Droid X Review and FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

This is a list of frequently asked questions about the Motorola Droid X running Google's Android operating system, as well as my notes on the topic.

Apps

What is NFS Shift?

• A game, but why was it running when I hadn't launched it?

SSH?

ConnectBot! Installed, but not working for me yet...

How to remove default Droid X apps (aka crapware / bloatware)?

Doesn't look easy. That SUCKS! I can't stand Blockbuster and I really want to remove their "app".

Thankfully LauncherPro has the ability to hide those icons, which is good enough for me. The other options I read about involved gaining root. I'd like to do that someday, but not with a brand new phone!

Great privacy information!

File Transfer

Bluetooth / OBEX

No thanks, at least for now (though I do use it for connecting to my car stereo for hand free talking).

Mount Droid X SD Card as a USB Mass Storage Device in Linux

When I connect the Droid X to my USB port, it automatically mounts in "PC Mode" - whatever that is. Thankfully there is a notification which when opened, gives the choice of mounting the SD card as a USB mass storage device. Selecting that allowed me to run "dmesg" and see the device it created. After that, I mounted it!

Quick Upload from the Gallery

Thankfully it is possible to upload images from the gallery in a couple of different ways. I use Picasa since it is compatible with Linux, though I don't usually use the web albums. I am starting to try it out though, as it would be nice to be able to upload a bunch of pictures to Picasa online, and then synchronize them with my local photo albums.

The only confusing thing was where the images would upload to. I had to enable email uploads, send an email with an image attached from Gmail, and then a new folder showed up called "Drop Box" and it contained the images I uploaded from the Droid X.

UPDATE: Turns out there is another way to upload to Picasa from the Droid X that I much prefer. I use the "Share" option, and then select Picasa. I'm then able to add a caption and select which folder I want to upload to.

Email

How can I get rid of the stupid "Sent by Droid X..." signature on my outgoing email?

• The settings from within the mail program, not in the "My Accounts" setup.

Can I store a copy of each message on the server?

Does not appear to be possible with the native Motorola email software. Trying out K-9 mail. K-9 mail does store a message in the "Sent" folder of the IMAP server, but apparently it can't be customized to a different folder. K-9 Mail is great!

Is a GMail account absolutely necessary?

• Looks like it! I tried a Google account that doesn't use GMail but that wasn't happening. I find this very odd! Is a GMail account also necessary for Google Checkout? I don't think it is....

Wifi

Droid X as a Wifi Client

Wireless networking with WPA2 connects, but then keeps disconnecting! Grr. UPDATE: I don't think it was the Droid X, but instead some interference from somewhere - my laptop started disconnecting so I changed the wifi channel and it improved.

Droid X as a 3F Wifi Hotspot

This is such an incredibly cool feature, and kudos to Verizon Wireless for comprehending that it gives them a competitive advantage over the iPhone and AT&T. What is it, exactly? Sort of like the Novatel Mifi 2200 which I also recently laid ownership to, it provides wifi internet access using 3G wireless technology.

What's so amazing about the Droid X and the service that Verizon Wireless offers is the service and price for the 3G Wifi Hotspot. Specifically, VZW charges $39.99 for 250MB, or $59.99 for 5GB. Ugh - tough call - nothing in the middle. I've had the mobile web service for the past two years and have switched back and forth, going months without using 5GB worth of bandwidth, then finding myself traveling all the time (or in the midst of crazy power outages) and using way more than the 250MB allocation.

The Droid offer? $20 for 2GB. AWESOME!! They call it "MBB CNNCT 3G MOB HTSPT 2GB $20".

Surprisingly I'm still on the fence as to whether I want to return the Mifi and cancel my mobile web service. Hmm... I think I will, because I can always sign up for it again in the future if I do indeed need it.

Battery

Battery Life

The battery life seems too short to me. I might buy a backup - its the BH5X model.

Overall Rating

The Good

The Droid X is a great telephone. It has quality hardware, and the user interface and the Android operating system are very nice.

Even the Verizon Wireless service offerings are good:

• Unlimited email and data plan for $29.99
• 3G Mobile Hotspot to share wifi with other machines - something that AT&T and the iPhone don't offer

They've followed the path that the iPhone has blazed with tablet-only cell phones that can be used to buy all sorts of applications, commonly known as apps. This brings the greatest problem with the Droid X into focus: the bloatware / crapware.

The Bad

Microsoft has been doing this for years (to its own detriment in my humble opinion) - you know, you buy a new computer, fire it up and are greeted with a crapload of icons linked to trial versions of software or services which most people would probably find totally useless. It can take hours to remove all of them, if its even possible, and if the programs are not removed they will continue to "offer" their services or functionality - aka "nagware".

This is something that Apple has always done well because they offer such a comprehensive solution: hardware, operating system, and many productivity and entertainment apps all in one.

When I thought of the Droid X and the Android platform in general, I thought about how it is mostly open source, and I assumed that the apps would somehow go through a similar peer review process which is one of the reasons I think open source software is so great.

I wasn't only disappointed when I started up my Droid X and found a Blockbuster "app", I was angry. I've always disliked that company and considered their business model to be a joke (needless to say I'm not surprised their stock is only worth about seventeen cents as I write this), so how did it find its way onto my new phone without my consent? I interpret it as a desperate last ditch attempt on their part to survive, and would venture to guess that they paid either Motorola or Verizon Wireless to get their app in there.

OK, so I'm pissed, but this phone is open source, so I'm the one in control, right? NOPE! Turns out its impossible to remove the default apps without gaining root (aka superuser) of the device which of course voids the warranty. Earth to Google - that is evil!

The Ugly

So the anger evolves into shock, so much shock that I'm actually thrilled to learn that there is an app called Launcher Pro which allows me to hide the icons I don't want. A lousy but workable solution.

And yes, there is indeed trial software in the Droid X. So far I've noticed "City and State", which is marginally useful, but certainly not worth $1.99. Even though I've hidden the launcher icon, the app is still popping up and asking me to continue the trial. I find such behavior totally obnoxious and out of principle would refuse to pay for their service at any price.

Ranting aside, the far and away worst thing about the Droid X is the crapware, and the fact that it cannot be removed.