Sit back, dear reader, and let me tell you a tale. A tale of how one professional coped with a phone not meant for professional life. Ahem.

Okay, clearly I'm biased towards Windows Phones. I work with Microsoft, right? Loooooooooong before that, when I used to be a freelance journalist, I regularly wrote about Microsoft's mobile OS. I covered the launch of Pocket PC back in 2000! Fanboy alert, right?

Well, there's one thing that Windows Phones don't do quite well yet -- social networking apps. Some of the critical ones aren't quite as mature as they should be and, as a result, they crash or have bizarre connectivity issues. And social networking apps are what I need right now -- I'm at the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco and I need something I can trust.

So I checked an Android phone out of storage -- a T-Mobile G1, unlocked, so I can run it on AT&T. I loaded it with all the apps I need -- Twidroid, Facebook, etc. and got to work. It wasn't until I had to deal with fairly commonplace things that I experienced the great pain that is Android.

Android Brings the Pain

It all started when I had to make a phone call to someone back in the office. "No worries," I said, "Just look the person up in the contact list." But oh no, Android syncs with your Google contacts, so unless you've saved your work contacts to it you're SOL. I found myself fumbling my laptop out of my bag, or browsing through old emails hoping people had posted their phone numbers in their sig lines. It took time and it was frustrating.

Beyond that, the mail and calendar apps were being inconsistent. They weren't getting updates constantly, they were getting them in clumps -- meaning 40 minutes could go by while I waited for a message, not realizing it was sitting in an inbox on a server back home and I needed to manually refresh.

And Memory Management...Argh

I never liked how Windows Phones handled closing apps. Don't you love how the X in the top-right corner of apps actually minimizes apps instead of closing them? But you could generally rely on an app having a FILE>EXIT type of function. Or, at the least, you could pop into SETTINGS>MEMORY and shut everything down.

Android has what feels like a "Relax, dude, it's cool!" attitude to memory management. I have six apps open and one of them is causing grief and slowdown, but I don't know which one and I couldn't shut it down if I wanted to! No one thought to include an Exit option. And if you use the phone as aggressively as I do, you may be lucky and crash the phone. Yipee!

Sorry I Left You

I'm coming back Windows Phone, no worries. Android phones may have fun capabilities and a nice selection of apps, but they really aren't mature enough for business use yet. 

 

 

 

Hmmm..... I've been using an HTC Hero on and off for a couple of months now and I've not seen any of the issues you're describing. I set mine to run with my exchange and the contacts and calendars works fine. There's not the level of depth of functionality you get with a Windows Mobile device from exchange, it's about the same level as the iPhone though so it's manageable. That said, Android 2 is supposed to support 2 Exchange accounts on the same device which could be awesome if it works well. I agree with the memory management side of things though. It does get in a bit of a pickle if you're frisky with your apps. I'm not one for using much at the same time and I still found I had to soft reset once a day. That said, there are plenty of task manager type apps available which will allow you to close down particular apps at will for free too. Maybe you should have a look at an Android 2.0 device as opposed to the G1 which is running an old version of the OS. Personally I still prefer Windows Phone 6.5 with HTC Touchflo, but there's not much in it these days. Roll on Windows Phone 7 Series. 

Did you really just say avoid android based on the first phone that ever launched with it?

Also, your SIM should have your contacts stored on it. 

 As far as memory management, Android doesn't need a task manager or an exit button, the apps are paused when sent to the background and in the case the system needs more memory, it's automatically ended.  Think Palms card system, but automated and invisible.  If you want to see what's running, hold the home key.  It brings up the last 6 apps running, arranged by memory usage.  No way to close them, but again, Android will do it for you when the memory is needed.

 My gmail comes to my Hero before it hits my computers inbox, not really sure what your problem was.  Calendar isn't instant, but the only person changing my google calendar is me, so not really sure what I would be missing out there.

 Exchange calendar is always instant, and so is mail and contacts, if set for push.  The default is 30 minutes I believe. 

 Just because you admit your a fanboy doesn't give you the excuse to write useless drivel.  You should probably learn a bit more about the OS (and using a current phone, want to compare the G1 to the 700w, or the Apache?) before trying to deem it inferior.

jivprince:

Did you really just say avoid android based on the first phone that ever launched with it?

And why not? T-Mobile sold 1,000,000 G1's. That's a substantial amount of people who are getting an (from a business perspective) unsatisfactory experience.

jivprince:

Also, your SIM should have your contacts stored on it. 

I like to store my contacts in the cloud. SIM storage is not secure, and if you lose your phone or card is damaged you can forget about your contacts. [Edit: I was talking about Exchange contact integration anyway, got sidetracked]

jivprince:

 As far as memory management, Android doesn't need a task manager or an exit button, the apps are paused when sent to the background and in the case the system needs more memory, it's automatically ended.  Think Palms card system, but automated and invisible.  If you want to see what's running, hold the home key.  It brings up the last 6 apps running, arranged by memory usage.  No way to close them, but again, Android will do it for you when the memory is needed.

Jivprince, my main complaint here is that one of the apps I had open was compromising system integrity -- and I wasn't sure which one. I was running a number of marketplace apps and I couldn't get rid of them to get to the troubleshooting phase.

jivprince:

My gmail comes to my Hero before it hits my computers inbox, not really sure what your problem was.  Calendar isn't instant, but the only person changing my google calendar is me, so not really sure what I would be missing out there.

I was referring to Exchange the whole time. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

jivprince:

 Just because you admit your a fanboy doesn't give you the excuse to write useless drivel.  You should probably learn a bit more about the OS (and using a current phone, want to compare the G1 to the 700w, or the Apache?) before trying to deem it inferior.

Jivprince, unlike many people I am fortunate in that my company has a large store of phones available for me to check out. What I try to keep in mind is that most people don't have that luxury: They can't afford to buy new phones multiple times per year, or every time an upgrade is available. It has to work right the first time, or they are stuck within their contract or until their budget makes it possible for them to upgrade. The millions of users who picked up a G1 upon launch with a two-year contract (October 2008) won't be able to get a new phone, subsidized, until October of this year. That's a long time to go -- again, if you're a business user -- with a phone that doesn't integrate as nicely with a corporate server or has unstable apps you need but cannot shut down.

 Ok, timeout guys, we're all friends around here. I agree that basing an opinion on Android on just the G1 is short sighted. It would be like saying don't buy a Windows Phone 7 Series device because Windows Mobile 6.5 was poor. That said, I think we need to calm down a little and discuss it in a more civilised fashion. Jivprince, you obviously know Android well, in ESR's position, how would you troubleshoot a rogue app?

ESR:

I'm coming back Windows Phone, no worries. Android phones may have fun capabilities and a nice selection of apps, but they really aren't mature enough for business use yet. 

Let me start by saying that I have very little hands-on with Android, but I've liked the little I've seen and played with so far, despite the rough edges, and that's been exclusively on T-Mobile's G1 and MyTouch models.

Might I suggest that your problems were more due to a basic unfamiliarity with the platform itself, rather than any particular shortcomings it may have.  I'm a dedicated WinMo user myself, and everytime a pick up a device from a different platform, be it Palm, Symbian, or even the "easy to use" iPhone, I'm thrown for a loop, mostly because I'm expecting it to work like WinMo.  Once I adopt a "When in Rome..." philosophy, things tend to go much more smoothly!  And, not to nit-pick, I'm not sure I'd choose Task Management as example of Windows Mobile's superiority over other platforms!  That's like complaining about the fat, sodium, and calorie content in Burger King's food by comparing it to McDonald's!    Who among us WinMo users doesn't use some form of third-party task switcher (even one, like HTC's, that comes preinstalled?)

Having said that, there is a plethora of task switchers/killers on the Android Market, which would've solved that issue, and frankly, I have a hard time believing a business profession would just discover in the field they had no access to their Exchange info- they'd have sorted that out before the conference!  In your case, any Exchange limitations on the G1 could've been easily handled by exporting your business contacts into GMail Contacts before leaving, even if you decided not to install any Exchange software on the G1. [This point was really hammered into me recently, as a hardware failure on my AT&T Tilt made me switch between 3 devices over the last few weeks- one (very old) Symbian and two WinMo.  I made darn sure I had the necessary info on whatever device I was using before leaving the house!]  Fifteen seconds with a Bing search just turned up a well-reviewed app called Touchdown that adds Exchange support to the G1, offers a five-day free fully-functional trial (presumably enough to get you through your conference,) and a free "lite" version with Contacts support (but which only downloads today's email and calendar.)

So, I'd humbly submit that your real issue with Android wasn't that it wasn't capable, but that it wasn't WinMo!  (An issue I'd have certainly had as well!  I'm very resistant to change!)  

I will, however, (with any due apologies to both Dave and jivprince,) completely agree with your point that at less than 18 months old, the G1 should be a perfectly acceptable representative of Android- not all users change phones as often as they change underwear, and one of the devices I've been using these last few weeks was my circa-2005 HTC Wizard, which, running Windows Mobile 5, is a far more hopelessly outdated example of Windows Mobile than the G1 is of Android, yet for basic tasks, PIM mangement, and business functions, performed perfectly.  (My old Symbian-based circa-2002 Nokia 3650 didn't fare nearly as well!)   

If the G1 can't hold its own against the current crop of Android devices barely more than a year after its release, particularly given the promises of "open source" and OTA upgradability, that's a more damning example of a failure of Android's than any Exchange limitations or lack of on-board task management is!  The fact that Android OEMs are adding their own software to handle Exchange and desktop sync shows us that these areas are certainly points of weakness with the Android OS at the moment.

 

Todd Allcock:

I will, however, (with any due apologies to both Dave and jivprince,) completely agree with your point that at less than 18 months old, the G1 should be a perfectly acceptable representative of Android- not all users change phones as often as they change underwear, and one of the devices I've been using these last few weeks was my circa-2005 HTC Wizard, which, running Windows Mobile 5, is a far more hopelessly outdated example of Windows Mobile than the G1 is of Android, yet for basic tasks, PIM mangement, and business functions, performed perfectly.  (My old Symbian-based circa-2002 Nokia 3650 didn't fare nearly as well!)   

If the G1 can't hold its own against the current crop of Android devices barely more than a year after its release, particularly given the promises of "open source" and OTA upgradability, that's a more damning example of a failure of Android's than any Exchange limitations or lack of on-board task management is!  The fact that Android OEMs are adding their own software to handle Exchange and desktop sync shows us that these areas are certainly points of weakness with the Android OS at the moment.

I agree with the second paragraph of that, Android should be better at Exchange at an OS level. I don't agree with your point about and 18 month old device being an acceptable representative of Android. Things move on, especially the smartphone market. Look at Windows Phone 7 Series. In a years time how is the HD2 going to look? Should MS hold WM7S series back so that WP6.5 looks better? Who in their right mind is going to sign up for a 24 month contract for a WP6.5 device knowing that the shiney goodness of WP7S is just 9 months away? MS have stated that there will be no upgrade path for current devices to WM7S. Should Google offer an upgrade to Android 2.1 for the G1? Absolutely. Would any other cellular provider/device manufacturer (including Microsoft) on the planet be offering major OS level updates to devices 18 months old? Nope. It sucks but it's the way the industry is. It's not Google or HTC's (or Microsoft's) fault that mobile providers want users in 24 month contracts. 24 months between devices is just too long. The consumer has the option to go SIM Free if they want to though.

The G1 was is still a usable device but compared to the latest Android's it does look like is a couple of generations behind (which it is). Kudos to Google for pushing the OS forward quickly and to the device manufacturers like HTC for sumplimenting the base OS with extra goodies for new devices too. Major OS upgrades would be great, but as nobody else does it, why should Google/HTC?

Dave Parker MVP:

Todd Allcock:

I will, however, (with any due apologies to both Dave and jivprince,) completely agree with your point that at less than 18 months old, the G1 should be a perfectly acceptable representative of Android- not all users change phones as often as they change underwear, and one of the devices I've been using these last few weeks was my circa-2005 HTC Wizard, which, running Windows Mobile 5, is a far more hopelessly outdated example of Windows Mobile than the G1 is of Android, yet for basic tasks, PIM management, and business functions, performed perfectly.  (My old Symbian-based circa-2002 Nokia 3650 didn't fare nearly as well!)   

If the G1 can't hold its own against the current crop of Android devices barely more than a year after its release, particularly given the promises of "open source" and OTA upgradability, that's a more damning example of a failure of Android's than any Exchange limitations or lack of on-board task management is!  The fact that Android OEMs are adding their own software to handle Exchange and desktop sync shows us that these areas are certainly points of weakness with the Android OS at the moment.

I agree with the second paragraph of that, Android should be better at Exchange at an OS level. I don't agree with your point about and 18 month old device being an acceptable representative of Android. Things move on, especially the smartphone market. Look at Windows Phone 7 Series. In a years time how is the HD2 going to look?

 

Given the recent revelations about WP7S, including the memory card slot prohibition and lack of cut and paste, the HD2 will probably look pretty darn good, I should think! 

 

Dave Parker MVP:

Should MS hold WM7S series back so that WP6.5 looks better? Who in their right mind is going to sign up for a 24 month contract for a WP6.5 device knowing that the shiney goodness of WP7S is just 9 months away? MS have stated that there will be no upgrade path for current devices to WM7S. Should Google offer an upgrade to Android 2.1 for the G1? Absolutely. Would any other cellular provider/device manufacturer (including Microsoft) on the planet be offering major OS level updates to devices 18 months old? Nope. It sucks but it's the way the industry is. It's not Google or HTC's (or Microsoft's) fault that mobile providers want users in 24 month contracts. 24 months between devices is just too long. The consumer has the option to go SIM Free if they want to though.

Let's pause for a second and go with the premise that despite the numbering and nomenclature, WP7S is an entirely new OS.  It seemingly has nothing in common with Windows Mobile 6.x, so I'm sure that's a good analogy.  I certainly wouldn't expect an entire rewrite of Android to be pushed to older devices, but there's nothing about the G1 hardware that precludes it from running Android 2.x.

You're forgetting one smartphone manufacturer is still updating devices going on 3 years-old: Apple.  Google positioned Android as an iPhone-killer, touting OTA upgradability and an open-source OS.  I'd argue that consumer expectations are higher with post-iPhone-era devices, and while not explicitly promising upgrades, Google certainly implied that devices would magically stay current with background OTA downloads. 

Besides, it's in Google's best interest to provide updates- platform fragmentation was probably one of the biggest reasons for WinMo's current market troubles, and Google and its OEMs would be far better off following the Apple model than the typical cellular model of old.  Even MS seems to have learned that lesson and has already promised the "series" will receive updates to maintain a consistent experience and platform for developers.  It's not like people would stop buying new phones just because their OS stays current- the cell phone lifecycle is far more predicated on fashion and hardware features than OS revision!  Instead of creating raving fans, Google and HTC are creating a whole new market segment of disappointed customers.  "Android users stranded without upgrades, meet Windows Mobile users paddling that same boat!"  Nothing will drive consumers to an iPhone faster than this type of artificial obsolescence.  Other than a few functions mostly related to "missing" hardware (no GPS, no compass) my wife's circa-2007 iPhone is running the same OS and same software as every fresh-off-the-shelf iPhone 3GS sold today.  That's a powerful feature sure to look attractive to any year-old phone owner who finds the latest apps and games won't run on their device. 

My biggest gripe in my decade of using WinMo devices was the needless purchase of new models will very little hardware differences from the last just to get a "modern" version of the OS.  I have no problem buying a new device to get better hardware- a faster processor, more RAM, more connectivity options, GPS, compass, whatever, but to replace a G1 with a similar hardware-spec'd phone just to go from Cupcake, to Eclair, or Donut or Truffle or (whatever the current version of Android is called) is just silly in the post-iPhone world.

Dave Parker MVP:

The G1 was is still a usable device but compared to the latest Android's it does look like is a couple of generations behind (which it is). Kudos to Google for pushing the OS forward quickly and to the device manufacturers like HTC for sumplimenting the base OS with extra goodies for new devices too. Major OS upgrades would be great, but as nobody else does it, why should Google/HTC?

Sure- it looks a few generations behind, but that's due to styling, not hardware.  It sports much of the same hardware as newer Android devices (let's face it- once you've tossed in accelerometers, a compass, GPS, and large, capacitive touch-screens, the only real hardware differentiators left are RAM, storage and CPU speed.) 

Apple doesn't offer upgrades for old iPhones to save their customers money, or to allow them to put off hardware purchases; they do it to foster confidence in the platform.  iPhone buyers know their iPhone won't be obsoleted by the next model, and ironically, they upgrade to the next model anyway!  Offering upgrades is like offering good customer tech support- it isn't a profit center, but a necessary "evil" (to the bottom line) to boost the adoption of the product line/platform.  I'd have thought Google was smarter than that, and would've followed the successful Apple model, rather than the failed historic one.

 

Todd Allcock:

Let's pause for a second and go with the premise that despite the numbering and nomenclature, WP7S is an entirely new OS.  It seemingly has nothing in common with Windows Mobile 6.x, so I'm sure that's a good analogy.  I certainly wouldn't expect an entire rewrite of Android to be pushed to older devices, but there's nothing about the G1 hardware that precludes it from running Android 2.x.

Actually, I believe (and I'm no Android expert so this might not be the case) that the G1 shipped with a system partition that is too small to use the Donut (1.6) or Eclair (2.0) builds. I'm not sure exactly who you'd blame for that, but knowing the way the industry works it's likely that the system partition size for the hardware was likely a joint decision of HTC and the Operator and that Google had the least say in it. Obviously I'm speculating about that but there you go.

Todd Allcock:

Apple doesn't offer upgrades for old iPhones to save their customers money, or to allow them to put off hardware purchases; they do it to foster confidence in the platform.  iPhone buyers know their iPhone won't be obsoleted by the next model, and ironically, they upgrade to the next model anyway!  Offering upgrades is like offering good customer tech support- it isn't a profit center, but a necessary "evil" (to the bottom line) to boost the adoption of the product line/platform.  I'd have thought Google was smarter than that, and would've followed the successful Apple model, rather than the failed historic one.

I hear what you're saying, but I'd argue that the updates Apple has rolled out for both hardware and software should have been in the original iPhone anyway. Look at the iPhone now, and there's nothing in it that wasn't available on Windows Mobile devices of the day. I think here that Apple's mind games are even working on you Todd.......

 

Dave Parker MVP:

Todd Allcock:

Let's pause for a second and go with the premise that despite the numbering and nomenclature, WP7S is an entirely new OS.  It seemingly has nothing in common with Windows Mobile 6.x, so I'm sure that's a good analogy.  I certainly wouldn't expect an entire rewrite of Android to be pushed to older devices, but there's nothing about the G1 hardware that precludes it from running Android 2.x.

Actually, I believe (and I'm no Android expert so this might not be the case) that the G1 shipped with a system partition that is too small to use the Donut (1.6) or Eclair (2.0) builds. I'm not sure exactly who you'd blame for that, but knowing the way the industry works it's likely that the system partition size for the hardware was likely a joint decision of HTC and the Operator and that Google had the least say in it. Obviously I'm speculating about that but there you go.

Todd Allcock:

Apple doesn't offer upgrades for old iPhones to save their customers money, or to allow them to put off hardware purchases; they do it to foster confidence in the platform.  iPhone buyers know their iPhone won't be obsoleted by the next model, and ironically, they upgrade to the next model anyway!  Offering upgrades is like offering good customer tech support- it isn't a profit center, but a necessary "evil" (to the bottom line) to boost the adoption of the product line/platform.  I'd have thought Google was smarter than that, and would've followed the successful Apple model, rather than the failed historic one.

I hear what you're saying, but I'd argue that the updates Apple has rolled out for both hardware and software should have been in the original iPhone anyway. Look at the iPhone now, and there's nothing in it that wasn't available on Windows Mobile devices of the day. I think here that Apple's mind games are even working on you Todd.......

 

I'm far less knowledgable about Android than you, Dave, but I think the System Partition could be increased by performing an "old-school" upgrade (connect to a PC and wipe the phone clean, a la Windows Mobile, rather than the usual OTA) but I could be mistaken.

Nice, BTW, accusing me of falling for the Apple "mind games."  If I wasn't so afraid of mussing up my stylish black turtleneck, I'd take a swing at you! 

While it's true the iPhone updates haven't added any functionality WM didn't already have (for another few months anyway!), it's still impressive Apple hasn't fully obsoleted the older models.  That's an unequalled track record in mobile telephony!  

Speaking of that functionality, do you have the scary feeling WP7S was just a big misunderstanding?  Maybe Mr. Ballmer told the WP7S group he wanted them to "catch up to the iPhone," meaning market share, but they thought he meant feature set?  ("We've eliminated storage cards, multitasking, and cut-and-paste.  If we remove a few more features, we'll have 'caught up to the iPhone' by the holidays just like Mr. Ballmer asked!") 

 

 

Todd Allcock:

I'm far less knowledgable about Android than you, Dave, but I think the System Partition could be increased by performing an "old-school" upgrade (connect to a PC and wipe the phone clean, a la Windows Mobile, rather than the usual OTA) but I could be mistaken.

 

With that statement alone you've shown you know as much as I do about Android Todd!  Yes, there are ways around getting 2.1 on the G1 but not officially and I believe it's a bit of a hack. It's like in the old days with PocketPC 2003SE devices. You could get WM5 on there, but the hardware wasn't designed for it.

 

Todd Allcock:

While it's true the iPhone updates haven't added any functionality WM didn't already have (for another few months anyway!), it's still impressive Apple hasn't fully obsoleted the older models.  That's an unequalled track record in mobile telephony!  

Don't get me wrong, love it or loathe it you have to give Apple credit for what they've done for the portable media and now phone arenas. There's a little bit of innovation, a little bit of smoke and mirrors, and a lot of hype in there but the bottom line is they've delivered. What is it they say about Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery? Maybe Mr. Ballmer will have thatstylish black turtleneck off you?

Todd Allcock:

Speaking of that functionality, do you have the scary feeling WP7S was just a big misunderstanding?  Maybe Mr. Ballmer told the WP7S group he wanted them to "catch up to the iPhone," meaning market share, but they thought he meant feature set?  ("We've eliminated storage cards, multitasking, and cut-and-paste.  If we remove a few more features, we'll have 'caught up to the iPhone' by the holidays just like Mr. Ballmer asked!") 

You know what I'm thinking about this whole thing at the moment? How can MS possibly make WP7S SO much like the iPhone without getting slapped with and HTC style lawsuit or two on launch day?

Dave Parker MVP:

You know what I'm thinking about this whole thing at the moment? How can MS possibly make WP7S SO much like the iPhone without getting slapped with and HTC style lawsuit or two on launch day?

 

I read an interesting PC Magazine article not too long ago that theorized that the big players like Apple, MS, Google, etc. have such an arsenal of their own IP that companies would think twice before suing each other, and Apple attacked HTC (rather than Google) because HTC doesn't.

Apple's Patently Absurd HTC Suit

by Dan Costa

"...So why is Apple just attacking HTC?
"Every tech company, and especially those that have been in business for a
while, have huge stashes of patents, most of which are quite arcane. It
would be *** hard to build a PC, smartphone, or piece of software that
doesn't infringe on someone else's patent. That is the nature of innovation.
Few of these patents are enforced, and when they are, the companies usually
settle on a fair licensing fee, and everybody wins. All the companies
involved have incentives to play along, since everyone has the goods on
everyone else. Just don't try to play the game unless you have your own
arsenal of patents. I think that is what happened to HTC.

"There are plenty of other targets to choose from. Google developed Android
and is also selling Nexus One phones. Don't those phones violate Apple's
patents, as well? For that matter Motorola, Microsoft, and Palm are no doubt
in violation of many of these same patents. But they are too well-armed with
their own patent arsenals. I am sure HTC has some patents of its own, but
not as many as the other, more established firms. HTC brought a knife to a
gun fight..."

This article made an interesting point- that MS actually welcomes the Apple/HTC suit to sort out once and for all who owns what touchscreen tech, what tech is available to whom, etc.

In many ways, the outcome would make life easier for everyone- Palm with its Pre line, and Google and its OEMs are walking on eggshells making the Pre and Android phones a little touch enabled, using weird gestures they hope aren't infringing, etc.  A clear ruling on what is patented, what isn't, and who pays how much to whom when they implement what could make for an explosion of multi-touch devices on the market.

 

 Apple must have thought they could win to issue the lawsuit in the first place though wouldn't they? Or is it more Apple mindgames?

With the disclaimer that I have not personally used an Android device yet -

Isn't one of the big complaints that by updating the OS so frequently in such a short time (not to mention the competing Nexus 1 offered by Google) that users are having a hard time getting decent, knowledgable support, and also that apps aren't running consistently across the OS flavors?

While I'm not saying Google shouldn't upgrade their OS, it seems to me that on a platform as relatively young as Google's, that changing the OS this frequently can only be confusing to the users, especially if, as I think in the case of many consumer, they don't realize there ARE multiple flavors out there. Not updating all the various flavors for consistancy this early in the game is going to hurt them on multiple fronts.

As stated several times in this thread, iPhone keeps updating their OS across all phones, so the user experience is fairly consistent. Also, most iPhone users I know aren't really all that sophisticated about their devices. They like them because everything just works. Their phone and their friends' phones all work the same.

Windows phones actually have the same problem as Google with versions being somewhat opaque to users, but honestly, not too many non-business consumers are buying the phones at this time, so I think it's less of a problem.

Blackberry doesn't have any apps anyway, so who cares? J/K

-Andrea

 

fcms-us@viatraining.com:

With the disclaimer that I have not personally used an Android device yet -

Isn't one of the big complaints that by updating the OS so frequently in such a short time (not to mention the competing Nexus 1 offered by Google) that users are having a hard time getting decent, knowledgeable support, and also that apps aren't running consistently across the OS flavors?

While I'm not saying Google shouldn't upgrade their OS, it seems to me that on a platform as relatively young as Google's, that changing the OS this frequently can only be confusing to the users, especially if, as I think in the case of many consumer, they don't realize there ARE multiple flavors out there. Not updating all the various flavors for consistancy this early in the game is going to hurt them on multiple fronts.

As stated several times in this thread, iPhone keeps updating their OS across all phones, so the user experience is fairly consistent. Also, most iPhone users I know aren't really all that sophisticated about their devices. They like them because everything just works. Their phone and their friends' phones all work the same.

Windows phones actually have the same problem as Google with versions being somewhat opaque to users, but honestly, not too many non-business consumers are buying the phones at this time, so I think it's less of a problem.

Blackberry doesn't have any apps anyway, so who cares? J/K

-Andrea

 

LOL!  This is, of course, an excellent point, and it's exactly this type of OS fragmentation Microsoft is trying so hard to avoid with Windows Phone 7.  While the "old-timers" and power users like me are a little nervous that WP7 seems to be losing some of the customization and versatility of previous versions, Microsoft recognizes that a consistent user experience across all devices is extremely important to WinPhone's long term success.  It doesn't do any one any good if Microsoft's mobile OS is the best OS nobody uses!