New iPhone Leads One Woman to iFrustration

I have finally entered into the 21^st Century and am proud to report that I now have an iPhone.

On my recent girls’ trip, I took a moment to look around and realized I was the only one in my group who wasn’t a part of the new smart phone phenomenon.  I felt left out of the cool kids club.

Lucky for me, I was available for an upgrade on my service plan and I jumped at the chance to get my exclusive membership.  Although my over-the-top excitement soon turned to frustration as I realized how time-consuming it was to learn to navigate my new toy.

Don’t get me wrong.  I actually love my coveted white iPhone 4s and am so excited to start acquiring my life-altering apps – especially now that I can play Words with Friends with my bestie from San Diego, Leslie.  (I looked it up and she invited me almost one whole year ago.)

But first, I just have to get over the initial hurdle of sending emails, text messages and making phone calls.  You know the complicated stuff. 

I was a whiz at typing on my Blackberry. The little raised letters seemed to connect seamlessly with my finger tip pads and, in no time at all, I was pressing send on an email or text.

To me, the letters in my iPhone keypad seem too close together.  I find myself hitting the wrong key over and over again.  I constantly keep hitting the return button instead of the back button and then find myself having to back track just to get back to where I left off.

The positive of this speed bump is that it is a smart phone and it is beginning to realize that I am not as smart as it is. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing and it has actually begun to pick up on my finger flubs.  My phone seems to know what I want to write even before I do it.

So far, I have tackled only the most basic necessities of being an iPhone owner.

First, I set up my sounds: the customization of my ring tone, text tone, voicemail notification, calendar and reminder alerts, lock sounds and keyboard clicks was a priority and one of the easiest tasks for me to tackle.

Next, I did a little online shopping at Amazon.com to purchase a phone case.  I mean, a girls phone has to look put together too.  A floral print Jessica Swift cover – with room for a few credit cards and cash – has helped me to create a Feng Shui look for my new phone.  I have to admit, it looks aesthetically pleasing to me  even though I don’t know how to utilize all the bells and whistles yet.

However, the rest has been slow going. 

My biggest excuse is that I have been super busy and just haven’t had the time to sit down and play with my newest piece of technology.  But, the real reason is that I certainly feel intimidated by it – as I personally do with all new technology – but I know I will get over it.

I had the same dilemma from the very first cell phone I ever purchased – a Ronald McDonald Motorola.  OK, the phone wasn’t really a McDonald’s phone, but the purchase of the phone donated money to the Ronald McDonald House.

Jason and I just referred to them as our McDonald's phones.  They were electric blue with these little antennas that pulled up.  As if that little piece of plastic actually did anything.

Over the years, I had various cell phones here and there but, three years ago, I got my first Blackberry.  Three upgrades later, I was hooked and didn’t think that I would ever go to the bad apple side.

However, watching how much more superior Jason’s iPhone 4 was to my final Blackberry and witnessing everything my friends’ phones did while in NOLA, I knew it was time to make the move.

On the day I brought my new phone home, my seven year old son asked if he could check it out.  I reluctantly handed it over and he, of course, expertly slid the arrow to unlock my phone without any hesitation, and immediately fingered through my applications. 

Moments later he promptly handed my phone over without an iota of interest.  He said, you don’t have any cool apps.  

Not yet, but I have grand visions of the Apps that I do plan to add once I figure out what I am doing and I am giddy with anticipation.