iPhone 2.0, Epocrates and Apps, Apps, Apps

So I jumped the gun a little bit. Found the putative secret link to the iPhone 2.0 software update ahead of schedule.   Through some good luck happened to download the update just before Apple pulled the link.  The install was smooth enough, though doing a manual upgrade was a bit nerve wracking. To brick or not to brick that is the question.

Seeing absolutely no reason to buy the new 3G iPhone - AT&T already takes enough out of my wallet each month, so why pay more each month for nasty customer service  - I am content to enjoy the Apps.  Particularly impressed by Epocrates, which has been available as a Wi-Fi “application” for some time, but the whole offline experience is just great.  Highly recommend it for fellow healthcare folks.

Other top applications tonight have been:

• Remote - when you’re too lazy to get off the sofa to change iTunes yourself
• New York Times - now I can read on the subway while I ignore the Mariachi band next to me
• NetNewsWire - RSS Feeds that sync with my desktops and laptops
• Jott - now that I got the phone version working with Evernote, this should be interesting
• Facebook - now I can communicate with my twin 17-year old nieces who tell me “Uncle Mark, email is so 2006″

As for the rest of the applications, there’s really no way I’m going to pay $29.99 for the Pocket English to Portuguese Translation Dictionary.  I already know the international gesture for “sorry this seat is taken.”