Can the iPhone Replace Your Laptop?

iPhone 3.0: Tethering Hero

Daring Fireball's John Gruber posted the following last night:

A decade ago, my first PowerBook was a secondary machine to the desktop anchored at my desk. Now, my main machine is my MacBook Pro, but it feels a bit like an anchor now. My mobile secondary computer is my iPhone

A couple of friends of mine who work in IT administration have been telling me the same thing since the iPhone 3G launched. One of them recently left his laptop behind and took only an iPhone with him on a motorcycle trip and conference, and was still able to keep on top of his servers.

While the sheer volume of writing and editing demanded by TiPb still keeps me chained to a laptop, I'll also admit to leaving the MacBook behind and running out with only my iPhone whenever I can -- and yes, I've been likewise amazed at not only how much I can now accomplish with a mobile computing device, but how easily I can accomplish it.

Have you been using your iPhone as a laptop replacement? How does it fit your work needs, and what have your results been so far?

Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.