We all like to do several things with our smartphones and this differs from person to person. But once we find a solution that works for us do we continue to look for a better solution? Should we?
Is there a better GPS solution / Twitter client / etc than we currently have? How do we know we have the best solution?
For my part I know that once I have something I don’t really look for an alternative until I find a need my current system doesn’t satisfy. For example I use Documents To Go and like it but I’ve never even tried QuickOfiice. Perhaps I’m missing a serious trick here?
I think I’m a bit like you. I hunt around for the best solution at the time and then settle on that choice. Once I’ve made the choice, I rarely go looking for something else in the same niche.
For example, I evaluated both DateBook3 and Agendus on PalmOS before plumping for Agendus and never looked at DateBook or other PIM again.
The exception might be if I start hearing rave reviews about another product. As an example, I used to be a Kinoma user for video but then Coreplayer came out with loads more codecs and I jumped ship.
Andrew
I tend to look even though I have a good solution. I have done it for years with note managers (like EverNote) and finally settled on Awesome Note- this feels like the app I have been looking for for years.
I always found Agendus to be better for my needs than DateBk3 by the way.
I am never happy. Always looking for something better for the sake of it I think!
When I change OS’s I start the hunt for the best app to do such and such. I think for my last Windows phone I ended up buying two different agenda solutions, and I tried all of them… None of them quite hit the spot though! I always start out promising myself I’m going to keep it simple, and try and leave my device as “clean” as possible to try and keep it as stable as possible. But before I know it I find myself thinking, “What I pity I can’t see a few tasks when I open my agenda.” And from there starts the quest, and on the way I invariably bump into all sorts of other great wee apps, reviews and recommendations I just have to try.
My first reaction? “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
For some functions, there us a huge investment in setting up data. There really needs to be a compelling reason to move.
I only look at the new release software or when a current piece of software has a major update. The problem is many times, we are required to buy a piece of software based upon screenshots; only to find out that the software does not fit our needs. I have a lot of software that does the same thing because of this. If you are a developer reading this that has a trial on your software, then thank you very much. If not, offer a trial. I have bought some really bad software because of screenshots.
Usability should be number one for each one of us. What is the point of buying software that will end up as rubbish. I think that good software should be more than 4.95 or 99 cents, whatever. Look at the top applications out there; they are usually expensive. Most of them are that way for a reason. Ascendo Money is a great example of this. It is the best finance software for the blackberry, period! There are others that I own. Yes it is expensive. Yes they offer a trial. Just great stuff in my opinion. The usability of this program though is wonderful. It can do almost anything I throw at it. Programs should have usability and functionality in the forefront, not just being pretty.
The sad thing about it all is that most developers are just out there to make a quick buck instead of offering a good, solid, stable application. We all try applications from time to time because our curiousity gets the better of us. Think about all the software that you have bought over your life. I will be willing to bet you that it was not all bought at the same time or that it was not all out at the same time. So, we all do try different things.