Android phone and OS review! (not for the fanboys and faint of heart)

[Fatasaurus]

Has anyone read the review of the Nexus One and Android in general that BGR posted yesterday? I just finished reading it and it pointed out a lot of stuff that I felt was wrong with the OS but couldn't put my finger on to name. I really like Android and think it has a lot of potential, but its definitely not all the way there yet. If you haven't read it its definitely worth the read. Its a very candid and honest of Android from a perceptive Android user.


Google Android Personal Thoughts ? Boy Genius Report

would love to get some other peoples opinions on it and Android itself.

 

[herki]

I thought his review was great, but some of the accusations made in his personal thoughts section seemed a little unfounded. For instance, the padding around icons issue. I don't know if I understood completely what he was trying to say, but if I interpreted him right, he's just wrong.

At points, it sounded like he was also just saying, "It's not an iPhone, so it sucks." I guess that's understandable coming from a dedicated iPhone user though.

Other than that, I hope Google reads his piece, and takes a few opinions to mind.

 

[Fatasaurus]

I thought his review was great, but some of the accusations made in his personal thoughts section seemed a little unfounded. For instance, the padding around icons issue. I don't know if I understood completely what he was trying to say, but if I interpreted him right, he's just wrong.

At points, it sounded like he was also just saying, "It's not an iPhone, so it sucks." I guess that's understandable coming from a dedicated iPhone user though.

Other than that, I hope Google reads his piece, and takes a few opinions to mind.

I thought it was great as well very unbiased and didnt hold back any punches. I as well really hope Google fixes some of these issues. Like theres no reason that each Android phone has its own software version, screen size, and version of overlapping software. Theres no real consistancy between experiences when going from phone to phone. Google seems to be emulating WinMo and out of all the companies to follow they would be at the bottom of my list lol. I hope that they get figure something out soon and get it right.


About the padding, What he was saying is that there is no set size for the icons, so app makers create them in different sizes instead of having a set size for icons. a perfect example is look at the handcent icon beside the messaging icon. Its about a 1/3 bigger as most of the non standard icons are. I hope that Android can become more hands own with their product outside of the initial development of the OS. I appreciate open... but there is such a thing as TOO open.

 

[pbrennan42]

There are two set sizes afaik, 48x48 and 72x72. Developers can choose to use either one of them as they wish.

Either way, all icons on the desktop are rendered as 48x48.

What makes the difference is how much transparent space icon designers put around their icon designs within the 48x48 or 72x72 area they have to play around in.

I have to confess a preference for smaller looking icons. I would hate to see loads of larger icons cluttering up my desktop when I have gone to the effort to make a nice wallpaper for it. We got rid of big bulky icons that looked ugly (like the eBuddy icon) way back in Windows XP days - possibly before then. I would hate to see them return with Android, especially when no matter how bulky an icon appears, it is still sitting in its own 48x48 active space. The image could be as small as 32x32 within its own 48x48 transparency, but it's footprint upon the desktop (defining it active space) is still 48x48.

Anyway, I think the iPhone icons are fugly and blocky and way too much of a muchness.

Phil.

 

[richpjr#AC]

I thought it was great as well very unbiased and didnt hold back any punches.

It was a good read, made some very good points, but that was anythign but unbiased!

 

[nihouma]

He basically said it sucked, and what good things it did do, didn't matter because eventually the iPhone would have them. Honestly, I felt that he threw Blackberries in there to make it seem like he wasn't an iPhone fanboy.

To be fair, a lot of Android apps aren't perfect, but he failed to mention the ones that are superb, like (IMO) Seesmic, or Handcent. Or rather, failed to acknowledge they have the ability to exist.

I do think he made good points, but he over-exaggerated some of those problems, and paints the iPhone as perfect at the same time. It made the review painful to read. Usually Android-iPhone comparisons aren't painful like that, but his was.