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  • sachilles

    Jan. 9, 2011 9:39 a.m. sachilles Dork

    So my phone is dying as is my wifes. We are with AT&T will remain with them.

    We can upgrade both lines for relatively short money. My last two phones have been windows mobile. I hate my current phone(htc fuze) but not necessarily the operating system. Loved my previous HP phone. The HTC never seemed to work correctly.

    Anyways, I can get the iphone 3gs 8gb for 50 bucks, I can also get android based phones, but I think there different versions of that OS.

    My current phone has a memory card slot that I have a 2gb card in, and I've yet to fill that, nor the phones memory in about 2 years. Music isn't my thing.

    So as far as "APPS" go, which format has more useful car guy apps? Anybody that knows the AT&T branded android phones, any general input on the pro's and con's would be appreciated.

    Because of my contract being close to being finished, I'm in a better position for the subsidized phones, than searching ebay for unlocked phones.

  • sachilles

    Jan. 9, 2011 9:47 a.m. sachilles Dork

    oh, the android options for at&t, that are in my budget, Motorolla Backflip, Flipside, Bravo, and Sony Ericsson Xperia.

  • BoxheadTim

    Jan. 9, 2011 10:27 a.m. BoxheadTim SuperDork

    Can't help with the AT&T branded Android phones, but I wouldn't buy anything that hasn't got Android 2.1 or 2.2 on it and preferably, OS updates supplied by the network.

    I've got both an iPhone 3GS (which I brought over from the UK so I can keep my UK cell number for a little while longer, plus I need a ) and a Motorola Droid on Verizon. I find the UI on the iPhone somewhat slicker than on the Droid but that's partially a matter of taste, plus I've had the iPhone longer than the Droid. I don't think either is a bad choice.

    The only phone I've got "car guy" apps on is the Droid so I can't really comment on that point.

  • internetautomart

    Jan. 9, 2011 10:32 a.m. internetautomart SuperDork

    what apps do you have on it?

    Droid phones depend largely on what processor is in them. go 1GHZ or go home. others are to slow IMO for fun usage. Also different manufacturers will use different intrfaces for the droid phones. HTC has an interface called "sense" works pretty well for me. FWIW I couldn't stand their windows mobile phone (TP2)

  • fastEddie

    Jan. 9, 2011 11:06 a.m. fastEddie Dork

    Check here - http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/so-i-got-my-new-ipadwh...

  • Giant Purple Snorklewacker

    Jan. 9, 2011 11:11 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

    Harry's Lap Timer Pro

  • porksboy

    Jan. 9, 2011 11:14 a.m. porksboy SuperDork

    3g iphone in my pocket. It was gifted to me 3 months ago. So far I have

    Pocket dyno. Havent used it yet as I dont have a way to weigh my car.

    Fuel log works well, I find myself trying to hyper mile. Not a bad thing with an 80 mile a day comute.

    G force has been fun to play with. Nothing bad to report yet.

    A tire size calculator.

    A decible meter. My daily has the loudest exhaust of my fleet. Can be explained by the rust holes.

    Handy level and an angle meter. Used it mostly when hanging pictures. I might try it for setting up suspension.

    Geared is a fun game.

    Family guy game is also fun.

    I might add that I havent paid for any apps, all were free aps.

    I keep GRM on my internet browser on the phone. Most times I post from there, but not this time.

    I dont have any experience with other smart phones. My last was a simple flip phone without a camera so the iphone is lightyears beyond anything I have had before.

  • JThw8

    Jan. 9, 2011 11:59 a.m. JThw8 SuperDork

    porksboy wrote:

    Handy level and an angle meter. Used it mostly when hanging pictures. I might try it for setting up suspension.

    Love these apps. Noone believes us but other than a tape measure an iPhone with the level and angle meter were our only measuring instruments used in building the Wartburg. Ok so maybe our suspension was a little off, but it was cheap and easy ;)

  • Giant Purple Snorklewacker

    Jan. 9, 2011 12:17 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

    JThw8 wrote:

    porksboy wrote:

    Handy level and an angle meter. Used it mostly when hanging pictures. I might try it for setting up suspension.

    Love these apps. Noone believes us but other than a tape measure an iPhone with the level and angle meter were our only measuring instruments used in building the Wartburg. Ok so maybe our suspension was a little off, but it was cheap and easy ;)

    +1, My iPhone with Handy tools and a straightedge did a fine job of setting up caster/camber on my racecar.

  • oldtin

    Jan. 9, 2011 12:36 p.m. oldtin Dork

    Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

    JThw8 wrote:

    porksboy wrote:

    Handy level and an angle meter. Used it mostly when hanging pictures. I might try it for setting up suspension.

    Love these apps. Noone believes us but other than a tape measure an iPhone with the level and angle meter were our only measuring instruments used in building the Wartburg. Ok so maybe our suspension was a little off, but it was cheap and easy ;)

    +2 on the Handy level and angle meter. Thought I was being original.

    +1, My iPhone with Handy tools and a straightedge did a fine job of setting up caster/camber on my racecar.

  • neon4891

    Jan. 9, 2011 3:30 p.m. neon4891 SuperDork

    I'm on AT&T and I'm facing the same situation. Work discounts means I can get any android for free, but with my iTunes video library(10 seasons of top gear and more) I am leaning towards apple.

    And the Android I want is on the old OS...

  • Travis_K

    Jan. 9, 2011 3:52 p.m. Travis_K Dork

    I had the same question, and I ended up getting an iphone 3gs. The reasons i chose it were that it was cheaper, easier to use for what i wanted it for (mainly e-mail/internet at school), faster (at least it seems that way), and that I could get the otter box case and not have to worry too much about breaking it. For an android phone, my dad has an HTC Aria and other than the tiny screen its pretty decent. The motorolla backflip looks cool at first, but it really isnt that pleasant to use, and every single one I have seen at an AT&T store was broken.

  • sachilles

    Jan. 9, 2011 4:25 p.m. sachilles Dork

    actually, I've removed the backflip from consideration. The motorola bravo is the same price, and has the newer android operating system and better specs. The downside is it doesn't have a keyboard, which I'm kind of fond of, but it isn't a deal breaker.

  • Derick Freese

    Jan. 9, 2011 6:06 p.m. Derick Freese Dork

    Don't bother with any Android that's not 2.2.

    In my opinion, the iPhone is the phone you buy when you want something that works pretty well and you're okay with paying for apps and don't particularly want to do any homebrew. I know you can jailbreak them, but without doing that, the iPhone is pretty locked down.

    In the other camp, the Android is a *nix based OS and is really geared towards the guy that wants to hack his phone.

    I have a Palm Pre. It's been EOL by the carriers, but it's a good phone with a great online community. I have a lot of things running on my phone that shouldn't be. I don't pay for wifi tethering, and have yet to spend a cent on any app.

  • sachilles

    Jan. 10, 2011 8:36 a.m. sachilles Dork

    Just curious, why would you pay for wifi tethering, or why in general you would tether to wifi, I'd think your computer would already have wifi. Or do you mean you don't pay for tethering to the cell phone carriers network?

  • BoxheadTim

    Jan. 10, 2011 8:44 a.m. BoxheadTim SuperDork

    The idea with tethering is that you connect your laptop to your phone via wifi and use the carrier's network to access the internet. Oddly enough, they normally don't like that too much.

  • sachilles

    Jan. 10, 2011 9:06 a.m. sachilles Dork

    ah, I knew what the concept of tethering was. I just didn't think people connect to their phone via wifi, and then to the wireless network through the phone. Figured they'd just use a usb cable to the phone.

    Tethering isn't one of my goals. So it's a non issue.

    I'm leaning towards android, as I'm a little bit more of a tinkerer. Looking at the free apps on the android market, there are few I know my wife will like, and some I will like. Probably on the apple too, but I didn't see them right off.

  • sachilles

    Jan. 10, 2011 10:25 a.m. sachilles Dork

    I went with the motorola bravo. My only regret is that it is a micro usb, and I have a house full of mini usb connectors.

  • jrw1621

    Jan. 10, 2011 10:41 a.m. jrw1621 SuperDork

    Mini usb is now old. The new standard is micro usb.

  • pinchvalve

    Jan. 10, 2011 10:55 a.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

    iPhone 4 guy here. I agree that with the iPhone you are tied to Apple, but last night I was scanning codes from a magazine and then streaming the HD video to my television (using Apple TV) and using the phone as a remote-control as well. For me, everything just works so well, and is so intuitive because everything has to fit a common standard. I have had nothing but problems with open-source things because anyone can make stuff, it opens the door to all kinds of problems and bugs.

    As for car stuff, VW offers GTi racing for free that is an awesome race game. I also like Theodolite, although I have yet to find a practical application for it. I have used some HUD speedometer apps, g-tac, dashboard (see how fast you are going from the back seat!) and AAA apps. We also have a cool available parking spot app for Pittsburgh. And of course, navigation apps such as Tom Tom. Awesome when you travel and find yourself in a pinch.

  • JThw8

    Jan. 10, 2011 12:04 p.m. JThw8 SuperDork

    One more car related app that I cant quite bring myself to spring for yet on the iPhone and is brand specific but the new app for the Smart car is cool. The app itself isnt expensive but the $300 +$100 installation for the integration kit to the car is killing it for me. But it essentially turns your iphone + stereo into a multifunction unit for the smart including GPS (subcription based) and handsfree calling.

 
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