Why I Chose the Atrix Laptop Dock

Since the release of the Atrix laptop dock bundle, there has been much debate as to the usefulness of this accessory to the latest Motorola smartphone. Reading Engadget reviews speaking of sluggish performance and Tweets about wasted functionality did shake my confidence in the dock, but I purchased it nonetheless.

In the midst of the honeymoon period I'm more than happy to carry a small netbook bag to tote the laptop dock. However, I admit that with time there is a chance this could get old after a while. In lieu of this, there is no denying that I am caught between a rock and a hard place in yearning for a hardware qwerty keyboard.

The fact of the matter is that there is hardly any GSM 4 inch screen Android with an onboard qwerty, so I've had to rely on peripherals like Freedom Pro. While it did come in handy, it felt limited and incomplete since the driver didn't support all the keys on the keyboard. Despite this, I still would have chosen that over spending money for the laptop dock. However, both the Inspire and Atrix proved to be incapable of fully connecting to the Freedom Pro, leaving me stuck without a hardware qwerty alternative yet again on Android. Waiting for the Nokia E7 could have been another solution as well, but time simply ran out on that option after endless delays. Even if I did get my hands on that Communicator successor, using Symbian S^3 would have only satisfied me but so much until boredom set in. At the end of the day, I prefer Android, and relying on virtual qwerty choices would not last long in my urge for prolonged writing.

The laptop dock isn't the most practical solution, but it's one that's seamless and works like it should with Atrix. Similar to the custom docks for the Nexus One in months past, Motorola has blessed this phone with an ecosystem of its own accessories. Call me crazy or old-fashioned, but I am more attracted to the allure of this kind of cohesive system over a gathering of different peripherals that may or may not work. Despite past misgivings about its Milestone device, Motorola certainly caught my attention with the shining examples of extended functionality at CES with the Atrix and its many docks. Upon seeing an online promo video from YouTube demonstrating the numerous functions performed with the Atrix system, I knew that I was hooked immediately.

There was a time when I did find satisfaction from building my own setup and even figuring out how to make it operate when necessary, but that has passed for me. In my quest for efficiency and peace of mind, I have practically lost all will to hack, root, or whatever other term is being used these days for such activity. I have reached a point where I just want things to work out of the box without me having to do too much thinking. Honestly, I may be considered just a couple steps away from getting an iPhone, but there's hardly a viable option for me outside of Android.

In regards to the retail costs, it's a matter of picking your poison. I can truthfully admit that the $500 charge for the laptop dock alone is simply ludicrous, which is why I jumped at the chance to get the more reasonable bundle for the same price. Since I was not eligible for a full upgrade yet, I was granted the early upgrade pricing. Either way, everything still worked itself out with my exchange of the Inspire 4G. I was already paying $20 for data overage charges on AT&T, so I didn't mind going for the peace of mind with the tethering add-on. Yes, I could take my MacBook and tether it to an unlocked phone without paying extra to AT&T, but it is connected as a desktop unit to an external monitor and I'd rather leave it at home for when I'm doing simple word doc editing on the go. Anything more than that such as video editing is done at home anyway, and the laptop dock proves to be a viable alternative for me in this regard. On top of not wishing to move my MacBook, there's also the potential of going over the 2GB data cap for a third month in a row.

Being an Android user who prefers a hardware qwerty has been quite a challenge over the years since I first laid eyes on the Nexus One. While I found solace at one point with the Samsung Captivate and Freedom Pro keyboard, it was only temporary as I soon found myself detesting TouchWiz. Disenchanted with the Android lineup of products at the time, I turned to the likes of Windows Phone 7 and even reunited with Symbian S60 3rd edition for a short stint with a hardware qwerty device. But no matter how far I ran from Android, I could not ignore the fact that it still remained the most functional and favored OS of all time for my own personal usage. Upon making a comeback with the HTC Inspire 4G, I was disappointed to find out my Freedom Pro bluetooth keyboard would not work with it. This same fate fell upon me with the Atrix 4G as well, but the laptop dock was there to redeem me in the best way possible. A touchscreen phone can have a million features bundled with it, but my yearning for hardware keys would only grow stronger and lead to an eventual dislike of it. I am glad that Motorola has at least found a way to make it harder for me to dislike or get bored with its latest device!

After 2 days so far, I learned there are so many reasons as to why I should not get the laptop dock, but there are some as to why I should. Peace of mind and personal satisfaction comes to mind for me at this moment. While a multimedia buff may not take a liking to flash video playback, I can say that for right now it works for my own personal needs in writing word documents on a bigger screen and full keyboard without unplugging my Mac from home. True, this is not perfect and certainly shows a few faults here and there, but it is the closest thing to perfect that I've got with Android...for now.

--
Trentonn Smith, Blogger/Netcast host
Sent from my Motorola Atrix via laptop dock
http://about.me/trentsense/bio

Punished for Lacking Common Sense

All had been going well with the Atrix 4G and the laptop dock accessory in the first few days, and I had absolutely no regrets in making the purchase or adding tethering to my wireless plan. However, I did run into my first problem with the laptop dock: while inside Panera Bread and not connected to any WiFi networks, I docked the Atrix and was shocked to have no data connection to use Webtop apps. Each time I clicked on the Facebook webtop app or the Firefox browser icon, error messages would appear on windows suggesting that I sign up for an appropriate data plan or find WiFi. But I had already added the data+tethering feature not too long ago onto my own account, so that should not have been an issue. Not knowing what to make of the situation, I shut the laptop dock and disconnected my Atrix to check the hotspot feature. To my surprise, an error message appeared basically stating I was not approved for its usage. Upon seeing once again the suggestion to call 611 directly to AT&T customer service, I had resigned myself to doing just that.

After a couple minutes of being on hold, a rep finally connected with me and did the usual identification clearance. As I expected, a few minutes into the call revealed she didn't know much about the laptop dock at all when I explained my situation. She actually thought it was a separate computer, but I only figured it was due to the Atrix and the dock being so new to the network. She then mentioned that she would have to connect me to a next-level suppport rep and then asked to put me on hold.  While I was tempted to hang up and drive myself to the nearest AT&T store, I stayed on the line and maintained patience. That was a mistake.

After going through another ID validation and explaining my situation for the second time, the next-level rep verified that I did have the appropriate data+tethering plan on my account. Once I stated that I was in an area with a strong AT&T signal, that was when I heard the one question that smashed all hope for a solution: "Does your computer have built-in wireless?" I had already explained to her that the laptop dock was an accessory dependent on the phone and not a separate computer!! When I had reminded her of this, she apologized and stated the device was so new to AT&T. At that moment, I got straight to the point and said I preferred to drive to a local AT&T corporate store and speak to someone in person.

Once the phone interaction was brought to a close, I resorted to turning the Atrix off and back on again. As luck would have it, EVERYTHING worked properly with the hotspot feature as well as the Webtop apps and Firefox browser! That was when I could have kicked myself if I had the chance! One of the first rules of troubleshooting that I had followed many times in the past with other phones was the standard power off/on, and I didn't follow it with the Atrix! Honestly, the amount of time wasted with AT&T customer service could then be considered a well-deserved punishment for my transgression.

After accepting this, I simply continued with my day at Panera Bread doing what I do best: indulging in mobile technology. By the way, this entire blogpost was written on Docs-To-Go via the laptop doc in fullscreen Mobile View and then copied/pasted into the Gmail on the same. I LOVE THIS ATRIX!!!

Trent Smith, blogger
Sent from my Motorola Atrix
http://about.me/trentsense/bio

Samsung Focus review

After tolerating boredom with laggy TouchWiz and faulty GPS on the Samsung Captivate, I was ready for something different. Unfortunately, I seemed stuck due to a shortage of comparable Android devices that could sufficiently replace it with little to no compromises. It was out of curiosity that I decided to take a chance on a different OS recently created by Microsoft, Windows Phone 7. Upon taking a glance at a few new models on this platform at the AT&T store, I was naturally drawn to the 4inch SuperAMOLED display on the Focus. Both the LG Quantum and HTC Surround had displays much too small for consideration, and having to disregard the LG's hardware qwerty did sting a little bit. Switching from the Captivate to the Focus seemed like a more sensible and potentially lateral move since both were Samsung-branded. Once I held the familiar form factor in my hand, I was IMMEDIATELY impressed by the responsive touch feedback from WP7! While Captivate's TouchWiz had exhibited a slight lag even out of the box, the Focus was devoid of such phenomenon. In fact, touch typing was so reliable for fast thumb activity that I did not lose a beat even in using word completion on the new Office app! It was almost hard to believe that this was another Samsung phone with a new OS left untouched by some ungodly interface overlay mutilation. It was only from those moments in swiping over vivid Start Menu graphics and proficiently tapping on a sufficient virtual qwerty that I decided to exchange my Captivate device, and I initially had no qualms about it.

At first glance, the Focus was a close cousin to the Captivate. Form factor dimensions were almost the same aside from rounded corners and increased plastic. The inclusion of chrome on the sides and top was a nice touch, but did not match the refinement (if any at all) of the Captivate's metal battery door. It of course had a lighter weight with its composition, thus feeling a bit cheaper especially when it would vibrate. The glossy surface of the battery door attracted plenty of smudges and fingerprints, but was not bothersome to me. It was great to see a LED flash with a HD-capable camera as well as a physical shutter button. Even though it appeared similar to the Captivate, a part of me sometimes thought it a tiny bit taller and thinner.

From the first time I turned on the Focus at home, I was pleased to see that the speedy feedback of the OS was not a marketing ploy applied to demo units to draw in customers. On top of that, I appreciated the simplified design of the coloful tiling on the Start Menu. From the large font to the slight touches of animation to certain tiles, I could understand why Microsoft would market WP7 as a highly efficient platform. However, I did not think it was that much different than any other competing model in regards to fostering a phone that would "save us from our phones". While the Start Menu did offer a one-glance convenience, alerts from incoming messages and app occurrences still seemed to operate on the same level as the Active Standby mode of Symbian. The presence of AT&T app tiles was a sore spot, but it was good to know these could be removed quite easily (same proved true for removing these apps from the app listing altogether). Once a tile was selected, I could appreciate the swift animation of all other tiles moving away in a page turning motion before the chosen tile followed suit. Other slight touches added more character to the OS: an emoticon on the Messaging tile changing with incoming SMS, fading profile pictures of contacts on the People tile, artist image on Music+Video tile changing according to the current track. This all showed an unexpected sense of style and artistry on the part of Microsoft, and my introduction to WP7 was officially a good one. I was fully aware of the cons that were in store for me in adopting the Focus: lack of copy/paste, voice guided turn-by-turn navigation, multitasking, standard SD card support, and USB mass storage. Despite those downsides, I was still intrigued by Microsoft's resurrection from Windows Mobile and figured they would not be too intolerable during the review period.

It turned out that I spoke too soon on those potential deal breakers, for they did end up putting a damper on my time spent with Windows Phone 7. Having no copy/paste function or multitasking only served as a minor nuisance that could be easily overlooked for the sake of tolerance. Even using Bing Maps for GPS navigation was not too bad without audible turn-by-turn, but lack of USB mass storage resulted in a most horrible experience for me: Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac. Being forced to use software for multimedia transfer to my Focus was expected to be just like using iTunes for my iPods, so I initially had no problem with it. However, effects on video and music content possibly caused by the program left me unimpressed. Imported videos of all resolutions were affected by excess graininess on playback, and ONLY MP3s were supported by the music app. Every time the app encountered a non-MP3, it would simply skip over it and display a pop-up error. I found this puzzling since the Focus was documented to support multiple audio formats out of the box, but nothing could be done to fix the problem. I wondered if PC owners encountered the same phenomena in using the default syncing app. As for watching synced videos, I was extremely disappointed in the grainy appearance that detracted from the SuperAMOLED display. Quite frankly, being limited in the video viewing experience had wasted Samsung's iconic screen technology to a certain extent. It may have been a side-effect only noticeable in person and not on footage recorded for my video review, but it was there nonetheless. Next was the SD card situation where WP7 did not officially support it, yet the Focus left the factory with a slot anyway. Warnings to never use this card slot were boldly advertised on the phone with a sticker on the slot itself and printed text on plastic packaging. It turned out that any installed card would simply become infused with the Focus's internal memory, causing severe damage if ever removed. When all these factors added up, I realized I was truly eager to go with another OS as soon as possible. As much as I could try and be patient and positive for the benefits of WP7 and its upcoming updates, it simply was not an OS that was ready for my own personal usage.

Audio quality provided a mixed bag of results for me. I was very impressed by the earpiece for voice calls in granting ample volume and clarity, and a family member noticed a definite difference from using my Captivate in the past. While the loudspeaker was passable for speakerphone calls and speech recognition results, media suffered from tinny feedback and slight distortion in upper volume levels. Although passable for the most part, the listening experience for movies and music still missed the vivid and bolder sound from Captivate. Even though stock in-ear headphones were sufficient, there was a difference noticed from the set bundled with its Android cousin: an additional volume rocker key on the corded remote.

Signal reception was on the same level as most phones I had used within the AT&T 3G network.

Battery life granted me at least a full day of usage with my typical activity.

GPS was fairly reliable for the most part when used with either Bing Maps or a tracker app called RunSatFree that I found from Marketplace. Signal lock occurred quickly, but there were rare moments in a road trip when it did get lost. This could have been attributed to going from 3G to EDGE in rural areas on the highway.

Due to its muted color graphics and lack of audible turn-by-turn navigation, Bing Maps seemed only okay in comparison to alternatives from Symbian and Android. While I did like the fading of street names in pinching and zooming, the listing method for directions in navigation mode felt clunky and primitive. Hopefully, it would not take long for an update to improve this application.

An interesting feature was speech recognition activated from holding down the Start Menu key. This could be used to initiate a web search, open an application, or locate a destination. Results could be hit or miss at times, so I hardly used it.

Office Mobile was definitely what I had been looking forward to on the Focus, especially with the amazing touch feedback of the virtual qwerty. Editing features were acceptable for the new OS and were easy enough to figure out. What I found strange was the virtual qwerty not getting any wider in landscape mode, but this was not a deal breaker. There was also welcomed convenience in doing a long press to access certain secondary characters. One Note was very useful in keeping memos on the go, and there was even support for audio notations as well. Unfortunately, I did not take the time to look into SharePoint. As much as I liked the typing experience, I still could not fight the yearning for a hardware keyboard.

Despite its despicable lack of support for anything other than MP3 audio tracks, the WP7 Music app had a unique appearance with large fonts. Turning on a feature called the Zune experience linked the app to online data to display an artist bio and background photo. Whenever this picture was available for a currently playing artist, it would also be shown on the Music+Video tile on the Start Menu. A useful shortcut feature was a drop down taskbar to show a current track being played along with playback controls. Video playback was extremely basic and did not offer any aspect ratio changing at all. Despite the nice font and Zune data, the app did not feel intuitive in the way it operated. One particular headache was the search function also including Marketplace results along with my own music content.

A pleasant surprise from Windows Phone 7 was its support for my Google cloud account as well as Windows Live. The Focus flawlessly performed as a hub for my PIM data from both accounts, and managing entries on the People app for linking similar contacts was no problem. Taking time to manually enter contacts onto the Windows Live site proved to be worthwhile in getting an Android-like experience. Facebook integration was pretty impressive in how status updates were listed. A Start Menu tile dedicated to my own personal Windows Live account added another method for social networking via the cloud, Facebook, and Twitter.

The camera seemed like a benefit after tolerating the flash-less Captivate, but something else reared its ugly head. Default settings resulted in grainy pictures, so I took it upon myself to change settings. Unfortunately, once I found a specific set of changes to my liking, the camera could not save them. This was further exhibited in the camcorder app by the default being set to VGA, forcing me to change it to HD EACH time I activated it! This certainly took away from being able to take quick shots of decent quality. When I did implement settings changes, images were visually satisfying. HD video was passable, but not on the same level as the Captivate. The LED flash was sufficient overall, but had moments where it did seem a bit weak. I almost forgot to mention that the physical shutter button was a welcomed good point that allowed a long press quick start from Standby mode. As with the rest of the OS, the intuitive interface was quite nice to look at with readable fonts and smooth transitions.

My experience in the WP7 Marketplace occasionally suffered from sluggish navigation. An interface that sometimes seemed bogged down by excess eye candy was still nice to look at, yet not intuitive. Time and practice seemed like the only solution in this matter. Purchasing apps with my Windows Live account was trouble-free like alternatiives from Android, iOS, and Symbian.

Honestly, Windows Phone 7 was a huge achievement for Microsoft to go a step beyond Windows Mobile. Not only did it surpass that predecessor, but it also challenged current touch OS models as well. From its striking graphic design to its responsive qwerty, it was well on its way to making a name for itself as long as there was a demand for it. Even if current limitations were to hinder certain functions on a device, there was no doubt that upcoming updates would soon rectify that situation. Although those happened to be deal breakers for me in staying with the platform, most users were not said to have my taste in mobile devices anyway. Most likely, it appeared that WP7 could be a suitable for someone out there if not me.

Trent Smith
Sent from my Nokia E5
http://about.me/trentsense/bio