Stylus appears to be an antenna extender, too; and it is stored in the sock-type case. I really like the phone a lot so far. I have an iPod touch and this is definitely comparable. I like the two batteries (hitting right at the iPhone on that one…) and removeable micro SD. iPod/Phones are no use on Linux unless you jailbreak and do all sorts of other stuff; obviously iPhone doesn't work on Sprint, either, though.

Just wanted to give the Linux perspective. I'd say this is the best iPhone option for a Linux user, and maybe for just about anyone – batteries and removeable media are a big deal to me; apps & iTunes aren't as much.

Samsung Instinct: Sprint Media Manager

After a little searching around, I found it!!! Go here to get the Instinct’s Media Manager software… The story is complete. Sorry Apple, I love my Instinct!

http://www4.sprint.com/pcsbusiness/support/downloads/index.jsp?internalId=downloads

Impressed: I like the phones elegant feel, look and touch screen as well as its menus. It’s slim enough to fit into the top pocket of my scrubs without weighing it down heavily. I also like the ployphonic alarms, GPS program, email functions, favorite set-ups and dual ability to transmit media player audio thru 1/4″ headphone jack as well as Bluetooth. The ergonomic (for me) landscape QWERTY touch screen keyboard which took about ten to fifteen texts for me to get used to is tight also. A few modifications could be made but not a major deal. Eg. the L/R, up/down arrows are on a sub screen so if you misspell then it takes two extra actions to correct a misspelling… one touch to get to the arrows and one to get out. Also the next screen button is too close to the backspace button so sometimes when you want to backspace you go to the next screen instead. My workaround for this is to use the illuminated backscreen arrow located below the phones “Sprint” logo and to the right of the illuminated “home” menu button. Its use provides for a faster text correction of you haven’t passed the misspelled word already. Oh, and get used to the screen defaulting to the portrait position after you’ve typed your text and read the confirmation screen to send the text 90 degrees off… I had to. Love the added ability to use the scribble pad option for entering text… but nowhere to park the stylus guys! DUUUUUUUUHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! You don’t reaaaaaly want us to use it… just to show off the fact that you could create it, right? Lot of other cool junk on it. Web browser is sweet

Distressed: Not too much here, could use a function for locking out photos, email, videos, texts and etc., on a selectable basis rather than just locking the whole phone out. Games/apps… VERY limited in what’s available. Some tv programs (I watch MSNBC and FOX News) video resolution is poor and blocky. History Channel is very good however. One BIGGIE. THEY INCLUDE A DATA CABLE BUT THE BEST USE FOR THIS DISC IS AS A COLD DRINK COASTER!!!!!!!!!

BIGGIE: VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS FEATURE. MY PREVIOUS PHONE WAS A V3XX AND I’M USED TO TETHERING MY PHONE AND SYNCING/UPLOADING DATA. THE SOFTWARE DISC INCLUDED WITH THE INSTINCT IS NONFUNCTIONAL. POP IT IN AND THE “INSTALL” BUTTON WON’T ENGAGE. SO HOW DO YOU USE THAT TWO FOOT WASTE OF WIRE AND VINYL CALLED A DATA CABLE? LIKE THIS (AND I’VE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO TROULBESHOOT TRANSFERRING MP3 FILES, SO IF ANYONE HAS CREACKED THE CODE FOR TRANSFER OF OTHER TYPES OF DATA… HIT ME UP. I HAVE WIN. XP SP2

MP3 TRANFER:

1. CONNECT THE DATA CABLE TO YOUR PHONE AND THE OTHER END TO YOUR COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER SHOULD ASK FOR THE LOCATION OF THE FILES IT CANT FIND. INSERT THE “COLD DRINK COASTER”… THE SOFTWARE CD INCLUDED WITH YOUR PHONE. DIRECT THE FILE SEARCH REQUEST FOR THE FILE NOT FOUND TO THE FOLDER AND MATCHING FILE ON THE DISC. DOUBLE CLICK.
- CONTINUE THIS PROCESS FOR EACH FILE THE COMPUTER SAYS IT CAN’T FIND.
2. ONCE FULLY LOADED THE COMPUTER SHOULD POP UP A MESSAGE SAYING THAT THE HARDWARE IS READY TO USE.
3. IF YOU HAVE MP3 FILES YOU WANT TO TRANSFER TO THE PHONE THEN GO TO “MY COMPUTER” ON YOUR DESKTOP AND OPEN IT > REMOVABLE DISC E > MUSIC > CACHE. MANUALLY COPY YOUR MP3 FILES TO THE CACHE FOLDER. ONCE COMPLETE, CLOSE THE WINDOW AND DISCONNECT THE DATA CABLE.
4. ON YOUR PHONE OPEN THE MUSIC PLAYER UNDER YOUR “FUN” MENU. YOU SHOULD GET A MESSAGE “SCANNING CARD” AND THEN A SCREEN “MY MUSIC” WITH THE CATEGORIZATION OF MUSIC YOU LOADED.

5. IF WITHIN 30 DAYS OF BUYING YOUR PHONE THIS PROCESS FRUSTRATES YOU AND SAMSUNG HASN’T UPDATED IT’S SOFTWARE TO EXPEDITE THIS PROCESS AND OTHER DATA TRANSFER ISSUES… YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO…

RETURN THE PHONE AND PURCHASE AN IPHONE. THEY HAVE 25 DAYS LEFT UNTIL IT’S FIXED.

AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS THE DISC THAT WAS FAULTY BUT WHEN I GOT A REPLACEMENT DISC AND TRIED IT… NO LUCK.

So those are my thoughts on the Instinct. If I run across more, I’ll post it.

I’ll believe it when I see it.

I’d love to play around with it — but I don’t think it would become my main phone unless they’d let me put it on my Sprint SERO $30/mo plan.