The iPhone Light And How to Use 'SMS' Incorrectly

Well it's about damn time. Australia is gonna get the iPhone. Optus is the latest company to announce that it has signed a contract with the company to sell its wonderful phone down here. Last week, Vodafone said it will also carry it. Well, well, well.

I bet it will cost $1,500. They sell less impressive phones for $1,000 so my belief is not totally unfounded. For that reason, I won't have one anytime soon. I don't have many people to call anyway, so I'm not so broken up about that, but to know it's here if I do want to go out suddenly and take the plunge makes me feel swell.

I wouldn't be able to understand the plans anyway. I still haven't figured out really how they work. Meredith has explained it to me, but she has done so in vain because I just don't get the use of the word "cap." "Pay this cap and get this much money worth of calls." Well how much hell do the calls cost? Just tell me how many minutes I get and how much it costs. Period. Nor is there waiting till 9 o'clock to make that cell phone call. Those types of things aren't included here.

And finally, SMS. Many, many, many Australians use the term "SMS" when they mean texting. SMS (short messaging service) is a text message. It's not the act of sending the message. "SMS your answer to...."; "SMS me." Seriously. It grates on my nerves, and I've never understood it. Now, of course, it goes over my head and I rarely notice it. But there are those times when it's a pretty egregious use and I just stop and ponder the implications.

I understand that the word "text" isn't necessarily a good evolution of a word, either. However, compare "text me" to "short message service me." Seems to be a no-brainer. To be fair, not all Australians do this. My girlfriend, for one, says "text." But I pretty much can't speak for anyone else.