Android!

[sidereal]

Obviously I'm parachuting in to the end (mercifully) of this subthread, so at risk of rehashing arguments others have made just to state my position: the reason there were any good apps at all on the iPhone to highlight (like, say, Urban Spoon) was that there were a bunch of really shitty ones to pick through, that open development increases that pile of shit, which inevitably increases the pile of gems on the top, and that while slobbering Joe Average user doesn't care about 'open development' per se or even know what it is, he cares a lot about the cool shit that comes out of it, and Apple and Google know it.  Where they currently fail is that slobbering Joe should never really have to see the pile of shit to get the gems.  Google 'features' apps at the top of the market and Apple probably does something similar.  But what they really ought to do is come up with a few editorially controlled 'packs' of apps.  Like, say, an urban nightlight pack that takes a few restaurant review apps, barfinding apps, movie times, etc.  A shopping pack with barcode scanners, price comparators, etc.  A sports pack, A gaming pack, blah blah.  The average user doesn't want to dive into the store, they just want to say 'I like sports' and get a bunch of well-designed apps.  But that whole sorting and sifting infrastructure has to sit on top of the pile of shit.

[Venkman]

Ok, this has come up in vague terms before, but I'm really curious about specifics. What exactly does the iPhone suck balls at that matters to the average consumer? I'm not looking to play Apple fanboi and cut down your list or anything. I just want to know what the tech set thinks the iPhone doesn't do well and how that compares to what a consumer looks for. Can't use Google Voice nor emulators either because those already causing problems, and because they don't matter to the "average".

<Development Process>

So again I asked about why it sucks for the average consumer and instead get the developer issues. This does not matter to consumers. And I know the development, submission, and rollout problems full well.

But let's focus on this a sec anyway. I find it laughable that a platform with a nigh infinite amount of titles can be considered restricted. What, they open it up so they can get more infinite? It's already buried by shovelware numbering in the tens of thousands. 95% of the apps get purchased maybe five times at all. It's the same deck placement problem of old, with the one difference being the deck capping at 100 instead of just 6 to 10. But that's still 6, 10 or 100 out of a hojillion.

Neither the AppStore nor iTunes is conducive to the amount of content they have now. That is a consumer issue that is a valid problem to discuss. And they're dragging their feet on the wholesale redesign that's needed in both. Competition will help there, which is why I'm a fan. But make no mistake: none of these devices are any good at handling even hundreds of offerings, much less hundreds of thousands. They all just suck in different ways, requiring different types of adaptability on the part of the user.

I haven't heard yet a reason why the iPhone sucks other than abstract dislike for having any amount of walled garden at all. It's not preventing average people from getting what they want.

[Ingmar]

If you want a feature the iPhone is keeping people from having, a keyboard with real buttons tops my list. 

[caladein]

I haven't heard yet a reason why the iPhone sucks other than abstract dislike for having any amount of walled garden at all. It's not preventing average people from getting what they want.

Having core functions like mail and application acquisition immune from competitive pressure is a consumer issue.

Is the average user better of using IE8 (or Firefox or Chrome) instead of IE6?  Is the average user better off using Windows Live Mail (or Thunderbird) instead of Outlook Express?

These are only abstract issues if you refuse to look past your own nose.

[Prospero]

The only thing that makes me want to kick Steve Jobs in the shins is the lack of Flash support, and thankfully Adobe is working around it, even if the workaround is far from ideal. Still, they need to play nice with Adobe and get Flash on the damn thing.

[lamaros]

I find the iPhone message program fucking annoying. Not being able to move and rename my files about. Fucking annoying. Only Bluetooth for headsets? Fucking annoying...

I could go on but I cbf. There are lots of things that are fucking annoying on the iPhone from a pure consumer standpoint. Only idiots are arguing against this.

[schild]

Do want.

HTC's 2010 roadmap leaked.

Edit: The processor is lackluster, but frankly, I'll take a blackberry like QWERTY setup over just about anything.

[Stewie]

Has anyone tried goggles?
I tried to get it on my phone but it is not to be found in the android marketplace. I'm just curious if it just isnt available here in Canada or what the deal is?

[Quinton]

Do want.

HTC's 2010 roadmap leaked.

Edit: The processor is lackluster, but frankly, I'll take a blackberry like QWERTY setup over just about anything.

Processor should be fine really, especially with so few pixels to move around.  People get too obsessive about that sort of thing.  Deal killer for me is QVGA -- I don't need WVGA, but at least something toward HVGA would be nice.  Keyboard looks niiice.

[Segoris]

I'm really liking the dolphin browser, though it makes me wonder why pinch zoom isn't default on a droid.

[Yegolev]

Did people have problems with the semicircle unlock?

Updated Droid is noticeably more responsive.  Kudos.

[Stewie]

So Has anyone used Google Googles?
I still cant get it in the market place.

[Cheddar]

Did people have problems with the semicircle unlock?

Updated Droid is noticeably more responsive.  Kudos.

I miss it.  I am hoping there is an option to bring it back.  For some reason I do not like the new unlock method.

[Segoris]

So Has anyone used Google Googles?
I still cant get it in the market place.

I'm not a big fan of Goggles due to not allowing to use pictures in my gallery and poor search results so far. Examples of poor results would be a picture of a mountain dew can sitting alone on my desk brought back results of some WOW user interface/quest log screenies the first 2 times, 3rd time it worked. Though it is a newer program and it could be good over time, but for now it's not very good.

I'd really like tineye to make an app for the Android market.

[Stewie]

where di you get Goggles? I cant see it in the marketplace...

[Segoris]

In the market place, choose Apps->Tools->Top Free and right now it is the top one. Also, you can just search the marketplace for goggles and it will show up

[Stewie]

hmm... I guess it must be a case of being in Canada. I don't see it in there, or for that matter when i go to http://www.android.com/market/

Oh well I know its not that useful, just wants to try it out.

[NiX]

Here's hoping the new Canadian cell company carries the Hero.

[Righ]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/184555/googles_nexus_one_test_phone_details_emerge.html

[Segoris]

On a Droid, is anyone else having issues with MS Exchange and outgoing mail? A friend of mine is having this problem:

Its when replying to messages on my exchange account. They stay in the outbox forever and never send. If I compose a message it will stay in outbox forever but eventually go. Pop3 and native gmail are fine. The exchange inboxes, calender and contacts are also fine. Just outgoing. We watched it live on the exchange server and it never even tries to access it that we can see when replying to exchange messages.

Any ideas?

[NiX]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/184555/googles_nexus_one_test_phone_details_emerge.html

Quinton needs to get in here, STAT!

[Salamok]

On a Droid, is anyone else having issues with MS Exchange and outgoing mail? A friend of mine is having this problem:

Its when replying to messages on my exchange account. They stay in the outbox forever and never send. If I compose a message it will stay in outbox forever but eventually go. Pop3 and native gmail are fine. The exchange inboxes, calender and contacts are also fine. Just outgoing. We watched it live on the exchange server and it never even tries to access it that we can see when replying to exchange messages.

Any ideas?

Does it immediately process if you manually flush the queues on the exchange server?  I got nothin' actually, I just remember having this issue with other outbound mail and can't remember how I solved it.  You might be able to just send it through another smtp server (like verizons) with a reply to of your exchange account email address...

[Segoris]

I don't know about the manual flushing, I'll ask. Also, I will suggest another smtp. Hopefully this, or a future fix, work.
Thanks

[sigil]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/184555/googles_nexus_one_test_phone_details_emerge.html

Quinton needs to get in here, STAT!

Think Quinton is going to be all  until it's  official

[Quinton]

If I comment on rumors, unannounced products or stuff like that, they shoot me.  Sorry!

[bhodi]

I want an android phone that uses google voice as it's transport, with google-arranged cell tower sharing SO BAD.

I think it's just a dream though.. just a dream.

[sidereal]

http://www.androidtapp.com/google-phone-nexus-one/

[Salamok]

Woot, posting from the droid!  Sooo much to learn.

[Yegolev]

I'll save you some time and point out that the Mr. T Soundboard is crap.

[Salamok]

I'll save you some time and point out that the Mr. T Soundboard is crap.

Just don't install kid's paint, I think I just lost my 1 day old droid to my 3 yer old.

[Cheddar]

Update 2.1 will make some of you into believers.

Pure Blade Runner win, for serious.  Not gonna talk about details (I cannot) but holy shit.  I got to touch it in person and it made me giddy. 

[Quinton]

Update 2.1 will make some of you into believers.

Pure Blade Runner win, for serious.  Not gonna talk about details (I cannot) but holy shit.  I got to touch it in person and it made me giddy. 

I'm trying to think of what's in 2.1 over 2.0 that would be that mind-blowing (given that 2.1 is pretty incremental over the initial Eclair release).  Are you thinking of the changes to the home screen here or something else?

[schild]

Cheddar makes my exaggerations look like understatements.

[Quinton]

Well, when you spend every day in the trenches, looking at the bugs and such, you can often forget just how much stuff has changed from release to release.  Things that you've been using for months are exciting and new to people who've never seen 'em before.

[Salamok]

Flash support? Is there a built in way to uninstall apps and kill/view processes or do I need to install apps to handle those features?