Best and worst things about Android?

[Hades]

I'll start... My favourite things are:

* Push GMail. I love this. I've had push email for ages on my work BB but loving it for personal email.
* GTalk wherever I am.
* Fantastic synchronisation with Gmail including contacts (far easier to setup contacts in Gmail and let them sync to the phone).
* Being able to click on a contact, view their home address and use navigation there (looks like it works with Latitude too - good stuff).


Not so good things:

It still feels a little rough around the edges with occasional bugs. But no big issues.

 

[Kreeeee]

+ Proper multi tasking, being able to browse OcUK, check emails, use MSN and talk to the gf when on the move.

+ Decent apps with freedome to create whatever the devs want.

- Updates are not device interdependent

 

[Robbo]

* Push Gmail is great as you said for personal email.
* Google support, for example the Sat Nav, is absolutely awesome.
* The Dev community seems great and should steamroll forward in the coming months.

Not really sure about bad points, I agree the odd things may feel a little rough. Google need to get some more dumbed-down phones with dumbed down Android software so it's easier to market to the ladies ()

While the way Android works is far better than any other phone, for people who aren't so technically minded, it's not so good for them.

 

[Microwave]

Pros: Interface, integration with Google services, open-source-feel-good-factor! Rooting, geek credibility!

Cons: The POS facebook app!

 

[413x]

cons

No proper media apps
Not proper multi tasking like the n900
App store and rubbish not much is good
No good native apps would not like it without sense

 

[reflux]

Pros:

Huge amount of integration - syncing with your Google GMAIL account is awesome
Easy to use
Stuff that they've got right works well
Massive dev community
Easy to mod and hack

Cons:

Worst thing by far for me is how dull and uninspired the stock Android interface is. It gives me no satisfaction to use, unlike the iPhone or HTC Sense. So every build of stock that I use has to be themed in some way. I've heard that the design director of Palm's WebOS is moving to Google, so hopefully he can give it the kick up the bum it badly needs.

Second pain is how limited the marketplace can be sometimes, and in turn how poorly laid out/designed a lot of the apps are.

 

[DiG]

Not proper multi tasking like the n900

I have never used the n900, but how does Android not do proper multitasking?

Pros:
* Integration with Google
* Pace of innovation and devlopment

Cons:
* People always develop for the iPhone first, but this is changing
* Lots of little things that should be sorted

 

[fez]

Pros:

Cons:

Worst thing by far for me is how dull and uninspired the stock Android interface is. It gives me no satisfaction to use, unlike the iPhone or HTC Sense. So every build of stock that I use has to be themed in some way. I've heard that the design director of Palm's WebOS is moving to Google, so hopefully he can give it the kick up the bum it badly needs.

Second pain is how limited the marketplace can be sometimes, and in turn how poorly laid out/designed a lot of the apps are.

What phone are you on? The stock android interface has been built by programmers by the look of things which never leads to the best design. As you say though, the chap that did webOS is rumoured to be going to work for google and webOS seems to get great reviews software wise.

 

[DiG]

What phone are you on? The stock android interface has been built by programmers by the look of things which never leads to the best design. As you say though, the chap that did webOS is rumoured to be going to work for google and webOS seems to get great reviews software wise.

Not a rumour anymore, its official. Personally I've never had a problem with the stock UI, I think the iPhone UI looks like a toy, I mean grids of icons? Wow! The application UI design is far ahead of Android though

 

[Robbo]

I have never used the n900, but how does Android not do proper multitasking?

I've got an N900 as well as Desire, and he is right.

On the N900 for example you can open something, let's say the Contacts Book, and in the top corner of ANY screen there is a, lets say "Tab Out" screen.

Using that leaves the current screen and moves you back to the menu screen, or the desktop, and from there you can open more programs and switch between them, like Alt+Tabbing on a computer.

It's worth mentioning though, the N900 is a mini computer (and marketed as such), Android is not. It's also largely useless and destroys your battery and speed if you run a lot of things.

Such as -

Android can't do anything like this, and in some ways I hope it will never be able to, what it has now is fine. Multitasking on that scale in the picture of above, will absolutely obliterate your battery and slow your phone down no end!

 

[DiG]

Interesting, thanks for explaining, Android could do this, it would be a fairly minor change. But as you have said, the benefits are not big enough to justify the disadvantages

 

[MouseMat2004]

Android is fantastic and its getting better all the time. Anyone who had the original G1 with Android 1.0 will remember it being a little rough then but every update just gets better.

With most things, Android is only as good as the company compiling it. I have a Milestone and Motorola are chumps so there are a few issues but these are Milestone specific.

I actually prefer the barebones vanilla Android feel, you know it'll be snappy.

 

[413x]

Yeah that's the true multi tasking I was thinking of, was going to get an n900 but when I hard Nokia was dropping maemo I decided not to and now I have a desire, really did like the look of the n900 tho but when I tried it out it did have a bit of lag

If battery was no issue I would love the n900s multitasking on android

But it is much better than the iPhone in that respect

 

[mortals]

I've got an N900 as well as Desire, and he is right.

On the N900 for example you can open something, let's say the Contacts Book, and in the top corner of ANY screen there is a, lets say "Tab Out" screen.

Using that leaves the current screen and moves you back to the menu screen, or the desktop, and from there you can open more programs and switch between them, like Alt+Tabbing on a computer.

It's worth mentioning though, the N900 is a mini computer (and marketed as such), Android is not. It's also largely useless and destroys your battery and speed if you run a lot of things.

Such as -

Android can't do anything like this, and in some ways I hope it will never be able to, what it has now is fine. Multitasking on that scale in the picture of above, will absolutely obliterate your battery and slow your phone down no end!

can you not just hold home button and select the other running application to switch on android? (that's what I norm do)

ok, you don't get a pretty preview of the windows but it's like alt+tab in winxp

 

[reflux]

What phone are you on? The stock android interface has been built by programmers by the look of things which never leads to the best design. As you say though, the chap that did webOS is rumoured to be going to work for google and webOS seems to get great reviews software wise.

Nexus One, so I've been using a large number of Roms. Had the Desire port on there for a while but its still buggy so I'm back on a themed Cyanogen.

I read an article the other day about Googles design detector, saying that he left the company because he couldn't stand the fact that every design decision was made like an engineering problem and there was no scope for any creativity. I can kind of see his point with Android, but we shall see.

 

[Microwave]

I like the 'simplistic' design with android. And I agree with the comment about it making the iphone OS look like a child's toy!

In my opinion the phone is a tool, not an ornament so I'm glad they have tackled design decisions like engineering problems, because that way, the UI is the most functional.

And you can't say it looks bad!

It's better that the base level OS is simple and not too fancy - that way it uses less resources and runs quicker, if you want to tart up the phone you can use themes, widgets, wallpapers etc.

 

[reflux]

I don't think people understand the bearing that design has on the way we interact with devices. It brings satisfaction, empathy and loyalty to an object or brand, and Google have really missed a trick by not making Android as good as it could be. As it is, it's OK and it does the job, but there's no flair to any of it. It's very far behind iPhone OS. HTC Sense and Sony Ericsson's re-designs have gone a long way to correct the problems, but I wonder why they didn't do things properly in the first place. Maybe the idea was to create a 'shell' design, which manufacturers could modify as they saw fit, to give their own phones an added edge.

It's a common myth that decent UX design means performance takes a hit, but this is not the case. One bitmap file is very much the same as another, but when a designer has actually sat down to make sure it looks and feels as it should it brings so much more to the platform.

Obviously phones and computers mean different things to people; some just use them as tools, but others view them as a lot more, and this is the demographic Google is failing right now. When we talk about marketing, that's probably fine - as the iPhone already has that sewn up, but it doesn't meant they can't make a bit more of an effort. 2.1 and 2.2 have brough decent changes, but it still feels rough around the edges and almost BETA in some places.

 

[Microwave]

I see your point.

However, 'simplistic' can still count as a good design, it's not like it looks basic.

Also, the thing about design is that it's all so subjective, some people like frilly bits, others like a simple polish.

Google MAY have missed a trick, or they may have done this purposefully to appeal to the 'geeks'?

As Android is becoming more and more mainstream they are leaving it up to manufacturers (HTC, Samsung etc) to modify and 'tart up' the feel of the OS to appeal to the commercial market. This doesn't necessarily mean there is a problem with the Android design.

I personally, see my phone as a lot more than a tool, and I love the comments people make when they see it. I think the interface is customizable and fresh enough to make an impact and I also think the simple and functional UI design is really effective in both the usability and aesthetics departments.

 

[413x]

I'm very glad I didn't pic a non manufacturer UI phine, without sense I really wouldn't like the UI and that is a very important for me,

Is it good that its been left to the manufacturers? Yes and no.. more variety but longer to wait for updates

 

[DiG]

I wonder why they didn't do things properly in the first place. Maybe the idea was to create a 'shell' design, which manufacturers could modify as they saw fit, to give their own phones an added edge.

You start to run into the "openness" problem here though. How much should you dictate? Google have opted to be open, meaning they have no control over what manufactures do to it or how they modify it. The cost of this is having multiple looks to the same OS on different devices.

Personally, I like the design, though I'm a coder, so that might explain it! I like that it has grown up as Android has, in the early days the it was very cartoon like, as the OS has matured and become better everything has become a bit more grown up, the icons are different etc