choose the iPhone. I recently made a visit to a Verizon store at a
mall in Fairfax, VA and took a close look at the Droid. The hardware
qwerty was simply unimpressive and felt like a stone slab against my
fingers. To add insult to injury, the soft qwerty was no better than
the membrane keypad and I was done with the Droid within minutes. I
attempted to allow my fingers to do speed typing, but this was not to
be without the accuracy I was accustomed to on the iPhone. In that
moment, the possible benefits of getting the Nexus One seemed to not
be worthwhile anymore. The more I think about the iPhone, the better
it seems to appear as a most useful device for ultimate portability
and usage. There is certainly a yearning for the smooth performance of
the OS that runs on the Jesus phone, and I cannot help it. No advanced
hardware feature on a competing device can begin to downplay the
importance of a great interface, and this is why the E72 and
BlackBerry 9700 may not be considered.
The Nokia E72 and BlackBerry 9700 exhibit the perfect form factor for
me, a qwerty bar, but they both suffer from lackluster OS. I will not
dispute the possibility of there being a good OS on a non-touch model,
but these two just happen to fall behind in their own way. While the
E72 qwerty is sufficient for daily typing at adequate speed with
reliable auto-correction, Symbian 3rd edition feels ancient and in
need of an overhaul even with feature pack 2. Navigating its familiar
menu layouts and cartoonish icons feels juvenile at times, but I can
appreciate certain pros from multimedia support, PIM data management,
function shortcuts, and third party apps. If anything, the E72 could
indeed be a backup to the iPhone. Yes, the BlackBerry 9700 did get my
attention when I played with a friend's unit at a lunch meeting. It
has dimensions similar to that of the E72, but seems to display better
build quality. Unfortunately, as the E72 suffers from an antiquated
OS, the 9700 suffers from an antiquated OS with hardly ANY depth. Once
I pass the obvious facelift of the homescreen, I am greeted by the
typical black text on white background and I am bored to tears. As
nice as RIM's products look on the outside, they have no trouble
losing my interest with what's on the inside.
Using the N900 has really revealed to me just how important ease of
usability really is for me. At the end of the day, it is too much of a
complex Intenet tablet devoid of characteristics that make smartphones
good mobile companions when on-the-go. I miss being able to pocket my
device and not have to worry about extra steps to do simple tasks like
update social networks or correspond with contacts via phone. I miss
being able to rely on Google Maps due to N900's incompatibility and my
refusal to settle for Ovi Maps. I miss being able to access so many
convenient uses from third party apps to make my life that much
easier. There is a reason why the iPhone is such a popular phone: ease
of use. One basically unboxes the iPhone, connects to iTunes, and is
up and running with practically no trouble. I miss this "painless"
aspect of the iPhone along with its captivating OS. This change of
preference back to a one bar form factor with no moving parts sadly
exlcludes even the Touch Pro 2 models. Those amazing qwerty keypad
layouts still remain the best in the industry for hardware standards,
but I guess I am just tired of sliding stuff open all the time! No
longer am I interested in taking pictures or watching flash videos, I
simply want a convenient phone that can do its job with minimal worry
from me. As much as I do like the thought of an E72 as a candidate
with Missing Sync, the iPhone takes the top consideration. On March
2nd, I am due to turn 29, so I am wondering if that has anything to do
with this want for more simplicity and efficiency in my phone usage.
Another factor that I am keeping in mind is the unpopular nature of
TMobile's 3G network. VERY few devices are currently available to
cater to the 1700 MHz band while AT&T has so many more possibilities
with its 3G bands. Paying less money for unlimited services only to be
left in the dark from using other compatible 3G models is not in my
best interest anymore. I am SO glad that I have no contract with
TMobile at this point, SOOO glad! It could be anytime in this coming
week that I decide to return to AT&T for the iPhone 3GS and call it a
day. The search for the perfect phone will continue on as more units
are introduced from manufacturers in the future, and I may be going
nuts for something else. For right now, I just want my phone to be
simpler than what the N900 can offer...and I would even entertain the
thought of trading with WomWorld for a Nokia E72.
Trent Smith
Sent from my iPod Touch 64GB
*************************************
TRENT SENSE blogger/netcast host
trentsense.com
YouTube.com/absolon3
12 comments:
Hi!
I read your blog regularly, but I must say, that I don't understand you anymore. It's cool that you switch between phones so often, but what I can't understand is you change your mind so often. For example: two posts back you were just saying how much you love your N900, and being constantly online and connected with friends and how much it means to you to have a quality camera for photos and video recording... Then couple of days later you write just opposite of that. So it's hard for me to take you seriously anymore and depend my next phone purchase depending on your review.
Got to agree. The last few posts have seen so much flip-flopping I'm glad I'm not the shop that has to try and re-sell you open box returns/ After all the trials with you reviewing some of the lesser mainstream devices (e.g 9502), we now see you bigging up the iPhone?
The smartpone world has so much to offer above and beyond Jobs' world, if you are to just fold and join the masses, there's little point coming here to look for the independant view anymore.
BTW - I know it falls down slightly on hardware quality, but if ease of use is what you are after, have you tried the Pre Plus / Pixi Plus? WebOS really is a breath of fresh air.
I apologize if you all feel that my opinion is no longer valid, but this blog is only written for the purpose of sharing it. We are all human beings that are justified to change our minds depending on factors that arise in daily occurrences. Preferring a smartphone brand can never be a black and white situation for everyone. While some may stay with a model for years with no problem, others can change with the weather outside in adopting countless devices.
My blog is never meant to sway anyone into buying a specific product, it is only meant to share my own thoughts at particular points in time. It is never my intention to anger anyone or come across as a fanboy, so I am sorry if my words give that impression. Perception plays a huge part in this, and I do understand how I come across as a flip-flopper. The N900 is indeed a great device in some ways, but there are some compromises that I have come to not accept anymore. This can be attributed to either out-growing a device or simply giving in to impulse for something new. For the longest time I have always considered iPhone to have the best OS and usability in spite of its setbacks. Fortunately, those setbacks are not a deterrent anymore since I have become more lenient in my wants for efficiency. It is a misfortune that the N900's setbacks have not been so easy for me to overlook, but such is life. Either way, I shall continue to write about these experiences nonetheless.
Actually, in the past day I have decided to hold off on moving to the iPhone and give Android a fair chance with the Nexus One. I am eager to see what this OS has to offer in terms of usability and desired features. Yes, there is a chance that Android may not work out and I end up going to the iPhone or vice versa. The uncertainty of this is what makes mobile devices so exciting to me, and can probably explain why I get bored so easily.
In the midst of all this gadgetry, my hands can be tied by outside factors involving network subscriptions and plan costs. My current usage of GSM service prevents me from using certain interfaces like the WebOS. If there is ever a GSM device that improves on what the Palm Pre has to offer, I would gladly give it a try. Until then, I can only work with what I've got as an end-user.
I shall continue to post my opinions via this blog for the sake of sharing with those who care to read them. Never have I advertised myself as an expert in the mobile industry, for I am simply a consumer. As you all know from buying trends in numerous markets, consumers can indeed be fickle...very fickle. Even though this can be attributed to me in every sense of the word, there is never a decision that I make that is without good reason from my own perspective. Any justification that I have for making any purchasing decision is always explained to the best of my ability on this blog, and I never expect people to take it with anything more than a grain of salt. Whether you all continue to read my words or otherwise, I am grateful for your support!
Good luck in whatever future device you may happen to end up with. Take care.
I stand by Trend.... and in reality, I am also faced with same situations, day by day, on choices.... he is not doing recommendations to anyone but showing us a live human face into situations in regards to technology and his views......but always with a very nice human touch!
I really enjoy the debate, the change of views and etc!
Cheers
Leonardo
I agree with Leonardo, who said that your reviews always have I human touch and I am sorry if I offended you in any way, that was not my intetion. I like your blog I read it regularly, I follow you on twitter and I am also subscribed to your youtube channel. And I have every intention to do that in future.
I did not want you to take my criticism in negative way.
Wish you all good!
Well! And that is it! :-) I know Trent for quite 2 or 3 years now.. never in person (yet) but the most exciting thing about him is exactly his change of mind, all the time! :-) Can you imagine how boring he would be, like, having his iPhone since 2007 and that is it ???
In the meantime, I got two of his old devices (the Nokia N95 for a friend and the Nokia N810 that is with me right now.......)
So, Marko, yes, I understand you, it is "frustrating" when we see him moving forward all the way and than, in the LAST second, a change of course! But you know what ? THAT IS TRENT and I LOVE this guy! :-)
Cheers to all!!
Leonardo
OK maybe I was a bit harsh. I just thought this was one of the few blogs which were immune to all the iPhone comparisons you get everywhere else!
Surprised though at the comments on extra steps on the N900 to do simple tasks like update social networks or correspond with contacts via phone. I have an N900 and those activities are some of it's most powerful features! OK you have to do some tweaking by adding a few applets from the repository (e.g. Friend Status to see which of your contacts are online, and Hermes to merge contacts selectively from different sources), but once done, it's a doddle to update status on all your accounts with one click, or click a contact and see instantly the best way to contact them. OK you have to put a bit of work into it to set it up, but at least then I can do it entirely to my liking. Problem with iPhone (and to some extent Android) is that if you do not like the way it does things, you're stuck with it - which is why I got bored of both. The N900 has enough tweaking ability to keep me interested, despite the lack of apps - but hopefully that will improve,, and there isn't much the applets other phones can do that you can't do via the browser on the tablet (that's really the whole point).
My comment was not meant for any of the phones. I was a real Nokia fan, but since I gor my first Android phone I must say I really like it, especially because it works so good with google services like gmail, gtalk,...
I just think that if you critices/give opinion about something publicly you should stand by that.
I have simply come to a point where I may not want to tweak my device to my liking to same extent as other gadget owners. In addition to missing typical smartphone portrait orientation with the N900, there was also a yearning for office apps and Mac syncing. The allure of having an Internet tablet machine was great at first, but I have found that it is not conducive to my personal usage. The N900 simply is not in my best interest anymore, and I am planning to give a try with Android on the Nexus One. I will stand by the decision to move on if Android doesn't work out for me whether it is with the iPhone or something else.
As far as expressing opinions on the Internet or any other public forum, people have the right to change these depending on unfolding circumstances. A preference for a phone OS can vary and is potentially malleable over a period of time. Needs change, wants change, opinions change, people change...this is a fact of life.
Well, I'm considering myself as kind of a tech freak, but - to me - the iPhone is one of the least attractive devices.
Note: The following is MY opinion, based on my (really short) iPhone experience.
Apart from the hardware specs (read: CPU, touch experience) it's mediocre at best. Sure, the software is fast (unsurprisingly, since it doesn't multitask), you get a lot of apps (and a whole lot more of really useless BS apps), and... well... that's it. No more advantages, at least not for me.
The other thing that really pushes me away from apple is their business attitude. Everyone takes Microsoft as THE big bad restrictive company, but - to me - apple is much worse.
Hats off to their marketing departement, no other company could even exist on the free market with such a product (at this price).
You guys missed, I guess, when he moved from Mac to Windows just to move back to Mac again!!! ( he moved from his MacBook Pro into a nice Sony Vaio)I have to say, as a Mac guy, that was scary!! So much fun, so many nice memories!!!!! Trent is Trent!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FRIEND!!!!!
With many and many devices!!!!!! N
Leo
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