Sometimes new products come to the market with loads of promise but don’t deliver. The Android operating system from Google on Motorola’s Droid cell phone delivers. Unlike phones with a Windows operating system, the Droid’s operating system was designed from the ground up to be used with a touch screen device. No need for a pointer or tiny fingers. The user interface is intuitive and easy to use.
After getting on the phone for the first time, you discover the large array of applications that come with the Droid. Syncing with the corporate Exchange server was a snap. I now have my full contact list and current schedule with me at all times. Make a change on my phone, and it quickly is matched to my calendar in the office. I could have opted to get my e-mail too, but with over 300 e-mails a day, it simply would not be practical to process my e-mail on the Droid.
The built-in web browser can access most popular web sites, including www.deckerwright.com. I am able to view and process our call log while I am on the road. One significant advantage the Droid’s internet browser has over the iPhone’s Safari browser is that the Droid is Flash compatible. Websites that rely heavily on Flash media can be displayed in full on Android phones. No more of those annoying blue boxes with question marks in them. Another cool feature: by just highlighting the phone number in a list on a web page, the phone is smart enough to recognize the number as a phone number and dial it for me. Google Maps is another useful tool. Even though I may get lost, the phone knows where I am. Opening Google Maps, I can see my current location in Red Bank, NJ on the map and either zoom in or out for more detail or a broader view. If I need to get somewhere like Toms River, NJ but don’t know how, just type in the address and the Droid can give you the directions you need to reach your destination. It is much harder for me to get lost now, and more important, I don’t have to stop and ask for directions as much!
There are a large number of useful applications for free or a nominal amount of money. One of the more useful apps is a tide chart, which will show the tides for nearly any location that reports tides. Making plans for the weekend? The software will quickly give you the tides for the upcoming weekend.
The most often used app is the weather app. Provided by the Weather Channel, the Weather Channel app provides detailed weather information for my current locations and locations I select. One of the more useful features of this app is real time radar. The radar saved me several times this summer by showing me that the big black clouds looming on the horizon were headed in my direction.
How many logins and passwords do you have? I have nearly 200. There was a time when I could remember them all – not any more. With the Keeper app, I am able to enter and store all of my logins and passwords. I spent the extra money to purchase the PC version of the software that syncs with the encrypted database on the phone. I now have my complete password list with me, encrypted and saved, all the time.
The Droid has the potential to redefine how we think of hand held devices and what we imagine they can do. I am excited to think of what new apps may emerge for my favorite cell phone ever. The Android operating systems is available on many more phones than my Motorola Droid. Anyone thinking of getting a smart phone should check it out. And if you need help getting it working or synced to your corporate e-mail, call DeckerWright Corporation for support.
About the Author Marshall Wright:
Marshall Wright of DeckerWright Corporation has been providing New Jersey businesses with HARDWARE, SOFTWARE & NETWORKING technology consulting services since 1984.
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