Google Android Personal Thoughts

[djclark]

This is an add-on to the Google Nexus One review

 

[momoceio]

First off, don't just post a rant by some blogger and say "I feel like this too". Form an opinion and let us know your own thoughts.

Part of my main issue with Android, and this applies slightly less to HTC Sense UI handsets, is that there’s practically no human emotion with Google when it comes to technology. Everything is statistical and analytical. While you could argue that being this way is way superior to “feeling” and “emotion”– it might be 95% of the time — you still will almost always lose that charm and that amazing feeling of connecting to something. People would die for their iPhones, people would die for their BlackBerrys – and they feel like their lives are in there. People feel connected to their BlackBerrys. Some sleep with them next to their pillow. No one gives a crap about their Android phone, there’s zero emotional attachment. The closest example would be Palm’s webOS. A great concept, besides Apple’s iPhone OS, it’s the most polished, the most friendly, and the most human. Do you see that?

Right off the bat, this is a personal opinion and holds no water with me. I don't know a single person that would "die for their <insert phone>". It's a ridiculous statement, in my opinion. Personally, I love the android OS. Does it have flaws? Of course...but find one phone OS that is perfect in all aspects. I'd actually argue that people feel MORE connected to an Android phone compared to any other. Why? Well, because you can do whatever the hell you want with it. It has endless possibilities and ,even in it's infancy, shows signs of becoming a terrific OS...beyond what it's already capable of. Also, if the iPhone is sooo human, natural and personal...why the hell can't you even change the wallpaper? Also, having to wait until iPhone 4.0 to have multitasking...really? To me, this is basically the same garbage that any Mac OS fanatic will spit out about Windows or Linux. I'm sorry, I don't need a phone that emotes...I just need a phone that does what I want.

For a company that&#8217;s so smart, and makes so much sense, it&#8217;s unbelievable how little sense Android makes in most places. I just can&#8217;t see why you&#8217;d want to run Android over the iPhone OS? Multitasking? Ok, we&#8217;ll have that with iPhone 4.0. What else? App Store limitations? Come on. Plus there&#8217;s a chance iPhone 4.0 will be announced in literally weeks away (Apple will up their screen resolution on the iPhone to probably double, and have a new resolution for their &#8220;slate&#8221 &#8212; you can be sure Apple is going to come out swinging. Android isn&#8217;t a game changer. It&#8217;s a decent OS, dreamed up by an incredibly smart man, with unlimited resources and unlimited access. That&#8217;s why even in Android 2.1, it&#8217;s so disheartening to see an operating system that I can&#8217;t use daily.

I wonder how much Steve Jobs is paying him. Ok, so the iPhone 4.0 or whatever they call it will have some new hardware and features. So, once they release a new screen resolution and faster processor what do you think is going to happen? You're going to see a shit ton of apps that will look like shit on the older iPhones...or won't run at all because they're written to use the new resolution and take advantage of that new processor. I'm sorry, but the iPhone is not the end all device or OS. It's had quite a bit more time to mature...Android has come a long way since it's release. I really believe that as Android grows and matures, we'll see it surpass the iPhone in numbers and the iPhone will be in the same situation that Mac PCs are today. There will be a small die hard fan base that refuses to use anything else but most people will hop aboard the Android train. Sure Apple controls everything on their phones, and it's good to a certain extent, but it's not what the majority of people want.

I'm definitely not saying that everything he said he's idiotic but I think he needs to analyze it from all Angles and not take such an Anti-Android approach in his reporting. That is, if he wants to be taken seriously. One could easily compose an article saying how terrible the iPhone is and mention all the things that Android is better at. I wish people would just remain more objective.

 

[momoceio]

And one more thing...my phone works.

Post Tech - Lots of iPhone/AT&T woes at CES

 

[djclark]

Nexus One Complaints Mount, Honeymoon is Over - PC World Business Center

oooo see what I did there ?

And one more thing...my phone works.

Post Tech - Lots of iPhone/AT&T woes at CES

 

[blinky]

First off, don't just post a rant by some blogger and say "I feel like this too". Form an opinion and let us know your own thoughts.

There are a few users on this forum that are using this tactic. I wonder now if they are really just the same guy registering multiple accounts. The posts are always the same. A cut & paste job only including the relevent negatives. And never a link to the original source.

 

[djclark]

First off, don't just post a rant by some blogger and say "I feel like this too". Form an opinion and let us know your own thoughts.

I thought I did when I said

I kinda feel the same way. Google has the opportunity to do something great, but they just seem content to ship good enough.

See article. He hits on many issues I have with the Android OS and its execution. If you want MORE insight into how I feel about android - see any thread I've posted in.

Right off the bat, this is a personal opinion and holds no water with me. I don't know a single person that would "die for their <insert phone>". It's a ridiculous statement, in my opinion. Personally, I love the android OS. Does it have flaws? Of course...but find one phone OS that is perfect in all aspects. I'd actually argue that people feel MORE connected to an Android phone compared to any other. Why? Well, because you can do whatever the hell you want with it. It has endless possibilities and ,even in it's infancy, shows signs of becoming a terrific OS...beyond what it's already capable of. Also, if the iPhone is sooo human, natural and personal...why the hell can't you even change the wallpaper?

you can. How to change the Wallpaper on your iPhone - Know Your Cell

shows how knowledgeable you are on the competition.

Also, having to wait until iPhone 4.0 to have multitasking...really? To me, this is basically the same garbage that any Mac OS fanatic will spit out about Windows or Linux. I'm sorry, I don't need a phone that emotes...I just need a phone that does what I want.

I've never felt a limitation with an iphone. Even the multitasking comment - that was done to ensure battery life etc... Ever notice why android users need task managers and are always complaining about battery life ? I know on an iphone I can put a call in the background, grab some directions etc... That is more than enough "multitasking" for people.

I wonder how much Steve Jobs is paying him. Ok, so the iPhone 4.0 or whatever they call it will have some new hardware and features. So, once they release a new screen resolution and faster processor what do you think is going to happen? You're going to see a shit ton of apps that will look like shit on the older iPhones...or won't run at all because they're written to use the new resolution and take advantage of that new processor.

What you will see is a device that raises the bar once again. Sadly even the best android phones cant match the 3gs in functionality/polish/good apps. God help it going against the next gen iPhone. Will some apps have issues sure - issues that will be solved with a recompile. ooo noooes.

I'm sorry, but the iPhone is not the end all device or OS. It's had quite a bit more time to mature...Android has come a long way since it's release. I really believe that as Android grows and matures, we'll see it surpass the iPhone in numbers and the iPhone will be in the same situation that Mac PCs are today. There will be a small die hard fan base that refuses to use anything else but most people will hop aboard the Android train. Sure Apple controls everything on their phones, and it's good to a certain extent, but it's not what the majority of people want.

You are comparing apples to oranges. The Mac/PC is nothing like Apple/Android. I'd also disagree that it's not "what the majority of people want" The iPhone has taken the market by storm... No one seems to care if it can multitask in the "run a bunch of shit in the background and kill batter life" sense, all they care about is that the phone works. The iPhone just works and does so with extreme fluidity.

I wont even get into the "usefulness" of multitasking on a network that can't do data and voice at the same time...

I'm definitely not saying that everything he said he's idiotic but I think he needs to analyze it from all Angles and not take such an Anti-Android approach in his reporting. That is, if he wants to be taken seriously. One could easily compose an article saying how terrible the iPhone is and mention all the things that Android is better at. I wish people would just remain more objective.

This is an opinion piece that coincides with his review of the nexus one. Its his personal thoughts on android and where its headed. Its not anti android as much as its he sees the potential but is saddened that Google can't see to get the simple shit right ( ie multitouch standard, accelerated ui etc... )

 

[momoceio]

Nexus One Complaints Mount, Honeymoon is Over - PC World Business Center

oooo see what I did there ?

No, I don't. That's just one phone out of many.

Look how long it took the iPhone SDK to be released.

The Droid will get the Android 2.1 update soon, but its hardware is not capable of delivering all of the functionality of the latest platform.

Says who? Where did this "fact" come from? Sources?

 

[momoceio]

you can. How to change the Wallpaper on your iPhone - Know Your Cell

shows how knowledgeable you are on the competition.

That's for the lock screen only, chief.

I've never felt a limitation with an iphone. Even the multitasking comment - that was done to ensure battery life etc... Ever notice why android users need task managers and are always complaining about battery life ? I know on an iphone I can put a call in the background, grab some directions etc... That is more than enough "multitasking" for people.

It can't multitask and it's battery is still horrid. Android users don't "need" task managers...some people just choose to use them. Mostly because they don't understand how Linux works. I'm sorry, but browsing the web and talking at the same time has nothing to do with the OS's multitasking abilities. That argument is pretty ridiculous. Considering most iPhone owners didn't even know their phone could do that in the first place...it's obviously a widely used feature . I'd rather be able to listen to music, compose an email, browse the web..whatever at the same time then talk and browse at the same time. If you don't drop your call attempting to browse that is.

You are comparing apples to oranges. The Mac/PC is nothing like Apple/Android. I'd also disagree that it's not "what the majority of people want" The iPhone has taken the market by storm... No one seems to care if it can multitask in the "run a bunch of shit in the background and kill batter life" sense, all they care about is that the phone works. The iPhone just works and does so with extreme fluidity.

You mean...most iPhone users don't seem to care if they can "run a bunch of shit" because they've never had the feature to miss in the first place. I guarantee that if the iPhone had multitasking and then Apple took it away that you'd miss it.

 

[djclark]

Let me help you.

For some of the customers first in line to grab a Nexus One, excitement did not take long to turn into frustration. The Google support forums have filled up with users complaining that the Nexus One 3G connectivity is flaky. Users appear to be experiencing issues ranging from never getting a 3G connection, to Nexus One devices that constantly flip between 3G and EDGE connectivity.

thats in the article.

No, I don't. That's just one phone out of many.
Look how long it took the iPhone SDK to be released.
Says who? Where did this "fact" come from? Sources?

what does the release date of the native SDK have to do with anything ?

 

[djclark]

That's for the lock screen only, chief.

The home screen is full of icons, captain.

It can't multitask and it's battery is still horrid. Android users don't "need" task managers...some people just choose to use them. Mostly because they don't understand how Linux works. I'm sorry, but browsing the web and talking at the same time has nothing to do with the OS's multitasking abilities. That argument is pretty ridiculous.

its not ridiculous when you want to send someone a link while you're on the phone. I felt like you too. Then last week I wanted to send my wife something while I was talking to her. I changed to the web browser and the phone part hung up. On the iPhone, that would've been fine. On my eris, I had to send the email THEN call my wife back...

Considering most iPhone owners didn't even know their phone could do that in the first place...it's obviously a widely used feature . I'd rather be able to listen to music, compose an email, browse the web..whatever at the same time then talk and browse at the same time. If you don't drop your call attempting to browse that is.

The iPhone can do exactly that w/o having shit running in the background indefinitely. My money is that the next iPhone release will allow for services moreso than allowing apps to stay running...

You mean...most iPhone users don't seem to care if they can "run a bunch of shit" because they've never had the feature to miss in the first place. I guarantee that if the iPhone had multitasking and then Apple took it away that you'd miss it.

no. the fact is the iPhone multitasks more than enough. I can start playing some tunes, go do an email, switch to my browser then back to email to send a link. Works like a charm and doesn't require the aforementioned apps to always be running in the background. I've seen my mom do it. Its was natural as hell to her. So was multi touch...

 

[clitrenta]

Well, I still don't know why iPhone lovers come in here and post this crap. So you love your iPhone. Great. Go tell someone who cares. I make a practice never to bash other phones because EVERY phone has it's pros and cons to say nothing of the fact that everyone has their own needs and wants when they buy a phone. As a long time Blackberry user and curernt MyTouch user, I can say that I am really liking Android. Note that I am NOT saying bad things about Blackberry because it's a very reliable phone and I can easily see why some people love them. I've simply decided to move to something that more closely meets my needs. Now understand this, the first job of a phone is to MAKE CALLS. No matter what the iPhone is or is not, one thing you CANNOT argue is that AT&T service, at least in my area sucks far to much for me to care about one phone. I realize as most Android users probably do (or at least should) that Android is still pretty young and will need time to grow. Even with that, I suspect that it is still far ahead of the iPhone at this point in it's life cyle. I have good friends who truley love their iPhones and I say good for them. I have no problem with that. Me? I just need something that works for me when I want it to work for me, which my MT3G does just fine. I will NOT choose a device, as some have done, just to say they have one (iPhone, Droid, etc.). I really like the Android OS and its limitless potential. Nuff said.

 

[momoceio]

what does the release date of the native SDK have to do with anything ?

Because the article you linked was complaining that an Android 2.1 SDK isn't yet released. It took Apple months to release their SDK so developers could start developing native apps.

 

[djclark]

Its not about loving the iPhone. Its about seeing the potential and watching google slowly destroy it or make it second best. I WANT Android to be BETTER than iPhone. I just dont see that happening. All I've seen on this board is people getting defensive when someone dares critique Android. Lets face it - iPhone is the standard ANY phone is compared to. Android currently can't match that standard. I want it to. It won't ever if the users accept second best and make excuses. What will be your response when Apple allows <inser new carrier> to sell the iPhone ? What excuse will be used then ?

Well, I still don't know why iPhone lovers come in here and post this crap. So you love your iPhone. Great. Go tell someone who cares.

 

[djclark]

yes. that was the initial sdk. every sdk after that, developers get access to pre release sdks months before the general public... that is what the article is critiquing. Those developers then have time to update/fix bugs introduced ( the stuff you mentioned above )

Because the article you linked was complaining that an Android 2.1 SDK isn't yet released. It took Apple months to release their SDK so developers could start developing native apps.

 

[momoceio]

Understood, and I appreciate you at least having an opinion on the matter and sharing it. I definitely understand that Android has it's shortcomings, it just bothers me to see people wholly ignoring the shortcoming of the iPhone when comparing the two. Say all you want, there are plenty of things that the iPhone can (and will) borrow from Android and vice versa. Just as Windows and OS X have done for years. I love that the iPhone has competition now because it will force Apple to continue innovating which in turn will cause Google to continue enhancing the Android OS. Hell, I hope the new Windows 7 mobile has features that both phones lack to spur further growth. This new generation of smart phones is still rather young so we will get to see some cool stuff down the road.

 

[clitrenta]

Its not about loving the iPhone. Its about seeing the potential and watching google slowly destroy it or make it second best. I WANT Android to be BETTER than iPhone. I just dont see that happening. All I've seen on this board is people getting defensive when someone dares critique Android. Lets face it - iPhone is the standard ANY phone is compared to. Android currently can't match that standard. I want it to. It won't ever if the users accept second best and make excuses. What will be your response when Apple allows <inser new carrier> to sell the iPhone ? What excuse will be used then ?

Well, you know. When Apple lets other carriers sell the iPhone then that will probably be a great day for everyone. Maybe I'd even try it then. It isn't my intention to say the Iphone is crap. I'm just tired of everyone giving the impression that this is the only phone worth owning or ever thinking about and we can't get to that point until they get up off AT&T. Maybe then we can have some REAL competition because right now, unless you REALLY want an iPhone, you're not going to switch carriers. When iPhone goes to other carriers, then maybe Android, RIM and whomever, will step it up. Then game on.

 

[Bill]

The home screen is full of icons, captain.

Sorry djclark you are sadly misinformed. How many icons do you see here? None.

It seems you do not even have experience with an iPhone/Touch device but you comparing the it to the Android platform based on others opinions.


-Bill

 

[momoceio]

Bill, that's the lock screen. The home screen IS full of Icons...still doesn't mean I wouldn't want to change it's wallpaper though just as I can on my Hero.

 

[Bill]

Bill, that's the lock screen. The home screen IS full of Icons...still doesn't mean I wouldn't want to change it's wallpaper though just as I can on my Hero.

Momoceio,

you are correct that is the lock screen but the article that djclarck posted was to change the wallpaper of just that, the lock screen with no icon as you correctly pointed out. He countered your comment with "The home screen is full of icons, captain. " Which is also correct but irrelevant as you can not change the wallpaper of the home screen. I assumed he did not understand the difference.

_bill

 

[IOWA]

Lol djclark.... all your so called references are nothing but personal opinions and hold no water. Android screens are full of icons too, jr. But omg! You can have a custom wallpaper! And who are ypu to say how much multitasking is "enough" for other people? Who are you stalin? And your phonr hangs up when you open the browser on your eris huh? Well now I think you don't even have one bc I've never seen a phone do that. The phone calls takes priority over data. And good luck browsing the web and talking on att. It has trouble making reliable calls let alone doing both. Seriosuly. And your right. Amdroid won't match iphone. It passed it up, on the fast lane no doubt. True multitasking, support for multiple devices and screens, customizability, and its open source. If you thinl the iphone is so great go get one.

 

[darreno1]

The home screen is full of icons, captain.

its not ridiculous when you want to send someone a link while you're on the phone. I felt like you too. Then last week I wanted to send my wife something while I was talking to her. I changed to the web browser and the phone part hung up. On the iPhone, that would've been fine. On my eris, I had to send the email THEN call my wife back...

So what? I do that sometimes on the Droid and think nothing of it. When I had my 3g I probably used simultaneous voice and data maybe 3 times in a whole year. Of course everyone's needs are different but for the most part, it's an over hyped feature that many are doing just fine without. In any case once Verizon updates its network it will be possible, not that it really matters that much.

no. the fact is the iPhone multitasks more than enough. I can start playing some tunes, go do an email, switch to my browser then back to email to send a link. Works like a charm and doesn't require the aforementioned apps to always be running in the background. I've seen my mom do it. Its was natural as hell to her. So was multi touch...

Well that's probably well enough for you but it's not for the tons of Android users that use 3rd apps / widgets that constantly need to update themselves in the background or for those that stream their internet radio/talkshows and music while they do other things. The iPhone is limited in that regard. The flexibility Android allows is undeniable. Besides, I can hit the home button and easily switch to the last 6 apps used. With the iPhone, you'd have to keep jumping around searching for the apps. It's just not as seamless imo.

 

[droid89]

djclark is a lurker. See it all the time.

 

[datsun13]

I'm new here, but I gotta tell y'all.... I actually DO sleep with my Droid Eris next to my pillow.

 

[Eugene]

Same here, my droid sleeps next to my pillow and I have my life in it (I mentioned in the other thead that was talking about the same article).

"I've never felt a limitation with an iphone. Even the multitasking comment - that was done to ensure battery life etc... Ever notice why android users need task managers and are always complaining about battery life ? I know on an iphone I can put a call in the background, grab some directions etc... That is more than enough "multitasking" for people. "

I've never needed or installed a task manager nor have I had battery life problems. I run all day long playing music, checking e-mail/facebook web forums.

 

[djclark]

Well that's probably well enough for you but it's not for the tons of Android users that use 3rd apps / widgets that constantly need to update themselves in the background or for those that stream their internet radio/talkshows and music while they do other things. The iPhone is limited in that regard. The flexibility Android allows is undeniable. Besides, I can hit the home button and easily switch to the last 6 apps used. With the iPhone, you'd have to keep jumping around searching for the apps. It's just not as seamless imo.

My point was the capability to do multiple things is there. Add in the fact you can talk on the phone and do other things - like forward emails etc... makes the iphones "multitasking" a ton more useful that being able to have 6 applications running in the background. If you said to an iphone user "I can multitask", they'd tell you so can I. They would be right. Only difference is they can do it in a manner the current android phones can't...

I also get your point about the widgets etc... that is one reason why I got the eris vs the iphone.