[Venue Pro General] alodar1:
I'm really unclear about the confusion around customization of windows phone. Windows phone released at the end of September in 2010. The ins and outs, goods and bads are well documented. Side by side, windows phone and android do not compare in the are area of customization. If extreme customization is what you want, run out and grab a Lego android phone and hack away. But buyer beware.

As I mentioned , all the goods on windows phone have been spilled. Personally, things liked locked/unlocked boot loaders, rooting, sideloading , etc, are of no interest to me. I'm sure there are many reputable reasons for people to follow these angles, and its not for me to judge. But, a quick look at any android support community leaves a lasting impression, to me, of hacking so they don't have to pay for an app, or a gimmick to bypass something, or how to run Netflix without a license. My opinion only. Android customization community is degrading , my opinion only, into a parts warehouse, where great successes are becoming rare. My opinion only.

The 710 and the radar are low end phones, hardware wise. In my opinion neither are worth the 2 year contract, unless texting, email and Facebook are the limits of your productivity. Lots of people overpay for high end hardware when a lesser model would be fine.

For me, my phone has moved well up in high tech usage list. My tablet has replaced my laptop probably 75% of the time. My laptop gathers dust. When win tabs come out, I'm sure my laptop will be history.

Again, there are lots of recommends in this thread and in this and other forums. Spend some time reading and asking questions, like you did here. Visit stores, hold phones, look at sizes and weights...take the time. A really great example of comparison I the recent motorola releases of razor and razor maxx. They were released about 5 weeks apart. They are virtually the same phone, with 1 glaring exception. The maxx has a battery twice the power of the razor. Though the look, feel , dimensions, and software are virtually identical, the size of the battery brings the added weight of a few more grams. That added weight adds to the feel of the phone. The maxx feels more balanced in your hand, and therefore more attractive. You could not know this without holding it.

The problem right now is, medium to high end phones cost a lot of money. If you bypass the chance to touch them, your dissatisfaction can become very high, very quick. The razor maxx lists for over $700, with a $350 termination fee and a minimum of a $30 / month data plan required. Medium to high end = expensive.

I want to clarify my statement about android. Its a very good operating system. It just works...along with the same caveats you give any thing else. My 'choice ' is to move away. My current phone is a Droid bionic. I do not dislike it. My current tablet is a motorola Xoom. I love it. My key beef with android is, its every bit as deceptive as windows and apple are. There are lots of things you can do with Android. But there are lots of things you can't do. Just like windows and apple. You pick your poison where ya can. I tried android phones and tablets. I'll be moving away from the phones soon....and tablets...end of the year.

Beware the praise of any phone...nexus this, lumia that, pent bands and tribands, pen tile and amoled screens whatever. The number of bands are important, only if you use them. The type of screen is important depending on your situation, your eyesight and what you view on a phone. Make your own list of important things based on your research..and keep your own company.

---------- Post added at 12:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:41 PM ----------

Holy crap.....I apologize...didn't realize that post was so long....Go Giants!!!!