Has the DROID lost its Charm?

It has it's charm a-plenty.

Consider this:

1. First device by VZW to arrive in its users hands without a crippled OS
2. First device by Motorola not including the stupid Moto BLAH
3. Very easily configurable, including easy to gain root access, on the OS
4. Very easy to OC - in fact, the update to FroYo does a mild OC for you. From a 550 MHz stock clock, I am running 118% OC - try that on your home CPU....
5. Rugged and durable
6. Does everything I want it to and even a lot of things I 1) don't know yet, or b) never use

Now, as a caveat, you have to realize that this is my first smart phone ever (my pair of HP iPaqs don't count as, though they were running WinCE 5 and I learned a lot about ROMing and such on those things thanks to XDA, there was no phone capability in them), and you also have to realize that, even with the massive OC, and the sheer amounts of apps I have installed, I use my phone judiciously, and I take very good care of it - I run the car AC full blast blowing directly at the car dock for at least 5 minutes before putting the DROID in it, I keep it holstered when not in use, I keep the holster in the vertical position when the DROID is in it, I keep the case on at all times, I don't do things like throw my DROID up in the air, run with it in my hands, etc.

And I have the same device I purchased on 6 Nov 2009. Never replaced.

jxker said:

I yet have to find a better phone (I am rooted) and I am looking all the time...what the droid has lost may be it's novelty because it has been out for awhile

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twistedlim said:

+1

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+2

You should care about rooting. It's really easy and if you run an overclock kernel you can overcome most lag issues without negatively impacting your phone and maintaining battery life with SetCPU. I held out without rooting from November of last year until this July, but since I have I have had an impressively drastic change in performance from my Droid. Plus I've done cool things like customizing my boot logo and boot animation. You truly have nothing to lose if you choose to root.

publicanimal said:

You should care about rooting. It's really easy and if you run an overclock kernel you can overcome most lag issues without negatively impacting your phone and maintaining battery life with SetCPU. I held out without rooting from November of last year until this July, but since I have I have had an impressively drastic change in performance from my Droid. Plus I've done cool things like customizing my boot logo and boot animation. You truly have nothing to lose if you choose to root.

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I have considered rooting and certainly see the benefits but I am not a tech savvy person. I need help and absolutely understand none of the lingo! Typically I learn things very fast but know noone with a rooted android device.

Get an iphone imo.

When expectations are low you cannot become disappointed!

EDIT:

hpresley80 said:

I have considered rooting and certainly see the benefits but I am not a tech savvy person. I need help and absolutely understand none of the lingo! Typically I learn things very fast but know noone with a rooted android device.

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I'm not gonna lie to you, it will take a lot of time at first to learn everything, but I say it is worth it. If you learn things fast you might even do it faster than others have. You'll have to read a lot of things (and do this multiple times just to make sure you are doing everything right), but it's worth it.

hpresley80 said:

I have considered rooting and certainly see the benefits but I am not a tech savvy person. I need help and absolutely understand none of the lingo! Typically I learn things very fast but know noone with a rooted android device.

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This was the method I used to root, it worked very well.

The Droid is VZW's G1. If you weren't around Android for the G1, you probably won't understand.

It was a pivotal role in making Android as big as it is today, not just VZW. It's the Camry to VZW's Toyota. The F-150 to VZW's Ford. It made "Droid" a household name and I'm willing to bet that it is the best selling Android phone so far. OR at least one of them.

It will never lose it's charm. Will it look outdated? Yes. But considering that the Droid still spreads its cheeks over most of the phones released after it really speaks volumes on how well-designed it was.

johnlgalt said:

It has it's charm a-plenty.

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Did you just say "charm a-plenty"? Haha!

To the OP...you are not going to be able to avoid the root discussion that most users will throw your way. It is funny how you said you didn't want to root and most everyone has told you to do so...

Now I will say this...You will not find the same types of slow performance being so widely discussed in the Root forums and there are many reasons for this. Overclocking helps, optimized operating systems with different feature sets that match your individual needs (vs a "one ROM for all" solution that Motorola gives you) helps.

Now, if you don't root, you can't OC and you can't load a custom ROM. But one thing that most people do is perform a factory reset before loading a different ROM. NOT deleting your data causes it's share of problems for the rooted uses who choose not to format their phone.

My advice...If you haven't already done so...do a factory reset. I don't know what apps are currently available for non-rooted phones to back up their apps and settings but maybe someone with thoughts will chime in with a reliable app.

Clean out the cobwebs...start fresh. It's not going to increase your performance as much as OCing to 1.0 GHz or higher and loading a custom ROM...but it should significantly improve your performance.

Just my 2 cents...

Afterthought... I'm a gadget guy...I like fast capable devices. If I didn't have the ability to root...I would have left the Droid already. THIS is why so many people recommend rooting...it does make that big of a difference. Just trying to explain why so many people are throwing it out there. It may not be for you and that's fine....but it does make a HUGE difference.

I had been serious considering getting the Incredible or whatever new great phone would be out in December (when my new every 2 comes up). Then I discovered rooting! I will not switch to a different phone for a while now. I may consider if something like the Incredible or X becomes just as rootable or open as this original droid is.

People have their own thoughts, but I wouldn't do anything differently and will be with my faithful droid for a while now!

I understand the original poster's fear of rooting. Think about what can happen when you have to download an app and press one button. You could sprain your finger by pushing the screen too hard. Or poke yourself in the eye if you lift your finger off the screen too fast. Just too dangerous. Don't even me started on the dangers of having to press a single button to unroot.

jjfreak5 said:

I had been serious considering getting the Incredible or whatever new great phone would be out in December (when my new every 2 comes up). Then I discovered rooting! I will not switch to a different phone for a while now. I may consider if something like the Incredible or X becomes just as rootable or open as this original droid is.

People have their own thoughts, but I wouldn't do anything differently and will be with my faithful droid for a while now!

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Umm...both are rooted.

gwlaw99 said:

I understand the original poster's fear of rooting. Think about what can happen when you have to download an app and press one button. You could sprain your finger by pushing the screen too hard. Or poke yourself in the eye if you lift your finger off the screen too fast. Just too dangerous. Don't even me started on the dangers of having to press a single button to unroot.

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This ):
It's how I lost my only son ):

Because I have a rooted Droid, it's never lost it's charm. Every time a new ROM comes out is like Christmas morning, and they come out pretty often. And I got my Droid on Day 1, so I've had 10 months of awesome. With every new Droid incarnation that comes out, I never feel envious because my Droid remains capable and comparable to them.

And it's not that hard. I'm not a very tech-savvy guy, but I did my homework and now I'm even reviewing ROMs here. This can be done, has been done, and will be done again. I'm not trying to call you guys out, but having the Droid and not rooting is like having Peyton Manning handing off.

YankeeDudeL said:

Because I have a rooted Droid, it's never lost it's charm. Every time a new ROM comes out is like Christmas morning, and they come out pretty often. And I got my Droid on Day 1, so I've had 10 months of awesome. With every new Droid incarnation that comes out, I never feel envious because my Droid remains capable and comparable to them.

And it's not that hard. I'm not a very tech-savvy guy, but I did my homework and now I'm even reviewing ROMs here. This can be done, has been done, and will be done again. I'm not trying to call you guys out, but having the Droid and not rooting is like having Peyton Manning handing off.

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These are the perks of having a stock Android phone. G1 users haven't said a peep, even as their device was EOLd just a month ago. They've been getting CM updates from the 1.6 they ended with to 2.2 as we speak. It's great having a Droid, N1, or G1. Actually, the N1 is the absolute best situation, but it's a dev phone. They are on the cutting edge of updates. But it's not long before it's ported over.

http://androidforums.com/droid-all-things-root/166651-lookout-frg33.html

Probably not really adding much but FWIW:

RandolphNY said:

Has the DROID lost its Charm?

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Not here... Sounds like it has with you though.

RandolphNY said:

Is Motorola / Verizon / Google listening?

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I wouldn't assume that they read these forums. Contact them directly and complain if you're unhappy. It's the extremely slow solution though.

RandolphNY said:

I don't care about rooting, so please don't start.

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...and I don't care about not rooting. I will point out that I'm rooted, running a custom ROM and I'm very happy with my Droid. You might want to at least consider looking into why that is -- not only for me but for many, many Droid users. I mean, from a practical standpoint, you can sit, complain, hope and wait for a solution or you can do something about it.

I'm not saying that rooting is for everyone but if you're unhappy with your Droid, it has far more capabilities rooted than not rooted and there's a very good chance that you can actually do something to improve your situation. Rooting isn't a panacea. My Droid certainly still has its issues and quirks but they're minor compared to the improvements IMO.

I think maybe takeshi was responding to your original post and may not have read the whole thread (I too am guilty of that now and then) and see how we have swayed your opinion a little

Rooting your Droid will re-kindle that old flame you have been missing

By the way, Rooting is as simple as downloading an app and pressing one button. Then you can get setcpu and overclock (choose autodetect not droid on setup) and/or get ROM Manager and have it intall a custom ROM. A 6 year old could do it.

Danielson2047 said:

Root, and all your problems will slip away like a fart in the wind.

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Is that in any way like a candle in the wind?

RandolphNY said:

Thanks for all the input. As the OP, I wanted us to think "inside" the box for those owners not on this Forum. As I mentioned "charm" I am concerned about the average user comparing the DROID to the other phone.

Yes, I am glad that I purchased this phone and hope that it continues to get better with more apps in the market.

As I mentioned later, I have factory reset and am definitely seeing the speed that I would expect.

A question to all of you rooters, which is most of you.....Are you having any luck with "live tv" websites? as this is one item that I am really interested in.

Thxs

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Let me start off by saying that you sound like a good sport Randolph.

In a technology driven world, with new technologies coming out by the hour, it is very easy for any given device to fall back into a category of obsolete. Or at least fall back into a "not as good as it once was" category. At that point consumers are left with a decision:

A. Do you go out, and purchase the latest and greatest device that does everything that the world can throw at it, right out of the box since it was just in R&D only a month ago (because that is what the DROID did when it first came out).

or

B. Do they enhance their "older" device so it can take on, or at least cushion what the world is now throwing at it. Yes, this sometimes involves risk, and reward. But to me, you are going to eventually go out and get what you need to make you happy. So why not at least try to accomplish what you can with your device that you have now? It's cheaper!

Rooting is really quite simple, and following the guide on this forum under "All things Root" is a fantastic way to get it done without any kind of techno babble. Very straight forward, and simple. At least read it over, and see how easy it is.

As for your question about live TV sites, yes sites like atdhe.net and justintv are working well for me with my latest ROM update (Pete's Bugless Beast .04)

There's no way the D1 has lost its charm! Rooting is so easy and there are so many guides or 1 click apps its almost criminal not to do it. I finally took the plunge 3 weeks ago and honestly I can barely put my Droid down. Its like a brand new phone again and there are so many Roms and kernals to choose from.

gwlaw99 said:

By the way, Rooting is as simple as downloading an app and pressing one button. Then you can get setcpu and overclock (choose autodetect not droid on setup) and/or get ROM Manager and have it intall a custom ROM. A 6 year old could do it.

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You can't use the one button app to root with the new update to FRG22d, not yet anyways. (But there is ways of doing it otherwise)
Now to the op, I understand your concern about rooting and the dangers, but with all of the step by step guides that we have and all the tools we have, it should relax your mind a little, there is almost no way to brick your Droid now.
If your still hesitant, read up on it, I was a little nervous when I started doing it to, it just takes time.

gwlaw99 said:

By the way, Rooting is as simple as downloading an app and pressing one button. Then you can get setcpu and overclock (choose autodetect not droid on setup) and/or get ROM Manager and have it intall a custom ROM. A 6 year old could do it.

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BTW.. I don't think people question rooting so much because of how daunting a task it is. But more because it VOIDS your warranty, and no app does that.