Finally on the Android wagon

Updated on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 9:25 PM by Logan Molen

OK, I finally bit the bullet and bought a Motorola Droid (not to be confused with the HTC Eris Droid Verizon also sells). ... For my readers with short attention spans, here’s the key takeaway: Droid is awesome, and I’m overjoyed I bought it. It takes mobile phones to new levels. BUT unless you’re a power user who lives in the world of apps, I recommend waiting until the end of Q1 for Verizon and Sprint to introduce the Android 2.0 operating system on its Eris Droid and Hero handsets, which are lighter and more elegant. Both of those models are using older versions of Android that don't offer cool stuff like the free turn-by-turn GPS navigation. The Eris and Hero have much smaller memories, but for most users, style and weight are more important than storage. OK, for geeks and others with more time, here are some pros and cons after using the phone for a few days.

Click to read more ...

Diving into the Android world

I'm in the market for a new smartphone. My Helio Ocean was killer when it first came out two years ago and I still use it all the time. I'm a Swiss-Army knife kinda mobile user so voice is secondary to my uses, which include lots of SMS, mobile web, camera/video, GPS, notes and calendar.Helio Ocean was revolutionary when it first launched

But since Virgin Mobile bought Helio awhile back, service has been spotty and I've had to send back two malfunctioning devices. And while the Ocean was revolutionary when it first dropped (it had GPS long before Apple led you believe they invented it), the iPhone/iTouch has raised the bar when it comes to mobile devices and content expectations.

So, what to buy? I like my iTouch but can't stand the thought of signing on with AT&T, which has an iPhone exclusive. I've thought about the Palm Pre, which Walt Mossberg says is an iPhone rival, but didn't like the keyboard. And I've looked at other models, but none rock my socks.

That takes me to Google's Android mobile OS, which is now available on two three phones in the U.S., with promises of up to 10 more by year's end. It's like being a kid in a candy store, not knowing what treats are around the corner.

Sprint's HTC Hero is loaded with cool appsI really like what I hear and read about the HTC Hero, which Sprint put sale this week. It's got all the core stuff important to me, plus a big customizable screen, a 5-meg camera (!?!?), augmented reality tools, feed readers and open-source apps to come (Google has 8,000 Android apps so far). It's been getting good reviews, and again Mossberg gives it a thumb's up as an iPhone rival. And you can't beat Sprint's data pricing, which keeps mobile bills affordable.

Hero's big downside for me, though, is its virtual keyboard. I do a lot of texting, and my fingers have never gotten used to virtual keyboards like thoSprint's Samsung Momentse on the iTouch. So, I'll keep an eye on Sprint's Samsung Moment, an Android-powered device with slide-out hard keyboard. 

In the meantime, I'll be camped out on gadget sites like Endgadget and Gizmodo looking for anything better that might come along. Ultimately, though, you just have to dive in to the fray, two-year service plans or not.

Update on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 9:39 AM by Logan Molen

Interesting MocoNews story today on how the opennesss and infancy of Google's Android platform is creating "fragmentation" in the platform:

"The problem with fragmentation is that developers will have a difficult time developing applications that could run smoothly on each platform. Besides hardware differences, like screen sizes, there will be software differences, too. Some phones will support multi-touch, and others won’t. Not to mention, each manufacturer is building their own user interface on top of the platform that offers a host of other features.

All of the problems could be solved if the older devices were upgraded to the latest software, but that’s not likely going to happen, reports IDG News Service. The Motorola Cliq runs version 1.5; the Motorola Droid runs 2.0 and most others run Android 1.6."

Hang on for a wild ride.