In the age of smart phones, I am way behind the times. I have been sharing a scuffed-up, pink, ten dollar Motorola Tracfone with my sweetheart since 2008, with no desire for more. I’ve never had a phone plan, and never really thought that a smart phone would tempt me. I love open source gadgetry, but a nice laptop was enough to fulfill my techie needs.

That is, until my last trip to a certain blue-and-yellow box store. I was looking for headphones, but somehow I landed me in the phone section, talking at length with an enthusiastic saleslady about Android, its apps and how much she loves her new Droid. And now… I kind of love it too. I left with a pamphlet about Android, no headphones, and a dilemma: to upgrade, or not to upgrade?

I admit, before this I felt kind of smug in being one of the few Americans without a wireless plan—a tiny elite not glued to a dumb phone with a horrible ring tone. But now, I am seriously considering the lifestyle change. I have a job that requires more phone time, but I don’t absolutely, positively need a new phone. Yet consider Android: an open source mobile operating system, highly compatible with Google and all of its goodies, movies, music and games. Enough apps for anyone’s needs, plus the capacity to make your own. And you can even make phone calls with it! Whether or not I do end up with one, I am glad to see Android OS on the market.

As for me, I am still stuck between wants and needs. Usually when I am having these internal battles, the compulsion goes away with time, so I am going to wait for this to settle before running out and signing up. But in the meantime, I would welcome feedback on this little situation from anyone who reads this. I could use some help in deciding what to do…