So, back to aviation topics. I will be able to fly this weekend to IAH thanks to the generous special from LGA :D. I also noticed the special was $198 this week not $218 like it was the past few weeks. I will however be on a 737-500 both ways so the chance of an upgrade is highly unlikly on the return trip.

I traded in a Blackberry for my iPhone just about a year ago. At first, the iPhone's keyboard was very frustrating but with time I got faster and faster. Today, I'd say that I am able to type on the iPhone just as fast as I could on the Blackberry. Since there are no physical keys, it is difficult to type without looking but overall the experience has really improved.

Like mentioned by several posters, it really is a matter of personal preference. Some will hate the keyboard and never give it a fair try, some will find that it isn't so bad and others will love it.

What makes you think they'd stop that? At launch (after AT&T got their act together and fixed their end of the system), this was one of the best features of the iPhone experience. I can assure you Apple and AT&T would never abandon activation via iTunes.

So, AT&T will subsidize this new iPhone and take a chance that I won't activate it with them? I hope that is the case. If not, I won't be signing up for a 2 year contract w/ AT&T anytime soon. AT&T is willing to give up $1680 for the 2 years the contract would cost me (not counting taxes and fees)?? Let them do it. I'll be happy to unlock my iPhone to use with T-Mobile in a heartbeat, and get rid of my ipod classic.

Wow. Seven pages of Box to catch up on, and absolutely nothing for me to comment on, as I'm not a Mac guy and not a Blackberry user. Go back to work for one day and look what happens.

How was day 1 at the Borg?

Well, when you put it that way... :p

The obstacle with the iPhone has been that it tries to learn what words you are intending to type vs. what combination of keys you hit. So while you are "teaching" it, your effective typing speed is slower. I've found that as time as gone on, I can pretty much type full speed and have good success.

I fully realize that the iPhone isn't for everyone. It works well for me, but I don't use it composing extensive emails. It's a mobile device, and for me there is no substitute for a full keyboard. :D

I suppose that depends on whether AT&T is subsidizing the phone or if Apple just reduced the cost on their own. I'm not sure what the new deal is as I haven't had much time to read about it.

AT&T and Apple were taking a chance with the 1st gen iPhone by letting people activate via iTunes. Many people bought phones and unlocked them on their own. While it cost both companies money, neither Apple nor AT&T went after those people to try and stop them. I'm just not so sure I see this changing.

Yeah, they now say it will ship "in about a year". :D

True, there is no substitute for a real computer and keyboard. I'll always prefer that. I resisted the whole smart phone thing for a long time. Then my laptop got knocked off a desk and I was without a reliable work computer for a couple of weeks, since it took multiple service calls to Dell and my IT department, while I was traveling, to get everything fixed. I finally broke down and quickly upgraded to a BlackBerry so I could have a backup to my e-mail. Now it comes in handy while traveling, as I can respond to things while in transit even on very short layovers, when there's no time to go to a Presidents Club, or connect to the airport's wi-fi. That buys me time I don't have to work after I land someplace. And for that, it's totally worth it.

And I do agree that for non-business use, the iPhone is an incredible piece of hardware, and it's prompted competitors to vastly improve their products as well.

Meh. Orientation and its trappings....benefits, HR, all that happy crap. My first real work day is Thursday.

If it migrates off of AT&T, yes. AT&T/Cingular has an atrocious signal down here in the woods of South Jersey. My phone contract is up in December, and I would consider it if I could legally make it work on Verizon.

I wouldn't hold my breath for a CDMA version of the iPhone.

If I don't hurry up and get some work for the end of June, I'm going to go more than 10 days without stepping on a plane later this month. And no hotel points either. Not to mention having to actually pay for my own meals during the week, with no expense reimbursement. :(

Another totally random Box question: does anyone happen to know (or be able to tell me where I could find) what aircraft TP is planning to put on its EWR-LIS route after its lone A310 in the fleet is retired? Wiki says they have 12xA330 and 4xA340, but I imagine with this being the Internet and everything, there's bound to be more of an airline wonk than me that would have an idea.