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via www.chompsms.com/main/changelog

This week, many Android users who forego the default SMS interface in favor of 3rd-party replacement ChompSMS were prompted to upgrade their installation via Android Market. The updated version of Chomp, dubbed 3.2, brought a couple of very visible – and mostly unpopular – changes to the interface.

The free app, which has been one of the Market’s most popular, introduced prominent ads into the Messages view and redesigned the pop-up Quick Reply notification box. Prior to 3.2, ads had been found only in the Settings screen of ChompSMS.

Reading the reviews on the Android Market gives one a very clear idea what users think of the new ads – and it’s not pretty. Many users have expressed strong feelings against the new ad placement as well as Chomp’s $3 suggested “donation” to remove the ads. The fee must be paid via PayPal, and a paid version is not available via the Android market. Posts on Chomp’s forums echo the concerns found in the market, with many users wondering how the app will “remember” their donation in the event of OS upgrades and other phone resets.

The other major change – in the appearance of the Quick Reply pop-up notification, has not seen nearly as much backlash. Chomp removed the “X” button in the upper right that closed the notification, requiring users to now press the back button to dismiss. Per the change log, the app’s developers feel the new “Quick Compose and Quick Reply features are now more widget like… Looks really nice.” That’s certainly up for debate, with the slick, smoky-glass appearance of the box being replaced by a much less appealing white and grey mixture.

In the wake of the changes, many users have claimed to be dumping Chomp altogether in favor of its competitor Handcent. I, for one, am really considering trying out Handcent before shelling out $3 for Chomp’s ad-free version. I know that, like everyone else, app developers have to make a living, and the thought of paying for a great program usually isn’t a detractor. But there’s just something about the way that Chomp handled this – pushing the update to its users with no warning and even insinuating in the changelog that the changes were “by popular demand” – that turns me off from supporting their app.

So far, I’m only a couple of weeks into my Android experience, and I’ve seen some big things during that short time, including the Droid getting the 2.1 update from Verizon, the rooting of the Droid Eris, and announcements of some great hardware and software advancements on the horizon. In fact, this is the first real disappointment I’ve had from the developer community. Let’s just hope that the good news continues to outweigh the bad.

Now that I’m in my second week of being an Android user (is it too soon to say “convert?”), I wanted to share my experience thus far: good, bad, and indifferent.

As a long-time BlackBerry user (and WinMo before that), I’m definitely one of those people who would have a hard time making it through the day without a smartphone. I thrive on instant access to email, Twitter, Facebook, and the web, both for business and leisure. When I’m out at the store, for example, and want to know what happened to musician Seal’s face, I just bring up Google search and satiate my craving for knowledge.

That said, the Verizon Droid Eris has done a good job of keeping me connected so far. The integrations with Facebook and Twitter built into HTC’s Sense UI provide subtle but useful functionality missing from the BlackBerry experience. In Android, viewing a phone book contact shows you not only their personal details, but their most recent social updates and communications logs including call, email, and SMS history. Another useful feature is HTC’s People widget, which adds a new dimension to speed dial by allowing you to call, text, or email a contact by tapping the according photo in a grid display.

When it comes to email, though, Android is forced to bow to RIM’s expertise. Push email works for GMail, but is limited to one account on Android 1.5. All other accounts must be refreshed at set intervals to pull emails. Not only does this slow down delivery, but it saps the Eris of already-precious battery life. I’ve found myself disabling the mail auto-refresh and manually checking my secondary accounts instead.

While I certainly miss the push email perfection of my ‘Berry, Android wins heartily in pretty much every other category. UI polish on Android blows BlackBerry out of the water both in form and function. Response time is quick, even on the Eris, one of the less impressively specced Droid handsets. On the Storm, one-handed typing was virtually impossible; the Eris generates best-perfect results in portrait mode even for the far-fingered like myself (not to mention the best autocorrect I’ve seen anywhere).

Shots from the built-in camera are crisp, thanks to the 5-megapixel resolution, but I do occasionally miss the Storm’s LED flash. Video isn’t quite as impressive, but is still solid by phone standards.

For me, the biggest concerns about the Eris particularly are battery life and processing power. So far, I’ve been seeing noticeably shorter battery life than with my Berry. The likely culprits? The social integrations, GPS, and “pull” email. With a few adjustments to settings and my charging patterns, though, I can easily make it through a busy day with a little juice to spare.

As for processing power, the Eris performs quite snappily on 1.5, even with multiple apps installed and running. But what about Android 2.0 or higher? Verizon’s promised an upgrade soon – here’s to hoping the Eris can fully utilize its potential.

So what’s the verdict?

Frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a phone 10 days into ownership. With the Android update (and Google Maps Navigation!) just around the corner, I believe I’ll be an Android user for years to come. And it’s likely a safe bet I’ll be in good company.