Android 2.0

[vraa]

Originally Posted by MG How does Android handle email and MS office Docs? My wife just loaded an app on her PPC that lets her view and edit MS Project, which was the only app, aside from Visio, she was missing on her phone. Hard Core office nerds need Windows phones. BlackBerry's bite. Microsoft handles the MS stack, Google handles their own and then accommodates others. It's not fair for me to say it handles email and office+pdf fine because I've got a heavily modded phone. The biggest change here is phones with software that work for the user, not the other way around. Android is exactly what kind of model other industries should follow. Standardized specs and contributed development. Put this droid thing into perspective, it's being launched on a carrier where it is SOP to disable basic features (bluetooth) on the phone and then charge the users for enabling it! By puttying Android on every manufacturers handsets the Open Handset Alliance just commoditized carriers. Once they all start offering "unlimited" plans and what not, your carrier choice will be based strictly on where you get service. Maybe that will start more competition regarding service quality and coverage.

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[hellcat]

Originally Posted by vraa

Microsoft handles the MS stack, Google handles their own and then accommodates others. It's not fair for me to say it handles email and office+pdf fine because I've got a heavily modded phone.

The biggest change here is phones with software that work for the user, not the other way around. Android is exactly what kind of model other industries should follow. Standardized specs and contributed development.

Put this droid thing into perspective, it's being launched on a carrier where it is SOP to disable basic features (bluetooth) on the phone and then charge the users for enabling it! By puttying Android on every manufacturers handsets the Open Handset Alliance just commoditized carriers. Once they all start offering "unlimited" plans and what not, your carrier choice will be based strictly on where you get service. Maybe that will start more competition regarding service quality and coverage.

You mean like the whole rest of the world?

[vraa]

Originally Posted by hellcat

You mean like the whole rest of the world?

Almost
The ROW still suffers from the problem of not having a unified software stack separate from hardware
That's what makes it so interesting, the closest you could get to this before was Windows Mobile but that was retarded on 8 different levels

[NdnMbLova]

right now my PPC is AWESOME. I could watch youtube on it when the iphone couldn't. lol!
ON WIFI! lol.

[bigben320e]

My Samsung Jack w/WM 6.1 does well for me, and handles Office based docs. I would need to see the Android in action.

[vraa]

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/...ew/#more-37012

Sure, there’s a little hype sprinkled in because this is the first Android 2.0 device I’ve had the pleasure of using, but once you move past the initial “wow” factor, the Droid really delivers. Whether it’s Verizon’s ad campaign or Motorola’s that pits the Droid against the iPhone it doesn’t matter. The Droid isn’t an iPhone competitor because nothing at this point in time is an iPhone competitor besides the new iPhone. And things don’t have to be right now. Everyone can eat. So will the Motorola Droid be successful? Absolutely, we think. It will eat in to BlackBerry sales, Windows Mobile sales, and positively murder any lingering Palm Pre sales. It’s that good. Did you notice how Verizon still hasn’t announced the BlackBerry Storm2?

[Glasgow Gold]

Originally Posted by vraa

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/...ew/#more-37012

Looks awesome but this whole carrier exclusivity thing continues to baffle, particularly whenever I read about Verizon disabling features.

I get that each carrier will have its frustrations but do the phone makers have so little leverage that they really have to do this?

[bigben320e]

Originally Posted by Glasgow Gold

Looks awesome but this whole carrier exclusivity thing continues to baffle, particularly whenever I read about Verizon disabling features.

I get that each carrier will have its frustrations but do the phone makers have so little leverage that they really have to do this?

Desperation for new customers I guess?

[vraa]

Originally Posted by bigben320e

Desperation for new customers I guess?

Originally Posted by Glasgow Gold

Looks awesome but this whole carrier exclusivity thing continues to baffle, particularly whenever I read about Verizon disabling features.

I get that each carrier will have its frustrations but do the phone makers have so little leverage that they really have to do this?

I think GG's point is why the FCC and government should work towards breaking up the largest carriers
Or better yet, disband the FCC to allow anyone to try to fix the current situation....
Wait a few seconds for Mr. Brenton to chime in on how the situation is actually biased against the major telcos...........

[alewifebp]

Well it looks like in this instance that Verizon won't be disabling features. According to BGR, the full GPS, Wifi and Android market will be completely intact. It has also been said that Moto and Google worked very closely on this, backing up the notion that Verizon just let them have at it.

[hellcat]

I went into the Verizon store today to ask about this and the sales rep of course said, we have no idea when it's coming out so just buy something else. Then proceeded to give me the very hard sell on a BB Tour. If you buy that you can get one of their netbooks for free as part of the "Buy 1 get 1 free" deal. You'd have to sign up for a separate data account for the netbook connection though so not really worth it in my opinion.

[vraa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opZ69...layer_embedded

View it in HD, it's a quick overview of what's new in Android 2.0
This is OPEN
"any backend"

[55fanatic]

Originally Posted by vraa

BB and Nokia might as well be dead
iPhone is for fags
That leaves only Android.

BB might as well be dead? Cmon Vraa... the blackberry in the Enterprise still is the benchmark... Till you see anything close to what blackberry is doing with an Enterprise Server, nothing can kill it... The iPhone is chipping away at it... but imho has a lot more distance to go. As for WinMo? That should have died long ago... it sucks as an OS... ROYALLY

Originally Posted by MG

How does Android handle email and MS office Docs?

My wife just loaded an app on her PPC that lets her view and edit MS Project, which was the only app, aside from Visio, she was missing on her phone.

Hard Core office nerds need Windows phones. BlackBerry's bite.

There must be something I am missing here cause every time I have tested this that you speak of... it sucks on both devices... I still find the BlackBerry to be easier to maneuver...

Originally Posted by vraa

The biggest change here is phones with software that work for the user, not the other way around. Android is exactly what kind of model other industries should follow. Standardized specs and contributed development.

Put this droid thing into perspective, it's being launched on a carrier where it is SOP to disable basic features (bluetooth) on the phone and then charge the users for enabling it! By puttying Android on every manufacturers handsets the Open Handset Alliance just commoditized carriers. Once they all start offering "unlimited" plans and what not, your carrier choice will be based strictly on where you get service. Maybe that will start more competition regarding service quality and coverage.

This is the good news... getting verizon to play nice is a BIG step in the right direction... If we can get all the carriers to just unlock the phones... I think we would see some major progress on what phones evolve to. Nevermind the leaps and bounds our service area grows by

Originally Posted by Glasgow Gold

Looks awesome but this whole carrier exclusivity thing continues to baffle, particularly whenever I read about Verizon disabling features.

I get that each carrier will have its frustrations but do the phone makers have so little leverage that they really have to do this?

Carriers have been disabling features for lots of reasons... for example the iPhone... it pretty much brought ATT's network to its knees... Its one of the reasons Apple locked tethering out of the OS with the 3.1 update.

Originally Posted by vraa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opZ69...layer_embedded

View it in HD, it's a quick overview of what's new in Android 2.0
This is OPEN
"any backend"

I have used more devices in the last 15months then some people will use in an entire life time... one of the devices that impressed me the most was the G1... I had that to play with for about a month and I can say the phone was a great personal device... No doubt in my mind that the Android OS will be with time, but as I am paid to evaluate phones on an enterprise level... I dont know how likely it will be to grow into an enterprise level device. Simply because it is an opensourced OS... I am excited to be getting one of these to play with though...

[MG]

There must be something I am missing here cause every time I have tested this that you speak of... it sucks on both devices... I still find the BlackBerry to be easier to maneuver...

Two reasons I don't have a WinMo phone now, the automatic E-mail push offered by BB and the fact that WinMo phones are small and WinMo puts so much crap on the desktop men are forced to use the stylus, which I hate. Women can use their nails to great advantage on the WinMo screens.

But the Office Mobile packages are phenomenal. I can do everything from a WinMo phone. With a BB I need to break out the laptop every time some one sends me a doc.

[55fanatic]

what is everything? Were you publishing docs right from your MinMo? Open up a compact version of office and writing full documents? I can open almost anything people send me from PDF to xls to doc?

[MG]

Originally Posted by 55fanatic

what is everything? Were you publishing docs right from your MinMo? Open up a compact version of office and writing full documents? I can open almost anything people send me from PDF to xls to doc?

Mostly I review and edit docs. Not necessarily initiate them. That is impossible on a BB. XLS is essentially useless on a BB, DOC is barely useful and not at all useful in a multi user edit situation.

WinMo is nearly perfect for a person who needs those capabilities and travels alot.

[bigben320e]

Originally Posted by MG

Mostly I review and edit docs. Not necessarily initiate them. That is impossible on a BB. XLS is essentially useless on a BB, DOC is barely useful and not at all useful in a multi user edit situation.

WinMo is nearly perfect for a person who needs those capabilities and travels alot.

+1, why I use a WinMo.

[Mister Brenton]

Originally Posted by Glasgow Gold

Looks awesome but this whole carrier exclusivity thing continues to baffle, particularly whenever I read about Verizon disabling features.

I get that each carrier will have its frustrations but do the phone makers have so little leverage that they really have to do this?

If they compete on price, it's simply a race to $0. Aside from coverage, there is nothing else. When I went shopping a year ago for a personal phone (after 8 years of making personal calls on my work phone ), I had no preference whatsoever, except on price. I live in a region that everybody covers. All of the pricing offers were almost identical, so I essentially flipped a coin. I'm like TR, in that I just want calling and texting. I don't care about anything else, so they are all on the same plane for people like me. But for those who want the gadgets...

[alewifebp]

More details:
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/1...ct-coming-nov/

Additionally, I'd hate to own TomTom or Garmin stock today with Google releasing the bomb that they are entering the turn-by-turn navigation business, and will be (at least initially) exclusively on Android 2.0, and the beta will be on the Droid come the 6th.
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/1...e-has-changed/

[hellcat]

Here's a short write-up on the phone. The video at the end has a good demo of some of the phone's features.

http://www.htlounge.net/art/9050/mot...E2%80%99s.html

[markopolo]

Originally Posted by bigben320e

My Samsung Jack w/WM 6.1 does well for me, and handles Office based docs. I would need to see the Android in action.

I don't think you should worry about MS Office integration.
Check this site out if you want calendar, contacts, tasks syncing

http://www.androidauthority.com/inde...companionlink/

[panzr15]

Anyone know when Android 2.0 will be offered on a phone by T-Mobile?

[Glasgow Gold]

Originally Posted by markopolo

I don't think you should worry about MS Office integration.
Check this site out if you want calendar, contacts, tasks syncing

http://www.androidauthority.com/inde...companionlink/

I don't understand the need for this product. Don't Android phones just connect with corporate Outlook via Exchange?

[vraa]

Originally Posted by Glasgow Gold

I don't understand the need for this product. Don't Android phones just connect with corporate Outlook via Exchange?

Not everyone using Outlook has it paired with Exchange, for example we use Google Hosted and outlook is just an imap client
Contacts are synced using Soocial
Calendar is synced using the google calendar sync program

[curlytom]

Scroll down about midway and look at the video - It's a pretty good demonstration by Google of their Navigator...

http://cellphoneforums.net/cell-phon...id-review.html