I believe that the Apple iphone is an essential tool for the devotee to digital document management. The specific applications which I have installed on my iPhone 3G make it such a tool. I have in excess of 90 extra applications on my personal iPhone, some of which have nothing whatsoever to do with document management. However several are key to the way that I do business and the convenience I demand in dealing with my digital information. I have organized my iPhone using a free program called “Categories”. Categories allows me to create folders for applications having some commonality of purpose. Some of these categories icons have 15 to 20 separate applications inside them. One Category is “Reference” and it contains encyclopedias, dictionaries, Yellow pages, White pages, Spanish to English translator including an audio pronunciation guide, a currency equivalency application, and many others which provide information you might need when you may not have your computer available. Another Category is “Cameras and Recorders” where I have a video recorder, the standard iPhone camera, a Snapture camera which includes black and white, grayscale, and color with digital zoom, and even a panorama camera. Also it contains audio recorders. Another Category contains money and accounting applications to keep track of expenses. A fourth Category is for note-taking material, audio and text.
The fifth Category is what I call “Tracker” containing applications which use the locator capabilities of the iPhone to locate hotels, restaurants, homes for sale and even gas stations. A sixth Category contains radio applications and music software. Eventually TV apps will be included. There is still another Category with sports and entertainment applications. If you like to gamble the gamblers’ line on all sports games is available. The latest scores and some of the plays of the day are there too. I have two Categories called “Connects” and “System Utilities” which are associated with subjects that contribute to Document management. They include software applications which allow the user to have access to the file system of the iPhone. This is particularly valuable because it is this application which will permit the transfer of internal files created by the phone to a computer for further use. Files like photographs, video recordings, audio recordings, and later Word docs or spreadsheets can be accessed and used elsewhere without the need to depend upon email transfers.
The applications include spreadsheets and databases. Perhaps the most important application is one which allows the iPhone to be used like a hard drive. Its function is more than that of a storage tool because not only can files including docs, photos, videos, web pages, powerpoints, and others be dragged and dropped from a computer onto the iPhone for transportation, but even more important the files can be opened by the phone itself and played or viewed without the need for a computer. Imagine the utility of being able to drag a pdf large legal file onto your phone and read it wherever you are without the necessity of having your computer with you. No more trying to open your notebook computer on a crowded plane. Oh yes. There is one other application which is important to the professional dependent upon digital information. There is an application called “iPhone Modem” which will act as a modem for your portable computer if you absolutely need to download something and there is no wifi available. You use the Edge or 3G network of the phone as your network for computer connection. There are many other applications in the works which contribute to your ability to rely on digital information. GlideMobile.com permits Word docs and other Microsoft based documents to be prepared using a web app. and the projection is that an application to prepare such docs and retain them on your phone is near completion.
