James D Clarke

I've spent the past 2 weeks struggling with the pros and cons for the Apple iPhone 3GS and the Google/HTC Nexus as I'm overdue an upgrade!

I've finally decided on the iPhone 3GS - I wrote down some of my reasoning to help me make my decision.

iPhone

Pro: Tons of apps, always the first platform people will develop for and many of the services/website I use already have iPhone apps, only a few have Android apps.

Pro: HUGE user-base so lots of free tech support and less bugs in general as the user base is demanding of fixes.

Pro: The ability to jailbreak an iPhone removes many of the limitations.

Pro: True multitasking achieved if jailbroken.

Pro: Buying it on a contract means you can get handset insurance with your operator - it's £12 on Orange (twice the cost of normal insuarance!) which is a little steep, but over the past 10 years I've needed to claim 3 times, so I think it's worth having.

Pro: It's already a great phone - they can't make subsequent models *that* much better!?

Pro: Free wi-fi from any BT Openzone hotspot in the UK - almost means you won't need to rely on 3G in city centres etc.

Pro: I can get a 3GS for £89 on a 24 month contact for £35 per month with 600 mins, 500 texts and 'unlimited' (750mb) data. (Total monthly bill is £47 with insurance).

Pro: The touch keyboard is reputed to be better/less cramped than the Nexus and I have BIG fingers!

Pro: It has multi-touch (when you pinch the screen to zoom in/out) and the Nexus doesn't.

Con: Without jailbreaking multitasking is limited to 2 Apple apps running at any one time and 1 3rd party apps - from what I've been told.

Con: You're one of 'those people'!

Con: The new model will be out in June and will super-seed the 3GS leaving you feeling somewhat inadequate. (Phone envy is a horrible thing!).

Con: You're tied to a long-term contract.

Nexus One

Pro: It's not an iPhone!

Pro: Android can do some clever things, including true multitasking.

Pro: The phone is more powerful than the 3GS (but will you really notice this?)

Pro: You're not one of 'those people'!

Pro: Multiple homescreens can be very useful (iPhone only has 1).

Pro: Google's apps are integrated better with Android than with the iPhone - some features are lacking in the iPhone.

Pro: I love Google and use lots of their products, A LOT!

Con: The price - £330 is a lot of money, regardless of whether it's sim-free. You'll probably need to sign a long-term contract to get a decent mins/text/data plan?

Con: If it breaks - will you have to ship it back to the USA to be fixed? How long will this take? What will it cost? Can you survive for weeks on end without this type of device having come to rely on it whilst it's being repaired?

Con: Even if you get separate handset insurance you won't be able to get a next day replacement as you do with 'Orange Care' insurance.

Con: There are already major concerns in the US with the 3G - problems with the Nexus switching between 3G and 2G and not returning to 3G even if signal is available.

Con: Userbase is small and although a larger percent are very geeky, this means less general knowledge out there.

Con: Google are already being criticised for poor user support - HTC, Google and T-Mobile all seem to be sending users in the US to each other to sort out problems - will one of these companies take responsibility for user support?

In the end I've decided that whilst the iPhone isn't as exciting as the Nexus, is the safer option - it's tried and tested by millions of people. Whilst Android itself is brilliant (Steph has the HTC Hero and it's great), the jury is still out on the Nexus hardware, despite it's features being applauded. And whilst I could go for a HTC Hero or another Android phone (although the choice on Orange is limited) right now for what I need, what I want to pay and what is easily available, the iPhone seems like the best option.

I'm also keen to stay with Orange as I've been a customer for 10 years (which may entitle me to a loyalty discount!), plus the fact I have magic numbers (free calls to other nominated Orange users), 2 for 1 cinema tickets, and the best 3G coverage in the UK (if you believe them!).

....and for the record, yes I am a geek. And, yes I have spent WAY too much time thinking about this. It's only a phone.

To say I dislike reality TV would be an understatement. To say I dislike the musical variety of reality TV, things such as X-Factor would be a massive understatement.  However recently I stumbled upon Orange unsignedAct on T4, and my god it's good!

The show pits unsigned bands against each other in a 'battle of the bands' style show where celebrity musicians judge their performances and decide who goes through to the next round. The difference with this show is that the bands are real - they sing live, they play their own instruments, write their own songs, and have even played gigs before being on the telly (who'd have thought it)! It's been pretty inspiring watching it - I've felt genuinely excited watching the show - something I can't say about any other 'reality TV' I've ever had the misfortune of watching.

Tommy Reilly is 19 years old and from Glasgow., Scotland He looks like he could be the bastard child of Elvis Costello and The Proclaimers, minus the glasses. He looks completely unremarkable, but when he popped up on the show during the auditions and started playing I jumped up out of bed with a start. After his initial performance with just his acoustic guitar, audition judge Jo 'Radio One' Whiley told him she didn't think he was ready for the competition and to try again next year. Tommy said "ok thanks" and toddled off - no tears or strops a la X-Factor , afterall he's a musician doing what he does, not some little wannabe who's determined to be the next Kerry Katona. Within seconds of the door closing Jo Whiley and the other judge began whispering on the sofa, and before long realised their mistake. To their credit, they called Tommy back in and told him they thought they'd made a mistake, and were putting him through into the next round.

The judges for the next round were Alex James (the bass player from Blur), Lauren Laverne (ex-Kenickiea nd all-round good egg muso presenter), Simon Gavin (the usual industry type), and rapper Leathal Bizzle. After watching Tommy's performance (click on the image above to watch the video) all four judges gave him their vote - making him the only person on the show to get all four votes.

I listened to Tommy's demos on his Orange unsignedAct profile and they're okay, but they nothing compared to hi no-nonsense live performance of 'Give Me A Call' - they don't do his songs justice - watch the video and decide for yourself.

I hope Tommy wins the competition so that someone talented and real can come out on top of one of these competitions, however part of me fears for him, as winners of this type of competition usually get chewed up and spat out by the industry within 12 months. Maybe he's be better off coming second, signing to an indie label, and releasing a couple of records before a major snaps him up - it would be a real shame to see the raw nervous energy he has 'polished' by an A&R man and producer.

Only time will tell how Tommy gets on - but right now he's definitely one for the future, good luck son!