As a former Blackberry junkie, I was a little hesitant to upgrade to the
Motorola Droid when given the opportunity from Verizon. Let me tell you, I'm
so glad I made the change.
Even though my Blackberry was an incredible friend for a few years, there is
no comparison. The android system essentially gives you a freakin' Linux
computer in the palm of your hand.
The apps available for the Droid and other android smartphones are second
only to the iPhone. But the Droid wins on one important level: you can
get a droid on the Verizon system. (Okay, now the iPhone is available on
Verizon so it may become a simple preference thing). And say what you will, THERE ISN'T A
BETTER WIRELESS NETWORK. (Of course, they make you pay through the nose for
it, but some things are just worth the extra money.)
So, in the course of learning how to use my Droid, and sharing with other
users, I continually find new and cool apps and methods for doing all sorts
of things (mostly for free). Check back often as I share ways to connect
your Droid to your laptop, watch current movies and cable shows on your
Droid, surf the web faster and cooler than your friends and a lot more.
Getting started with your Droid!
Okay, let's be honest. The first three things you wanted to know when you got your
Droid were 1) how do I set up my email; 2) how do I browse the internet; and 3)
how do I
find adult content? Not necessarily in that order.
At some point I'll examine all of this and more, but first let's focus on the
first two items. We'll save the Droid porn vs. iPhone porn controversy for a
later date. :)
Setting up email on your Android Smartphone
Because Android is in bed with Google, you probably already set up your Gmail
account when you activated your phone. If for some reason you bypassed that step
(or you hadn't created a Gmail account yet), simply click on the Gmail icon in
your Applications Tray and follow the instructions.
Once your Gmail account is set up you will have access to all of your contacts,
your calendar and your email. If you add, change or remove any information in
your Gmail account (either on your computer or your Droid, the information is
updated on both. Very cool.
I currently have four separate Gmail accounts set up on my Droid, and get
notified by each whenever I receive an email.
If you need to set up a POP3, iMap or Microsoft Exchange email account it's just
about as easy. On your Applications screen, just click on Email and follow the
simple steps.
If you need more info on email set up, I recommend visiting
Verizon's
email setup support page (or if you have another carrier, go there).
Browsing the web
Browsing the web on your Droid device is as easy as clicking on the browser icon
on your Applications page. However, there are other browsers (specifically the
Opera Mini and the Dolphin browsers) that you may want to download and try
from the GooglePlay. I share my thoughts on the
Android Browser Wars
here.
