Category: Posts

Holy Smokes! I’m Going back to ANDROID??? – See Ya iPhone!

Well that didn’t last long.

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I got the iPhone this weekend. I was so pumped! I held it in my hand and really could not believe that it was finally here. Then – I started using it…

First, let me say that the phone itself is a real thing of beauty. Really well made and looks fantastic. It seems to make great calls, and I did not have any issues with dropped calls at all. If I were just using it as a phone, it would be a great fit, but I have come to rely on my phone for much more than just making calls.

My first real trouble came when I found that there was no ‘real’ google talk app. I had to use Fring. I remember Fring from my Windows Mobile days, and while it would get the job done, it was not as nice or reliable as Google Talk. This was a little annoying, but I could live with it.

Second was the missing notification light. After I got my emails all configured, I would find myself always looking over at my phone looking for some kind of indication that I had an email waiting. Again – a little annoying, but I think I could live without this one.

Next – the akward email reading. I don’t know how to explain this one fully. Just the email part of the iPhone does not seem very intuitive. You cannot flag emails while you are looking at the email list and delete. You have to go into each email and hit the trash bin. Just little things like this make it a little weird. I could maybe get used to this.

Google Voice – Not as helpful on the iPhone. I used google voice a ton on my Droid to send SMS messages to people using my Google number. While you can do this with the Google Voice app on the iPhone. You have to go through a contact selection process to find the person you want. On the Droid, you can start typing the name of the contact, and the app brought in the number. This may seem like a little deal, but now things were getting out of hand.

I am finding myself really having to work at this relationship now. I still really want to make this work, but everywhere I turn this beautiful phone is starting to look ugly to me. Then it really hit.

I keep 4 email accounts on my phone, one work related and the others are personal. On my Droid, I had a specific notification tone for each one. I found the iPhone dinging the same for all of my emails. No problem, just go into the settings and configure correctly. Nope. Not a chance. Can’t find a setting like this anywhere. Well off to google I go. I found out that If I wanted to do this, I would have to get an app for that. OK I thought, I can live with that. When I went to the app store, I found that app – for $5 dollars! At that moment, I knew that this relationship was over. I didn’t have to look much further, I was done.  I was already finding tons of apps that used to be free on my Droid, now costing me a few dollars to have the same type of experience on my iPhone.  Not to mention stuff that was BUILT IN to Android will cost me $5 to use on what is supposed to be the best phone out there?

I just couldn’t take it any more.  It’s time to say goodbye to the iPhone.  I must say that I am really impressed with how far the Droid has come in it’s time.  It is an ever evolving OS that has so many neat things inside, I guess the old saying is true: You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone.   So now I am researching Droids on Ebay.  It was fun while it lasted.  I guess it is a rite of passage, I needed this.   I needed to know.  Now I am a better man for it.

If you are thinking about making the switch from Droid to iPhone even after this, drop me a line. We may be able to work something out!

I’m switching from DROID to iPhone!

It’s been about 2 years since I bought my first smart phone.  It has been an interesting trip so far, and it’s about to get alot more interesting.

I am one of those guys who live in rural America who was glued to the computer screen when Steve Jobs made his iPhone speech.  I can still remember watching him do all these cool things on that phone.  He could pull up maps, touch an address, GPS, call with a touch of his finger, man o man – that thing was cool.  I was amazed, not really by the features – because I h

ave used a Windows smartphone before, and most of those things could be done on one of those.  I was amazed at how SMOOTH that phone was.  The coolness factor.  I was hooked, i needed to get one.  I wanted one so bad that I was ready to jump ship from Verizon to At&t.

My real disappointment came when I pulled up AT&T’s coverage map.   No way, not even close.  I wouldn’t be able to even talk on the iPhone let alone use it for any kind of surfing.  My options were gone, and so were the hopes of getting an iPhone.  That exclusivity deal Apple made with At&t would ensure that it would be years before I could get my hands on a Verizon iPhone.

Well it’s been years, and many smartphones!  From Blackberry Storms, HTC Touch Pros, Samsung Omnias, Motorola DRIODS, DROID2, and DROID x!  It’s now time to finally get my iPhone!

Unfortunately I am not as happy as I once would be.   When the iPhone finally hit Verizon, I did not feel the same `I need you now` type of feeling.  Let me explain.  The DROID phones have really filled a big gap in my smartphone life.  I was a DROID1 fanatic, loved the phone – it did so many neat things, and synced with my Gmail stuff perfectly.  I could put an Contact in my Gmail Contacts and in no time they would be on my DROID.  The only reason I upgraded to a DROID x is because I dropped my DROID1 on Interstate 35W in MPLS off my Motorcycle.  Otherwise I probably would still have that phone.

Now my DROID x has a cool car holder, with a bunch of cool apps that I can use while I travel.  I bought all other kinds of apps that work well with my hobbies like Remote Desktop, SSH, measuring GPS apps, Running GPS apps that keep track of my run times, and the list goes on.  I have become pretty attached to my phone, and am a little sad to see it go.

With all that said I can’t help but think what it would be like if i didn’t give the Verizon iPhone a try.  So i’m going to take the plunge.  I think it will be a fun ride, and I am really excited.  I just hope it lives up to the hype in my head.

How about you?  Are you taking the plunge?

 

P.S. Don’t worry,  I will keep up on the DVD to DROID.  I know lots of you out there really like it.  I’m glad, that’s why I made it!

Wired headset for Mitel or Business VOIP Phone

Recently I have been working with a Mitel 5330 IP phone.  These phones have a port on the back for a headset.

I had an old plantronics headset laying around (not the amp, just the headset) and I hoped that by plugging it into the back, it would work for this phone.  After all, one of the main features of this phone was the Headset-readiness.

That old Plantronics headset did not work.  So I benched the idea for a while until I ran across a product on Amazon called the T100 Headset.  This headset said it would work for VOIP Headset ready phones, so I gave it a try.

It seems to work pretty well.  The sound is not as `full` as those with the amplifiers, but for $19.95 it was a great purchase.  (Those amplifier types start at around $80)

Check it out from Amazon below.

[amazonify]B000Y99R4W[/amazonify]