Mobile Industry Review - Latest Comments in The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

markwebster — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:16:38 -0000

Told you it was dire on the day you got it :p

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Ben Smith — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:34:01 -0000

There is a 'paste from Word' button I think that fixes that... no?

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

James Whatley — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:53:52 -0000

Ahh...

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Ewan — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:47:28 -0000

Were you using Outlook's HTML client?

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

James Whatley — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:21:58 -0000

I wrote it in Outlook then just copied the text over into the html section of WP dude.

Rubbish

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Scott — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:56:51 -0000

James, my technological incompetence is meant to be a closely guarded secret! btw you would not believe the amount of time it took me (actually you might even remember) to get up and running with Nokia PC Suite . Every new device, particularly with a new OS, takes time to get used to: Nokia, iPhone, SE, Android etc etc.

The G1 is a solid device which suits my usage - heavy email and very heavy internet browsing. For the former it is better than the iPhone and any Nokia bar E71 and Communicator, for the latter it is better than all (including the iPhone). If I were a media freak (pictures, video) it probably would not be for me.

Anyhoow, an eloquent and balanced review of all the current crop of smartphones can be found on Stephen Fry's blog. As an incorrigible iPhone addict he even has a number of kind words to say about the G1 (and I bet he synched contacts in a blink of an eye).

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Rafe Blandford — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:18:43 -0000

Violent agreement is the best sort :)

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Ben Smith — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:39:17 -0000

I think we're in violent agreement, but just for a bit of pedantry - the G1 is equipped with a standard POP / IMAP client that supports multiple accounts. Not push admittedly(5 min refresh minimum) but your mail never has to touch Gmail.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Ewan — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:37:39 -0000

Those ???? are because James (and Samantha) wrote their posts in Word, I think. We'll fix it.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Rafe Blandford — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:53:59 -0000

I agree with Ben here in a sense, but I do feel the Google centric nature of the G1 is both its best and worst point. There's obviously a distinction between the G1and Android in this topic, but realistically a lot of Android phones are going to be Google service centric. Depending on your stand point MobileMe / Exchange / etc is just as bad on other platforms (e.g Windows Mobile is an outstanding client for those using Exchange, but has problems else where). To a certain extent it becomes a number game.. or addressable market. Clearly you can make GMail get email from elsewhere (or download directly), but that is also true of Exchange, BIS and other systems / platforms.

I feel openness in mobile is about a lot more than the code of the OS. Indeed at a basic level all the 'smartphone OSs' are open to one degree or another. I agree that debate is essentially over (unless you want to talk about how far down it will go...) and there is still some importance attached to the level of openness (e.g. open source vs developer accessibility vs device function accessibility; cross platform, RIAs, etc etc).

So is openness now more about software and service availability / access? I think this very often ties in with companies strategy (both manufacturers, platform providers and operators). I do think some companies are more committed to this openness than others. Android is this area, especially in its G! instance and in contrast to its open-soruce-ness, does not measure up here. Thats said I'd probably put Android and Nokia in the same camp as having openness as part of their core strategy, but it will be interesting to see who delivers this to consumers best.

Maybe it is also worth saying that there is theoretical openness and what is actually delivered in to the hands of the consumer. Nokia's Ovi promises it but has yet to truly deliver on it (in terms of links with 3rd parties, APIs etc) - you can see their ideas / intent in something like Share online and Nokia messaging. Yes Android the platform is open, but the G1 implementation is lacking. I do think think it will improve, but the question at the back of my mind is Google's motivation (is it to drive traffic and money to its core strength in search and advertising, if s o what implications does it have?)

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

DominicTravers — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:00:29 -0000

Perfect illustration of why there is so much fragmentation in the industry. All of us who are involved in some way or another hold strong opinions on combinations of technology that work for us.

I like Nokia phones, have always used one for voice since the classic matrix banana phone. I will never use a symbian device ever again, it's crap, give me a Java ME candy bar to talk on and charge every 3 days.

I literally threw my last Windows computer out of a 3rd floor window in Edinburgh in 2002 and you would have to beat me with a stick (or loads of cash) to get me to use Outlook again. I have never found a Nokia that can talk to a Mac computer. I don't like the iPhone because iTunes is rubbish for people who like to do stuff with music, don't even get me started on the device itself.

I will take issue with your comments on gmail, I had one of the first accounts and it has been nothing short of brilliant ever since.

Nobody has made contacts work across all the apps and platforms commonly in use, Soocial and Skydeck might be getting close but you can still find disgruntled users.

James. I am looking forward to the next time I see you, we can talk about music and girls :)

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Ewan — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:55:01 -0000

Yeah my normob wife who flatly refuses to get excited at the mere mention of anything mobile is a committed and loving-it G1 user.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

binarylife — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:25:02 -0000

for once it's not going after us apple fan boys and girls.
for some reason MIR posts don't display well in google (sic!) reader recently, all " or ' are changed into ??? - have you done something ot the feed?

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

South77 — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:05:51 -0000

FWIW (not much, I know) the 5800 is a lump -- price and large screen is really its selling point. the soft touch screen is not really doing it for me.

What do people think of the Storm? To my suprise I quite like it -- to play with, not to replace my N95 8GB as an everyday phone.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Ben Smith — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:44:36 -0000

Nuance: small beta flag != product under test.

Yeah, but you *choose* to use the free service. I *choose* to pay a little. I said *mine* not *yours*. If you choose the beta product of course it says beta... but you don't *have* to use the beta product. I probably should have said 'is nothing like a beta service'.

My eyes are fine BTW :-)

Kisses.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

ocifant — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:37:27 -0000

"Geeks/Developers will love it, but your average Normob will not."

Funny you say that. My technically challenged daughter has the G1 and loves it! Mind you, she probably only uses it for calls, texts, games and music... :-)

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

James Whatley — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:32:04 -0000

GMail isn't in beta?

Riiiiiiiiiight..

http://flickr.com/photos/wh...

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

James Whatley — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:31:04 -0000

Outlook into Google Contacts SUCKS.

To be honest, I just can't see the point of a G1. Geeks/Developers will love it, but your average Normob will not. The *only* people I know who love their G1s are those that make apps for it...

Which is great... but really, not for me.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

South77 — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:30:09 -0000

Lolz. Well written for a rant and a good read.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

James Whatley — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:28:03 -0000

Great points if only mildly flawed because your 5800 thoughts are based on one conversation we had in the pub last night. I'm yet to write *anything* on the 5800. It'll come.. Just not yet, and I'm 'putting up with it' because I was asked to review it. Not because I'm a fanboy.

Just like I was asked to 'put up with' the G1.

There are elements of the G1 that I'd really like to see in Nokia handsets (in fact - I think I even mentioned that in the piece above) - I needed to get these thoughts of my chest so I could reference them at a later date.

Finally..

"The second Android device to hit the shelves will bring up a host of issues that Android developers will have to work around, but we will work around them..."

I love that.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

@geekyouup — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:15:44 -0000

...says the man who is putting up with a Nokia 5800 for the sake of being a Nokia fan boy. I think you've missed the point a little this time James. Something like the 5800 is just another device, the G1 is the first device of a new era, showcasing a spanking new mobile operating system, the apps are just starting to come out and the momentum is just starting to build up. The fact that the G1 is as complete as it is actually amazed me, I was expecting less.
The second Android device to hit the shelves will bring up a host of issues that Android developers will have to work around, but we will work around them and Android will fly.

NB: all views I express here are completely biased as I'm a complete Android fanboy, love it
p.s. I've never had any problems with contact/calendar synching on G1, I had way more problems with duplicates with my old Nokia, especially when entering an event into both outlook and phone then synching.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

David Carrington — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:13:42 -0000

Since I already have a very Google-centric lifestyle, the G1 is great for me. Everything I wanted from previous phones is already on there by default. I think I'm an anti-Whatley as there's only one Nokia I like so far: 6310i.

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Mac Morrison — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:59:26 -0000

and teh lucky to make it to lunchtime battery life...

iPhone is equally wonderful out of the box
and equally apple centric

if you have .mac (or mobile me now)
i had all my email and contacts in my iPhone before the salesman got back with the printed reciept.

sadly the shit camera/battery and rubbish 3G network sent that back too.

some good things will come in 2009 iphone/android and symbinan

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Ben Smith — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:43:53 -0000

Oh yeah, and my GMail's not beta... it's even got an SLA: http://www.google.com/apps/...

Re: The T-Mobile G1: The Whatley Response

Kip Hakes — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:42:08 -0000

Seeing as I run everything to do with my business through Google Apps it would be the perfect phone, if it weren't for the poor camera!