A Tale Of Two iPhones

Earlier this week I traded in my old iPhone for a new one. This is only notable because up until Monday I may have been the last person in Manhattan using an Apple iPhone 3G. Even though it didn't take photos anymore, the phone still purred like a kitten. But, late on Sunday night, the battery began to really futz out on me. I realized it was time for change.

On Monday morning went to the Apple store in Grand Central to see what they could do for me. They told me that since I bought the 3G back in the stone age of 2009, I was eligible for an upgrade to an iPhone 4 for $150. It seemed like a nice deal -- an iPhone for $150! -- but I am an AT&T customer as well. They had a shop right across the street on Lexington.

The AT&T guys were total salesmen. I could have a iPhone 5 for only $500! I could have a Samsung Galaxy for $250!

"What about an iPhone 4?" I asked. "I only need this phone to make calls and text."

The sales guy looked at me quizzically. "A 4? No one wants those anymore. You can have one for $1."

And that, mes amis, is how I got a brand new iPhone for $1, simply because I chose not to buy into the manufactured wonder that the Apple store is trying to sell.

Even though there are Apple stores on practically every corner in New York City, overstaffed with happy-to-help you Geniuses, I think the novelty of Apple products is slowly wearing off. Samsung's Galaxy phones, which are actually a far superior product, retail anywhere between $150 and $300. I'm a lifelong PC user and never bought into the Cult of Apple products. More annoying are the people who swear they are the greatest products in the world, even though, you know, you can't get into the back end of any of them without physically going to an Apple store. But at least you get to play with the iPads while you're forking over $150 for a phone the unsexy shop across the street will give to you for a buck.

Apps For Autism

There have been a lot of segments post-Steve Jobs about the good that his products have done. I'm no hard core Apple nerd (I'm a PC gal all the way) but this piece about Apps For Autism is amazing. You must watch it.

App For Autism
Via 60 Minutes

Am I the only one who thinks that it doesn't matter what episode of The Simpsons is on, as long as there is one on it's a half hour well spent? (And thanks to Hulu, this Stay At Home Mama has watched quite a few.)

This scene is a great take on the Big Brother scene from 1984, which Apple used back in 1984.

The iPhone Really Is The Coolest Gadget Ever

iPhone壁纸, originally uploaded by zkyo.

Now that I have gotten over the sticker shock of paying over $400 for a phone, I can finally enjoy this electronic treat.

I cut out of an evening at Ulysses' in the financial district last night in order to go home and upload songs to my iPod. I haven't finished putting all my tunes in yet, but once I do, rest assured that I will beginning poaching my friends' collections. Anyone have the first Matchbox 20 CD?

I think that Apple needs to cut the price down a little more, only because even after you get the phone you have to spend so much time talking to AT&T trying to iron out all the kinks with your plan. I spent about an hour and a half on the phone yesterday morning, and I already was an AT&T customer. I set up an iPhone for someone who was switching from Verizon, and I spent two and a half hours on the phone, mostly on hold. It's a ghost in the machine that needs to be ironed out.

And that is the last I will post about my iPhone. This weekend: parties! Photos to come.