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Post by
Azazel
Parents? I'm an adult living 1600 miles away from my family. I haven't relied on them for years.
Yeah, but I doubt you bought all those only as an adult.
Post by
Hyperspacerebel
Every single one has been bought in the time since I first moved out to college at 17. We weren't allowed to own video games growing up.
Post by
Azazel
Every single one has been bought in the time since I first moved out to college at 17. We weren't allowed to own video games growing up.
Damn. Sounds like you were raised in a cult or something.
Post by
Rankkor
Every single one has been bought in the time since I first moved out to college at 17. We weren't allowed to own video games growing up.
Damn. Sounds like you were raised in a cult or something.
not at all.
I had to work my ass off to get my videogames when I was a kid. I had to get summer jobs and save for the year to get all my games, which is why I never had all that many growing up.
My mom always has and always will be a videogame-hater.
And I still love her >_> go figure.
Post by
Monday
Welp, I seem to have been let go. My office closed down =/
Ooh no, Benzene. Hopefully you aren't left struggling to find work. Do you know why your office closed?
I have another job, so I'm fine.
And it was in a downspin for awhile.. SEO is unpredictable at best, and we happened to run into some problems which left them without enough money to continue paying everyone. We put in the work, and the market decided to not give us anything back. 'tis the curse of an entrepreneur. Everyone got their last paychecks, though, so luckily nobody was left hanging.
The owner also said that he's continuing to work with the clients we had before and if it's successful, myself and one other of the old employees are on his list to bring back.
However, on the brightside, I still have quite a bit of money in the bank and a continual steady source of income, so I'm upgrading my phone!
I can't decide, though, so I'm asking you all for help. The Galaxy SIII or the HTC Windows Phone 8x?
Post by
Interest
Just finished cataloging the 820 games I own. Now to play them all :P
Tons of games.
Post by
Squishalot
I can't decide, though, so I'm asking you all for help. The Galaxy SIII or the HTC Windows Phone 8x?
I've just gotten an S4 after retiring my old S2, and it's been serving me pretty well over the last couple of weeks.
The question is, what are you upgrading from? If you're tied to one system from an applications perspective, it might be easier to stick with that system.
Post by
Skreeran
Get the Galaxy. I use an S2, and it's pretty great, and I've never liked Windows Phones.
Also, Google is a way better company than Microsoft.
Post by
Rankkor
Also, Google is a way better company than Microsoft.
Their slogan is "don't be evil" so they can't be all that bad.
Post by
Skreeran
Also, Google is a way better company than Microsoft.
Their slogan is "don't be evil" so they can't be all that bad.Not to mention all their research. They're making self-driving cars, augmented reality glasses, funding space travel research, funding green energy, and giving a metric butt-ton of money to charity.
Post by
Monday
I can't decide, though, so I'm asking you all for help. The Galaxy SIII or the HTC Windows Phone 8x?
I've just gotten an S4 after retiring my old S2, and it's been serving me pretty well over the last couple of weeks.
The question is, what are you upgrading from? If you're tied to one system from an applications perspective, it might be easier to stick with that system.
Upgrading from a no-name, fake smart Samsung.
Post by
Skreeran
So it turns out KPop is pretty cool.
Post by
Magician22773
I can't decide, though, so I'm asking you all for help. The Galaxy SIII or the HTC Windows Phone 8x?
OK, this is from a cell phone store owners perspective.
First and foremost, make sure that
YOU
like the phone, more than what people tell you. Cell phones these days are a pretty sizable purchase compared to just a few years ago.
Make sure you like how the phone looks and feels. I can't tell you how many Samsung Note phones I have sold, only to have the customer end up hating how big they are. When they bought it, they thought the big screen was cool, but after a month or two of carrying around a phone the size of a shoebox, they realized it was not practical. The same goes for buying "specialty" colors in phones. (something you will really find with the Windows phone), or some of the odd colors that Samsung now offers the SIII in.
Next play with the phone for a good while before you decide. Each manufacturer of phones adds a "skin" to the stock Android UI. Samsung has "Touch-Wiz", Motorola has "Blur", HTC has "Sense"....They are affect how the menus look, and how the overall feel of the phone will be.
The Windows phone presents a whole different issue. First off, its not Android, or iOS. The Windows app market is still growing, but you very well may run across several apps that you might want, that are not in the Windows app store. Developers are still pretty leery on creating apps for a new, niche market. Also the Windows UI is its own monster. If you are not a fan of Windows 8 on a PC, then you will hate a Windows phone, because that is basically what you get. Now, that said, Win8 phones are CRAZY smooth. But after 6 years on Android, I personally can't get used to the total change.
Now, as for my personal opinion, and a bit of techno babble. I personally don't care for Samsung phones, because I don't care for the Touch-Wiz skin, for starters. I also found the S4 to be a little laggy, especially when using some of the "cooler" features, like gestures. It is pretty neat to be able to wave your hand over the screen, and have it change pages...but that comes at a cost. The processor is having to constantly be looking for your gesture, so it has processes constantly running in the background that other phones do not.
I also shy away from Samsung because their Super AMOLED screens are insanely expensive to replace if you break one. I also do not care for their build quality and "feel". I don't care for the thin, plastic backs, and I don't like the physical home button on the SIII.
Right now, there really isn't a "perfect" phone out there. Sadly, I can fault just about every phone available right now.
The Nexus 4 (what I carry on a daily basis) is a great phone. I absolutely love it, but it does not have LTE. Now, that said, my HSPA+ speed on T-Mobile is faster than Verizon LTE, and nearly as fast as AT&T LTE...and it is plenty fast for anything I want to use it for. Another downside (for some) is that is costs $350....but that is with no contract. Since I own the phone, I can use a MVNO for service, and I pay only $50 a month for unlimited everything, so the monthly savings offset the phone cost. If you want to check out the Nexus, it is sold directly through Google, so just look in the Play Store.
Samsung SIII and S4. As I said, I don't care for Samsung's build. The SIII is getting dated, and the S4 had some tech issues that I didn't like. One other thing about the SIII....it likes to corrupt SD cards, so be sure to offload pictures to your computer. I do more data recovery on SIII's than any other phone. I don't know why, but I see it pretty often. Also, get the insurance. A screen for a SIII will run you $250 without installation.
HTC One. I am on the fence about this phone. The build quality is AMAZING. It is all aluminum, and feels like a million bucks in your hand. What I don't like is, it is completely unrepairable. As in, even a professional cannot even change the battery, or fix common issues like speakers. And screen replacement is impossible as well. A well known phone repair website ranks phones for repairability on a scale from 1-10....the HTC One was ranked a zero.
Outside of that, the phone is really cool so far. It has some really cool features, not the least of which is that it has a IR blaster, so it can be used as a remote control for your TV.
Personally, if I were buying a phone right now, it would be between the Nexus 4, or the HTC One. As a pure phone geek, I like the Nexus. It is pure Android, with no skin. It will always run the latest Android OS (the Nexus line is Google's developer platform), but it also lacks some features, to keep the off contract price so low. The HTC One is a great phone, but it has a finite lifespan. When the battery goes, the phone is a paperweight. From my experience, this means you will have this phone no more than 2 years, And you absolutely MUST have it insured, since it is completely non-repairable.
Holy crap...that was a book....sorry...I get a little passionate about phones.....
Post by
Squishalot
I also found the S4 to be a little laggy, especially when using some of the "cooler" features, like gestures. It is pretty neat to be able to wave your hand over the screen, and have it change pages...but that comes at a cost. The processor is having to constantly be looking for your gesture, so it has processes constantly running in the background that other phones do not.
This is true. It's also the reason I disable those 'cooler' features. There's a little application lag that I didn't have on the S2, but it's not so bad that it's bothersome. (Edit: I also think it's the application itself which is slow to load, since it's not quite as pronounced on other apps.)(##RESPBREAK##)8##DELIM##Squishalot##DELIM##
Post by
Hyperspacerebel
I agree with the Nexus 4 assessment. It lags slightly behind the S3 and a bit more behind the S4 as far as hardware is concerned, but I love the vanilla Android OS and it's one of the cheapest high end phones you can get. It's a great phone and I have had no problems with it at all.
Post by
Magician22773
I also found the S4 to be a little laggy, especially when using some of the "cooler" features, like gestures. It is pretty neat to be able to wave your hand over the screen, and have it change pages...but that comes at a cost. The processor is having to constantly be looking for your gesture, so it has processes constantly running in the background that other phones do not.
This is true. It's also the reason I disable those 'cooler' features. There's a little application lag that I didn't have on the S2, but it's not so bad that it's bothersome. (Edit: I also think it's the application itself which is slow to load, since it's not quite as pronounced on other apps.)
Samsung kinda screwed up a little on the S4. The International version of the phone has an "Octa-Core" processor array....(it is actually 2 quad-core processors), while the US version only has a single quad core.
When they designed the phone, they did it around the Octa processor, so the US version has issues because of that.
But I have to say, Samsung makes the best looking screens, hands down, in the industry. Even the 3 year old "S1's" (the Fascinate / Captivate) screens look better than some new phones. And even side by side with the Droid DNA, which has the highest resolution screen avaliable, the AMOLED screens still look better.
Its kinda cool to get a new phone every couple months, but it also has jaded me. I can find a fault in all of them, because I deal with them (and the complaints from customers) every day.
Honestly, I am a huge Motorola fan. But Moto hasn't really made a "new" phone in almost 2 years. the Droid Razr was a great device, but they just kept revamping it. And honestly, I can barely tell the difference between a 2 year old Razr, and a new Razr HD. Both screens look good to me. There is a new Moto device called the X-Phone that should be coming out soon. I am hoping it will be a competitor for the Samsung and HTC lines, but from the leaked info, it looks like they went for a mid-range device....which is a complete bummer.
Post by
322702
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
1069282
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Magician22773
Why have a "smart" phone at all, a phone is for talking. I understand that they can be useful for many other things but most phones require contracts, while laptops do not.
Actually, no phone "requires" a contract. that is what my business does...all no-contract cell service. What you get for signing a contract is a cheaper phone, but at a higher monthly cost. So, you are effectively "financing" the phone at a very high interest rate.
For example: You can buy a new iPhone 5 outright for $630. I can provide service on that phone for $50 a month for Unlimited everything, on T-Mobile's network. So, for 2 years, you will have paid $1830. (50x24+630). Now, you can go to a T-Mobile store and get an iPhone 5 for $150, but your service for the same Unlimited everything will be $90, plus all the regulatory taxes, bringing your actual bill to about $105 a month. So your 2 year cost for that same iPhone 5 is $2670. So you actually save $840 by paying full price for the phone. The catch is, it is pretty tough for someone to drop $630 on a phone up front. It is even harder if you are buying phones for 2 or 3 people.
As for "why"?
Sure, I can make calls on any old phone. But, I use my phone for much more. I use it as a music player, eliminating the need for an iPod, or similar device. I use it as both a digital camera, and a camcorder. My phone has a very good 8MP camera, and will record full 1080p HD video. With the app I use, I have full SLR capability. I also keep my calendar on it, can accept credit cards, deposit checks, and make payments. With the NFC chip, I can use it like a credit card at many locations...just touch it to the reader, and it makes my payments. I can use it to stream Netflix to my TV. And I can play games on it. I use it as a GPS in my car.
Sure, a laptop can do some of that, but I can't put a laptop in my pocket. And I can't make phone calls on a laptop either. (well, technically I can....but thats another story)
Post by
Squishalot
Samsung kinda screwed up a little on the S4. The International version of the phone has an "Octa-Core" processor array....(it is actually 2 quad-core processors), while the US version only has a single quad core.
When they designed the phone, they did it around the Octa processor, so the US version has issues because of that.
We've got the Qualcomm quad-core as well in Australia. Basically, 'international' means non-LTE. The Koreans kept the best version for themselves, with a faster 'octa-core' processor than the international version, which was also LTE-compatible.
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