Right now everything is synced with Microsoft Exchange Server. Knowing how much Apple hates anything Microsoft I don't doubt they will make it harder. I can't imagine Apple killing of Exchange however.

Samsung has their own Android fork. So, Android between Samsung and the other vendors will diverge. I wouldn't put it past the other vendors to do the same.

LG bought HP's WebOS. I can see them putting it on their phones and ditching Android. Probably a strategic move when Google stops asking LG to make their Nexus phones. And why not, as Google bought Motorola Mobility so have their own handset maker. I'm sure the other Android phone makers don't like this one bit. Probably why Samsung forked Android for themselves.

After almost 4 years with a Blackberry I'm trying the I phone 5S.

Everyone I know friends and business associates tell me it's faster and easier. Based on the people who are telling me that i think they maybe right.

The phone is a business tool for me, i'm not a tech sort of guy. I have resisted the change because of habit and not wanting to relearn a new phone.

I do like cameras, so that will be a bonus.

1. you cannot (yet) get a big screen on an iPhone

2. you will soon be able to get a curved screen droid thingie

3. rumor has it the next iPhone will have a big screen

4. iphones cost, more, and are easier to eff with (all the apps work the same due to Apple's nazi-like* control of app developers)

* there, I said it!

I will never buy an iPhone. I have a Samsung Galaxy (straight up, version 1) that I bought in either late '08 or early '09. I have never had a single issue with it. Worked great throughout Iraq/Afghanistan; works everywhere else I've ever taken it. I don't use a case, and have dropped it NUMEROUS times over the years; still works like a charm (and the screen isn't even chipped). It is a durable, reliable device that has stood the test of time.

My wife bought me an iPod Touch several years ago. Used it less than 5 times, and it just stopped working; simply wouldn't turn on. Replaced it with a touchscreen Zune (for a third of the price of the iPod), and it has worked brilliantly for years, and has better sound quality. Daughter has an iPod Touch, she dropped it once and the screen is completely cracked and pieces fell off--i.e. it's junk.

So, yeah, I'll never waste the money on an "i" device of any sort, especially since (in my opinion), they're inferior or equal products for usually twice the price of competitors.

I prefer the windows 8 phone.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1381436271.jpg

The honeymoon with my Nokia 920 is starting to wear off. I think the hardware is top notch and I find the MSFT approach to mobile OS refreshing. A big selling point for this phone was the camera and out of the box I was not disappointed. Crystal clear pictures with great color - even in low light interior shots. A while back I did an over the air SW update and since then pictures are washed out and worthless. I have fiddled with the settings many times with no change. At this point the pictures from my kid's older Galaxy S2 phones blow mine away :( Since the update I have also been having intermittent issues locating a GPS sat with HERE Drive+ (used to be Nokia Drive).

Did you take it back to an apple store? Inside of a year they would have handed you a new one on the spot...

No Apple store in my city; she bought it at Best Buy. We took it back, and they would have given me a new one (didn't really want one since I have little desire to replace junk with junk...), but it was right as the next generation was coming out, so they had nothing in-stock, yet. I was leaving for Germany the next day, so needed music for the plane. Got my money, got the Zune and a new camera for the wife, and lived happily ever after ;)

I don't think there is room for four mobile operating systems in a world where third party apps and games are vital.

iOS , Android , Windows - how many more platforms are app developers going to support? Maybe about as many as support Blackberry? Or maybe fewer, since Blackberry at least has an installed base, and webOS has zero.

For example, suppose Google chooses not to port Maps to webOS, as would be likely.

Back in my day, we didn't need no stinking I-phone.

when I was your age we had to walk up to the synchronous orbit satellites, hundreds of miles in the air, barefoot!
And we were glad to do it!
Now GOML!


PS, I gots one of them state of the art cell phones that folds in half. I'm not kidding, it flips open like a star-trek communicator. beam me up scotty! I got the phone Free and the service costs $10 a month. Righteous bux I know.

Totally rad. It has a build in camera but I don't use it cause I don't have a cord to download anything and it costs me $1.25 to e-mail a picture to myself.
I have friends who send me texts sometimes but it pisses me off cause each text costs me 50 cents, even if I don't read all of it. I think they do it on purpose.
I tried to send a text once but gave up after a while.
It has voice mail and I can change the ring tone to any one of 4 different sounds.

I use it to talk to real people, not androids.

Yeah, I am spoiled after all these years with an iPhone.

Oh you guys...hate the game not the players.

I have almost one or two of everything for business. I choose the iPhone, but I also have a Samsung windows phone, two android tablets, two iPads,Macs, Wintel lwptos, etc. part of my business is doing enterprise mobility management so I can argue all sides of each fence. For my company, choose what you want but it will be managed to protect company content, bring your own Andriod, iPhone, whatever...or I will supply the iPhone.

Here are my (personal) thoughts:
iPhone and iPad (as stated) just work - the biggest advantage when you own the hardware and software. Apple does an excellent job of policing the applications and systems but the other side is the API is restricted. I can do a lot with the apps out there, I get so sick of people saying it's a toy or not a real business phone. And no I don't want a bigger screen thank you very much.

Android anything - Samsung is the best as they are trying to make it more enterprise ready with SAFE and Knox, the battery is good and the systems are very flexible, but, the App Store is the Wild West and you never know what privacy or security you give away, same goes for the OS highly insecure (privacy) and hack able. I find the devices not as polished and not nearly as intuitive as iPhone.

Windows phone 8 - I am against MS but I have to say phone 8 is a better OS than Android but there are no apps still and Microsoft still thinks it knows what I want and has designed their device accordingly, doesn't play well with others.

Blackberry, I saw the 10 launch and I have to say I find the OS the best of the bunch. Sadly a little too late, they are in a death spiral and even if they gave the phones away for free it wouldn't save them.

If you are looking for a new device figure out what you want to do with it (other than just phone) get friends to show you how they do what you want on theirs then make your decision.

And yes I am writing this on my iPad mini, secured and managed by MobileIron :D

Bob

Sammy, when Star Trek hit the air everyone thought the flip open communicator was cool. When flip phones came out they were a real marvel. Flip phones are old technology. We have moved beyond the flip phone. Even in the mind of the writers of the series they never imagined a hand held device with full color display that can take photos or movies and communicate with other people without speaking and display an accurate map of the place of your location. It can do lot more. It can even make a phone call!

It still amazes me I have several times the computing power in my hand than all of NASA had in the 60s and 70s.

My brother is like you. He sees no need for a smart phone. He did not get a cell phone until just a few years ago.

Sounds like my phone. Someone once remarked: "Wow, your phone actually makes a ringing noise!"...

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/tones.png

nominee - best rant of 2013

LOL, yeah that's real good, Sammy :)

I'm at the airport at midnight waiting for the tram to take me back to my car. Without a smart phone, I would have nothing to entertain me while I'm waiting. I wouldn't want to handle that anymore.

I was actually a hold-out when it came to the iphone, I've had Apple computers and other devices for several years but really liked my Blackberry a lot for its real keypad, etc.

I finally bought an iphone 4S when they came out. For the first day or so, I actually regretted it because I was not used to a touch screen and did not like it. Then I watched a music video on it. OMFG...the sound and picture quality was like a mini cinema in my hand. I was hooked. Now I could not imagine going backwards and I must confess that I'm a little addicted to the device. It's an amazing computer/camera/communication device and an important tool in my life. I use the google maps constantly on it as well as any other apps.

I'm almost in disbelief at the reports on here of people who pay $10 a month for their communication device. I pay ~$100 a month for unlimited data and talk/text with taxes and have forever. I wish it was cheaper but I could not live w/o it as a business tool and it makes me one hell of a lot more than $100 a month by having it. I'm well aware that there are Android devices that do basically the same things as an iphone but the don't do them as well. I work with someone who has one and it just takes him longer to do the same things with it. I can ask Suri to google something for me and have the results faster than he can open his browser. Plus, damn near everyone I know has an iphone and they port info to each other really seamlessly and quickly.

To each their own, though...

Hear, hear!! My ADD thanks me for the iphone every day of my life. When I'm stuck in line somewhere or have to wait for something, I check in with you knuckleheads or read the paper online, check eBay, etc... :)