Stewart Alsop regarding the Motorola DROID handset:

The hardware (which is Motorola’s) mostly works. The keyboard is horrible and I’ve never used it, which means that it is a real design flaw given how much weight and mechanical operation it adds to the device. (The software keyboard works well enough that I’ve found it adequate but the other problems with the software make it barely useable.) The camera button on my Droid doesn’t work and never has, so I call up the camera from the home screen. The on-off button is poorly placed for one-handed operation and requires real force to actuate. But this is just version 1.0 issues that Motorola will likely fix next time out.

So, a non-functioning camera button and a poorly designed on-off button is a 1.0 issue? I’m not sure if that’s the case given that the company who designs the DROID has been making cell phones for over 26 years.

I agree with Alsop on all of his other points regarding the DROID’s software but I think the hardware deserves more criticism. It’s almost as if he’s given Motorola a free pass to manufacture terrible hardware.

Previously:
11/18/09: DROID’s Autofocus Breaks Every 24.5 Days
11/12/09: DROID Limited to 256MB of App Storage
10/29/09: Motorola DROID

Update 12/20/09: The Motorola DROID has some serious hardware shortcomings, and apparently, the only solution Verizon has is to put a band-aid on it. Flickr user Anticitizen published an image of a Verizon sticker on the back of his DROID. From the images caption:

Took my phone to the Verizon store, and this is their solution.

It’s better than what the original rep tried to do, which is put scotch tape on it.

IMO, for a $200 phone, this is unacceptable.