Open Thread: Do You Have a Smart Phone?
Posted March 28, 2010 in Open Thread
Mobile computing is on the rise, and most web workers are eager to take advantage of this trend since having a mobile computing device such as a smart phone can help make them location independent.
The number of applications available for mobile computing device has risen also, making them a much more practical (if not indispensible) addition to a freelancer’s set of tools.
So, this week we want to ask our readers the following question:
Do you own a smart phone or other mobile computing device?
There are a lot of things a freelancer can use a mobile computing device for including staying in touch with clients while on the road and even working remotely.
If you do own a mobile computing device, which one do you have and what are your favorite apps? If you don’t yet own a mobile computing device, do you plan on getting one soon?
Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.
Image by gonzalobaeza
Related posts:
- Open Thread: How Do You Handle Phone Calls?
- Open Thread: What’s Your Story?
- Open Thread: Do You Have a PDF or Web Portfolio?
- Open Thread: Do You Use Contracts?
- Open Thread: Who Would You Like Us to Interview Next?
About the author: Laura Spencer is a freelance writer from North Central Texas with over 20 years of professional business writing experience. If you liked this post, then you may also enjoy Laura’s blog about her freelance writing experiences, WritingThoughts. Laura is also on Google+.
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49 Comments
Tom
March 28th, 2010 at 8:42 amAt preset I don’t own a smart phone, however I do own an iPod Touch. In the future I am interested in purchasing one, however I feel that, at the moment, it isn’t something I require.
Topher
March 28th, 2010 at 8:44 amI’m starting my freelance career this week, and have had a smart phone from work for years. I made the decision to go dumb. I blogged about my decision process here: http://derosia.com/phlog/post.php?post_id=1175
I always wanted to be able to WORK from my smart phone (I’m a coder) and it never really worked out. I also wanted to be LESS available that I used to be, and be more in control of when I work.
So now I have a dumb phone, and when I want to be working on the road I’ll take a MiFi or something.
Harl Delos
March 28th, 2010 at 8:44 amI can’t imagine doing anything worthwhile on a smart phone. The keyboard is too small. A laptop might be useful for leaving the office, but smart phones are just expensive toys.
Adam
March 28th, 2010 at 8:53 amI’ve had one for a few years now. Can’t even count the number of times its helped my business. Answering emails and solving problems from anywhere in the world. Also not to mention the ability to tether my phone to my laptop for a mobile internet connection.
jiewmeng
March 28th, 2010 at 8:54 ami recently posted my thoughts on Smart Phones and Netbooks on my blog [http://jiewmeng.tumblr.com/478969998].
i think that Smart Phones provide the most mobility (light weight & long battery) but are limited in functionality and harder or less convinent to use in some cases. i find typing on a small touch screen hard. sometimes in outdoors, the sun is too bright and i cant see clearly (probably even in a netbook it will be the same) i was using Andriod just now and i find the marketplace quite disappointing. no image preview. i cant really find what i want, if i use MS Office, iPhone and Andriod wont have it. Windows Phone 7 hmm … not too sure is it good or bad.
i think for me at least, i am a developer, i will probably want to do the following on the go:
* Read/Edit Documents
* watch videos
* develop (eg. Visual Studio)
i am considering a netbook. i am not sure if Atom might be too slow? i was looking at i3-330M that supposedly has integrated graphics good enough for HD videos?
Phil Mckenny | Bristol Web design
March 28th, 2010 at 9:36 amI cannot live without my iPhone now, i use it constantly throughout the day. Granted, i won’t be editing any code or doing any image editing, But i do regularly use my dropbox, viewsource, domain checker as well as others.
Cannot live without my tech podcasts, Maps and net news wire.
I have started tweeting more lately and use tweetie2, constanty checking gadget prices with red laser and reading ebooks (sometimes with difficulty) with goodreader.
With the ipad coming shortly and the prospective apps being developed, maybe a tablet will take over the smartphone reign.. I cannot see how i could carry an iPad around with me though.
Imagine omnigraffle on the iPad or a wireframing app or a quick and dirty wysiwyg editor…..
Seif Sallam
March 28th, 2010 at 9:42 amI want to buy Google’s Nexus One but sadly it’s not available in my country
Designhobo
March 28th, 2010 at 9:52 amI do not own one. I feel that I have my computers for what I need to do online. I have a simple texting phone and I am content =).
Jaime
March 28th, 2010 at 10:17 amI’ve found a smartphone is indispensable if you’re in the tech industry. That being said, it’s indispensable if you’re in the ‘business’ industry too… When you get a call at 2am while you’re hitting on the hot blonde at the bar and you realize that being able to ssh through your phone and do “/opt/app/bin/shutdown.sh; /opt/app/bin/rebuildindex.rb ; /opt/app/bin/startup.sh” without requiring you to go find a laptop. you’ll realize how a smartphone saves you time and money. On the business side, when you’re hitting on the blonde bombshell at the bar at 2am and you get an email from an overseas investor asking if you read the super important FRD and you can glance over it and respond promptly, you’ll realize how a smartphone can save your the day (and night *wink). Really people you might think you really don’t need a smartphone, and in a few cases you really don’t, but most of us can benefit immensely from one; only it take’s one lost business opportunity or one chaotic drive at 100mph to the data center to realize it. Embrace the digital lifestyle people, you’re expected to be on top of things any and every time.
Susan Johnston
March 28th, 2010 at 10:53 amI have a BlackBerry Pearl, and I love it! Yes, the keyboard is tiny, but it allows me to check email without lugging around my computer (or if I have my laptop, I don’t have to boot it up). It’s also useful if I need to look up an address or catch up on Google Reader. It’s like an unlimited supply of reading material in a tiny, portable package.
kurtis
March 28th, 2010 at 11:57 amI wish I had a smartphone, maybe an iPhone but more preferably an Android device. However, I still manage to get alot done with my “dumb” phone. Many sites allow me to simply text them, and when texting is free, this becomes super useful.
Hadiyah Offord
March 28th, 2010 at 12:15 pmI have a blacberry curve. I need to be able to receive e-mails throughout the day as soon as they come. The ability to post blog posts from my phone is great when I’m away from my computer or inspiration hits me.
Nicole Foster
March 28th, 2010 at 12:30 pmI actually don’t have a smart phone nor a cellphone in general. I’m hoping I can get at least an iTouch soon :D
Keegan
March 28th, 2010 at 2:05 pmI have the iPhone and I will never be able to switch back to a non-smartphone again. I’m a photographer and being able to reply to prospective brides and clients very quickly gives me a leg up, who doesn’t appreciate a quick response to a question? The Maps app (aside from the Mail app) is probably the second most helpful, I use it to find locations and not get lost all of the time. The mobile browsing comes in very handy as well. Being able to make changes to my WordPress powered website from my iPhone is very important as well, in addition to updating my Twitter and Facebook pages too. Need to play music at a shoot to loosen everyone up? Fire up the built in iPod or stream through the Pandora app. It’s ridiculous!
Laura Earley
March 28th, 2010 at 2:35 pmI use an iPhone and life would be a lot harder without it. I’m constantly checking my e-mail, Twitter via TweetDeck and making notes in Evernote. Sometimes I hate being so “plugged in” but I do feel naked without my iPhone.
Lucian
March 28th, 2010 at 4:24 pmMy Iphone makes my life easier. I use it all the time for rss feeds, twiter, reading and respoding email, even reading articles on freelance folder.
Jordan Walker
March 28th, 2010 at 5:55 pmI do not have a smart phone – nor have the need for one. I spend 12-18 hours online, Skype and instant messenger are wonderful tools of collaboration and communication.
Manuel Martín
March 28th, 2010 at 9:11 pmI have an iPhone, and I used for everything, I can answer to my clients everywhere and actually i have made urgent changes to websites with the FTPonTheGO in the middle of nowhere xD… I can’t live without my iPhone <3
Glenn Sorrentino
March 28th, 2010 at 10:12 pmI have the iPhone 3GS, and honestly… it forms a dependance it’s so great. The best part is that it integrates with the applications on your Mac that you use all the time – Mail, Contacts, Calendar – not to mention all of the other amazing apps that are out there for productivity.
I really don’t like being somewhere without it (especially somewhere new. Thanks, Yelp!).
James Coan
March 28th, 2010 at 11:25 pmI couldn’t imagine giving up my smart phone. I’m on a motorola droid now, and I use it constantly to stay in touch throughout the day, stay on top of projects, access my CRM system, etc. etc.
James Coan
Freelancing – The First 30 Days
http://www.freelancingthebook.com
Tess
March 29th, 2010 at 1:26 amOf course I have a smart phone. Being a busy entrepreneur and mom has become much easier with it. While waiting at piano lessons, doctors appointments etc. I check email, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and I do not feel so stressed for not being able to respond quickly enough to emails if I have to leave my office. I have an iPhone and the apps I use the most for business are, apart from email, facebook, twitterific, LinkedIn, i-Pod for podcasts during car rides, shasam for when I hear a good song on the radio, urban spoon and various apps for running and training. I love it!
aditia
March 29th, 2010 at 1:57 amNo, I don’t have, the price in my country is so expensive than the official price
and for now I don’t need it yet
Kenny H
March 29th, 2010 at 2:56 amI own an iPhone and I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world. I like to be able to answer important mails while I’m on the move. Next to that it’s quite useful to update different social media even though you don’t have a computer or laptop near you.
Jorde Vorstenbosch
March 29th, 2010 at 9:17 amGot an iPhone 3GS, and it’s been a life-saver in many occasions.
Btw if I hit tab while I’m in the comment form it switches to a different design, and when I hit tab again it switches back.
James
March 29th, 2010 at 11:10 amI have an htc Magic running Android. I really like how well it integrates with gmail and some of the other apps area really good (mytracks for when I’m on my bike).
I’ll definitely get another smartphone later this year, but I don’t know which OS I’d like.
Keith
March 29th, 2010 at 11:55 amI don’t have a smart phone and I don’t intended on getting one any time soon. I am too hard on my cell phones as it is to even consider the cost of having to replace a smart phone when, not if, I would break it. I am not keen on having to pay for another internet connection for the data services when I already pay for a DSL line at my home. Especially as spotty as the cell service can be where I live at times.
I now have an iPod Touch that I use to keep track of my email and other things on the go. I can get WIFI connections most place I regularly go to let my email sync. The few houses of friends and family that I go to that do not have WIFI I am considering offering to chip in and set up a WIFI for them on their net connections so that I can have access there also. In the long run buying 2 or 3 routers is still cheaper than one year of data plan fees.
And as for all the other places that I can’t get WIFI, I’ll just enjoy that unplugged feeling that I don’t get to enjoy enough of anymore.
Roy
March 29th, 2010 at 1:32 pmAll phones will be smartphones before long, who wouldn’t want a device that does the job of many? The saying goes “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” but before long everyone will have grown up in the tech age and will be able to use these devices almost intuitively. A lot of people browse content on their smartphone so designers should keep that in mind if they have a mobile version of their webpage.
Travis
March 29th, 2010 at 4:09 pmI don’t even remember what the world was like without my iPhone. Dark and desolate…. :)
Yari
March 29th, 2010 at 4:28 pmI have a smart phone that I use regularly to check my email, browse the web and play with apps (such as twitter and facebook etc). I find it extremely useful to quickly put out any client fires that might pop up once I’ve left the office or for a quick update when I’m out and about. I do try to limit myself though, I want to be able to enjoy time away from work and not be constantly bombarded. There is always a ton of things that need attention and it’s important to allow for some “me” time.
I’m still very much a computer person, though. If I have a computer handy, I rather turn it on and use that for writing long emails or if I know I have a lot of messages to respond to.Having said that, when I’m comfy on my sofa or bed, it’s nice to be able to reach over to your phone and do a quick once-over before I get to bed. :)
Eric
March 29th, 2010 at 10:32 pmI’m a freelance web designer and it doesn’t matter to me that I can’t easily build a website via my iPhone. That’s what notebooks and desktops are for. But at least 50% of the job of keeping clients happy is communication, and that’s where a smart phone is simply indispensable (for me, anyway). Being able to check and reply to email, keep current on my Twitter account, do all my newsfeed reading, and even do a bit of troubleshooting on the run without needed to lug a laptop is simply priceless. In fact, my laptop usage has dropped approximately 90% since I got my iTouch (and, later, an iPhone 3GS).
And, occasionally, I even use it to make phone calls! ;-)
Claire Wagner
March 30th, 2010 at 12:00 amI second everything Eric said, though I’m a writer, not a designer. I can’t do without my iPhone because I’m constantly on the go. Besides staying in touch by phone, I primarily use it to check email and tweet, and will occasionally check for news (I get alerts from AP Mobile). I purchased a PDF reader app that I haven’t tried yet but I’m hoping it will help with email attachments.
faridpenang
March 30th, 2010 at 1:59 amuse my phone to read email, store password, setting schedule, todo list, write/edit documents.
Jonathan Brown
March 30th, 2010 at 10:30 amI love my android “super phone”. I use it to tether to my laptop when I need a connection. I can check my email on my phone. I use google apps for my domain so I can use the Gmail application to check my business email. I can use google talk to chat with my colleagues and create calendar events for important deadlines meetings and more. I use both google voice and skype for voip calling to my colleagues, associates and clients. I don’t think I could be as affective without it.
Puge
March 31st, 2010 at 1:42 amI have 1 dummy mobile phone which my clients can call me for free using any landline phones anywhere in our country and 1 smartphone (nokia E61i), and it serves its purpose most of the time. I can check emails, websites, whm using 3g while talking to them on my dummy phone.
Saúl Solórzano
March 31st, 2010 at 2:42 amI have a Smart Phone, a Blackberry 8320 for close to 2 years now, I cant imagine a day with my blackberry, email, phone, wordpress, documents, todolist, I can check my personal email as my work email, really is perfect
James Armes
March 31st, 2010 at 9:05 amI find my BlackBerry Storm to be an indispensable device. I constantly use it to read & respond to email, check account balances, listen to podcast in the car and even catch up with my RSS feeds. I can even use it to SSH into a server if the need arises.
I find that the screen is large enough that I don’t have any issues typing on it. In fact, I’m typing this comment on my Storm :)
dotcompals
March 31st, 2010 at 11:40 ami have a first generation 8GB iphone, which I am using for the last 24 months.
Never a dull moment with it.
alex
April 1st, 2010 at 6:56 amNothing smartphonish over here, i have a nokia 7210 from 2004 and will keep it til it breaks apart.
The only reason why i would ever use one is to test websites on it, but otherwise it is just a big, expensive toy, the mail-check thing: when i’m not in front of a computer, i’m simply not reading mails, basta!
I think our world, way-of-life today is a loooot to fast (you have to be reachable for everyone everywhere and everytime via email, twitter, facebook and email), so i’ve put a stop to all this and even leave my not-smart-phone shut off out of business time. =)
Ari Herzog
April 3rd, 2010 at 5:20 pmHeh, I’ll be the minority here… as I’ve owned a BlackBerry Curve for nearly two years and am considering downgrading to a basic Nokia-like flip phone when my contract’s up for renewal.
It’s convenient for the accessibility, but I hate being tethered to the damn thing.
Alexis Brille
April 12th, 2010 at 4:06 amBlackBerry, #ftw.
I can answer emails anywhere without leaving anyone on the edge of their seat waiting impatiently for a reply.
Liz
April 19th, 2010 at 1:24 amI can’t live without my berry! I use it all the time to read up on the news, search for things, and answer emails. I also use it to create invoices and email invoices to my clients while I’m on the road. I find that it decreases my work load when i return home. At my jewelry events, I use a mobile payment app to collect payment from customers while building a customer list. When I return back home, I can quickly find out which customers purchased which product using the app’s online interface, and can send them promotional, targeted emails based on their purchase. The online invoicing tool is Billing Boss (http://www.billingboss.com) – it’s free and it currently allows me to create unlimited invoices for unlimited customers. For mobile payments, I use Payment Boss which is integrated with Billing Boss (http://www.paymentboss.com).
While I’m on the road, I also like using Poynt for personal or business reasons. If I ever need to find a client’s store location, or the next movie time, I can quickly locate the address, phone number, and map it from my current location. It’s very similar to Google Maps, but I only need to search for the business name with Poynt. Whereas for Google Maps, I first need to find the business location then search for directions/mapping.
Please note: This author has been compensated by Sage.
Rodolfo Sabino
May 6th, 2010 at 1:18 pmI Have a blackberry Bold 9000 with 8 GB Micro SD and a lot of things installed, like Evernote, Dropbox, Sugar Sync, google (many)…
Anthony Alexander
August 9th, 2010 at 12:35 amI’ll go for a MID with a Sim slot but I will never purchase a “SMART” Phone, because that’s like buying a Ferrari for the cigarette lighter. Until full fledged browsers become ubiquitous on mobile devices(something already in the process of happening) I have no reason to own a smart phone. I was excited about UMIDs m1 and bz. i wouldn’t mind a separate device to read my millions of PDFS(see billions) with. Definitely not an Ipad.
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