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iPhone OS 3.0 out now, upgrade odd

title-20090608Apple has released the next generation of its iPhone operating system, OS 3.0. It adds a number of features, the most relevant to the e-book market is the addition to the iTunes Store of audiobook, movie, TV and music video downloads direct to the handset. The best feature, in my opinion, the long-awaited copy-and-paste capability. Here’s the upgrade page link.

Although iPhone 3.0 does offer tethering, the ability to share your phone’s broadband connection with a PC, it is not available in the United States, by AT&T’s, the carrier with exclusive rights to provide data and voice services to iPhones here, choice. The telco’s choice, not yours.

I am plugging my phone in now…. More soon on the upgrade process. Interesting first challenge: My phone is not being recognized by iTunes.

UPDATE: After downloading and installing OS 3.0, my phone cannot be activated. I have a brick and am advised to “try later.”

ONWARD: Okay, now the phone will start and can access the network. But most of my applications are gone. The only survivors, other than Apple’s apps: Kindle for iPhone; MLB AtBat 2009, ZumoDrive, QuadCamera (best hack of the old iPhone OSes); XpenseIt and; Twitterific. Oddly missing in action: iTunes and App Store.

AND FURTHER: After synching again, all apps are back, but now appear on new pages in the home view, with a blank page between the two groups. That’s weird. All apps seem to work, though adding a new email address didn’t work.

Overall grade after using it for a short time: I give it an “A.” Seems to perform a bit faster, the search feature, which appears when you sweep left (moving your thumb right across first home screen) is convenient because it finds everything with your search term, whether a contact, an email, calendar or document. Downside: The iTunes updater has repeatedly asked me to accept the same new terms of service.