A visual tour of Android's UI

Thanks to the helpful Android OS emulator included with the SDK, we've been able to take a magical journey through Google's new mobile phone platform. We'll just tell you now... the ride was a bit familiar -- but hey, that's what the open source community is there for. Take a look at the gallery and feel the OHA vibes.

A visual tour of Android's UI

[elliot Posted Nov 12th 2007 7:58PM]

These comments are hilarious
Do people honestly think that an OS coming out next year is going to look anything like a dev emulator looks like today?
There's 4 applications for it! there isn't even a call log! (that i spotted)

The truth IMHO is that the development for this phone really began with the release of this SDK.
For a mobile phone, getting developers to the point where they dont have to worry about the particulars of the phone's innards is the hard bit. Now that bit looks pretty complete, GUI and other development can begin.

The GUI here is obviously in its infancy (although tbh it does look better than the average GUI on a current mobile iphone excluded), but they needed to release something so that people could start developing for it.

The fact that some nerd from google HQ didn't get a 4hour denim based style overhaul to jump out on stage and tell you how he's going to impregnate your face with his new sleek device 2 months before the thing came out is a good thing. Sure the iphone is sexy as hell but it's apple's, not ours.

Google are willing to show what this OS is like inside and out right from the offset. Crap for marketing, good for the software community.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 8:28PM]

Wow a Treo with a better screen...not impressed yet Google. Show me the Gmail integration!

www.gear5.com

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 9:20PM]

I still don't get it - as a developer, what is so special about developing for this as opposed to developing for Windows Mobile, Blackberry or Apple iPhone (when the SDK is released)? I've done both for WinMob, and BB, and other than this being another platform, why so much hype?? I've looked at the SDK for this already, and haven't seen anything I couldn't do on the other platforms.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 14th 2007 8:45PM]

Exactly! Most of the people doing the hyping aren't developers or just dont get it...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 9:36PM]

i much like the idea, i played a little bit with the sdk, and this is what i was expecting, freedom!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 9:55PM]

I just noticed I would kill for an Android MP3 player. That would allow for the installation of any audio/video codec! Oh how I would be in heaven to be able to play any video on my gigabeat...

[Omoks Posted Nov 12th 2007 10:25PM]

So far everything GOOGLE has done has been like walking on water. This might be their first mistakes. You can create an open source OS and a lot of geeky enthusiasts may love it.

However, realistically which phone carier in their right mind would put an open OS on their phone. Talk is cheap but reality sets in fast. One of the main reasons why cariers control or limit OS modifications are due to customer service call volumes. Giving the consumer too much power increases the possiblity of issues and angry customers blaming the carier for a crashed or or faulty OS.

Windows Mobile is a testament to that. Cariers are already having a hard time maintaining this customer base because a small group of customers install crap or corrupt software on their WM devices then come crying to the carier.

I hope GOOGLE thought this through, open source is good but its not viable or feasible for the bottom line

[elranchero Posted Nov 13th 2007 1:32AM]

do we really need another PDA with a bunch of little painfully difficult to press plastic keys, and a tiny display?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 13th 2007 4:28AM]

WOW this thread is full of BS

If anything points to the success is the following post:

http://androidev.com/devforum/index.php?PHPSESSID=591520a44b738f300af0f5d6daebf15a&topic=9.0

Please take a look and then come back in here to comment.

Thanks for reading :]

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 13th 2007 4:30AM]

To all the naysayers - take a look at this as well:

http://code.google.com/android/adc.html

If that doesn't get people working on things, I don't know what will :]

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 13th 2007 8:24AM]

If this adroid OS can replace the symbian OS in the E61, E62 and E61i, it will be fantastic. Imagine the possibility of hacking and replacing the whole symbian OS with adroid-->directly translate into the infinite possible handphone with the android OS. All the symbian phone can switch to android......dream...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 13th 2007 8:26AM]

I'm glad the Apple/Google etc. bosses are the bosses as opposed to some of the commentators on this story.

@Mike10010100: type "sales of iphones" into google to find out exactly what apple SHOULD and ARE doing right to sell their phones.

[nerdstrap Posted Nov 13th 2007 1:39PM]

If the OS isn't standardized to one version, it will be a frackin nightmare for developers and 3rd party innovators. I don't want to have to write code to X different versions. It's bad enough having Standard and Professional for Windows.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 13th 2007 10:04PM]

Can this thing make pancakes? No? Suck city.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 14th 2007 5:26PM]

Don't be stupid. Every programmer with more than a bird-brain considers an "SDK" to be the whole tool-chain. For WM, you'll need Visual Studio Pro ($500+). Functionality under Visual Studio Standard is very limited. Admittedly, $500 is small change for a professional programmer; but it does keep out a lot of folks who just want to explore and "hack".

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 14th 2007 6:12PM]

That would be true except that you can write for WM(and yes WM5/WM6 though not with the "official" SDKs) with eVC++ 3.0 and 4.0 which both were and still are Free... I would almost guarantee that over half of the commercial applications out there for Windows Mobile are still being actively developed on eVC++. So whats this about a bird-brain... Please guys, know your facts.. We all arent haters I actually like the looks of the OS and SDK, but the misguided enthusiasm as something new and a breakthru looks a little silly...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 14th 2007 10:38AM]

oh my goodness

a reply to all you connoisseurs who have no idea what a great thing this
is for a chef

open source == freedom
the fabulous kitchen is in google's gspace
a few kbs phone == supercomputer

connoisseurs the frozen section will soon be full for your satisfaction and comments.

jack

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2007 5:11PM]

Google is breaking into a market where there is already solid competition - the phone business. It's interesting to watch a company that has always had the luxary of defining the rules (no real competitors) interact with existing companies.

I think Google is really revealing a new side - a sneakier/more aggresive/ more controlling side with both the gphone and their behind the scenes TV deals.

I can't imagine their 50% annual growth rate (http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=466&doc_id=138926& ) can possibly continue but it looks like GOOG is bound to keep it as high as possible. Hopefully, they don't start sacrificing ease of use for consumers and programmers as a means of holding onto their huge lead. We'll see!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 21st 2007 1:53AM]

Google is making some big movs with Android ( http://www.androidapps.org ), OpenSocial, bidding on the wireless spectrum, etc. It will be interesting to see if the could succeed in these areas the way they did with search.