This is a bit off topic but it does get a little into Python. I don't know much about the smartphone world. I got my first trusty-rusty cellphone in 2000 when I started travelling, then around 2006 it died and I got a hand-me-down that's essentially identical, one of those that barely does texting. I was just waiting until smartphones became open enough (non-proprietary, ideally Linux) and established enough (so it wouldn't get unsupprted or obsolete in a year or two), and I had a specific need for it (portable email and web would be nice but is not necessary for me, but now I've seen that OneBusAway would be useful to see when a bus is coming if it's late). And having something I could program in Python on would be a bonus.
So, Android looks like it's a step closer to what I've been waiting for, although I'm not quite sure if it's relevant enough for me to actually get one. But I'm curious, and now I have to do something because my AT&T phone doesn't work inside half my apartment, so I either have to get on my roommate's T-Mobile family plan or get an Android, and it would be silly to do one now and the other a few months later, so I'm looking more closely at it. But I don't know basic things like where do you get one, how do you choose between the different kinds/brands, how do you find one that's not locked to a single carrier, etc? And does it do Python? the FAQ says you write apps in Java and it compiles them to a custom embedded language. Does that mean Jython works on it? And can I get a Python interpreter directly on the phone or is that too big for its memory? Anyway, inquiring minds want to know. Thank you. -- Mike Orr <[email protected]>
