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Honestly I'm not sure exactly what is causing me to write this thread, but I thought that I would share my experiences over the last 6 months while switching back and forth between devices. Hopefully someone will read this and feel like they have seen a very honest opinion about the epic David vs. Goliath battle of smartphones.
(Incoming wall of text)
My first "real" smartphone was a T-Mobile G1. I thought that it was a great phone out of the box, but then I caught the bug after visiting xda-developers and got into rooting and running different ROMs on an almost daily basis. A few months after this started, the whole debacle with Haykuro went down and then it felt like there was a very large shift in the way information was distributed. I didn't really like the way things had been going, so I hopped on board the first opportunity that I could to get out of my G1.
In June, I was offered the ability to combine my personal cell phone service into my company's plan where they would cover the cost since I have to use my phone for business purposes. This gave me a good reason to jump away from T-Mobile, as well as have my phone plan taken care of for me. Since they were on AT&T, I thought that I would give an iPhone a swing.
I will say that I adored my iPhone. Maybe a bit too much even. I felt more concerned about keeping it in immaculate condition than feeling like I could use it on a regular basis. The moment it came out of the box, a screen protector went on, as well as a case. I realized then, that my iPhone wasn't really an iPhone anymore. At least not in that sleek sexy way that they show them in the commercials. Undaunted, I dove into modding my iPhone after jailbreaking it, working on themes, playing with non-sanctioned apps and just about everything else you can do with an iPhone. It was at this moment that I realized that the iPhone was less of a well rounded business phone, but instead (for me personally) more of a portable gaming system that allowed me to use my email, text and make some phone calls.
Recently I decided that the iPhone community was frustrating me to no end. The zealots that preached "Mac is king" made me grow irritated to visit the forums that I had once posted all of my themes and tweaks. I realized that the community wasn't one that I was overtly welcomed to, no matter how polite or elegantly I made my points. Maybe I'd just forgotten to sip the kool-aid, but I realized I wasn't in love with my phone, and I wasn't as taken in by everything that these people thought it could do, or so kind as to overlook the iPhone's many glaring faults. I decided to trade my iPhone for an HTC Hero and some extra dough.
I got my Hero in the mail yesterday, and unfortunately the experience wasn't the greatest out of the box. I'd lost my touch with the Android devices, so it took me some time to get ADB up and running again on my work laptop and make sure that the drivers were all hunky-dory. I loaded the Modaco ROM and everything seems to have worked well so far. Looking through the apps available, I realized how pampered I was with my iPhone. There literally were apps for just about everything, as well as some that I absolutely didn't need. Seriously, who needs 25 different fart soundboard apps? I think the thing I'm a little let down with the most was the lack of decent games, even after almost 6 months away from the OS. I'm very pleased that UniWar has made it to the system, and in fact, was the final nail in the coffin of owning an iPhone.
Gaming aside, I'm hoping that I fall back in love with the Android OS. It's so much prettier than the iPhone counterpart. Even better is that I can tether over wifi and connect my iPod Touch and play the games that I'd lost with my iPhone. Sure I have two devices in my bag now, but I feel like I have a better phone, as well as a separate gaming device.
In the end, I think I'm happy so far, but only time will tell if this is just the bliss of a honeymoon that will fade to frustration. Knowing I can't have 3G speeds was a hard pill to swallow, and one that I didn't do the research beforehand. I learned my lesson, but still adore the little Hero sitting alongside me on my desk.
I think there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the iPhone, but I think I came to the party a little too late. With Apple tightening their grasp on owners of the 3GS with every patch, I have little doubt that Steve Jobs will eventually have his way, and the community of 2 million or more users who enjoy their jailbroken devices will move to another platform, possibly the Android. We can only hope that some of the fantastic developers eventually make their way to this side of the fence.
TooSlo said:
Knowing I can't have 3G speeds was a hard pill to swallow, and one that I didn't do the research beforehand.
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Maybe it is my ignorance, but why can you not have 3G speeds on the Hero? Sprint's network is 3g.
Thank you much for the writeup. the HTC Vogue was my first smartphone (WinMo) and while I enjoy the incredible ability I have to customize my phone, the operating system behind it all is still WinMo, and that means it's still fairly buggy. In the end I've begun to realize that as I "personalize" the phone for myself with programs and custom Roms, I'm doing this to make up for WinMo shortcomings, which is something I'm not sure I should have to do to get an enjoyable user experience.
justpyro said:
Maybe it is my ignorance, but why can you not have 3G speeds on the Hero? Sprint's network is 3g.
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My apologies. I should have been clearer that I am still on the AT&T network. I purchased an overseas GSM version of the HTC Hero.
TooSlo said:
A few months after this started, the whole debacle with Haykuro went down and then it felt like there was a very large shift in the way information was distributed.
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Sorry to be a complete noob, but what is the Haykuro debacle?
I figured I'd spread some positive press about the N1 seeing as how BGR and some others are bashing it.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2010/01/09/android-iphone-switch/
Holy crap! somebody sensible! good read for sure. I hope to seemore articles like this one.
finally an article that doesnt say something along the lines of "X feature in Nexus is Great! But at the same time it sucks!"
But for anyone considering making the jump to Android, you need to keep one thing in mind: many of these early adopters have been using their iPhones non-stop for years. And it takes days, if not weeks, to unlearn your iPhone habits and judge Android on its own merits.
Imagine if you took a longtime Windows user and sat them in front of a Mac for a couple days. They’d probably complain about superficial things like the change in mouse acceleration and the “unintuitive” button placement (the Close button is on the opposite side of the window). It’s not until a week or two after you start using a Mac as your primary computer that you overcome these issues and begin to fully grasp some of the benefits it offers. No, it may not be for you, but there’s really no way you can tell for sure without taking the plunge and using one as your primary computer. It’s the same way with Android.
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Why can't everybody be as open minded as this guy?
TechCrunch has been giving good press to the N1 sense before release, that and LifeHacker featured an article or two. It's not all negative, you just have to steer away from the fanboy sites.
Good to see a positive write up!
Its kind of annoying but from me I can tell you is that I wanted an iphone sense it was released. I now have a G1 for about a year& I did plan to buy an unlocked iphone for tmobile. But after playing around with my ipod touch vs my G1 I realised that it wasn't really fun then I started hearing about the nexus one&after reading about it&seeing it in action the iphone doesn't even exist to me. Eventhough I kinda hate my g1(feels to bulky to me now) I now plan on buying a nexus the end of the month
So yup I was a hardcore iphone fan then out popped the nexus!
(So much more you can do with it. Vs iphone)
A+ article! The first really objective stance I've seen, he can talk about some of the short comings and room for growth in android without acting superioristic.
I'll post some more links as I find them.
bofslime said:
A+ article! The first really objective stance I've seen, he can talk about some of the short comings and room for growth in android without acting superioristic.
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Awesome article. It shows and explains exactly the basis behind these garbage reviews.
SystmDcln said:
I figured I'd spread some positive press about the N1 seeing as how BGR and some others are bashing it.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2010/01/09/android-iphone-switch/
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Bravo, on the most balanced article I've read on the Nexus One yet!
Well thought out, informative, and revealing.
Thank you.
I said something similar to this in another thread... basically, how can engadget do a full review on a device they used for prolly a few hours? they had the bloody review up on the 4th of Jan, 1 day before it came out... how do you review a phone that is not out yet? a review should take at least 3 days of extensive looking at, otherwise call it like an initial thoughts review and then do a full review after you have given the phone a week or so of solid use...
i think adaptability to a phone is an element that many people do not realize, apple is king at this because their devices and software are so simple and straightforward... android takes some getting used to since there is navigation and lots of "room" on the device to make it your own... every iphone is the same with just different icons for different apps...
JHaste said:
I said something similar to this in another thread... basically, how can engadget do a full review on a device they used for prolly a few hours? they had the bloody review up on the 4th of Jan, 1 day before it came out... how do you review a phone that is not out yet? a review should take at least 3 days of extensive looking at, otherwise call it like an initial thoughts review and then do a full review after you have given the phone a week or so of solid use...
i think adaptability to a phone is an element that many people do not realize, apple is king at this because their devices and software are so simple and straightforward... android takes some getting used to since there is navigation and lots of "room" on the device to make it your own... every iphone is the same with just different icons for different apps...
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'
Certain people get the phone earlier for promotional purposes, and reviews. They, I'm simply assuming, had the phone for longer than atleast a day (pure assumption, but I know they did have it atleast before release - atleast they should have -). I do get your point though.
As promised a little more positive press for the Android community.
http://www.businessinsider.com/charts-of-the-week-android-taking-the-wind-out-the-iphones-sails-2010-1
Great article, ive got 2 people switched from iphone to android so far and 2 more that are gonna get the Nexus, thats what i tell everyone, try it for a month then see if you want your iphone back, and they never do. One of my friends was tellin me at work a week or so ago that he wishes he listened to me earlier about goin Android, and he has a Cliq now, imagine if he had this beast haha.
I stopped by the Tmo store today to return a car charger they said would work with my N1; the rep was falling in love with my phone, when he mentioned how he currently has a Cliq and hates "that f**ing thing!".
It seems the press is being paid by "somebody" to write idiotic BS about the Nexus One. Meanwhile, everybody that lays a hand on it, falls in love almost immediately.
Things that make you go "hmmm..."
I haven't really had anybody stop and admire my Nexus yet. I sort of got my co-workers turned on to Android bragging about my G1/MyTouch etc, and they really were impressed with the phone. The main thing that is keeping people from making the switch so quickly is the lack of superb well designed apps. Yes, there are good apps on Android, just not enough and they often lack polish. Kevin Rose just did his review and it was pretty positive.
http://kevinrose.com/post/326066321/nexus-one-review
SystmDcln said:
As promised a little more positive press for the Android community.
http://www.businessinsider.com/charts-of-the-week-android-taking-the-wind-out-the-iphones-sails-2010-1
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That's december too..
This month should be interesting.
Make the switch. you might like it.
Update:
Steve Wozniak..you know that guy who helped create Apple?..Yeah he loves his Nexus.
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/01/steve-wozniak-shocked-the-tech.ars
I was going to post this in the 'Want to get on with your life? Get Android!' thread, but it got closed just as I was hitting submit. Take this post with a grain of salt, I just started typing and ended up on a rant. I love my HD2 and will certainly be sticking with it, massively in part to this excellent community.
This is just my take (I'm just a guy that likes gadgets but am torn between everything that's on the market right now) on the whole 'use <this>, it's better than <this>' conversations.
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The OP does have a point and did it without enough dignity not to warrant a troll, so farewell OP!
I, too, like having the option to mess with just about everything even though part of me just wishes I had something 'that works'. I guess the HD2 is a good compromise of the two.
However, it's 2010 and we certainly don't have the 'perfect' gadget. 4 years ago I bought an HP iPAQ 6915 (possibly an HTC creation, if I recall), thinking I'd found something that would, essentially, be able to do EVERYTHING from the palm of my hand.
In reality, though, this translated to a device which did plenty of stuff, but none of it well. I got shot of it within 28 days for a refund.
In many ways, smartphones in 2010 (HD2, iPhone and Android handsets included) still disappoint in these respects. We don't really have a jack of all trades. Part of me was holding out for a device that can replace my mp3 player, camera, radio, GPS, video player, perhaps my whole sorry routine.
The HD2 is the nearest thing I've used that translates to a full computer in the palm of my hand, but there are of course many limitations. And you know what? Half of those limitations are due to the fact we're HUMAN and unable to put a tiny device to the sort of use we could put something that sits on our desk at home.
We're spoiled. I'm angry that I can't type as fast on my HD2 than I can my old (yeah, a couple of years translates to old now) Hermes. Then again, I was frustrated I couldn't type as fast on my Hermes than I could my laptop.
Battery life. Whether it be WM, Android or iPhone - battery life is atrocious, no matter what tweaks we do, we're unlikely to be able to go a full day putting the device to its full potential without charging it every single night, or needing to carry a spare battery.
I hate that technology has progressed so much, yet my nan's £10 Nokia can outlive my £400 HD2's battery for days, if not weeks.
But hey, if you buy a Ferrari you're not going to expect to get decent fuel consumption, are you?
I'm very happy with my HD2, but a little bitter that there are so many apparent flaws that come with me being spoiled by these devices and just craving more. That and HTC's 'sort it out yourselves, we're working on the HTC ULTiMATE POWER this week' attitude.
Can my HD2 replace any of the stuff noted above, becoming a real 'all in one' device? In most cases, no. The camera is decent, but I rather like photography, therefore want something more. The music player is good, but can I mess with it while driving my car like I could my iPod? No, because I'll be trying to use the damn thing for GPS, too. Can it replace my FM radio? Hell no, the radio on the HD2 is absolutely dire.
Development is moving at such a fast pace now that it doesn't even matter what you buy, it's going to be eclipsed by the next thing as you open the box, not to mention lose hundreds off its value.
We need to learn to enjoy using the device we currently have, enjoy messing with it and helping others on here. It's all too easy to get into a debate over whether so-and-so is better. My sister just got an iPhone, with my HD2 around there's going to be a lot of sibling rivalry. In truth, none of these devices are perfect. If the device does what it needs to for the end user, then so be it. Her iPhone 'works', my HD2 'is the most powerful thing this week, can do everything and it does work, really, I just need to check XDA'
HTC is a company that seemingly abandons its creations as they leave the factory, moving on to impress their investors with the next 'big thing'. If we hang around waiting for HTC to release the 'ultimate device', we'd all be carrying Nokia 3210's to our graves!
Respect to everyone working, for free, on this forum for their own and everyone else's enjoyment. If only the brains on here had the financial backing to produce hardware, huh? Perhaps downloadable hardware is the next natural technological progression.
</RANT!>
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So I'm sitting in traffic the other day and fire up the Bing app. Lo and behold I discover they've eliminated my ability to lookup traffic on this device. WTF? And it won't reliably kick me over to the browser either.
Sure, it's a free app, but one that's kept me using a WM phone.
No longer. I'm off to go buy a Droid2. I've been waiting for a better phone and would've stuck with WM. But not when they take a perfectly good app and phone and destroy functionality on it. Who the hell thought this was a good idea? Couldn't they at least have handled the transition better? Yeah, yeah, I know they want to promote using more features and those require faster phones. But instead of giving me an upgrade path they've just alienated me as a customer.
WM7 just doesn't hold out enough hope at this point. I've got a Zune (gathering dust in a drawer), so I know the pain of failed expectations. MS has just totally dropped the ball in the portable market.
Truth be told I don't really need to use than many things on a phone. And it'll be a cold day in Hell before I purchase an iPhone. That company's policies are just despicable. Not that Google's any lily-white virgin either, but at least they don't censor applications and developers.
Goodbye WinMo, it's been nice while it lasted.
Brand new Droid 2 in my hands. Local store in Rockville had 80 of them. Talk to Daren there if you want decent help, nice guy.
First impression is it's almost the same size as the XV6800. A bit thinner and heavier and maybe a slight bit taller. But it's got a nice feel to it. Even fits in my XV6800's fabric sleeve. Oddly enough with all the cradle and holster options out there I prefer just using the sleeve and keeping it in my pocket. Even got a desk cradle for it. Out the door for $253 total, and that's before the $100 rebate. Gotta love NE2 promotions.
Android is a bit different. But like WinMo it's got plenty of ways "you can't get there from here". Editing contacts and such is different, but nearly as annoying as WM6.
Best impression so far? That the phone itself rings the first time, the same as what the caller hears. Annoyed the hell out of me on the XV6800, it wouldn't ring until at least one, usually two, rings had been heard by the caller. I had to change my voicemail ring delay because of it.
It's the little things, and that's what has pretty much killed the WinMo devices. There's just too many little things that suck. I wanted to believe in it but I've since given up. Ah well.
And now I've upgraded to a Droid4. Kinda miss the smaller form factor. And the old XV6800 sleeve doesn't fit it.
MS drove me away by abandoning my phone in the maps app, now they're driving away the winmo7 users by having no upgrade path to 8. Still not grasping the value of keeping customers. No chance I'll go back to an MS phone given this clear track record.
Meanwhile the D4 is nice, but the big win was rooting it and running wifi tether on it for use as a hotspot. Beats having to be limited to my 5gb/month on the USB modem (now a 10gb shared plan with the wife's ipad3-4g).
The old mogul was a good phone, we had lots of fun times and custom roms, winmo was glorious in its day, Microsoft just let it all slip away to android and ios.
sent from my Nook Tablet 16GB CM7.2 Alpha Final Emmc
Yes, it is sad that they quit supporting Bing for Windows Mobile. Have fun on your journey with Android!
I too finally ran out of spare 6800's and had to buy another phone. I went to Touch Pro for awhile and started cooking for it until I got a Droid X2.
It was a pleasure serving everyone and meeting people. The Mogul was a great phone and I learned a lot from it. Its funny how it just seems like yesterday.
Take care
Yes, it is sad to see this section of XDA closed... but, we must move on. The future awaits! =] For those still needing help with this device, check out PPCGeeks.com
Also posted on XoomForums.com
(Sorry in advance for the long post)
First off, let me say that I am a full-on Android fanboy.
After many years, frustrated by WM phones, I ditched Microsoft and picked up a Droid on launch day and have never looked back!
I have been on line, literally, every day since Nov 6th 2009, pouring over all of the android forums, blogs and reviews.
I have watched the evolution of android and have been so excited with every new update, discovery and app. I still rock the OG Droid because I have yet to see anything out there tempting enough for me to want to ditch it (o.k., maybe the Bionic but we'll have to wait and see!) but because it is also the most developer friendly friendly device anyone has released (feel free to correct me).
I love the open nature of Android, I love the quirkiness and the feeling of being part of helping to build this fledgling into a giant.
I rooted my phone long ago and have tried many, many roms, kernels and themes and I have loved all of it! (I am a bit worried that at the final reckoning I will be held accountable for the 2 1/2 years of my life I wasted dicking with my phones.)
Anyways, that's my history, now my dilemma.
Since the introduction of the first ipad, I never quite "got it". It seemed cool and everything but I couldn't see a reason, or a need it would fill, in my life. My laptop recently died and I do miss sitting on the couch surfing, working, emailing etc. So then I began to see the introduction of Android tablets and, although intrigued, I still found myself not really coveting them.
Flash forward to last Friday. I get a call from my wife who says she's at Costco and do I want anything, as a joke, I said "Yeah, how about picking me up one of those Motorola Xooms. She did.
I have spent the last week, with a browser full of Xoom related tabs, installing apps, trying everything out and I've been having a ball! (I haven't rooted yet because I don't want any hassles when the OTA's rain down from the heavens!)
Although I really like my Xoom and I can't wait to see where this all goes, I can't help but think that I could return it to Costco and pick up a pretty nice laptop with gigs of ram, a huge hard drive and the ability to do anything I wanted.
Today, my Droid can do more than my Xoom can.
I know this will change but even when all of the upgrades are complete, it will still be an Android phone on steroids. (flame suit on).
So I ask you for your opinions, input and thoughts.
I have 90 days to decide.
Thanks in advance for your time.
You, sir, have an awesome wife!
The device capabilities are there to do everything you want and more, however the success of the device and the platform large hinges on the developers. As we have seen with the android phone sphere, (lame quote time) "If you build it, they will come" or at least that is what motorola, samsung, lg, htc...etc are betting on. Honestly its hard to say if in 90 days if you will see delivered what everyone expects of an android tablet from the apps standpoint. There would be no shame in returning and waiting for the development of the android tablet scene if you aren't willing to wait. I can say I am definitely invested in for the long haul and see a bright future ahead.