Samsung Galaxy S 3 First Impressions

Continuing with my series of first impressions reviews of the devices I purchase, I present the Samsung Galaxy S 3.  I had actually ordered this phone several months ago and scored it while Verizon was still offering to grandfather in unlimited data plans.  And so far I've been generally happy with this new device.  Success measured by how many coworkers bought a Galaxy S 3, especially after having recently "upgraded" to something else.

Hardware

My previous exposure to Android powered phones was the Motorola Droid.  With an ARM Cortex A8 processor and 16 GB memory, it was definitely not a slouch in the hardware department when it came out.  This phone had a processor and memory that challenged the capabilities of my first desktop computer in college.  The Samsung Galaxy S 3 posts numbers better than twice as high as the OG Droid.  Memory is expandable to 64 GB and the form factor is nearly an inch larger on the diagonal.

Software

Two versions of Android later, the difference is noticeable.  Also noticeable is the change from Motoblur to Samsung TouchWiz.  Having never seen pure Android UI I can only make the comparison from one manufacturer's interface to another.  Google has built in and standardized a great deal of functionality into the operating system while allowing manufacturers ample leeway to differentiate their product; not always for the better.
I don't like most of Samsung's software on this phone.
The saving grace is that, under Android 4 and above, you the user can disable any application you want, including most of Samsung's proprietary code.  In fact I've done this with many apps, killing the original calendar, music players, and S Voice, along with some other bloatware.  Sorry Amazon Kindle app and Facebook; you're gone.  Fortunately, as an Android phone, the Galaxy has full access to the Google Play Store, where I was easily able to replace and expand the phone's built-in software.

Final word

While I like the Samsung Galaxy S 3, even as a replacement to the Motorola Droid, it has some issues but is still a guaranteed upgrade.

Chromebook Second Impressions

Next verse, much like the first. I am still impressed by the hardware Samsung put into the Series 5. The wireless antennas, both cellular and wifi, are quick to connect and hold a strong signal. The screen is bright and easy to read. The worst feature of the hardware, and it's going to sound a bit weird, is the keyboard is too big. No really. I've gotten used to typing on the Motorola Droid on-screen keyboard. The Samsung Chromebook keyboard is agoraphobia-inducing. It's expansive and the keys feel like they're too far apart. I know, quirky little nitpick.

I like the software, too. Android is a great operating system for the type of hardware it's installed on and for using a lot of cloud services and Chrome does the same thing for bigger systems. It's fun to pick the differences between Chrome the web browser and Chrome the operating system. It's great code.

Chromebook First Impressions

I had asked to be a part of Google's early Chromebook preview, the Cr-48 netbook. I wasn't accepted for the program because I'm not a tech blogger. Obviously. I was granted an invitation-only special offer of a Samsung Series 5 Chrome notebook which was available even before the Amazon preorders. This is the first of a series of posts about the Samsung Series 5 I received.

Shiniest slab in the 'verse