the best computer
A few years ago I had a burgeoning interest in photography. As I researched the websites and listened to the podcasts requisite with developing my new hobby, I kept coming across a common phrase. “The best camera is the one you have with you.” It seems to be an axiom of photography. You don’t always have your two pound DSLR on hand, and it just so happens that you can’t take a photograph without a camera. Therefore, if you find a moment in time worth capturing, whatever camera you have with you is the right one for the job.
Extrapolating the same concept beyond photography, the best computer is the one you have with you. These days that tends to be my iPhone. On top of being the camera that is always with me, here are a few things it helps me do:
- Pay my bills.
- Read a book.
- Book a flight.
- Paint a picture.
- Tune my guitar.
- Make a video call.
- Listen to my music.
- Launch birds at pigs.
- Wake me up on time.
- Create a photo album.
- Share a clever anecdote.
- Write a post on my blog.
- Find the nearest Starbucks.
- Pay for that Starbucks latte.
- Beat my friends at Scrabble.
- Stream a movie or TV show.
- Broadcast a live video stream.
- Make a restaurant reservation.
- Subscribe and listen to podcasts.
- Share a grocery list with my wife.
- Get directions to a friend’s house.
- Add someone to my address book.
- Tell me which direction I’m facing.
- Find out what my friends are doing.
- Record, edit, and share a short film.
- Check the tasklist on my latest project.
- Remind me of meetings in my schedule.
- See new posts from my favorite websites.
- Tune into a custom internet radio station.
- Find out how much money I have in the bank.
- Share a photo on my favorite social networks.
- See how many people are visiting my website.
- Get to those articles I’ve been meaning to read.
I could go on.
I’m not generating sales presentations or writing books on my iPhone (although, neither is strictly impossible), but I can quickly and easily do more things with this phone than any computer I’ve ever used. This phone that stays on all day long, continuously connected to the internet, and fits in my pocket.
The iPhone is the most useful computer in the world.