On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:57 AM, Johnny Ferguson <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hyperflexed@gmail.com" target="_blank">hyperflexed@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
On 10/12/2010 10:05 AM, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
On Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 9:41 AM, Insurance Squared Inc.<br>
<<a href="mailto:gcooke@insurancesquared.com" target="_blank">gcooke@insurancesquared.com</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:gcooke@insurancesquared.com" target="_blank">gcooke@insurancesquared.com</a>>> wrote:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11514901" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11514901</a><br>
<br>
Microsoft launches phones. Actually looks interesting, not that<br>
I'll be getting one personally :). Looks like they've got an app<br>
development kit, for all you programmers.<br>
<br>
Not much in the way of details in the video, but I expect everything<br>
will be closed source.<br>
<br>
<br>
This is not their "phone". It says Samsung on the handset. This is version 7<br>
of their Windows Mobile (previously known as WinCE).<br>
<br>
They had an initiative to have their own Microsoft branded phone, called<br>
Kin <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Kin" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Kin</a> but they discontinued it.<br>
Maybe<br>
because Google discontinued directly selling their Nexus One? I don't know.<br>
<br>
As for Windows for Mobile phones, the phone I used until over a month ago<br>
was made by HTC, and had Windows Mobile 5. I liked the hardware, but<br>
hated everything about the operating system. EVERYTHING! It was desktop<br>
centric still, hard to navigate, many options missing, ...etc.<br>
<br>
Everything they said in the video is available already in Android (and I<br>
assume<br>
Apple too). The only exception (at least for Android) is the "all your<br>
friend's<br>
activity in one place", so as to not go in and out of apps all the time.<br>
<br>
Someone will write an app that does that I am sure.<br>
<br>
HD Video? Already have it! Easy navigation? Check! AMOLED screen? HTC<br>
Desire and Nexus One have it, and a bunch of others.<br>
<br>
Apple and Microsoft can keep their monopolies. I like Android, and not just<br>
because it is Linux underneath. It is functional, open, extensible and has a<br>
large app base.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
What's a good droid phone in Canada? Essentially my definition of good is the ability to control the software that runs on my phone.<br></blockquote><div><br clear="all">Really depends on whether you want to go the rooted phone route, or just<br>
stick with the stock O.S.<br><br>I have not tried rooting myself, since any time I read about it, there is partial<br>support for this piece, or that part does not work. Mainly drivers. I want the<br>full functionality (magnetic compass, accelerometers, GPS, WiFI, GSM,<br>
...etc.), not partial functionality. I installed ConnectBot and that gives me <br>a shell. I can do ls, ps, top, ...etc. This is not root though. Also I installed<br>ASTRO, and it allows me to install non Market apps. So if I am inclined <br>
to do so, I can download the Android SDK, Eclipse and I can write apps<br>for the phone, without having it rooted. The only thing you can't change<br>is the operating system itself, but you can do whatever on the app level.<br>
</div></div><br>I heard others on this list have rooted Android phones, so please share your<br>experiences with this.<br>
<br>Apart from rooting, look for a phone that has the Android Market enabled. Do<br>not get a phone that has no market since it would be quite useless. Some <br>carriers do lock the market out for some retarded business reason.<br>
<br>Also get Android 2.1 or higher. I heard 2.2 has a just in time compiler and<br>therefore potentially faster code execution.<br><br>Depending on who your carrier is, an unlocked GSM phone gives you <br>certain freedoms, such as switching to another provider, or using a SIM<br>
card abroad if you travel, specially outside of North America.<br><br>If you are looking for a phone with a physical keyboard, then don't get<br>the Motorola Milestone (a.k.a. Droid in CDMA networks), which I own.<br>
The reason is that the keyboard is almost unusable. It works fine as a <br>touch phone, and is feature rich otherwise.<br><br>One thing that I considered was to go on Kijiji and find a used phone.<br>Some are like $200 to $250 or so, even with a semi recent Android 2.1. <br>
Be sure to investigate that route before you pay $400 or so for Milestone/<br>Droid, or $500 for an HTC Desire (the same as Google Nexus One).<br><br>Examples:<br>LG EVE (has keyboard)<br><a href="http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-phones-PDAs-ipods-LG-EVE-3G-5-0MP-Andriod-Touch-Screen-Amazing-Phone-W0QQAdIdZ234531931">http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-phones-PDAs-ipods-LG-EVE-3G-5-0MP-Andriod-Touch-Screen-Amazing-Phone-W0QQAdIdZ234531931</a><br>
<br>Acer Liquid E (decent specs, but heard they heat up)<br><a href="http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-phones-PDAs-ipods-New-Acer-Liquid-E-Android-2-1-smartphone-W0QQAdIdZ235386649">http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-phones-PDAs-ipods-New-Acer-Liquid-E-Android-2-1-smartphone-W0QQAdIdZ235386649</a><br>
<br>Go wild ...<br>-- <br>Khalid M. Baheyeldin<br><a href="http://2bits.com" target="_blank">2bits.com</a>, Inc.<br><a href="http://2bits.com" target="_blank">http://2bits.com</a><br>
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