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johnkzin's Avatar
Posts: 1,878 | Thanked: 646 times | Joined on Sep 2007 @ San Jose, CA
#21
My recommendation:

Investigate Android. Either the G1 on T-Mobile, or the upcoming Lancaster on AT&T (assuming you're in the US). Good finger friendly GUI, much more open application ecosystem (you can bypass the regulated market completely), it multi-tasks, and those two devices have real keyboards. The only drawback, IMO, is that the Linux layer isn't open, so you have to hack it to get thing like tethering.

Until there's a Maemo Phone, it's the only platform I'll touch these days.
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#22
Originally Posted by johnkzin View Post
My recommendation:

Investigate Android. Either the G1 on T-Mobile, or the upcoming Lancaster on AT&T (assuming you're in the US). Good finger friendly GUI, much more open application ecosystem (you can bypass the regulated market completely), it multi-tasks, and those two devices have real keyboards. The only drawback, IMO, is that the Linux layer isn't open, so you have to hack it to get thing like tethering.

Until there's a Maemo Phone, it's the only platform I'll touch these days.
HTC Hero is a much better option. The need for a physical keyboard is probably not an issue if you're already considering an iPhone to begin with.

The G1, you have to overclock it to get decent results. You have to hack it to enable tethering. I think the OP was talking from a non-programmer/hacker mentality - again, thus the iPhone option.

Honestly, that's a major problem. We all know that if there's a will, there's a way to get most, if not all of the stuff onto the platform of our choice.

However, to most consumers; they're not going to invest the time into it. Nor do they care about doing things that involve hacking nor extending their purchase.

The ecosystem for Android is much better than Maemo presently.
 
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#23
Originally Posted by gerbick View Post
HTC Hero is a much better option. The need for a physical keyboard is probably not an issue if you're already considering an iPhone to begin with.
For those who are fine with virtual keyboards, the Hero or Magic are probably great. I wont use such a device, so I don't recommend them.

The G1, you have to overclock it to get decent results.
You might. I don't.

You have to hack it to enable tethering.
On the other hand, you can't currently tether on the iPhone too, so using your "if an iPhone is good enough" analogy for the keyboard, then so is Android when it comes to tethering. Maybe somewhere else in the thread the OP said tethering was important, but I didn't see that... so it may not be an issue (it hasn't been for me; it's a "wish I had it", not a "need to have it" feature for me).

I think the OP was talking from a non-programmer/hacker mentality - again, thus the iPhone option.
I definitely agree. That's why it's an annoyance for me: you have to hack it to get to the linux layer and do things like tethering, and I don't want to have to hack my phone (I can, but I shouldn't have to play that type of game with a critical device). But it's just an annoyance about unrealized potential. None of the things that require rooting are actually necessary (to me), so it's not a deal breaker.

As long as the OP also doesn't need those few features that are only achieved through hacking, then, IMO, Android is as consumer friendly as an iPhone (yes, I've used both).

The ecosystem for Android is much better than Maemo presently.
There are a few thinngs where Maemo has an advantage ... but, those are mostly geek things, not consumer things. For consumers, yes, Android is way out in front. That's one of the reasons I definitely hope to see Dalvik ported to Maemo (hopefully building upon what the Canonical folks are doing).
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#24
Originally Posted by Voltron View Post
Tell me how much the iphone sucks lol
My main gripe is the whole itunes thing. I have a crackberry that is dying. Since it is just past the 1 year warranty period, I am looking for a replacement.

I briefly considered the iphone, but then started thinking about the ramifications. First, I don't like itunes. They put their DRM on everything that is uploaded to them. I am not looking to buy music from itunes, I prefer a Linux-friendly merchant like Amazon. In addition, I only run Linux boxes at home, and Apple has resolutely not provided a Linux itnues client.

Since I only need a phone for music, phone and texting, I don't want something that I have to keep a windows box around to be able to download music to an iphone. I just want to plug it in to USB, have it appear on my desktop as a hard drive, then drag and drop files to it.

Enough suckiness?

--vr
 
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#25
Originally Posted by johnkzin View Post
For those who are fine with virtual keyboards, the Hero or Magic are probably great. I wont use such a device, so I don't recommend them.
And I do... so I'd recommend them over the G1.
On the other hand, you can't currently tether on the iPhone too, so using your "if an iPhone is good enough" analogy for the keyboard, then so is Android when it comes to tethering.
To quote Tom Selleck... "You will..."
Maybe somewhere else in the thread the OP said tethering was important, but I didn't see that... so it may not be an issue (it hasn't been for me; it's a "wish I had it", not a "need to have it" feature for me).
I didn't see that either; however tethering is one of those things that REALLY BOTHERS ME about the iPhone. I'd love it. Like no other.

But AT&T has yet to enable (in the US) true MMS and tethering - delivery date is late Summer. I've been waiting for some 20+ months, I can wait a couple more.
As long as the OP also doesn't need those few features that are only achieved through hacking, then, IMO, Android is as consumer friendly as an iPhone (yes, I've used both).
We totally agree here. Android was a pleasant surprise to me - one that had me grabbing my wallet and thinking of switching on the spot. I'm watching the HTC Hero since it would be an almost 1 for 1 for what I currently have now.
There are a few thinngs where Maemo has an advantage ... but, those are mostly geek things, not consumer things. For consumers, yes, Android is way out in front. That's one of the reasons I definitely hope to see Dalvik ported to Maemo (hopefully building upon what the Canonical folks are doing).
With my "consumer cap" on, I find no advantages to Maemo. With my "geek cap" on... hell yes. I love Maemo; but it's advantages make it more of a geek playground than consumer paradise.

Scarily enough, Android will only get better. And that's encouraging.
 
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#26
Originally Posted by VulcanRidr View Post

I briefly considered the iphone, but then started thinking about the ramifications. First, I don't like itunes. They put their DRM on everything that is uploaded to them. I
Enough suckiness?

--vr
Well Apple may DRM what's sent to them, (well actually at this point it's not), but iTunes itself will play just about anything and upload that "just about anything" to an iPhone regardless of DRM.

I believe there is a client, Songbird I think, that acts like iTunes sans iTunes store if one is so inclined.
 

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#27
Originally Posted by sondjata View Post
Well Apple may DRM what's sent to them, (well actually at this point it's not), but iTunes itself will play just about anything and upload that "just about anything" to an iPhone regardless of DRM.

I believe there is a client, Songbird I think, that acts like iTunes sans iTunes store if one is so inclined.
I looked at Songbird when it first came out. I noticed it looked a *lot* like itunes since they did away with the black metal theme. I didn't know it had itunes-like functionality...I was fairly happy with Amarok, so thats all the further I went with it. I may have to look again.

--vr
 
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#28
Originally Posted by nilchak View Post
...
What good is an open device to a non-programmer user if the user-end applications are missing ?
Thanks for this Nilchak.


I've got the new iPhone 3Gs.
It's a very good companion for my N810.

It does tethering, but here in France it's still too expensive, i think.
VIsual voice mail is a big plus.
The new camera and video is very good.
Browsing is compelling, although i regret the NIT's screens.
The picture viewer sucks stil very very much.
Itunes is perfect.
Overall snappiness is overwhelming.
32 Gb ... is just too much !

It does have manylimitations, but as i keep my NIT for work, i simply don't care.
 

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#29
For what it's worth--a coworker and I traveled for training this week. We both decided not to bring our laptops. My coworker relied on her iPhone, while I took my n800 to catch up on the goings-on at the office. I was surprised that she wasn't even able to view pdfs on her iPhone, let alone edit MS Office files. She was impressed by how much larger the Nokia's screen looked. Seeing her work with her iPhone, I'm glad the screen size and resolution is what it is on the Nokia tablet. I like the fact that things generally fit on my screen--I saw my coworker constantly fiddling around with her phone, doing that multi-touch resizing thing just to read an e-mail. I'm not sure I'd have the patience to do that e-mail after e-mail.

Of course, it's probably not a fair comparison. After all, I had to do the requisite hacking to get Open Office. And, a lot of this functionality is available on the iPhone too, if she wanted to hack her phone.
 

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#30
Originally Posted by klinglerware View Post
For what it's worth--a coworker and I traveled for training this week. We both decided not to bring our laptops. My coworker relied on her iPhone, while I took my n800 to catch up on the goings-on at the office. I was surprised that she wasn't even able to view pdfs on her iPhone, let alone edit MS Office files. She was impressed by how much larger the Nokia's screen looked. Seeing her work with her iPhone, I'm glad the screen size and resolution is what it is on the Nokia tablet. I like the fact that things generally fit on my screen--I saw my coworker constantly fiddling around with her phone, doing that multi-touch resizing thing just to read an e-mail. I'm not sure I'd have the patience to do that e-mail after e-mail.

Of course, it's probably not a fair comparison. After all, I had to do the requisite hacking to get Open Office. And, a lot of this functionality is available on the iPhone too, if she wanted to hack her phone.
Really? I had almost the opposite experience. Me and my friend went to a conference, Him with his iPhone, and my N810. There was spotty WiFi, so he was able to download things when I could not. Yeah, it was slow over EDGE, but everything worked perfectly (MS word via email and PDF and power point).
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