Android: 3G vs Edge

[Hook]

In THIS thread in the Android forum, I've been considering a move to Android with the Nexus One for At&T. It s an impressive bit of technology and will give me 3G with my Gophone plan. It doesn't have a hardware keyboard, but it has a very nice big screen with a very nice onscreen keyboard.

I have to confess that I would rather have a Droid because of the keyboard, even though it's processor is half the speed of the Nexus One. Everything else is about the same. I can have the Droid for the same price --the European version called the Milestone-- without US 3G bands so I would be using Edge.

On the one hand, I don't use a lot of data away from wifi. I might occasionally check email, or a website or upload a small text file to google docs. On the other hand, the Android web experience with a bigger screen might be such that I might do it more often. But I certainly won't be streaming media, given a PAYG data plan.

What are the pros and cons here. Can anyone tell me more about what Edge is like for email or loading a web page.

Thanks for any help.

This is the Milestone I am looking at, BTW.

[Drillbit]

I use my Nexus One and my MyTouch 3G on EDGE. Only time when they're on 3G is when I travel in Asia and use the net via prepaid data SIMs. My Droid Eris, which is actually my work phone is 3G EV-DO.

EDGE is underrated. 3G is always preferable by the way, but EDGE is fine for Twitter, Facebook, eMail, Gmail, Google Buzz, Google Maps, Google Street View, even loading and installing apps on the Android Market. I mean EDGE proved to be okay for everything except downloading heavy complex web pages full of graphics, flash and Javascript. Its only when browsing on heavy web pages where 3G makes a difference. On Twitter apps, I download only the minimum number of tweets, like 20 or 50, but nothing like 250 or 500.

Of course, you don't want to stream high res video on EDGE, although lower res YouTube is fine. I've done it.

Its all my direct experience. 3G is always preferable in comparison, but EDGE is definitely a livable connection.

I also use EDGE on my Nokia 5530. It was actually the experience on that phone that showed me there is nothing to fear about EDGE.

[Hook]

Drillbit, you have any experience with the Droid/Milestone. Any thoughts on pros and cons between the two units?