Ask Tech Support LJ/DW

[feuervogel]

For those of you who have been following the saga of my Samsung Captivate and how I want to set it on fire, it's been acting weirder than usual, even after I got D to root it and put CyanogenMod 7 on it. Like, it gets really laggy, and at random it crashes to the skateboarding android boot screen. At 1 am, which wakes me up. This morning, it got stuck in a boot loop until I popped the battery. (The last time that happened, I had to re-flash it from recovery mode and lost 3 months' worth of data.)

As much as I hate the wastefulness of getting a new phone every two years, this phone just really sucks, and I can't even justify keeping it because it's a perfectly good phone. It's shit.

So, I need to decide between AT&T's Android offerings, the best of which right now is the Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket (the Galaxy Note is too big, and too expensive at $249), and an iPhone. (The Galaxy S3 was just released, and it's $199, the same as a low-end iPhone 4S. However, I am extremely reluctant to get another new-hardware phone, based on how fucking broken the Captivate/Galaxy S was at launch. You may recall I used my warranty replacement TWICE in three months.)

Pros of Android:
- seamless integration with gmail, gcal, gmail contacts, gtalk
- I'm comfortable and familiar with it
- I like widgets
- I can get a refurbished Galaxy S2 for $9.99 online (though that is kind of terrifying; the phones I replaced under warranty because they had the randomly-powers-off bug could be resold as "refurbished.")

Cons of Android:
- can't update the software without Windows (thank you, Samsung)

Pros of iPhone:
- can update using my MacBook
- just fucking works

Cons of iPhone:
- doesn't sync gmail contacts (afaik)
- requires workarounds to make gcal work
- I don't really use my phone to listen to music
- not sure I can back up my saved data (Angry Birds, and, dammit, I have a lot of hard 3-stars on that)

So, friends, tell me: have any of you switched from Android to iPhone? Are my fears justified? Should I be concerned about the new hardware issue on the Galaxy S3 (same price as iPhone 4S!) What other questions should I be asking myself?

I'm ready to throw this piece of crap across the room. Help me decide what phone to get next, internet.

Comments

[feuervogel]

I played around with the HTC that was next to the Skyrocket, and it was nice enough. The front and back camera switch wasn't as easy as on the Samsung OS though. Does updating the software require special Windows-only software? Samsung requires Kies, which is Windows-only, and there are zero Windows computers in this house.

You should be able to block numbers individually on any phone, though. If you want to block a number, you can open it in the call log and block it. (I'll ask Ben when he gets home if he can do that.)

Ben has an iPhone (4, I think). He doesn't use gmail, so he isn't a help for figuring out how well gmail integrates. The interface confuses me; I don't like the single button; I like widgets. But I switched to Mac because they Just Fucking Work, and after the hell of Samsung, I'm ready for something that Just Fucking Works. And will talk nicely to my MacBook.

[luckykitty.livejournal.com]

My phone updates its OS over the air. I never have to plug it into my computer, in fact I never have.

I'm on Verizon though.

I dunno--if Ben knows how to do that, please share, because I know at least 3 iPhone users who keep getting unwanted calls/texts from the same numbers and can't do anything about it.

I totally respect Macs and the reasons for using them (my work computer is a Mac, and I always wanted a backup Mac laptop but have yet to afford one), but I like to fuss with my computer and have all kinds of levels of control, so that's probably why my home computer is always going to be a PC.

[kirin]

Mmm, nope, doesn't seem to be any built-in way to block numbers (or texts). A quick google shows you might be able to use an AT&T online interface to block some texts, but to actually block calls from certain numbers you have to sign up for a $5/mo service. :/

[feuervogel]

Over the air updates would be awesome. I had one minor update OTA, but to get to Froyo, I had to use Kies. Ben borrowed a slow-ass laptop from his office so I could update my phone. Stoopid.

How do you do backups or copy music over to it?

I've personally never found Windows to be very customizable, but the last WinPC I had ran Win98, I think. Until I put linux on it, anyway. Now *there's* customizable.