Meet my good friend, Droid

It's a bit disconcerting... it happens when I am out in meetings, social events or other places. I may be talking with friends or colleagues, or just casually minding my own business, when someone suddenly says, "Whoa, is that a Droid? I've heard about them (seen the advertisements, thought I might want one, wondered what the hype was about, etc.)" They immediately start quizzing me... do I like it? what's the big deal? is it better than an iPhone? what do you use it for? So in the interest of providing info for any possible new Droid owners, here's the deal...

I needed a smart phone and did all the research. Really wanted an iPhone but just couldn't do AT&T. Knew it had to play nice with Exchange. Wanted the option of lots of apps. Had to be user friendly. Needed to pull together all my "stuff" and be a workhorse for me. I found out that Verizon was launching an android-based phone and decided it was for me. I headed to the Verizon store at 7:00 am on November 6 to get it on opening day. An hour later, I was back in the office, Droid in hand and connected to my work server, all email accounts, work and home calendars, facebook and accuweather. I had cute little pictures for all my contacts and custom ring tones for my family (Lohr's is Barbie Girl and Kent's is Unchained Melody). And what does it do for me? Well....

I am way more productive with it. I am a compulsive email checker and handler. My students and clients email at all hours and I like to respond quickly. Before, I was constantly going to the computer logging into my home account, logging into my work account, only to quickly see that there were no new emails. What a waste of time! Now, I can actually sit in another room, reading or whatever, and know that no blinking light means no new email. I have texts, alerts, reminders, etc. right at my fingertips at all times. I can post new calendar items that instantly sync with my other calendars. I can add items to my task list or mark them off. I even keep a note pad folder to jot down songs to download from itunes. (and I admit, I have a notepad folder to jot down where I have hidden Christmas gifts as well...aging isn't fun sometimes).

So, I am happy to introduce people to my Droid. I like hearing what people love about their iPhones or other smart phones as well. I love gadgets, particularly gadgets that make my life easier or more interesting. What gadgets do you love and why? (I just might have to have one of those, too)