Android must become more than a warmed-over iPhone
Summary: Let's just not restrict our view of this so Android is seen as just an iPhone competitor. A lot of companies are going to deliver devices in the next year. Some will be iPhone-like, others will not be. We should stay focused on that.
The early reviews on the T-Mobile G1 "Android" are in and they are OK. (Picture by Matt Miller from his Image Gallery.)
Larry Magid is "generally pleased" with the device. Crave "sliced and diced" it to make an Apple iPhone comparison.
Our official ZDNet review noted how it plays well with WiFi and you might even be able to take it out of the country as more than a doorstop.
Unfortunately you can take the iPhone comparisons only so far, as Google itself is doing by installing a "kill switch" on Android applications.
In theory this is not objectionable, even in such an open system. Wouldn't it be great to destroy malware automatically from a central server?
But this immediately leads to comparisons with Apple's "shoot first and answer questions later" use of the same technology.
The bad economy has some predicting bad things for the Android, but if Google is open to innovation I'm not too worried about that.
Let's just not restrict our view of this so Android is seen as just an iPhone competitor. A lot of companies are going to deliver devices in the next year. Some will be iPhone-like, others will not be. We should stay focused on that.
Just one example. What if someone built, say, a flash drive with the Android software that turned your PC into an Android device? Or turned your Linux-based Netbook into one? Riding whatever WiFi network you happen to find, or even a wired connection? After all, we're already seeing flash VOIP devices on TV.
These kinds of innovations are possible with an open system. It's important to see the Android technology as the start of something, not its end.
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Talkback
It does have some things the iPhone ...
What seems to puzzle the tech world and tech
means superiority of some level. I think in many ways
Apple's approach to features is the better choice. Keep it
simple and make sure what features you do have their use
and access follows the mantra of keep it simple.
A kludge of features do not a product make.
Have yet to find Apple's keyboard solution a problem
myself.
Pagan jim
For some maybe ...
myself.[/i]
Maybe not for you, but your not the target audience. Here's an example. My wife is a media person. She has a Blackberry with a physical keyboard. It would be impossible for her to type as rapidly as she could with a virtual keyboard. If you've ever seen media and press people they all have Blackberrys for the same reason, quick response to ever changing events.
Now comes the Google phone with more screen real estate, a qwerty keyboard, and Google applications. My wife looked at the Google phone and commented this would work better for her if it comes with the same features.
It's pretty obvious who they are competing with in this space. ;)
Bunk
be quicker on an iPhone than a blackberry. Just as soon as she
stopped trying to thumb the keyboard and used her index finger
instead.
So let me guess ..
This is the reason media and press people have a qwerty keyboard and use their thumbs. Rapid response to ever changing events, even on the go.
Edit:
With press conferences, interviews, reporting locations, and other venues many times there's no place to sit and/or no place to rest the phone for typing. Many times you have press materials in one hand and the phone in another. In this case she can use the keyboard on the Blackberry using her thumb and have copy in the other hand.
Don't believe me? Just check out the press people on C-Span and watch how they use their Blackberrys. It's very interesting to watch this little dance. ;)
Actually, No - I have an iTouch
OTOH, I do a lot of writing, so I prefer a real keyboard - which is where the line might be drawn....
RE: Android must become more than a warmed-over iPhone
Maybe instead of typing so dam fast @ sending out info that may or may not be correct and accurate, they could take the time to fact check their blither of opinions....
The world needs to slow down a bit anyway.
iJah420 says The media needs to get a grip and stop snorting blackberries... ;)
it makes the reports and staff so very obnoxious.