Fever Pitch: Happy Droid Day, Enjoy the Moment

If you are a tech lover, there is nothing quite like the launch day of a much hyped new gadget. Expectations run high. And since those expectations are rarely satisfied once you have the special little device in hand, it’s a moment to savor. In the hours before you own it, that device is perfect in every way. It will make you happier, a better person. There are no bugs, there are only features. It is whatever you want it to be.

Launch day of a new cool gadget is the closest thing to being a kid again on Christmas day (or whatever your winter solstice holiday of choice). You’ve anticipated the day. You’ve called in sick to work. And you are standing out in the freezing cold at 7 in the morning, hoping your place in line assures you a device before the carefully-planned sell out occurs. You’ve worked yourself into…a Fever Pitch.

I’ve always been let down with the real world gadget after that high of anticipation. But that’s ok. It’s part of the cycle of tech.

Friday is Droid day. In just a few hours Verizon stores will open and the first customers will get their hands on their very own Droid.

And I promise you, if you are one of the people waiting in line, you will have a much lower than average amount of letdown. That’s because, in my humble opinion, the Droid is the coolest mobile phone to exist to date. It is as close as we’ve come to the Platonic ideal of a smartphone. Its very existence ensures that the next iPhone will be even better than it otherwise would have been. Competition is good.

Yes, this is an unabashed love letter to the Droid. If you want the dispassionate reviews, we’ve got em. And then some. That isn’t what this post is about.

This post is about love of technology.

I’ve had one of the devices, a free loaner that I wasn’t ashamed to beg for, for a week now. I’ve assigned it to my Google Voice account and have used it and only it since it arrived.

I have placed it in the car doc and have used Google Navigator to get around, shunning my expensive but suddenly dated in-car navigation system. I talk to my Droid. And it talks back to me, guiding me to my destination.

I have installed a dozen apps on my Droid, and all run smoothly in the background. Skype, Yammer, Twitdroid and Google Voice all let me know when something is happening that I need to be aware of. There is no lag when I open these apps. Even when most of them are running at once.

And when I respond, I can choose between the quick virtual keyboard or the slider real keyboard. And I notice how slim the device is, about the same as the iPhone, even though it has a physical keyboard.

I make calls from my home via the robust Verizon (VZ) network, something I had to forgo in my AT&T/iPhone days. My voicemails are transcribed automatically by Google Voice and delivered via email, along with my text messages. Not one call has been dropped in a week’s use.

I view web pages in the gorgeous 3.7″ WVGA (480 x 854 pixels); 16:9 widescreen. And the scrolling speed on web pages is faster than even my desktop computer.

Droid is the Alpha phone. And I will love it and only it. Until something better comes along.

Happy Droid Day. Let me know what you think of yours.

Original post

Comments

[Davewmart:]

I hate gadgets!
They only get my consideration when they mean I can cut down the clutter.
From that perspective the Droid is a winner - no more carrying around a sat-nav.
Lousy camera rules it out though, so I'll wait for someone to sort that out and still provide sat-nav

Nov 06 08:14 AM

[Theo77:]

Droid's camera will most likely be improved with a software update. If that's all that is holding you back from getting this killer phone I wouldn't let it do so.

Nov 06 09:38 AM

[CGP:]

It's still early, but let's hear from the the iCrowd.....

Nov 06 09:58 AM

[modelportfo...:]

My happiest moment for the Droid will be when the reincarnation into the Milestone, the GSM version of Droid, makes it to London! Then I will be truly happy and will snap it up. Keep the love affair with it going so I can keep the desire strong. If anyone has news about its expected arrival here and with which carrier (I saw it is to sell soon in Germany) I would be grateful. Enjoy the moment in the US today.

Nov 06 12:24 PM

[joe in miami:]

Funny, I haven't seen any lines around town, you?

Nov 06 12:33 PM

[BeachRider:]

This is an interesting place (SA) to watch the launch from. SA has a large contingent of Jobs-ophiles. There will be some crossfire, just because of 'a new gun in town'.

I don't know if Droid will compete well with iPhone or not. iPhone is like the NY Yankees of Personal Communications. Sooo many folks love iPhone and can love nothing else. Others hate it 'just because...'

iPhone has cast large footprints, too. Droid may beat iPhone in some areas, but is certain to come up short in others.

An oddsmaker would give the VZW 3G Network some advantage over the ATT 3G Network. For some reason, ATT is suing VZW because the '3G maps' (which show a big advantage to VZW) are prejudicial. I guess that substantial parts of iPhone function don't depend on 3G, so the map-disparity is an unfair simplification of the need for 3G. Hmmmm

Nov 06 01:33 PM

[mike hough:]

"if you are one of the people waiting in line"

I'm not reading anything about lines anywhere. Where do you live?

Nov 06 01:36 PM

[woollyB:]

I need the monthly service fees to fall in half before I enter the world of smart phones.

Nov 06 01:56 PM

[Smrt1:]

I have a personal and business laptop with wireless log-on access to most wi-fi's on the personal and an aircard on the business. The monthly fee for smart phones will have to drop significantly for me for the convenience factor to be worth the cost. That having been said, I like Google products and if anyone can rival Apple for the "hip and chic" smart phone, I would say Google would have to be it.

Nov 06 04:46 PM