Took the plunge -- DROID is in, Blackberry is out

I took the plunge and disconnected my venerable Blackberry Curve and switched to the Motorola DROID running Google's Android 2.0 software.

As an Outlook user, one of the things I liked so much about my Blackberry was the strong synch support for Outlook.  With Google & Microsoft not playing well together, it wasn't any big surprise to me when the guy at the Verizon store told me there wasn't good Outlook synch support.  Well, I found an option -- it's called CompanionLink for Google.  In a nutshell, here's how it works --

1. Android synchs automatically with Google Gmail Contacts.  This occurs over the Verizon network.  No  need to ever plug the DROID into a computer with a "synch cable".  Nice!

2. CompanionLink runs on your computer where Outlook is installed.  It synchs Outlook tasks, calendar, and contacts with Google Gmail.  I need to remember to run CompanionLink -- it doesn't run automatically.  But, it sure beats having to plug in that stupid synch cable!

Good DROID

Android 2.0 simply keeps impressing me.  There is just so much the device can do beyond the utilitarian functionality that I was used to with the Blackberry.  Some of my favorite things:

1. There is an app called CAR HOME and in this app is a place to click where I can talk to the DROID.  I know that sounds weird, but I now find myself saying things like "MAP OF SHELL STATIONS" and have it show me a fully GPS-aware map of all the nearest Shell Gas Stations.  I can tell my DROID to "CALL JOHN DOE MOBILE" and have it find that contact and dial the number all by itself.  Truly, I'm getting better at giving my DROID commands and having it do as I ask.  This is just amazing.

2.  GPS Navigation.  Right, I'm a guy so I never need directions and thus never bought a GPS and never request one when I rent a car.  So if that's the case, why do I find myself telling my DROID "NAVIGATE TO SAINT SUSANNA CHURCH" in order to find they gym for my kid's basketball game located in East Boofoo?  The DROID finds the location right away and then goes into GPS mode and gives me turn-by-turn directions.  And, it's really good -- I'd say on par with the NeverLost that I've occassionally gotten (although I never request it...right).

3. RoboDefense.  OK, it's a game.  But, it's way more addictive than Brick Breaker and far far cooler too.  I get to put together these crafty little tower defenses to keep bad robots from making it across the screen.  Infinite challenges, upgrades, acheivements -- this game is just plain FUN.

4. Oh and a bunch of other stuff.  I'd love to hear what YOU like about your DROID.

Bad DROID

So far, my biggest gripe with the DROID is that the keyboard simply isn't as nicely layed out as the Blackberry Curve.  I'm getting better at using the keyboard, but it's not nearly as easy to use as the Blackberry.  As a result, I'm not nearly as verbose in my mobile comments -- text, email, etc.  That's probably a good thing though!

Motorola DROID

I am trying out a MOTOROLA DROID phone from Verizon and configured the default EMAIL application for POP3 against my Exchange 2007 Server. Although it connected (after setting the security to TDS on both the DROID, and updating my Exchange Server Host Connector to check the allow multi-domain TDS checkbox), the application would constantly fail -- when I wasn't actively in the application. A box would continually come up saying the Email App had crapped out and prompted me to "Force Close" it. After reading paulseaone's post (http://www.talkandroid.com/android-forums/htc-smart-mobility/564-connection-error.html), I went to the MARKET application, located, downloaded, and configured K-9. I tried POP3 and IMAP (ultimately settling on IMAP for the convenience of not having duplicate copies of my email on my phone and mail server) -- NO CRASHES! I then had to go into the default EMAIL application and hunt around until I could figure out how to DELETE the POP3 profile that I had created there. Once I got rid of that, NO MORE ANNOYING FORCE CLOSE messages and K-9 working like a CHARM. In fact, I have K-9 setup to connect via IMAP to both my personal Exchange 2007 Server and my Corporate Email which is hosted by Rackspace.