I've had a preproduction version of the device for nearly a month now, and I have to say, I'm a bit impressed. The Droid X's multimedia features, in particular, are great: 8 megapixel camera; nice camcorder, and good set of speakers, HDMI capability, and easy-to-access Media Share and DLNA features. Oh, and it's also a phone. Verizon's service was reliable, calls were clear, and none dropped during testing. The Droid X has a large, 4.3-inch screen is perfect for capturing HD videos. I ditched my iPod for a few days to run  videos while working out at the gym, and except for some brief moments of lag, I had no issues. It's a beautiful screen.

However, I was disheartened to discover that I could not download anything from the Android Market. So I watched as my unsuccessful downloads stacked up in the info bar. Occasionally, I would gaze at them forlornly, wondering if I would ever become Mayor of a Foursquare venue. Or translate that one, obscure Romanian phrase. Verizon acknowledge that the lack of Android Market access was an issue with some preproduction models. I queried a couple of other journalists who had similar problems–theirs resolved quicker than mine. I was finally able to access the marketplace last night, just a couple of days shy of the product return date. hmmm…

Aesthetics and Function: On the device itself, I wish there were dual-camera capabilities such as those available on the HTC Evo and the iPhone 4 (despite its reported tech issues and bad PR). And, let's face it, the Droid isn't exactly the cutest guy at the bar. It seems designed with "futuristic-masculine" in mind–from the wide screen to the Terminator droid eye, to the AutoTune-like  "Droid" that sounds every time new Gmail comes in. In truth, it straddles the line. As a tech geek, I love it. But it can get a bit overwhelming. Are those slight quibbles? Probably. But  I also think it's important that a device is suited to me both functionally and aesthetically.

I also wanted to be able to prop up the Droid to watch videos but there was no kickstand. And I don't like that I need to purchase the micro HDMI cable separately. Upsells really bug me. And, I'm cheap.

Additionally, the way the Droid X handles social networking is a bit awkward and confusing. I would much prefer to load my social tools myself .

One big plus with the device is the ability to share a connection with up to 5 wi-fi devices. Another is the 8GB of installed memory and pre-installed 16GB memory card. And I loved the ease with which I Bluetooth-ed my Blackberry contacts to the Droid. Nice!

Verizon's Droid X by Motorola is a solid device. Lot's of strong features that put it squarely in contention with the HTC Evo and Apple's iPhone. There are a few aesthetic and performance shortcomings, but I think the device is heading in the right direction in terms of multimedia capabilities that only add to the already great phone performance.

Priced at $199 with 2-year contract and data plan starting at $29.99/month.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Verizon Acknowledges Screen Issues Affecting "Small Number" Of Droid X Devices [Verizon] (gizmodo.com)
• DROID X running Android 2.2! (mobilitysite.com)

Yesterday, I took two tech devices to my class, sort of a combination show-and-tell and teaching aid. The first, an original Apple iPod, drew lots' of comments: "it's so heavy," "when was it made?" "the wheel moves," "does it still work?" (yes), "why is there so much music from the 1980s?"(shhhh!)

The second device, an Ergo Audrey drew near silence, then ridicule. "What is that thing sitting over there?" asked one student, pointed, a look of near disgust on her face. Still more questions: "what's it  for" (it's an internet appliance "for women"), "why does it look like that?" (they were going for that 1950s appeal–you know, when women's fascination with kitchen appliances was at an all-time high–it's that sort of Mad Men-ish appeal we seem to have embraced now that we have a reasonably safe distance from the realities of 1950s and 1960s America.)

History and Desire

I have been reading and taking stock of the conversations about Apple's iPad. And I have to admit that after viewing the video with a colleague, I spontaneously tweeted out "iWant" for all the world to see. Friends were shocked–especially given that my blog is all about the practical, tempered, somewhat intellectual approach to tech. I later modified my desire with criticism, a very weak, "it doesn't have a camera" and a really lame personal hygiene joke.

Still, I let my memory take me back to my history with Apple products. Although I was practically raised on Macs, I did not own one until 1993, having had access to them in school as a young journalist. My purchase was a doozy–a Centris 610 fully loaded. Four months later, Apple discontinued the line. D'oh! Still, my Quadra (er, Centris) stuck with me until 2000, when the poor thing could stand no more. I switched over to PCs for a while, mostly because of necessity, but also because of a lovely little Satellite from Toshiba. I temporarily dallied with a Mac G3 before I found joy once again with an iBook G4. I'm now working on a MacBook.

But dammit, I want and iPad!

Despite the proclamations (including my own) of what it doesn't do, I want to think about what it does now, and the possibilities for building on this device. I remember being highly critical of the iPod touch when it was first released, even advising friends not to purchase it. But then I took one of my "think days." Once or twice a month, depending on my workload, I take a day off from email, phoning, media, and reflect.  I did a fair bit of reading that day, and started to think and ask myself questions: what is it for? who is it for? and even, why does it look like that?

It's very easy to chronicle a history of Mac failure, as many have done ad nauseam. More challenging is to think about what the iPad represents, what Apple wants to accomplish with it, what does it do for us,  the challenges and possible opportunities for the device. I've seen some good advice from Sarah Perez here about why you should wait. Michael Kirkpatrick also offers another good analysis of the "Epic FAIL" argument that is typically preferred over sound insight.

Let's take a day off from Babel and think.

Games People Play. As Antonio Banderas said in 1995’s Desperado, “les play.” Gaming will absolutely heat up in 2009—on several fronts.

Passive gaming companies get active, combine forces with other multimedia companies  to make play more interesting, less repetitive, and less…passive.

Gaming makes real headway  into the .edu space, particularly in higher education. Games as teaching aids have been the province of elementary and high schools for quite a while now. Tabula Digita, headed by Ntiedo Etuk has done well with its DimensionM math games. As a college writing instructor, I see game narratives maturing and think games in class are a viable way of teaching core writing principles to my first-year students. Who’s up for some Xbox in the spring?

Serious games get, well, you get the idea…serious. Games that are used in business, government, and the medical fields, for example, as training tools will see a boost in interest and sales. I’m tempted to include language learning in this area, too.

Microsoft’s Project Natal.  (let the bating of the breath begin)

Virtual spaces get real. Virtual reality companies like Linden Labs (Second Life) make contact with real-world revenues. Really. They’ll have some competition, though. Look for innovation from startups like Vzillion (www.vzillion) to really change the game.

Moms rule. “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” I heard that someplace once (and not just in the scary Rebecca DeMornay movie). A gaggle of gadgets, gizmos and resources catering to mompreneurs and savvy moms will emerge. Walmart has begun the early march with its Elevenmoms (really 12 moms) blogs.

eReaders see the handwriting on the w… Oh, heck.  Although there’s been much hype over devices like the Kindle, Sony eReader, the Nook, et al, for those of us who have been in tech long enough to remember the first iteration of readers, we’re still waiting for true innovation on that platform—something that will really make us sit up and take notice. So far, this crop of eReaders just hasn’t.  If Apple decides to play in this arena, the game could get serious. Why? One of the sticking points to widespread adoption is the issue of digital rights; that is, for content creators, the issue is how are you using my intellectual property and how do you plan to pay me for it? How much? Apple’s iTunes as a revenue model is proven. This could potentially be, dare I say, a Kindle Killer? (By the way the phrase “x killer” will also need to go away.

The “i”. Companies, with the exception of Apple, will stop putting “i” in front of every product they sell—iPhone, iChair, iCrappy Device.

Where U @? Location-based tech makes its way into interesting places. Think Enemy of the State meets No Reservations. We’ve seen the emergence of sites like Foursquare, Buzz’d, and even TripIt take off this year, and 2010 will see even more integration with other social networking tools and services. Question for travel-based sites and services, however, is this: how will they fare in an industry that’s pretty much in chaos? How long will consumers acquiesce to petty price-gouging and the growing inconveniences of flying to make use of some really great tools?

Twitter. Like the identity of the Dark Lord of the Sith, the true nature of Twitter will be revealed.  Ooooo (okay, so that was written after a couple glasses of wine). Seriously, though, the babble over social media tools like Twitter will quickly subside in 2010 as companies and entrepreneurs begin to ask serious questions: how does this help my business? Do the costs of using some of these tools outweigh the benefits? Do I need this? How does it work with my (fill in the blank)? Is Twitter just a jumpoff for other, more useful tools? Or does something wicked-er this way come?

What do you think 2010 holds in store for us? Let me know.