Android phones, apps and tablets

EDIT:
Benchmarked Android phones link (permanently updated)

The first Android phone in the UK was the T-Mobile G1. An excellent first effort, but lacking in a few important areas.

It had a slide-out Qwerty keyboard, but NO built-in word processor. In fact, the G1 cannot be used without logging into a Google account, so the omission of straightforward connection to Google Docs, seemed unforgivable. Google Calendar, Google Contacts, and Google Email are all installed, so why Google Docs wasn't, was a real downer. A Qwerty keyboard, and no word processor. Shit planning.

It lacked internal memory for apps. Whereas the iPhone has 8GB-16GB, the G1 had only 256MB, (yes, not even 1GB) available for apps! A 16GB MicroSD card can be installed, but no apps will have access to this memory. A very serious hurdle for developers.

The apps store only had a reasonable amount of apps, in comparison to the Apple iStore, but many free apps for the G1, are paid-for only, on the iPhone.

So, the intermediate solution to early-adopter android phones, is to access Online Word Processors.

Online Word Processors:
Buzzword - from Adobe Acrobat
Google Docs - some negative issues, and doesn't always synch properly
Shutterborg - word processor AND a web page editor (on the fly)!!
ThinkFreeOnline - very good online office suite
ZohoWriter - well regarded word processor

There are now downloadable options, so one does not need to go online everytime one wishes to edit, create a doc.

Downloadable stand-alone Office Suites:
Documents To Go - pay for advanced edition to unlock full functionality
ThinkFreeMobile - full office suite

I'd say that the ANDROID OS is the fastest developing of all phones OSes.

Phones on the UK market at the moment (Oct-Nov 2009) are:
T-Mobile G1
T-Mobile G2
T-Mobile Pulse
Samsung i7500
Motorola DEXT
HTC Magic
HTC Hero
HTC Tattoo

Still, the games are far behind what the iPhone has access to. This will still take a while to catch up to.

But the BEST thing about Android phones, is the huge amount of free apps, either in the Android Market,
or search via Cyrket, Android Feeder, and other similar repositories.

So, how do I phone home?

Ashe, you need a drink, man. So do I :-)

So, how do I phone home?

There's an app for that.

.........need a drink.........

And there's an app for that too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8117382.stm

hero's good, i've got one ;-) there's lots of info on the web about what you can do with it, e.g. at xda-developers forum - http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Hero - which also has lots of info about other phones, too. the one thing that hasn't been mentioned by GA2G is that the android software is a lot more open than the iPhone software (which runs proprietary, closed-source mac software), although there are still some licensing issues and one of the major hackers was served with a cease and desist notice a while back by google.

The C&D issued to Cyanogen was simply because his was distributing Google's proprietary apps within his custom ROMS. The workaround? Backup Google's apps, flash the phone with custom ROM, restore Google apps.

The custom Galaxo ROM I recently installed onto my Samsung i7500 has this backup/restore of Gapps done for you automatically. By changing process priorities and some other little hacks this ROM is faster than the stock firmware (the latest of which is II5).

Android is awesome.

YouTube - Galaxy Rom - HERO SENSE interface on Samsung Galaxy

Andriod is for weirdos.

Samsung firmware I7500XXII8 is available in some countries.
http://thehippy.net/nucleus/index.php?itemid=1385

He he, I knew you'd bite.

Get more memory whilst using the Galaxo ROM..
http://androidforums.com/samsung-i7500/12365-galaxo-tweaks-get-more-memory.html

My set of instructions for upgrading to Galaxo ROM:
http://thehippy.net/nucleus/index.php?itemid=1387

Analog Compass

Dungeon Wonder Lite

Farm Frenzy

Ebuddy

Google Sky Map

Baseball Superstars 2009

Hyperspace LITE

Metal Detector

Bubble Level

m:Racing

Shazam

ColorDict Dictionary

ColorFlashLight

DOOM

Android apps I use:

Astro - file manager
beebPlayer (iPlayer for Andriod)
Countdown alarm
Dogg Catcher (podcatcher)
My Tracks (location tracker for google maps)
Password Safe
Weather

Android links:

101 best apps

Business Week is predicting that Android will catch and overtake the iPhone, regarding apps

**45+ Cool apps (+ reviews) **

**Android apps to run on Ubuntu **

**Skins, Virtual Keyboards, Widgets **

Building Android apps (Links):

http://www.talkandroid.com/google-android-application-guide/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6ObTqIiYfE

The forum has an 'edit' button you know. There's no need for 10 posts, you can just edit the first to put in the new thing you want to say.

Mouthwatering phones to come:

Acer Liquid A1

Motorola Droid

Sony Ericsson X10

The forum has an 'edit' button you know. There's no need for 10 posts, you can just edit the first to put in the new thing you want to say.

Ooops. Sorry. I'll combine others from now on.

EDIT: However, the vagaries of T-Mobile broadband via simcard, often means dropped connection.

I've got a switch I've never turned on... what it does is that if someone responds to a thread and they were the last poster, it appends to the last post rather than create a new post.

I've not turned it on because it's unexpected, and the server shouldn't be too surprising like that. But it does prevent flooding.

Not a problem for one or two posts, but when it's a whole stream of them it certainly makes me wonder about that switch ;)

i've got the fixed gears app - very useful! http://www.androlib.com/android.application.org-bikecalgary-fixedgears-qxAq.aspx