The G1 from a treo point of view...

[morrisdev]

The G1, from a Treo point of view.
As the cab drove away, I realized that we were one bag short. There was the immediate urge to run after it, followed by a memory flash of the bag sitting in an elevator at the hotel, followed by a series of swear words in several languages.
I was standing at Malpensa Airport in Milan, going over what was inside that bag; all my power adapters for the pile of gadgetry I brought with me for my 3 month stay in Italy, and…. my US phone, a Treo 650.
The 650 was wonderful, but it wasn’t compatible with what I needed for Italy. I liked my Treo so much, however, that I had actually bought a 680 for the trip. It took me only a few minutes to set it up and it was perfect the entire time.
Now, however, I was stuck without a phone that would work in the USA and the bag wasn’t going to be showing up in California any time soon. So, what to do?

.... I'll attach the rest of the my little review in case anyone is interested.

[Kreth]

The G1 is great. Text the word "reboot" to it and enjoy.

[chris]

The G1 is all about the Android promise... open source, great apps. It's impressive, but it's not there yet. The G1 has a feeling of being incomplete. Fun to lose, but not a polished product. From a hardware perspective, I was let down by the G1 keyboard. I find myself squeezing the G1 and just wasn't comfortable typing on it.

Yes, there are some cool things about the OS. Notifications are very nice, the OS is peppy and the Android Market is a step in the right direction. I'm surprised at the hardware, considering this was such a big launch. If the G1 were a Windows Mobile device, would anybody be excited?

-Chris

[coldfish]

First off, I'm actually "morrisdev", I forgot I had used "coldfish" as my username here and just found it.

----------------
Kreth,
I just tried and texting "reboot" to it doesn't do anything. Perhaps that was a problem a few days or weeks ago, but the system automatically updates, so clearly it was fixed automatically.
This is actually something I really like about the phone. Unlike my Treos, where you need to go through a bit of a rigamarole to get an OS update, the G1 just tells you, "Hey, you want to update your OS?". It's happened twice so far. Things like texting "reboot", which would have been a thing you could bring up to G1 users as a joke constantly, suddenly become an example of what is positive about the G1 - the ability to evolve.

Chris,
The G1 hardware really is pretty substandard. I like my Treo much more for many reasons. The keyboard really is kind of crappy, but.... I think the options were pretty limited. individual keys, like the Treo, are much nicer, but I think they were trying to go for a slimmer phone. A compromise I suppose. Then again, it is big enough to type much much faster than the Treo. But you are right, it is kind of flimsy.
If this phone had come out in Windows Mobile, as you suggested, it would have really sucked. That OS is awful. I spent 3 months in Italy (where my 650 didn't work) with a Blackberry which had that on it. Wow. I was ready to shoot myself every time I tried to make a call. I ended up giving it away and using a quadband Treo.

Now, an ammendment to my little review:
I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to keep this thing.
Here's a good reason that you can use NOT to get one:
Yesterday, I had to call a friend of mine who I don't call very often. I've got my "Fave-5" people on little shortcuts, but they weren't one of them. So, I clicked on "Contacts" and was presented with all my contacts from my Gmail account. I had imported them from my Contacts in Outlook, so I had about 200 listings. There's not keyboard on the thing if you don't have it open.

So, there I was, with a screaming toddler in my right arm about 5 plastic bags full of groceries looped around my left arm up to the elbow while I tried to find this guy in the list. Of course, their last name happens to start with a R, so I had a lot of "just stroke your finger down the screen" maneuvers rather than, with a Treo, where I'd just click "R" and they'd be right there.

So, I had to open this thing up one handed, find the "R" and then fumble around trying to click their number on the screen.

Not fun.

While I wrote this, I checked again and discovered that there actually is a little "slider" that appears, so you can scroll through the alphabet, getting you there much faster, but.... not nearly as easy and ... I suppose the word would be "surely" as the Treo. Clicking "R" gets you to the "R's". Sliding around the alphabet still requires some coordination that a writhing 2yr old doesn't give you.

So.... The G1 is making it's way a bit further towards the door. I'm going back to the 680 for today, just to even out the comparison. It's a bit heavier and wider in the pocket, - also it feels like it is clearly more of a solid tool and not a toy, and that's a bit comforting.

I'll keep updating. If you want.

[chris]

I love hearing updates and especially from those coming from Treo owners or (insert name of smartphone):tounge:. Different owners have different perspectives and expectations. I've had a pretty busy time of the last few weeks with so many new phones on different platforms. I find the sliding keyboard to be 2 steps past one handed use. I find the whole process of the slider to be cumbersome.

It's kind of ironic that the big knock on Palm has been bulky devices and now they've got by far the smallest of the bunch in the Treo Pro. Perhaps even a bit too small.



If you have any interest, I've just posted my T-Mobile G1 Review. Hoping to finish my Treo Pro review this week. That's been my primary phone for the past week or so.

[coldfish]

My wife has the centro, which clearly is the smallest, but I like my 650 and 680 much much more. I really need a bit more of a screen.

Bulky is a common complaint. If the 650 was half the thickness it actually is, I think that complaint would vanish.

[coldfish]

By the way, Chris. That was a fantastic Review.

[Dianna]

Yes,
I certainly agree with you.
Thank you very much for sharing your information.
It was really very helpful for me. Thanks!!!!!!!

[coldfish]

Just to continue on....
I've had the G1 for about a month now. I have to say, I don't know if I could give it back. Having the email and web browser that well done, I often use it rather than going to my office or even my laptop across the room. I'm not sure if it is saving me time from being on the PC, or just another heroin-like connection to work!

Still, it isn't a Treo and I don't think it ever can be. It's more of a computer with very good phone features, while the Treo is more like a phone with some excellent palm-pilot features built in and a low-grade internet tool.

I'm guessing that the new treo is going to outclass the G1 in some areas, but my 650 and 680 are still going with me on my next trip - driving to Oregon.

The reasons:
1. The G1 has a decent battery, but I can't get it out and nobody seems to have the car-chargers in stock. The Treo's have great batteries.
2. T-Mobile.... I'm sorry, doesn't have very good coverage. the Sprint and Verizon phones I bring both do better.
3. VNC. I can remote control my severs and client's workstations with Treo. The G1 doesn't have that yet.
4. Tethering. You can't use the G1 to get internet access for your laptop. (without a crappy hack)

So.... for anyone considering the G1 who likes your Treo, you may want to see if you can afford both. You see, the G1 isn't a Treo, but it is just as addictive. You'll either end up with both, and a lower paycheck, or you'll end up with one and really missing the other.