[JG in SB]

Well, after years of being a BlackBerry user, I have finally made the switch to Android. I sold my BB Torch (for $299 on eBay) and switched to an HTC Inspire 4G, which I am in love with. There are one or two things the Android devices can't do (like sync Outlook notes), but this is compensated for by the seemingly 100's of things they CAN do that a BlackBerry doesn't, or does not do as well.

One of the things that I have found most unusual, is that in cases where a mobile "app" is offered, like from eBay or PayPal, in nearly every case, the app for Android has different features, and is hands-down superior to the same mobile app for BlackBerry. This was a complete surprise.

I still think BlackBerry devices are great, and that they kick the crap out of the iPhone. But I feel like Android and iPhone are going to eventually dominate the smartphone market. The whole thing with BB vs. Android apps discussed above sort of tells me which way the wind is blowing.

I have been on these forums since Q1 of 2007. I have always appreciated the quality of the discussion on here. So instead of just disappearing forever without a word, I wanted to say THANKS to everyone on here, as well as the people that run the forums.

[knottyrope]

good luck and we will keep the light on if you ever come back

[aiharkness]

There's no reason to disappear period. You can still visit and hang out.

[Thiego-uk]

Yes, you can pop in every now and then to give updates on your device and also keep the community alive and expanding

[JG in SB]

OK. I will report back after I have been using this Android device for a month or so. So far, there are only two things I miss about the BB:

1. That blinking LED coverage indicator....I am a dork...I really liked that
2. OTA sync of Outlook notes.

As for Item #2, I use Evernote on the Android, and it is exceptionally powerful and is basically like having MS OneNote sync OTA, except that it is BETTER than MS OneNote. They make a version for the BB as well, and the standard version is FREE. I highly recommend it. However, the post-it like notes within MS Outlook are something that I used often, and I miss the ability to sync these. supposedly the next version of Exchange Server Activesync will include note-sync functionality, but my Exchange host has not upgraded to this yet (nor have most people in the IT world) so I'm going to have to wait on this one.

[rambo47]

I went Android for about 8 months (Samsung Epic, HTC Evo) and couldn't get used to the email handling compared to BlackBerry. I guess it all depends on your mobile communication priorities. I'm an email/messaging kind of person with some PIM functions. I need battery life because my day can last well into the night

The key is to find a device that works the way you do.

[EdwardC]

Hello all, my first BB was a 8820 which I still have but have been an iPhone 3GS user and general Mac fan ( Mac OS since 95 ) anyhow I digress. I decided since I was out of contract I would get something different since I couldnt see paying $200.00 for a iPhone 4 which really wouldn't get me anything really different so I got a HTC Inspire and let me tell you all what a nice device I mean this thing was great and I could customize it to be exactly what I wanted. 3 problems arose 1. You can not turn off the 4G network with the stock ROM and I only had 1 bar at my home and consequently was constantly missing calls! 2. You can not see the display in the sunlight I mean it's that bad! 3rd the battery life is the worst! I spent hours researching ways to improve it and it came down to turning off the Data Refresh , turning the display down to 20% and turning off widgets. I was like what's the point in this, I don't play games or watch movies I just care about phone and most importantly e-mail so with that said Im back in the BlackBerry camp even though it's not bleeding edge or particularly cool but hey I can go 48 hours easy on 1 charge, get calls and can see the display in direct sunlight. I guess it's all personal preference but man these things work great and are very elegant in a conservative way! Glad to be back!!

[tbird57]

many,many threads like this one...its like cheating on your wife confession thing. then the newness wears off...then they miss that blinking light...

[alphasports]

Yeah I hear you on this one. As I've said before I have both BBs and IPs and always end up switching back n forth like the weather. This week is an IP week it seems, probably BB in a few days! The LED status lamp is huge for me as well...the new iOS5 uses the rear flash LED as a status lamp but it sounds quite lame compared to BB's (front and multi-color) implementation.

BBM was always big for me as well but the majority of my contacts have all jumped ship to IP or Android so my contact list has shrunk to near zero :(

Cheers

[DallasFlier]

Originally Posted by JG in SB

Well, after years of being a BlackBerry user, I have finally made the switch to Android. I sold my BB Torch (for $299 on eBay) and switched to an HTC Inspire 4G, which I am in love with. There are one or two things the Android devices can't do (like sync Outlook notes), but this is compensated for by the seemingly 100's of things they CAN do that a BlackBerry doesn't, or does not do as well.

One of the things that I have found most unusual, is that in cases where a mobile "app" is offered, like from eBay or PayPal, in nearly every case, the app for Android has different features, and is hands-down superior to the same mobile app for BlackBerry. This was a complete surprise.

I still think BlackBerry devices are great, and that they kick the crap out of the iPhone. But I feel like Android and iPhone are going to eventually dominate the smartphone market. The whole thing with BB vs. Android apps discussed above sort of tells me which way the wind is blowing.

I have been on these forums since Q1 of 2007. I have always appreciated the quality of the discussion on here. So instead of just disappearing forever without a word, I wanted to say THANKS to everyone on here, as well as the people that run the forums.

As others have said, there are many threads like this if you look around. One quite detailed one a couple months back here in the 9800 forum - and the author returned after about 6-8 weeks to report that despite his initial enthusiastic note (a lot like yours) after several weeks of daily useage, he had returned to his BlackBerry.

Your comment about how apps offered for Android and BlackBerry always seem to have extra features in the Android version is interesting. One of my golfing buddies has an Android phone, and after my recommendation he installed GolfLogix on his Android (I have had it on my Torch for some time.) Sure enough, his app had a couple additional features I didn't have. Of course, there's a major downside... By the time we finish the front nine, his Android battery is about dead and he has to turn off the golf app. I use mine for the entire 18 holes and have about 60% battery left when we finish, if I started fully charged. So as it turns out, those extra couple features aren't really good for much, and he's constantly cursing his Android phone and its awful battery life.

Stick around and let us know if you're still this enthusiastic about your nifty Android in a 2-3 months.

[hrbuckley]

Yeah, as you can see from my signature, my other BlackBerry (as some would say 'wife') is an Android. There are many cool devices out there and a great selection for that OS. We do app development for Android, so we are always sampling new units. I could have my pick to use if I wanted, and I have carried them for a while. Lots of cool features, but when it comes down to helping me get the most out of a mobile device so I can get the most out of my time on and off the job I keep comming back to BlackBerry.

[rambo47]

Originally Posted by alphasports

Yeah I hear you on this one. As I've said before I have both BBs and IPs and always end up switching back n forth like the weather. This week is an IP week it seems, probably BB in a few days! Cheers

I do the same thing, but with different models of BlackBerrys. Normally I use the 9650, but this week I'm using a new Curve 8330. Brand new in the box, just purchased ($30).