Fortunately they are about the same size, which is good so they can fit in the case that was originally for my T-Mobile Dash

Perhaps the only key difference between the Motorola Droid and the other two Android OS enabled phones on the market right now (the G1 and MyTouch) is the faster hardware and higher resolution camera (I won’t get into rooting/hacking a G1 to do a whole bunch of things). As such, moving from one of the earlier Android OS phones to the Droid may not be a huge jump worth breaking a contract over. However, for disenchanted iPhone users, who are are either dissatisfied with their iPhones or AT&T’s network (like me), the Droid offers a solid competition at both the price point and feature set.

In short, there are a lot of key differences with the way Apple and Android OS handle their phones. Apple currently has a large market share , which has in turn fueled a larger application catalog than that of Android. However, Android’s much more relaxed developer restrictions have led to many apps that simply were denied by Apple’s censors. Google’s plan of spreading the Android OS across multiple carriers and hardware also gives Android OS the potential to spread much faster Apple currently can, given it’s limited hardware and carrier options. I don’t want to delve too much into the intricacies of what apps are and aren’t available so if you have an app you can’t live without on either platform, then don’t switch!

The hardware specs are also something I’m not going to go into heavy detail with, as many reviewers before me have already done so. Camera megapixels, battery cells, and processing speeds are pretty cut and dry statistics that the Droid excels at, however other factors (such as the carrier network and application library) can make or break a phone. The Droid contains what I would consider to be the “bread and butter” feature set for a smartphone (GPS, camera, touchscreen, web browser etc.). If you care about specs and general consumer features, let the commissioned cell-phone salesmen at the mall tell you all about them; or google them.

Four Good Things about the Droid

Because thinking of five things is 20% more difficult.

1. Even though I can’t talk to women, I can talk to my Phone (Android OS 2.0 Feature)
I have been highly distrustful of voice technology for the past few years, mainly because it has always sucked. When I first read about this feature on the Droid, I wrote it off as just a gimmick; however, after using it in practice while driving or when I’m simply too lazy to move my fingers in a typing motion, I am convinced this is the most surprisingly useful feature of the Android OS. Google Voice search has been on the iPhone for over a year now, however, the integration with the Google Navigation application is when it really gets cool. “Navigate to Albertson’s” will surprisingly take me to Albertson’s. Now if only I can can get it to make me a cup of tea (earl grey, hot).

By the way a quick note on Google Navigation. Turn by turn GPS is available on select Verizon phones (and even the iPhone) for a 10 dollar monthly fee. However, google navigation is available on the Droid for free (and since it’s powered by Google Maps, no need to pay for map updates like on standalone GPS units). Not too shabby.

2. It makes me look busy and important (Android OS  Feature)
When Apple added application notifications to the iPhone 3g, it was a big deal, as it made many applications (such as IM and 3^rd party calendaring) suddenly ten times more useful to users like me who didn’t buy into Apple’s MobileMe scam. The Android OS, on the other hand, has taken application notifications to the N’th degree, as you can customize each application to have its own notification sound, and even LED light color. Everytime I get an IM or twitter notification, it’s like a mini-rave in my pocket!

3. I can now properly give Google all of my personal information (Android OS Feature)
This one really only applies if you’re a heavy Google apps user (Gmail, Google Voice, Latitude, Contacts..etc), and if you’re not a Google Apps user you really should be. One of the best parts of moving to the Droid was having all of my contacts from my iPhone (which I had setup with Google contacts earlier) instantly appear on the Droid upon linking my Google account.

I can't wait till Google initiates "PeopleRank", and deletes 80% of the worlds most irrelevant people.

Now, the iPhone does get an honorable mention for also being able to sync with Google contacts. This was awesome for me until my work got Exchange and a painful shortcoming of the iPhone was pointed out: only one Exchange account per a phone. Since Google Contacts was being done on the iPhone via the Exchange protocol, once I switched to my employer’s Exchange server to receive email, I also had to use their Exchange contacts. I’m not keen on placing personal info on my work email (or contacts for that matter), so this really was less than ideal. Now with the droid, I can have both my personal email and contacts as well as my work’s Exchange server working side by side in harmony.

4. It touches me in ways my iPhone never could
I wrote a few months ago how I was a bit miffed about how lower end “messaging” phones had added this feature, but the full on smartphone crowd had been missing out. Well the Droid does have tactile feedback; and now that we can touch each other we are closer than ever.

And now…the bad parts

I have still yet to find that “perfect” phone (I’m at phone #14 and counting), and while the Droid inches ever closer, it still has it’s drawbacks.

1. The slider keyboard is a geek tragedy (Droid Specific)
This has been by far the biggest disappointment, as one of my biggest reservations over the iPhone was its lack of a keyboard. The slide out keyboard, while sturdy and solid, is for some reason proving to be awkward to use. Part of me thinks this is a problem inherent to thin slider phones, as finding a comfortable grip position (and there are very few possible ways to hold it) is a bit of a chore. The keys themselves may also be the culprit, as the flat-style makes it difficult to differentiate with thumbs. Whatever the case, I am sure the keyboard will prove to be subpar, especially against the likes of the Treo and Blackberry.

If you have an Android enabled phone, you will never see updates for this guy. That could be a good thing

2. The Facebook app blows (Android OS)
Not really the Droid’s fault so much as the developers of the Facebook app. The default Facebook app is woefully behind that of the iPhone’s (though some paid apps are supposedly more up to par). Should this be a deal breaker though? No, not really, but seeing as how many people like me suffer from Facebook addiction, this isn’t to be overlooked. The notifications are haphazard, the Live Feed doesn’t update properly and despite constant refreshes, a lot of information will simply refuse to show up. Fortunately, this is something that can be fixed at the application level, though you are left to the mercy of developers.

This little problem does also reflect the Android OS’s relatively infancy compared to the iPhone. Remember Android has been out much longer than the Droid has, however it is still just over a year behind the iPhone OS. I predict the application climate will change over the course of the next year or so, as the application count for Android inches higher towards that of the iPhone.

3. It’s not an iPod (Android OS)
Perhaps one feature I think is often overlooked about the iPhone 3g is that it is also an iPod Touch; arguably one of the best media players on the market. The Droid did surprise me by being a very capable MP3 player, offering all the standard functions of displaying CD art, track info, multiple shuffle and repeat modes, and also having expandable memory via the microSD card (a plus over the iPhone). That being said, the functionality “out of the box” of the iPhone 3g, namely, the ability to skip tracks from the unlock screen, “cover flow” (seldom used, but still pretty to look at), and the onboard EQ still trumps the Android OS player’s feature set.

I don’t want to draw a line in the sand on this just yet. Not being an iPod means it can play other formats, like WMA (though who has these..honestly) and that you don’t have to deal with iTunes (I personally hate iTunes, and prefer managing my music through windows explorer). I will be looking into 3^rd party apps to address some of these short comings in the future.

4. There’s no manual and more buttons (Android OS Specific)
If my grandmother wanted a smartphone, I’d still give her the iPhone (though I would still try really hard to convince her to just get a Jitterbug). On first glance, the iPhone is simply less intimidating as an electronic device, with only one giant button at the bottom. Everything you need is also right there on the first screen, ready to be launched. To date, I still think the iPhone is the first smartphone that doesn’t loose it’s core functionality of a phone due to it being burried in directories or menus.

To use the Droid, delete the trash file from the Gibson.

However, I don’t want to make the Droid sound like an insanely difficult phone to use, and in fact, I still rank it above Symbian, Blackberry and Windows Mobile in the intuitiveness department. The additional buttons mean additional features at your fingertips including, ironically, a menu button that I can only describe as right clicking for smartphones, as it will bring up a context menu specific for the application you are on. Apple has always sacrificed features and customizeablity in the name of making it’s products “simpler” for users. I think the Android OS helps bridge the gap between simpleton and power users, offering the best of both worlds.

So what’s the verdict?

The things I like about the Droid that I listed above really push me over the edge towards liking it more than the iPhone 3g, however I am hesitant to recommend anyone to follow my same course of action unless they are in a similar situation . Merely being “just as good” as the iPhone isn’t worth paying an EFT over (leaving a crappy network for my market was my reason for doing that). I also have to say I am comparing the Droid to the 1.5 year old iPhone 3g as opposed to the newer 3GS, which has some hardware improvements to put it more on par with the Droid spec wise.

However, if you are coming from much older generation smartphones (or even from the flip/candybar generation), are out of contract and want something that is easy, intuitive and offers features for both business users and general users, the Droid is a solid choice that at least meets and exceeds the iPhone feature set.

Everyday, I ride the SF Muni, and for the most part, this is what it looks like.

I wanted to write to complain about your article regarding the misconceptions of the health care debate, located at:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/17/MNT4198FQ4.DTL&type=politics

You see, in my workplace, my co-workers have been virtually split down the middle on the issue of health care, however, neither side seems fully informed on just what it is congress is working on. This has in turn made my workplace into the amateur Michael Crichton/Aldous Huxley plot ideas forum, to which I have derived much entertainment from. Proponents shout that they long for days when they can walk simply walk into a hospital and be showered with prescription medications and MRI’s, while opponents claim the government is going to subject them to abortions and genetic engineering. This back and forth water cooler banter has given me much entertainment in what would otherwise be a lame summer dedicated to stories about family vacations and overdue home improvement projects.

Other news outlets have been more than happy to provide more fuel to this sci-fi thriller of health care and I am disappointed that the San Francisco Chronicle is more concerned about “facts” rather than ramping up my mundane workday. Personally, I would have preffered an article about how government health care could possibly be based on the millitary model of health insurance. Then the health care naysayers can argue that they don’t want their health plans to turn them into genetically enhanced space marines, and reformers can counter by saying that everyone deserves to be a space marine.

The point I am trying to make is that writing articles about facts and trying to “sort out” some of the floating misconceptions of health care just isn’t conducive to helping me get out of sitting through a slideshow of my coworkers photos from orlando. Instead, I think the Chronicle should give in to the hype and begin writing speculative articles about what could be in health care legislation, or if the staff is feeling a bit uncreative, simply begin interviewing the pundits on cable news (who are always full of zany ideas). In any case, I hope you will exercise better discretion in the future, especially when all the summer movie blockbusters have been mediocre at best.

That being said, after my little 911 call at taco bell this week, I realized that getting some sort of touch feedback on the iPhone would help make frantic dialing a bit easier, since I had to retype the number a few times because I had missed a key. I realized I had never really wanted this before, mainly because with contact lists, I very rarely need to use the phone dialer. I am also asking for this because some multimedia smart phones (Like my parents’ LG Voyagers, which I did not approve for purchase btw) have it, but then their touch screens suck.

I knew when I bought my iPhone, it was missing a few key features that other phones have, but I chose it over the major competitors because it simply wins on usability and application support. However, when my contract is up in another year, it’s fair game for cellphones again.

I like going to non-starbucks coffee shops and ordering a Frappucino. I’m really not trying to be pretentious, but frappuccino is just one of those words that I love to use.

“Pass me a Kleenex”, “Xerox me a copy”, “put on some Chapstick”. These are all brand names that made the magical step to becoming regular nouns for the things they embody. This is what every product hopes to achieve, but there really is no formula for it. The starbucks frappucino wasn’t even the first time someone threw in tons of sugar and milk and flavoring into watered down caffine. However, I still adopted “frappucino” into my lexicon as referring to any cold, sugary, blended, coffee based byproduct. I’ve heard a few others try to counter with their own exotic names: Frappe, Ice Blended Drink, Moolatte, etc. but all of these, I found, suck ass. Ice Blended Drink belongs to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, which is just kind of sad because at least here in SoCal, they are Starbucks’ main corporate competitor. Thus, anytime I go to another coffee shop (which granted, isn’t very often, they all require a bit of a drive, starbucks for me is a block away) despite how carefully I look at the menu, I usually forget whatever name they gave their icy caffine sugar bath and call it a mocha frappucino. Occasionally I will get a blank stare, wondering what the hell I ordered, but most the time I will just get a smirk and a polite correction. I guess it’s a bit of an insult to the smaller places, but in reality, Starbucks coined a term, then were dicks and made it a trademark.

And that’s all a little ironic. Starbucks has all these posters and literature talking about their free trade coffee and how they help the environment, but when it comes to intellectual property they are out for blood. They may be out giving free beans or houses, or houses made out of coffee beans or whatever to people around the world, acting like coffee is this magical bean that makes the world function (well given my addiction to it, maybe it is), but it would be nice to see a corporation, just for once, show some good will and give us a word. It would be a great PR move!