Last week I discussed my love of my new iPhone 3G and the free applications I had downloaded and loved. This week I want to introduce you to the few paid applications I’ve downloaded. I am generally cheap and don’t like to pay for applications, so this list is a bit shorter than my previous one on free applications.

Paid iPhone 3G Applications

• GroceryZen is worth the $4.99 price tag. I can quickly add items to my grocery list and add recipes. Once a recipe is added, I can choose to add all the needed items to my shopping list or just the ones I need. Easy peasy. It keeps track of what I have and have not purchased so I don’t have to keep making new lists.
• Solebon (.99) is my new best friend. This application has multiple solitaire games that are addictive. There are times I find myself hung up for five or ten minutes without a book. What’s a gal to do? If you’re me, you’ll spend those minutes engrossed in Golf, Pyramid, or Lady of the Manor. There is a free version of this, but for .99 you have many more options.
• Math Zombie (.99) is not my favorite thing. You are presented with a screen full of numbers in squares. At the bottom of the screen is a number (for example, 18). You click on numbers that add up to that number (for example, click a 9 and a 9) and move on to the next number. You have 10 seconds for each problem. I originally bought this as a math game for my kids. Their response: too stressful.

More posts on iPhone Applications

Technology Review: Apple iPhone and iPod Touch Applications

Day by day, little by little, the list of applications for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch keeps on growing. From games by EA (come on, where is The Sims app?!) to aids with musical instruments to wireless transfer of documents, there are at least twenty apps that will be used for pleasure, purpose, or pointlessness.

If you’re looking for a bus schedule, Rachel (at RachelPokin.com), has you covered in Seattle Buses, mobile internet and me. The MyBus and Trip Planner applications were not intuitively useful for Rachel:

In short, it takes several minutes of fiddling. And several minutes of flashing an iPhone around while standing at an unlit bus stop is not generally regarded a great plan.

I was about to post a plea that someone write an acceptably mobile-formatted web app that pulls data from both of these sites, or perhaps an iPhone app that does, but then I thought to check the App Store (crazy, I know).

Wondering if you can find a free application that is just as good as the paid version of the application? iSmashPhone has you covered in the article Bargain Hunting: 5 free alternatives to paid iPhone Apps.

Free. It's a four-letter word people love to hear, especially when it comes to purchasing Apps. If you are shelling out even a dollar for an App, you're guaranteed more bang for your buck, right? But it is not always necessary to fork over cash for a decent App, as free versions can provide almost an equal level of functionality and reliability. We have compiled a list of five superb paid Apps and their capable free counterparts.

iPhone Recall Information

Don’t forget: the power adapter that came with the iPhone 3G is being recalled. You can exchange it at your local Apple store starting this Friday, October 10. More information in the article Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange Program.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for beginning bloggers at Blogging Basics 101.