Much of the functionality of iPhone can be found on many current handsets. But even when I could access my Gmail account on my Razr, I found the steps I had to take to launch and use the application, and then the interface on which I was reading my e-mail, a frustrating and, frankly, ugly experience. The Web-browsing experience was pretty much the same, if not worse.

But iPhone actually presents an e-mail and Web-browsing experience the way they are meant to be on a computer. To sweeten the deal, you can also play your favorite music, map out your destination for the night and perform many other functions of typical handsets, all on a simple, engaging touch-screen that is not just easy to use, but an actual pleasure.

This is why, for the first time, my entire appointment schedule is digital, and why I check the weather and my e-mail before I even roll out of bed. It's why I never worry about buying maps or printing out directions anymore and why I sometimes forget I own a digital camera.

iPhone also makes you seem really smart, even when you're only medium-smart or not bright at all. Ever find yourself in the middle of a conversation with friends and someone asks, "Who invented that?" or "What actor was in that movie?" or "Who wrote that Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel?"

Now instead of being befuddled, I excuse myself and privately fire up Wikipedia on iPhone. Then I return to my friends with all the correct answers. Suddenly, I am as erudite as Jeopardy's Alex Trebek.

I've used a similar tack to get answers to trivia questions at a local pub quiz, though I don't recommend doing this because it's against the rules and competing players get really angry if they catch you. But did you know the full name for the Statue of Liberty is "Liberty Enlightening the World"? Neither did I until a recent pub quiz in Queens. (And neither did anyone else, because my team was the only one that got the question right and thus received two points instead of one.)

Of course, iPhone 1.0 is not without its flaws, which have been widely documented. It's true that AT&T's network sometimes crawls about as fast as an inchworm on Valium and anyone whose fingers aren't the size of a stylus (that is, just about everyone) will likely send a text message or two in pig Latin if they're typing too fast and skip proofreading.

Actually, while the message bubbles in the text-messaging interface are super-cute, they also can lead to embarrassing recipient flubs if you haven't returned to the home text-message screen after sending someone a message. I learned this the hard way when, in an early-morning fog, I sent a text message about a wild night out meant for a friend to my ex-boyfriend's number.

But overall, unlike said ex-boyfriend, iPhone has never disappointed me, and has so far been an unfailingly loyal and faithful companion. Since we're still in the honeymoon phase, I know there is much more to discover about the joys my new companion can bring to my life. It may be early to say, but I think my relationship with iPhone will turn out to be an affair to remember.