Xamarin Studio + Android Studio

If you have a Xamarin Studio project for an Android application, you'll probably want to use Android Studio to edit the resource files.

• Create a new Android Studio project (I usually call it AndroidStudioHolder, but the name is unimportant)
• cd AndroidStudioHolder/app/src/main
• rm -rf res
• ln -s ../../../../YourAndroidProject/Resources res

Unfortunately, you still have to deal with all the weird naming issues that Xamarin Studio creates.  You should fix them anyway, and it's easier to do it early in the project.  (Main.axml isn't a real layout file, for example, even though Xamarin Studio will create it for you by default.)

Xamarin Studio 5.9 + F# - Target _CreateNativeLibraryArchive failing

If you're seeing an error like this in Xamarin Studio 5.9, building an Android project:

Target _CreateNativeLibraryArchive:
/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/External/xbuild/Xamarin/Android/Xamarin.Android.Common.targets:
error : Error executing task CreateNativeLibraryArchive: Argument cannot be
null.
Parameter name: unformatted
Build FAILED.

You may have mips binary files marked as EmbeddedNativeLibrary.  Turn that off (mips isn't supported yet anyway), and you should be able to build.

The bug has been reported to Xamarin - tech support found the solution.

AndroidProguardScala 51 released - supports 2.11

I just released v 51 of AndroidProguardScala, the Eclipse plugin for Scala + Android development.

The release adds support for Scala 2.11 (including the 3.x.x and 4.x.x branches of the Scala IDE).

Install instructions are here.

v50 of AndroidProguardScala released

Just released v50 of the AndroidProguardScala Eclipse plugin. Installation instructions are here, and if you're a current user you can pick it up by asking Eclipse to check for updates.

Changes:

• Update to latest version of dependencies (Scala 2.10.2, Scalaz 7.0.2)
• Better checking for Proguard errors

OpenSL ES for Android - SL_RESULT_CONTENT_UNSUPPORTED

If you're getting a SL_RESULT_CONTENT_UNSUPPORTED result from OpenSL like this:

E/AudioRecord( 2108): AudioFlinger could not create record track, status: -1
E/libOpenSLES( 2108): android_audioRecorder_realize(0x1cde560) error creating AudioRecord object
W/libOpenSLES( 2108): Leaving Object::Realize (SL_RESULT_CONTENT_UNSUPPORTED)

look a bit higher in the log. The solution might be staring you in the face:

W/ServiceManager(   81): Permission failure: android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO from uid=10078 pid=2108
E/AudioFlinger(   81): Request requires android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO

Scala on Android: what you need to know (some of this applies to any large Android codebase)

Here's a collection of all of the interesting links talking about issues with Scala running on Android.  (And note that it's not specific to Scala; it's large codebases generally.)

Summary

Android tools limit you to 65535 methods referenced, which includes both methods defined and methods called.  If you hit this limit (and you will with anything past hello-world when you're using the Scala library), you need to run an external tool.

If you use Eclipse, try my AndroidProguardScala plugin.

If you use sbt, use the sbt Android plugin.

Keep up with the scala-on-android mailing list (google group).

Useful links

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=7147 Issue 7147: dx fails on scala-library.jar and scala-compiler.jar
The Android bug.  Important quote:

It turns out that you have made the first report we've seen of anyone running into Dalvik's existing limit of 
65536 method references per dex file

https://issues.scala-lang.org/browse/SI-5278 Scala outputs redundant interface declarations in bytecode
This is the bug + fix that should solve LinnearAlloc issues.

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=22586 Issue 22586: Dexopt fails with "LinearAlloc exceeded" for deep interface hierarchies
Earlier Scala versions hit this, but the problem has been solved by SI-5278.

https://issues.scala-lang.org/browse/SI-4620 Android install of scala 2.9.0 built binary fails (worked with scala 2.8.1)
Here's the Scala issue covering the Scala patch that reduced the

https://github.com/scala/scala/commit/7a99c03da1d31ac5950eecb30f422f43c5e3d04e Don't generate redundant interfaces
Here's the Scala patch itself.  It includes this comment:

Drop redundant interfaces (ones which are implemented by some
other parent) from the immediate parents. This is important on
android because there is otherwise an interface explosion.

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=20814 dx crashes on projects with > 65,535 methods
Note that the title is misleading (it's not just number of methods).  From the bug:

As I understand it, the limit is the number of methods referenced, which includes both methods defined and methods called, which is why you might see this even if your app only contains 56,484 method definitions.

http://www.scala-lang.org/node/10929
A conversation about using Scala with Android

Getting this? E/dalvikvm( 6037): JNI ERROR (app bug): attempt to use stale weak global reference 0xb

Seeing this in your Android code?

E/dalvikvm( 6037): JNI ERROR (app bug): attempt to use stale weak global reference 0xb

Make sure you're not:

a) Calling back into java from javascript in a WebView, and then b) Dereferencing a null pointer in Java.

Notice that this problem has nothing to do with any of your JNI code.

New version of the Android/Scala Eclipse plugin available

I released a new version (41) of the AndroidProguardScala Eclipse plugin making it easier to run #Scala code on #Android. This one fixes a few bugs and should work nicely with the latest ADT. Available here.

Brief review of gadgets from Google IO 2011, five months later

At Google IO 2011, swag was received.  Two things really stand out:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 This rocks.  I use it constantly.  It’s a great dev device, too, since it’s really fast.  (That does require also using dev code on an el cheapo phone too – my choice for that are a couple Samsung Europas I bought in Ireland for E50.)  The only “problem” is that I have to compete with my wife for the device.  We’ve got a Fire on order that should solve that problem.  (I’d buy another Galaxy, but as a developer I feel like I need lots of new devices.  My wife laughs when she hears that.)

Chromebook.  I can’t even be bothered to find a link to these things.  I tried to use it, but it’s slow and has a nasty screen.  Feels like an obsolete laptop I discarded a couple years ago.  I don’t even know where it is, and I realized I can’t even tell you how long it’s been missing.

Mobile market in Ireland - Android and iPhone

I'm on vacation in Ireland right now, and the mobile market here is interesting and different.

First, unlike Seattle where every other storefront sells coffee, in Ireland every other shop is a mobile phone operator.  They're everywhere. 

And the really big difference is prepaid.  I picked up a Samsung Europa for €49, no contract.  "Locked" to 3, but only if you're not capable of searching "unlock" on google.  (Yes, the number 3 is an Irish telecom company.)  For €20, the "topup" includes unlimited data for a month, unlimited 3-3 calling/texting,  and 29c/minute out of network, free on weekends.  Every tiny little shop in the country sells minutes, too, so it's trivial to buy more.

If I lived here and had even a tiny bit of patience, that same Europa goes for €39 delivered.  (And they sell for more than that on ebay.  My wife said we're on vacation, and I'm not supposed to pack 200 of them in my suitcase to resell at a profit.  Shame.  I did point this out to the young guy in the 3 shop though, and he looked thoughtful.)

It's an Android 2.2 device.  It's not great (no multitouch, small screen, slow compared to my wife's Nexus One), but it's OK.

The iPhone is a nice chunk of hardware, but it's €569 - TEN TIMES the price of an Android phone.  Yes, you can get it for free on a contract, but it's a middle-class extravagance.  If you think you might be worried about cash next month, I don't see how you buy one.

I had no idea how much cheaper Android phones were over here.  I'm not seeing a whole lot of iPhones; it's not like home.

Here's the 3 deal.

Oh, and if you do bring an unlocked Android GSM phone with you, they'll tell you the unlimited data for €20 plan doesn't work for tethering.  Works great, though. 

Notes on Android Market for Developers session at Google I/O 2011

Notes on Android Market for Developers session at Google I/O 2011

(For Google I/O Show and Tell http://www.meetup.com/seattle-gtug/events/16361982/)

- James Moore, james@restphone.com

Session video is up at http://www.google.com/events/io/2011/sessions/android-market-for-developers.html

• Growth
• 400k activations/day for Android devices worldwide
• 60% of activiations are outside USA
• He emphasized Korea and Japan
• Up from 100k/day YOY
• App installs
• 8x from 2009 -> 2010
• 2011 as of today is slightly more than all of 2010
• Charts around 3:08 in video
• Apps are used by Gingerbread and Honeycomb
• New device users == heavy consumers of applications
• graph at 6:30
• Recent installs of apps (trending categories)
• Games
• Entertainment
• Tools
• Media
• Travel and local
• Transportation
• Trending Paid apps categories (8:46)
• Games
• Tools
• Personalization
• Productivity
• Entertainment
• Medical
• Comics
• Shopping
• New OS versions are most of the app downloads 10:32
• They see two versions of Android dominant over time (the two change as new releases come out)
• Today
• 25% 2.1
• 75% 2.2
• developer.android.com has lots of numbers for things like versions, screensizes
• Major vendors committed to 18 month upgrade guarantees, announced at IO2011
• Quick demos of (14:49)
• Pulse News
• Angry Birds
• Gun Brothers
• Talked about approaches to OS version dependencies
• 90% of Android devices hitting the market have OpenGS 2.0
• New market tools offer better targeting
• Devices, geography, screensize, etc
• Coming soon
• Multiple apks (23:01) in June
• One app listing
• Different screen sizes, etc
• Multiple apks
• Aggregates billing, rating, comments
• Large apks 24:23
• 4GB total
• 50 meg apk plus 2 x 2GB bundles downloaded separtelly
• One-click integration with AdMob, already launched
• Lots of new lists on Marketplace
• Trending
• Lists by market
• Better ways to show all apps from a developer
• Direct carrier billing is 50% of app sales at one (unnamed) US carrier
• In-app upgrades are working really well

These notes are up at https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1mWJAHkFcP_C91opc9bOKowHye3BgMwk2G-92Mia-MUA

Android error: java.lang.Error: packaging failure: closure resource not found

If you're seeing errors like this when you start your Android application: You've compiled with CodePro coverage enabled. Turn it off.

Bookstands for holding dev devices

I’ve just had my dev devices lying on the desk, but I decided I wanted something to hold them up.  Ordered a couple from Amazon.

I ordered the Insight and the Fellows.  I’m using the Insight regularly.  For iPhones, it’s got a nice slot in the back to slip the cable through.  I’m using a Droid as my regular Android dev device, and it’s connector is on the side, so no issues there.  Haven’t tried the Evo yet. 

For the iPhone, it’s not quite stable with the cable plugged in, so I just wrapped a rubber band around it.  Not exactly high design, but works fine.

Both of these are cheap; < $10.

I also ordered a Gorillapod, but it’s not stable enough when you’re punching stuff on the screen.  I liked it enough to keep it, though, just for its intended use (camera tripod).

Insight:

Fellows

Problem with Eclipse/Android/Helios/XML editing

If you're seeing errors like this in Eclipse/Helios when you're editing an Android resource file, you're hitting this Eclipse bug.  The workaround is to go to Preferences > XML > XML Files > Editor and turn off Use inferred grammar in absense of DTD/Schema.

Problems occurred when invoking code from plug-in: "org.eclipse.jface".

java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.eclipse.wst.xml.core.internal.document.ElementImpl.getDefaultValue(ElementImpl.java:259)
at org.eclipse.wst.xml.core.internal.document.ElementImpl.getAttributeNS(ElementImpl.java:329)
at com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.internal.editors.uimodel.UiElementNode.getShortDescription(Unknown Source)
at com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.internal.editors.ui.tree.UiModelTreeLabelProvider.getText(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.WrappedViewerLabelProvider.getText(WrappedViewerLabelProvider.java:108)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.WrappedViewerLabelProvider.update(WrappedViewerLabelProvider.java:164)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ViewerColumn.refresh(ViewerColumn.java:152)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.AbstractTreeViewer.doUpdateItem(AbstractTreeViewer.java:934)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.AbstractTreeViewer$UpdateItemSafeRunnable.run(AbstractTreeViewer.java:102)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.JFaceUtil$1.run(JFaceUtil.java:49)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.SafeRunnable.run(SafeRunnable.java:175)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.AbstractTreeViewer.doUpdateItem(AbstractTreeViewer.java:1014)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$UpdateItemSafeRunnable.run(StructuredViewer.java:481)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.JFaceUtil$1.run(JFaceUtil.java:49)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.SafeRunnable.run(SafeRunnable.java:175)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.updateItem(StructuredViewer.java:2141)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.AbstractTreeViewer.updateChildren(AbstractTreeViewer.java:2689)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.AbstractTreeViewer.internalRefreshStruct(AbstractTreeViewer.java:1867)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.TreeViewer.internalRefreshStruct(TreeViewer.java:721)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.AbstractTreeViewer.internalRefresh(AbstractTreeViewer.java:1842)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.AbstractTreeViewer.internalRefresh(AbstractTreeViewer.java:1799)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.AbstractTreeViewer.internalRefresh(AbstractTreeViewer.java:1785)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$7.run(StructuredViewer.java:1487)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.preservingSelection(StructuredViewer.java:1422)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.TreeViewer.preservingSelection(TreeViewer.java:403)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.preservingSelection(StructuredViewer.java:1383)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.refresh(StructuredViewer.java:1485)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ColumnViewer.refresh(ColumnViewer.java:537)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.refresh(StructuredViewer.java:1444)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ContentViewer.setContentProvider(ContentViewer.java:252)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.setContentProvider(StructuredViewer.java:1641)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.AbstractTreeViewer.setContentProvider(AbstractTreeViewer.java:2317)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.TreeViewer.setContentProvider(TreeViewer.java:972)
at com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.internal.editors.ui.tree.UiTreeBlock.changeRootAndDescriptors(Unknown Source)
at com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.internal.editors.ui.tree.UiTreeBlock.createTreeViewer(Unknown Source)
at com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.internal.editors.ui.tree.UiTreeBlock.createMasterPart(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.ui.forms.MasterDetailsBlock.createContent(MasterDetailsBlock.java:161)
at org.eclipse.ui.forms.MasterDetailsBlock.createContent(MasterDetailsBlock.java:142)
at com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.internal.editors.resources.ResourcesTreePage.createFormContent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.ui.forms.editor.FormPage$1.run(FormPage.java:152)
at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(BusyIndicator.java:70)
at org.eclipse.ui.forms.editor.FormPage.createPartControl(FormPage.java:150)
at org.eclipse.ui.forms.editor.FormEditor.pageChange(FormEditor.java:471)
at com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.internal.editors.AndroidEditor.pageChange(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.ui.part.MultiPageEditorPart.setActivePage(MultiPageEditorPart.java:1067)
at org.eclipse.ui.forms.editor.FormEditor.setActivePage(FormEditor.java:603)
at com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.internal.editors.AndroidEditor.selectDefaultPage(Unknown Source)
at com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.internal.editors.AndroidEditor.addPages(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.ui.forms.editor.FormEditor.createPages(FormEditor.java:138)
at org.eclipse.ui.part.MultiPageEditorPart.createPartControl(MultiPageEditorPart.java:348)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.EditorReference.createPartHelper(EditorReference.java:670)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.EditorReference.createPart(EditorReference.java:465)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPartReference.getPart(WorkbenchPartReference.java:595)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.EditorReference.getEditor(EditorReference.java:289)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.busyOpenEditorBatched(WorkbenchPage.java:2863)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.busyOpenEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2768)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.access$11(WorkbenchPage.java:2760)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage$10.run(WorkbenchPage.java:2711)
at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(BusyIndicator.java:70)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2707)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2691)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2682)
at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:651)
at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:610)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.javaeditor.EditorUtility.openInEditor(EditorUtility.java:365)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.javaeditor.EditorUtility.openInEditor(EditorUtility.java:168)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.OpenAction.run(OpenAction.java:229)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.OpenAction.run(OpenAction.java:208)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.SelectionDispatchAction.dispatchRun(SelectionDispatchAction.java:274)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.SelectionDispatchAction.run(SelectionDispatchAction.java:250)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.packageview.PackageExplorerActionGroup.handleOpen(PackageExplorerActionGroup.java:373)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.packageview.PackageExplorerPart$4.open(PackageExplorerPart.java:526)
at org.eclipse.ui.OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper$InternalListener.open(OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper.java:48)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$2.run(StructuredViewer.java:845)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.JFaceUtil$1.run(JFaceUtil.java:49)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.SafeRunnable.run(SafeRunnable.java:175)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.fireOpen(StructuredViewer.java:843)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.handleOpen(StructuredViewer.java:1131)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$6.handleOpen(StructuredViewer.java:1235)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.fireOpenEvent(OpenStrategy.java:264)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.access$2(OpenStrategy.java:258)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy$1.handleEvent(OpenStrategy.java:298)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(EventTable.java:84)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.sendEvent(Display.java:3776)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1367)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1390)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1375)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.notifyListeners(Widget.java:1187)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Display.java:3622)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3277)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runEventLoop(Workbench.java:2629)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runUI(Workbench.java:2593)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.access$4(Workbench.java:2427)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench$7.run(Workbench.java:670)
at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:332)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWorkbench(Workbench.java:663)
at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(PlatformUI.java:149)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ide.application.IDEApplication.start(IDEApplication.java:115)
at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.EclipseAppHandle.run(EclipseAppHandle.java:196)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.runApplication(EclipseAppLauncher.java:110)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.start(EclipseAppLauncher.java:79)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:369)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:179)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:619)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:574)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1407)

A proguard builder for Scala + Android

I just put up code for an Eclipse builder to make it simpler to build Scala projects for Android.

http://github.com/banshee/AndroidProguardScala

It's still pretty rough, but it gets the job done.

Android carriers and phones - Sprint, TMobile, Verizon, ATT, Droid, Evo, iPhone, Nexus One

We're just finishing up a trip to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. Between me and my fiancee we're carrying around four cell phones (thanks to giveaways at Google IO):

• Droid/Verizon
• HTC Evo/Sprint
• iPhone 3G/ATT
• Nexus One/TMobile (my fiancee's phone)

Our reactions to the carriers and phones so far:

Droid/Verizon: works great, works everywhere, but you need a forklift to carry this thing around. The Droid is clearly an engineering prototype that someone from marketing stole from the lab. It's just not a shipping product, no way, no how.

However, since I'm a geek, carrying around the engineering prototype hasn't been that bad.  When I was carrying around the Droid and the iPhone 3G, I'd almost always pull out the Droid.  I'd really only pull out the iPhone for UrbanSpoon.

HTC Evo/Sprint: The new hotness.  The screen is bigger than my laptop.  It's fast.   It's got some lame software on it called "Sense" - sometime soon I'll need to figure out how to disable it, but it's only mildly annoying so far.

Sprint has been surprisingly good - no coverage problems in urban areas so far, and very good coverage on the train between LA and San Diego (with some dropouts where geography was pretty obviously terrible - Camp Pendleton for one).

iPhone 3G/ATT: I'd like to tell you about ATT's coverage, but I almost never pull the iPhone out of my pocket.  It feels archaic at this point.

Nexus One/TMobile: Very nice phone, but as far as we can tell TMobile isn't actually in the business of providing wireless connections to cell phones with any sort of reasonable coverage.  Just pathetic.  TMobile isn't worth considering as a provider.

Liking the Droid a bit more

After using the Droid for a bit, I'm feeling more charitable.

Just have to think of it as an engineering prototype.  It's not really a device you'd expect people to pay money for - it's far too clunky for that.  But as a limited production device just for developers, it's fine.

I'm carrying it and my iphone around now (it's a pain), and I find that I pull out the Droid far more often.  The web browsing experience is just that much better than the iPhone.

New Droid arrived

Got my new Droid a few minutes ago.

First impression: the thing feels like a tank.  Very industrial.  Not at all a warm and fuzzy feeling like the Nexus One or my iPhone.

And the slideout keyboard is the definition of epic fail.  Useless, probably adds quite a bit of weight and complexity to the phone.  Just wrong, wrong, wrong.  This phone should never have left the lab.

I suspect that I did this in the wrong order.  You need to experience a Droid before you play with a Nexus One.  Had I done that, I might have been more impressed.

It's good to have a Droid though, since they're apparently the most popular Android device.  Good to have around for testing.  But I pity the people who have to use this as their primary device.