DriodX -v- iPhone

DROID is a Lucasfilm trademark. You remember STAR WARS don't you? Verizon has licensed its use. The DROID 2 and the DROID X are from Motorola, the DROID Incredible is from HTC. The differences are not all that much between them. The DROID 2 supports mobile hotspots which I wonder if you can use to connect a PC to the internet. And would it allow VPN?
Still waiting for C3P0. I hope it will vacuum and do windows.
 
Andriod -v- iPhone: Aviation Apps?

I've got an HTC Windows phone now that I need to replace, but I'm stuck between the Android options and iPhone.

The two things I need out of a phone are an RDP client (good ones on both platforms) and aviation apps.

I love ForeFlight on the iPhone, and have used WingX on the Windows phone. What apps are out there for the Android units?

I would REALLY prefer another option than AT&T, so that gives an edge to Android, but the aviation apps market seems to be much more mature (or at least better marketed) in the Apple world.

Suggestions?
 
Re: Andriod -v- iPhone: Aviation Apps?

I've got an HTC Windows phone now that I need to replace, but I'm stuck between the Android options and iPhone.

The two things I need out of a phone are an RDP client (good ones on both platforms) and aviation apps.

I love ForeFlight on the iPhone, and have used WingX on the Windows phone. What apps are out there for the Android units?

I would REALLY prefer another option than AT&T, so that gives an edge to Android, but the aviation apps market seems to be much more mature (or at least better marketed) in the Apple world.

Suggestions?
I'm currently targeting the iPhone market with my application(s) in development. There just isn't that much evidence yet that the Android market users are willing to actually pay for an application. Once things evolve more on that side I'll release on it as well.
 
Re: Andriod -v- iPhone: Aviation Apps?

I'm currently targeting the iPhone market with my application(s) in development. There just isn't that much evidence yet that the Android market users are willing to actually pay for an application. Once things evolve more on that side I'll release on it as well.

Interesting. Haven't thought about that before. Do you think that is due to Android trying to keep everything 'free' via marketing, or just a lack of willingness by Android users to actually pay for an open source app?

I have thought about getting into Android development with a goal to eventually make a few bucks off of a decent app. If that market won't support that type of situation, maybe it's just as useful to focus on mobile-capable web tools and market across the board.
 
Re: Andriod -v- iPhone: Aviation Apps?

Interesting. Haven't thought about that before. Do you think that is due to Android trying to keep everything 'free' via marketing, or just a lack of willingness by Android users to actually pay for an open source app?

I have thought about getting into Android development with a goal to eventually make a few bucks off of a decent app. If that market won't support that type of situation, maybe it's just as useful to focus on mobile-capable web tools and market across the board.
Most of the developers I've talked to that have released pay apps on both platforms say they just in general get WAY fewer purchases on the Android market making it hard to justify writing their next app for both platforms as well.

I think there are a couple of factors - perhaps Android users don't care as much about apps? Or perhaps a lot of the users got their phones for free or nearly free and tend to like "free" things. I'm not sure.

I plan on experimenting with the Android platform. We'll see where things go from there.
 
The model that seems to be working in the Android app arena is for push advertising. That is the app is free but ads are then pushed to the user. The ad revenue is how the app writer is compensated. A different model than the iTunes and one that has yet to be proven fiscally sound. I have been working on some architectural designs to make the advertising targeted to a user based on analytics of their online personas and browsing histories.
 
Well, I've paid for a few apps on the Android marketplace, including Documents To Go. So far I've been reluctant to purchase Pilot MyCast, since it's $130. Note, though, that it is a one-time charge. I don't know that the Android market has functionality to have recurring charges; I heard anecdotally that it does not, but haven't confirmed that.
 
IMHO, if you have no need for apps, there's no reason to waste money on either smart-phone. Neither of these things are cheap, and any brick will do voice and texting. Email can be had on many other less-capable, far cheaper phones.

Are there any plain phones any more? I need to replace my wife's and daughter's Motorola flip phones, and Verizon told me that Motorola is out of that business now, and is only doing smart phones. He showed me two possibilities, Samsung, I think.

It looks like smart phones will be all that's available soon. Oh, and by the way, you can't buy a smart phone and just use it for calls and texting. You MUST buy the data plan. What a racket.
 
Are there any plain phones any more? I need to replace my wife's and daughter's Motorola flip phones, and Verizon told me that Motorola is out of that business now, and is only doing smart phones.
Well I am sure that is what he said. But the truth is that Verizon is not BUYING many non-smart phones from Motorola. There are still plain ole flip phones. There is the VA76r (Tundra) on AT&T, the V950 (Renegade) on Sprint, and if you are truly set on Verizon there is still the V750 (Adventurer) being sold by them but I think may only be available online.
 
Can anyone speak to the practical differences between the Droid X and the Droid Incredible? I'm up for a new phone at the end of the month and am pretty well split between the two.
 
Can anyone speak to the practical differences between the Droid X and the Droid Incredible? I'm up for a new phone at the end of the month and am pretty well split between the two.
The Droid X is designed and manufacutred by a good ole 'Merican company that employs Chinese engineers. The Droid Incredible is made by a Chinese company that employs engineers that were laid off by the good ole 'Merican company. :D:D:D:D
 
The Droid X is designed and manufacutred by a good ole 'Merican company that employs Chinese engineers. The Droid Incredible is made by a Chinese company that employs engineers that were laid off by the good ole 'Merican company. :D:D:D:D

Chinese? Around HQ I'd peg them as Indian! Of course, I don't know where the actual design work takes place.
 
Chinese? Around HQ I'd peg them as Indian! Of course, I don't know where the actual design work takes place.

Personal Communications Sector (PCS) Beijing R&D Center

As one of the four PCS R&D centers based in Asia-Pacific region, PCS Beijing R&D Center enjoys investment of over $10 million every year on project development, equipment procurement and training. There are about 300 engineers conducting research on software, electrical, mechanical and industrial design development. Its R&D focus includes touch-screen smart phones and platform development, refreshes of GSM cellular phones, and localization of CDMA cellular phones, etc. The Center has 8 major well-established labs such as SAR (specific absorption rate) Lab, Electronic Engineering Lab (EE Lab), Antenna Chamber, Advanced Mechanical Lab, PCB Lab, Audio Lab, Software Screen Booth, and ESD (Electronic-static discharge) Work Station.

PCS Consumer Experience Design --Beijing

The major functions of CXD are to provide a total great user experiences to end user at User Interface, Human Factor, Industrial Design, Graphic Design. As a global design organization, CXD has created and supported all cross regions and system (GSM/CDMA) projects within Motorola. As the biggest branche in Asia, CXD Beijing plays an essential role in CXD to support most of the Asia driven projects as well as some of the global and ODM projects. Though CXD Beijing is a brand new organization in Motorola, it has accomplished many successful projects in the past two years, such as C300, A388, C350, V290 and A760. CXD Beijing has also won many world-class design awards.

http://www.motorola.com.cn/en/about/inchina/joint.asp
 
Anybody else have the 'original' Droid that did the system upgrade last week?

Rachel woke up at 7 Thurs morning to take the dogs for a walk. Her phone said "Do you want to install upgrade?" She said 'Yes'. 2 hours later, the Motorola logo is still on the screen. Pull the battery and replace. Still nothing. Took it to VZW store and they try for a couple hours to no avail. It's officially bricked. New one is in the mail.
 
The reason people are slowly coming along to the notion of paying for apps is the same reason there are so many free apps for Linux (afterall, Android is a linux OS). Its the type of person that prefers Linux. You get control over your device, and you can do what you want with it, generally at a very low price point.

If the apps were priced reasonably, unlike the $99 apps the iPhone draws, they'd probably sell better.

The other factor is that, aside from the T-Mobile Android devices, you can't bill items from the Market to your phone bill. You have to supply a credit card number. That is hurting paid apps in the Market, IMHO.

edit: Almost everyone has an iTunes account already, which makes the need for a credit card number for the iPhone less of an issue than it is for the Android Market, where most people would have to start over with entering their CC #.
 
Anybody else have the 'original' Droid that did the system upgrade last week?

Rachel woke up at 7 Thurs morning to take the dogs for a walk. Her phone said "Do you want to install upgrade?" She said 'Yes'. 2 hours later, the Motorola logo is still on the screen. Pull the battery and replace. Still nothing. Took it to VZW store and they try for a couple hours to no avail. It's officially bricked. New one is in the mail.
I just did the update and it worked fine. Total time to download and install was under 10 minutes.
 
The other factor is that, aside from the T-Mobile Android devices, you can't bill items from the Market to your phone bill. You have to supply a credit card number. That is hurting paid apps in the Market, IMHO.

edit: Almost everyone has an iTunes account already, which makes the need for a credit card number for the iPhone less of an issue than it is for the Android Market, where most people would have to start over with entering their CC #.
This is true.
 
I just did the update and it worked fine. Total time to download and install was under 10 minutes.

I guess she's just 'lucky'. At least she gets a new-ish phone out of it.
 
The reason people are slowly coming along to the notion of paying for apps is the same reason there are so many free apps for Linux (afterall, Android is a linux OS). Its the type of person that prefers Linux. You get control over your device, and you can do what you want with it, generally at a very low price point.
I would guess that the vast majority of Android users knwo nothing about Linux or have much of any grasp for what open source means.
 
I just did the update and it worked fine. Total time to download and install was under 10 minutes.
I did my upgrade last week. I think it was Wednesday morning. Like you, it took me less than 10 minutes. Of course, I had replaced the physical phone the week before because of a hardware failure that wasn't fixed by a hard reset. :(

Some nice new things with the 2.2 upgrade, including actual Exchange calendar support. Still no Flash, though Adobe still says late Summer.
 
I did my upgrade last week. I think it was Wednesday morning. Like you, it took me less than 10 minutes. Of course, I had replaced the physical phone the week before because of a hardware failure that wasn't fixed by a hard reset. :(

Some nice new things with the 2.2 upgrade, including actual Exchange calendar support. Still no Flash, though Adobe still says late Summer.
Hmm you got 2.2 in you update? I was at 2.1 and now I have 2.1 + update 1.

UPDATE:

I don't get it until Q4

https://supportforums.motorola.com/community/manager/softwareupgrades

My phone is a Canadian Milestone.
 
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I broke down and ordered the Droid X. Arrival date is 9/6. According to what I here, there's a shortage of chips from QUALCOMM.
So tell me this, it claims to be a wifi hotspot. Does this mean I can access the internet from my PC? Or will I need an app for that!
 
I broke down and ordered the Droid X. Arrival date is 9/6. According to what I here, there's a shortage of chips from QUALCOMM.
So tell me this, it claims to be a wifi hotspot. Does this mean I can access the internet from my PC? Or will I need an app for that!

Yes, you can access the Internet with 5 devices, I think....for a price. I believe it is $20/month extra for "tethering"
 
I updated mine a couple of days ago, went fine. It says it is version 2.2.
 
I was rather surprised at the fact I could get full 3G coverage at Windwood when we arrived last year and could watch FlightAware for Gary coming in as we stood on the Runway. :D

I've found places where there's AT&T 3G where there's no logical explanation for it - I'm guessing that the favorite vacation spots of AT&T executives are all well-covered. Maybe we'll see them at Windwood this year. ;)
 
I just installed flash 10.1 for Froyo. Not the beta either.
 
I just installed flash 10.1 for Froyo. Not the beta either.
Congratulations! Could you share how you did it, as I don't see it in the Market, and accessing an Adobe page says they'll be releasing it in late summer? The only source I've seen in a link on ubergizmo, I'll have to allow installation from non-Market sources to use it, and I'm unfamiliar with them.
 
iI've been running froyo and flash for about a month now. Love both, but flash is hjit or miss. Flashchat still doesn't work.
 
I got flashchat to work last night with the NON-Beta. Well sort of. I could read, but if I went to type it would automatically start text inputting into the address bar on the standard browser.
 
Yes, you can access the Internet with 5 devices, I think....for a price. I believe it is $20/month extra for "tethering"

I was working off of a Droid hot spot yesterday to help a friend test his system. My iphone was able to access the internet via Safari but the App store would not pull up. Can't recall the statement but it wouldn't let me go there. Interesting albeit anecdotal.
 
The model that seems to be working in the Android app arena is for push advertising. That is the app is free but ads are then pushed to the user. The ad revenue is how the app writer is compensated. A different model than the iTunes and one that has yet to be proven fiscally sound.

That model is used on iPhone apps as well, all the free ones I have do that.
 
Nor do I (or didn't until the touch screen started acting up). Got a warranty replacement and am back to not using the keyboard. Leslie just placed an order for the DroidX.


My Droid X is here! Ordered on Aug 14, they said to expect it to arrive by 8/31, was delivered 8/25 to the office. Hopefully, delivery timelines have picked up for others as well.

I'm not extremely tech savvy, didn't understand what all this 'app' business was about, had previously used my phone primarily for calls, texting (I'm a heavy text user) the occasional web browsing (slow and difficult to see), and Pilot-My-Cast.

Now I see what I've been missing.... and am starting to understand why Grant likes his Droid so much.

I love this thing!!! Many of the features on the Droid X are pretty intuitive; just through using the 'hunt and peck' method, I've been learning all about apps (thanks to everyone for the thread on Android aviation apps for ideas!), setting up podcasts and news feeds, etc.

Configuring the wi-fi hotspot for multiple device access was easy; the network name and password are set up, now I have to decide if I want to pay the extra $ per month to turn it on.... Tried to locate the network wirelessly with the netbook, and it showed up fine - no extra configurations required (of course, the only screen you can get to is the Verizon screen telling you to sign up for access if you want to use this service....:rolleyes2:)

While I will still have a pc notebook/netbook for some functions, I can see that I won't have to use it nearly as much as I thought.

To those who have had smartphones for while, none of this is new news. But to one who is looking for a phone and is wondering if a (previously) non-tech heavy user will find benefit in it, don't be so quick to write it off.....you may be pleasantly surprised! (or worried if your phone bill will now need to include a data plan :D)
 
Just got the notice my X shipped. Should have it Friday! Trading a BB Storm for it. The storm's been good except for the last month or so. I think it knows it;s a shorttimer.
 
iI've been running froyo and flash for about a month now. Love both, but flash is hjit or miss. Flashchat still doesn't work.

Yeah, I went the same route and installed it from a "non-market source", after getting ****ed that Verizon/Motorola/whomever kept promising Flash and not delivering.

Flash is great to have on the phone. I have had no problems with it working at all. :cheerswine:
 
Yeah, I went the same route and installed it from a "non-market source", after getting ****ed that Verizon/Motorola/whomever kept promising Flash and not delivering.

Flash is great to have on the phone. I have had no problems with it working at all. :cheerswine:
I got the official Flash update earlier this week.
 
Yes, you can access the Internet with 5 devices, I think....for a price. I believe it is $20/month extra for "tethering"


Testing out the wi-fi hot spot now on the Droid X - pretty good response time, working wirelessly from a netbook, no special apps needed. With Verizon, the $20 is for the whole month, but you can activate/deactivate the service by logging into your account online, and only pay for the time you actually use it. Very glad I don't have to pay for the whole month when I may only need it for a few traveling days!

The site does say that you have to wait 24 hours for your request to become active; I didn't try accessing it before then, so can't say if that's accurate.
 
Leslie,

Is there a limit to how much data you can transfer for that $20?
 
Limit is 2GB for wi-fi hotspot capability for the $20, $0.05/MB after that.

The purchase of a data plan is also required. I already had that with my previous phone, so no changes there.
 
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