Life Between 0 and 1

Ok, I’ll admit it.  I got really burned up at the debate I had over lunch today.  I’ve had a smartphone since before they were called smartphones.  My first was a Palm Treo 650 (a brilliant device, but that’s another story) and it was considered a personal digital assistant that also doubled as a communication device.  At that time I purchased it, people were kickin with flip phones and super slim phones, all just regular phones.

I digress, anyway, I got into a sort of debate about my Windows Phone 7.5 smartphone, my co-workers iPhone 4 smartphone, and another co-workers Android smartphone.  Almost immediately they were both ganging up on me as they saw my phone as the inferior device.  I attempted to explain to them that my phone was experience-centric and not app-centric as their device were.  Where the whole “There’s an app for that” tagline that Apple has sued other companies over….

At no point did I dis their devices.  My focus on the debate was to demonstrate the point that neither of them had ever used a WP7.5 device and weren’t in a position to make a conclusion based on their own personal experiences.  I, on the other hand, have spent several hours each with an iPhone and various Android devices, and consider myself well informed and back my opinions and conclusions with fact.

What it turned into was more of a scene reminiscent of high school where it was “That’s stupid because I said so” and the “geek” was chastised for actually being smart….  It was all too close to home and I quietly removed myself from the situation.  I ended back at my desk, having taken a shorter lunch than normal, and seething inside at the shear immaturity of the entire conversation only moments before.

It really makes me mad when someone forms an opinion on something without taking the time to inform themselves of the facts or how something works.  My experience is larger than just smartphones.  I hear at least once a week “oh I don’t like that because of blah blah blah”….  where blah blah blah is what so-and-so said or they “heard” from some source.  When pressed they often don’t know the “source” they used to form their opinion.  Really?

My personal view on this, and I’ve written about this before.  Take the TIME to decide for YOURSELF what you like and don’t like about a smartphone (keeping it focused on that) before forming your opinions.  Don’t get a smartphone for ONLY one of the below reasons:

1. You saw it advertised on television
2. A friend purchased/told/described it to you and you HAD to get one too
3. You spent 5 minutes with it and the in-store salesmen said “you really want that!”

Most of us have the Internet and access to the on-line reviews, consumer reviews, PCWorld, CNET, PCMag, etc. etc.  Your final decision should be based on everything you’ve read and experienced, not just because you’re friend got one too.