Drinking the Kool-Aid

I have never been an “Apple Person.”  I have nothing against their products or company, but I have always (and still do) use PCs at work.  My house is in a “dead zone” and Verizon was my best option (I had to install a home repeater) to get any reception.  This meant I couldn’t get an iPhone from AT&T back in the days when Verizon couldn’t sell iPhones.  Therefore, my phones were Blackberry’s and a Motorola Droid.

When my Motorola Droid X could no longer be updated, and everything started to slow down, I knew it was time for a new phone and I decided to get an iPhone 5.

What has been interesting to me is the amount of time it takes me to personalize any device (smartphone and PC).  Getting an iPhone was an interesting test of how much time it takes to personalize and make a device fully productive.  I expected the iPhone to be easier, but what I found was it was harder than the Droid.  Here are some of my areas for personalization:

Home Screen – I miss the active icons on the Droid.  Things like a list of recent emails and my next few meetings were very valuable

Email Signature – On the Droid I can use color, links, and fonts.  The Droid allowed me to replicate my desktop email signature so no one knew what device my email was sent from.

Notifications – I like almost all notifications, with the exception of phone and text messages, turned off.  This is a nightmare on both devices.

Email Settings – I have about four email accounts on my device, and the iPhone handled setting these up much faster than the Droid.  Also, the iPhone doesn’t seem to complain about certificates and stuff like that.

Background Image – A picture of my beagle, Milo, is on all my devices.  I would rate the iPhone as being easier than the Droid for making his image my wallpaper.

Lock Screen – I hate lock screens but use them when working with corporate clients.  Turning off the lock screen on the Droid was a pain, but on the iPhone was very easy.

Adding Apps – About the same on both device and maybe a little easier on the iPhone.  It seemed, to me, that the apps on the Droid updated every few days.  Very annoying.

WiFi vs 3G/4G – On the Droid using 3G saved battery life, while on the iPhone using WiFi seems to save battery life.

Settings – On the Droid app settings live with the app.  On the iPhone app settings are under settings.  I prefer the Droid’s method as it tends to keep me focused and is a better reminder to do things like turn off notifications.

Deleting Apps – Completely annoying on both phones.  I do not understand why you can’t delete the default apps installed on the phone.  I have no need for the “Game Center” on the iPhone or “Need for Speed” on the Droid.

Overall, I do like my iPhone and am glad I replaced my Droid.  The iPhone is fast and “polished.”  When using the Droid you feel like it is a work in progress.  When using the iPhone you feel like you are using the finished product.  At the end of the day, I see this as a phone and I just want it to work.  Kudos to Apple.