For some reaon I am am not somebody who enjoys change. Years ago when I studied to be a Psychologist we were taught - "The only constant is change" We were also taught to examine our own resistance to change as a way of understanding both ourselves, and the clients we were training to help.

Despite this now ingrained habit to examine my own resistance, I resisted the smartphone revolution most vehemently. Two years ago I took an downgrade to a simpler phone instead of an upgrade to a smart one. I have despised smartphones as wannabee computers. I resisted getting the DT (see Motorola Razr: Setup contacts (and the youtube problem)) and nearly took it back after the first few hours.

Now,  a week into me smartphone experiment, I may have to admiit that change can be good. Not that I am comfortable with this yet, but I am getting an inkling of why people get so excited about Android and their smartphones (grumble, grumble, I might even say something nice about the iPhone).

One thing that did peeve me was that the version of Android on the phone, was the one it shipped with in Oct 2011, that is Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread). What that meant was that almost out the box the phone wanted me to upgrade the OS to 2.3.6, an update of almost 200Mb. Except for the irritation factor I could see more changes on the horizon.

I managed the upgrade this weekend over the wireless at a friends house. Motorola recommends this be done with the phone on charge, but I managed with a fully charged battery. The update took a little over 40 minutes and the phone restarted without problems.

Yes there were visible changes. The unlock screen is different and you now have to move your finger to the right to unlock the phone -  to the left before. The Home screen is the same but the icons are prettier. On the menu button the items are moved around and the settings button is now on the left instead of the right. I must admit that these two changes presented me with a challenge as I had only just learnt it one way so it took a bit of concentration. I kept hitting the wrong keys. I think there are new settings on some items, but can't say for sure as I had not explored everywhere before.

I am at that stage in learning the phone that I am competent enough to do basic things and not muck up, be not yet competent enough to change settings or even use the browser. It took me 15 minutes to figure out how to open a link sent to me in a text message and I got lost in the apps screens on Saturday stuck in "downloads" and unable to figure out how to go back to "all Apps" (tap the "Downloaded" text  at top left to bring up the menu. I kept holding my finger there).

Coincidentally, an friend on mine from Cape Town came past on Sunday and was excited to show me his new Samsung S II. We have been mates for 35 years and he is one of the least tech savvy people I know (he's a farmer). Despite this he has taken the plunge and, like me, is mastering the technology despite the fact that he took a hammer to his computer last week because it wouldn't work. Pity the phone if it gives him trouble.

Next I will have to navigate the changes of the looming Ice Cream Sandwich update.

So maybe change is good

For the latest on Ice Cream Sandwich read -  Motorola Razr and the ICS rollout