No subject

Android 1.0.

Plus, the phone manufacturers have gotten used to Android (Motorola,
for example, seems to have REALLY gotten Android religion) and
optimized the hardware to better work with Android's requirements.

The threshold that the iPhone surmounted so well was not "oooohhhh,
that's elegant design" but rather "FINALLY - a good enough pocket
computer (and, oh yes, it works as a phone.)" Yeah... sucky that it
only works with AT&T in the US. Sucky that it doesn't do... (so many
things...), but it's still a lot better than anything else that's out
there.

So I don't think ANDROID needs to exceed, or even match, the features
(and apps) of the iPhone. I think it needs to be decently good enough,
and the impression I have is that this second generation of phones
designed for Android 2.0 and beyond finally achieves.

What I'm looking forward to are some basic "pocket computer" features
(that the iPhone doesn't do, at present)
* tethering so I don't have to have a separate broadband service for
the laptop, when I bring it
* compatibility with a Bluetooth keyboard
* Removable memory, like SD or Micro SD
* Sync over Wi-Fi
* Minimal requirement for tethering / no requirement for iTunes on a
desktop computer

Etc.


Thanks,

Steve


On Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 14:00, Jeremy McDermond <mcdermj at xenotropic.com> wr=
ote:
> On Oct 19, 2009, at 6:50 PM, Steve Stroh wrote:
>
> The problem has always been with Apple stuff that the "copy" process does=
n't
> quite get the essence of what's going on, and you get a "good enough" sor=
t
> of thing that isn't really that elegant. =C2=A0This has been part of the =
problem
> with the "Linux on the Desktop" crowd, although I think part of their
> problem is that they're so focused on copying Windows, that they've lost
> sight of where they can innovate. =C2=A0I truly hope that Android is a gr=
eat
> success, not necessarily because I'll buy one, but because I think that
> drives the rest of the industry, as the iPhone has done. =C2=A0But, as lo=
ng as
> Google is concentrating on catching up, and not leapfrogging the iPhone, =
I
> don't think that's going to happen. =C2=A0The problem right now with what=
 I see
> about Droid is that they're doing the "we have more features" thing that =
I
> don't think that works well. =C2=A0The iPhone just *NOW* got MMS, yet it =
was
> wildly popular before it did. =C2=A0I think this indicates that the peopl=
e who
> are buying it aren't looking at the feature lists, they're looking at the
> usability of the thing. =C2=A0I think the majority of folks don't care ab=
out the
> "openness" of the App Store. =C2=A0There are plenty of apps out there, an=
d nobody
> else really has them. =C2=A0What I *DO* think is going to possibly drive =
Droid is
> Verizon's network. =C2=A0AT&T has been doing a poor job of managing the i=
Phone
> customers, and I'm even fairly unhappy (Disclaimer: =C2=A0I'm an iPhone 2=
.5G
> owner. =C2=A0Plus, I have 4 or 5 Macs, so I'm definitely not unbiased).
>
> Don't get me wrong, I'm not rooting against Droid. =C2=A0I think if Googl=
e can
> put out a good product it will drive the whole segment and keep Apple hon=
est
> about things. =C2=A0That being said, from what I've seen of Android 1.0, =
it's not
> ready for prime time. =C2=A0I hope that Google's shepherding will overcom=
e some
> of the issues that have faced Linux on the desktop.
>
> --
> Jeremy McDermond (NH6Z)
> Xenotropic Systems
> mcdermj at xenotropic.com

--=20
steve at stevestroh.net