When Stevie Jobs stood on stage and announced the original iPhone (doesn't that guy have a suit?). I was not the most enthused. Too much eye candy and not enough function was my thinking. One year later and my opinions have changed.

I have a re-badged HTC Windows mobile phone on the UK Orange network and...well....sorry it just isn't working out for me. I need a phone and a PDA but carrying two separate devices was something I didn't want to do. So 18 months ago I bought the HTC TyTn thinking it was the answer to my prayers. Sadly my hopes and dreams were not fulfilled. I think the closest I've been to throwing it against a brick wall was when it crashed just as I went to answer an incoming call.

You will notice a very important number in the above paragraph - 18 -. Yes my phone contract lock-in period has expired, so I am now being bombarded with letters, emails and text messages offering me juicy deals to stay with my current network.

So with this in mind, perhaps this iPhone is worth another look. I've been looking over the shoulder of the early adopters and fiddling with the heavily fingerprinted phone chained to the foundations in Carphone Warehouse, and you know, this over hyped and over priced gadget might have a future after all.

Now Mr Jobs (still no suit I notice) has listened to the feedback and brought out the 3G version, reduced the price and more third party applications are being written. Combined with this new MobileMe syncing service, I've got to say it is getting very tempting.

BUT !

Yes, there is a very big but, it prevents me from running down the high street and joining the queue outside the Carphone Warehouse.

O2

That is the problem. The iPhone in the UK is locked to the O2 network. I've not got a problem with O2 the company. My problem is that O2 have chosen to spread their phone masts a little too thinly around the area of my home. If I was to walk down the garden, and stand on top of my son's garden slide, I might just get a signal strong enough to have a conversation. Apart from the odd looks I get from the neighbours, this is sort of do-able in June, but callers to my company phone will hear the answering machine a lot more when I am at home and it is raining.

So my own phone must NOT be on the O2 network. Vodafone or Orange is great, Using those networks I can climb into the under stairs cupboard and chat for hours if I felt so inclined. So Sorry Mr Jobs, I will not be contributing towards your new suit just yet.