I know I said that I had no desire whatsoever to watch television or movies on a mobile device (I also said the same about taking pictures). I know I said that one of the big reasons I was getting an iPhone was to be able to read eBooks, not watch YouTube. I know I said I was super-excited about browsing the Web in Safari on the iPhone. I know I said (fairly recently) that podcasts are lame.
But after a month-and-a-half of iPhone use, here’s the truth:
The vast majority of the time I actually use the device is spent underground commuting to and from work. Since the iPhone doesn't do any hardcore local storage of email attachments or websites, this means that I am forced to interact only with information that doesn’t rely on having an internet connection. I say forced, but that’s far too strong a word. It’s a little unfortunate, but the restrictions have opened my eyes to a ton of really awesome stuff in the form of television shows, movies, and video podcasts.
I’m still trying to weed out the good from the lame, and find it hard to constantly find new video to fill my 8GB drive (I’ve got a suitable amount of music filling a bit more than half of it), especially since I’m not one to make repeat viewings. When iPhone asks if I want to delete to save space, I say yes. Every time.
I’ve subscribed to one TV show through iTunes (Damages, which I’m finding oddly irresistible), as well as a bunch of podcasts - some of which I end up keeping, and many more that get sent to the Trash after an episode or two. If anyone’s got suggestions for weeding through the thickets of downloadable video content (particularly free and syndicated), I’d love to hear them.
There’s something really interesting about the mobile content world. I don’t exactly know what it is, yet, and it’s still too difficult to navigate, but something big is sure to break pretty soon.
