Samsung Galaxy S

Last week I made the jump from the iphone to an android based phone. I am not looking back. I got the Samsung Galaxy S. Ten minutes after I had the device I knew I made the right choice for my needs. I am not going to list the specs, or gab about the brilliant OLED screen, the processor etc. I will mention that you CAN change the battery yourself without tools or an Apple employee. This only makes sense. Batteries ALL wear out and if you are a power user they wear out fast. You can get all the details and more at the Sansung website.

I am just going to concentrate the pluses and minuses I have discovered in my little world thus far. I know Samsung is working on some of these issue and that the phone was rushed to market. They have sold a couple of million of these, so hopefully the users groups will become even more vocal and helpful as the OS evolves.

As a small business person I need maximum flexibility. The android 2.1 OS that came with the device is fast, powerful and give me tons of options. In fact, I only have one gripe about the phone and that is the the Samsung Kies software is not activated for use in the USA. That leaves me without a powerful synchronization tool like my old iphone and itunes. Right now my phone looks like a data storage device to my PC. Oh and one other small thing is that my Google calendar does not update from the phone unless I choose google calendar each time I make a new appointment. A small issue but one that irks me.

I have not had a lot of time to check out the GPS but I believe there are still some tweaks coming soon. I did play with Google sky map on a nice clear night and I think the GPS was a bit wonky. It did work though and it was pretty cool. There are lots of options to choose from in terms of what data you want to see i.e. constellations, planets and other cool stuff out there.

The Apps available are great and very similar to the Apple world. I can see that one must be much more vigilant when choosing and installing Android based apps. This is a bit more wild west that Apple's tightly integrated and controlled world to say the least. One of the first apps I installed was "Lookout" a free anti viral, cloud backup program that gives me a bit more confidence. Lookout is also touted to help locate my phone if we become separated. You can back up your phones' data automatically which to me would be a real lifesaver.

The tight integration with Google is great as my G-mail accounts and Google docs are part of my daily life. I plan on writing more about the progression of The Galaxy S in the near future.

To me this phone is a definite buy. Especially if you have grown tired of the Big Brother like control Apple has devolved into. Right now, the Android world reminds me of the early days of PCs. The freedom of those times allowed for rapid technological leaps that today we take for granted.