“Oh oh oh, it’s Magic!”
So sang the great 70’s British pop band, Pilot.
Little did they know that 30 years on, their lyrics would be used in conjuntion with my love for this wonderful device. This, the second of the Android OS handsets to hit the industry as we know it – the Vodafone exclusive HTC Magic – has been a joy to use and has also, shockingly enough, kept me away from my much-loved N95 8GB.
Yes. It really is that good.
However, just like the aforementioned 1975 chart hit, when you move deeper, you see a different story. The next lyrics in the song being…
“Never believe, it’s not so.”
Sometimes, you spot the wires.
Sometimes, you see the cards slide under just there.
Sometimes, it’s the little things that can shatter the illusion.
You see the Magic gets so many things fantastically bang on the money, so perfectly right, but under closer inspection – cracks begin to form.
Let’s put this into context, some of you may remember when I trialled the first Android device, the T-Mobile G1. I said at the time, quite openly, that I wasn’t a fan.
The hardware was (and still is) very, very basic – you might even say toy-like – and is extremely creaky. The software was first generation; great if you’re Google-centric, painful if not.
Anyway, the point is, as simple and as (supposedly) easy it is to sign up/in into a G1 phone – if you don’t have a Google-centric life, then this phone is not for you. Think about it. Think about it a lot. Then think about it again.
And on top of all that, the camera’s crap and the phone feels like a fisher-price toy.
One thing I said about the G1 that carries through to this day, in regards to the Android OS at least, is that you get the BEST experience if your communications are Google-centric.
I doubt this will ever change.
But what about the Magic? That’s why you’re here right?
Well, look and feel wise the hardware is a massive improvement over it’s predecessor and overall, not since Nokia released the E71 have I found a phone such a pleasure to hold. The plastic casing belies a smooth, almost seamless finish which slides into the hand effortlessly. This phone implores you to play with it.
Upon switching on the first time you’re greeted with the gushing bright redness of the Vodafone welcome screen, and of course, the now as-standard Android/Google sign-in process. Something that should be pointed out at this moment is that since my first play last year, I’ve moved all my comms over to Google Apps. It’s only something I’ve done recently, but after too many annoyances with Yahoo’s still-born attempts at anything mobile, something had to be done and, if I’m honest, I’m loving it so far.
Being able to sign into the Magic with my Google Apps account makes a world of difference. This is the shape of communications devices of the future, without a doubt.
Google Talk IM integration, Google Maps, push email, OTA sync with contacts and calendar, the list goes on. When it comes to consuming content of any kind; texts, emails, IMs, web pages, this phone truly shines.
Then there is of course Google’s own app store, the Android Marketplace. The few games and apps I’ve downloaded have proven useful and fun in equal measure. Extra points go to both Robo Defense and Abduction for quenching my Flight Control thirst that I seem to have acquired of late. The paid apps were simple enough to purchase too. I was hoping for operator billing to handle it all on the back end, but instead found that it was all run through Google Checkout. However, I popped my debit card details in once and that’s it, job done. Perhaps Ovi could learn something here, what do you say Ben?
The Magic’s camera is 3.2mp, and even though it lacks flash, the picture quality is surprisingly good.
See below for comparison shots between the Magic and another 3.2mp camera phone, the Nokia 5800.
Can you tell which one’s which?
But when we return to the hardware, we arrive at the drawbacks that make me tug on that invisible string that I’ve secretly attached to my beloved Nokia. The one aspect that lets the Magic down is content creation. Yes, the image above looks great, but the angle required to take the photo annoyed me. The Magic, not having a dedicated camera key, means that the image capture button is actually on the screen. Not a deal breaker admittedly, but it niggled.
Next, the sharing of that image. The default options are Gmail, MMS or Picasa, none of which I’m interested in. This means I had to download and install an app specifically for this function, Pixelpipe to be precise and – ugh – what a terrible, terrible UI. I was unsure of what images were going where and/or how to upload them. This resulted in erroneous Twitpics, un-titled photos and ultimately, a very unhappy Whatley.
Finally, and this one is the deal breaker for me, we get to the one thing that – if done correctly – would put the HTC that little bit closer to being my N95 replacement.
Text. Input.
The Magic comes with Google Android v1.5 – aka ‘Cupcake’ – out of the box. That means it has the on-screen touch keyboard (which is handy, given that unlike the G1 before it, the HTC doesn’t flip out to reveal qwerty-based goodness underneath) which can only be described as infuriating. The keyboard, either in portrait or landscape makes text input such a long drawn out process that it borders on painful. Writing something as simple as a text message, is such an arduous task that it requires a level of concentration that I’m simply not used to when it comes to such a simple undertaking.
Bear in mind that this is coming from someone who can write text messages in his pocket, without looking. You can’t even begin to imagine how frustrating this is for me. So close, so close to being perfect, but let down on something so basic.
I was discussing the Magic online recently when I said:
“Using the HTC Magic is like upgrading to the latest Swiss Army Knife, only to discover that your favourite parts are missing.”
And I stand by that. The Magic is an awesome, awesome phone. It (much to Ben Smith’s annoyance) even comes with Latitude – something that T-Mobile are yet to switch on here in the UK – which is again, more bags of awesome. Not only that but also, the Magic has arrived on my beloved Vodafone; super-fast, super-quick and super-connected.
However, when it comes to picking a new phone, text entry matters, for me at least and the on screen keyboard trails a paltry third place behind the 5800 and the iPhone.
…
You’d think that after all that, I’d be back on board with my N95 8GB. But no, the Magic is still going strong. I’m putting up with the niggles and the faults, for now.
I tried to switch back to my Nokia at the weekend, the result? With sadness in my eyes, I looked down upon my 5MP lovely and said outloud:
“This just isn’t fun anymore”
I am under the Android spell… now if only I could put it on my Nokia.
Thanks for the review, that’s something to take not of, the share feature should be easier to implement. Why can’t you just add a Flickr button, or Shozu or something.
Text entry is huge for me, which is why I’m sticking to my E71 for now, but I can’t help but feel S60 is getting long in the tooth … but you know what, it works for me and I can use it with one hand so why am I complaining?
Thanks for the review.
James Whatley Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 22:57
Yeah, I missed a ShoZu app – greatly. Pixelpipe just didn’t do it for me.
Agreed about S60, but I only noticed when I went back.
Kinda like when you first went back to VHS after watching DVDs.
Ben Smith Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 00:21
You can – i Tweet adds a button and there’s also a Picasa one on my G1. You just need a Shozu or Flickr app… same as S60.
James Whatley Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 06:18
Searched the Marketplace high and low for it after your original recommendation.
Can’t find it.
Thanks for the review, that's something to take not of, the share feature should be easier to implement. Why can't you just add a Flickr button, or Shozu or something.Text entry is huge for me, which is why I'm sticking to my E71 for now, but I can't help but feel S60 is getting long in the tooth … but you know what, it works for me and I can use it with one hand so why am I complaining?Thanks for the review.
Thanks for the review, that's something to take not of, the share feature should be easier to implement. Why can't you just add a Flickr button, or Shozu or something.
Text entry is huge for me, which is why I'm sticking to my E71 for now, but I can't help but feel S60 is getting long in the tooth … but you know what, it works for me and I can use it with one hand so why am I complaining?
Thanks for the review.
Yeah, I missed a ShoZu app – greatly. Pixelpipe just didn't do it for me. Agreed about S60, but I only noticed when I went back. Kinda like when you first went back to VHS after watching DVDs.
Yeah, I missed a ShoZu app – greatly. Pixelpipe just didn't do it for me.
Agreed about S60, but I only noticed when I went back.
Kinda like when you first went back to VHS after watching DVDs.
You can – i Tweet adds a button and there's also a Picasa one on my G1. You just need a Shozu or Flickr app… same as S60.
You can – i Tweet adds a button and there's also a Picasa one on my G1. You just need a Shozu or Flickr app… same as S60.
Dear James,
about the camera, you can press the trackball to take photos.
I agree the Magic is near perfect if your life is Google centric and I don’t know who to blame, Android or HTC, but I’m having some issues with this phone:
– Battery life sucks. It’s an everyday charge and I’m not using it as my main phone.
– I’m still trying to figure out how multitasks works. Long pressing home button shows your recent launched apps, but there is no hotkey to access the applications running. I installed a task manager to switch between running programs and I found sometimes apps are closing themselves in a magical way. It’s like WinMo, but worse.
– Because of the task switching, I find myself pressing the small home and menu buttons all day.
– Browser is similar to Symbian S60. Slightly worse: no Flash so you got a lot of Javascript warnings.
– I installed Opera Mini from Android Market and it doesn’t work, the virtual keyboard doesn’t work. Other apps from the market could also be installed but throw errors and just don’t open. There are pre-cupcake and post-cupcake apps, and you are free to try your luck. Great.
-The capacitive screen driver is not polished, sometimes you have to touch twice, sometimes the system freezes and then you see a list scrolling really fast to the bottom. Fun.
The whole experience for me is like a better WinMo. I wonder if people buying this Magic will not switch back fast to their old devices. I will wait until Android use lunch codenames.
James Whatley Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 08:41
Hey Oscar,
Sounds like we had very different experiences indeed!
Thanks for the tip regarding the trackball, makes taking photos much easier. What with being shown an on-screen button for image capture I figured that was the only way to do it and (unfortunately), my Magic arrived without any instructions. So that may very well be in the manual.
I didn’t notice any battery issues, the phone is ‘always on’ so I wouldn’t expect the battery to be amazing. However I habitually charge handsets over night anyway, so ‘an every day charge’ is nothing new to me.
IMO, browsing the internet on the Magic as a whole was fantastic and something I will miss greatly when it comes to sending it back. I can’t speak for Opera Mini as I had no need to try it, but I can say that the HTC beats Symbian S60’s Internet Browser hands down.
Yes the lack of flash can be an irritant but only on occasion and the few times I hit something like YouTube, the onboard application picked it up for me anyway. I’ve been using a Nokia 5800 as my 2nd device for a while now and the two just simply do not compare.
I didn’t experience any system freezes or any problems with switching tasks and, like I said in the piece, the Magic didn’t make me ‘switch back fast’.
In fact it’s made consider something *other* than a Nokia for my next device.
Thanks for dropping by,
J. 🙂
Oscar B Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 13:38
Thanks, James.
Not trying to be a troll, but I guess I was expecting more from Android (another over-hype victim).
It’s funny, I’m also looking to the east now.
[Disclaimer, I work for Vodafone. I don’t speak for them, but I’m highly biased]
Regarding the content creation – you can install apps like twitdroid which give you extra sharing option. Don’t forget that Nokia’s Share Online only has flickr & Vox. I find sending images via email to be the easiest way to get things to flickr, twitpic etc. I find the integrated YouTube upload to be just fine, though.
Once great thing about the camera is the focus on it. Really good for scanning in barcodes & getting close-up shots.
The keyboard… ah.. the keybaord. From best to worst, I’d say BB 9000, Android, ZX-81, iPhone. I really can’t get on with the iPhone kybd, but I find the Android to be very good – for a touch screen. I found it better when I switched on haptic-feedback; I appreciate not everyone likes that.
I’m reasonably sure you can pair a BlueTooth keyboard with it and – if my reading of the dev scene is correct – you may soon be able to use a full keyboard via USB OTG.
T
PS – Damn you for introducing me to Robo Defense – I was up until 2AM playing that!
TerenceEden Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 09:39
To switch on haptic-feedback -> Settings -> Locale & text -> Android Keyboard -> Vibrate on keypress.
There are all sorts of goodies in the settings menu.
James Whatley Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 11:15
Thank for that, I’ll give it a go.
Any other useful nuggets you want to share? 🙂
PS. Glad to hear it re: Robo Defense. I want to buy the full version but don’t think it’s out yet.
*grumble grumble*
martyndavies Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 13:46
Terence it’s great to see the ZX-81 still in the running!
Nice review. Thanks. I’ve had an N95 8GB for 18 months, now. It’s still a good device and I haven’t seen anything that’s superior enough to get my money.
I’ve tried E71, Bold, Storm, iPhone, G1, 5800, etc. — thse are good devices, but not so much better than the N95 8GB to justify spending a few hundred pounds on.
What’s an acceptable cycle for upgrading a smartphone. 2 years? More?
James Whatley Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 11:13
I’m surprised at how long my N95 8GB has lasted me actually, I’ve had the handset since launch (first in the N95-1 ‘silver’ flavour, then latterly the black 8GB upgrade) and it’s always been my phone of choice in virtually every situation.
The all-encompassing synchronicity of the HTC Magic with GTalk, Google Apps, Contacts, GMaps… with content semantically linked throughout the handset is so close to the mobile/social-mecca I proposed just over a year ago* it really proved to me that this is a revolution in unified comms.
Really.
*See here – http://whatleydude.com/2008/04/dump_s60_on_your_n95_and_install_the_facebook_os_instead/
🙂
Searched the Marketplace high and low for it after your original recommendation. Can't find it.
Searched the Marketplace high and low for it after your original recommendation.
Can't find it.
Great review Whatley!
Have to agree with you on most parts, I presume we have similar day to day routines and needs for certain features on handsets. The lack of physical keyboard is one of the major reason’s why I’m still stuck with my original N95. I’m hoping more devices will be coming with physical keyboard. As good looking as the Magic is, it’s just not going to cut it to replace my trusty N95 quite yet.
One thing that will always play on my mind is the Operator’s having control over what is released and when (firmware included), T-Mobile’s lack of Latitude support is just an example.
Dear James,about the camera, you can press the trackball to take photos.I agree the Magic is near perfect if your life is Google centric and I don't know who to blame, Android or HTC, but I'm having some issues with this phone:- Battery life sucks. It's an everyday charge and I'm not using it as my main phone.- I'm still trying to figure out how multitasks works. Long pressing home button shows your recent launched apps, but there is no hotkey to access the applications running. I installed a task manager to switch between running programs and I found sometimes apps are closing themselves in a magical way. It's like WinMo, but worse.- Because of the task switching, I find myself pressing the small home and menu buttons all day.- Browser is similar to Symbian S60. Slightly worse: no Flash so you got a lot of Javascript warnings.- I installed Opera Mini from Android Market and it doesn't work, the virtual keyboard doesn't work. Other apps from the market could also be installed but throw errors and just don't open. There are pre-cupcake and post-cupcake apps, and you are free to try your luck. Great.-The capacitive screen driver is not polished, sometimes you have to touch twice, sometimes the system freezes and then you see a list scrolling really fast to the bottom. Fun.The whole experience for me is like a better WinMo. I wonder if people buying this Magic will not switch back fast to their old devices. I will wait until Android use lunch codenames.
Dear James,
about the camera, you can press the trackball to take photos.
I agree the Magic is near perfect if your life is Google centric and I don't know who to blame, Android or HTC, but I'm having some issues with this phone:
– Battery life sucks. It's an everyday charge and I'm not using it as my main phone.
– I'm still trying to figure out how multitasks works. Long pressing home button shows your recent launched apps, but there is no hotkey to access the applications running. I installed a task manager to switch between running programs and I found sometimes apps are closing themselves in a magical way. It's like WinMo, but worse.
– Because of the task switching, I find myself pressing the small home and menu buttons all day.
– Browser is similar to Symbian S60. Slightly worse: no Flash so you got a lot of Javascript warnings.
– I installed Opera Mini from Android Market and it doesn't work, the virtual keyboard doesn't work. Other apps from the market could also be installed but throw errors and just don't open. There are pre-cupcake and post-cupcake apps, and you are free to try your luck. Great.
-The capacitive screen driver is not polished, sometimes you have to touch twice, sometimes the system freezes and then you see a list scrolling really fast to the bottom. Fun.
The whole experience for me is like a better WinMo. I wonder if people buying this Magic will not switch back fast to their old devices. I will wait until Android use lunch codenames.
Hey Oscar, Sounds like we had very different experiences indeed!Thanks for the tip regarding the trackball, makes taking photos much easier. What with being shown an on-screen button for image capture I figured that was the only way to do it and (unfortunately), my Magic arrived without any instructions. So that may very well be in the manual. I didn't notice any battery issues, the phone is 'always on' so I wouldn't expect the battery to be amazing. However I habitually charge handsets over night anyway, so 'an every day charge' is nothing new to me. IMO, browsing the internet on the Magic as a whole was fantastic and something I will miss greatly when it comes to sending it back. I can't speak for Opera Mini as I had no need to try it, but I can say that the HTC beats Symbian S60's Internet Browser hands down. Yes the lack of flash can be an irritant but only on occasion and the few times I hit something like YouTube, the onboard application picked it up for me anyway. I've been using a Nokia 5800 as my 2nd device for a while now and the two just simply do not compare. I didn't experience any system freezes or any problems with switching tasks and, like I said in the piece, the Magic didn't make me 'switch back fast'.In fact it's made consider something *other* than a Nokia for my next device. Thanks for dropping by, J. 🙂
Hey Oscar,
Sounds like we had very different experiences indeed!
Thanks for the tip regarding the trackball, makes taking photos much easier. What with being shown an on-screen button for image capture I figured that was the only way to do it and (unfortunately), my Magic arrived without any instructions. So that may very well be in the manual.
I didn't notice any battery issues, the phone is 'always on' so I wouldn't expect the battery to be amazing. However I habitually charge handsets over night anyway, so 'an every day charge' is nothing new to me.
IMO, browsing the internet on the Magic as a whole was fantastic and something I will miss greatly when it comes to sending it back. I can't speak for Opera Mini as I had no need to try it, but I can say that the HTC beats Symbian S60's Internet Browser hands down.
Yes the lack of flash can be an irritant but only on occasion and the few times I hit something like YouTube, the onboard application picked it up for me anyway. I've been using a Nokia 5800 as my 2nd device for a while now and the two just simply do not compare.
I didn't experience any system freezes or any problems with switching tasks and, like I said in the piece, the Magic didn't make me 'switch back fast'.
In fact it's made consider something *other* than a Nokia for my next device.
Thanks for dropping by,
J. 🙂
[Disclaimer, I work for Vodafone. I don't speak for them, but I'm highly biased]Regarding the content creation – you can install apps like twitdroid which give you extra sharing option. Don't forget that Nokia's Share Online only has flickr & Vox. I find sending images via email to be the easiest way to get things to flickr, twitpic etc. I find the integrated YouTube upload to be just fine, though.Once great thing about the camera is the focus on it. Really good for scanning in barcodes & getting close-up shots.The keyboard… ah.. the keybaord. From best to worst, I'd say BB 9000, Android, ZX-81, iPhone. I really can't get on with the iPhone kybd, but I find the Android to be very good – for a touch screen. I found it better when I switched on haptic-feedback; I appreciate not everyone likes that.I'm reasonably sure you can pair a BlueTooth keyboard with it and – if my reading of the dev scene is correct – you may soon be able to use a full keyboard via USB OTG.TPS – Damn you for introducing me to Robo Defense – I was up until 2AM playing that!
[Disclaimer, I work for Vodafone. I don't speak for them, but I'm highly biased]
Regarding the content creation – you can install apps like twitdroid which give you extra sharing option. Don't forget that Nokia's Share Online only has flickr & Vox. I find sending images via email to be the easiest way to get things to flickr, twitpic etc. I find the integrated YouTube upload to be just fine, though.
Once great thing about the camera is the focus on it. Really good for scanning in barcodes & getting close-up shots.
The keyboard… ah.. the keybaord. From best to worst, I'd say BB 9000, Android, ZX-81, iPhone. I really can't get on with the iPhone kybd, but I find the Android to be very good – for a touch screen. I found it better when I switched on haptic-feedback; I appreciate not everyone likes that.
I'm reasonably sure you can pair a BlueTooth keyboard with it and – if my reading of the dev scene is correct – you may soon be able to use a full keyboard via USB OTG.
T
PS – Damn you for introducing me to Robo Defense – I was up until 2AM playing that!
To switch on haptic-feedback -> Settings -> Locale & text -> Android Keyboard -> Vibrate on keypress.There are all sorts of goodies in the settings menu.
To switch on haptic-feedback -> Settings -> Locale & text -> Android Keyboard -> Vibrate on keypress.
There are all sorts of goodies in the settings menu.
Nice review. Thanks. I've had an N95 8GB for 18 months, now. It's still a good device and I haven't seen anything that's superior enough to get my money.I've tried E71, Bold, Storm, iPhone, G1, 5800, etc. — thse are good devices, but not so much better than the N95 8GB to justify spending a few hundred pounds on.What's an acceptable cycle for upgrading a smartphone. 2 years? More?
Nice review. Thanks. I've had an N95 8GB for 18 months, now. It's still a good device and I haven't seen anything that's superior enough to get my money.
I've tried E71, Bold, Storm, iPhone, G1, 5800, etc. — thse are good devices, but not so much better than the N95 8GB to justify spending a few hundred pounds on.
What's an acceptable cycle for upgrading a smartphone. 2 years? More?
I'm surprised at how long my N95 8GB has lasted me actually, I've had the handset since launch (first in the N95-1 'silver' flavour, then latterly the black 8GB upgrade) and it's always been my phone of choice in virtually every situation. The all-encompassing synchronicity of the HTC Magic with GTalk, Google Apps, Contacts, GMaps… with content semantically linked throughout the handset is so close to the mobile/social-mecca I proposed just over a year ago* it really proved to me that this is a revolution in unified comms.Really.*See here – http://whatleydude.com/2008/04/dump_s60_on_your…🙂
I'm surprised at how long my N95 8GB has lasted me actually, I've had the handset since launch (first in the N95-1 'silver' flavour, then latterly the black 8GB upgrade) and it's always been my phone of choice in virtually every situation.
The all-encompassing synchronicity of the HTC Magic with GTalk, Google Apps, Contacts, GMaps… with content semantically linked throughout the handset is so close to the mobile/social-mecca I proposed just over a year ago* it really proved to me that this is a revolution in unified comms.
Really.
*See here – http://whatleydude.com/2008/04/dump_s60_on_your…
🙂
Thank for that, I'll give it a go. Any other useful nuggets you want to share? 🙂 PS. Glad to hear it re: Robo Defense. I want to buy the full version but don't think it's out yet. *grumble grumble*
Thank for that, I'll give it a go.
Any other useful nuggets you want to share? 🙂
PS. Glad to hear it re: Robo Defense. I want to buy the full version but don't think it's out yet.
*grumble grumble*
Great review Whatley!Have to agree with you on most parts, I presume we have similar day to day routines and needs for certain features on handsets. The lack of physical keyboard is one of the major reason's why I'm still stuck with my original N95. I'm hoping more devices will be coming with physical keyboard. As good looking as the Magic is, it's just not going to cut it to replace my trusty N95 quite yet.One thing that will always play on my mind is the Operator's having control over what is released and when (firmware included), T-Mobile's lack of Latitude support is just an example.
Great review Whatley!
Have to agree with you on most parts, I presume we have similar day to day routines and needs for certain features on handsets. The lack of physical keyboard is one of the major reason's why I'm still stuck with my original N95. I'm hoping more devices will be coming with physical keyboard. As good looking as the Magic is, it's just not going to cut it to replace my trusty N95 quite yet.
One thing that will always play on my mind is the Operator's having control over what is released and when (firmware included), T-Mobile's lack of Latitude support is just an example.
Thanks, James.Not trying to be a troll, but I guess I was expecting more from Android (another over-hype victim).It's funny, I'm also looking to the east now.
Thanks, James.
Not trying to be a troll, but I guess I was expecting more from Android (another over-hype victim).
It's funny, I'm also looking to the east now.
Terence it's great to see the ZX-81 still in the running!
Terence it's great to see the ZX-81 still in the running!
I was a bit surprised with how badly you considered the keyboard to be. Not because it’s amazing, but the overall feedback in comparison to the iPhone was that it’s ‘at least as good’. Which, to be fair, doesn’t mean it’s good – but you’ve obviously got a slightly different take on it.
My initial reason for posting was regarding this. I recently installed the ‘Better Keyboard’ app which is from the same guys who released Open Home. Naturally you’ll need to check it out via your phone, but the Cyrket link is here :
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.betterandroid.betterkeyboard
Secondly, regarding Oscar B’s comments which largely boiled down to the background app/multiple apps running facility which Android has – there are numerous videos available which explain exactly how the system stores the states of applications whilst they’re not active, and numerous apps which show you exactly what’s running at any given time, either as a background app or as a service. But whatever your take on how ‘inconvenient’ it is to hit a single Home button to go back to the main screen, the value that background applications bring outweigh that by a hundred-fold.
And finally… a comment about Opera Mini. I love Opera. And the fact it syncs with my browser’s bookmarks is fantastic. In theory. But when it comes down to it, I don’t actually use my mobile to surf any of the sites I do on my desktop and, as far as I’m aware, the browser on Android is one of the few defaults that can’t be changed. As such, it’s a relatively un-used app so far.
I was a bit surprised with how badly you considered the keyboard to be. Not because it's amazing, but the overall feedback in comparison to the iPhone was that it's 'at least as good'. Which, to be fair, doesn't mean it's good – but you've obviously got a slightly different take on it.My initial reason for posting was regarding this. I recently installed the 'Better Keyboard' app which is from the same guys who released Open Home. Naturally you'll need to check it out via your phone, but the Cyrket link is here :http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.betterandroid…Secondly, regarding Oscar B's comments which largely boiled down to the background app/multiple apps running facility which Android has – there are numerous videos available which explain exactly how the system stores the states of applications whilst they're not active, and numerous apps which show you exactly what's running at any given time, either as a background app or as a service. But whatever your take on how 'inconvenient' it is to hit a single Home button to go back to the main screen, the value that background applications bring outweigh that by a hundred-fold.And finally… a comment about Opera Mini. I love Opera. And the fact it syncs with my browser's bookmarks is fantastic. In theory. But when it comes down to it, I don't actually use my mobile to surf any of the sites I do on my desktop and, as far as I'm aware, the browser on Android is one of the few defaults that can't be changed. As such, it's a relatively un-used app so far.
I was a bit surprised with how badly you considered the keyboard to be. Not because it's amazing, but the overall feedback in comparison to the iPhone was that it's 'at least as good'. Which, to be fair, doesn't mean it's good – but you've obviously got a slightly different take on it.
My initial reason for posting was regarding this. I recently installed the 'Better Keyboard' app which is from the same guys who released Open Home. Naturally you'll need to check it out via your phone, but the Cyrket link is here :
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.betterandroid…
Secondly, regarding Oscar B's comments which largely boiled down to the background app/multiple apps running facility which Android has – there are numerous videos available which explain exactly how the system stores the states of applications whilst they're not active, and numerous apps which show you exactly what's running at any given time, either as a background app or as a service. But whatever your take on how 'inconvenient' it is to hit a single Home button to go back to the main screen, the value that background applications bring outweigh that by a hundred-fold.
And finally… a comment about Opera Mini. I love Opera. And the fact it syncs with my browser's bookmarks is fantastic. In theory. But when it comes down to it, I don't actually use my mobile to surf any of the sites I do on my desktop and, as far as I'm aware, the browser on Android is one of the few defaults that can't be changed. As such, it's a relatively un-used app so far.
I attended the Google I/O conference this week in San Francisco and received my Android HTC Magic phone around noon on Wednesday. It is Friday and I am still impressed.
Like James, I am a Nokia die-hard, but due to two factors: one hardware and one software, I am currently willing to be swayed. I really want a kick ass camera phone with the ability to post to my own blog. In the Nokia N95, I found my mo-pho-blogging dream in the 5 mp camera with Lifeblog to mobile blog my photos to my blog with no stops at another server (like Flickr or PixelPipe or…).
Unfortunately for me, Nokia has decided to discontinue Lifeblog on their new phones and is not allowing folks to put in their own blogs as options for the Share Online. On top of that, the N97 would be delicious if it had an 8mp camera and a zenon flash.
Thus, if I don’t have a direct moblogging connection to my blog and Nokia has seen fit to not upgrade the camera in its 2009 Flagship device (if you doubt me, go see my N95 v. N97 camera comparison), then I am a free agent.
The LG Viewty Smart looks very interesting with its “manual” focus feature (you touch the screen where you want the camera to focus). The Sony Ericsson c905 looks good with its 8mp and zenon flash. The Nokia N86 looks good, but it is a slider (I hate sliders). Will Apple take the camera seriously in the 3rd Gen iPhone? (most likely not)
All this to be said, I was very pleasantly surprised by Google’s present of an unlocked HTC Magic mobile with the Android 1.5 (cupcake) pre-installed to all conference attendees. It was a brilliant marketing move and a great way to seed the app store by making sure a couple of thousand developers had the device to take home and hack at.
After two days with the little device, I like it, I like it a lot. Like James, I love the hand feel. Even more than the Nokia N79, which is my fave device to hold in my had to date. I like that the Magic fits in my hand and that I can type one handed and manipulate all the features, except take a photo, one handed. I have very small hands for an adult, so this is wonderful.
I like the screen size. After installing Twitdroid, I was perfectly content with the suite of Google native apps and Twitdroid and found myself sucked into the device at all times to the exclusion of watching where I was walking.
I have only two complaints, the two that will probably stop it from being my 100% full-time device:
1) The keyboard is not as annoying at the iPhone virtual keyboard, but it is pretty close. I am constantly making typos. I really wish the HTC Magic had a Qwerty keyboard in addition to the touch screen.
2) While the camera is surprisingly good for a 3.2 mp camera, and so far most of my photos have been better than the photos I was getting from the Nokia N79 (5 mp), the big flaw for me as a photo junkie is the 3.2 mp rather than 5 mp or 8 mp and the lack of camera controls. There is no programmic photo controls that I can find and no flash. So, I continue to carry my Nokia N95 to take photos and moblog them up to my blog but am using the Magic for everything else.
There is no Shozu app/client for Android and as of April, according to the Shozu forums, they have no plans right now to provide one until the Android market share gets larger. So if you aren’t using email to send your photos or Pixelpipe or m.flickr.com or Picassa, then the content creation and sharing is a bit of a dead end.
But this is why Google gave the phones away at the conference, they want us to code lots of apps. Too bad I write in Python, Ruby and PHP, and not Java. Danged Java.
[/novella]
For improved camera controls (which by default are, indeed, pretty much non-existent) give Snap Photo a try. There’s a free version, but since the main app is only $0.99 I didn’t bother with the trial.
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.ap.SnapPhoto_Pro
It’s staggering how many people request flash as a functionality of this app but, that aside, this should cover a lot of the controls you need for taking photos.
I attended the Google I/O conference this week in San Francisco and received my Android HTC Magic phone around noon on Wednesday. It is Friday and I am still impressed.Like James, I am a Nokia die-hard, but due to two factors: one hardware and one software, I am currently willing to be swayed. I really want a kick ass camera phone with the ability to post to my own blog. In the Nokia N95, I found my mo-pho-blogging dream in the 5 mp camera with Lifeblog to mobile blog my photos to my blog with no stops at another server (like Flickr or PixelPipe or…).Unfortunately for me, Nokia has decided to discontinue Lifeblog on their new phones and is not allowing folks to put in their own blogs as options for the Share Online. On top of that, the N97 would be delicious if it had an 8mp camera and a zenon flash. Thus, if I don't have a direct moblogging connection to my blog and Nokia has seen fit to not upgrade the camera in its 2009 Flagship device (if you doubt me, go see my N95 v. N97 camera comparison), then I am a free agent. The LG Viewty Smart looks very interesting with its “manual” focus feature (you touch the screen where you want the camera to focus). The Sony Ericsson c905 looks good with its 8mp and zenon flash. The Nokia N86 looks good, but it is a slider (I hate sliders). Will Apple take the camera seriously in the 3rd Gen iPhone? (most likely not)All this to be said, I was very pleasantly surprised by Google's present of an unlocked HTC Magic mobile with the Android 1.5 (cupcake) pre-installed to all conference attendees. It was a brilliant marketing move and a great way to seed the app store by making sure a couple of thousand developers had the device to take home and hack at.After two days with the little device, I like it, I like it a lot. Like James, I love the hand feel. Even more than the Nokia N79, which is my fave device to hold in my had to date. I like that the Magic fits in my hand and that I can type one handed and manipulate all the features, except take a photo, one handed. I have very small hands for an adult, so this is wonderful. I like the screen size. After installing Twitdroid, I was perfectly content with the suite of Google native apps and Twitdroid and found myself sucked into the device at all times to the exclusion of watching where I was walking. I have only two complaints, the two that will probably stop it from being my 100% full-time device: 1) The keyboard is not as annoying at the iPhone virtual keyboard, but it is pretty close. I am constantly making typos. I really wish the HTC Magic had a Qwerty keyboard in addition to the touch screen.2) While the camera is surprisingly good for a 3.2 mp camera, and so far most of my photos have been better than the photos I was getting from the Nokia N79 (5 mp), the big flaw for me as a photo junkie is the 3.2 mp rather than 5 mp or 8 mp and the lack of camera controls. There is no programmic photo controls that I can find and no flash. So, I continue to carry my Nokia N95 to take photos and moblog them up to my blog but am using the Magic for everything else.There is no Shozu app/client for Android and as of April, according to the Shozu forums, they have no plans right now to provide one until the Android market share gets larger. So if you aren't using email to send your photos or Pixelpipe or m.flickr.com or Picassa, then the content creation and sharing is a bit of a dead end.But this is why Google gave the phones away at the conference, they want us to code lots of apps. Too bad I write in Python, Ruby and PHP, and not Java. Danged Java.[/novella]