Am I the only one? With all of the hype and hoopla surrounding the electronic gadget of the century (aka, Apple’s iPhone), you’d think that everyone in the world had one by now. Just not including me.

It’s been out a couple of years now and it seems like everywhere you go, somebody is using an iPhone. Sure, there have been popular gadgets that have come and gone over the years – the Sony Walkman being a perfect example.

I remember those days (back in the ’80s) very well. Being a gadget fanatic, I watched how this one little device changed how people listen to their music. But I didn’t jump on the bandwagon when it was catching on “fire”. No, I waited a bit – I just didn’t see the rush to be on the cutting edge.

That and the fact that I was just a kid at the time – and one whose allowance would barely buy me a cassette tape, much less an actual Walkman. So I sat on the sidelines and observed everyone else listening to their Walkmans.

Like anything else that creates a popular trend or fad, there is always a point where the rocket ride comes to and end. And that was when I got MY Sony Walkman. The timing was right, and I had finally saved up enough to cover the cost of admission. And mine was unique – it was Solar powered!

Same situation with the iPhone. Right now it’s extremely popular and almost ubiquitous. But I don’t have one. Why? The first obstacle is the cost. Quite simply, it ain’t cheap! You’re on the hook (literally and figuratively) for a crateload of your money to be sent to Apple/AT&T. Sure, the buy-in price is less than it was when iPhone debuted. But the monthly fees have climbed higher than before, offsetting any up front savings.

Right now, I have an ordinary and plain vanilla  phone with Verizon. It’s a perfectly good phone – it dials, it receives calls, etc. That’s all I need from a phone. I agree that the iPhone is a marvel of a device. It can do almost anything, except maybe brush your teeth and tie your shoelaces. While I’m certain I would really enjoy using an iPhone, I just don’t have a big need to run out and get one. It’s pure overkill for my purposes.

I get full hi-speed internet access on my Mac(s) at home and work. Ditto for my email. Ditto for my “games” and music. Sure, it’s nifty to carry all of that “stuff” in a little device that’s only slightly larger than a deck of cards. But so what? I’m usually plugged into a desktop computer most of the day. What would I need the iPhone for? I’m not on the road that much or that often.

The iPod Touch is more to my liking – no phone built into it, but similar features to the iPhone. I may yet buy one but the current version hasn’t sold me. I want to see the next generation of iPhone/Touch (rumored to appear this coming June). But I’m in no hurry – I’ll wait this one out too.