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Motorola Droid Reviewed

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#1 of 18 Posted Nov-5 9:31 AM

From JanSternfeld Posts 2015 Last 2:23 PM
To All [Msg # 1793.1 ]

It's this simple: If you don't buy an iPhone, buy a Droid.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-motorola-droid-reviewed-2009-11

See also:
Walt Mossberg, the WSJ's gadget guru, weighs in with his review of the Motorola Droid:

http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20091104/motorolas-droid-is-smart-success-for-verizon-users/

Jan
The Travel Forum
Gadgets & Gear Community

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#2 of 18 Posted Nov-5 9:45 AM

From Dale G. Shields (WUGNET) Posts 339 Last 7:30 PM
To JanSternfeld [Msg # 1793.2 1793.1 ]

I take it the reviewer really did not like the camera? ;-)

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#3 of 18 Posted Nov-5 10:00 AM

From Jeff Peterman Posts 1467 Last 2:43 PM
To JanSternfeld [Msg # 1793.3 1793.1 ]

I've been hoping for this phone - having returned an iPhone and an HTC Touch Pro 2, but the complaints about the phone "app" really concern me.

Jeff Peterman
"What we got here, is . . . failure to communicate."

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#4 of 18 Posted Nov-5 11:39 AM

From D.F. Yriart Posts 138 Last 9:09 AM
To Dale G. Shields (WUGNET) [Msg # 1793.4 1793.2 ]

Dale,

>> I take it the reviewer really did not like the camera? ;-) <<

This might turn out to be a user-fixable software issue. My T-Mobile G1 has a 3 Mpixel camera that I found really uninspiring. Some of the same things that the Droid reviews commented on, like slow, and not being able to tell when you'd actually taken a picture were true for my G1 too. These are, at least in part, flaws of Android's native camera app.

I got a third party camera app, SnapPhoto, which adds some very nice features to the camera, like stability control, zoom, white balance control and a menu of options to do with your picture as soon as you've taken it. For $0.99 I vastly improved the phone's camera. I suspect that SnapPhoto could do wonders for the Droid too.

Nice think about Android is that you can replace pretty much any built in app with something else that you prefer and make the new app the default. When I press the camera button on the G1 SnapPhoto comes up instead of the native Android camera app.

Doug Yriart
Linux Rocks!

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#5 of 18 Posted Nov-5 12:04 PM

From D.F. Yriart Posts 138 Last 9:09 AM
To Jeff Peterman [Msg # 1793.5 1793.3 ]

Jeff,

>> the complaints about the phone "app" really concern me. <<

One of the really nice things about Android is that you can replace the native apps, like the phone app, with third-party apps that you prefer. You can tell Android to use the third-party apps as the default.

I replaced the native phone app on my G1 with Phonebook from Voxmobili SA from the Android Market.

The Android 1.x "dialer" has a contact list (in fact, the Contacts icon on the home screen actually brings up the dialer <g>). You can mark contacts as favorites. You can scroll through the list with a flick of the finger, like an iPhone. You can select a contact and make calls. You can look at information about a contact... and there's a plain old dialer with a dial pad. Dialer also comes up when you press the "call" key.

Phonebook is much smarter. It keeps a history of recent calls and text messages by contact. You can initiate a call or a message or even an email. It even keeps a list of contacts birthdays, so you can easily remember to call them. ;-)

Of more concern to me on Droid is the lack of dedicated "call" and "disconnect" keys. On all the Android phones I've see so far, including my G1, the "disconnect" key serves a second purpose when you long-press it. Disconnect brings up a menu that allows you to turn the ringer off/on, switch airplane mode on and off, and shut down the phone. If the phone is off, pressing Disconnect turns the phone on. The Disconnect menu comes up even if the phone is locked.

Doug Yriart
Linux Rocks!

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#6 of 18 Posted Nov-5 1:21 PM

From Jeff Peterman Posts 1467 Last 2:43 PM
To D.F. Yriart [Msg # 1793.6 1793.5 ]

>>Of more concern to me on Droid is the lack of dedicated "call" and "disconnect" keys. <<

That's essentially what I meant - the fact that you have to find the app to use the phone, or even disconnect, because there isn't a dedicated button.

Jeff Peterman
"What we got here, is . . . failure to communicate."

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#7 of 18 Posted Nov-5 3:46 PM

From Dale G. Shields (WUGNET) Posts 339 Last 7:30 PM
To D.F. Yriart [Msg # 1793.7 1793.4 ]

I was referring to the "phraising" - use that word around Windows users, for example, and watch out for the flames... ;-)

Replacements are great, when the "framework" allows it...

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#8 of 18 Posted Nov-5 5:03 PM

From D.F. Yriart Posts 138 Last 9:09 AM
To Jeff Peterman [Msg # 1793.8 1793.6 ]

Jeff, perhaps the phone you really want is Verizon's other DROID, the DROID Eris, which is also due to be released tomorrow. Note that Eris has conventional connect and disconnect buttons. Eris runs the HTC Sense UI, which has already shown up on the Sprint Hero and is gorgeous. Sense UI runs on top of Android.

Doug Yriart
Linux Rocks!

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#9 of 18 Posted Nov-5 5:28 PM

From D.F. Yriart Posts 138 Last 9:09 AM
To Jeff Peterman [Msg # 1793.9 1793.6 ]

Here you go Jeff: Motorola DROID vs HTC Hero, HTC Magic, T-Mobile G1 & iPhone 3GS. From Android Central.

Doug Yriart
Linux Rocks!

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#10 of 18 Posted Nov-5 5:34 PM

From JanSternfeld Posts 2015 Last 2:23 PM
To Dale G. Shields (WUGNET) [Msg # 1793.10 1793.2 ]

LOL. That's the same impression I got. <g>

What's funny is that other reviewer (Mossberg) didn't seem to have the same, uh, visceral reaction to the Droid's camera. I guess he doesn't mind having to wait 10 years for it to start up.....

Jan
The Travel Forum
Gadgets & Gear Community

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#11 of 18 Posted Nov-5 5:39 PM

From D.F. Yriart Posts 138 Last 9:09 AM
To JanSternfeld [Msg # 1793.11 1793.10 ]

Jan,

>> What's funny is that other reviewer (Mossberg) didn't seem to have the same, uh, visceral reaction to the Droid's camera. I guess he doesn't mind having to wait 10 years for it to start up..... <<

Or maybe he tried a replacement camera app like SnapPhoto. The G1's camera, with the native Android camera app, takes twice times forever to start up. With SnapPhoto the camera starts up in a reasonable amount of time, like starting a pocket point and shoot camera from "off".

It wouldn't surprise me at all if a third-party camera app improved the Droid's camera performance too.

Doug Yriart
Linux Rocks!

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#12 of 18 Posted Nov-5 9:02 PM

From John Barreiro Posts 212 Last 4:02 PM
To Jeff Peterman [Msg # 1793.12 1793.3 ]

>>... but the complaints about the phone "app" really concern me.<<

How do you know... the phone isn't even out yet. All you're relying on is some reviewer's opinions.

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#13 of 18 Posted Nov-5 10:04 PM

From Dale G. Shields (WUGNET) Posts 339 Last 7:30 PM
To JanSternfeld [Msg # 1793.13 1793.10 ]

I have never cared for Mossberg and keep wondering why a Financial publication needs a "tech" column...

My impressions of some of MS's offerings match the reviewer's camera comments. Seems that ruffles some feathers...

Ah well... Next! <g>

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#14 of 18 Posted Nov-5 10:05 PM

From Dale G. Shields (WUGNET) Posts 339 Last 7:30 PM
To D.F. Yriart [Msg # 1793.14 1793.11 ]

Don't ya think he would have mentio0ned that in his article, if he did that???

Just curious...

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#15 of 18 Posted Nov-5 10:10 PM

From Jeff Peterman Posts 1467 Last 2:43 PM
To John Barreiro [Msg # 1793.15 1793.12 ]

1. The concerns about the phone app and the lack of a dedicated phone button.

2. It would mean switching to Verizon, which probably won't give me as good as signal as AT&T at my work (based on the results from others with Verizon phones).

3. It appears NOT to be an international phone, and I need the ability to use a phone in the UK.

Based on all the above, I decided not to wait anymore.

Jeff Peterman
"What we got here, is . . . failure to communicate."

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