I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tonyor
Newbie

Just got my Droid, and, while it may be a wonderful gadget, it is a horrible PDA/phone. For someone who works out of his home, my cell phone is my livelihood since I am on the road a lot. My Samsung was due for a replacement, so I decided to go for the Droid.

 

1) Safety: This phone is dangerous. I drive a stick shift and fairly hot car. No excuse for talking while driving, but I make my living that way so Bluetooth handsfree is the only way to go. Not having voice activation through the headset is downright **bleep**. Developers are you listening??????????? What were you thinking? First, I have to fumble to unlock the phone. That is two steps: turning on the phone and then unlocking it. Then I have to fumble for the voice actuation, at times more than once. Each step requires me to take my eyes off the road.

 

2) No Windows integration. I have had lots of PDA's over the years, from Palms to  Windows Mobile. Blackberry was never an option. I always felt that performance was primitive, and that the only advantage was push mail, which probably not one in a 100 users really needed. We all may hate Microsoft, and our hatred for it may be justified from terrible operating systems to ridiculous prices; but it is the de facto standard in the business world. I have NEVER had a PDA that does not offer a seamless integration into Outlook and Office. Now I am forced to use G Mail to integrate into Outlook. I am asked to put all of my contacts on a public website, save files in another format, etc. I am used to taking notes during meetings with clients. My CRM integrates seamlessly into Office and my PDA. If I am waiting for a flight and talking to a client, I can pull up of my client  information on my PDA. Not so with the droid!!!!! Not unless I am willing to pay extra for it.

 

Having said all that, the screen is brilliant, the speed phenomenal. The navigation works well. I had a Bluetooth satellite sensor with the software for my PDA's which I only used with rent a cars. I got tired of having to schlep around the extra car chargers and continuously paying  for updates to the maps. The Google system is the best I have seen for a PDA.

 

I would even be willing to pay for extra integration software, if it exists,  but the lack of Bluetooth voice actuation is a catastrophic and dangerous shortcoming.

 

Tony

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Re: I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SFroomkin
Contributor - Level 1

So, simply, the phone is not for you.  For me, it's a great PDA & phone.  It does what I need.  But different people have different needs.  If it doesn't suit your needs, return it and get a different phone that does.  I'm not intending to bash your post ... your qualms are legit for sure.  They don't bother me, as I don't need BlueTooth and I use Google for everything, so the Droid is perfect for me.

 

I'm not super familiar with all the phones out there ... anyone have a suggestion on what phone may suit this person best?

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Re: I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JasonJoel
Enthusiast - Level 2

Fair criticisms. So, for you, I would STRONGLY suggest you return the phone and get a different one that will work for you!!

 

You can work around the Outlook integration (and I think there are some apps to integrate directly, maybe Touchdown?). But the full bluetooth dialing support just simply is not coming any time soon. Next update is likely Android v2.1, and that doesn't have it. So that means it won't be coming any time really soon.

 

My advice continues to be, if you 'NEED' full bluetooth dialong then don't get a Droid. But if you keep it, don't come on here and gripe about it over and over :smileywink: (Google has NEVER said if/when they are going to add that feature).

 

Jason

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Re: I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
seabright
Contributor - Level 1

The Samsung Omnia 2 is very nice. Sounds as if it might fit your needs. The one thing I'm not sure about is the BT support you want. I'm sure that a web search would answer that question fairly quickly.

 

Note: DO NOT get the Omnia 1 (original). It's still available and cheap but, well, just don't.

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Re: I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tonyor
Newbie

I have had this phone one day, so I have not had the time to explore all the features or lack of them. As I said, this is the first PDA device that I have ever had that does not integrate with Outlook through the cable on my PC. This feature has been available on PDA's going back to the Palm, Blackberry, Pocket PC's, etc.-at least the ones that synced with a PC, so I am not asking for something unusual. This technology has been around for more than a decade.

 

As far as the Bluetooth feature is concerned, it is downright cumbersome and dangerous when driving. I know of two people who have purchased much cheaper phones but with voice activation, and they both work as true handsfree. My other 2 PDA phones worked the same way.

 

If it upsets you that I am bashing your choice, too bad. This phone has some amazing features, which I said. It also has some critical failings which are difficult to understand in light of the technology available, commonality of usage,  and the ease of implementation. These failings are not to be found on competitive products from old to new. This is an open forum where people are allowed to express their opinions. The hope is that the developers will read the postings here.

 

I am returning the droid and will ask Verizon to reactivate my old phone. The old phone still worked fine and will enable me to wait a few months to see if Motorola makes changes to the operating system. There may also be other droids coming out on the market that suit my needs better.

 

In this market, new technology gets old quickly.

 

As far, as my griping over and over. The previous post was my first, and this will be my last. This one was written only to answer your rather [edit] reply.

 

T

 

{please keep your posts courteous}

 

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Re: I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JasonJoel
Enthusiast - Level 2

No offense taken on my part! I like the phone, but am not in love with it. I think it has a couple of pretty big flaws, depending on your needs/use. 

 

The 'over and over' comment wasn't directed at you, per se, it was more of a comment that some people buy the phone, don't like it but keep it, and then come back every week or two and gripe that it doesn't do feature XYZ - even though they knew that when they decided to keep it.

 

I think you are taking the very smart approach and keeping or returning the phone based on what it does NOW, not what it MIGHT do later.

 

And for the record I agree 100% on the BT voice dialing. The only reaon I can live with it is that my car has bluetooth integrated dialing in the MMI so I can easily dial that way when in the car. If I couldn't, I would have returned the phone, too!

 

Jason

 

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Re: I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SFroomkin
Contributor - Level 1

Tony, people came on here to help you out.  We offered suggesstions.  Like several posters including myself said, if the phone doesn't suit your needs, get something else.  Not every piece of technology works for everyone.

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Re: I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tkoehler
Newbie

Sounds like you have the issues, Tony....everyone hear offer help and opinions to your problem and you came back with an attidude.....if you dont like the phone, turn it back in....my guess is that you didnt do enough research on the phone's Pro's and Con's...and all of your problems with the Droid, have been discussed many times over and over on this forum and many others like it...[edit]

 

{please keep your posts courteous}

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Re: I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kanacoleman
Newbie

There are several ways to integrate with outlook:

 

Google Sync for Outlook (calendars only unless you get the premier version:

 

 

Oggsync Pro (sycs contacts and calendars from outlook and contacts):

http://oggsync.com/

 

Go contact sync:

http://lifehacker.com/5193636/go-contact-sync-keeps-google-and-outlook-contacts-matched

 

KiGoo contact sync:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/08/12/synchronize-ms-outlook-and-google-calendargmail-with-free-s...

 

Voice  Dialing- Voice Dial HF (not completely hands free but you can map the camera button):

http://www.dfxmobile.com/voicedialerhf

 

Hope this helps

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Re: I hate the Droid!!!!!!!!!!!!!
spanky4350
Contributor - Level 1

Sounds like someone didn't do their research:smileysurprised:

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