etee's Blog

Over at Techblog today, "Evil" Dwight Silverman tells us about his 16 most-used iPhone apps, then asks "What are yours?"

MiPhone

iPhone's "Home screen"

I thought that, instead of just leaving a comment, I would actually list mine here. These are the apps which I use often enough that I can actually remember them when writing a blog post, and they are not among the "default" apps Apple provides with the iPhone (many of which, as Dwight noted, also see frequent use.)

Unlike Dwight, I actually do have most of the apps I have picked up synced to the iPhone, though there are some (mainly "free" versions of paid apps) which I have pulled, and are archived in iTunes. I think there is only one or two apps which I actually deleted from the iTunes library. Because, you see, I am a packrat.

Anyway, let's get on to the good stuff: the iPhone apps I actually use.

MiPhone

iPhone's "Page Two"

In no particular order, here they are:

Tweetie 2 - Of the almost half-dozen Twitter apps I have, this is the only one that still resides on the iPhone. It has one of the most intuitive user interfaces, and as others have noted I find myself pulling down on the screen to refresh the data in other apps. This is a paid app, and well worth the cost.

Facebook - Unlike many others, I happen to like Facebook, though I am not quite an addict. There are a couple of irritants, the main one of which is the fact that sometimes the data is displayed, while at other times it isn't. And, I can't determine a pattern of consistency to this behavior. However, the app has made great strides in performance. Free app.

Crosswords - The first thing I do in the morning is download the day's puzzles. Among the crosswords available each day is the one from the Houston Chronicle. I have been a fan of Standalone Software since the Newton days. I have the paid version, and it is also well worth the cost.

1Password - A password and other sensitive information-management system that works on both the Mac and the iPhone. Integrates with Safari and Firefox (but not Chromium, at least not yet) so you can automagically enter logon credentials. A paid app, and another one I use daily.

Battery magic - Lets me see how much juice is still left, and gives me an idea of what I can do with it. I use the free version - a paid version is available, but the main enhancement seems to be fancier graphics.

Kindle - I have a Kindle, and use this to have my library with me. The only gripe: it doesn't work with newspapers/periodicals (for those, I need to bring my Kindle eReader along.) Free app.

i.TV - Provides access to TV and movie listings. Lets you also watch trailers/previews. Free app.

MPG - This doesn't get daily use, but I do keep track of gas mileage and maintenance for my cars with this. Paid app, from Catamount Software (another software vendor from my Newton days.)

CheckPlease - Another app from Catamount, allows me to split the bill and calculate the tip on a restaurant check, easily. There are both paid and free versions available, I sprung for the paid version.

Google - An interface to the search engine. I like the current version, as it no longer automatically launches Safari. Free app.

BeejiveIM - I'm not an IM addict, but if I was I would love this app, as it allows me to manage pretty much all my IM accounts from one interface. Paid app.

Word Warp - A game where you take a set of letters and see how many words you can make from them. A great way to stretch the mind, and waste a few minutes. Paid and free versions available, I have the paid version.

The Weather Channel - What I use instead of the built-in Weather app. Free and paid versions, I think I am using the free one.

AccuWeather - I use this one as a check on the Weather Channel. Free app.

Dropbox - Lets me share files between my iPhone and my Mac and my PC. Free app, requires a Dropbox account (both free and paid versions available.)

iDisk - Similar to Dropbox, but works with MobileMe. The app is free, but requires a subscription to the MobileMe service (which is not.)

Skee Ball - Another great time suck, it is the Skee-ball game that I remember so fondly from my arcade days. Without the pain that ensues when you hit yourself in the head with one of the real wooden balls. Paid app.

NPR News - I actually have several news readers which I use, but this is the one I open the most often. I figure the future of the newspaper is headed in this direction, though I really wish they would use a common data format (RSS anyone?) and simply charge to access the feed. This is a free app, though in the future I suspect news organizations will be putting out paid apps.

VisibleVote - Gives me the illusion that I am actually participating in the great political debates of the day. It allows me to "vote" on bills pending in the House/Senate, and sends my results to my representatives. Are they listening? Free app.

Houston Zoo - a free app, which gives you "fun facts" about the zoo as well as a schedule of the day's events. Very useful, if you are going to/plan on a Zoo visit. I just wish the Zoo had public WiFi available...

Urbanspoon - A cross between a slot machine and a restaurant guide. Randomizes by location, cuisine type, and cost. Allows you to rate your faves (online account required.) Free app.

LinkedIn - LinkedIn is a social network with a business/professional focus. I wasn't a fan of earlier versions of this app, but the most recent version brings this up to a par with Facebook. Free app.

Emergency Radio - This app allows you to listen in real-time to streams from various public-service (police, fire, ambulance) radio systems. Paid app.

Fast Food Calorie Counter - For those who eat at the places in this app's database, it gives you the nutritional data needed to determine how fast you are killing yourself. Seriously, I use this (along with several other apps) to track carb input. Paid app.

DOOM (Classic)- Yes, I still like to play this first-person shooter. I just wish I could get the cheat codes, especially the one for GOD mode. Paid app.

While there are other apps on my iPhone I do, this pretty well covers the ones I use the most. As you can see, the iPhone (and its companion the iPod Touch) is a very versatile platform, and is IMHO what the netbook was meant to be. So, what apps to YOU use most?

UPDATE: After posting this, I got some feedback which included a link to AppFire. Here is the result of my installing, running, and then selecting my fave/most-used apps. Yep, that did take less time!