But I still didn't stand in line for one when it was released, and I have to admit it's because the iPhone has its hooks in me good and proper. Or, specifically the App Store. I know it's not fair to compare a software library that's been around a year to one that's been around a few weeks. But it's close to time for me to re-up my phone contract and between the Pre and the new iPhone 3GS, I'll probably end up going with the iPhone. Here are three applications that are swinging my decision--note that I'm not saying that these are the "best" iPhone apps, just the ones that don't yet have an equivalent on the Pre and I would be sore to have to go without.
1) Stanza--This eBook reader that supports both eBook purchases through Fictionwise and a huge library of free books through sites like Project Gutenburg is pretty much essential for me. It's rich in features including page resume, Coverflow for book covers, full settings for changing orientation, font size and more, and even the ability to download eBooks from your PC and share them with friends (using a matching desktop app). While there's been talk about porting Lexcycle's Stanza to the Pre, there's no definitive timeline (as far as I know).
2)imeem Mobile--Both the iPhone and the Pre have which is a great application, but the recently-released imeem app takes it a step further with the ability to upload your entire music collection to imeem and stream it to the app, so you don't have to take up storage space on your iPhone. It also has other features from the imeem.com site, such as Spotlight artists, recommended music, and featured stations. And if you find new music you can't live without, you can click in the app to go straight to that artist's iTunes page. Pandora's fantastic, but the ability to jump within one app between new music and my own uploaded favorite tunes makes this one a winner for me.
3)The Quest--There are a lot (a lot) of casual games for the iPhone, but The Quest is one of my favorites. I'm a huge fan of old-school RPGs, and this is a classic dungeon-crawler with surprising depth. I may be dating myself by saying it's the closest you'll ever get to a portable version of The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, but needless to say The Quest has chewed up time on many a plane and bus ride. The game is actually a port of the original game for Pocket PCs so the sprite-based graphics aren't cutting-edge but serve well enough and evoke serious nostalgia for old-school gamers. You can choose from a wide array of custom race/class combinations and there's plenty of gear and magic to pick up along the way in order to overcome the baddies. The huge game world has day/night and weather cycles, you can enchant your own gear and brew your own potions, and the main story plot is well-written along with plenty of side quests, with multiple ways to solve most quests. Plus, there's even a miniature card game you can play in the inns that's simple but fun. Highly recommended if you're looking for a portable game that's a little deeper than Sudoku.
