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
No comments:
Post a Comment