

Walt Mossberg - Google’s G1: First Impressions - nickb
http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20080923/googles-g1-first-impressions/

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l_frequency
Umm.. so it's a sidekick...

I'm just glad the android developers finally have a device for their apps.

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auston
Am I the only one who realizes that this phone solves the syncing problem
better than Apple & certainly for a much lower cost (free!).

Your contacts/email/appointments move across computer & cell phone with every
update.

Copy & Paste is solved by the G1.

There is 3.5G coverage & GPS built in as well as open standards for
applications, so before you know it, you can video conference from your G1
over the net to friends in Argentina, Europe or Asia.

Improved maps with a compass, walking directions & street view definitely does
not hurt either.

The G1 phone matches or exceeds the iPhone in everything except storage, which
you can pay extra for.

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martythemaniak
Seems like an OK device hardware wise, but that is likely to change fast and
for the better. I'd expect there to be some really nice, polished devices by
Holiday season 2009.

Software-wise, it looks pretty solid. Has a number of neat features that the
iPhone doesn't, but that's also true vice-versa. Seems users will have to
think how they use their device to see which one fits them better.

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iamah
That was sweet, I hope there will be more applications like this...
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgkSZS6o050>

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sdurkin
Jesus, guys, hire a design firm. This thing looks literally painful to use.

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lemonysnicket
iPhone has just lost a bit more if its luster with this release.

~~~
jcl
Really? I get the impression that this phone lacks a lot of the iPhone's
polish... various sliding/pinching gestures, tilt to change orientation, sync
with PCs... Of course, the G1 is playing catch-up, and not doing a terrible
job -- it has some of the features the first generation iPhone lacked (and
vice versa).

The real thing the iPhone loses is exclusivity. Now that they have some
semblance of a competitor, will Apple make concessions to developers and
customers to maintain their advantage?

~~~
lemonysnicket
_the real thing the iPhone loses is exclusivity_

and thus has lost some of its luster -- its not the only player in the market
anymore with an app store, touch screen, and all the other goodies

~~~
mechanical_fish
The iPhone doesn't lose luster when it acquires imitators. Far from it. The
release of Android is a big, free benefit for Apple's marketing.

The release of Android will inspire approximately 3e5 articles comparing the
new phone with existing phones. And which is the existing phone that will be
featured in every single one of those articles, cast (once again) in the role
of _the current gold standard for smart phones_? It'll be the iPhone. Because
stories with Apple in them are exciting stories. And because, from the
market's perspective, Android is an obvious derivative of the iPhone -- except
for the parts that are derivative of the Blackberry instead, like the hardware
keyboard. (If RIM is lucky they might rate a mention in the fifth paragraph of
these articles.)

There will now be a big P.R. effort to define the entire smartphone industry
as an epic battle between iPhone and Android. Which can only benefit _both_
platforms, because the amount of downside to losing a bit of marketshare to
your direct competitor is more than compensated by the enormous potential
_upside_ of growing the entire iPhone/Android niche of the industry. Remember,
iPhone may be a hugely successful product, but it's still only a tiny
percentage of the installed base of phones. There's a lot of potential
customers still out there. Customers that might be drawn in now that they have
a _range_ of iPhone-like devices to choose from.

The only way that Android would be a terrible blow to Apple is if it clearly
and _obviously_ kicked the iPhone's butt. But it doesn't. There will be a lot
of little details that will lead some people to prefer one phone over the
other, but there's nothing game-changing here that would cause me to abandon
the iPhone. The big difference that folks here on HN notice is the openness of
the software platform, but that might not actually be a competitive advantage
-- and, if it _does_ prove to be a huge competitive advantage, it won't be one
for long, because Apple could eliminate it in _fifteen minutes_ if they really
wanted to. All it takes is a policy change.

~~~
lemonysnicket
"the iPhone with a keyboard."

that's all you have to tell ordinary consumers (read: high school teenage
girls and college-aged folks who absolutely OBLITERATE text messaging services
and would _never_ buy a mobile phone without a keyboard).

as a phone, iPhone rates _very_ poorly for two things: calls (poor reception,
horrible battery life, etc.) and sms.

G1 fixes one and possibly the other.

i have an iPhone, FWIW

~~~
whatusername
I can text reasonably well.. (aka - by sight while driving using T9). I don't
know ANYONE who texts regularly with a QWERTY keyboard on their phone. Maybe
it's just an australian thing? Certainly none of my teenage female cousins
have one - nor people I catch a train with...

~~~
niels_olson
> I don't know ANYONE who texts regularly with a QWERTY keyboard on their
> phone."

You must not know many young docs doing their residencies.

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subwindow
Wake me when I can use Exchange or IMAP to connect to arbitrary mail providers
without having to pipe everything through Gmail.

~~~
tsetse-fly
Wake up. Android has both an email and Gmail application. You can use IMAP
without having to go through Google.

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quasimojo
christ we are in the dark ages again

i need a google account to use gphone

i need itunes to use iphone

i have to buy apps from approved channels

it favors the vendors apps

no thanks

wake me when i can buy a device that runs apps i choose, connects to the
network i want. i realize this is a pipe dream. the wireless world is a world
of shit

i might as well look for the smallest flash-based linux notebook possible that
runs skype and just hold it up to my ear old-skule style like gordon gecko and
that giant cell phone from wall street

~~~
nuclear_eclipse
I have an Openmoko Neo FreeRunner: it has GPS, accelerometers, WiFi G, high
resolution 640x480px touch screen, Micro SD card slot, good quality
speakers/headphone jack, and good battery life; it works with any GSM carrier;
it can run just about any operating system compiled for its ARM CPU; you can
run and compile programs on it in any language supported by GCC or an ARM-
compiled interpreter; it can connect to the internet via GPRS, WiFi, or USB
with a PC, to update it's software, install software packages, accept/initiate
SSH sessions; it allows software to run that uses any windowing toolkit,
including Gtk, Qt, and E.

It costs $399 direct from Openmoko and is available through multiple worldwide
resellers ( <http://openmoko.com/distributors.html> ).

Any questions?

~~~
quasimojo
_Any questions?_

yes. okay you have sold me on the hardware. can i get one, then contact a
wireless vendor and get a service plan? or will they tell me that i have to
use a authorized device? astoundingly i have never owned a cell phone

~~~
lallysingh
You can use any GSM provider you want. AT&T and T-Mobile work fine on it. You
can also use a prepaid plan if you want.

