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"Droid" This and "Droid" That....

I have a friend who says my phone isn't a "real droid" and his is better because his is. (He has a Droid X to my Samsung Captivate). I know he has no idea what version he's running nor what an OS is, my attempts to explain it were lost on him.

So yes, I cringe when I hear it used.
 
What is Droid?

It is a George Lucas creation. The name is copyrighted by Lucasfilms.

What is Android?

Its first use is around the 16th century, predating the use of the word 'robot' by centuries.

It consists of two Greek words ---

Andros --- meaning Man, and used on words like Anthromorphic, or Anthropology.

- eides --- meaning "likeness". Used in words like "ovoid", "humanoid", "anthropoid". This is also the origin for the word "idol". Also means, "an image of".

Android --- therefore, it means in the likeness or image of Man.

The phone is Android because its creator is also Andy Rubin, and Android is a take of his name.
 
My phone calls itself droid everytime it starts. Its not a motorola either. Everything gets nicknamed eventually. The droid charge i use i couldnt see myself walking around saying i use android.
 
I've only ever heard the name 'droid' been used for a certain model of Motorola phone and used in Star Wars. I always call the mobile phone OS 'Android', and never shorten it.

But then some people seem to miss-name anything, like every MP3 player is an 'iPod' or every vacuum cleaner is a 'Hoover'.
 
mikedt said:
I've only ever heard the name 'droid' been used for a certain model of Motorola phone and used in Star Wars. I always call the mobile phone OS 'Android', and never shorten it.

But then some people seem to miss-name anything, like every MP3 player is an 'iPod' or every vacuum cleaner is a 'Hoover'.
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The marketing ploy from verizon (they actually do have to pay lucasfilm for the use of this word, lol) worked so well on the Moto Droid that they expanded it and gave the HTC Eris the droid tag (after it was already out i believe) and then right before the Incredible shipped they slapped the 'Droid' tag on it as well. The big wigs at vzw decided to keep using the tag for various phones, i would say high end but droid 2 and eris definitely were not, plus the Tbolt didn't get droid tag while samsung charge did....there isn't a whole lot of difference between the 2.
 
"May be you should Google it" this abriviation happens with popular products. Especially when you have an easier and shorter word. And bramding too it is almost impossible to avoid. Kinna like my quote :)
 
ArmageddonX said:
Ahh, it's a Verizon brand name. That makes sense now. Thank you.

Back in topic, "Droid" doesn't bother me. For me, it helps distinguish between people who know what they're talking about and people who are more casual about the Android Operating System.
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And it helps the overall branding, to be honest. I still see very popular games/applications that do not have an Android version and I have to believe it is due to the developer deciding - for whatever goddamn reason - that it isn't worth developing for Android yet. So, if "Droid" is the magic word that everyone knows and starts perpetuating ... fine!
 
I really do not like the term Droid. I have an HTC Incredible, not a Droid Incredible.

Verizon spent $100 million on the original Droid ad campaign and thus will continue the terminology as a brand recognition for high end phones that people will associate with an iPhone competitor. All while licensing the term from Lucas. And then I pay for it in my phone bill.
 
Last night @ local poker league (always play Tues & Thurs)

Lady - Hey is that a droid?

Me - No it's an HTC Inspire 4G

Lady - Yea but it's a droid like mine see.

Me - No ma'am it's an HTC Inspire 4G that runs on the android OS.

Lady - Yea like I said it's a droid.

Me - brain explode ... at this point I was trying my best to knock her out of the tournament :D
 
Branding a name that is confusing isnt new, "Sequel" by ?IBM? for their SQL software, HoTMaiL for an HTML based email service, etc... it is a marketing ploy and seems to work, and if you dont like it, you were most likely not to buy that product even if it wasnt named "Droid", but those that call any android phone a "Droid" will have more of a tenancy to gravitate toward a phone named "Droid" if their friends call their non Motorola phone a "Droid" too.

As for the term "lappy", strongbad named his computer "lappy", so I wonder if that is where people are getting it, maybe some of the cool guys said lappy then the other people followed and have no idea why they are saying "lappy"
 
I'd like to see a line of phones marketed as BORG. There is a line of Telescopes already with that name. I had one. If someone did lease the name with the slogan - you will be assimilated, can you imagine the marketing? ;p
And lappy is 2 syllable. Just faster to type.
MS explorer? I've heard of Windows explorer and that's what I'd associate MS explorer with. IE I can understand - but I don't use it.
What is the correct term for a computer? I've seen CPU, machine, BOX with the OS in front of it and probably a few others that I've forgotten.
 
There are so many people out there that don't even realize that a Droid phone is an Android phone, and most of them don't even realize Android was made by Google.
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The thing is, they probably don't care, which is perfectly fine. So far as the buying public goes, trivia and other finer details are reserved for enthusiast, similar to how most people couldn't care less about the specific model and parent company of their car. :)

Once they are happy with the device and can function with it, it simply translates into greater Android proliferation. As someone said earlier, they can at least identify what they're working with, within reason. More notable offenders (:D), are those who don't differentiate between my actual Droid and an iPhone, or more understandable for the time being, my Xoom and an iPad (hats off to Apple for establishing the status quo, I'll add).:p

Most of all, I don't think Google cares one bit, either. ;)
 
shawn1224 said:
Last night @ local poker league (always play Tues & Thurs)

Lady - Hey is that a droid?

Me - No it's an HTC Inspire 4G

Lady - Yea but it's a droid like mine see.

Me - No ma'am it's an HTC Inspire 4G that runs on the android OS.

Lady - Yea like I said it's a droid.

Me - brain explode ... at this point I was trying my best to knock her out of the tournament :D
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YouTube - ‪Who's On First?‬‏

Thought your story had a familiar ring to it
 
I'm going to keep calling my Samsung Droid Charge, "My Droid". I think the name "Samsung Droid Charge" sounds weird and is hard to say. I didn't buy it for it's name though. I bought it for the Verizon 4g and the acceptable battery usage. Also it it feels nice in my hand.

I use the names "Android and Droid" correctly though. I've grown so used to people talking badly and being misleading because of it that it doesn't bother me any more. Let them say what they want. You can't change people.
 
stueycaster said:
I'm going to keep calling my Samsung Droid Charge, "My Droid". I think the name "Samsung Droid Charge" sounds weird and is hard to say. I didn't buy it for it's name though. I bought it for the Verizon 4g and the acceptable battery usage. Also it it feels nice in my hand.
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Well your phone actually is a 'Droid' There are only 6 or 7 total 'droid' phones. Problem some of us have is with people referring to ALL 100+ android phones as 'droids'. Not a GREAT big deal but something to complain about, (for me anyway, lol)
 
DocBeech said:
Asus keeps calling my laptop a "desktop replacement". I personally believe laptop is much easier to go around saying.
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There are different classes of 'laptop'. Something which is called 'desktop replacement'. I would assume is a large heavy computer. Perhaps too heavy and large to be comfortably using on one's lap. These generally have poor battery life as well. IMO they make for quite poor travel computers because of size and weight, and because one can't be away from mains power for too long with them.

But on the other hand they are usually quite powerful. Often with the power of a desktop PC, but without the large box. Hence 'desktop replacement'.

BTW I would not want to be travelling in China with an enormous Alienware M18x gaming laptop, but can quite comfortably travel with a Macbook Pro and a Fujitsu UH900 UMPC, UMPC been another class of 'laptop' of course. In fact on a recent business trip to Beijing, I didn't even take the Macbook, I only took the UMPC.
 
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