As anyone who’s ever owned an iPod knows, Apple doesn’t make it easy to use the iPod out of the box as a storage device for anything other than media files, even though the device is perfectly capable. The situation is no different with the iPhone, but as with the iPods, crafty third-party developers have come to rescue. Available for a short time as a free app, Air Sharing is now sold in the iTunes App Store for $6.99 (direct). While that’s fairly pricey for an iPhone app, not only does it give you the ability to transfer files to and from your computer wirelessly, but it also doubles as a viewer for a wide variety of file types. If you’ve been looking for a way to shuttle documents around on your iPhone, Air Sharing is pretty much an essential download.

I admit this is an essential application for the iPhone/iPod touch. I don’t like the fact that this app requires a wi-fi connection to transfer files. I’d very much appreciate if developers could somehow manipulate the iPhone flash-drive to be simulated as a hard-disk-drive.

Air Sharing turns your iPhone into a networked drive that can wirelessly transfer files to and from your computers, while also letting you view a wide variety of file types on your phone. At $6.99, it’s not cheap as iPhone apps go, but well worth the outlay.

The Good- Lets you transfer files from computers to the iPhone and back. Works with Mac, Windows, and Linux. Offers Web access to files on iPhone. Thorough built-in help.

The Bad- Some limitations to Office file viewing. No file-editing features.

Specs:

• Price as Tested: $6.99 Direct
• Type: Personal
• Notes: iPhone app available through iTunes App Store