Last week, I returned to Phoenix from a holiday trip to Chicago by driving across a good part of the country with my family. That may sound more daunting than it really is for us. My wife and I both generally enjoy road trips, and my kids have become pretty accustomed to it, as we’ve done it numerous times. Still…it gets long and feels unproductive, so I get antsy. On past trips, I’ve listened to many books that I’ve acquired from Audible, and that has proven to be a good way to pass the time.

Of course, throughout the trip I had been listening to a book that I got from Audible. It was a technical book, rather than say, fiction, so I wasn’t particularly glued to it. I had also been breaking that up with my “RoadTrip” playlist, which at present is precisely 236 songs strong. Furthermore, I loaded up on podcasts before we left as well as each night in our hotel room. There are a ton of podcast options available through iTunes, and I’ve never paid for one, although much of the available content is sold through other channels. Most of the podcasts I listened to were oriented toward business and finance, but I also listened to some book reviews, and even downloaded lessons from Coffee Break Spanish and One Minute Irish, although I have yet to listen to the language lessons.

I may have some slight control issues, so I tend to drive for most of this trip. When I did yield the wheel, I quickly realized that the iPhone can be a really strong productivity tool beyond all of the audio options I’ve mentioned. While my wife drove, I was able to send about twenty emails, including some that essentially became real-time conversations. I made several phone calls. I scheduled three or four meetings for the day or two after I arrived back in Phoenix, and I even responded to a couple of text messages. This took place through rural Oklahoma and New Mexico, and I was fully connected at all times. If you’ve ever typed on an iPhone keyboard, you’ll understand why I mostly restricted my email correspondence to matters that were timely and important.

Prior to buying the iPhone, I had a Blackberry Pearl that I liked for its portability and the functionality it provided. It was great for corporate email and was synced with my calendar, and it had a couple of other applications that I found useful. I almost bought another Pearl when I left my employer to start my financial planning practice. However, I was intrigued by the iPhone for the same reasons that most customers are, so I checked it out. I had already been an active iPod fan. It turned out that the iPhone would work with my mail system, and the functionality available through the App Store was very impressive. I was excited about the prospect of combining my phone with my iPod, and the price difference between the iPhone and the Pearl and other competitors was negligible, so I went for it.

I’ve been saying almost since I purchased the phone that it has been one of those rare cases where a leading edge gadget has exceeded my expectations, and the ability to get some things done while driving across the country has done nothing to dampen my enthusiasm.