Falling off the fence or being realistic on AT&T

So I’ve been sharing a lot of my ideas about what my next upgrade was going to be over the past few months. I’ve been considering several handsets including some lofty pipe dreams that never panned out like all those sexy concept cars that everyone wants, but no one will ever get.  I’ve been back and forth over this Windows Phone 7 and Android thing and I think I finally know what I’m going to do.  This isn’t necessarily an in stone sort of decision, especially when the release of my chosen device is still forthcoming.  But I promised you guys I’d keep you updated and now that my thoughts on these operating systems have somewhat settled I thought I’d let you in again.

I’ll start with what I didn’t choose and explain.  So on AT&T there is currently one half-way decent Android smart phone that wouldn’t require me carrying a freaking backpack to haul around.  I speak of the Samsung Galaxy variant that AT&T picked up and subsequently neautered of any worth while functionality such as side loading applications (and no, this has nothing to do with porn despite what David K will tell you.)  The phone is, for all purposes, unequivocally bad ass with its snapdragon awesomeness and SAMOLED sun-pawning screen sexiness.  However, after this sexy little thing walked in the world realized that she was all flash and no substance once people realized Samsung can’t release a phone with fully functioning GPS to save its life.  Having already lived through a tumultuous butt raping by Samsung’s promised fixes, and clueless customer service reps, I’m not buying anything off those jerks unless it’s perfect out-of-the-box.  So any reason I would have had to pick up the Samsung whatever the hell they’re wanting to call it on AT&T has been officially buried so deeply that if it had a soul, and went to hell (because all shoddy handset manufacturer’s go to hell), Satan would have to rent a back hoe to dig it up.  So this is why my hopes of hanging out and drinking kool-aid with Simmons have been dashed.

So what the hell did I decide on?  No, still not an iPhone.  I’m going WP7 and here’s why.  With all the restrictions that AT&T is bringing to bear on their handsets this is going to be the best choice for me in a walled world.  Why?  Because of all that service convergence that everyone who dislikes the phone wants to write off as a gimmick.  Let me break it down one by one.  I play video games.  I mean a lot.  I can’t think of a period of my life where I have gone more than a two or three day period without indulging in some sort of electronic escape, whether it be the domination of Covenant forces, the Crashing of Castles, or just plain solitaire to ignore my girlfriend’s questions about which shoes look better.  So yeah, Xbox live on a phone?  Yes, please!  Second, I’m a college student, specifically a history major.  Now I hate Powerpoint presentations in general because it’s for lazy idiots who can’t remember any of the words that go along with their presentation, or for people presenting to idiots who can’t take notes.  Regardless of the demographic Powerpoint appeals to, it gets used excessively in formal education.  Being able to carry with me and access all of my professor’s lectures and slides at any given time makes my life easier.  And, God forbid, I’m required to do some sort of ridiculous presentation myself, I can carry, control, and present entirely from my Windows Phone.  This doesn’t even get into the awesomeness of sky drive or share point where I can sync my docs wirelessly with my pc making sure that even when I get a little too drunk writing my papers (yeah, I write hammered.  According to DavidK it’s the only way to work,) and forget to print it out I’ve got it with me still.  These services combined with the stringent hardware standards for Windows Phones should also keep the software flowing and working properly.  My friend has been through every high end Android handset on Verizon and he’s always bitching about apps that literally do nothing.  You install, you run, and nothing happens.  The time he has collectively spent searching for working Android applications over the past few years, I’m convinced, is the reason he hasn’t gotten laid.  Now, I haven’t gone pro WP7 without taking a look at consumer grade hardware either.  That iPhone-esque HTC was not exactly something I was ALL about, but the most recent leak of the HTC hardware coming to AT&T is.  By no means perfect, but when is it ever.  With AT&T stance on ruining every phone that comes through their door (with the exception of the iPhone which was ruined by conception) I don’t think I’m going to get everything I want.  Microsoft’s restrictions on OEM software should keep the bloatware from WP7 that will continue to plague any Android handsets that come to market.  This represents the closest hardware and software standard that I envisioned for myself several months ago when this journey started.  If you guys think I’m crazy for going WP7 then let me know.  I just can’t find anything that an Android handset on AT&T can offer that WP7 can’t (except maybe copy and paste).  With the services that WP7 offers it’s really pushed me over the edge combined with AT&T’s diabolical handset destroying outlook.