Careful, we're treading on thin ice now! Sheriff Blast is going to have to step in now that the Mac vs. PC debate has taken this thread off topic!

Alas, that debate will never be settled. It is just like trying to say that Ford is better than Chevrolet. Reality is, both have strengths and weaknesses -- both computer and car.

That said, most of my non iPhone friends say that as soon as their contracts are up, they are going with an iPhone. Of course, that comes after they've spent time playing with my iPhone. A couple got tired of waiting, just went ahead and changed.

There are so many apps out there, finding one to fit your needs -- survival or otherwise -- is easy. It can take some dedicated searching and creative thinking to find one specific to survival.

A co-worker who kayaked more than 600 miles last year has been using a GPS for years. Within days of getting his iPhone he discovered that the built-in map app is a lot better than his handheld GPS: It makes navigation much easier on open water because it shows a look-down view of exactly where he is on a lake using a high-resolution photo.

Some of the augmented reality apps that work with the newest phone (3Gs -- OK, so I have not upgraded, yet) are pretty darned cool. Imagine, standing on Pikes Peak, looking east, while holding your phone in front of you. On the screen you see an image of the view with an overlay that shows information -- names of visible landmarks, directions and distance to cities, topography.

Phones are no longer phones: They are full-blown computers that happen to do a great job of carry voice. Oh, and it fits in your pocket. It is coming to the point that if you can dream up an idea, the only reason there's not an app for that is becomes nobody's written it -- yet.

While the iPhone's GPS function is tied to the phone system, within a few years -- or sooner -- it won't be.