DROID for Business
i have sensory overload from smart phone research! i have been putting it off mainly because of all the nightmare stories i read! unfortunately i need to finally get one. have been waiting on the droid due to the pre- release hype, etc.On the road & i need to be able to manage an e bay store, 2 other websites, synced to g mail, multiple email address's, need to attach a pic to an email like i do at home! Just basic functions that seem like they should be covered and built into the phone are not? unless you get an app? even then? just reading this forum for the last few days has practically scared me away from the droid! i'm already a verizon customer and wanted a seemless transition to a smartphone! that must have been in my sleep! need the qwerty, everything the droid offered. But my god, almost every post is a how to on fixing something! does this device come with a manual or just a lot of bugs? please help! I don't know how you guys are dealing with all these issues? how can you run a business with one of these devices with all the time consuming hiccups, & problems? sounds like regular phone calls are an issue! An educated response would be greatly appreciated! though i wouldn't expect anything less!
Thanks in Advance! i hope this works!
Don't mean to criticize the other responses because I'm enchanted with my DROID, but I think a more qualified response to this question is called for.
The OP above notes that he needs a device to "manage an ebay store, 2 other websites...just basic functions that (should be) built into the phone..." Fair enough. But consider the following...
First, managing a business with a smartphone is hardly a widespread need. Claiming that the DROID should have all the applications "built in" to manage an ebay store and administer websites would burden every user with a massive amount of software they don't need. That's why the app "Market" exists, just as specialized software is not included in every consumer PC or Mac and 3rd party software is needed. To ask a user to configure the phone to meet their specific needs is hardly asking too much.
Does that wealth of options present challenges, especially to the user who simply wants a device to meet his/her needs and doesn't want to become a techie? You bet. Just as it does with a computer. Are there bugs in recently developed applications? Yup. Again, just as there are with new computer applications.
On the other hand, it's a fair question to ask whether the DROID is "ready for primetime" as a business device. I'd say the answer is a qualified yes, but there are probably better choices if "business" is your sole focus. That's why BB's continue to dominate the business market.
For a "corporate" user, for example, the DROID presents some challenges for an IT department used to managing a highly secure wide area network full of BB's. The challenges can be overcome; but for those who have to deal with an unimaginative IT department whose major concern is security, they can be significant.
Can a DROID be used to "manage an eBay store and two other websites?" I suspect it can, but I also suspect a netbook like the HP mini311 that VZ sells would be a far better choice simply from the standpoint of ease of use. I wouldn't use any smartphone for such a purpose.
Are there basic business apps out there? Some. Docs2go is likely essential for dealing with Microsoft Office content and it's available both in a free and a more functional paid version. I haven't used the paid version that supports creation and editing of Msoft Office docs because (again) I use a computer for that. I wouldn't want to edit a complex "doc" or PowerPoint presentation on any smartphone. But that's just me.
Expense tracking software? Yeah, there's some out there but from what I've seen the sophistication doesn't yet rival the apps available for BB's and even the iPhone. I've found most of what I need, but my needs are pretty simple.
Collaboration software for document development involving multiple contributors? I'm not impressed with what I've seen but I suspect that will be coming along soon.
All in all, the Android platform is in its infancy for business applications. I've been pleasantly surprised by how much is already there. At the same time, I'm frustrated by what isn't yet there. I'm happy to "bet" on the future of the platform because I think it has vastly greater potential than either Apple's or BB's platforms. But if a year from now business users are still looking for specialized apps that they need to do their work, I'll be disappointed. And the improvements in music and video management won't matter.
