Comments on: Hands-on with the Droid X http://kestrelsaerie.com/2010/07/hands-on-with-the-droid-x-2/ An Eclectic Collection of Musings on Life, Living, and Blogging Sun, 09 Oct 2011 01:16:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mazil http://kestrelsaerie.com/2010/07/hands-on-with-the-droid-x-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4674 Mazil Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:51:56 +0000 http://kestrelsaerie.us/?p=3412#comment-4674 That sounds great, I'd love to try it out! Out of interest, I did a quick Google for "Swype on iPhone" and apparently there is an iPhone version in development: http://gizmodo.com/5571609/swype-is-developing-an-app-for-iphone-but-will-apple-allow-it ShapeWriter looks very similar too, I might try out the demo! http://www.shapewriter.com/iphone.html That sounds great, I’d love to try it out! Out of interest, I did a quick Google for “Swype on iPhone” and apparently there is an iPhone version in development: http://gizmodo.com/5571609/swype-is-developing-an-app-for-iphone-but-will-apple-allow-it

ShapeWriter looks very similar too, I might try out the demo!
http://www.shapewriter.com/iphone.html

]]> By: Kestrel http://kestrelsaerie.com/2010/07/hands-on-with-the-droid-x-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4673 Kestrel Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:50:40 +0000 http://kestrelsaerie.us/?p=3412#comment-4673 I could never use the virtual keyboard on the iPod Touch (same as the iPhone) at all; finally, I got a conductive stylus for it (which is okay, but takes a fairly firm press to register). But Swype takes normal (or less) fingertip pressure, and even at the default settings, is very forgiving. If you type a word it doesn't know, it pops up those choices. Teaching it new words ("screenshot") is as easy as tapping the letters one at a time, followed by a space. Zip! It's part of Swype's lexicon. Swype may even be <i>more</i> natural than a hardware keyboard, which is something I did not want. I could never use the virtual keyboard on the iPod Touch (same as the iPhone) at all; finally, I got a conductive stylus for it (which is okay, but takes a fairly firm press to register).

But Swype takes normal (or less) fingertip pressure, and even at the default settings, is very forgiving. If you type a word it doesn’t know, it pops up those choices. Teaching it new words (“screenshot”) is as easy as tapping the letters one at a time, followed by a space. Zip! It’s part of Swype’s lexicon.

Swype may even be more natural than a hardware keyboard, which is something I did not want.

]]> By: Mazil http://kestrelsaerie.com/2010/07/hands-on-with-the-droid-x-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4672 Mazil Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:07:25 +0000 http://kestrelsaerie.us/?p=3412#comment-4672 Hmm, interesting! I was wondering just the other day whether (or rather, "when") people would come up with a new, more intuitive method of text input, making the most of touch-screen devices. I've never really been a fan of the mini-keyboard provided by the iPhone. I'm used to double-thumb typing on a num-pad, but if there's a keyboard, I wanna touch-type, dangit! ;) Swype looks like a great improvement... that's very cool to see! Hmm, interesting! I was wondering just the other day whether (or rather, “when”) people would come up with a new, more intuitive method of text input, making the most of touch-screen devices. I’ve never really been a fan of the mini-keyboard provided by the iPhone. I’m used to double-thumb typing on a num-pad, but if there’s a keyboard, I wanna touch-type, dangit! ;)

Swype looks like a great improvement… that’s very cool to see!

]]> By: E-books: DRM + conflicting formats + exclusivity = “We are screwed” | Kestrel's Aerie http://kestrelsaerie.com/2010/07/hands-on-with-the-droid-x-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4652 E-books: DRM + conflicting formats + exclusivity = “We are screwed” | Kestrel's Aerie Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:24:21 +0000 http://kestrelsaerie.us/?p=3412#comment-4652 [...] at least for the Android mobile operating system. However, as nice as it is to read an e-book on my Droid-X, there’s no question that readability is considerably enhanced on any of the other dedicated [...] [...] at least for the Android mobile operating system. However, as nice as it is to read an e-book on my Droid-X, there’s no question that readability is considerably enhanced on any of the other dedicated [...]

]]> By: Kestrel http://kestrelsaerie.com/2010/07/hands-on-with-the-droid-x-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4647 Kestrel Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:12:56 +0000 http://kestrelsaerie.us/?p=3412#comment-4647 I don't use my device heavily: Being retired, I spend a lot of time at home. And, I splurged $50 for the HDMI dock (not that I necessarily intend to stream HD content out of the phone), so keeping it charged is not an issue. As this is my first Android phone, I'm not that conversant yet with which services are needed and which are leftovers. I know this is still a bit of an issue with Android 2.1, and I believe it's addressed to some extent in Froyo. Certainly, WiFi, Bluetooth, and especially GPS will tax the battery a lot: I've seen battery supply drop 10 percent in just a few minutes of active GPS. I can adjust the polling interval for Twitter (currently using Seesmic until TweetDeck releases an Android version) and GMail, but I'm not certain what processes get killed when I go back to the home screen: I suspect it's few or none. However, everything I've read regarding the X seems to indicate its power management (which, by the way, is configurable on the X) is better than any other smartphone <i>except</i> the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. And again, Froyo is expected to improve on that (but not, I suspect, to iPhone levels: Apple scored a home run there). I don’t use my device heavily: Being retired, I spend a lot of time at home. And, I splurged $50 for the HDMI dock (not that I necessarily intend to stream HD content out of the phone), so keeping it charged is not an issue.

As this is my first Android phone, I’m not that conversant yet with which services are needed and which are leftovers. I know this is still a bit of an issue with Android 2.1, and I believe it’s addressed to some extent in Froyo. Certainly, WiFi, Bluetooth, and especially GPS will tax the battery a lot: I’ve seen battery supply drop 10 percent in just a few minutes of active GPS.

I can adjust the polling interval for Twitter (currently using Seesmic until TweetDeck releases an Android version) and GMail, but I’m not certain what processes get killed when I go back to the home screen: I suspect it’s few or none.

However, everything I’ve read regarding the X seems to indicate its power management (which, by the way, is configurable on the X) is better than any other smartphone except the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. And again, Froyo is expected to improve on that (but not, I suspect, to iPhone levels: Apple scored a home run there).

]]> By: Byaghro http://kestrelsaerie.com/2010/07/hands-on-with-the-droid-x-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4645 Byaghro Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:42:55 +0000 http://kestrelsaerie.us/?p=3412#comment-4645 I do wish I could run an Android device and my iPhone side by side for a couple of months to be able to really compare. I really like some of the things that are done on the Android platform that I do not have native access to, the largest of which is integration with Google Voice. Swype looks interesting. I'd love to play around with it and see how it feels, though I have gotten quite good at using the "double-thumb" method :) Something I've heard others talk about on occasion is the need to monitor running processes, though perhaps need is to strong of a word, in order to kill some items to prolong battery life. Is this actually an issue you've seen or worry about, or is that a relic from the first iterations of the Android OS? What kind of battery life have you seen on average, and do you use the device heavily over the course of the day? Those are the main things I've heard comments about but haven't had an opportunity to actually try out a device to know how it compares to others... I do wish I could run an Android device and my iPhone side by side for a couple of months to be able to really compare. I really like some of the things that are done on the Android platform that I do not have native access to, the largest of which is integration with Google Voice.

Swype looks interesting. I’d love to play around with it and see how it feels, though I have gotten quite good at using the “double-thumb” method :)

Something I’ve heard others talk about on occasion is the need to monitor running processes, though perhaps need is to strong of a word, in order to kill some items to prolong battery life. Is this actually an issue you’ve seen or worry about, or is that a relic from the first iterations of the Android OS? What kind of battery life have you seen on average, and do you use the device heavily over the course of the day?

Those are the main things I’ve heard comments about but haven’t had an opportunity to actually try out a device to know how it compares to others…
Byaghro recently posted…The iPhone 4My Profile

]]> By: Tweets that mention Hands-on with the Droid X | Kestrel's Aerie -- Topsy.com http://kestrelsaerie.com/2010/07/hands-on-with-the-droid-x-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4644 Tweets that mention Hands-on with the Droid X | Kestrel's Aerie -- Topsy.com Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:24:04 +0000 http://kestrelsaerie.us/?p=3412#comment-4644 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Steve Hall (Kestrel), Steve Hall (Kestrel). Steve Hall (Kestrel) said: This just up at the Aerie: "Hands-on with the Droid X" http://bit.ly/aH4UaL #android #droidx [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Steve Hall (Kestrel), Steve Hall (Kestrel). Steve Hall (Kestrel) said: This just up at the Aerie: "Hands-on with the Droid X" http://bit.ly/aH4UaL #android #droidx [...]

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