Google phone

HTC Google G1/Dream Cell Phone Red Rubber Feel Protective Case Faceplate Cover
$0.00
I received this product very quickly! Thought that since I was only paying .01 cents for it it was going to be cheap and filmsy. It was not! High quality product!!! Will definately be returning to buy more colors!

Reusable Screen Protector for HTC Android G1 Google Phone
$0.00
Was a little difficult to install correctly. After I did get it installed, it has performed well with minimal wear detectable. Purchased 2 expecting a relativly short life. Still on the first one after 4 months. Still going.

Motorola CLIQ Phone with MOTOBLUR, Titanium (T-Mobile)
$399.99
After using a T-Mobile Dash for almost two years and feeling very jealous of friends with Iphones, I decided to try an Android phone before jumping ship and signing up with AT&T and going the Apple route... I chose the Motorola Cliq, not for its supposed ability to connect with my friends via facebook and twitter 24 hours a day, a dubious benefit, but because of the excellent keyboard. Unfortunately, T-Mobile doesn't offer the Droid, and the G1 is quite clunky. My one fear of the Iphone is not having a physical keyboard. The keyboard is pretty good on the Cliq, however, I was disappointed that as with my old Dash phone, the software doesn't suggest words as you type on the physical keyboard. The rest of the software on the phone is a mixed bag. Nothing is very intuitive. You have do move things around and add things to make the interface feel usable. As an old microsoft windows user, who is rather good at figuring out how software works this doesn't bother me so much. What bothers me is the slight lag of the interface. This results in my often pushing the wrong thing on the screen. The screen is not multi-touch (i think that is what it is called). Which means that you cant pinch the screen to make things zoom, which is one of the nice features of the Iphone. I have only used the Iphone a few times, but I was instantly impressed at how intuitive everything was about it. This is the very opposite of this interface. For example, the flick motion up you use to go down the list, seems to me to be exactly the opposite of what is expected and half the time it doesnt go down the list but inexplicably opens a program.

The phone is supposed to switch orientations when you go from vertical to horizontal if you configure it this way, but half the time it doesn't. It usually does do this when you open the keyboard, but sometimes when you close the keyboard it stays in horizontal position.

Getting past the interface, there are all kinds of connectivity problems. Motorola claims that the phone syncs with Outlook, but what they mean is Outlook exchange on a business server. I could not find a way to make the phone sync with my Outlook program on my computer via a USB connection which is a big problem for me. I could sync with Google calendar which then syncs with the phone, but you have to buy an aftermarket program if you want the contacts etc. to sync. My Dash did this, and understand Blackberry devices do it (and I even think the Iphone does it). The phone will read Word documents, but it wont let you edit them. The music player that is included is extremely rudimentary in comparison to the Iphone and even my old Dash.

Finally, keep in mind the screen is 3.1" rather than 3.5" on other smart phones. I didn't think that was a big deal, but actually given all the other negatives it is another annoyance. It means that if you do want to use the onscreen keyboard in vertical mode it is really impossible to touch the right keys because they are small and too close together.

There are some good things mostly having to do with the core Google programs several of which you can get on the Iphone. Google Maps is terrific. The Google Voice Search really works. I was amazed at how well You Tube works. It is great to be able to use regular headphones.

Stupidest thing about the phone is the choice of a micro usb port instead of the old mini usb port. How much space did that choice will save? Instead of being able to use a standard usb cord and a standard usb charger, you have to get all new ones. Both t-mobile and motorola trumpet their ecological aspirations, but this one decision is so terribly wasteful.

That is the end of my rant... It goes back to the store today.

New HTC T Mobile G1 Google Android GSM Cellphone
$270.00
The long-awaited T-Mobile G1 smartphone combines full touchscreen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes many Google tools you've come to rely on with your PC, including Google Maps Street View Gmail, and one-touch Google search. It's also the first phone to be powered by Google's new open-source Android operating system, which offers an intuitive interface easily customizable home screen. You can also purchase optional software via the Android Market to personalize your G1 with a variety of software applications like games, social networking, and on-the-go shopping. In addition to a vibrantly colorful 3.2-inch touchscreen, the G1's hinged screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard and closes to prevent accidental dialing. It runs on T-Mobile's new and growing 3G network, and also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for surfing the web on your wireless network or at hotspots as well as Bluetooth for both handsfree communication and stereo music streaming. Other features include a 3-megapixel camera for still photos and video capture, a digital audio player (and easy access to Amazon's MP3 store), an included 1 GB MicroSD memory card, and up to 5 hours of talk time.