I love toys
I mean I really do. I don’t even think its a “guy thing” since I hang out with women that seem to love gadgets easily as much as I do. Luckily I use my toys in my business so they are easy to rationalize. But they’re toys nonetheless. I mean a video camera? Important. A Flip Video camera, very useful (but I bought it because it was cool). Laptops? A must! Having both Mac and PC? A little more of an indulgence (though I am willing and able to rationalize that one too).
A PDA? Got to have one. A smartphone? Important and utilitarian, and let’s you get rid of the PDA (Do they still make stand alone PDAs? – I haven’t carried one for years now). And here is where the problem starts.
Why did They Make That deal?
When Apple debuted the IPhone, I was crushed to find that it was tied to a phone network that didn’t have the greatest reputation in my marketplace. And since I use my phone as a phone frequently, that function is still primary to my needs. So I bit the bullet and decided I would continue to use my Treo for all of the great smartphone functions – integration of contacts, appointments, to do lists, phone calls, messages, and emails. And with a decent web browsr (it seemed) I was a pretty happy guy.
Then I was offered a free Blackberry Curve by another carrier we used in our company. Being a toy freak, I decided I would try th Blackberry for a whie and see if it was as good as they said when it came to handling email. it was – and the web nterface wasn’t too bad (though I do get spoiled rapidly) . However I liked to the calendar/contact/phone functionality of the Palm Treo better, so now I was stuck (and have been for the past year) carrying two phones with me. Yes, they’re light, and easy to carry, and sometimes having a second physical phone with me has proven to be handy, but it just indicates to me that neither of the phones “got it right”
IPhone Versus Pre
The IPhone was just so sexy and slick that I had decided that I might have to bite the bullet and get one. I was advised by good friend and longtime IPhone user Jeff Turner that a new version would be out soon, and to wait for it, so I resigned myself to possibly spotty phone coverage , limited battery life, and a hefty price tag.
And then I heard that another good friend and gadget guy Jim Marks had bought a Palm Pre, and was thrilled with the functionality of the phone, and its awesome features. I was stunned into immobility.
My Dilemma
So now I have to make a decision and I need help. If two smart tech leaders like Jeff and Jim disagree, the entire universe may be tilting out of whack. I have to face the possibility, frightening though it may be that one of them has made a worng choice. This frightens me, as the infallibility of both of them is part of the fabric of my universe. Both men are succesful in their businesses, both are recognized as social media leaders, both are married to smart, funny beautiful women, and each of them rock a different cutting edge phone – so what am I to do .
My Answer
I can only hope that you , the readers of the finest real estate blog on the planet can help me by sharing your thoughts and opinions. And that I will be able, after seeing and reading them to make a choice about what needs to be done here. I look forward to your answers!
Dueling Smartphones courtesy of creativecommons.org
