I think your reaction to previous Google phones has been subconsciously somewhat like mine: Mix one part loyalty to Palm, and one part the fact that Google just doesn't do user interfaces very well (which shows through in every product they produce, including Android).
That's why we haven't made the jump. Android's "rough edges" that you've mentioned in the past would be completely easy to smooth off, as would many of the more bizarre quirks of Gmail, Google Apps, Google Docs, etc.. They're had *years* to do it, and they're all getting better, slowly, but a little more investment in user interface expertise (and customer service and technical support staff) would do Google a world of good in a very short time. I think they have the money. My conclusion is they either don't know or don't care. I know you like, e.g., the Gmail UI, but I'm sorry: from a human factors point of view, it sucks! WebOS as it's currently released goes a little too far in the other direction: it's taking care of us a little too much. I want to fiddle, and configure, and DO stuff! I know that Preware lets me do this, to some extent. I'd be going crazy if it weren't for Preware. My daughter, who's no techno-geek, once told me the Pre "seems a little too much like Apple - too pretty and too limited" Without Preware, I must agree rather completely. WebOS has great potential, and maybe HP will expand on that beyond it's decidedly Apple look and feel and limitations. It's a lovely walled garden, but I'm always wanting to climb the fence and see what's out there! The yummy HTC hardware, much refined HTC Sense UI, and the much more robust set of applications (I really do want iHeart Radio and some of the other apps I got used to on the Blackberry back!!) now for Android are what draw me finally in that direction (and, OK, the geeky lure of getting something a little more customizable). It's like visiting a new country and exploring! I'm still not a fan of Google's rather casual relationship with security and privacy, but in a world where identify theft and privacy are always on people's minds, Google's behavior will be shaped more in the right direction over time or they'll lose in the marketplace. All that, and Premier status letting me get a new phone on or after 6/1/10 at the "new customer" price, and I'll be there on June 4! Cheers, Don From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Craig Froehle Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 9:51 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Treo] How Palm was sold . . . snip . . . Of course, back on January 1, 2006, I stated publicly my desire for someone, anyone, to produce a Google Phone: http://www.gearbits.com/archives/2005/12/gearbits_predic_1.html So, now that it's here (in many, many incarnations, it's almost shocking that I don't have one). . . . snip . . . [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
