It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since the release of the Droid.  If you had told me that I would have been able to completely integrate myself and my life to one new device last year I would have told you were nuts.  I never thought I would have been so excited about a new phone.  A long time ago TiVo changed my life and now a new operating system called “Android” has done the same.  I know I am not the only one also.  I was amazed how many people carved the “Android” into a pumpkin while I was walking around my son on Halloween.  I know there are a lot of “Apple” fans out there but didn’t see any carved in a pumpkin over Halloween in my neighborhood.   

A few years ago I upgraded to a Blackberry device and I was just smitten with the features of being able to read emails, type out better text messages and I thought I was really getting in front of the technology curve since my regular phone didn’t do much other than make calls.  I was used to carrying my laptop around with me everywhere and thought it was going to be a long time since I would be able to really ditch the laptop. 

Verizon started their campaign for the Droid back in September/October of 2009.  I saw the ads and looked on their website.  I was stunned at what the Droid could do.  I thought there was no way.  It probably operates extremely slow or there are just putting everyone on about all the features.  I had only heard rumors about Android.  I didn’t know anyone with an Android phone.  I had looked into a few other phones on different carriers but either the phones or the networks were not so good.  I decided to take the plunge on Verizon’s newest powerhouse.  Little did I know I was in for a ride of my life. 

When I got the phone I was so excited I dropped it right out of the box.  My heart sank as fast as the phone did to the floor.  Thanks Verizon for making a slide out box.  Luckily this think is built like a tank and took the force of the floor without any problems and I was on my way to signing in.  The phone feels great in your hands and the construction is spot on.  Much better than a lot of the plastic out there.  I really want to feel the device in my hand and not be afraid of breaking it.  The email was pretty easy to set up.  A little harder later when I decided to send all the rest of my email accounts through my phone also.  I had to call a few friends for that tech support.  Not that I couldn’t call Verizon but at that time almost all the rest of my friends were sporting the new Droid or Droid Eris.

I had heard so much about Apps from the friends of mine that had Apples iPhone.  With Android’s open source it has been unbelievable how many apps have been pouring in the last year.   I have been able to do some things to my phone that were just way too cool.  I can’t even keep up with all of them.  I know one of my personal favorites is Google Maps.  I travel a lot and having to carry a GPS just added to the weight. . The navigation system with Google maps is fast and very intuitive. One of my favorite features is the voice search for a specific location (store, restaurant, etc. . .) The DROID's Google search will give me the location, phone numbers and then being able to navigate from my location which is great! The Droid knocks GPS systems clear out of the park.  I drove cross country twice with the Google Navigation on and booked my hotels while driving along the way.  Of course I was parked for some of the extra web surfing to make the reservations.  But also being able to listen to internet radio while the device is running GPS and still be able to take phone calls.  Some of my Apple friends wouldn’t believe me that my phone could do all of that at the same time.  I had to prove it to them.  That was just the icing on the cake.  Once you get an Android phone in someone’s hands you will be hard pressed to get it back. 

My Top Five Apps are:

Goggles
Navigation
Places
Pandora
Find Starbucks

There are also so many games out there.  When I home I have to find my son to find my phone.  There is something for everyone.

If you are in the market for a new phone I would definitely recommend the Droid.  There are some amazing smart phones out there now.  The Android operating system definitely deserves a look from consumers.  Just like TiVo it has changed my life.

Dan Wold

Motodash.com