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OK, many have requested a separate forum for talking turkey...uhh, make that tech. I started to just call it the Indy channel, but some of us have Motorola pagers so we're pretty cool too.

Oh nooos Gandalf - the rocket scientist ghetto! [serious mixed metaphors]

So since you called me out Bert, let me ask, is there real interest in a v-blog post on the Droid-X? I am seriously intrigued about the intersection of touch control and the latest in hardware and Android. I don't know that just writing about it will do it justice.

Curious to see how AC looks on it ...

I am always of the mind, that either if you write it, they will read OR maybe they just ignore it. But, information is always good.

I am seriously looking into it. Still not ruling out the iPhone if it moves to Verizon. Otherwise, on AT&T, it's just an expensive iPod.

But, there are some serious battles going on between the two. Which, of course, is good for both of them.

Gotta love Motorola's statement, "You have a voice, you deserve to be heard," in reference to the fact that the iPhone's antennae setup leaves a bit to be desired. Steve Jobs calmed everyone down by just telling everyone you just can't use your left hand. Also, be careful if you are inside or if you are outside.

Blog away.

Can't you use a "jailbroken" iPhone on Verison?

The real question boils down to what apps are avaialble for both that you might want to use AND how user friendly they are as a PHONE (oh yeah, that)

In my area AT&T is king, so iPhone would be OK for me (when my contract's up, I can't see spending more than necessary and I can wait 6 months). Verison's not bad here, so I would be interested in knowing how the Droid compares. I really haven't looked into it yet, though.

Well, we can all compare. You can do the jail break thing, but barely know how to flash the things.

Negative on jail-breaking the iPhone to Verizon - different radio frequencies and hardware.

I agree with Wendell that a large factor is the applications that are actually useful to you, and how well they work.

Having an always-on *trusted* WIFI hotspot for my iPad, laptop, assorted guests is a major benefit that will make me more productive when I am away from my encrypted connection.

One problem a pt told me about his Iphone 4 is the same issue with the Ipad - does not use standard SIM now has micro SIM. My pt. used to use his iphone and when he went to work during the day as a logger he would put SIM in cheap GoPhone that he didn't care if it broke and still have some phone number, etc. Cannot do that now. Interesting that you could move sim between Iphone and Ipad, but I am sure they will find way to monitor how much bandwidth, etc you are doing.

There have been severla posts around the tech world about cutting down your SIM so that it works in a micro-SIM slot, then dropping it in a holder for using in a regular SIM slot.

here is one (http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/04/cut-my-sim-does-as-its-name-commands/)

I read a rumor that the black iPhone will be for AT&T while the white one will be reserved for Verizon. Shouldn't there be a HIPAA version for cell phones. I mean do I want people knowing that I am a Verizon user?

You should be just glad that you can't be confused with an iFanBoy since you are a Verizon user Bert.

"It can grant you three wishes. I don't care ... I need the one with the more GBs"

You're just smarter than that Bert - stand proud!

What made the two videos so damn funny were the voices. And, yes, the Gee Bees was hilarious. Kind of the opposite of the Bee Gees.

ATT is nto available in the wilds of North Dakota but verizon is and my HTC incredible manages all of my skyscape apps so very well... Illustrations and photos show up very crisp and clear. It's like having more than a library in my pocket. I can use referernce materials, get instant email updates and current research notifications, do CMEs, communicate with patients. Make a video of a child';s movement disorder and transfer it to my PC and AC with sync (PC) or Bluetooth (MAC).
Apps, try Skyscape and Unbound Medicine. So many high quality medical apps. One of my favorites is all of Bright Futures in an app. Another, a book full of descriptions and illustrations step by step of primary care procedures. Have the Harriet Lane, Cochrane reviews, many more but G2G

Lois Freisleben-Cook , M.D. Williston, ND

Lois,

would love your collaboration in building out an Android medical app list! Sounds like it is working well for you.

And no Bert, I don't have my DroidX yet; had it in my hands, but xNOx Buy isn't authorized to sell it to me since I have a business account.

Need to get some deliverables out/up, then off to a VZ storefront.

I am off to a storefront as we speak. We have three on one road.

The Eagle has landed. Now to start configuring installing, downloading, etc.

Once it is functional, then I can start side-loading our apps for testing.

So, did you get it at 7:33 pm EDT? If so, I could have beaten you by 15 minutes. Drats. I guess I could lie, but I have this feeling that it isn't easy to get non-truths by Indy. Besides I have already posted that I am on the Monday wait list. Damn, this weekend is going to drag on!

Bert,

Just ordered my third Droid X this afternoon, my daughter's BlackBerry died ,and for $150 more over using the insurance to replace a two year old Curve, we just moved up.

Interesting to me that neither my lovely bride or my daughter want to wait for a the Droid2 and it's keyboard.

My one beef so far is that I have to get a car charger for travel days and remember to plug it in when I an near a computer, it doesn't last a day or two like my old curve.

So, is that a Droid 2 X? If so, the keyboard would be as large as a regular keyboard.

If she needs it faster, I can send her one. I am a Motorola distributor for the Droid X. I currently have about 15 in stock. Would throw in a car charger for free.

I am new to Droid. How do I find if it is"x". How do you best utilize features. Was an old Palm user for years and miss Toronto lists and local calendar. Slowly adjusting to Google applications. Any quick tips will be greatly appreciated.

To do lists. Not Toronto lists. I can't get used to auto-spelling as I type exactly as I like most of the time. As I said...still adjusting to Droid.

http://www.droiddoes.com/

It's hard to explain. If it is a Droid X, it is just an entirely different phone than the regular Droid. Both are made by Motorola and use Verizon.

As far as the features, you can do best by playing around with it. Indy can give you more help I am sure.

I want one. How much?

It's $199 with a two-year contract. Indy can probably get it for you cheaper.

http://www.droiddoes.com/

Warning! This is a very high tech site, Leslie. (I mean scary) -- like the space shuttle taking off)I wouldn't recommend your going there until you have had at least two cups of coffee or one Heineken.

I have already been!!!! The sound track scared me so I skeedaddled.

Yeah, but if you have three or four Heinekens and THEN go in, it's fun as hell.

So, a little update on the Droid-X adventure.

My Lovely Bride has had her phone for three days, and is finding her way around rather well. That may be in part because she has some help at a few points from our 20 yo daughter.

I will say that it is the most that I have had to learn and explore in years, but I don't count that as a bad thing.

It has taken me about 2 days to get the basics settled, and I futz with new apps, settings, and in generally explore when I have a few minutes.

Considering the wide diversity between my Lovely Bride and myself, I don't think the learning curve is daunting, you just have to be willing to explore.

In the next week or so I'll be putting up some short blog posts of tips&tricks as I discover them.

All in all, I'm loving my X.

Where does one get this...uhhh X?

"if you have three or four Heinekens and THEN go in, it's fun as hell."
"a little update on the ...adventure."
"All in all, I'm loving my X."

Questions from a newbie...So do you do the Heinekens and THEN the X, or is it the other way around? What exactly is the difference between E and X? Aren't they the same? And when you guys said "Tech Talk forum", what did you REALLY mean?

You get your X from Bert! He mentioned elsewhere that he was a dealer! .... cue the sound of crashing front door entry.

To be clear X in the conversation is in reference [Motorola Droid X], although the double-entrende cracked me up as I was heading to bed so much that I came back to my desk to answer your question. Yep, The X went off as I was setting it down for the night.

You guys crack me up.

Is your spouse really ok that you spend so m uch time with your X? Seems odd to me!

It's mainly a work hours thing. after hours I switch to my laptop, and my lovely bride typically texts on-and-off with ours daughters.

Bert - in the interest of trying to keep threads to single subjects, should I start a different thread on Android phones?

Indy, you are working too hard. I think David was just using some tongue-in-cheek, changing X to ex meaning exwife. So, he thought it odd that your wife had no problem spending so much time with the "ex." He was kidding of course. Of course, maybe you already know that, and the jokes on me.

Yes, I think starting an Android thread would be appropriate. Anyone want to bet on what day my Droids will be in?

Bert - just goes to show how context is everything, I thought it was a play on a culturally popular street drug in the West, eXstacy. Either way, humor to be had.

Thus my joke about you being an X dealer - or at least a Verizon dealer.

My daughter got her X yesterday, and I spent part of today at a client site activating new Blackberrys and iPhones on their BB and mail servers. At one point I should have stopped and taken a picture - had a whole slew of new smart-phones scattered over a desktop in various states of configuration.

Don't worry Bert, Christmas is coming!

Yeah, the infamous BES of Blackberry. Talk about a phone that got caught offguard.

I think the ex wife joke is better, lol.

I do have the Droid X and find it much better than the iPhone. The whole iTunes thing always irritated me. I think this is just like Microsoft vs Apple all over again. You leave the door open so others can make good software and you will thrive. Plus, the Droid is on AT&T and Verizon

Made the mistake of paying big bucks for Verizon
droid Incredible first of June. Now the X is out
bigger, better, and cheaper. Sigh..

Yes, but I may end up getting both. I have never picked up a phone that felt so perfect in the hand, especially compared with the X. And, the icons at the bottom vibrate when you touch them. It gives a real sense of completion. I am EVENTUALLY going to get the X, but I don't like the physical buttons at the bottom.