Zero hour, 1pm. That's when iOS 6, Apple's newest mobile operating system hit the net yesterday and the downloads started. When it went live, I could almost hear the network  switch at work groan from the onslaught of requests for bandwidth. But I kept calm and carried on and was able to download iOS 6 in less than two hours!

Photo BIG Rich/TSM
Photo BIG Rich/TSM
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Technically, it should have only taken 20-30 minutes to download. But hey, when it's new software and the first day and highly anticipated at that, there's bound to be a few people wanting to download it. There's no word yet how many downloads of iOS 6 have been completed, but I'm guessing it's a lot! But for me, it was worth the wait.

The new Maps with the turn by turn is great! Yes, Android users, I know you guys have had it forever, but remember who we're talking about here. It's a company that does make some new stuff, but is more widely know for taking something and making it better and simpler. So don't be fooled by the simple nature of the Maps app right now. Plus, in the 3D view, you can see the dips and slopes in the terrain. I love it! I'll have hours of fun Internet stalking people!

I started to look into Passbook, where all your coupons, boarding passes and "loyalty cards" and the like can be stored for quick access. I don't drink a lot of coffee at Starbucks, but I do frequent the CVS to grab something quick, and I usually don't have my card handy just because I like my wallet to stay thin like a supermodel. So I think Passbook is going to work pretty nice for me.

Photo BIG Rich/TSM
Photo BIG Rich/TSM
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Also, a lot of Apple's own iOS apps have been reworked for iOS 6 and updated. Mostly to take advantage of the bigger screen on the iPhone 5.

And there are even a couple new ones for the iPad. Take a look at my screen grab above and you'll see the new Clock app which I have given a quick once over. The new stop watch look and the gray line clock are great! I was actually looking for a gray line clock app earlier in the week and didn't find one I liked. This one seems pretty decent and I think I'll use it a lot till I find a better one that is free.

There's just so many updates, 200 in total in fact that I can't really list them all. Plus I have a homework assignment due in my Objective Java class this week, so my playtime has been cut down considerably. But, keep watching my Twitter and Instagram feed (Twitter name and Instagram names are the same) for updates as I play around.

Also take note, that older iPhones will not be able to take advantage of all the new features in iOS 6 because of their hardware. The processor in a 3G, and 3Gs just can't handle the newest stuff.So you going to upgrade? You should if you can. Over all, iOS 6 is a fantastic update and has some great new features. If you're still unsure, go to the Apple Store and try it out on the devices, and see for yourself.

$>sh -a ./wing

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