Can it be right that almost 80 percent of mobile users use Smartphones? I just saw this statistic in DM News November 17, 2008 issue that suggests 79.5% use Smartphones and 18.9% use a basic cell phone. These numbers were discovered by The Kelsey Group in October 2008 sampling 512 US mobile phone users.

Now, I’m not nearly as interested in the exact number as I am the reason why so many more people use smartphones than a regular cell phone. My brother has a “regular” cell phone and I asked him yesterday if he has Internet access. He said, “I think so, but I have to pay extra.”

But, I think one discovers why the increase after one actually begins using a Blackberry, Motorola Q or iPhone. The answer is because smartphones are really more like little computers than anything else.

I was on the phone with a client last week talking about mobile web and the fact that only 10% of my audiences at workshops have even viewed their websites through a mobile device. I predict that in 3 or 4 years, the majority of users will access the Internet first through their Smartphone and a distant second through their computer.

And, it makes total sense. There’s a lot you can do with one of these Smartphones without ever having to turn on a computer. You can chat with employees even when you’re out of the office, send text messages that are often read before e-mail, find directions within minutes to a meeting you’re supposed to be at on-time, and of course find a great pizza place around the corner.

But, my favorite use for a Smartphone is when I’m in a place where I can’t lug around a computer. That could be an airport, restaurant, or anyplace where I might have to stand in line for more than 3 minutes (yeah, kind of impatient).

I just pull out my Blackberry Smartphone and go to one of my favorite blog sites and start reading. If I see something interesting, I can even get myself involved in the conversation.

Smartphones are a great way to have a computer in your hands when you are in a place where the computer probably wouldn’t be a good fit. How have they helped you and changed the way you get things accomplished throughout the day?