Motorola Milestone impressions

Upon first boot of the phone that was manufactured in Brazil, Spanish appeared onscreen to initiate setup. In a touch command on the lower right corner of the screen, I recognized the word "idioma" as "language" and figured "cambiar" meant "to change". All was smooth sailing from that point on with English.

 

HUGE problem: no access to data! I went into Settings and then "Mobile Network Settings", searched for available network operators and selected AT&T. Unfortunately, this did not work and I had to do a Google search. I found out I needed the APN settings to access data on my carrier and found the info on this site:  http://androidforums.com/motorola-milestone/72103-t-apn-settings-milestone.html

Once I entered the information as a new APN and saved it, I was using 3G data on AT&T INSTANTLY!! However, I was unable to send and receive MMS messages. I failed when I tried to fix things by copying the APN settings of the Captivate, but I soon found a solution from the first entry on a forum site:   http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=188d18aef2815939&hl=en

 

Next thing was to try Google Navigation on the phone. I initially ran into trouble when the phone found it impossible to download a speech synthesis component from the Marketplace. After six unsuccessful attempts, I went to Google for help...only to see that the Moto finally got a download at the last minute! To my surprise and ultimate relief, Motonav was nowhere to be seen on the device as a default for turn-by-turn directions. I wondered if the absence of Motonav was a result of my replacing the default 8GB microSD card with my own 16GB, for I remembered reading from an online review that Motonav data was always stored on the stock cards for the device. But things made more sense when I noticed Motonav was nowhere to be found even in the apps drawer, yet Google Navigation was sitting there as if it had never left. I was simply glad to at least adopt this phone AFTER Motorola had possibly come to its senses and got rid of Motonav completely! As I expected, GPS performance with Google Navigation was PERFECT! Not one hangup on signal acquisition or any lagging on route progression. Memories of the Nexus One crept into my mind as I drove with the biggest grin on my face! The third party car dock did its job in securely holding the Milestone to the windshield and allowed access to the microUSB port on the side.

 

Now that I mentioned GPS, RunKeeper was definitely a stellar app on the phone! GPS signal locks occurred practically instantly as soon as I would activate the app outside my door and remained steady for the most part. There was one instance where the tracking route did have a random spike of inaccuracy, but I was still glad to not have a repeat of what I tolerated on the Captivate before it was hacked with Froyo 2.2. EVERY single run had results that were in relative proximity to my Nike+ results on my iPod Touch with a maximum difference of .30 miles, so I was quite pleased! A pleasant surprise was the high-resolution screen displaying a smooth and crisp picture of my path as it was being traced with more accuracy than even the hacked Captivate. I finally had an Android that could stand comparably to the Nexus One with CardioTrainer and the Nokias with Sports Tracker!

 

Taking time to download apps and customize desktop screens (which could go up to NINE) really warmed me up to the Milestone and began to free me from the Captivate. More features I had missed on the Samsung were revealed on the Milestone: physical shutter button, dual LED camera flash and a notification light. Being reunited with the Docs To Go app was simply a breath of fresh air with its revamped interface, and I immediately felt back at home with a zeal to write.

 

Build quality of the phone was very solid in the palm of my hand with no signs of creaking or bending. It had substantial weight and certainly felt its money's worth in overall retail value with a blending of soft touch and metallic textures. I could recall previous online reviews being critical of the blocky form factor, elongated chin, and golden accents, but I actually was not bothered by those elements. It was a pleasant departure for a change to not have a curvy model trying to reproduce the same aerodynamic quality of the Starship Enterprise. The hard lines and sharp corners could understandably give the unit a more tank-like, yet masculine look that was in close resemblance to the Nokia N900. I was mesmerized by the look of the rapid car charger with its futuristic appearance of the Motorola logo etched on a clear plastic disc. I was eager to see if there was a blue glowing effect on that clear surface once it was plugged in to my Honda CRV...a worthy upgrade from the typical green light on the Nokia charger I was already using. On the other hand, the headset was underwhelming with its cheap plastics and foam covered ear buds, not to mention the blocky mic/call button looking like a Starburst candy caught on the cord. I could only hope that my newly purchased Sony in-ear headphones (DR-EX300) with volume/music controls and microphone would be a suitable replacement (UPDATE: Sony model was unsuccessful in being more than just headphones). The slider was entirely manual with no mechanical assist in either direction, and I appreciated its simplicity. I was of the opinion that the latest models had possibly lost touch in trying to do too much in hinge and slider components, making parts potentially more susceptible to malfunction. At first glance a while back to that Droid in the Verizon store, the plastic membrane of the qwerty had turned me off and left a bad impression. In an era where separate buttons with ample feedback demonstrated high-quality, I was shocked that Motorola would go that route for its keyboard design. However, after lowering my expectations in the midst of being desperate for a HW qwerty Android device, I found it to not be too bad for regular typing. Even though the smaller keys being so close together would make thumbnail typing necessary like on the Nokia E71/72, I could make the best of it. In my situation, having a keyboard with stock Android and AT&T 3G access from a maker other than HTC was a great find.  UPDATE: The qwerty was not really as great as I thought it could be for regular writing, especially when one had to rely on his thumbs and not his thumbnails. After nails were clipped, I had to depend on feeling out each key with my thumbs which resulted in increased typos. This probably would not have been an issue if the tops of the keys were at least rounded like the E71/72. Alas, the nightmare side of the flat membrane qwerty had reared its ugly head.

 

Media Gallery app was interesting with its CoverFlow-like execution, but I preferred the simple and more intuitive appearance of the familiar Gallery app with its floating thumbnails. The former's presentation over a default black background seemed too antiquated and dull in comparison to the graphically-superior alternative I was introduced to on the Nexus One. For the music player, it was back to the same default format for Android in the absence of TouchWiz. There was a CoverFlow display for navigating albums or artists in landscape mode, but I was not entirely impressed after having been spoiled by the Captivate UI for so long. Overall movement sometimes felt clunky along with album art looking muted (possibly due to lesser CPU and TFT screen). Nothing else really stood out about the player besides a lack of EQ settings, but there was a separate Audio Settings app on the phone. While watching an occasional YouTube video was not bad on the smaller TFT screen, full-length movies left a bit to be desired. There was an absence of vivid coloration that made the SuperAMOLED so great for Samsung, which turned out to be a weakness for the Milestone. Seeing anything over the average length of a YouTube video was a challenge.

 

The BIGGEST scare so far was the backlight dying out after an unexpected restart. I was worried when no sliding of the qwerty or touch of the capacitive keys below the screen could activate the backlight. I scrambled to do a Google search to find out if others had experienced the same situation, but found no reliable data. I turned off the device and powered it back on twice and STILL had no backlight. In desperation, I pulled out the battery with the phone still on and found that to be the grand solution.

 

As for voice calls, I was told by a friend that my vocal volume seemed lower and lacked crispness on the Milestone in comparison to the Captivate. During another call, an echoing problem started in the middle of the conversation and persisted until the end. This left a bad impression for a friend/iPhone owner who took the opportunity to gloat a little bit...that's what friends are for, I guess. Honestly, I did get a sense of better sound quality on the Samsung.

 

Speaking of sound quality, the stereo loudspeaker was sufficient in providing ample volume support for YouTube videos, games, and multimedia content. Although it did not have the same vivid feedback I recalled from N900 and E90, it was still appreciated nonetheless.

 

Not being able to hot swap microSD cards was not an issue for me since I hardly remove them once they are installed. I was satisfied as long as I continued to have access to it on my Mac via a USB connection. However, for anyone else, it could most certainly be an inconvenience to have to remove the battery let alone open the battery door at all.

 

The 5 megapixel autofocus camera was an expected downgrade, yet it granted use of a physical shutter button and dual LED flash. Resulting images appeared grainy in low-light settings even when the flash was used, so retakes were often a must. I figured the D1 video resolution was no different than the Nexus One, so I did not take the time to shoot any video. With this being an older device, I was sure there was another online review that included a sample video clip. The interface was intuitive and just about comparable to the Captivate.

 

Signal reception was no different than any other phone I've used on AT&T, which could be good or bad depending on dead zones.

 

Battery life was on par with the hacked Captivate for at least a full day of average use. Extensive voice calls, web surfing, media, and wifi did cause considerable drain toward the mid-afternoon. Overall, there was really no worry on my part since I tended to have the device connected either on my desk or in the car.

 

The car dock was indeed impressive in its own right since it was custom made for the Milestone, but it lacked the polish and high-end feel of  what I could recall for the Nexus One. There was no integrated bluetooth speaker with tactile volume controls or a hidden mount port for the charging cable. Accompanying the Motorola was an empty plastic cradle with inner magnets to automatically affect the phone's screen orientation. Aside from the efficient one-button removal of the device from the dock, there was not anything else to be excited about...if there was anything at all. Despite its low-tech presentation, it at least provided free access to audio and charging ports. One could even slide open the hardware keyboard in landscape mode, but I found the virtual qwerty to be more natural and convenient on driving trips. In all truth, there was really no redeeming quality of the dock to warrant its superiority over a third party model. Spending even $15 for an outdated accessory on Amazon.com seemed like a waste in that regard. When it was apparent that Motorola lacked HTC's refinement in manufacturing custom items for its Android product, I returned the car dock and cancelled an order for the desktop dock.

 

Overall, the Motorola could not replace my Captivate as much as I would have liked it to. The hardware keyboard was great to have, until cutting my nails forced me to learn the hard way about the flattened keys of the membrane layout. The same reason that turned me off to the American Droid in the Verizon store a while back had come back to haunt me, and there was no denying it. At that moment, what I wanted in an Android phone was only a dream that had yet to come to fruition...if it ever did in my lifetime. Not only did I learn how much I adored my Captivate's hardware specs, but also how the Milestone was the worst way in which I could settle for a mobile device. Holding on to a tactile keyboard that was not even satisfactory was much worse than carrying multiple bluetooth items with my Captivate. No matter how much portability was granted by the qwerty slider, it did not measure up and needed to go.

--
Trentonn Smith, Blogger/Netcast host
Sent from my MacBook
trentsense.com
trentsensevideo.com

Milestone Move

I made the decision to sell my Captivate to offset the cost of the Milestone review unit I kept for myself. It did not take much time to come to this conclusion after considering the alternatives to await a HW qwerty Android device. Having more patience for an unlocked Desire Z did not seem worth it, especially after I was underwhelmed by a friend's TMobile G2. Hoping for a 1GHz Android slider powerhouse with a 4inch display seemed more unlikely as time continued on, and my want for a keyboard only got stronger. At the end of the day, it was a matter of seizing the moment with the Milestone to be free from settling for something that was not right for me.

I finally found myself with a device that could grant me a pure Android OS experience without the potential complications and quirks of an interface overlay, and it would have been idiotic to pass it up. A part of me did believe there was increasing confusion in the Android industry for the average consumer. Fragmentation from different devices supporting either older or newer versions of Google's OS was made worse with companies wanting to create their own UI skins. It was as if everyone wanted to become Pharaoh and build the highest pyramid to attract more followers instead of working to support a more centralized and clean OS standard. While HTC Sense (and possibly TouchWiz) came out as a crucial benefit to Android for enhanced functionality, there were some atrocious failures that took away from stable efficiency and smooth performance. I believed that waiting for a future device would only expose me to more of this commotion that was unwarranted and quite frustrating. Having specialized widgets, unique touch commands, graphical eye candy, and other perks would not be a problem unless it bogged down the root OS itself...and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 was a perfect example of this. Being able to take a break and go back to the root OS that I first fell in love with on the Nexus One sounded like a great idea, and this Moto model could offer that out of the box with no hacking necessary.

Yes, there were cons to consider in downgrading to a Milestone, but most of those were subjective and probably would not have an effect on my overall usage: a lesser CPU, decreased internal storage, a smaller 3.7inch TFT display, and increased weight/bulk. I honestly had to look at the Captivate, evaluate each feature I favored, and determine how it could surpass the presence of a hardware qwerty and pure Android: faster CPU, 4inch SuperAMOLED screen, TouchWiz UI, 16GB internal capacity + microSD, HD video capture, Froyo hack, and thinner profile. If I wanted to resume spending time listening to a large music library, watching movies, browsing web, and shooting HD footage, I would have been satisfied enough to keep it and hold on to a bluetooth keyboard. Being able to write on-the-go was one thing I missed terribly from past smartphones, and using a separate bluetooth accessory with the Samsung could indeed pose its own headaches. Not having to search for a flat surface on which to sit the phone to type was a primary factor in my preferring an onboard qwerty. Whenever the impulse struck me to write whether I was lying in bed or free standing in wait, I liked the option of an all-in-one word processor in the grip of my hands. All I really wanted was this along with the usual Android functionality minus any UI overlay, and the Milestone could grant me this in addition to AT&T 3G access. I realized the Captivate was not my kind of phone, even with all of its technical prowess in multimedia and web. I ended up working for the phone instead of vice versa because I really had no viable option for high-end Android on AT&T, and I sure as hell was not going with the Backflip. The Milestone did have obvious feature differences from the Galaxy S model, but I could at least get back into doing what I loved most: writing.

The impulse decision to keep the Milestone was made on the second day of my usual two week review stint, and I was certain it was not my being swayed by the honeymoon period. The more time I spent with it introduced me to simple, yet useful features that had been forgotten on the Captivate: LED flash, directional keypad and notification light. LED was understandably not ground-breaking next to Xenon, but it sure did come in handy for low-light settings. The five-way keypad had been seen more as a curse in touch-only devices, but I came to appreciate its help in accurately placing the cursor. It was always inconvenient to keep tapping the screen to get between letters or words for corrections, so I welcomed the Milestone's keypad with open arms. Notification lights had been a main staple in many phones I had reviewed and owned previously, which was why I was surprised the Captivate did not have it. It was of course easier to glance at a device for a blinking light instead of having to pick it up and press the wake button. The time difference may have been minor in comparison, but I was a champion for more efficiency granted from that simple light. A little bit did go a long way in proving the Milestone to be more than the Captivate being a bevy of high-end features for the multimedia crowd. In lieu of such crucial details in addition to other pros, I could not help but come to my decision in such a brief amount of time.  

The Motorola could simply have been a rebound before an inevitable move to a newer model, but I seriously doubted that. Android options on the horizon seemed flooded with models too busy tooting the horns of parent manufacturers with customized UIs. Not to mention the everlasting competition of who could muster the most megapixels, the greatest resolution, the most vivid display, the thinnest profile, and so on (if only having the best HW keyboard could have been included as well). While I would not turn down an option that could offer dream specs with a tactile keyboard, I had simply grown tired of hoping and waiting for that Holy Grail of the smartphone industry. Making the best of a situation with the Captivate with added accessories only took away from simplicity, portability, and efficiency. It was at that moment I knew what was necessary for my own personal needs: a return to the fundamentals of what drew me to hardware qwerty phones as well as stock Android. Actions certainly did speak louder than words, for I was writing this post on the Milestone from my bed at 3AM while the Captivate lay on my desk in the darkness. It was time for a change.

Trent Smith
Sent from my Motorola Milestone
trentsense.com
trentsensevideo.com

Possible End of Touch-Only Chapter

It was no secret that I had been struggling without a hardware keyboard since I adopted Android as my primary phone OS. Aside from a few models which had been mostly compatible with CDMA, the market was flooded with touch-only units that seemed to be in hopes of stealing some iPhone thunder. No matter how hard I prayed for some Android manufacturer to see the light of product diversity to break the touch slab cycle, every prayer went unanswered. One particular moment of defeat was when Sprint acquired the Epic 4G which was then followed by no GSM counterpart. I even considered calling customer support for Samsung to encourage the making of this dream device, but self-doubt emerged and I figured it best to accept things as they were. After all, Samsung would have already released a Galaxy S Pro model if there was a market for one on GSM. I was holding out for  a particular form factor that seemed to be the desire of a niche market. To make matters worse, it appeared that a majority of Android users were pleased with using touch screens for the time being and I was simply making much ado about nothing. Slowly but surely, I had resigned myself to settling for a mobile future without a keyboard after having accepted the Nexus and Captivate as my own.

After some time, I eventually found a solution in portable bluetooth keyboarding with two different models. Both had pros and cons, yet still managed to make my usage experience on the Captivate even more fulfilling. Even if ultimate portability was sacrificed by having to carry one or the other, I felt it was worth it...at that time. Being with portable keyboards was a great element of both efficiency in my mobile routine and showmanship to impressed onlookers, but I still wanted convergence. Worrying about separate components to accompany my phone was an inconvenience that turned out to bother me more than expected. At the end of the day, I still yearned for a slider or a qwerty bar...ANYTHING that could get me back to having tactile buttons on my phone again. After realizing that holding on to features from the Captivate were no longer logical in having to possibly downgrade to a lesser model, I had another realization. My standards for the feedback of tactile keyboards was probably set a bit too high. If I made the effort to ease my judgment of mobile qwerty devices, chances are I could accept either a past, current, or upcoming model and have my wish for at least an onboard hardware keypad if not 100% convergence. This was the first step in getting comfortable with a possibilty of adopting the Motorola Milestone.

Yes, I said it...the Motorola Milestone! The first thought of it some time ago seemed to be an unlikely solution due to my being turned off from the feedback of the keys. However, after returning to past online reviews and reading that this could improve over time, I was suddenly interested. More elements of the Milestone began to make it sound even better: solid, metallic build quality, stock Android OS devoid of MotoBLUR, and hefty weight. One more thing about this device was the result of my reminiscing about the Nexus One: the availability of custom accessories from the parent manufacturer. Despite its lack of a keyboard, the Nexus really impressed me in having custom built docks for both the car and desktop. It simply felt more like a well-rounded product with ample OEM support versus having to rely on third party alternatives. A part of me missed that more than I expected when I had sold my Nexus One and its accompanying docks.

I suddenly found myself having lost just about all faith in the bluetooth keyboard solution I had accepted for the Captivate...and then the Captivate itself. The loss of greater portability was easy to take into account, but there was another issue I found very hard to admit to myself due to pride. The Froyo hack I had implemented via the Odin program was not exactly perfect for interface performance. In order to continue taking advantage of benefits granted by 2.2, I ignored the lag of switching homescreens, occassional lack of touch response, and seldom failed uploads of RunKeeper results to the web. Other cons invloved the folowing: a constant lag in boot animation when powering on the phone; loss of support for voice calls via the mic when connected to the car stereo via aux input; Memo app no longer placing the most recent notes at the top of the main listing; call log showing SMS history in addition to calls which led to a huge mess (lists could be specified to certain types of calls, but never ALL calls without SMS); a wierd quirk where one had to wait 30 seconds after turning off for a vibrate to occur before being able to power on again. In acknowledgment other  problems noticed since the hack, I had to accept the bluetooth keyboards as temporary fixes for an ongoing problem. To make matters worse, I had to also realize the Captivate's failure in satisfying my wish for a convergence device.

It looked like a Milestone review was due to happen in my future, but would it be enough to inspire me to sell my Captivate? If so, there was a  possibility this blogpost could end up being the last work written on my Samsung with a bluetooth qwerty. Only time would tell. I most certainly understood how crazy it would be to go from declaring contentment one minute and then unfulfillment the next, but the attempt to replace a HW qwerty by other means was done in vain. It was most likely that the touch-only phone chapter was destined to come to a close for me. 

TRENT SMITH
Sent from my Samsung Captivate
www.trentsense.com
www.trentsensevideo.com

Captivate Contentment

Spending so much time with the touch-only form factor since Nexus One had been tempered by my initial Android honeymoon period. I finally found an OS capable of standing toe-to-toe with iPhone and Windows Mobile in terms of touch feedback, music support, and PIM data efficiency. Just when it seemed it could not get any better, there were additional touches on the UI to help Google's alternative stand apart from the competition. With practically ALL of my online presence being solely dominated by Google, my Android allegiance was basically set from day one.

The time with my Captivate had been amazing, especially with the addition of a pocket qwerty and a capable word document editor, but my contentment sometimes waned. Yes, it was amazing to have a 4inch SuperAMOLED screen along with an impressive TouchWiz UI helped along with Launcher Pro; it was great to have 16GB of internal storage for additional media; it was fantastic to have HD video recording capability; it was a godsend to have a Froyo hack ushered in with an unexpected GPS fix! In a number of ways the Captivate had been built into my dream mobile device with its own charm, and I was still yearning for an all-in-one qwerty slider solution. What in the world was wrong with me? One would think after the GSM market was overtaken by Android touch slabs that I would get a clue and simply move on, but I chose not to do so. Even after the release of the CDMA Epic 4G had left me feeling like a fool in expecting Samsung to create an unlocked GSM version, I was STILL holding on to my built-in hardware qwerty fantasy. I had been living with a most accomodating phone since it was hacked with 2.2, and I could not ask for anything more. Was I being selfish? Was I being an idiot? No matter how many times I could justify my perspective, a resounding "YES" always lingered in the logical area of my brain.

Recently, I had gone so far as to even consider trying out models that I knew 100% could never satisfy me like Android/TouchWiz on the Captivate: Nokia E7 and Motorola Milestone (with AT&T 3G). In hopes that the grass would somehow be greener on these other sides, there were still cons to contend with in addition to apparent pros. The E7 would have been the ultimate Nokia comeback for me since I had fallen for the E71 and E90 in years past. A hardware qwerty slider with an aluminum build reminiscent of MacBook Pro seemed like a worthwhile prospect. The presence of a 4inch capacitive touch screen with ClearBlack technology and a renewed version of Symbian could have been icing on the cake. However, fears of going without a microSD card slot and tolerating a potential repeat of 5th edition shenanigans could not be ignored. Not to mention hearing about the camera having fixed focus. Consideration of the Milestone occurred on a whim and actually caught me by surprise. A past visit to a Verizon store to see the CDMA Droid in person left a bad impression from its qwerty lacking adequate feedback. I was not taken by the stock Android OS at that time, but it was proir to my inevitable adoption of it on the Nexus One. There was no doubt that its specs were behind the Nexus and my Captivate, but tolerating a lengthy hardware qwerty withdrawal brought me to the brink of desperation. A part of me reasoned it could be a winner as long as it ran stock Android and could be hacked for further customizations. Going back to a smaller screen and a lack of 16GB internal storage would be a shock at first, but I had no doubt that I could manage (especially if a 32GB card could be supported). Losing TouchWiz features could also pose a potential challenge in using the Milestone, but a little bit of time in usage may have been enough to ease that matter. While taking on a qwerty that felt like a stone slab seemed like asking for trouble, I did hear from online reviews that it could get better with time. A huge risk was losing Google Navigation altogether, but a Google search verified that a hack was possible. I had to admit being slightly interested in the metallic build quality of the Milestone and its hefty girth as a mobile device. Despite my initial excitement for the phone, there was hesitation from taking on a lesser CPU and a camera that could not shoot HD footage. Overall, the usage experience may have been tolerable since it was still running a stock OS devoid of any manufacturer UI mutilation (like MotoBLUR). My yearning for a hardware qwerty enabled device was getting out of hand to where I was even willing to settle for unfulfilling alternatives. Feeling cheated by Samsung's decision to not release an unlocked GSM version of the Epic 4G and growing more tired of the touch-only domination in the mobile market, I had lost sight of the answer being in front of my face the entire time. 

In all honesty, the Captivate was a compelling mix of specs that kept me captivated to a certain extent...even without a hardware keyboard! While I did go through growing pains in the beginning with malfunctioning GPS, I was eventually won over by the combination of TouchWiz features and Launcher Pro customizations. The 16GB capacity, large SuperAMOLED screen and inevitable Froyo hack did more to solidify my fondness of the Galaxy S unit. Upon acquiring a portable bluetooth keyboard, I was then convinced that I could indeed remain with the phone just as I had done with the E71 and Nexus One. All was right with the Captivate only after I was forced to stay with it and make it so. The fact that I was still looking to jump ship for another model suddenly seemed mindless, for I most certainly knew better from past experience. There would be NO such thing as a perfect smartphone unless one could build it from alternative methods such as hacking or pairing with separate components. My achievement of gaining a gadget that could work for me to my liking was undoubtedly the result of a Frankenstein-like undertaking. I could not help but think of Hillary Clinton's famous quote "It takes a village to raise a child." While it could not be applied to my situation in a superficial sense, its deeper meaning was absolutely appropriate. Finding contentment did not come directly from the device, but from the sum of its parts whether onboard or separate.

It was at that moment I would be hit with the realization that what I had with the Captivate was all I really needed AND all I ever wanted. If I really wanted to be picky and point out a con in what I was working with, it would have been the lack of spell check in the OfficeSuite application. Aside from that, I could get no closer to perfection unless I designed and manufactured my own phone from scratch. Operating with a hacked OS of course came with its own risks, and I could never claim a spotless usage experience. However, any of these that happened to arise still failed to be serious enough to warrant a deal breaker. I was finally back to writing more often with tactile buttons and relying on capable GPS with tracking and navigating apps, and I did not want to let that go. In the fullest of confidence for the first time in a long while after writing this specific blogpost, I could look at my Captivate and genuinely say that I could not have it any better. While I did not usually come quick to recommend hacking to anyone lacking experience and even avoided it for a while, it ended up being the best thing I could ever do for my Samsung. I was no longer dependent on a carrier or manufacturer to grant me a perfect phone, I simply had to make it happen for myself. I would be lying to state not being tempted by upcoming models in the industry, but the more important lesson was to be thankful for what I already had...not be overly hopeful for what I wished I had.

TRENT SMITH
Sent from my Samsung Captivate
www.trentsense.com
www.trentsensevideo.com

Freedom Pro bluetooth keyboard impressions

This was the first word document being written via the Freedom Pro bluetooth keyboard, and it was certainly a different experience from the unbranded pocket version purchased from Dealextreme.com. I suddenly felt as if I was home with my Logitech keyboard from Freedom Pro's more expansive layout of keys which also had the same tactile feedback. No clicking sounds were to be heard from the pressing of each button, just the quieter spring action expected from laptop and desktop variants. I was the luckiest mobile enthusiast in the world to actually feel like I was typing on my desktop setup at home! Not to be overly picky, but typing on a clicky mobile qwerty whether it was from a smartphone or a pocket keyboard would always pale in comparison to a full keyboard solution. Not having to rely on a "Fn" key for the inclusion of alternate characters and sometimes numbers was really a breath of fresh air with this fold-out gadget.

Build quality was acceptable with plastics that felt more solid than the toy-like pocket counterpart I had purchased previously. The inner portion with the keys was of matte black while the outer skin was glossy and extremely prone to fingerprints and smudges. The locking mechanism appeared to be secure when the keyboard was closed, and there was no creaking or bending in the body frame.

Just like with any gadget, the Freedom Pro had its own fair share of cons along with the obvious pros. First thing I noticed from the unboxing was a PRINTED user manual instead of the useless mini software disc that contained an electronic copy. Looking back on that situation, the mini disc would not have been useless if it was readable to begin with on a family member's PC. Getting back on topic, there was a cheat sheet of shortcut keys for four different operating systems, but Android was not one of them. The included AAA batteries were nice, but did not seem as convenient as the rechargeable alternative on the pocket keyboard. I guess it could have been seen as a positive to not keep me enslaved to a power outlet, and there were always worse things to be subjected to. Just like on the pocket qwerty, constant captilalization was not activated by the "Caps Lock" key, but by pressing the "Shift" key twice. As a result, I came to the conclusion that the "Caps Lock" issue was due to Android and not the hardware itself. A huge inconvenience emerged from the pairing feature being a button that could only be accessed through a pinhole. If one did not have a mechanical pencil or a paper clip handy, he was most certainly out of luck in this regard. While music controls with the "Fn" key did not work, the volume controls did. After a few minutes of experimenting, using "Fn" with "Home" brought me back to the desktop homescreen while "End" simply put the display to sleep. At that point, I figured that taking time to read the manual to setup further key customizations would provide additional help. The "Ctrl" key was just as useless on the Freedom Pro as the unbranded pocket model, so it looked like I had to continue relying on the interface menu for copying, pasting, and saving. To the left margin, there was a column of hot keys for various functions like email, contacts, tasks, calendar, call, and end...and they had yet to be programmed (if they worked with Android at all). As to be expected, there was much more bulk to be had with the Freedom Pro model and its folding form factor. Even in closed mode and placed in its storage pouch, it was definitely not as appealing as the other model that could fit with my Captivate in my pants pocket. Another downside I noticed was it being more prone to character duplications...it was quite often that one pressing of a letter would produce up to 10 entries in a row onscreen.

Overall, the Freedom Pro keyboard did have its good points, but unfortunately did not win me over. It was just too darn big for everyday portability! While its wider layout could surely benefit a more business-oriented consumer, I was not really in dire need of a mobile version of my desktop keyboard. I realized I was a bigger fan of the smaller qwerty due to its smartphone resemblance with clicky feedback and smaller/slimmer dimensions. I thought I would be able to overlook having to carry a separate gadget in my hand or a backpack, but being able to carry things efficiently remained a paramount concern. As much as I did understand that all devices could go through malfunctions, the Freedom Pro did not have a good track record like the other. I also had to be honest and claim my disdain for having to deal with external AAA batteries instead of a simple microUSB port for charging power. While having a plethora of shortcut keys for special functions seemed like a great idea, it probably would have ended up being overkill for me. I liked the simplicity of the unbranded unit that simply existed as a mobile qwerty with some shortcut keys. If one intended to stay in touch with a mobile office experience closely related to a full desk keyboard, Freedom Pro was certainly worth looking at. As a result of the honeymoon period being cut short, I actually moved back to the smaller qwerty to complete this blogpost. Even though it failed to keep my attention for the long run, it was a worthwhile experience while it lasted.

TRENT SMITH
Sent from my Samsung Captivate
www.trentsense.com
www.trentsensevideo.com

Here is a purchasing link if anyone is interested.

Portable Bluetooth Qwerty

This was actually my first time writing from a bluetooth keypad to my Captivate and it felt liberating in its own way! After so long of agonizing over not having tactile buttons to type on, I finally had them at last from an unassuming source. Dealextreme.com put my suspicions on high alert when I first noticed the plethora of phony devices manufactured to mimic genuine models from the likes of Nokia, RIM, and Apple. Before I got the impulse to close the tab on the Firefox window, I did a search for bluetooth keyboards and came across an interesting find. Amidst a few models that seemed too bulky with built-in trackpads, there were two that looked absolutely perfect in size with a five row layout. Appearing to have the measurements of a credit card, one was silver and the other was black. A part of me still felt cautious about purchasing items from an unfamiliar site, but this was my only chance to take advantage of the opportunity. For 25 dollars, it was worth the risk.

Once the package arrived from Hong Kong, I admittedly was not impressed with its frugal appearance. If one was looking for the refinement of a Nokia, HTC, or Apple accessory, this was certainly not the one. My unboxing revealed three items: the keyboard, a USB cable, and a mini software CD. The qwerty was made entirely of plastic (which was to be expected for 25 dollars), and there was no sense of refinement to it whatsoever. No solid soft-touch surface reminiscent of Treo Pro nor any solid build resembling the N900. The unit was EXTREMELY light and felt like a second-hand toy from a local thrift store, and the phone snob from within had turned up its nose in disgust.

I dreaded having to find a way to get drivers installed on my Captivate since my MacBook did not have a sliding drawer in its slot to accommodate the disc. To make matters worse, there was no physical user manual since it was included on the disc that I still had no access to. Upon reading a forum Q&A from previous buyers on the product site at Dealextreme.com, I found a link to where the drivers could be downloaded. At that moment, I remembered the PC-only Android side loader app provided by a friend of mine and jumped to a PC in the house. After lengthy moments of fiddling with the sideloader app and then the BlueInput app downloaded from Android Marketplace to no avail, I was back at square one. Even upon realizing the house PC had a drawer slot to accept the mini CD, it was unable to read it. Contacting tech support for the site was an option, but after reading the forums I did not get the impression it would do any good. Being able to pair the keyboard to the Captivate but not have it connect was the worst kind of tease imaginable. I thought for sure I would have to request a return of the failed product and simply not mention it in my blog or YouTube channel, but something else happened.

The hack for Froyo 2.2 I performed on the Captivate was a godsend, for it immediately granted more efficient support for the keypad. Upon pairing the device with the phone and initiating a connection, I was taken aback to see a pop-up asking if I wanted to use a specific passcode! I was instantly thrilled beyond measure to finally have the two mobile units connected via bluetooth! Once a pop-up for bluetooth authorization appeared to have me grant automatic connectivity, I was set. All at once, the struggle I was forced to endure in going without a hardware qwerty had been obliterated! This was the start of a new era with my Captivate, and at that point my respect for it had grown beyond bounds. As impossible as I previously thought it would be, I was a step closer to being 100% content with my Samsung smartphone after it gained this new wireless companion! The yearning for an unlocked GSM Galaxy S Pro was no longer in full effect, and I was able to remain with the Android I had become comfortable with over time.

Writing with the keypad took some getting used to for the first couple of days, but my speed improved a bit over time. All of the keys worked perfectly in regards to alpha and numerical characters, but there were a number of quirks to get used to. First off, the "Ctrl" key did not function with the "C" and "V" commands for copying and pasting, and the delete key was right next to the space bar. Even though there was a "Caps Lock" key, pressing "Fn" did not enable it since a double tap on the "Shift" key took care of that. On the top row, there were additional "Fn" symbols that had limited to no functionality for brightness, music controls, and volume. There was a also a button with a symbol for what appeared to be the Mac Expose feature to display all open windows at once, but this did not work with "Fn" either. After a while, I just figured those particular features were only enabled for use with my MacBook instead of Android.

Tactile feedback was surprisingly impressive when I considered its cheap, plasticky construction. Each press was met with a most reassuring click that not only felt good but was also noticeable to one's ears. Endless pecking on keys for a lengthy email, blogpost or word document seemed to be potentially irritating with that sound, but it did not bother me at all. Having a full row of number keys was also a welcomed benefit as well.

At long last I had finally reached the ultimate compromise for my touch-only device in taking on prolonged writing! There was no more tolerating virtual qwerty buttons to churn out a number of paragraphs to express my opinion. Not that the TouchWiz software qwerty was that bad, it was just that hardware was that much better! I was pleasantly surprised by what I thought could have been a tech toy fraud, and the old lesson of not judging a book by its cover rang true once again. As long as I owned a touch-only phone, I could see this item being a crucial staple in my daily mobile tech routine.

TRENT SMITH
Sent from my Samsung Captivate
www.trentsense.com
www.trentsensevideo.com

Here is a link to the purchase site.