be on the very expensive side, considering that it's a limited use application. The fact that the screen shots fail to impress lead me to think that sales will not be brisk. Given that Apple won't be paying out until the total amount payable reaches $250, I suspect the author will be waiting quite a while before he gets a check cut from Apple.

Speaking of iPhone Apps, I received a mailer from TapTapTap, a new iPhone company started by Sophia Teutschler, of CoverSutra fame, and their little suite of apps is attractive (think Delicious Generation), well priced, and useful.

Evernote

Evernote is perhaps my favorite "free" application on Windows. Technically, it's not free, but if you don't use its advanced functionality like digital ink and syncing, you're not on the hook for the modest fee that they charge. It's a business model that more software companies should adopt.

If you've never heard of Evernote, it is at its essence, software for taking notes. If you find yourself using Notepad taking random notes all of the time and are sick of figuring out what note has what filename, Evernote could be for you. It uses a categorization system not unlike tagging, which simplifies its use greatly. The paper metaphor used by Evernote is a roll of paper with no end. In my day-to-day use of Evernote, I use to journal my week's work, store cheat sheets (e.g., ASCII code list) and code snippets. It's very useful with its free-as-in-beer function set. Paying a small fee will get you ink recognition and a few other useful and advanced features.

Evernote also includes browser plugins that allow you make clippings of web site content - handy when you've gone through 20 pages of Google results to find that obscure piece of SQL code that will let you render several rows of data into a single row.
An additional bonus with the software is that it comes with a free universal clipper, which you can use to do very quick screen grabs. While it sounds trivial, remember that SnagIt (Windows) and Snapz (Mac) are not free.

Well, there is a new generation of Evernote on its way. The biggest change is that there will now be support for multiple platforms, including Mac (finally!), Windows Mobile (finally!) and the web. This is awesome for those multi-device peeps out there (like me) who need to sync notes across platforms.



With all the goodwill they've earned, I'll definitely be becoming a paid customer to take advantage of their advanced features.

The Leopard Evernote client looks slick. Reminds me a lot of Yep, which am using in earnest to eliminate paper clutter and filing in my home office. Even the Windows client seems to have improved significantly - they've finally lost that fugly WinAmp wannabe blue skin.

This is a piece of software that every productivity geek should be looking out for.