Google Phone - released today - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Bobblehead · 09-23-2008, 12:27 PM

Still no announcement for a Canadian release date. It is being sold by T-Mobile in the US starting Oct 22.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/n...7-5c01e6f293c6

Quote:

The new phone offers the features of the competition including Internet browsing, GPS, contacts, short messaging, WiFi and others. It has a full QWERTY keyboard, free push Gmail, support for YouTube and a built-in compass.

The browser is based on the same technology as the recently released Chrome computer browser but made for the mobile application.

HotHotHeat · 09-23-2008, 12:41 PM

The screen kinda looks like an out of date Mac OS. Meh.

Jing · 09-23-2008, 12:52 PM

Only deal breakers for me are the lack of a2dp and no 3.5 mm jack. Otherwise looks like an absolutely awesome phone.

llama64 · 09-23-2008, 12:53 PM

Nice. Someone finally put a touch screen together with a normal keypad. Chances are I'll be getting a Google based phone when I next upgrade.

Bobblehead · 09-23-2008, 12:59 PM

Another article

Quote:

But what is special about the device is that it is designed to function as a full-fledged personal computer running any kind of application a developer can dream up.

"This is as good a computer as you had a few years ago," said Google co-founder Larry Page at the press conference Tuesday.

Quote:

The G1 comes with maps, e-mail and instant messaging, a music player and a camera. Users can also download applications that measure their carbon footprint or scan barcodes in a store so they can comparison shop on the Internet.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_105377...ce=most_viewed

arsenal · 09-23-2008, 01:06 PM

Good. The more serious competition there is out there for the iPhone, the better all phones will get.
I like what Google has done with Android. A nice open model, hopefully this follows through with what you are able to do with your phone. As well hopefully free us carrier restraints.

Bobblehead · 09-23-2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arsenal

Good. The more serious competition there is out there for the iPhone, the better all phones will get.
I like what Google has done with Android. A nice open model, hopefully this follows through with what you are able to do with your phone. As well hopefully free us carrier restraints.

As long as Google keeps firm hold of the eco-system, it should work well. The thing I worry about in an open system is if there start being too many branches and flavours of the underlying systems (eg Linux and FH, FC, Ubuntu, Slack, etc) which will confuse and irritate the average user.

My cell contract is up, I've been wanting a 3G appliance but nothing seems to fit exactly what I'm looking for. This appears like it may have a chance.

arsenal · 09-23-2008, 03:10 PM

Interesting article on what Google is now bringing to the plate with Chrome, Android and Gears:
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/gacl

Quote:

Chrome -- Google's new superbrowser -- is cream on the top of a new mobile software stack. Let's call it GACL, for Gears, Android and Chrome on Linux. Gears is a way to run Web apps on desktops and store data locally as well as in the cloud. Android is a development framework for Linux-based mobile devices. Chrome is a browser, but not just for pages. Chrome also runs apps. In that respect, it's more than the UI-inside-a-window that all browsers have become. It's essentially an operating system.

It looks like it is one of the final steps in bringing mobile computing to the average user that was started by RIM and improved upon by Apple. Google essentially now hows it's operating system (at least its UI layer), and is pushing to mobile users. And because it is open source, and from what they say they will not have strict controls on it, you could see a lot of interesting things from developers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

As long as Google keeps firm hold of the eco-system, it should work well. The thing I worry about in an open system is if there start being too many branches and flavours of the underlying systems (eg Linux and FH, FC, Ubuntu, Slack, etc) which will confuse and irritate the average user.

Average users are not going to care what flavor of linux their phone is running. Only the power users will. Average users are only going to care if they are able to surf, text, make phone calls, email, play games, and upgrade their firmware / software easily (iPhone & iTunes pairing).

If it allows power users to choose their linux distro, more power to them.
But as with any open system, there is always the potential for it to run rampant and cause havoc. Hopefully that doesn't happen. Google may just leave that up to the phone makers to control though.

Bobblehead · 09-23-2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arsenal

Average users are not going to care what flavor of linux their phone is running. Only the power users will. Average users are only going to care if they are able to surf, text, make phone calls, email, play games, and upgrade their firmware / software easily (iPhone & iTunes pairing).

If it allows power users to choose their linux distro, more power to them.
But as with any open system, there is always the potential for it to run rampant and cause havoc. Hopefully that doesn't happen. Google may just leave that up to the phone makers to control though.

I agree that users won't care about what flavour their phone is running. But they will care if they start running into dependency issues when they try to install this app or that app. As long as Google keeps users isolated from stuff like that, they have a chance. With Apple's closed ecosystem (assuming you don't jailbreak) then Apple has control and can verify the app will "just work". As long as stuff "just works" on the gPhone as easily as it does the iPhone, we should have a good competition.

arsenal · 09-23-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I agree that users won't care about what flavour their phone is running. But they will care if they start running into dependency issues when they try to install this app or that app. As long as Google keeps users isolated from stuff like that, they have a chance. With Apple's closed ecosystem (assuming you don't jailbreak) then Apple has control and can verify the app will "just work". As long as stuff "just works" on the gPhone as easily as it does the iPhone, we should have a good competition.

I agree. gPhones have the ability to run into the Microsoft problem of having to code for every possible scenario. Where Apple is "closed" and wont run into that problem. The dependency issues is one of the reasons why I stay away from Linux. I honestly do not have time nor the patience to deal with downloading and installing 10 different dependinies in order to get a single application to run.

I hope that what will eventually happen is a happy medium. The write once, run anywhere way of thinking. If this is what actually happens with the gPhone, then I will have no problem dropping my iPhone for a gPhone when it comes time for me to upgrade. As long as the gPhones have all the features that I need and want at that point in time.

photon · 09-23-2008, 05:18 PM

Seems like a hit and miss device.. not a ton of memory and no 3.5mm plug but they're pushing Amazon music?? The interface is apparently all over the place going from looking nice to looking 90's era.

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/0...hed-the-g.html

Still, I'm looking forward to Android on other phones.

Barnes · 09-23-2008, 10:49 PM

I'm not a fan of Google's UI designs but I would really like to see the live street view overlay.

Jing · 09-25-2008, 03:54 AM

I actually like the look of the ui, and I hope it brings the functionality of windows mobile and the simplicity of the iphone.

photon · 09-25-2008, 08:03 AM

Yay looks like they're going to send some up to us in my office!

Hopefully by that time there'll be an unlock available for it.