Two Weeks with Android, So Far So Great

On 28 April, 2009, In Android, Gadgets, Google, By Chris Cotter

Carrie and I bought a pair of Android G1 smart phones a couple of weeks ago now.

So far this operating system has been the best I have used out all of the major ones including BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and iPhone OS. The Google developers did a fine job creating the software with the exception of a couple of little things that I used constantly with previous smart phones.

First off, the interface is remarkable. I have heard a couple of the tech community crowd people say that it is clunky and slow. The G1’s physical design is a bit clunky, but I have adapted the way I hold a phone, and that is no longer an issue. The second thing is the user interface is fast. I have not seen a lag or anything since I unpacked it from the box.

Since I have had a little bit of time with the hardware and software, the main things that I feel HTC and Google could have done better are these:

HTC needed a better designed handset. I have owned HTC hardware before and am actually a big fan of them. About two years ago, they released the xv6700 to Verizon Wireless, and that hardware was great. I think this design would have been better only because the keys were a bit larger and the button panel was attached to the slider top, rather than a separate, non-moving, piece that you have to maneuver you hand over to type.

xv6700

Android software is missing a couple of what I would call key features. The first thing it is missing is a native speed dial. That is a bit awkward that they would leave that out, but this is a Vs 1.1 OS, so I forgive them for that. The only other complaint is the battery. The HTC xv6700 I owned also had a bad battery issue. I had to buy an extended life battery for it, but I have no plans/options to do this for the G1. I can typically make it about eight hours of consistent use without issue. I have found out the method of use that gives me the longest battery life.

Google Latitude is a battery sucker. Latitude is the free location service Google offers. The way this works is it uses either GPS, or finding a relative position using the service towers. Once Latitude determines your position, it sends out your position constantly, like a beacon. This, and the GPS, are the worst battery killers I have found. Turning these off and the battery will last pretty much all day.

I would recommend this phone to my mom, because the software is very well designed and easy to use. These are a definite step up from the Blackberry Curve’s that we owned previously. The receiver inside is a very good one. We can actually make phone calls and data calls from within our home, which is something we could not do with our BB Curves without switching to UMA Wifi service.

G1

I look forward to seeing these scattered around more as it is developed more and more manufacturers release hardware with Android installed on it.

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Android: My First Impression

On 22 October, 2008, In Google, Linux, Random Rantings, By Chris Cotter

I woke up this morning excited. Today was Android day. Carrie and I drove to a T-Mobile store to check out the new G1. My first impression was very good. We walked into the TMo store and first thing we saw was a very nice looking display with two of the G1’s sitting there.

The first thing I noticed when I picked it up was just how light it was. It looks like it should be much heavier than it really is. So we finally had a pair of these mini Linux boxes in our hands after a month of waiting.

After I picked it up and looked at it carefully, I opened the slider up just see if it was as sturdy as the XV-6700 from HTC I used to own.

The slider felt even more sturdy and smoother than the 6700 I had previously.

The screen was very sensitive. I just had to barely touch my finger to the screen to get it to do what I wanted it to do. I had concern for the button bar blocking the QWERTY keys. This was not an issue at all. I found that typing on thumb board was easy. They keys had a click to let you know that they were pressed. They were much easier to use than my BlackBerry Curve keys are because I have big fingers.

Next thing I had to check out was Google Maps. This was one of the things I have been curious to see. The built in compass was interesting.  As I turned, the compass had a hard time determining what direction I was facing. I think this was because we were in the store with a lot of people and had a big security cord stuck to the screen itself. I doubt the compass had been calibrated also.

There was Street View right there. The built in GPS, or maybe the tower positioning, found us and we zoomed right in to see the very store we were in.

I tried the Barcode Scanner application next. One of the things I do not understand just because it seems like poor judgment on T-Mobile’s part, the demo barcode was so small and long that the G1 could not even focus on it. Like I said, that was a T-Mobile thing. This barcode tag was far smaller than most other tags you find on other products.

This was a screenshot of part of the applications menu. The Android Application Market was really limited at the time. This really was not an issue since today was the release day.

I really had to dig down into the menus to find out what was at the heart of Android. In one of the menus, they had an entire tag named “Kernel Version.” There is was! The G1 is running Linux Kernel 2.6.25. I was so happy to see that. There was also a credits tag that displayed the credits for the developers and organizations that made Android possible. It scrolled just like the credits at the closing of a movie does.

I have heard Ryan Block say a few times that this is a “geeks device.” I do not think that is totally true. There were people of all ages, including a lady, maybe 50, who had heard of it, came to play with it, and loved it. I think Ryan’s comment on that comes from being a iPhone user/fanboy.

I would have loved to take one home with me. Unfortunately I did not have $300 up front (still under contract) to buy it. I am saving my pennies now. I am definately looking forward to getting one soon.

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