VIR patriot course tomorrow

I will be at VIR patriot course tomorrow at 7:30 AM or so, helping the DGTrials.com crew and lookout drift put on an event. If you've got some tires to burn come and drift!

usdrift.com

Back! Smartphone debate

I've been to the ATT and Verizon stores a total of 5 times over the last 3 days, and probably hit their website 50 times each as well.

I really cannot decide what to do. I've had my verizon number for 10 years, and its still a 203. Part of me really wants to go to a local 919 number anyway. However, I digress, the main issue is, I want a smartphone.



The main issue is: Crappy phones and goodnetwork? or Great phone and crappy network?

• Verizon's network covers the country pretty dang well, I've never really had any coverage problems, its reliable and just works. At the same time, their customer service and in-store people are generally kind of arrogant and its a turn off. Grade A-
  

• ATT, well the only reason I even lean to ATT is for the iphone, the interface for that is great, and as an Apple user, it just integrates everything together for me much better than the Blackberry which is very windows centric. Not to mention VPN works for the iphone. Apple customer service is awesome, but coverage is suspect. Also, I'd have to get more minutes as most people I know are on the Verizon network (at least from up north) and I can talk to them for free, but not so much if I switch to ATT. Grade C+
  

On to the phones:

• I've played with the Blackberry curve, and its 'ok', the added functionality is great over a regular phone, the physical keyboard is nice, but I hate the scroll wheel, I feel like i'm stuck in 1999. Grade B-
  

• The Blackberry storm is awesome on paper, but the execution stinks. Even with the newer firmware update its janky and feels like a beta phone, not a finished product. Grade C-

• Iphone. It's pretty much everything I want, plus a bunch of things I don't know I want. If it were on the Verizon network I would've bought one 2 years ago. Now with the rumor of ATT extended its exclusivity I'm thinking it might be time to jump ship. The fact that is has an ipod with movie capabilities is great, as I'm on a 4 year old ipod nano. Also, both my cars have ipod interfaces and i've got a mac. VPN works on this no problem, and it also syncs contacts with Zimbra. Once the new 3.0 firmware comes out this is a slamdunk A+, for now A- with no portrait typing, picture msging etc.

It seems as though I get A- network with a B- phone, or a C+ network with a A+ phone. Comments are welcome