There's no need to imagine if it was Apple, since Apple has the capability as well since version 2 of the iphone OS at least. I don't think they can wipe apps, but they can remotely kill applications so they won't run, and really, what's the difference? Wiping the app is a little better security wise.

Don't worry, Steve will spin it into the best feature ever

Of course if you install through packages instead of marketplace, I believe the ability for Google to do so disappears.

Do I think either company has nefarious reasons for these additions? Not really. I imagine the install asset feature is going to be used for automatic updates without the user having to bother to do so, which would be nice. Of course if that's the case they need to make sure to allow users to opt out.

Interesting article on the mismanagement of the android marketplace …by Jon Lech Johansen (DVD John)

http://nanocr.eu/2010/06/27/googles-mismanagement-of-the-android-market/

Speaking of mismanagement, now I don't know that I'm eligible to upgrade to this phone.

My upgrade eligibility date is in November, but my contract expires Feb 2011. What I've read today is that your contract must expire in 2010, not upgrade eligibility date.

Better believe I'm going to hold the guys feet to the fire that sat there and told me I was eligible at Best Buy if they try to tell me otherwise when the phone arrives. Then again, being Best Buy they probably don't even care and might upgrade anyone.

Oh, crap.

Then again, maybe I'll just break my contract and hop to sprint for the EVO. Some of the places I go are 4G covered.

We just picked up a $99 iPhone 3Gs for my wife.

Sprint (Clear) has promised 4G where i live "this summer" so that probably means Sept.

i went and played with an EVO and i thought it was almost too big . . . and even though the Droid-X has a screen only slightly bigger than the EVO, the casing around the screen is even bigger yet, so . . . if the EVO is on the edge of my comfort level then the Droid-X is just too big.

my contract with AT&T is technically up in early August, but i think i'd only have to pay about $20 to break my contract right now so that's no biggie. i will almost certainly go to Sprint as i want the 4G speeds, but i might wait until the next "iPhone killer" phone emerges after the EVO -- it would need to be 4G. i am a bit patient. then again, my home internet has been out since Friday (Comcast) and it sure would have been nice to have an EVO right now tethering internet to all of our home computers via Wifi. ah well.

Look into battery life before selecting an Android phone. I’ve seen horrible reports re the Evo’s battery life (even with 4G disabled). All my Android-using friends regularly have dead phones (even though they use them less than I use my iPhone). But the Evo may be worse, and others may be better—such as the X with any luck! (My friends are using two different Droid phones, but I don’t know which models. Not X!)

Makes sense Nagromme.

I mean since that Apple touts that one large reason for its battery life is due to the (custom made chip) A4, that handles battery management <-- again custom made.

So what does the Android have? Is it Google or HTC or both manage the battery power via software and the best chip they can find on the market?

The X has been rated at 8+ hours talk time, most reviewers I've read say it has no problem lasting an entire day on a nightly charge, some charged it every other day.

I believe the new Ti chip has some power management features, and Moto added some software as well.

My Omnia is only rated at like 5.5 hours, and I've never really had any battery issues so I'm good.