Android's Message to the Enterprise
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Lots of reviews of the first Google-powered smartphone. Jason Chen at Gizmodo has a thorough one, set up in suitably epic tones: There is a lot riding on the shoulders of T-Mobile's G1 Android phone. In some ways, it carries the collective hopes of Linux, open source and Google fans everywhere. It's open, collaborative and community-based, in other words, everything the iPhone and Windows Mobile aren't. As so many onlookers crowd around this newborn phone, there's no way it can hold up all of their expectations--and it doesn't.His conclusion: Despite all the UI quirks and bad design decisions, it's still better than other smartphone OSes out there. It's not perfect, but for people who like tinkering, its cons are outweighed by its pros...This isn't something you're going to give your mom for Christmas, but if you're an adventuresome gadget guy with some money to spend ($179) on a totally new, pretty exciting venture, then why not? Mossberg calls it "the first hand-held computer that's in the same class as Apple's iPhone," says it lags as a multimedia device but also does things (like cut and paste) that iPhone can't, and will be preferable for folks who want a physical keyboard (even if this one is not so great). iPhone fan Michelle Maltais says "the iPhone is an iPod with other cool features that can make phone calls. The G1 is a search tool that plays music and makes phone calls." TechCrunch makes a point we like to make around here -- "the apps on Android have a real chance of blowing away the apps on the iPhone some day just because Android is much more open" -- but says that someday has not yet arrived. Bottom line for the enterprise: this is another big step along the road to ubiquity for smartphones/mobile computing devices. We all know what that means: you won't be able to keep them out of your shop if you try. It's past time to be working on your implementation strategy. |
