Like many, I’m rooting for Android OS phones because of their open approach. What’s more, they’ll run FBReader and, I’d hope, other ePub-capable programs. But can Android compete successfully against the iPhone, whose prices have dropped? Not to mention all of Apple’s experience with interface and design.
In Android: No iPhone Killer, Ted Landau of the Mac Observer served up these first impressions based on a quick tryout
The hardware design felt “clunky” — especially the flimsy-feeling sliding of the touchscreen, needed to reveal the keyboard underneath. As for the software, it had had some impressive features (including a few that I hope to see added to the iPhone someday, such as barcode reading and application multitasking) and a decent collection of built-in apps. But it did not have a particularly intuitive user interface.
So, is he on target and not reflecting the possible biases of a Mac-related publication?
The third-party question: Maybe from an e-book perspective, it’s too early to say which platform will be best. Much will depend on Apple’s long-term treatment of third-party apps such as Stanza.
it’ll be tough for android to compete w/ iphone. but even if gooogle loses the mobile device battle, they are still nicely positioned to be king of content delivery and could score big by setting up multi-format distribution automation – delivering ebooks/chapters/etc. in the format & to the device of the customer’s choice. (becoming the ingram of the e-content world sort of). Just a thought.
Excellent points, Kat. The mobile tech and content battles are different. If nothing else, Google’s flexibility could help distinguish it from Amazon. Your Ingram comparison is excellent.
Of course I’m still rooting mightily for Android 😉
Thanks,
David
I still haven’t seen an Android in the wild. I have heard some say it’s not different enough from iphone to make it stand out. I would love to see it. and i’d love to own either one right now!
I’ve read a lot of reviews of the phone and they have been universal in saying that the OS was pretty good and looks to be promising. They also say that HTC’s take on the hardware is mediocre at best.
What the article didn’t mention is that the Android also loses some points from the necessary “smartphone lockdown” imposed by T-Mobile. Cellphone providers don’t really want you to do funky things with their hardware. Hence, it was necessary to jailbreak the Android in order to do something like put Debian on it.
Now, granted, the iPhone has the same sorts of restrictions—but at least it’s an area where they’re roughly equal, not the Android ahead of the iPhone because of its “openness.”
The whole article talks as if the G1 from HTC is “the” Google phone or “the” Android phone. It isn’t – this is just the first to market, there will be many future models (I hope).
So criticism of the hardware and features shouldn’t be applied to Android in general – other phones may have less flimsy sliders, for example. Some Android phones may have really great screens for reading, though if any cellphone companies show any specific interest in this area I’d be surprised. The networks are the gatekeepers and will determine what physical hardware will be available to customers, and they historically have been very reactive and conservative – if not outright antagonistic to customers requirements. For this reason I doubt that phones will much improve as readers.
I also don’t expect Android software to approach the elegance of the iphone. It requires extraordinary focus to keep things simple; to ignore the clamour from enthusiasts and early adopters who want features and instead go after the mass-market who just want things simple and fun. Apple are very good at this, few other companies are.