Another Apple killer from Acer - Android family

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

http://www.fuckwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=24&id=3144

<table class="tableSECTION" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td>» Articles</td> </tr> </tbody></table>  http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/core/smallhwz.gif;pv2b082c5cd2ce43f7 Articles > Mobile Phones > Acer Liquid - Smooth Moves >

 <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="articles_maintitle" width="100%">Acer Liquid - Smooth Moves</td> </tr> <tr> <td> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/120x160.JPG;pvce4f314c065239b2 By Seow Tein Hee
Category : Mobile Phones
Published by Vijay Anand on Saturday, 3rd April, 2010
Rating : 4 out of 5 stars  <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="sphmnewmedia";</script>

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A Fresh Start

A year earlier, the only visible Android devices came from HTC, and slowly, as the year progressed, we saw a few more introductions by Samsung and LG. In 2010, with most manufacturers armed and ready to push out their own Android-powered devices, it's apparent that the already exciting smartphone race is revving up yet another notch.

One such company, previously known for its series of pocket digital assistants (PDA), is now back in the race. Adding on to its [COLOR=#92278F ! important][COLOR=#92278F ! important]notebook[/COLOR][/COLOR] lineup, Acer has also introduced its new smartphone range, powered by both Microsoft's Windows Mobile, and the growing Google Android. Not one to skimp on the hardware, Acer shot for the top with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon [COLOR=#92278F ! important][COLOR=#92278F ! important]processors[/COLOR][/COLOR], as seen on the Acer neoTouch.

And as a fresh start, the company recently moved into the open-source scene with their first Android-based device, the Acer Liquid. The Acer Liquid shares similar specifications to the neoTouch, albeit with a few changes. For one, this will be the company's first Android device, and shares the same Snapdragon processor, albeit running at 768MHz instead of the full 1GHz operating speed. So how does this change the dynamics of the Android device, and will this be Acer's next big thing for its smartphone series? We share our evaluation of the Liquid in the next few pages.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_01.JPG;pv66a6246a2245b612 Acer Liquid </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Acer Liquid Specifications
 <table style="table-layout: auto;" width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <th>Network:</th> <td>GSM 1900 /1800 / 900 / 850
HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Operating system:</th> <td>Android 1.6
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Processor:</th> <td>Qualcomm Snapdragon 768MHz
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Memory:</th> <td>256MB RAM
512MB ROM
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Interface:</th> <td>Touch sensitive controls
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Display:</th> <td>3.5-inch TFT capacitive touch screen
800 x 480 pixels
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Camera:</th> <td>5-megapixel with autofocus
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Video:</th> <td>MP4 / WMV / H.263 / H.264
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Audio:</th> <td>MP3 / eAAC+ / WAV / WMA
3.5mm audio output jack
</td></tr> <tr><th>Connectivity:</th> <td>Built-in GPS with A-GPS and Google Maps
Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support
miniUSB 2.0
WLAN 802.11b/g
HSDPA 7.2Mbps
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Storage:</th> <td>microSD expandability, SDHC supported (up to 32GB)
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Battery:</th> <td>1350mAH
</td></tr> <tr><th>Standby / Talk time</th> <td>Up to 400 hours / Up to 300 minutes
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Dimensions:</th> <td>115 x 62.5 x 12.5 mm
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Weight:</th> <td>135g
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Price:</th> <td>S$788
</td></tr></tbody></table>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

Fluid Layout

Over the months, we've seen a variety of Android phones, and not too many were able to impress us with its aesthetics. The Liquid, however, differs from the norm. A hint of black is only found on the top, bottom and front of the device, with a pure white hue covering the rest of the device. Buttons are minimal on the Liquid, with only the Power button on the left, followed by the Volume and Camera buttons on the right. The curved outline of the Liquid looks great, but herein lays the problem.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_02.jpg;pvdee534dd59907d9b At first sight, the Liquid captured our attention with its sleek and curved design. The white and black combination also turned out well. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
With the buttons fully flushed to the body, the curved body made it hard for us to find the buttons. Further to that, when we attempted to take a picture with the 5-megapixel camera, we had a hard time to half-press the camera button for auto-focussing. Below the 3.5-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen lies four touch sensitive 'buttons', which link to the Home, Search, Back and Menu pages. Thankfully, the 'buttons' had the right amount of sensitivity, which didn't require much effort, nor gave us problems for being overly sensitive.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_03.JPG;pva1b82d4c280b887a The camera button is too flushed into the body, which required much effort to half-press for auto-focussing. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_04.jpg;pv274bd4ec16104f11 Other than the three physical buttons, the front display houses four touch sensitive panels (touch sensitive buttons) for Home, Search, Back and Menu. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Besides the usual notifications found within the interface, the Liquid adds on three separate LEDs. These LEDs provide notifications for incoming messages, calls, and the battery level of the Liquid. Practical as it is to let you know of any incoming messages or calls, you'll have to position the top of the phone to be constantly in your line of sight to take full advantage of the LED nofitications.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_05.jpg;pv96876a011457c136 Besides the Message and Calls LED notifications you see here, a third Battery notification LED is also present. This will be visible when you're running low on battery or in the midst of charging up the Liquid. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
With more devices adopting the micro USB standard, it's surprising to see the Liquid sporting a mini USB port instead. What got us a little disappointed is the dangling plastic cover for the said port, which sometimes hinders us from properly plugging in the USB cable. What didn't come as a surprise was the presence of a 3.5mm audio port at the top of the device.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_06.JPG;pvccb5c70a1530a3d5 A mini-USB port, now a rare sight amongst new smartphones. The dangling cover tends to make it harder for us to plug in the USB cable. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
The external aesthetic value is high, but as soon as we remove the battery casing (by inserting our finger into the corner and prying it open), we spotted an issue. While we normally do switch off the phone to remove the SIM card, it isn't so for microSD cards. Unfortunately, the Liquid requires you to extract the battery before you can reach the microSD card. Granted this isn't exactly a big issue, but we would have preferred to have the option of swapping cards without having to shut down and power on the phone again.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_07.jpg;pv6e9e0425c5270ee7 Prying open the casing is easy, but... </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_08.JPG;pvb5c87318a15e2a68 ...accesing the microSD card requires one to remove the battery, which doesn't sit quite well with us. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
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uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

A Fluid Experience

Google's Android platform offers a great level of customization for manufacturers, and Acer managed to take advantage of this aspect. With upcoming devices moving on to the latest Android 2.0 or 2.1 (Eclair) update, the Liquid stays with Android 1.6 on introduction. But fret not, Acer did mention that an Eclair update will be available for the Liquid.

Features-wise, the Liquid has the usual offerings from any other Google Android 1.6 devices. The usual three pages for you to populate with your widgets, apps and shortcuts are still present. Just a year ago, we would have said three pages were sufficient. With the proliferation of Android apps and widgets available in the Android Market, the lack of additional pages to customize your home screen could contribute to an overpopulated and messy layout.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_09.jpg;pvbf8e65c1712549a8 The usual Android interface is seen here, with three pages for customization. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
This issue is made even more prominent by Acer's own media player and web player widgets. Plonk either one of these 2 x 5 widgets onto a page, and you'll find the remaining space to be quite limiting for customization. But don't get us wrong, as these two Acer designed widgets are actually what made us like the Liquid. It wasn't a major interface overhaul like HTC's Sense UI, or how Motorola fully integrates social networks with the MOTOBLUR service. Instead, it follows the basics and does what widgets should do - accessing basic features with minimal clicks.

Both widgets employ a scrolling wheel layout. For example, any bookmarks tagged within the web browser will be displayed as a single tile with the accompanying thumbnail on the web player widget. The media player widget covers the full range of multimedia functions on the Liquid. This includes a tab at the top of the widget to switch between images, music and videos. Similar to the web player, a series of images, music or videos are presented as a scroll wheel.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_10.JPG;pv3f5bef9fb02013dd The web player widget consolidates your bookmarks and presents itself as a scroll wheel for easy access. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_11.JPG;pv79e8c12401f5c5a5 The media player widget includes tabs to switch between the three basic multimedia features - images, music and videos. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
If you've not realized, no recent Android devices came with a FM receiver. As such, if you're enjoying a mobile data subscription like we are, downloading internet radio apps is the way to go. The Liquid takes this one step further by bundling an app called Spinlets for this purpose. The streaming service does have a moderately impressive music collection. And cliche as it's starting to sound, Spinlet also taps into the social networking service by allowing you to post your favorite tracks onto Facebook. Speaking of social [COLOR=#92278F ! important][COLOR=#92278F ! important]networking[/color][/color], you can connect and match your Facebook contacts to the Liquid's contacts. Nothing new, but still worth mentioning just to show the importance of mobile social networking.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_12.jpg;pvdd7d419c1ff7a277 Spinlets does have a decent collection of music tracks from major labels. Think of it as an added bonus that comes with your Liquid. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_13.jpg;pve892110b1a4f5019 Connecting to Facebook and matching the contacts could take quite a while, and with different naming conventions, you won't get a 100% match for all contacts. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Besides Facebook syncing, Acer's mobile devices also come with Acer Sync, a cloud service that synchronizes not only your Google contacts, but also any entries in your Microsoft Exchange. In our opinion, if you're already jumping onto the Android platform, you'll probably import your data into Google. Nonetheless, having an alternative is always a good thing.

http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_14.JPG;pv2471ae87a47ec370 Using Acer Sync, you can import all your emails, calendar and contacts from your Microsoft Exchange account onto the cloud.

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

Liquid Dynamics

We've seen many Android devices out there, and the truth is, the reactions from consumers and ourselves are mixed. Some, like the HTC Hero have proven that it's not just the hardware, but the software that matters too. Others, like the LG GW620 are examples of how Android fails to capture our hearts should it end up without its potential being unlocked. The Liquid is a mixture of both.

We won't go so far as to say that the Liquid is the cream of the crop. But for now, before the arrival of other high-powered Android devices, we dare say the Liquid delivered one of the smoothest user experiences on an Android platform. Fast scrolling speeds, minimal crashes and its ability to handle multiple apps with no visible stress on its speed are some of the winning features of this device. The balance that has to be struck, lies with the stock Android keyboard. Our usual pangram sentence took us almost 40 seconds to type with minimal errors. Why so? The close proximity of the keys on portrait mode is the main reason, though there was a slight improvement using it in landscape mode.

Fortunately, the Liquid's 3.5-inch screen had the right amount of traction for the touch navigation. And it made for a decent video player too, with its 800 x 480 pixels resolution. Music playback wasn't exactly its strong suit, but it managed to pass off as a decent audio player. As much as we loved how smooth the interface was, this speed wasn't translated to its imaging feature. Autofocus took a considerable amount of time, clocking in at nearly 5 seconds or more.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_15.JPG;pv5d282dca20134911 A 5-megapixel camera, sans an LED flash, does all the imaging work for the Liquid. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_Chart_Small.JPG;pv493fd4dc83b021a9 Images weren't as detailed as we expected from a 5-megapixel camera. In fact, most images turned out looking too warm, as you can see from the color chart on the right. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_Camera_Small.jpg;pvb8cc2d9e9da44a17 We aren't expecting a great degree of details and sharpness. Remember, the Liquid is still a phone first, camera second. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Considering the fact that the Liquid runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and it's apparent that battery life will be one of our major concerns. Instead of the full 1GHz speed, <nobr style="color: rgb(51, 51, 102); font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" id="itxt_nobr_6_0">Acer

</nobr> opted to use a lower clock speed at 768MHz for one reason - power efficiency. The overall performance and speed of the Liquid didn't have any foreseeable lag, so the question is - did it improve the battery mileage of the Liquid against devices with a similar processor and screen size?

Mobile <nobr style="color: rgb(51, 51, 102); font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" id="itxt_nobr_7_0">Devices

</nobr> Comparison Table
 <table style="table-layout: auto;" width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <th>Specifications/Device</th> <th>Acer Liquid</th> <th>Google Nexus One</th> <th>Acer neoTouch</th> <th>HTC HD2</th></tr> <tr> <th>Connectivity</th> <td>Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
<nobr style="color: rgb(51, 51, 102); font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" id="itxt_nobr_15_0">Bluetooth

</nobr> 2.0 + A2DP
HSDPA
GPS with A-GPS
</td> <td>Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
Bluetooth 2.1 + A2DP
HSDPA
GPS with A-GPS
</td> <td>Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
Bluetooth 2.1 + A2DP
HSDPA
GPS with A-GPS
</td> <td>Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
Bluetooth 2.1 + A2DP
HSDPA
GPS with A-GPS
</td> </tr><tr> <th>Dimensions</th> <td>115 x 62.5 x 12.5 mm
</td> <td>119 x 59.8 x 11.5 mm
</td> <td>118.6 x 63 x 12 mm
</td> <td>120.5 x 67 x 11 mm mm
</td></tr> <tr><th>Weight</th> <td>135g
</td> <td>130g
</td> <td>130g
</td> <td>157g
</td></tr> <tr><th>Screen size</th> <td>3.5-inch, 800 x 480 pixels
</td> <td>3.7-inch, 800 x 480 pixels
</td> <td>3.8-inch, 800 x 480 pixels
</td> <td>4.3-inch, 800 x 480 pixels
</td></tr> <tr> <th>Battery</th> <td>Li-Ion 1350 mAh
</td> <td>Li-Ion 1400 mAh
</td> <td>Li-Ion 1350 mAh
</td> <td>Li-Ion 1230 mAh
</td></tr> </tbody> </table>

<table class="tableIMG" width="459" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_Battery.jpg;pvf210596e7342d646 </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<table class="tableIMG" width="459" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_Power.JPG;pv3e536b1733cd97ef </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<table class="tableIMG" width="515" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_Portability.JPG;pv985967cce382d46b </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
It's apparent that even with Acer's intervention on the processor speed, the Liquid didn't manage to outshine the Google Nexus One that's running with the full 1GHz speed. But this isn't surprising, given that the Nexus One utilizes an AMOLED screen that does increase power efficiency for devices. Putting it against its own Acer neoTouch and HTC's HD2, the noticeable improvement on battery mileage can either be through a lower clock speed, or better power management on the Android platform.

The Liquid strikes a fine balance between portability and usability. Falling into the mid-range amongst the compared devices, we figured that the Liquid could have done better for its power management. And in essence, make it more desirable since it's not the smallest Android device.

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

Drinking it Up

Our experience with the Liquid isn't exactly a smooth ride, for it has its ups and downs. If one were to purely look at the aesthetic value, we dare say the Liquid is more appealing than some of HTC's Android lineup. Looking past the glossy nature and thus fingerprint smudge-prone Liquid, the streamlined and bare minimum layout gives the Liquid a sophisticated look. Size-wise, the Liquid won't win our votes for being easy on the hands due to its weight and dimensions, but it's not exactly a hindrance either.

As good as it looks, the Liquid does have some issues with its design. As mentioned, in an effort to keep the Liquid as smooth as possible, its few physical buttons were too flushed and thus made it hard to locate and access. Fortunately, its touch sensitive 'buttons' didn't share this issue, but if you're not careful, they can be sensitive. With no major surprises by <nobr style="color: rgb(51, 51, 102); font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" id="itxt_nobr_2_0">Acer

</nobr> for its user interface (UI), we see the same old three-page layout. But that's not to say that there aren't any bonuses involved, what with a Media Player and Web Player widget to showcase your media files and web browser bookmarks respectively on a scroll-wheel interface. Though this makes it easier to access your multimedia and web content, the widget occupies half of the page, leaving little room for more widgets and leaving us wishing for more pages to work with.

The 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen with an 800 x 480 pixels resolution turned out great for video playback, with average audio quality. What could set the Liquid back is its imaging function. A slow autofocus speed and imaging quality that turned out less colorful than expected would be the bane for an otherwise decent Android device. Though the Liquid's Qualcomm Snapdragon processor has been adjusted to 768MHz (down from the default 1GHz clock speed) to improve overall power efficiency, that wasn't quite apparent in our testing. Due to the nature of having 24/7 connectivity with a device like the Liquid, a full battery charge could only last us for up to a day of use. The good news is, even with a lower clock speed, the Liquid is still sufficiently speedy. The user experience is smooth, with screen and app loading showing no signs of slowing down in-between transitions.

<table class="tableIMG" width="510" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> http://www.fuckwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2010/3144/Acer_16.jpg;pv82d892ca1e6a990c The Acer Liquid is the first of many Android devices to come from the Taiwanese company. And it'll be receiving the Eclair update for its Android OS within the year. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Priced at S$788, the Acer Liquid offers itself as an affordable Android device with decent performance speeds and bonus features to keep you connected and entertained. For now, Acer will still need to work on refining its Android lineup to compete with the bigger players such as HTC, which will be releasing devices such as the HTC Legend and Desire loaded with Google Android's updated Eclair (2.0/2.1) firmware

Rewards do come to the patient. Hold out a while more, and you could get the Acer Liquid e, which is essentially an Acer Liquid loaded with Eclair. But worry not, because if you do purchase the Liquid now, the unit will also be eligible for an Eclair update, albeit sometime later this year.

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

So now we are seeing Google Motorola HTC & Acer pushing out Androids, there should be more on the way. I bet the PRCs will be among.

with features never seen in others, e.g. dual-SIM, 3-SIM, TV, VCR, low cost etc.

pocoyo · Apr 3, 2010

Uncle, personally I never trust acer.

Any comment from you on motorola milestone? Feel like getting one..

Leongsam · Apr 3, 2010

With the number of "Apple Killers" that have appeared over the years, the company should have died a thousands deaths by now.

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

pocoyo said:
Uncle, personally I never trust acer.

Any comment from you on motorola milestone? Feel like getting one..

Sorry not familiar with details of that model.

I recently bought something from motorola after I had stopped for 10 years.

I used motorola handphones during those early days of GSM when handphones were $3000 or so. The last piece I got was Startac phone, after that I switched to Nokia, and I also stopped using Nokia for years already.

I will eye Android phones, because of open source & Linux OS.

The recent motorola I got was a S9-HD bluetooth headset (black). When I pressed it close to my ears it's base is better then sub-woofers, concert hall effects. :cool:

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/X...adsets/MOTOROKR-S9-HD-Stereo-Headphones-XP-EN

For handphones, the key thing is software only, and Andriod will be the new standard. I had only seen HTC in person waiting to see the Google actual. The most disappointed branded hardware is actually Apple.:(

Why?
1. Battery not removable! (fast consumption also)
2. Memory not removable!
3. No camera flash light!
4. No FM radio!

Motorola milestone gives you a wifi sharing of 3G broadband, that means it is a wifi mobile broadband router just like the HuaWei. You can share your 3-G broadband with several devices / friends near by. This is sweet!

I am waiting to see which Android phone will give me the bash shell or ssh client. :cool:

You have that and handphone can be a totally different device, a great leap.

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

Leongsam said:
With the number of "Apple Killers" that have appeared over the years, the company should have died a thousands deaths by now.

people have forgotten about macs these days, and look only at ipod & iphone etc. Ah Bengs called them i-PORK & i-FONG also.

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

uncleyap said:
people have forgotten about macs these days, and look only at ipod & iphone etc. Ah Bengs called them i-PORK & i-FONG also.

http://www.kbrandt.com/2009/06/how-to-cross-compile-the-bash-shell-for-android-15.html

Just found that some one already did it!

That's the beauty of OPEN SOURCE. Any one can become a developer instantly. You don't need to await for google to do it.

QXD · Apr 3, 2010

I think it's fat hope for any of the taiwanese iphone wannabes when it comes to the fluid movement of the touchscreen.

halsey02 · Apr 3, 2010

Leongsam said:
With the number of "Apple Killers" that have appeared over the years, the company should have died a thousands deaths by now.

Have to agree with you on that....the amazing product that APPLE comes out, just takes your breath away :cool:

though there were LEMONS along the way..."NEWTON"...even that lemon was impressive...and compare that with the iPAD??

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

QXD said:
I think it's fat hope for any of the taiwanese iphone wannabes when it comes to the fluid movement of the touchscreen.

The software is originated from Google. Not Taiwan. I have used Andriod from HTC it is not anything less than Apple, and Apple lacks many of the good things in Google e.g. the google-map.

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

Apple's hardware is not really superior, it is their UI of software that had been sweet to users, and their stability is NOT any better than Linux / Unix, it is just about same level with Linux / Unix, which are all far better than MS.

I had been technician and service engineer for Apple products even before Mac was born. I was with Computerland servicing Apple / Apple II / Apple IIe / Apple IIc with formal Apple technical trainings. Then later the 1st Mac was born, Black & White screen with a single button mouse for the very 1st time. Shortly before this 1st Mac, there was something else called Apple Lisa.

I was also trained to service IBM PC (1st original PC) XT / AT etc and NEC & Epson & other equipments. From hardware point of view, Apple is just average only. Some of their hardware shortcomings are deliberate and stubborn!

I am familiar with more recent SGI Compac & Dell hardware as well. My comments on Apple's hardware are based on wide comparisons.

Reliability and quality of Apple iPhone is a broken hype. 30-40% of all that were sold quickly returned to service centers by disappointed customers, a rather high rate.

During my old days in servicing the Macs both the Analog and logic boards got high rate of common faults, failing consistently at the same few components. Worst then IBM in comparison.

Alamaking · Apr 3, 2010

Definitely not!! Its not even on par with Nexus

uncleyap · Apr 3, 2010

Alamaking said:
Definitely not!! Its not even on par with Nexus

Mac OS started from this old original (1984) mac, it gave it's quality feeling mainly via the software UI considerations. This was lacked in previous version of (8 bit) Apple-Soft which ran in Apple II etc.

JI_Fled · Apr 4, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/technology/p...Motorola-Droid-Verizon-Wireless/33783559.html

Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless)

* Reviews
* Where to buy

PRICE RANGE
$199.99 - $599.99
$199.99 - $599.99
See All Stores on CNET »
CNET Rating
Average CNET User's Rating
Read All User Reviews on CNET »
THE GOOD

The Motorola Droid boasts a gorgeous display and the benefits of Android 2.0, including a faster Web browser, Google Maps Navigation app, and better messaging and contact management. It also offers excellent call quality, long talk time, and improved speed over previous Android devices.
THE BAD

The QWERTY keyboard feels flat and the dialpad control is restricted to the home screen. Music and video capabilities still trail behind the competition. Dual-mode functionality for world-roaming capabilities would have been a nice addition. The Droid does not support Bluetooth voice dialing.
THE BOTTOM
LINE

Despite some design issues and a couple of missing features, the Motorola Droid is the most powerful and fastest Google Android device to date. It fully embraces the openness of the Android platform and offers Verizon customers a smartphone that certainly rivals the other touch-screen devices on the market.

pocoyo · Apr 4, 2010

uncleyap said:
Sorry not familiar with details of that model.

I recently bought something from motorola after I had stopped for 10 years.

I used motorola handphones during those early days of GSM when handphones were $3000 or so. The last piece I got was Startac phone, after that I switched to Nokia, and I also stopped using Nokia for years already.

I will eye Android phones, because of open source & Linux OS.

The recent motorola I got was a S9-HD bluetooth headset (black). When I pressed it close to my ears it's base is better then sub-woofers, concert hall effects.

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/X...adsets/MOTOROKR-S9-HD-Stereo-Headphones-XP-EN

For handphones, the key thing is software only, and Andriod will be the new standard. I had only seen HTC in person waiting to see the Google actual. The most disappointed branded hardware is actually Apple.:(

Why?
1. Battery not removable! (fast consumption also)
2. Memory not removable!
3. No camera flash light!
4. No FM radio!

Motorola milestone gives you a wifi sharing of 3G broadband, that means it is a wifi mobile broadband router just like the HuaWei. You can share your 3-G broadband with several devices / friends near by. This is sweet!

I am waiting to see which Android phone will give me the bash shell or ssh client. You have that and handphone can be a totally different device, a great leap.

In very early days, I like motorola phone a lot but also stop using for long.

As for iphone, me don't fancy too. Would rather use a windows mobile phone.

My main intention of getting milestone is more for internet surfing rather than using it as a phone for its 3g, wifi and mainly its big screen.

My current phone is only 2.8'' of screen size. Damn jialat when surfing internet.

Anyway thanks for sharing..

pocoyo · Apr 4, 2010

JI_Fled said:
http://www.nytimes.com/technology/p...Motorola-Droid-Verizon-Wireless/33783559.html

Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless)

* Reviews
* Where to buy

PRICE RANGE
$199.99 - $599.99
$199.99 - $599.99
See All Stores on CNET »
CNET Rating
Average CNET User's Rating
Read All User Reviews on CNET »
THE GOOD

The Motorola Droid boasts a gorgeous display and the benefits of Android 2.0, including a faster Web browser, Google Maps Navigation app, and better messaging and contact management. It also offers excellent call quality, long talk time, and improved speed over previous Android devices.
THE BAD

The QWERTY keyboard feels flat and the dialpad control is restricted to the home screen. Music and video capabilities still trail behind the competition. Dual-mode functionality for world-roaming capabilities would have been a nice addition. The Droid does not support Bluetooth voice dialing.
THE BOTTOM
LINE

Despite some design issues and a couple of missing features, the Motorola Droid is the most powerful and fastest Google Android device to date. It fully embraces the openness of the Android platform and offers Verizon customers a smartphone that certainly rivals the other touch-screen devices on the market.

Hi, thanks for sharing the Droid which is the milestone here. Might get one from the starhub..

Another Apple killer from Acer - Android family

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