Round Robin: Help Jennifer with the G1!

[Jennifer Chappell#CB]

Hey! This is Jennifer, aka GadgetGirl. The G1 is very impressive so far! I'm already liking it better than the Fuze. Moving around on the touch screen seems much smoother to me.

I'm not too crazy about the keyboard letters though. I'm having trouble reading the letters. Is there a way to make the keyboard backlight brighter?

What are some good apps to download on the G1? I'll need a good screen capture app for sure.

Are there any cool widgets that we can download and add to the home screen besides what is listed on the G1? I think all it lists are Clock, Picture Frame, and Search. A weather widget would be nice.

Thanks in advance for any help! And Good Luck Everyone!!

This is an Official Round Robin Contest Thread!

 

[blueline]

Sorry gadget girl, I whish icould help but I'm a deditcated iPhone user right now. Oh as well as a huge SPE Round Robin fan as well.

 

[NPR_Aficionado]

I have to say...the Android Central forums are pretty sparse, very little help to most on the RoundRobin. Are there that few G1 users out there, or are they just at other sites?

 

[rjgonza]

I was feeling the same way. I am trying to decide whether or not I wanna try out the G1 but I am not finding the people very active here. Then again this seems to be a new site, or just a well kept secret.

 

[cjdaniel]

umust have bronze or white? The T-Mobile sales person told me to get black because of the keyboard.

 

[devonair]

@GadgetGirl ...can you try something for us, though? I think that I read somewhere that you can't run apps off of memory card on the G1. Since you have to install an app as one of your tasks, can you try installing to the memory card to see if this is true?

 

[berdinkerdickle]

The G1 is very impressive so far! I'm already liking it better than the Fuze.

I have really high hopes for Android OS.

 

[Dr. Tyrell]

Hey! This is Jennifer, aka GadgetGirl. The G1 is very impressive so far! I'm already liking it better than the Fuze. Moving around on the touch screen seems much smoother to me.

Welcome! Glad you're off to a good start. Fire away! I'll help where I can.

I'm not too crazy about the keyboard letters though. I'm having trouble reading the letters. Is there a way to make the keyboard backlight brighter?

That is a common complaint with the light-colored keys on the bronze and white G1's. Touch typists adapt quickly but others have to (ugh) angle the keyboard to catch the light right. I am surprised no one has yet developed a software fix. The black units do not have this problem.

What are some good apps to download on the G1? I'll need a good screen capture app for sure.

Not yet but there is a way. See my response to Kevin.

Are there any cool widgets that we can download and add to the home screen besides what is listed on the G1? I think all it lists are Clock, Picture Frame, and Search. A weather widget would be nice.

Not yet--is there an echo here?--because the widget SDK (software development kit) has not been released. The possibilities are intriguing.

 

[dannzeman]

I wish I could my hands on a G1 for a little test drive. Haven't been able to track one down yet.

 

[Jennifer Chappell#CB]

@GadgetGirl ...can you try something for us, though? I think that I read somewhere that you can't run apps off of memory card on the G1. Since you have to install an app as one of your tasks, can you try installing to the memory card to see if this is true?

As far as I know, you can't install to the memory card. Each time I've installed an app, I see no option to install to the card. When you click to install, the app immediately starts downloading to the G1 and you see a notification at the top left of the screen letting you know that it's downloading, and then lets you know when the download is complete. After the app has been installed, I see no option to move to the card either.

 

[Jennifer Chappell#CB]

Welcome! Glad you're off to a good start. Fire away! I'll help where I can.


That is a common complaint with the light-colored keys on the bronze and white G1's. Touch typists adapt quickly but others have to (ugh) angle the keyboard to catch the light right. I am surprised no one has yet developed a software fix. The black units do not have this problem.


Not yet but there is a way. See my response to Kevin.


Not yet--is there an echo here?--because the widget SDK (software development kit) has not been released. The possibilities are intriguing.

Thanks Dr. Tyrell! I'll check out your response to Kevin!

 

[Dr. Tyrell]

Re: microSD card

As far as I know, you can't install to the memory card. Each time I've installed an app, I see no option to install to the card. When you click to install, the app immediately starts downloading to the G1 and you see a notification at the top left of the screen letting you know that it's downloading, and then lets you know when the download is complete. After the app has been installed, I see no option to move to the card either.

One of the most requested--the most requested?--features is the ability to store apps on the microSD card. People are downloading the (temporarily) free apps with abandon and quickly filling the 256MB internal storage. Speculation is that Google will fix this by the time the Market starts charging for apps. For now the card is useful mainly for media and some data that apps can write there.

 

[chuazy]

some of the apps i really loved in my G1, that you may want to try.

Anycut- you can add any shortcut on your desktop which is really useful (for speeddial, websites etc)
ToggleSettings - a quick way to manage the settings in 1 click
DroidSans Tweak Lite - you can add transition to the screen when you enter/exit apps, its very cool and it doesnt lag the system
Imeem - Streaming music for free!
Streamfurious - streaming radio on the internet, free as well!
AK Notepad - a quick way to take notes

Enjoy the G1, I love it alots... and hopefully i can get another one for my girlfriend =)

 

[lilmissq]

When?

I'm using the iPod Touch and loving it! But, i feel that the G1 would be absolutely yummilicous! Just wondering when is it officially coming to Singapore????

 

[rjgonza]

I'm using the iPod Touch and loving it! But, i feel that the G1 would be absolutely yummilicous! Just wondering when is it officially coming to Singapore????

Sorry I dont know that information, but you could always just grab the developer version its a little more expensive, but worth it

 

[chodaboy]

For me, the promise of Android is in the future applications. Hopefully, Google can ignite a firestorm of development and support for Android. Without good applications, a smartphone will have limited success. A smartphone with "killer apps", will get customers easily. IMHO.

 

[rjgonza]

For me, the promise of Android is in the future applications. Hopefully, Google can ignite a firestorm of development and support for Android. Without good applications, a smartphone will have limited success. A smartphone with "killer apps", will get customers easily. IMHO.

I could not agree more. That is why I am getting behind android. I believe that java is easier than objective c, and that it is so much nice to have the freedom that android grants you.

I believe that i few big name developers need to have some run ins with apple removing the apps from the store and they will quickly migrate over to android. However, it will not be that easy. No matter how awesome android is we need more people using it, remember this is linux on the mobile. If there is a user base then there is a demand for apps, otherwise people will just put up with apple and their tyrannical ways

Basically, I love android and open platforms, but we need more people on them

 

[amistry]

Hey, how good or efficient is the sliding kb compared to fuze or tilt? Atleast there aren't as many menu or tiny scroll bars as compared to wm!

 

[Dr. Tyrell]

Keep your chin up, G1!

Frankly I'm baffled by the derogatory and even mocking comments about the G1's slanted control buttons or "chin" as critics call it. Kevin mentioned it no less than eight times in his final review and Jennifer called it "strange looking." How so? A strong chin shows character in people. A slanted control pad on a handheld device shows that the engineers were thinking about how the device is used.

For me the chin is one of the best features of the body design because it cradles in my hand naturally and guides my fingers from the screen to the buttons in both portrait and landscape modes. It just feels right. Because of the chin I can quickly tell which end of the phone is up without looking at it, and yet the subtle slant does not interfere with cases or pockets. Are the expert reviewers so used to handling standard "brick" phones that they cannot grasp the ergonomic advantages of that modest but purposeful chin? Vive le difference, I say!

 

[chuazy]

I must say first impression is always subjective.. initially i also felt that the G1 looked like the toy.. but after using for weeks now, I really "grow" into the design and find it very cool. the arc slider is a real charm and I like to play with it (though i am worry it may break one day like any sliding qwerty). the spring feels strong and solid so the snapping action was a nice.

start using G1 as your default phone and you will love it in no time.