HTC Hero Review

So I've had the phone for a week now and am just now getting a chance to post this. With everything else going on it's been hard to find time. This isn't all-inclusive or massively technical, just my impression and experience.
Form factor: The Hero doesn't exactly stand out from the crowd at first glance. It's a bit bigger than a deck of cards with rounded corners and a flush screen. At the bottom is a brushed aluminum plate with 6 physical keys and a trackball. (The keyboard is on screen, but we'll get into that in a sec.) The phone feels solid and light and the back is textured in a way that prevents it from just sliding out of your hand. That's also where you'll find the grill for the speakerphone and the camera lens. The left side sports a rocker arm for volume control and at the top is a standard headphone jack for enjoying your tunes, with the USB at the bottom. Gripe alert: The USB cable plugs into a wall adapter for home charging and the wall connector comes out at the slightest provocation, so be gentle! After having a ATT Quickfire (nicknamed the Brick) I sometimes panic when I can't tell if my phone is in my pocket because it's so thin.
Using the phone: HTC launched a new user interface called "Sense" with the Hero that allows you to customize not just three but seven screens with all your app widgets and such. At first this can be a bit overwhelming but once you have things organized and sorted the way you want, it's pretty handy. Just swipe your finger left or right to change screens. Along with that comes the "Scenes" feature with different themes for different situations: Work, Play, Social, Travel, HTC and Clean Slate. While cool, I found it was easier to just organize all my shortcuts on a custom screen with my productivity stuff in one direction and social/entertainment in another.
The keyboard is virtual, which is a first for me. In portrait mode, it's pretty cramped, but I can usually get the job done, and when I switch the phone to landscape the accelerometer kicks in and the keyboard switches after a brief pause. More space to type, but the USB cable and headphones can get in the way when plugged in. In either mode the predictive text and spell check are intelligent, so I don't really feel the need to download a "better" keyboard.
The web browser is a bit sluggish, but not intolerable. To be honest, I don't really use it all that much right now because of the apps I have downloaded. When I am, it's straightforward and easy to use.
Phonebook functions are great, adding contacts is a breeze and you can even pull info from your friend's facebook page and add it into the entry. I love that.
There are a couple downsides to this phone: at the moment the apps can only be stored to the phones small internal memory, which slows it down. Granted, there is a way to fix that, but I' really not savvy enough to do that.
Battery life is short and you have to constantly manage your power with an app that shuts down anything running in the background.
Other than that, the phone is great. I'm really happy with it so far.

Fighting the Good Fight

Sometimes I forget that I'm only a man and try and fight it all alone, which is a mistake. I think I can handle it, ignoring the support from the corner but quickly find myself overwhelmed and on the ropes; bloodied and bruised form a much tougher and merciless opponent. Just when I've got nothing left and the knockout punch is winding up, remember that I'm not alone.
As soon as I cry out for help He's there, healing the bruises and easing the pain. I don't always get exactly what I want, but I do get exactly what I need. When the bell rings again I come out swinging with a steeled resolve, renewed strength and more focused sense of purpose. Driven by my commitment and devotion to those I love, I fight on while heeding the voice of the Master. With His support I can conger any challenge, defeat any opponent as long as I put my trust in Him and work hard.

Moving to "The Now Network"

Our cell contract with ATT&T is up in a week and my wife and I have spent the past several months researching and deciding on the best network to switch because we knew we were getting hosed. $130 per month is too much to pay for two phones that share 700 anytime minutes and unlimited texting. My wife also currently has a Samsung BlackJack II, an older generation smart phone and they charge $70 just because of that. No internet or GPS.
After an extensive evaluation of the available networks we decided to go with Sprint because overall, it's the best value. Two smart phones with unlimited access to web browsing, GPS and data, MMS (text, picture and video messaging) and other amenities. Along with that is unlimited mobile-to-mobile and 1500 anytime non-mobile minutes for about $20 less per month with the standard night and weekends free, but nights start at 7PM. And this is before my awesome corporate discount for working where I do.
I'm really looking forward to having a web-enabled phone again so I can read the news, check weather reports, etc as these will be our only internet access at home for a while. But what really excites me is the smart phones we've decided to purchase.
I've opted for the HTC Hero and my wife, the Samsung Moment. Both run on the brand-spanking new Android 2.1 operating system. In a nutshell, it's a system designed for customization by anyone who has the knowledge to program it, and it doesn't sound all that complicated to learn. On top of that it offers the Android App Market, where you can download thousands of free applications that do everything from update your Twitter status to stock forecasts and more. Like the iPhone with a growing number of applications in the library. Essentially, it turns your phone into a versatile extension of your home life. Like a Leatherman multi-tool, only you get to select the tools on it and swap them out as needed.
My wife for example, would probably download a few applications for viewing her Facebook page, playing games, some themed wallpapers and viewing Microsoft Office documents such as spreadsheets, Powerpoint slides, etc. Most of the productivity tools would be used for school assignments.
For myself, on the other hand, there are much more ambitious plans. First will be a some hefty security features to help me recover my lost/stolen phone, an updated web browser, improved GPS via Google Maps, a barcode scanner coupled with an application that searches popular online websites and stores to find you the best price for any desired product. (How cool is that?!) Then you can get the address and turn-by turn directions to the place all with a few simple clicks. Web radio, a possible Picasa app and maybe a game or two. Finally, I'm hoping to get the full standard works scriptures (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price) as well as other church material. It may not be an app yet, but I can at least get them as text documents.
Why all the fancy-shmacy gadgets, you ask? First of all is productivity. While going to school full-time it will be imperative that I be able to keep in contact with classmates, look up assignments online while not in class, study effectively and manage time wisely. Most phones now have the capability to accommodate that, but these applications make it much easier to streamline and integrate into my already technology-heavy lifestyle.
Second argument is flexibility. As my school needs and job prospects change I need to have a phone that's as versatile as I am.
Finally, it's just plain cool!
I'm getting the phone next weekend and will post my review as soon as I get a chance.