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