Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

[craigwatanabe]

Today was the last straw with my BB Storm 1. Keypad not letting me dial, text messaging not letting me type "s", "w", "o" and others. When scrolling thru AP wire service stories, you near the bottom and it suddenly jumps to the top.

I went over to the nearest Verizon Wireless store and plunked down the $300 for the Droid X! I had a replacement plan but I would have to have paid the $90 deductable. That plus the $100 rebate from Verizon put the Droid X at $110 more than replacing my BB with a refurbished unit.

[TuNnL]

Re: Droid X...I broke down and ordered one

I went over to the nearest Verizon Wireless store ... for the Droid X!

I was unaware they had Droid X’s anywhere in Hawai‘i. I was told there is a nationwide back-order due to extremely high demand. Which store was this?

[scrivener]

Re: Droid X...I broke down and ordered one

You had a Blackberry? Weren't you the one who said you didn't need all that crap in a telephone? Just before I sarcastically called you a loser and you took it seriously?

edit: I just looked it up and the thing I sarcastically called you a loser for was not letting your life revolve around your phone. Which owning a BB certainly doesn't automatically convict you of.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

TuNnL, let me clarify, I ordered it. It's mine I just haven't received it yet. Should take a couple of weeks. I thought I was clear enough in my subject line when I said, "...ordered one".

As for my Blackberry, now that I'm fully employed with customers calling me for car deals, concerns about their new cars or just to say thanks for selling me a car at a good price...as well as being a statewide Lions chairman as well as being a Lions' club VP, plus the standard family needs, having a phone that can do email, social networking, texting and phone calls is a necessary evil.

I have conducted three way conference calls between people in two different states and another country on my BB. Same goes for Facebook messages between people around the world on Lionism. I keep in touch with family in Los Angeles and San Diego while I'm waiting for a customer to decide which color Accord to get.

But now my Blackberry has seen it's days and now the Droid X has become the replacement.

Yes my life now does revolve around my smartphone simply because I've extended my community services beyond the city of Hilo to around the State of Hawaii thru the Lions organization. My job requires me to stay in contact with customers who want to be reached by a multitude of ways. Email is simply going out of style. USPS for business correspondence is becoming a relic of communications. Heck I finally signed up for Twitter.

But Scriv I may have indicated not wanting to revolve my life around cell phones, however I've been using them since 1984 and am an advocate of cell use. The Droid X will make it easier for me to stay connected.

[TuNnL]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

I went over to the nearest Verizon Wireless store and plunked down the $300 for the Droid X!

TuNnL, let me clarify, I ordered it. It's mine I just haven't received it yet. Should take a couple of weeks. I thought I was clear enough in my subject line when I said, "...ordered one".

Mahalo for clearing that up, Craig. I was under the impression the only way to “order” a Droid X was online, from the Verizon website. I didn’t realize you could actually order one from a brick-and-mortar store, which (no offense) seems a bit dangerous and potentially shady — because the salesperson cannot actually attach an ESN number to your order, since at the time you ordered it, they didn’t have any to sell. With the amount of fake/stolen cell phones out there, you never can tell what kind of shenanigans people might be pulling.

But congratulations, anyhow!

[pzarquon]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

Congrats, Craig, on ordering the Droid X. My friend Burt (Quark here on HT, though we haven't seen him in years) got a review unit from Verizon, and it was definitely a solid piece of technology. Even though I'm an iPhone addict and Apple fanboy, I'm glad to see Android-based devices maturing and doing some truly great stuff that iOS can't.

In fact, I'm picking up a Nexus One second-hand (the unencumbered, "naked" Google-branded phone) so I can at least have an Android device next to my iPhone device to be able to play with all the apps out there.

Compared to the BlackBerry, the Droid X will be like upgrading from a pair of twigs to a lighter. I'm pretty skeptical BlackBerry will be able to awake from its slumber fast enough to survive the latest generation of smartphones.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

Thanks PZ, if there's anyone I know who's an Apple fan that's you My only concern is of course the size of this monster. It's big.

I'm still waiting for it to come in but it's just been about a week. TuNneL, the brick and mortar store I ordered it from was an official Verizon Wireless store (not a reseller) here in Hilo where I trust more than online. At least there is a place where I can take it to for service if necessary plus I support businesses that hire locally.

[TuNnL]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

I'm still waiting for it to come in but it's just been about a week.

A friend told me Hawai‘i usually gets less than its fair share of the hot-selling smartphones. Considering the Droid X is #1 right now, I’m curious to see how long yours takes.

the brick and mortar store I ordered it from was an official Verizon Wireless store (not a reseller) here in Hilo where I trust more than online. At least there is a place where I can take it to for service if necessary

That’s awesome, Craig! Glad things are different on the Big Island. Here on O‘ahu, the opposite true. The most knowledgeable reps are at the retailers, which offer the best customer service. In contrast, the corporate stores are too busy and focus almost solely on sales.

Guess things have improved since this review: Reviews of Verizon Wireless, Hilo, HI

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

Well here's the update. Wednesday it came in via FedEx. I tried to activate it using the *228 option 1 and got it to make and receive calls. Then I tried to update it using the "Backup Assistant" app from Verizon. My Droid X couldn't see Verizon's 3G network or even the EVDO network. I brought it in to Verizon here in Hilo and they tried and failed. So off it went back to the mainland and I'm temporarily back on my BlackBerry until the new replacement arrives in a few days.

Meanwhile a Verizon Wireless reseller (Diamond Wireless) here in Hilo sets up a booth at the Hilo Jaycee's County Fair and has a stockpile of Droid X's right there in their booth!!

I'm kinda bummed. It's like Christmas day and your much anticipated present is broken when you just opened it

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

I'm kinda bummed. It's like Christmas day and your much anticipated present is broken when you just opened it

That's one of the problems of being an "early adopter." In addition to paying more for whatever product you are buying, you also make yourself the guinea pig when it comes to detecting all of the defects/glitches. Having a brand new smartphone model that works perfectly out of the box almost never happens. It seems that no matter how much a company spends on beta testing/quality control, there are always a number of issues that have to be worked on. Sometimes, there are fix patches that can be downloaded. But wow, you actually had to send the Droid X back?

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

(Posted with a smile for all ---)

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

That's one of the problems of being an "early adopter." In addition to paying more for whatever product you are buying, you also make yourself the guinea pig when it comes to detecting all of the defects/glitches. Having a brand new smartphone model that works perfectly out of the box almost never happens. It seems that no matter how much a company spends on beta testing/quality control, there are always a number of issues that have to be worked on. Sometimes, there are fix patches that can be downloaded. But wow, you actually had to send the Droid X back?

Ya know... I just got the brand new replacement today...played with it and one thing about this phone that just frustrates the heck outta me is that it's not as intuitive as I wanted it to be. Maybe I'm just too used to the BB but when I plugged my BB into the USB port of my computer, it was immediately recognized as a smartphone plus as an external storage device.

The DROID X however isn't recognized at all, instead it sends you to Verizon where you have to download software to make it compatible with your computer. My problem is that my computer at work does not allow me to download anything because it is a thin-client with limited administrative access.

When it comes to business productivity, the BB seems to have an edge over the Droid. The Droid does have a lot of bells and whistles, but when it comes down to staying connected in a timely manner, the BB seems to have an edge over it.

I am unfortunately tied to my smartphone in my daily routines and cannot afford the time to figure out something else. The BB has served me well (over my TREO 700WX) and I am compelled to go back to BB in the form of the new BB Torch or the Storm 2. Familiarity = Productivity for me.

I may be taking a step back, but the difference between the two platforms is this: When I got my BB Storm, getting started was a breeze and I was able to intuitively utilize it's interfaces.

When I got my DROID X, intuition failed the logic test of function and I found myself getting frustrated over IT's interfaces.

Right now productivity is taking a beating with my new DROID X at a time when I need to stay connected with my clients and associates both in my professional, volunteer and personal worlds.

DROID X is a reall nice and totally cool phone however it's no wonder why the BlackBerry is still considered the favorite amongst business professionals.

I make my final decision to keep the DROID X or exchange it for a BlackBerry on Friday when I have a day off to actually play with this phone and spend the time at the Verizion Wireless store.

[bueller555]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

Thanks for your comments on the Droid X. I'm looking ahead to replacing my BB Tour and was considering the Droid X or Incredible. After doing a quick side-by-side, the Droid X was just too big and the screen a bit washed out compared to the Incredible. Both are great phones, but for the time being, the Incredible is on my "want" list for now.

If you don't mind, does the Droid have the ability to aggresgate all email accounts the way the BB does? I find this to be incredibly handy.

[TuNnL]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

The Droid does have a lot of bells and whistles, but when it comes down to staying connected in a timely manner, the BB seems to have an edge over it.... Right now productivity is taking a beating with my new DROID X at a time when I need to stay connected with my clients and associates both in my professional, volunteer and personal worlds.

DROID X is a reall nice and totally cool phone however it's no wonder why the BlackBerry is still considered the favorite amongst business professionals.

Craig, I think you are one of the many from the “if it ’aint broke, don’t fix it” school of thought. The problem is: your Blackberry was broken! And I think this essentially is the biggest complaint about Blackberry.

Remember the system 5.0 update? Thousands of Blackberry users nationwide had their phone completely fried by downloading this update. And all because it was missing a key file.

A Verizon salesman told me on an average day, 10 people will come in to his store for technical support because of severe issues with their Blackberry. Droid owners? Maybe 3-4 a week.

I’ve ordered a Droid X online for myself and like you, I have to wait. However, because of the awesome experience I’ve had with my current Android phone, I have a different perspective. I love how I can find the application I need instantly, rather then having to “scroll” through endless amounts of menus using a cumbersome trackball — like on a Blackberry.

I like how I can put icons anywhere I want on multiple home-screens (like a Windows or Mac computer!) instead of being limited to one homescreen with 12 “favorites” on the BB Storm. And some droids like the HTC Droid Incredible (see Bueller’s post above), have eight different home screens which can be displayed simulaneously. Now that is convenience at your fingertips! And speaking of fingers, I damage my own enough banging on my office keyboard and typing posts on Hawaiithreads. It’s so nice to use a smooooth capacitive touchscreen of a Droid (which senses a feather-light touch of my finger using heat sensors) then a clunky resistive touch screen of a Blackberry, which requires me to physically press firmly down on the screen just to recognize input.

Maybe it’s just generational. I am from the “icon” generation. I think in pictures. Seeing a recognizable picture of something I want to do (like the familiar “Gmail” email envelope, the “globe” for Internet, or the “machine axle” for settings) rather than Blackberry’s text-based menus just makes more sense to me.

Business productivity to me means I type a couple dozen calendar entries on Gmail on my home computer while I’m talking on my cell phone, and five seconds later, they’re instantly on my Droid complete with audible alarms — no USB cable connection necessary. Then, I jump into my car, speak the location of where I want to go, and instantly, it loads up the built in Google Navigation GPS system which gives me audible turn-by-turn directions. Try doing that with a BB.

Ease of use is relative, Craig. You’re starting as a Blackberry veteran. Most people buying a phone these days have never owned a smartphone. They’ve seen their friend’s iPhone and want to one-up them. For those people, a Droid is a much less frustrating place to start.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Droid X, I broke down and ordered one

I returned the DROID X and picked up the BlackBerry Storm 2. The biggest problem I had with the DROID X was making and receiving calls. The DROID X automatically locks itself after a brief time of idling. To answer the call you have to swipe your finger over the left phone icon to the right. That takes two hands! To make a call you have to follow these steps:

1) Press the unlock button on the top of the phone
2) Swipe the lock screen icon from left to right
3) Select the Contact's Icon
4) Select the person you want to call

Basically four steps requiring two hands to complete.

BB Storm2

1) Press the unlock button on the top of the phone
2) Select contact Icon
3) Select the person you want to call

One less step and all with one hand.

As for grouping email accounts, yes the DROID X can push both POP3 as well as Online email accounts as well as integrate with MS Exchange Server. The BB has the edge over the DROID in this regard: The BB uses their own BB Server so emails are routed to you immediately. The DROID must queary the internet on a periodic basis to see if you have emails. The minimum queary time is every 5-minutes. Unfortunately that draws battery life tremendously.

Speaking of battery life. With the wifi detection off, the bluetooth off and a static wallpaper (no live wallpapers), my DROID X's battery was almost depleted by 5:30pm. I pulled it off the charger at 6:30am.

My BB Storm could go almost two days before requiring it to be recharged.

The Storm 2 does integrate wifi capabilities as well as takes advantage of Verizon's 3G network over it's EVDO network allowing the Storm 2 to have faster internet connection speeds than the Storm 1.

Overall I'm better impressed with the Blackberry's user interface than the DROID X. I will miss however, the ability to multi-task. The DROID is fast so it allows me to talk on the speaker phone while browsing the internet and checking emails all at the same time.

The DROID X however has a lousy speaker phone compared to the BB Storm 1 or 2.

If you're the kind of person who sits at a desk all day, the DROID X is a pretty damned nice phone. Because of it's HDMI output, you technically can hook your DROID X directly to a computer monitor utilizing an HDMI to DVI adapter. If you could add a full-size keyboard, this think could literally function as a desktop computer with a High Definition video monitor.

But if you're a working professional that is on the go all the time, the Blackberry is a nice compact and powerful smartphone that's built tough (metal construction as opposed to the DROID X's plastic casing) and does what it's supposed to do...build and maintain business contacts.