[General Questions and Answers] pfdeadpool:
Looking for a hard working smartphone with a strong userbase

Figured I'd follow the Tomshardware computer building post format since it's so easy:

Approximate Purchase Date: 1 week-3 months

Budget Range: <$300 (if it's exceptional maybe a bit more, prefer to keep it on the low side of $1-200 though, something that can be lost/stolen/broken without tears)

System Usage from Most to Least Important:

1) Mobile Internet browsing, Radio streaming in car, GPS, price checking, email etc.

2) Computer styled usage (some document editing, media player, etc.)

3) Phone/text (not very important, but necessary to have)

What carrier/plan you plan to use: T Mobile, $30/month for 100 minutes, "Unlimited" data/text

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: no real preference. Prefer to buy used/cheap when possible. eBay, craigslist, etc.

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Parts Preferences: no preference really. Don't like Nokia for some reason, don't like Apple, that's about all of my discrimination. Have familiarized myself a little with semi-current offerings- Galaxy SII/Note II, Nexus 4, Xperia Z, HTC One etc.

Customization: yes. I'd like something with a strong user base that I can follow. I'm interested in software modifications/customization etc. I can follow directions well, but am by no means gifted with technology.

Additional Comments:

-I want something which is as close to a mobile PC/netbook as I can get (reasonably).

-I really want a large screen (4.5"+) for internet browsing & GPS in the car etc.

-I don't really care about the "phone" qualities (I don't frequently talk/text etc.)

-I don't care about "bling" quality or having something trendy. It's fine if it's a few years old etc.

-I'd prefer a long lasting battery if it's possible.

-I'd prefer to keep weight and thickness down, but if a great phone is heavy that's fine.

-A quality camera would be convenient (if it is better than a simple point & shoot)

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Haven't had a cellphone in 5+ years, finally decided the convenience was worth it. I haven't been paying attention to phone offerings so need a quick orientation of which community to look for more answers in.

TL;DR: I'm a student looking for a utilitarian smart phone. I'll be using it mostly as if it was a netbook, not as a phone/text messager. I don't want something to use to constantly check my facebook/have a pissing contest with my peers. I'd like a big screen, long battery, low cost, and strong user base. It's not the end of the world if it's big and heavy, I'll mostly be storing it in a backpack/car etc. I'm thinking something Android-based at the moment. If you can point me in a direction where I can find more useful information, or similar-minded users I'd appreciate it (have been checking some of the Android forums but don't know which are good). The cherry on top would be if it was waterproof/indestructible or had some other unique properties; I'll happily settle with having a ~$200 phone that may get lost/stolen/broken:)

Thanks; XDA has been helping me keep my iPAQ hx2755 up-to-date for the last few years. Look forward to a similar experience finding/improvising a phone. Basically I'm looking for a phone version of the iPAQ: something extremely utilitarian, and more oriented towards business users than social networking. I'd love to pick up something that was top of the line & cutting edge a couple years ago and can now be had for cheap. All the phones I've been looking at seem to be very similar, I'm looking for one that stands out, but don't know where to begin.