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Nov 06, 09 - 04:55 pm Comment from: Mac Daddy

No, we don't want people clamoring for our product. But this is just a great as the iPhone, really.

Soooo- People NOT lining up to buy your product is a good thing??
Not getting free advertising from long lines to buy your product is a good thing??? Not selling your inventory so you never run out and have to restock is a good thing???

I guess I missed something in business 101

Nov 06, 09 - 05:05 pm Comment from: Me In LA

Oh LMAO.
Flashy?
PHAIL!
Sounds like the same BS that MS pulled out over having to pay people to go to SM Store openings...

Déjà vu: Palm pree did not have a long line also, and they are almost broke up now. Do you see any similarity here?

Wait till you see the return lines....

Nov 06, 09 - 05:07 pm Comment from: chabig

What will they say when the steady of stream of people doesn't happen?

How many more verizon stores are there than Apple Stores? How many more online retailers are selling the Droid than the Iphone? wouldn't that affect the length of the lines?

Nov 06, 09 - 05:27 pm Comment from: MidWest Mac

Well, at least when I go to buy one these iPhone knock-offs since there's not GSM coverage in my area I won't have to wait long.

Nov 06, 09 - 05:28 pm Comment from: MidWest Mac

I just threw up in my mouth when I wrote that last one.

A reaction that is part of the typical media savvy asswipe American culture. You dont get a demand like iPhone, so you start the fscking lies and PR superficial bullshit that is woven into the American business lifestyle.

Why not be honest, humble, forthcoming, even congratulatory toward Apple and aspire to a similar response instead of being PR lying ass dogs.

Nov 06, 09 - 05:35 pm Comment from: ecrabb

@Skewed,

The only problem with your theory is that the iPhone isn't just available at an Apple Store. The 3Gs was/is also available in AT&T;retail stores, Best Buy, and on Apple.com and att.com.

There were no lines simply because there is very little excitement and even less demand. Time will tell, won't it?

Lines or no lines, I have had the iphone since the day it came out and got the droid today and wouldn't go back if Apple paid me. The verizon network is enough to sell me, but after playing with the phone for a few hours I was pleasantly surprised that the phone itself is better as well.

Nov 06, 09 - 05:43 pm Comment from: Kahuna

@Jim

Glad you like it. Nobody likes everything 100%. I am willing to bet however that the iphone will continue to dominate, even if you and 3 other people switch over to it:

If they didn't want any "flashy" lines, why did they open their stores so early as if they were expecting them?

Nov 06, 09 - 05:45 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

@ Jim

I friend of mine just got one, showed it to me today. I kind of thought it was a piece of shit, personally. I've had a Verizon phone, and their network in my area is nothing to sing about. What is it about the phone that sold you?
Is it the little trackpad thingy? I couldn't make it work.
Is it the "real" keyboard? I wasn't able to press only one key at a time.
Is it the tank-like build quality and lead-brick-like weight?
Yeah, that was pretty sweet.

Nov 06, 09 - 05:46 pm Comment from: DarkTanOne

NEEEEEEXT! Hahahahahaa. Another one's about to bite it. Hahahahahaa. "Lines are flashy and unwanted." This guy's deluding himself... They started it with those flashy DROID ads. Wonder if they'll pull the ads?

Nov 06, 09 - 05:51 pm Comment from: MusicDoc

So, Jim.....does Verizon pay their shills as well as Microsoft does?

I think Verizon fscked up, the only smartphone close to the iPhone is the blackberry storm. There were no lines for the storm2 but verizon didn't advertise. I have seen and played with a pre, it blows, the storm is decent, the os is a little weird, but you can pick it up quick. The droid will be another flop, android sucked so bad the first time no one is wanting to go back for round two. Remember the lines for the orginal storm. They were pretty "flashy". Maybe that's why the storm2 didn't get the "flash" this time. I still love my iPhone, I've had all 3 versions and won't have another phone.

Nov 06, 09 - 06:03 pm Comment from: G4Dualie

There were no lines because the only people who showed up weren't Verizon customers.

It's one thing selling loads the first day and then next to none after that, in which case selling a steady amount would be preferable, but the problem is that the iPhone sold a load the first day and has continued that ever since.

Nov 06, 09 - 06:15 pm Comment from: ron

It's the difference between a 'Launch', and 'Just showing up - maybe'.

Nov 06, 09 - 06:42 pm Comment from: ken1w

Yeah, having a popular product to sell is SO overrated...

Hmm. So they want a "steady stream of people coming today and for the next few weeks buying new phones".

Doesn't that perfectly describe a line?

Oh great they are throwing that iPhone coming to Verizon shit around again.. Still not gonna drum up DROID sales..

Verizon may have good coverage, but man, do they suck! From crippling handsets to nickel-and-diming to forcing their Vcrap on you to doubling their cancellation fees, if there is one company that needs to be taken down, it is Verizon.

Nov 06, 09 - 06:55 pm Comment from: iPhoner

Verizon CEO:
"We've got to learn from Apple's mistakes. Make sure this doesn't happen on launch day. This would be horrible"

http://ec.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/iphone_line.jpg

Droid Designers:
"I don't think that'll be a problem."

Nov 06, 09 - 07:18 pm Comment from: Spark

I visited the Manhattan Beach Apple Store two weeks after the introduction of the iPhone 3GS and there was still a line on a Saturday morning! It was mostly outside the mall, and guards let bunches of people in at a time so as not to have the line block other store fronts in the mall.

Wait till you see the return lines....

Good One!

In spite of Verizon's new ads, the new Motorola Droid won't so much compete against the iPhone, which remains in a class all by itself, as it will compete against the RIMM Storm 2, HTC Eris and perhaps, the Palm Pre on Sprint. Most AT&T;iPhone users simply are not going to abandon the entire Apple ecosystem for a knock-off phone. That leaves Verizon to market derivative phones to customers that may be tempted to switch to AT&T;for the iPhone. Meanwhile, AT&T;needs to keep improving the 3G network and communicating every improvement to the public. Apple just needs a new series of ads that tout the iPhone's overall benefits:

The top 10 reasons why the iPhone is America's best cell phone.
1. It provides the best mobile Web surfing.
2. It's a terrific e-mail device.
3. It's a versatile computer: "There's an App for that."
4. WiFi.
5. It multitasks key Apps AND syncs directly to your computer.
6. Anyone can master it in 30 minutes or less.
7. The App Store is ridiculously easy to use.
8. Games.
9. It's an iPod.
10. If the iPhone is good enough for Steve Jobs, it's good enough for me.

Nov 06, 09 - 07:36 pm Comment from: wiredzen

What a crock of s**t. According to Verizon, hype and lines are bad because they don't lead to a steady stream of customers. Um, so the exponential growth of the iPhone means what then? That has to be some of the worst spin I've ever heard. Yeah, you're not Apple - no hype, no lines, no steady stream, no reasonable spin for an extremely disappointing launch. I have no doubt about the potential for Android and I hope it succeeds. Competition is good. However, an industrial brick with 256MB of RAM to hold 1/10 of my iPhone apps is not going to overcome the exquisite design of the iPhone and the juggernaut of the Apple App Store.

Nov 06, 09 - 07:38 pm Comment from: Spudly

I walked by a Verison store this afternoon. They were certainly expecting hype whether Motorola says so or not. There were no less than 10 guys in black 'droid shirts standing by the door...looking sad and lonely as only 1 customer (or employeed w/out black shirt) was in the store. I think the shirts said "'droid:nation" or something to that effect.

yawn....

Just heard on CNBC that iPhones are going to be sold at Radio Shacks. It is now a true commodity item.

'Roids'... straight from Uranus!

Nov 06, 09 - 09:00 pm Comment from: LordRobin

@Jim: after playing with the [Droid] for a few hours I was pleasantly surprised that the phone itself is better [than the iPhone] as well.

Snort. Yeah, 'cuz that's all it takes to determine superiority. "A few hours". Let's see how you feel after using it for a few weeks, when it sinks in just how much of a pain in the ass it is to manage music, movies, photos, and apps without something like iTunes.

------RM

There'll be a steady stream of people returning the ting...

It is funny how all the commercials for all the other touch screen phones say something about screen images simulated. I am pretty sure the iPhone commercials are real time screen shots. That should say a lot about how slow the interface is on all the others.

The Droid doesn't have multi-touch. At Motorola, it's 2006 forever.

Nov 06, 09 - 09:59 pm Comment from: jambo

Too flashy? LOL.

This product is so unflashy, it will fail in no time.

"Verizon spokesman David Samberg said that a lack of a long line or shortage of devices is actually a good thing,..."

Samberg continued, "We'll be changing our sore locations and putting up no signage. We're changing our store phone numbers to unlisted numbers. We'll be doing everything we can to curb desire for these phones, because the last thing we want are those tacky public displays of desire for our product. If no-one buys these phones, those are our customers!"

Okay, . . . it's not as good as the iPhone, and probably never will be, . . . but, . . . we're talking about both Google and Motorola here. And it would be just plain stupid to underestimate those two together. I expect we'll see constant upgrades to these devices, and iPhone will have its first worthy (maybe only) competition.
I'm not fond of Verizon, but my Motorola phone is ten years old and it's still using the original battery. It's so old the liquid crystals are dying, yet it is fully functional and clear. And the only time I can recall it dropping a call was on 9/11.

Nov 06, 09 - 11:17 pm Comment from: Klang

Too bad. Longtime VZW customer (due to poor GSM in area). Visited area VZW store today to checkout the android option (I'd decided to get either the new 'Droid' or the HTC Eris depending on size/usability). Just the two employees were in the store. I asked if there'd been lines at opening (3 hrs earlier). They said no lines, and they'd sold 'about 5 'Droids'. When I asked to look at the Droid & Eris, they handed me two non-functioning units. Since they weren't activated, no can sample usability. Walked out surprised at poor presentation of new products. Guess I'll keep the old phone a bit longer.

I think they'll enjoy brisk sales over the next few weeks to smartphone-starved enthusiasts who are simply anti-ATnT or anti-Apple/iPhone, then sales will fall flat. No one is going to switch to Verizon for it, and outside of these enthusiasts, the rest of their customers are merely going to *yawn*. Their announcement of their elevated ETF certainly will hurt the cause for selling to anyone who may be "on the fence" over buying one, especially with Verizon saying "Well ATnT's exclusive contract ends next year" in the attempt to imply that it means they are getting it. It may be true that ATnT's contract may be ending next year, but that doesn't mean it won't get renewed. I pity the fool who gets suckered by that line.

Nov 07, 09 - 01:55 am Comment from: TheConfuzed1

I had a customer tell me that on the 3GS release day he got a call from his mom. She said, "I think we need to get over to the Apple store--It looks like they're giving something away or something! People are lining up sll the way to the outside if the store!"

Yeah, I can see how that would be unwanted for a retailer. You know, assuming he doesn't actually want record sales!

I enjoyed the "Hype" of the Droid. I walk into a Verizon Store today to get a hands-on experience before committing to a two year marriage. Guess what happened? There is ONLY one Droid on display which is being hogged by a salesperson and a customer . . . leaving the remaining salespeople pushing two tin cans connected with a string to waiting customers. If Verizon is confident in pushing Droid, why not make it easier to experience it in the store???

Yeah, the Droid has Google and Motorola behind it. But what can they do? Throw money at it?

I don't think either company wants to be in a situation like Microsoft where they have one or two successful products, and then everything else is an expensive failure kept on artificial life support because they refuse to stop spending on it in hopes that maybe it'll eventually turn a profit some time in the future. Billions wasted of dollars later.

I think they're both going to just walk away from the Droid, wisely, and try to forget it ever happened.

I wonder if they had to license the the use of the name "Droid' from George Lucas since he owns the trademark.

According to the USPTO URL: Droid is a "TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK" owned by Lucasfilm Ltd.

Check this out: http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4008:eqfb.2.2

Nov 07, 09 - 12:44 pm Comment from: LordRobin

@AppleJack: Okay, . . . it's not as good as the iPhone, and probably never will be, . . . but, . . . we're talking about both Google and Motorola here.

I dunno, man. Motorola ain't what they used be, so much so that MDN likes to slap the "beleguered" adjective on them from time to time. I admit that the company has extensive experience in designing quality phones, but they haven't had much success in creating a quality user experience. Remember the RAZR? Huge success, became "the" must-have phone based solely on how awesome it looked. Then it faded away just as fast -- because once the novelty wore off, people had to admit they hated using the things. And let's not forget the ROKR debacle.

Sorry, but my confidence in Motorola's ability to create a phone that's a joy to use is very low.

------RM

Quite frankly, I'm surprised that this was the first anti-Droid article posted. Even MDN was a bit worried about the Droid....

Huh? I don't remember MDN being worried about the Droid. Didn't they, accurately, predict it would fail?

Nov 07, 09 - 05:39 pm Comment from: Cubert

The few people in line were waiting to use the restroom.