Comments on: Lackluster launch for Android

By: Zuke

Zuke — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:21:00 +0000

Not only Google maps, but it uses the onboard GPS and compass to also give you StreetView. It also gives you access to Google Documents.

By: TardisCaptain

TardisCaptain — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:47:22 +0000

OK so it does email and calendar (I can get that on my phone now). Can it access the Google maps and documents?

By: Zuke

Zuke — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:43:49 +0000

Well, I think it’s important to point out that this is NOT Google’s phone . . . this is HTC’s. Google made the OS, but it seems like the rest was out of their hands. Regardless, yes, we did expect more.

By: zohner

zohner — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:39:54 +0000

I’ve been hearing buzz surrounding this release for quite a while now. In fact, because T-Mobile is one of my company’s clients, we were hoping to be able to beta test it. (We didn’t.) I think though that Zuke brings up some good points with the lackluster release of this, especially with what phone they put Android on. One of the things that people love about Apple is how cool their devices look. I’m a Mac hater so I’ll never get anything with a half-eaten apple on it but I have to admit that the iPhone looks very cool. This does not. The “1999 VoiceStream flip phones” comment is very appropriate here. I’ve played with iPhones a bit and Apple did a good job. (That hurts so badly to admit.) With all of the resources at Google’s disposal, I think that people just expected… more.

In an age where technological gadgets are signs that you’re cool, Google really dropped the ball on this. Conversely though, there is tons of potential for the true geeks of the world with this phone. I predict that it will eventually become a niche device that only the true nerds will own. Once this is discovered, Google will pretty it up and make the Paris Hilton’s of the world want one. But I could be wrong….

By: Schmidty

Schmidty — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:20:51 +0000

I understand. This phone definitely will fill a unique niche. And maybe all the hubbub will die out within the first week. But my excitement is in what it means for the future of Android. Just getting Android onto a phone is a huge step. It’s something that the original founders of Android dreamed of, but were never actually expecting it to surface.

By: Zuke

Zuke — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:01:43 +0000

You are correct; I should have specified that Android has been out and in the public for a little under a year.

Please note that I never said Android was "teh suxors". I said I was disappointed with the launch. I think it's capable of quite a bit, but HTC and T-Mobile botched it. I even specifically state that none of the phone's shortcomings are Android's fault.

The fact of the matter is this:

THIS PHONE has no 3rd party apps already installed on it
T-MOBILE has not introduced an easy way to get homebrew apps onto it
HTC has missed the mark by not including a 3.5mm jack or stereo bluetooth in the hardware specs (or even bundling a headphone adapter with it)
HTC couldn't even be bothered to put it in a nice looking body, and we're left with rough plastic circa 1999 VoiceStream flip phones.
Google accounts are not "synch'd" with the phone so much as they are "pushed" to the phone, similar to a Blackberry or Microsoft Exchange. This is great for casual users, but doesn't help enterprise customers. Palm's success was based upon their Synch capabilities. Please note that I simply said we had not seen desktop synch capabilities yet.

You want one of these because you can program for it, and that's fine. But most people don't care about that function because most people with cell phones don't program. For Android to have really had a good launch, it should have had a phone that really did it justice and wow'd the crowd. Instead, HTC literally just shoved it into a phone they were going to launch anyway (the HTC Dream) and renamed it.

While I do love the Google Maps Street View on the phone, I think I'll be holding out for the Pearl Flip instead.

By: Schmidty

Schmidty — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:44:57 +0000

"Android has been in the works for a little under a year now."? Seriously? Where did your research go? When Google acquired Android Inc. in 2005, they were already working on the OS.

But, that fact aside... It sounds like you are hating on the G1. "Haven't seen any sort of Synch capabilities?" Your contacts and calander ARE sync'ed with your Google account... automatically! And as far as apps being available for it, we will have to wait and see what the community does for it. And maybe I'm a little biased towards Google. But they are a different beast, and I HAVE done my homework. You won't find any other company or set of products/services just like them. What could be better in a phone than the entire OS being synced with what you do on your desktop computer? Sure, that's not exactly what it's doing now, but I see Google (or something similar) as the future of computing. Google is going in the right direction. So I applaud the release of the G1 with fervent passion. I want one. And I want my wife to have one. So it's a little clunky. Big deal. It's about as big as an iPhone with a protective jacket on. Doesn't seem to bother the other 2 million+ iPhone users.