I got a new Phone Finally.... About This Page:

[annc98]

Originally Posted by Hugmonster

Thanks everyone.




Imagine a phone that also is Internet, good camera, and calendar. That is just the basics. I have full Internet access 24/7 and my email is just a tap of a key away. I have full control over what is on each of the seven screens, and buttons are 99% where I want them, not eight screens deep. It is like the marriage of a phone, my gmail account with calendar and documents, a PDA, and a small camera for quick shots.

I am about to go to Disney and I can look up wait times on my phone on the way to the parks. Just need to get a park maps widget.

Nice summary! You hit the nail on the head. We started looking at the phones when DH was considering a laptop (he really just needed a way to check emails on the go), and found this to be a better choice for us. And actually I've been really impressed with the camera. I think it's 10 MP, takes great pictures (as long as the light is bright enough) and I find myself reaching for it rather than my actual camera because with 1 touch I can upload photos to facebook! Very handy!

[Muffinator]

The Eris has 7 screens? The droid only has 3 There are apps to change that, but I haven't tried any of them...

I'm in with a rec for Pandora. Just an FYI though- it's free for 40 hours a month, if you want to listen more it costs.
On my phone I have:
Advanced Task Killer - Kills the background apps
AIM
AndroWeather- I like this one better than the one that came with- it links to NORAD
Barcode scanner - soo much fun
SparkPeople's Diet & Food Tracker - Links to my sparkpeople account
Droid Light - Flashlight using the camera's flash
Google Earth
Foursquare - links to my Foursquare account and I can update where I am
Google Goggles - Lets you take a picture of something and then does a Google search
Google Sky Map - a map of the night's sky
Google Listen - a beta podcast player that links to your Google Reader account. I had a different one, but I didn't like it as much...(beyondpod I think)
Magic 8-Ball
Meebo IM
Mobisle Notes - list making app
Pandora
I will only download Free apps, so there's a lot I haven't played with yet.

A cool feature is that if you hold a magnet up to the back of the phone, in the center closer to the side with the speaker bar, it will either go into Multimedia Dock mode or Car Navigation mode depending on the polarity of the magnet. It will not hurt your phone. Motorola uses magnets in their docking stations and on the car mount for the same thing. I made a lego dock and used a tiny magnet from an old Kinex so I can "dock" my phone. The multimedia dock that verizon sells won't fit a phone in a case, which stinks, so I just made my own. LOL.

[Nyreak]

I have a Hero. Looooove my android phone.

I would agree on Advanced Task Killer, I keep that on my main screen, really helps manage all of those apps when you want to keep your battery going.

Other than that, I mostly have games right now.

[Muffinator]

Ok, in a fit of 7 screen envy I just downloaded HelixLauncher. I now have 4 screens and 4 buttons locked on the bottom. :P

[Nyreak]

I have 7 screens, but I've only had my phone for about three weeks. I have three empty screens still, but I'm sure I'll find a way to fill them.

[Colexis Mom]

Enjoy your new phone!

[Dale_Loves_Mickey]

Originally Posted by Hugmonster

Imagine a phone that also is Internet, good camera, and calendar. That is just the basics. I have full Internet access 24/7 and my email is just a tap of a key away. I have full control over what is on each of the seven screens, and buttons are 99% where I want them, not eight screens deep. It is like the marriage of a phone, my gmail account with calendar and documents, a PDA, and a small camera for quick shots.

I am about to go to Disney and I can look up wait times on my phone on the way to the parks. Just need to get a park maps widget.

You see, I have all that on my Blackberry Curve (which I love) and can't justify getting new phones just because Verizon says we can. I will admit I kind of like the idea it is more like a laptop than my Curve, but I'm still very not sure. I also like the idea that the camera on the Droid is a full 10 mega pixels. That's what my camera is. My Curve is only something like 3 or 5. Not very good pix most of the time. Does the Droid have a flash? That's something my Curve does have. It's nice for indoor pix. I like receiving my e-mails right on my phone (most of the time. Lately though...). And from two diff. accounts as well.
I'm not a big apps user. I have a few on my Itouch and on my Curve, but for the most part, for me anyway, it's a phone first and foremost.

[graygables]

Originally Posted by Dale_Loves_Mickey

You see, I have all that on my Blackberry Curve (which I love) and can't justify getting new phones just because Verizon says we can. I will admit I kind of like the idea it is more like a laptop than my Curve, but I'm still very not sure. I also like the idea that the camera on the Droid is a full 10 mega pixels. That's what my camera is. My Curve is only something like 3 or 5. Not very good pix most of the time. Does the Droid have a flash? That's something my Curve does have. It's nice for indoor pix. I like receiving my e-mails right on my phone (most of the time. Lately though...). And from two diff. accounts as well.
I'm not a big apps user. I have a few on my Itouch and on my Curve, but for the most part, for me anyway, it's a phone first and foremost.

I switched from a Curve, so let me give you my take on it. Preface: I got a curve in the first place b/c I needed internet on the road. I needed to be able to access my grad school coursework and process credit cards. I had also been told I could tether at no extra charge. Yeah, not so much. I was outside the return period when I discovered the salesman's "exaggerations". I decided to take a leap of faith that I was going to get my own Disney leader Blackberry some day and I could use the technical skills.

I found it to be a tremendous frustration. It takes FORever for internet pages to load and navigating can be difficult. Pages which are not optimized REALLY stink (i.e. my bank). If the track ball ring breaks and the ball falls out, it's $50 to replace the unit, IF you have insurance and are lucky and have someone who will take pity on you because you are travelling. The screen is only half the size of the face. I'm not ready for bifocals just yet. Let's not even discuss the Blackberry outages.

I was ready for my upgrade and was seriously considering downgrading to an email phone and saving some $$$. Then I started doing some research and wound up getting the Moto Droid. I just got it yesterday, so am still a major noob, but so far, I really like it. The screen is the full size of the face (awesome). It does everything my iTouch does except play iTunes videos and my reader apps. I'm OK with iTouch for those. 2 features I like better than the iPhone: removable/replaceable battery and a slide out real key qwerty keyboard. The camera does have a flash and there is an app that activates the flash as a flashlight (haven't gotten that one yet, but I will today as I needed it last night). I haven't tried the camera yet at length, but it feels more like a digital camera than a cell phone, so more control over the shots. Set up was a breeze; I have 4 email accounts coming in.

I guess I didn't have the battery fully charged before I headed to work last night, b/c it died overnight. This AM, I fully charged it and added a widget to help with battery and it lasted all night and is still at 70%, although I didn't do much playing with it as I was busy all night. I did read an article recently that said SmartPhone users have to rethink charging habits, so I carry the USB with me.

Still being relatively new to this area plus doing some road trips this year, the GPS/map/directions feature was important to me. I hate VZ Navigator and won't pay extra for it on the Blackberry.

I would strongly recommend anyone who gets a full-screen phone to get a screen protector and a snap-on case. For my Moto Droid, I got the ZAGG InvisbleShield and the Seidio Innocase (in purple, of course, a very Disney color! ) It's protected from the start and looks great.

One disappointing thing has been I haven't been able to figure out how to use my .WAV files that I have for ringtones. It's not the end of the world and I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually, but it's been a small fly in the Droid ointment.

[wendybell]

Am i the only one that isn't thrilled with the Droid? We got ours a few weeks ago and i am NOT a fan. Texting is harder (we had the ENVY's), i don't even understand half the stuff...what does this 3 screen compared to 7 screens mean? I only see 1 screen Verizon offers a 30 exchange but at the cost of a new $35 restocking fee so i'm trying to learn how to use the phone but so far, not a fan.

[kurtholley]

Love my Motorola droid over my env touch battery life is great I only down load free apps also

Ride hopper can see any park in the US Any disney parks also
whitekiller to close open apps
ringdroid make your own ring tones from songs or talking into it
radar now weather
weather bug
Shazam
tv.com
opentable
pandora
yellowbook
cnet scan and shop
app remover
10001 cocktails
droid coupons
google goggles
my tracks
photobucket

[Dale_Loves_Mickey]

Thanks Dawn. That was the info i was looking for. Am now considering it, but still on the fence.

[graygables]

Originally Posted by wendybell

Am i the only one that isn't thrilled with the Droid? We got ours a few weeks ago and i am NOT a fan. Texting is harder (we had the ENVY's), i don't even understand half the stuff...what does this 3 screen compared to 7 screens mean? I only see 1 screen Verizon offers a 30 exchange but at the cost of a new $35 restocking fee so i'm trying to learn how to use the phone but so far, not a fan.

The Moto Droid has 3 screens, the one that pops up when you turn it on, then if you "slide" it one way or the other, there are 2 more "pages". When you are on one of these, you can open your main menu (hold that thing at the bottom of the screen), then you can choose an application to add to that "page" by holding it until it hops to the page. My main screen has the things I use most, calculator, notepad, phone, contacts, maps, etc. My other screens have the things I use less often, but don't want to search for in the menu, so messaging, the apps shopping bag thing, and some of my apps.

I find texting is infinitely easier with the exception of the enter/delete button. I have to get used to the placement. I LOVE the slide-out keyboard and am not a fan of the on screen one, but I don't like that on my iTouch, either.

There is certainly a learning curve, but there is also a ton of information and support on forums out there.

[Dlandmom2]

So for all of you who purchased Droids, did you also seriously consider the iPhone as well? If so, what did you not like about the iPhone that made you want the Droid?

It's my turn to do the shopping now, as our contract is up soon, but we're sort of trying to hold out to see if Verizon will get an iPhone soon.

[graygables]

Originally Posted by Dlandmom2

So for all of you who purchased Droids, did you also seriously consider the iPhone as well? If so, what did you not like about the iPhone that made you want the Droid?

It's my turn to do the shopping now, as our contract is up soon, but we're sort of trying to hold out to see if Verizon will get an iPhone soon.

The big thing for me was the inability to change the battery. I like having a spare charged up and ready to go just in case. I also hate AT&T, but that's another story . That and I had just gotten an iTouch, so really the iPhone would have been redundant. My friend at work just dropped her iPhone. Shattered the screen. Replacement was prohibitive, so she wound up with just a cheapie LG.

I'm still liking my Droid with a few caveats: there is no way to multi-select email, so you have to check the box for each one you want to delete. THEN, you have to go to your deleted items folder and do it again. Epic fail. Seems like there would be an app for that, but I haven't found one (or a fix) yet. I've also been having a few issues GETTING my email, but I'm not sure that's a Droid problem or a server problem. I need to get to a Verizon store and have them have a look.

[Muffinator]

You should be able to multi select emails and delete them....

I skipped the iPhone for two reasons- I don't like AT&T, and no service anywhere near where I live. I would like an itouch for all the apps though.