Just wanted to say thanks for your reply! (Thought I had already sent this, but hey ho!).

I am off to the Apple shop on Friday to pick one up. Great recommendation, great blog.

All the best, Tam

1) Yes, you can buy a jailbroken/unlocked iphone. Jailbroken means the Apple 0/S is essentially reprogrammed so you can download certain apps or themes that are not available through the proprietary Apple framework. It’s cool. My current theme is called Crazy Robots & I hear robot sounds whenever I get a text message! Unlocked means after “jailbreaking” the phone, a programmer can download a program that overrides the SIM card parameters, which allows you to input any SIM card and the O/S reads it. You cannot unlock an iphone, unless you’ve jailbroken it first. I highly recommend ebay, here’s the UK version: http://bit.ly/peZv7D. Ebay has some controls in place for the buyer over those other “free” advertised sites. a) always go with a top-rated seller b) besides a top-rated seller, make sure they have 100% positive reviews c) make sure they allow you to return the item if defective. Some sellers allow 3 days, some 7. I always go with 7 days. Enough time to make sure the phone actually works properly. Keep in mind, you will be paying a lot more for an unlocked phone over going with a contract in the UK and buying the iphone through them. However, I like the idea of buying freedom, that’s just me, though. :)

2) See 1) above. Yes and yes. Once a phone is jailbroken/unlocked, all you need to do is buy a SIM with text messaging, phone minutes and a data plan in any country that provides such things and you will have a local number. :-D

3) How high res are we talking? That would eat up a data plan, but yes, if you are within range of a wifi-hotspot, I think you could do that. Is the album Picasa? I do think it would take a long time to do though, depending on how high res you’re going.

4) You keep using the word “wireless”, so I assume you mean wifi-hotspot? Skype = yes, you could do that as well. Again, if you are using a data plan on the SIM card you purchased in that country, this will eat up your data plan, but absolutely – if you find a cafe with a wifi-spot, you can Skype your friends, without incurring call costs. I did that quite a lot with my first iPhone (was stolen).

The iPhone will do all of the above, though the high res pictures, not 100% positive I’d ask around on Mac Forums: http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/. Good resource for Apple computer or iPod/iPhone users.

Finally, think hard about why you want to bring the Air. It does sound like you want to upload lots of pictures and music, you say? The extra computer would be useful indeed. However, it is another item that can be stolen, which means you should also bring an external hard drive to back up the photos & music. More to carry, and is that what you want to do?

I’m about to go away for a year and cancelling my UK phone contract, but would like to be able to skype home and upload photos/music etc.

Can you clarify for me (assuming I am TOTALLY ignorant of these things), that I can

1) Buy an unlocked iphone (with no contract)
2) Buy a local SIM card wherever I am and use the phone wherever I go?
3) Upload all my high res photos to my online photo album when within range of wireless?
4) Skype my friends in the UK without paying for call costs? (i.e using a local SIM card to access wireless, does that use up minutes?)

Sorry for the sheer stupidy of these questions!

I am debating whether to take my macbook air, but if an iphone can do all of the above, the hell yeah!?!?!!

Thanks and hope you can help!

Tam