Droid launch draws tech-savvy crowd to Verizon store
Early adopters want the phone's multitasking ability and Verizon's network
Computerworld - Hoping to buy new Motorola Droid smartphones, more than 20 people waited in line in 40-degree weather for the 7 a.m. opening of a Boston-area Verizon Wireless store.
The launch was repeated at hundreds of Verizon stores nationally early today, including a midnight opening at the downtown Manhattan Verizon store where a crowd also gathered, Verizon officials said. A downtown Boston Verizon store also had a small crowd turn up for the Droid's opening day.
Early sales were brisk, according to Verizon. The device costs $200, after a $100 rebate and with a two-year wireless service contract.
In an upscale section of Newton, Mass., called Chestnut Hill, two computer analysts who work at a nearby health care company were the first in line at 5:30 a.m. They finished their separate purchases of Droids by 7:30 and rushed off to work, smiling.
The two analysts, David Perrone and Matt McCarthy, said they will use their Droids to access both personal and work e-mail services and to take advantage of the device's broad array of multimedia functions. Both said the ability to multitask, such as playing some music programs like Pandora, while reading e-mail, is a clear advantage that Droid has over the iPhone.
Perrone said he bought a Droid because he wanted to continue using wireless service from Verizon, the carrier he has used for a while. He did say that he likes the iPhone but noted that it is exclusive to AT&T and he is not prepared to change carriers to get one.
"I can't change to AT&T for the iPhone," Perrone said. "I see the Droid as competing with iPhone."
McCarthy said he is much less interested in owning an iPhone than Perrone is. As the two men stood in line before doors opened in the brisk fall air, a work colleague drove up in a sporty BMW and tapped his horn. "Take your iPhone," McCarthy said to the man in the car, laughing. "He recently got an iPhone, but not me."
Both Perrone and McCarthy said they expect to spend about $100 to $110 a month for voice, data and texting service. McCarthy said he will use the device for some work functions, so he expects to be reimbursed for about $30 of that monthly cost.
In addition to a Droid and a new two-year contract with Verizon, Perrone also scored one of the rare Droid desktop docking stations, which will give him the ability to easily charge the device and read its display.
Mobile Wars
- AT&T lights up 4G LTE in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Naples
- T-Mobile debuts four data pricing tiers
- Android, Samsung top smartphone sales, beat Apple's iPhone
- HTC Evo 4G LTE review: Almost great
- Samsung launches Galaxy S III with voice and face recognition
- Smartphone screens are getting bigger
- RIM presents BlackBerry 10 to developers
- HTC One S review: T-Mobile's new shining star
- Windows Phone seen as driving a wedge between iPhone, Android
- RIM launches BlackBerry Mobile Fusion


- Excel 2010 Cheat Sheet
- Register for this Computerworld Insider Cheat Sheet and gain access to hundreds of premium content articles, guides, product reviews and more.
- Mobile Middleware Strategies
- Learn why a mobile development platform is critical to be able to support today's complex enterprise mobility strategies. Learn what to look for...
- The Evolution of Enterprise Mobile App Development
- Driven by explosive growth in smartphone and tablet sales, enterprise mobility has become an essential part of business. Organizations across industries are developing...
- Native & HTML5 Mobile Apps: Not an either or, but a where and when
- Learn how developers are using HTML5 and native development methods to build mobile apps. Get practical insights on how these tools are being...
- Enabling Remote Employees with High Quality Video
- In this paper, we analyze the delivery of live and on-demand mobile video content. It focuses on specific ways in which organizations can...
- What to Look For in Solutions For Mobile Device Management
- Managing an increasingly mobile workforce has become one of the most challenging - and important - responsibilities for IT departments. This paper examines... All Mobile and Wireless White Papers
- The Office of Tomorrow with BlackBerry
- Curious about the office of the future and how to prepare with BlackBerry solutions? This session discusses the office needs of tomorrow and...
- The Changing Role of Tablets in the Enterprise
- Do you understand all the capabilities and potential of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet? BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet can help enterprises do business differently.
This webcast... - Security Certifications 101 - BlackBerry and all those acronyms what do they mean and why they matter?
- FIPS, Common Criteria, CAPS, AISEP, NFC, NIST, Fraunhofer SIT, CESG, DSD - these are just some of the government and industry certifications which...
- PlayBook Video about two Grade 6 classrooms that are using PlayBook tablets
- RIM recently worked with Park Manor Public School in Elmira, ON to integrate BlackBerry PlayBook tablets in two Grade 6 classrooms. The project...
- McCain Canada deployed BlackBerry PlayBook tablets with a custom application to their salesforce
- McCain Foods Limited (McCain) has deployed BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets in order to enhance mobility within their sales force- along with a customized application... All Mobile and Wireless Webcasts
Prepaid service has started to transform from a source of cheap, bottom-of-the-barrel phones into a viable outlet for compelling smartphones. Read more...
