I just acquired an entry-level Android phone. It's a Virgin Mobile Optimus V. Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint Network. The Sprint coverage isn't nearly as good as Verizon, but I think the coverage should work for me most of the time. $200 for the phone and only $25/month for 300 minutes and unlimited data/Internet. What a deal!

This phone is cool! It has can do almost anything. "Free" GPS applications are available for driving, and hiking. Want to find the nearest store, restaurant, or gas station? Poynt or Where will find them for you. I downloaded a bar code scanner ShoySavvy;  scan a bar code it gets prices from on-line and local stores. Wireless hotspot apps are available I use QuickSettings. Now I don’t need to pay exorbitant hotel internet fees. And best of all, I now have access to my email wherever I go. I set up all my email accounts to forward to a Gmail IMAP account. My phone syncs with Gmail and notifies me whenever I get a new email. Since it's IMAP, it stores my email even after I read it. It doesn't disturb my other email accounts in any way and Gmail IMAP is a teriffic way to keep a back up of all my email. I also have my phone set up to sync with my Gmail contacts and calendars. In my last job we used Lotus Notes. I found an app, CalSync, that would sync my Lotus Notes calendar with my Google calendar. That enabled my phone to remind me of all my work appointments and events.

The only thing I don't like about my phone is the touch-screen keyboard. The keys are just too small but there are a number of free keyboard apps that I will be checking out. I'm confident the keyboard situation can be remedied.

Most applications come from the Android Marketplace. The Android Marketplace is huge and contains thousands and thousands of apps, most are free or of little cost. If I ever need my phone to do anything it doesn't already do, I know where to look. There is one app I haven't been able to find. I haven't found the app that will enable my phone to do the dishes. Yet.