I recently renounced my role as Database Administrator and accepted a new job as Chief Web Developer. I am really excited about the opportunity because I get to write ASP.NET MVC apps on a full time basis. Not too many people get to do what they love for a living so I consider myself fortunate.

As a result of switching careers and companies, I had to turn in my Blackberry Bold. Since the new job does not require after hours support I finally had the opportunity to buy the phone that I wanted instead of the phone that the company provided for me.

Since I was in the market for a new phone, I spent a fair amount of time researching the various plans and phones that were available. Initially I was thinking about picking up an iPhone but I discovered a few key factors which pushed me towards getting a Android instead:

1. If you want to develop apps for the iPhone you need a Mac OS. In my humble opinion this is bullshit.

2. The iPhone's operating system is completely closed. It is being developed by Apple and for Apple. The only smart phones that will ever run it are made by this one company. Since Apple has complete control over the hardware and software they can force users into situations where they have to buy completely new devices if they want the newest OS. In comparison, the Android OS is open source and is not tied to specific piece of hardware or a vendor.

3. If you want an iPhone you have to go with AT&T. Although I personally have no problems with AT&T, my wife already had a plan with Sprint so I was able to save some money by adding another line to an existing plan. In general, Apple is a control freak. You are forced to play by their rules which is a major turn off for me.

Once I made the decision to buy an Android phone from Sprint I immediately discovered that the HTC Evo was the way to go. Unfortunately, the $10 extra a month for 4g service was a deal breaker for me. Although the 4g service would be nice to have, I just could not justify the additional expense. Therefore I had to choose between the HTC Hero and the Samsung Moment. I decided on the Moment because it has a slightly faster processor and a fold out keyboard. 

Shortly after getting my new phone I realized that I was running an outdated OS. The new 2.1 version of the OS was released on 5/14/2010 so it was time to upgrade! After about ten minutes I was fully upgraded and ready to synchronize my contacts and calendar entries. Since the Android OS is a Google product, my Gmail contacts and calendar entries were automatically copied over. Now that all my data was on the new phone, my Blackberry was officially dead to me. It was nice knowing you ol' friend. :-) 

Killer Apps

Once I got the basic grasp of how my phone worked I started looking for new applications to download. I stumble around the Android Marketplace but I was overwhelmed by the number of applications that were available. After a few quick Google searches and a little bit of experimentation I came up with the following list

Barcode Scanner

Scan barcodes on CDs, books, and other products, then look up prices and reviews, or search for a word in a book and find where it occurs. You can also scan QR Codes containing URLs, contact info, calendar events, etc.

Immediately after installing this app, I scanned every bar-coded item in sight. For example, I scanned a bottle of hand sanitizer on my desk. Then a list of shopping results was returned where I could purchase the product. The list can then be sorted by price so you can find the best bargain. Pretty cool!

ConnectBot

ConnectBot is a SSH client for the Android. Its basically a Putty clone for the Android OS. Since the Android supports Wifi you can easily admin a Linux box from your phone. The fold out keyboard on the Samsung moment is a must-have if you plan on using ConnectBot for real-world scenarios.

Advanced Task Killer

In order to improve the speed of loading apps, the Android OS keeps programs open. However when you have lots of programs running in the background you dramatically shorten the phones battery life of your phone. The Advanced Task Killer makes the process of closing down applications easy with a single click.

Killer Games

Doodle Jump

The Doodle Jump Android App by Lima is the Android version of a very successful, addicting game from the iPhone App Store. The object of this game is to climb the platforms to get as high up as you can go. Doodle Jump does not have levels but does have multiplayer mode so you can play against a friend.

You move the character by tilting your phone left and right and shoot aliens by tapping your finger on the screen. The game is simple enough that my four year old figured out how to play it in less than a minute. I eventually had to distract him so I could get my phone back…LOL

Labyrinth

A new spin on a classic game...

Closing Remarks

In the past I have used my Blackberry as a modem to get internet access while traveling. Apparently, there is an application called PdaNet which can be used to tether an Android phone. I read that Sprint is not fond of people using their phones as tethered modems. Mainly because it is a bandwidth killer. However, I would imagine that it also has a drastic impact on their air card sales. In any case, I plan to experiment with this functionality because I really like having options when I travel.

Also, I would like to find an RDP client for the Android. Since the Android has VPN support I could potentially use the Android to remotely access servers if I am in a pinch. I am not sure how practical this is, but it would be cool to try it out.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Samsung Moment phone if you are shopping for an Android capable device. If money is no object to you then buy the HTC Evo from Sprint. The HTC Evo is the best Android phone on the market followed by the HTC Incredible from Verizon in a close second. In any case, the Android OS is remarkable and I am truly impressed with how much I can actually do with my phone. Once you go Android, you never go back!