Accessories

The fourth annual iLounge 2008 Buyers Guide works for the iPhone and iPod, and is viewable online for smaller screens like the iPhone, iPod Touch, or laptops. If you prefer, for desktop viewing.

by Doug Morse

Well, the bad news is that I just got a letter from Sprint. Suffice to say that I’m still going to be out three hundred bucks to cancel my contract. A wrong decision a year ago is going to cost me an additional couple hundred that I didn’t need to lose. I thought about calling them to try to sort it all out, but I realized I’d waste a couple hours on the phone with their customer service when instead I could be writing this fine review and getting paid a little something for it. Then I could call it all a wash. Just a bit of warning: Sprint offered me an additional 10% discount to up my contract for two years more a while back (this was before the iPhone was on the horizon). Unfortunately, it knocked out a 5% discount I already had. Net gain 5%. I may dash off a quick letter, but I think even that may be a waste of time.

So instead of wasting my time with Sprint, let’s move on to Apple and AT&T’s wonderful iPhone and Mobi Products Protector Case (store link, $19.95). Important things first: this comes in Smoke, Clear, Red and Pink, though studying all of the pictures, all of the cases are translucent. I received the Smoke version, which to my taste is neither here nor there. That said, it does seem to be the best of the options.

by Doug Morse

My iPhone came well in advance of the computer. So for nearly ten days, I had an attractive looking paperweight. Meanwhile, a box full of accessories went to a different address -- I was on vacation you see -- so I couldn’t do much except stare at the iPhone box. Finally, I figured I would activate the iPhone on a different computer – though there is a danger to this madness. When I finally synched it to my home computer, I'd essentially be 'wiping' the iPhone and starting anew. Still, I had a working iPhone for a couple of days before the device and accessories were united.

Like a giddy young girl headed to the prom, my iPhone looked at the box of accessories. Cases, screen protectors, sync and charge cables, even a fancy Motorola Bluetooth headset were ready to take her out. The question of course: what to wear. Well, the one screen protector was a no-brainer. No one wants to get damaged on a night out. The sync and charge cable was a simple retracting affair. No, it was the cases that posed the most difficulty. There were three soft rubberized cases in pink, brown (yuck), and blue. Two semi hard cases, and a Tough Skin Sport by Speck. And the prettiest of the lot was an executive deep red leather case. For whatever reason, I was attracted to the light blue bad-boy-sounding Marware Sport Grip (store link, $14.95).