Verizon Droid Phones

[twizzops]

I am required to use Verizon, as my work pays for the monthly cell phone bill, but I pay for the phone. I am up for a new phone, currently have the Blackberry Tour (with the track ball). The phone works fine (other than the track ball) and I love how it syncs my contacts with my outlook.

Should I wait a few more months or pull the trigger and get a Droid? If so which one should I get. I haven't done much research, but I use my phone mostly for calls (shocking) and emails. I am also very interested in tethering my phone to my PC for internet access.

That said which phone should I go for. I haven't done my research. Till I read this thread I would have just gone with whatever new Blackberry is out because that's what I am used to.

What would I give up going from Blackberry to Droid, if anything. All of the extra stuff that comes with the droids is just that, extra. I need a reliable phone for calls, corporate email, and syncing with outlook for contacts, tasks, calendar, etc.

Thanks for any help given.

 

[EverquestBB]

Thanks . . .

Task killers kill tasks that sometimes need to run. So, you have the tasks being started and stopped constantly which increase usage.

I know what a task killer does, but carbja23 implies he has some knowledge beyond that as to which specific task killer might be the best /shrug.

 

[cudacuf]

Task killers kill tasks that sometimes need to run. So, you have the tasks being started and stopped constantly which increase usage.

I know what a task killer does, but carbja23 implies he has some knowledge beyond that as to which specific task killer might be the best /shrug.

I think he's suggesting to not use a task killer at all for the reasons I stated.

 

[cudacuf]

Here's a thread about task killers:

http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid/18334-task-killer-apps-truth.html

 

[cudacuf]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL6gSd4ugSI&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Androidology - Part 2 of 3 - Application Lifecycle[/ame]

Explanation of how Android handles processes from an engineer on the Android Development Team. Android is a Linux derivative and handles applications differently than Windows. Task Killers aren't needed.

 

[htw]

I can't say I completely agree. In general, for system tasks, etc., then yes. But there are plenty of droid apps, that do not "exit", they just go into the background. No big deal eh? Say, take a slot machine app... well, the damn things sit back there, and keep updating their little ads, or whatever they do, like every damn 30 to 60 seconds. I just don't care to let them do that, so kill them off.

Of course, another option would be to not use such apps, but meh!

For system tasks, then no, I don't bother them.

htw

 

[EverquestBB]

While we're here

I have been using WM 6.5 on a Verizon HTC Touch Pro 2. I am somewhat intrigued by this Droid OS but reluctant to leave Windows because I have been with them since my first pocket PC back in the late 90s (the Hp Journada - SCORE!). However, I think Bill Gates and his crew have fallen behind pretty badly and I want to make a change. Has anyone else made a move from a Windows Mobile based smartphone to a Droid? Any feedback? I like to sync with Outlook, I occasionally use Word and Excel and I use CoPilot when I get lost in a strange town . . . but I probably have more than I need and I am getting tired of rebooting 4 times a day.

Thoughts?

 

[cudacuf]

I can't say I completely agree. In general, for system tasks, etc., then yes. But there are plenty of droid apps, that do not "exit", they just go into the background. No big deal eh? Say, take a slot machine app... well, the damn things sit back there, and keep updating their little ads, or whatever they do, like every damn 30 to 60 seconds. I just don't care to let them do that, so kill them off.

Of course, another option would be to not use such apps, but meh!

For system tasks, then no, I don't bother them.

htw

If there are applications that you want to kill...

Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications

No need for a task killer app.

 

[htw]

IMO, a taskkiller app is just easier. If you don't want to use one, that's fine - but to swear off them like they are an issue, is wrong. Now, saying not to kill shit you don't know why it's running, or if it's needed, is fine.

Option 1: Menu, Settings, Applications, Manage applications, scroll through my bigass application list (running or not), select it, then click Force stop. (at best, I can place a shortcut to get me to the Manage applications list, but still have to scroll through them all).

Option 2: Click shortcut to taskkiller, select running app in list, kill.

*shrug*

htw

 

[Morx]

I'm not sure if it has to do specifically with Froyo 2.2 update, or whether it has to do with the ROM itself, but I rooted my Moto Droid, and the custom ROM I use, Bugless Beast, automatically closes apps/services that are not used for a while. It's like automatic force close.

Works pretty well. It may be specific to Froyo 2.2 though, because I think it was said that it manages apps/memory a lot better.

 

[jodwop]

Using a taskkiller is a must imo. Whether you have it set to autokill or not is alot simpler since since apps will constantly open even without your consent. On the other side of that coin is rooting and renaming( or deleting if you are confident they will not be needed. I am speaking of "hardcoded" ones your carrier decided you needed), which leads to them no longer running on their own, thus increasing battery life, increased overall responsiveness system wide and less data flow that is unnecessary.

I can not tell how many times I had to shutdown the stock music player, Amazon Kindle or Blockbuster apps and had never used them. Now they have been renamed and cause not problems (easily renameable if needed because of an OTA or such).

Because of the minor tweaking I have done to my DX, my phone outperforms consistently against almost all other smartphones on the market through various benchmarks I have run on it.

On the subject of switching away from WM, Yes you can sync up Outlook, calendar and such. Is it a painless process? No not yet, but it is very doable still.

I have never dropped a call. I have only had one spot in my area where I lost signal temporarily, but all of our VZ phones drop in that spot. Sorry Iphone you can not use that excuse... your phones still suck.

 

[Morx]

There's a lot of speculation that an iPhone and Verizon partnership is finally coming... no seriously, for real this time. Contract with AT&T is up at the end of 2010. Verizon already provides 3g service for iPads as of recently when they started selling iPads in the Verizon stores.

Verizon is more than likely going to be announcing their new 4g network, which is a different tech than CDMA. It's world wide, and therefore Apple doesn't have to quibble about their phones not being on a worldwide standard like they currently are on GSM.

The target date right now is 2011 CES show, so in January.

I'm excited.

 

[JimJohnson]

Thought ATT just extended the contract to the end of 2010. while they work on another long term deal. I do not see verizon getting the iphone.

As for the iPad, it is stupid to not target working class people who use Verizon already and get their companies paying for an ipad as well as a phone line. Now you do not need 2 contracts.

 

[cudacuf]

If you can believe the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703735804575536191649347572.html

I believe them and the friends that I've talked to in the industry. Expect iPhones for Verizon in Janurary.

 

[Morx]

http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/07/technology/verizon_4g/index.htm

Paints a completely different picture regarding the type of network they are going to be using.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Just got a Droid 2 Global to replace my Samsung Saga i770. So far it has been an easy transition and didn't lose any of my international capabilities. Only issue I see is what first mentioned in this thread on applications. Being used to the Windows OS on the Saga, I asked where I could get a Task Manager type of application so I could control the processes. The person whom I dealt with at the store had the Advanced Task Killer on his phone. He showed it to me and downloaded it for me on my own. I've used it a couple times, but seems that it only temporarily stops the processes as they eventually run again somehow (it seems everytime I hit the power button on top when the screen turns off).

Long story short, in an effort to conserve battery life (especially on longer trips), how do I go about permanently removing or disabling these applications from running? I don't need Amazon kindle, Blockbuster, or any of that other horseshit.