Why I am now carrying an iPhone

I wanted to hate it. I really did. A device like the Apple iPhone simply can't compare to a Blackberry for regular business use. Can it?

I did a hands-on test with the first iPhone when it initially came out.  Firmware Version 1 wasn't even really worth considering in a business environment and we only used it for a couple of days.  Version 2, released with the iPhone 3G resulted in another hands on and was a significant improvement for the average business user.  It introduced push email, wireless calendar and wireless contact synchronization.  Of course these are things the Blackberry has done very well for a long time. (Anyone else remember the Blackberry 850?  The little pager-sized Blackberry that ran on AA batteries was the first of many I have carried over the years.)  I carried the iPhone with me through the summer, and I learned an awful lot about it after three months of constant travel.

First and foremost, for hardcore road warriors it simply will not replace a Blackberry.  I sorely missed the ability to set Out of Office responses, better manage my calendar, have a quality spell checker, use rules and filters, and most importantly being able to type important messages on a real keyboard.  I was back to bringing my Blackberry along again after only a single trip.
 
I now had my business communications going through the Blackberry, but left all of my personal emails going through the iPhone.  And then something really interesting happened.
 
I fell in love with the iPhone.
 
For casual communications it is a fantastic device.  I read a lot more personal emails than I write.  And when I needed to send a message to family or friends, the auto-complete feature of the iPhone became a much greater help.  In essence, my Mom was just happy to hear from me, and would happily overlook any unintended typos or word substitutions.  And because I had separated work/personal emails, I could check for an email from a friend without constantly listening for the Blackberry to go off.  In other words, my 'Crackberry' addiction was significantly lessened.  I could check the work emails when it was appropriate, not every time the device started buzzing.  Add a plus in the work/life balance column.

I also started relying more and more on the iPhone as a truly connected device.  The web browser was more than good enough to keep me from having to unpack my laptop just for casual surfing.  That also meant it was less likely I'd end up doing hours of additional work every evening just because I already had my computer on.  Now it took a more conscious decision to start working during my personal time.  Another plus in the work/life balance column.
 
But the iPhone also significantly helped me in the business world.  When we first tested the original iPhone, no one had any idea of the juggernaut that the App Store would become.  Yes, we've all seen the commercials and know "There is an App for that."  But I really appreciated being able to better utilize technology to make my life a little easier.  BizExpense kept track of all of my travel expenses.  Taxi Magic called all of my cabs.  CardStar let me lighten my load by jettisoning infrequently used membership cards.  ReQall collected all my random thoughts throughout the day that needed to be turned into tasks, and SugarSync made sure I could access nearly any file on any of my computers from wherever I was located.  And being able to purchase items without having to track down a local store was a huge plus as well.  (Note: Many of these applications now work on Blackberries and other mobile devices.  They are definitely worth checking out!)
 
For a number of meetings, I was able to leave my laptop behind because I had everything I needed on my iPhone.  On the rare occasions I found myself with some quiet time to myself on the road, the iPhone often supplanted my Kindle as my preferred dinner companion.  Carrying the Kindle while walking around town either requires bringing some sort of bag, or incoveniently having it in your hands the entire time.  The iPhone is equally at home on a belt clip, in a front pocket or a jacket pocket.  When switching back to the Kindle for longer reading sessions the iPhone will even synchronize my Kindle to the spot in the book where I left off.
 
Personal Communications?  Check.
Surfing the web?  Check.
Movies or Music for long flights?  Check.
Applications that make my life easier?  Check.
Less stuff to carry and keep up with?  Check.
 
For me, the iPhone has become a Personal Computing Device.  It doesn't replace my Blackberry, and it certainly doesn't replace my Laptop.  But it has essentially made my home computer obsolete.
 
The verdict:  When I decided to get a new personal cell phone / smartphone, the iPhone 3GS was an obvious choice for me.  For years, we strived for and talked about how great it would be when we achieved a convergence of our devices - one device to carry that would do it all.  But now I am back to carrying two devices around and I absolutely love the flexibility and the advantages it affords me.
 
And for the record, yes the 3GS really is significantly faster than the 3G model.  If you already have a 3G, I would still suggest you wait for the next iteration (which may be a pretty significant generational leap forward).  But if you need a "new" phone now, the 3GS is noticeably superior to the 3G.
 
Here's a few quick Business Centric Shortcuts for the iPhone that you may find helpful:

1. Double Tap the Space Bar for a period.
2. To Mark a previously read message as Unread, go into the message, and then look next to the subject line for "Mark as unread".
3. To Save a message as a draft,  Tap Cancel which will give you a menu with a "Save" option.  Check your Drafts folder to retrieve it later.
4. Scroll through contacts faster by dragging your finger along the letters on the right.

Battlefield Commanders

Sports to Business metaphors are completely overdone, and I generally try hard not to engage in using them. But I came across the following list of Bill Parcells' "11 Quarteback Commandments", and was struck by the stark wisdom of many of them. Traits for leadership are often universal, which is why it is so easy to draw on sports to illustrate a business point, but I think the parallels to the business world are self evident. What do you think?

Bill Parcells' 11 Quarterback commandments

1. Ignore other opinions – Press or TV, agents or advisors, family or wives, friends or relatives, fans or hangers on – ignore them on matters of football, they don’t know what’s happening here.
2. Clowns can’t run a huddle – don’t forget to have fun but don’t be the class clown. Clowns and leaders don’t mix. Clowns can’t run a huddle.
3. Fat QBs can’t avoid the rush – A quarterback throws with his legs more than his arm. Squat and run.
4. Know your job cold – this is not a game without errors. Keep yours to a minimum. Study.
5. Know your own players – Who’s fast? Who can catch? Who needs encouragement? Be precise. Know your opponent.
6. Be the same guy every day – in condition. Preparing to lead. Studying your plan. A coach can’t prepare you for every eventuality. Prepare yourself and remember, impulse decisions usually equal mistakes.
7. Throwing the ball away is a good play – sacks, interceptions and fumbles are bad plays. Protect against those.
8. Learn to manage the game – personnel, play call, motions, ball handling, proper reads, accurate throws, play fakes. Clock. Clock. Clock. Don’t you ever lose track of the clock.
9. Get your team in the end zone – passing stats and TD passes are not how you’re going to be judged. Your job is to get your team in the end zone and that is how you will be judged.
10. Don’t panic – when all around you is in chaos, you must be the hand that steers the ship. If you have a panic button so will everyone else. Our ship can’t have a panic button.
11. Don’t be a celebrity QB – we don’t need any of those. We need battlefield commanders that are willing to fight it out, every day, every week and every season and lead their team to win after win after win.

The Blackberry on Vacation

I was recently on vacation for a week, regularly checking in on things on the "crackberry".
Its a great way to stay in touch, and it let's you respond to high priority situations immediately.
But what about the non-emergency emails that are more than just FYI? How do you make sure that those don't fall through the cracks while you are gone?
You could delete everything that doesn't have to be followed up on. That way your inbox will be neat and tidy when you get back.
But what if your inbox is a little out of control? Or if you are just a packrat with your messages?
A good way to not lose important messages in the clutter is to "file" them right off the blackberry.
While reading a message, hit the "i" key and it will ask which folder you want to file your message in. I like to use a sub folder of the inbox labeled "follow up" - a place I'll be sure to check regularly when I get back into the office. And as an added bonus, the Blackberry is generally smart enough to remember where you filed previous similar email messages (by subject or sender) so you don't have to find the right folder each time if you file a similar message.
And since I don't have to try and remember all of the emails I need to respond to when I get back, I am better able to relax and enjoy my vacation.... Now if only I could stop writing these tips and put the crackberry down.....

Success is a reflection of your Self

"The greatest reward in becoming a millionaire is not the amount of money that you earn. It is the kind of person you have to become to earn it in the first place." Jim Rohn


In business it is becoming more frequent for us to come face to face with decisions that not only shape the success or failure of the business, but that also can have a lasting impact on our sense of self as well.


With the current economy and many business leaders having to make very difficult decisions, it is easy to think of this in a negative light, but it doesn't have to be that way. The quote above is a good example. Making tough choices, taking risks, grace under pressure, looking out for others like they are part of your own family, and challenging yourself day after day are traits I associate with people who are successful in both business and in life.

These are uncertain times, but one thing that is certain is that you will always have to live with yourself. No one knows what tomorrow brings, new opportunites and new challenges go hand in hand, but give some thought to the things you can impact today, right now. Make the choices you believe in and are comfortable standing by. That is the way to enjoy the journey of becoming someone you are proud of. And more often than not 'success'- be it making a million dollars, being a great parent, fame, or finding inner peace - will follow close behind.

"In accepting the Gift you Honor the Giver" - Stephen R. Donaldson

I have always been a "bad" birthday person. I drove everyone crazy because I really didn't want them to make any fuss at all. I just wanted to have a quiet normal day.

Maybe it was because of those silly ice cream shops that wanted to have a bunch of people you didn't know make a really loud racket with drums and singing and clapping and the whole place would stare at your utter embarrassment.

Whatever the cause, I don't care for my Birthday much. I just never felt it was particularly important or significant.

I first read the quote in the title of this post when I was about 13 years old in "Lord Foul's Bane" the first book in the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson. If you think you like Anti-Hero's you'd better buckle up before tackling this excellent series. There were a lot of lessons for a 13 year old to come away with. Good People do Bad Things, and Bad People can do Good Things. The Good Guys don't always win in the end, and sometimes the cost of winning is unimagineably high. So I guess I can understand how I missed the significance of the simple line above. And I certainly wasn't wise or mature enough to be able to apply it to my own life at that point.

But a couple of years ago I sat down to reread the series and was struck by that quote. I realized that by being a pain in the butt to everyone who wanted to wish me a happy birthday, I was in effect dishonoring them.

My Birthday itself my not be very special to me, but my friends certainly are.

Idealism Isn't Dead

This economy is a rough place to be for an idealist. Idealism represents both the way things should or could be, and the ability to make them so through the power of the mind.

I've heard a lot of people say that there is no room for idealism in business. I strongly disagree.

Understanding that it is an imperfect world we live in is certainly a necessity for anyone in a management position these days. And part of that role is being able to make difficult decisions for the good of the business. But that doesn't preclude you from being idealistic and maintaining your own moral and ethical compass. In fact, sometimes it is in the most trying of situations, like deciding who joins the ranks of the unemployed and who remains employed, that idealism can play a critical role. It's a hard thing to do to let a good employee go, but it can be done with respect and compassion, and for the long term benefit of those who are staying as well as the business.

Believing not just that things could be better, but that you yourself can make that positive impact is the difference between a manager and a leader.

A weekend comparison of the Kindle 2 to the Kindle 1

First of all, I must confess I am an absolutely avid reader and a huge Kindle fan. I’ve had my Kindle 1 for more than a year, and for a first generation device I can't say enough good things about it. When I travel, I like to read a couple of books at the same time (usually something fun as well as something educational). And because I read so much, and rather fast, I like to bring several backup books with me. Because of the Kindle’s built in ability to keep many books in it's memory I have the luxury of loading several series in their entirety on it, as well as storing books I like to go back and reread with regularity (Frank Herbert's Dune series!). My Kindle currently has about 240 books loaded on it, and my back is eternally grateful that it doesn't have to bear that kind of weight!

About two weeks ago my Kindle 2 arrived. Nothing is wrong with my Kindle 1, but being the tech geek that I am, I just couldn't resist getting my hands on the next generation of the device I have enjoyed so much. This weekend was the first chance I've really had to do more than play around with it, and I thought I would share some of my impressions.

Size:

Right away, the first thing you notice about the Kindle 2 is the size. The screen is pretty much the same, but because of the button and keypad redesign there seems to be a lot more white space. It is definitely thinner which is nice, but it is also a little taller than the original.


This is totally subjective, but to me it feels less like an actual book, and a bit more like the electronic screen that it is. It will be interesting to see if this impression fades with additional usage.

New Case Design:

One of the absolute worst things about the Kindle 1 was when it would fall out of the Amazon provided case and hit the floor. Once you either figured out the secret (that little plastic tab on the case is really important - use your fingernails to pull it out some and your Kindle will rarely escape again!), modified the included case (Velcro anyone?), or replaced the case altogether it became a non-issue for most folks. But after you've invested the kind of money Amazon gets for the Kindle, all those drops really leave you with a number of scares or a bad overall impression.


Fortunately Amazon addressed this issue by including two spots on the side of the Kindle 2 for thin metal tabs to slide. One slides in at an angle, and the other has a hook on it to hold it fast. Almost no amount of shaking could get my Kindle loose from the new case design. In fact, I discovered that I was much more likely to fling the entire apparatus, case and Kindle both, across the room when trying to demonstrate how difficult it was for the Kindle to come out of the case. My testing of this feature ended promptly after that.


Unfortunately, Amazon no longer includes a case with the Kindle 2. Though I understand the reasoning, I think this is a mistake. I like being able to choose a case to fit my own personality (I went with the suggested simple leather binder to start; it is small, light and very functional), and I appreciate Amazon not charging me extra for something I was likely to replace soon. But carrying a Kindle around anywhere without a case is a really bad idea. Throw it in a bag or a backpack and you may well have a scratched screen the next time you pull it out.


At this price point I definitely think there should be a simple utilitarian case to tide people over.

5 Way Controller:

Gone are the cool looking but sometimes enigmatic silver bar and roller ball used for nearly everything but page turning on the Kindle 1. Amazon replaced them with a spiffy new 5 way controller that gives a lot of new options and flexibility to navigating on the Kindle 2.

Chapter Navigation:

Easily one of my favorite new features is the ability to go back or forward a full chapter in the book by bumping the 5 way to the left or to the right when you are on a chapter’s first page. This is very helpful when going back to reread something you didn't bookmark, or just for finding your place again. It also makes reading magazines, blogs, or newspapers significantly simpler and more indicative of the way we would browse through a paper copy by skimming the headlines, reading the first couple of lines, and then moving on if we weren’t interested.


Of course this feature only works with content bought through the Kindle store. You are on your own for PDF's or other ebook formats.

Easier Library Management:

For someone who has as many books as I do, and who still likes to keep things cleaned up, the ability to delete a file you are done with is much easier. On the Kindle 1 you had to go into the "Content Manager", find the book you wanted to remove, use the wheel to scroll to it, push the wheel/button down to put a check in the box next to the book, then scroll to the menu tab and push the wheel down again, scroll to the 'remove selected items' option, then return to the home screen. With the Kindle 2, right from the home screen, you highlight the book you are done with, bump the 5 way to the left, and then push it in to confirm the deletion of the file. Almost too easy!


Still missing is the often requested ability to "group" or "file" books. I'd love to have the ability to put all of the books in a series into their own category. Yes, you can sort by 'Most Recent', Title' or 'Author' but considering subscriptions already go into their own folders, this doesn't seem like too much to ask.

Battery Life:

My Kindle 1 was good for about a week of modest reading if I left the Wireless turned off, or for about two days with it on. I suppose it says an awful lot about the Kindle 2's battery life that I forgot to turn off the wireless, read on it most of the weekend, and it's battery indicator barely showed a dent. I am going to have to try a lot harder, and for longer than a weekend, to drain the battery down on this new model.


USB Charger:

One of the reasons I got my Kindle was to lighten my load. And the new streamlined USB travel charger makes it even easier! A standard USB Cable (one is provided, but it is a little bulky) plugs into a small and elegantly simple wall adapter.

Screen:

Going from 4 shades of grey to 16 shades of grey certainly makes even the black and white only pictures seem richer and more detailed.

Text Quality:

The additional greyscales are generally nice to look at, but they also have the effect of softening everything on the screen. Text looks more rounded and a little less precise. Overall the print doesn't quite seem as sharp and the contrast seems a little less. In less than bright light, the Kindle 2 is definitely a little harder to read than the Kindle 1.


Refresh Rate:

The Kindle 2's page refresh is noticeably faster, but the old one never really bothered me. I'd get into a rhythm and could easily anticipate reading the last couple of words, bump the button, and never skip a beat.

One of the most irritating things I have experienced so far is the "ghosting" of prior images. This especially happens after I wake it from it's screen saver mode, and it totally pulls me out of the reading experience when I get down to the bottom of the page and see the instructions for waking up the Kindle 2 still displayed. Though it can usually be solved by hitting the 'Menu' button, I dislike having to take the extra step when the e-ink display should completely refresh with every page turn.

Button Redesign:

Maybe it is because I was so used to the first version, but I actually find the buttons to change pages much less convenient. Like a paper book, I have to reposition my hold on the device, even though it is fairly slight, to change to the next page. There is still no comparison to struggling to get comfortable while reading a hard cover book or even a paperback, but it was one of my favorite things on the Kindle 1 and now the overall reading experience seems somewhat diminished. First time Kindle owners probably won't notice.

I am not totally sold on the need for a big 'Home' button on the right side of the device either. Most of the time, I stay in the book I am reading so I don't use that button for much. I would have rather had another 'Prev Page' button in such a prominent spot.


Wireless is now controlled by the menu option only, which doesn't really make an impression on me either way. I normally left the wireless off in order to extend the battery life, so unless I had something specific I wanted to download or look for online it remained in the off position.

I really do like the new power switch on the top left of the device. It is much easier to switch into and out of the screen saver mode than the old two key press combination of Alt plus Font. And it's a lot more conveniently placed than on the back of the Kindle 1 because you'd inevitably have to take it out of the case to turn off wireless or the device power.

Missing SD Card Slot:

I was so surprised that they were taking out the SD Card slot, that I almost didn't order a Kindle 2 at all. I really liked being able to pop out the card to transfer books over from my computer. And I liked feeling that I had unlimited space for more books going forward.

The reality though is that even with 240+ books loaded on my Kindle 1, I was using less than 10% of my 2GB SD Card. I am sure I could fill it up, but I certainly wouldn't have time to read any of the books I was loading if I tried. And since the Kindle 2 has almost 2GB of built in memory available, I figure that I will have long since upgraded before I need that much space.


And the USB Transfer process is super smooth and simple. Plug one end of the USB cable into the computer and the other end into the Kindle, and it will install itself and show up as a new drive a few seconds later. Considering on the Kindle 1 I had to remove it from the case, power down, remove the cover, remove the card, and finally plug the card into the SD Reader on my computer, this is considerably faster and easier. Kudos to Amazon for saving me from myself!


Text-to-Speech:

For good or bad this is easily the most talked about feature of the Kindle 2. While most of the uproar about it replacing Audio Books is completely overblown - there is no way anyone can compare the quality of listening to a professionally produced audio book - it is a lot better than I thought it would be. I didn't think I would ever use this feature, but after hearing it, I can think of a few rare instances where it might come in handy.

Overall Impression:

If you don't already have an Amazon Kindle, the second generation device makes it an even easier and more attractive option to give up your paper books, but if you do already have the first generation Kindle, I'd suggest waiting until the next version (already rumored here) comes out.