Making the switch......trying to figure it out

[somewhathip]

hi all,

my choices are Samsung GS III or an iPhone 5 or whatever they call it.

this is a list of what i use hardware/software - wise:
PC - dell vostro laptop
Windows 7
Outlook 2010 for calendar & contacts
iTunes - ipod user
web mail -5 different accounts between gmail and yahoo
Blackberry Curve (old OS)

with the end in mind, i want to get to one mobile device, obviously my laptop at home. Usage is mostly personal though calendar/contacts will include business. i want to be able to access & update: calendar/contacts/tasks from either laptop or phone. i don't want to be locked into apple's icloud if i start with an iPhone and later move to an Android based device. i am considering using google in that regard. I really like Outlook but i don't believe it can update like cloud services can.

i won't be moving to an apple computer at least that i can see in the foreseeable future. so, are there any hardware/software issues i need to be aware of moving to an iPhone with my current setup in order to move to one mobile device?
TIA

 

[KevinJS]

Any and all iDevices will interact with iTunes on your Dell without any issues. You don't need an Apple computer.

 

[seneca18]

You really need to decide what kind of features you are looking for in a phone. Either way it will be a huge change for you coming from the BB Curve, both will take some getting used to. We can only speculate on absolute features of the iPhone 5, although IOS 6 is in full beta now and I imagine there will not be many surprises when it comes to the software of this phone. The boss over at Foxconn was quoted as saying "the new iPhone will put the SIII to shame". Take that for what it is worth. The SIII is an amazing phone so the decision will come down to your needs and wants.

 

[Thomasjtsi]

My suggestion... go to your wireless providers corporate store (much better to business w/ a corporate store than an "Autorized Retailer" like Wal-Mart) and check both devices out. I know that the next gen iPhone isn't out yet. However, the UI of iOS 5 & iOS 6 will be the same. Of course there will be some little snippy upgrades to iOS 6 but, you can get a feel for which you like better. I do believe the the SG3 comes factory w/ the latest Android OS... Ice Cream Sandwich. I do hear that it's quite a bit smoother than it's previous counterpart. So, check em both out and see what you think. Let us know your opinions.

 

[chunky]

First dump windows and go iMac......lol.

Exciting times ahead for you !