How do you differentiate between a "consumer" smart phone and a "business" smart phone? Motorola attempts to answer that question with the Droid Pro ($179 on Verizon), an Android 2.2 device with a physical QWERTY keyboard, a pre-installed light version of the Quickoffice Mobile Suite, and Microsoft Exchange support for secure corporate e-mail. But while Motorola has added these pro amenities, you'll need to make some sacrifices to carry this BlackBerry alternative, including a half inch of screen size. So should business users opt for the Droid Pro over consumer-focused Droids and RIM's latest devices? It depends on your priorities.
The Droid Pro and Droid 2 have nearly identical dimensions, but the latter weighs more than a ounce more (4.7 vs. 6 ounces). But in addition to its larger display, the Droid 2 includes 8 GB of built-in memory and includes a built-in 8 GB microSD card, versus the 2 + 2 GB in the Droid Pro. This Droid has four capacitive buttons above the keyboard, which, while responsive, felt like a disconnect in that this handset has physical keys.
Behind the easily pried-off battery cover is the microSD card slot, which is guarded by a springy plastic bumper clip that's difficult to remove. However, you'll want to do this because you only get 2 GB out of the box.
By adding a QWERTY keyboard to its face, Motorola has reduced the space for a screen, thus the 3.1-inch 480 x 320 (HVGA) TFT display is larger but has a lower resolution than on the BlackBerry Tour and Torch (2.4 inches, 480 x 360), and 0.6 inches smaller than the 3.7-inch 854 x 480 WVGA screen on the Droid 2.
The Droid Pro's screen is not only smaller than other Droids', but it's not as crisp, either. Small text on websites is squint-inducing. You'll definitely need to zoom in on this device. On the other hand, apps such as Angry Birds looked fine on this scrunched display.
Overall, the keys are large enough that you'll likely type with more accuracy and confidence on this layout than you would on a touchscreen-only phone. We also like that the keyboard never gets in the way of content. However, the keys felt a bit stiff, and required more effort than we'd like to type. The humped keys on the Droid 2 are larger, staggered, and slightly easier to use, but you have to slide out the keyboard to enter text, which can be a pain. And the Droid 2's layout doesn't offer as much travel. Having the keyboard always accessible can make a big difference, too, whether it's typing a quick tweet or using Android's universal search feature.
By comparison, keys on the typical BlackBerry are spaced apart a bit in slightly curved rows. This approach results in speedier typing on candy bar designs such as the BlackBerry Tour, but the Torch slider phone's keyboard feels flat compared to this device. We prefer the Droid Pro for typing.
Source : laptopmag
Design
In many ways, the Droid Pro is a throwback, design-wise, to the many BlackBerry black slab imitators--an elongated 3.1-inch 480 x 320 HVGA touchscreen situated above a three-line QWERTY keyboard. Inserted into the silver-banded perimeter are a volume toggle and the micro USB jack on the left side, an assignable function key on the right, and a screen on/off and 3.5mm headphone jack up top. Around back, the 5-megapixel camera/LED flash assembly forms a bit of a hump, which makes the Pro a bit thinner than its stated 0.46-inch thickness.The Droid Pro and Droid 2 have nearly identical dimensions, but the latter weighs more than a ounce more (4.7 vs. 6 ounces). But in addition to its larger display, the Droid 2 includes 8 GB of built-in memory and includes a built-in 8 GB microSD card, versus the 2 + 2 GB in the Droid Pro. This Droid has four capacitive buttons above the keyboard, which, while responsive, felt like a disconnect in that this handset has physical keys.
Behind the easily pried-off battery cover is the microSD card slot, which is guarded by a springy plastic bumper clip that's difficult to remove. However, you'll want to do this because you only get 2 GB out of the box.
Display
By adding a QWERTY keyboard to its face, Motorola has reduced the space for a screen, thus the 3.1-inch 480 x 320 (HVGA) TFT display is larger but has a lower resolution than on the BlackBerry Tour and Torch (2.4 inches, 480 x 360), and 0.6 inches smaller than the 3.7-inch 854 x 480 WVGA screen on the Droid 2.The Droid Pro's screen is not only smaller than other Droids', but it's not as crisp, either. Small text on websites is squint-inducing. You'll definitely need to zoom in on this device. On the other hand, apps such as Angry Birds looked fine on this scrunched display.
Keyboard
The Droid Pro's most important differentiating physical feature is its QWERTY keyboard. The tall rectangular keys are wedged, with the wedge ridge located on the right side of each key on the left-hand side of the keyboard, and toward the left on the right side. Keys and rows are arranged checkerboard-style rather than staggered and, even though they are jammed together, the wedge ridges help avoid accidental adjacent key presses.Overall, the keys are large enough that you'll likely type with more accuracy and confidence on this layout than you would on a touchscreen-only phone. We also like that the keyboard never gets in the way of content. However, the keys felt a bit stiff, and required more effort than we'd like to type. The humped keys on the Droid 2 are larger, staggered, and slightly easier to use, but you have to slide out the keyboard to enter text, which can be a pain. And the Droid 2's layout doesn't offer as much travel. Having the keyboard always accessible can make a big difference, too, whether it's typing a quick tweet or using Android's universal search feature.
By comparison, keys on the typical BlackBerry are spaced apart a bit in slightly curved rows. This approach results in speedier typing on candy bar designs such as the BlackBerry Tour, but the Torch slider phone's keyboard feels flat compared to this device. We prefer the Droid Pro for typing.
Source : laptopmag
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