Comments on: What Are the Downsides to Droid?

By: j

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:02:42 +0000

They seem to have gotten around the multi-touch issue because my new Droid multi-touch works great, just like an iPhone.

By: M

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:47:38 +0000

Although current Android apps are rather small in file size and *can* store extraneous data to the SD card, like graphics and sound files they need to operate.

It is just that the app itself cannot be installed to the SD card… yet. Rooted users can now but there is also a group of developers working on allowing non-rooted users to be able to also do so. Hopefully we will be able to install apps directly to the SD card in the not so distant future.

I currently have over 50 apps installed on my T-Mobile MyTouch including game apps, music related apps, and various non-serious business oriented apps with room for more.

By: How Many Droids Has Motorola Sold?

How Many Droids Has Motorola Sold? — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:53:31 +0000

[...] If Flurry results are accurate, then Motorola and Verizon have a winner on their hands. This is the fastest-selling Android device to date. It also helps that Motorola and Verizon have budgeted $100 million to promote it. As the gadget makes it way across the world, one can expect sales of Droid to go higher. Motorola predicts it will sell a million units by the end of 2009. That works to about $100 per customer in acquisition costs for Motorola and Verizon. (Related posts: “What You Need to Know About the Droid” and “What Are the Downsides to Droid?”) [...]

By: Droid Apps

Droid Apps — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:15:56 +0000

Great piece. At least the Droid is better than the Palm Pre in that the number of installable apps is only limited by the available memory. With the Palm Pre, there’s a hard limit to the _number_ of installable apps even if you have memory left (so lots and lots of small apps will still throw up a warning). That’s supposed to change with some update in the future.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:30:55 +0000

I am in total agreement with Dave. I have had the Droid for about 5 days – alongside my Iphone. Whoever thinks that the Iphone has faster web browsing is out of his/her mind. I just traveled from the East Coast to California, comparing the two devices, just to see the difference, and will tell you that, barring any not yet encountered drawbacks, I would give up the Iphone for the Droid in a minute. Fortunately, I have continued service on both networks, and have had for a few years, and can afford to use the Iphone as a toy, while using my Verizon option (formerly a Blackberry Curve) for everything else which needs to be quick and easy.
For those who think there is a comparison, try the voice searches and link it to Navigation, just to see what real world integration is supposed to be. It will blow your mind. I can’t wait for Motorola and Google to come up with their upgrades so I can see what else is in store.

By: kwkstar

kwkstar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:37:53 +0000

I have been using an Ipaq Pocket PC for years and I have only 256 MB total the apps and op share this memory. I have never really noticed the memory limitations I just find the ones I like and use them. I also use a GZ1. I think that I can handle double the memory . And one device to do it all. Maybe you can use multiple backups.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:46:05 +0000

Had it for two days now. Performs very very fast. Browser loads quickly and memory – ram. Dosnt seem to be an issue. Loaded most of my music, books and video collection. Loaded RDP and 10 other apps. Loaded a few games and a few more.

So far it has been flawless.

However, I think people are missing the boat with this argument.
The phone is really an extension of google and the internet.
If you have a nice stable fast network connection, and Verizon + wi/fi is super easy/reliable compared to at&t or my experience with sprint, you don’t need storage.

Using Pandora and/or Listen you have the whole interenet qued up.

The google voice/ google docs / gmail / picasa integration makes it so easy to have
a MUCH better experience that you would have in any device.

So the droid has a big hi-res screen. A replaceable battery. Verizon service.
The phone is VERY fast. And android is an open platform, with much of the 10,000 apps not crap, and a high percentage of them still free.

If you read what is avail in the 3.0 sdk, you will be seeing some cloud based games that will blow your socks off, possible using the sd card as cache.

By: arjun

arjun — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:09:20 +0000

Also at Raghu,
Have you tried taking your 8GB music collection and 2GB picture collection on a microSD card and have you phone load it everytime you remove/insert the card. That’s a fun experiment, try it with all the OSs.

(hint: It isn’t a pleasurable experience, I’ve tried it)

By: arjun

arjun — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:07:24 +0000

Raghu,
While it is true that the enterprise market is dominated by BB, like others have pointed out, they’re not joined at the hip with BB. Our company has used WInMo and after several complaints and manifestly bad experiences, have switched to iPhone 3G. The $99 price with AT&T makes it a no brainer. Employees are happier and they actually get updates/emails/timely synchronization as opposed to a frozen WinMo (I’ve used one for 2 years + and have never bought Apple products)

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:28:22 +0000

The 512/256MB memory limitation is a major drawback. As another reviewer pointed out, memory cards are not the same thing as on-board memory. Forget the issue of whether users are used to using memory cards (irrelevant). The real issue is that applications do not install on the memory card; they will chew up the 256MB of un-expandable memory. (Storm 2, e.g., has 2.3GB of on-board memory.) This may not be an issue for some. But it is for me. And considering that the Android platform is supposed to be a major selling point because of its openness and extensibility, the memory limitation is a real limiting factor and really inexcusable.

By: Tk

Tk — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:23:23 +0000

Unfortunately the article confuses the issue of the 256MB app limitation and SD cards by making it sound as if one can expand the application storage area by adding SD cards. Like Blackberries, Android can only install applications to onboard memory, which in the case of the Droid is 256MB (Its actually 512MB but 256 of that is reserved for the OS). Even if you add a 64GB SD card Android will NOT be able to use it to store applications. The SD card is only used to store media like music, photos, videos, etc. While 256MB may seem like a lot, certain applications such as games routinely measure in the hundreds of megabytes. Perhaps Android was designed only for ‘serious’ business users in mind?

By: matty d

matty d — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:22:54 +0000

I own a Tmobile G1 and can say the 192 mb of application ram sounds like a lot untill you realize that with nothing installed, free memory is 40 mb or so. When it slows down I wipe the phone and its fast again until the next time. The ability to run software from sd would help but also kick up ram to 512mb, not just 256mb in the droid.
And yes I will get the droid because of the network it is on

By: cak

cak — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:33:09 +0000

Hey, there are downsides to the droid, just as there are downsides to the iPhone, the Palm pre, Nokia’s latest and greatest, pretty much all phones. Don’t be scared, nobody is trying to hurt you.

By: cak

cak — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:31:51 +0000

And you ignorance will be your downfall….or something.

Lots of enterprise users want to move away from BB, I meet so many people who are unhappy with the BB experience. Sure it has gotten better, but it is still not as lusted after as the iphone is (rightly or wrongly).

Also, I know a lot of techies who are use to memory cards, but plenty of people as well who aren’t, and don’t understand why they can’t put their sony memory stick from their camera in the SD slot on their laptop.

Thanks for playing though.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:58:45 +0000

CORRECTION: Droied DOES HAVE MULTI-TOUCH!

DroidDoes have multi-touch screen; however, Apple owns the “gesture” of pinch and zoom, therefore, the droid cannot offer that function.
PROOF: http://phandroid.com/2009/11/03/motorola-droid-multi-touch/

By: Steve Ardire

Steve Ardire — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:35:58 +0000

Best review here
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/11/03/motorola-droid-review/