iPhone Page One
Originally uploaded by heidigoseek.
Since I have got my iPhone have been playing around with apps trying to find the ones that suit me. I've also been trying out an order on my phone, I think I can confidently say I'm happy with the first page. The rest still need some work.
I devour application reviews because of the nature of the iTunes store. There's no way to preview an app before I buy it, and I'm picky (I mean really picky) when it comes to spending money, even if that amounts to a dollar or two... those dollars do add up quick. I don't want to get stuck with a junk app or one that I have only used once that I actually paid real money for. With that being said, I've only bought one app so far and I love it. It's not on the first screen though so I won't be discussing that app today. I depend on reviews to figure out what is good, and I only download free apps if I'm just playing around. Luckily for me, there's a ton of great free apps out there.
The first page focuses on a few productivity and informational applications. The Google Mobile app is an awesome search tool, it searches your contacts, it searches local, and it gives me a nice link to other Google optimized pages (like Gmail and Google Docs) allowing me to free up some icon space by not having to link them on my home screen.
I've started using the Mail application more and the Gmail browser app less. I still use both, it depends on what I need to do. The Mail app is great for notifications and quickly checking email, while the Gmail browser app is great when I need to archive and organize my mail. One oddity between these two methods of mail though is that the label feature is missing in the Gmail browser app, while I am able to "archive" mail into what the Mail app calls "folders" which directly correlate to my labels in Gmail. I guess I was surprised not to see the label feature in the Gmail app.
Calendar, of course, and mine is synced to Google Calendar using NuevaSync.
Evernote is really indispensable for the iPhone. I use it to record notes all the time, which then are synced to both online and my desktop application for Evernote. You can also send picture and voice notes to Evernote. I do use this a lot for low priority notes because it doesn't send reminders to my email like Sandy does. However, if I do need that email sent and I want to use Evernote I can Jott a note to the Evernote email address I already have set up in Jott and that note will get sent to both Evernote and email. Maybe the different access points I have for remembering information are best if left to a separate blog post. :)
The Zenbe application is an easy to use list app. I use this for my grocery lists. It syncs online through Zenbe Lists and your lists can be shared too.
Google Reader isn't really an app, it's just a link to the optimized web page. This is my go to link for when I have time to read feeds though.
Maps, of course, is awesome.
I have two weather applications. I use the built in weather app for a quick check on temperature, but the WeatherBug application was recommended to me. The wonderful thing about WeatherBug is that it has radar maps. I'm constantly checking weather maps when it's stormy because I really dislike them. WeatherBug can also use the GPS feature to get you the weather conditions of your current location.
Palringo is an excellent IM client that supports multiple IM accounts. There is a Google Talk browser page available, which works nicely on the phone, but this application allows you to carry on multiple chat conversations at once. I think there's other features that I haven't had much opportunity to explore, but even only as a chat client, it works well.
The rest on this page are your standard iPhone apps, Calculator, Clock, Camera, Setting, App Store, and Contacts. I tend to use the Camera, Settings, and Contacts the most here.
More app goodness to come as I play some more with the other pages on the phone.
