Android Invasion - part 2 of 3

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla G1 Hardware Impressions The T-Mobile G1 is smaller than it looks in pictures. It feels nice in the hand and we absolutely love the matte black finish and the subtle rubber feel of the back cover. It is easy to hold, has a generally good grip and the weight feels even. This is one smartphone that we feel confident enough to carry without a case or even a screen protector. The only other device that made us feel this way was a BlackBerry Curve. More after the jump. We did use a makeshift InvisibleShield protector (from an iPhone) to cover the G1's screen but that was peeled off after a day since it really dampened the touchscreen's sensitivity and rendered it nearly useless (more on this later). With the keyboard tucked in, the G1 feels really well put together, the only gripe we have is the annoying placement of the camera button on the lower right hand side. It would have been, you know, more intuitive to use the scroll ball. As a result, taking snapshots with this button placed so far below is difficult if you have large hands or long fingers. ' We're bummed that the G1 does not have a proper headphone jack but uses a USB port (the same one you charge the device with) as the sole way to listen to music on headphones. The included headphones are awful in size and shape we found them a pain to use. The cord length is way too long plus the volume control and microphone remote is freaking huge and heavy. We wouldn't use this in the gym for fear of taking someone's eye out if it swings the wrong way. We just can't understand the reason why, with all the perfectly good headsets available out there, HTC and Google decided to cripple the G1 by limiting it to USB only audio. We hope to get some sort of adapter to circumvent this limitation. The touchscreen is nowhere as accurate or sensitive as what we are used to on the iPhone. I am not sure if our particular G1 has issues but with a screen protector on, dialing on the keypad was next to impossible. God forbid you need to reach 911 and the damn thing doesn't accept your key presses. Again, we only have the iPhone to compare it to, but there seems to be a hit or miss thing with this touchscreen. There's a shades feature which allows you to get more information from the status bar (which is on the top of the screen) by making a sweeping gesture. Well, we've only been able to get this to work once. Even after we removed the screen protector it was terribly difficult to click on icons, move them around or even manage the touch buttons. If this were a touch-only device, it would be pretty crappy. Thank goodness for the buttons, they are truly necessary. Keyboard Mode The QWERTY keyboard on the G1 could be better but it works fine. We find the mechanism that flips it open and close to be a bit violent. I guess the springy action and the resounding snap that follows is unnerving. When the keyboard is enabled, the screen automatically reverts to horizontal orientation. This happens quickly and is quite seamless. Now, the body of the G1 seems to feel a bit less solid, the screen tilts back a bit too much. A lot has been said about how tricky it is to type on specially since you need to compensate for the area where the buttons are but, like with most of the odd features of the G1, you learn to live with it. Next: Part 3 - Functionality and Conclusion

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Android Invasion - Part 1 of 3

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla The T-Mobile G1 or the Android smartphone, was released to the public (in the US and in the UK) last month and ushered in a new era of promise in the smartphone segment. For those users who have soldiered on with Palm, Symbian and Windows Mobile - the Google phone offered an alternative that married open-source goodness (unlimited number of free apps) and usability (GPS, 3G, Touch technology and a full-sized QWERTY keyboard) anchored with Google's slick interface. Android running on Rogers Many will pit the Android G1 against the Apple iPhone 3G, its just inevitable. These are two key devices that may be similar in some ways but, as we have found out, are fundamentally different. The iPhone has a year advantage of software, functionality and is a more mature product. It is a known quantity and works primarily because it is a closed system watched and controlled closely by Apple sentinels Here at the Canadian Reviewer we scoured the web for a chance to nab a unit for a long-term review. It arrived yesterday and we wasted no time in activating, unlocking and testing the T-Mobile G1 on our Rogers network. More Android Goodness after the jump Out of the Box This first part deals with the out-of-the box experience and the steps taken to unlock the T-Mobile G1. The unit we acquired was purchased in full without a contract so it came with a SIM card that was not yet activated. We have a prepaid T-Mobile SIM, which we use when we cross the border and we threw this into the G1. It worked. We set up an account (you sign into GMail) and it was ready to go. Next was to make the G1 work on our home network. For that we had to saunter off to Unlock G1, which takes the IMEI information and for a fee will send you an unlock code within the day. It worked. Like magic. Android G1 and Apple iPhone 3G (with case) Lets just say that the hardest thing about this process was the anticipation. Within 5 hours I had received the code, followed the instructions (read them well people, you only get one shot), and we were off to the races. Calling and SMS were enabled and we had a functioning Android phone on Rogers. Now we just needed to get EDGE working (Android G1 is 3G but uses an arcane frequency that is pertinent only to T-Mobile, how bloody gracious) and set up Wi-Fi for accessing information on our home network. Here is where things started to get tricky. Go to Part 2 of the review Go to Part 3 of the review

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Origami Unfolded: the demise of the UMPC – Analysis

Origami Unfolded: the demise of the UMPC – Analysis By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla It’s been two years since Microsoft made a bid for Ultra Mobile Computing or UMPCs with their then codenamed Origami Project. The UMPCs were next generation devices which would offer full PC computing power in a slate-like device between the PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and the TabletPC form factors. UMPCs were aimed at savvy users who wanted lightweight portables that would replace their notebooks. UMPCs were also designed to have enough muscle to be used as desktop machines when hooked up to external monitors, keyboards and mice. It was an exciting proposition and some of the early prototypes offered a compelling feature sets for a traveling computer that’s no bigger than a paperback book and which can manage communications and basic computing. Already there were micro-computers from OQO and Sony which were pushing the envelope on how small a portable device could be but these specialty devices were too expensive for mass consumption. Continue for the rest of the story. Enter Origami Soon, devices from Samsung, TabletKiosk, Raon Digital, ASUS and others showed up running Vista on low-consumption VIA, Intel Celeron and AMD Geode processors. The prospects looked good and interest was apparent. The reality, however, was that the ultra-mobile platform left a lot to be desired. For one thing, the slate form factor without a keyboard was a challenge for new users who were not too familiar with the TabletPC interface. Battery life, a biggie, proved to be another stumbling block. Many of the devices shipped with batteries that struggled to cough up two hours of usage. Considering that these devices relied on Bluetooth, wireless Internet and batteries to be truly mobile, the impact of compromised battery life was palpable. There was also a wide variety of form factors, most UMPCs were slates but a number of them integrated thumb boards or keyboards but due to their diminutive sizes were hard to use. Still, small keyboard is better than no keyboard, especially if you consider that these devices are primarily for email, instant messaging and communicating via the Internet. Expectations unmet We personally had the chance to review some of these devices. While there was no denying their compact footprint, the novelty soon wore off. Working with a stylus is not for everyone and certainly not for journalists, students or anyone who needs to input large amounts of text. Cost was also an issue with most of the UMPCs, many tipped the $900-dollar ceiling that most people were willing to shell out for a “tricked out” PDA. Some of the current models cost double that, tipping the scales at close to $2,000.00 – clearly within premium notebook territory. The high cost, underpowered performance and meager battery life spelled disaster for the UMPC niche even as newer models espoused the ability to run Vista and integrated faster processors, SSD (Solid State Disk) drives and the ability to run on EDGE networks via SIM cards. The entry into the market of affordable netbooks, the first wave of which sold at the fraction of the price of UMPCs gave users a more affordable option for secondary computers. Netbooks offered keyboards, functionality that was closer to traditional PCs and lightweight Linux operating systems that managed basic computing tasks and lowered the purchase price. Two years later, the big story is the ascension of the netbook. Manufacturers are falling all over themselves trying to come out with the right mix of price and features. With all the sub $500 netbooks on the market, similarly outfitted UMPCs, often selling for three times the amount, are left in the wayside as curious odds and ends that appeal to a shrinking niche market. A Blurry future for UMPCs The fate of the UMPC is in the balance. Microsoft has not actively updated the platform and this is likely because of Vista’s perceived weakness and the introduction of the upcoming Windows 7 OS. The new OS, which is essentially Vista done right, will hit stores by fall 2009, it will be interesting to see if Origami or UMPC initiatives will be tied into this new release. You have to think though, that by 2009, the netbook phenomenon might be hitting critical mass. That, and the cloud computing direction that Microsoft hopes to take with its Microsoft Azure online services initiative might have something else in store for us. UMPCs are partly responsible for the ramping up of usable, low-consumption components and the commoditization of the computer into a personal device. All the R&D that went into Origami and UMPC certainly did not go to waste, you only have to look at the $300 netbooks made by the same manufacturers and realize that they simply paved the way for things to come.

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Asus Eee PC 1000HA – Review

Asus Eee PC 1000HA – Review By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla After our initial impressions on the Eee PC 1000H, we're ready with the full review. Things improve with time and this sentiment is true when it comes to Asus’ Eee PC line. The original netbooks, which have sold 4 million units to date, were highly successful and created a new niche of inexpensive, fun and functional sub-notebooks which other makers scrambled to compete with. The first run of the Eee PC was successful, here at The Canadian Reviewer, we had the chance to use and examine both the 4GB and 8GB models and while they were simple and fun to use, we really couldn’t take to the Xandros OS, which was preinstalled on the units. We found the units a bit dinky and to be honest, they felt like toylike. We soon moved on to netbook offerings from HP and Raon Digital which seemed better built but were more expensive. More on the Eee PC after the jump! Leaping Ahead As longtime users of the ThinkPad line of subnotebooks (specifically the X40 tablet, the X61 tablet and our perennial favorite, the X60s) we felt we needed a change and were attracted to the Asus Eee PC 1000H line- which offered, among others, an super bright LED screen at 10’1 inches, an alleged 7 hour life on included 6-cell battery, a built in SD card reader and Windows XP Home out of the box. Since our ThinkPads did not come with optical drivers, we were totally fine going full-on cloud with the Eee PC. So we sauntered off to Canada Computers and nabbed ourselves a glossy black model which sported the Intel Atom Processor but which did away with Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth, a $100 savings that ended up costing $470 Canadian without tax. Aside from the glossy “fine ebony” finish, we liked the overall look and feel of the 1000HA. Touch-typing on this netbook is easy save for a few misplaced keys (arrow up is where the shift key should be, the shift key is right beside it but it is easy to miss). There are a few metallic accents like on the trackpad (which we find too sensitive and we prefer using an external mouse) and on the tips of the hinge. Build is generally solid save for the battery which feels a bit flimsy in its chamber and doesn’t seem to lock in perfectly. The bezel holding the screen is tough and flex free and the screen itself is pristine, we have to have brightness set at about ¼ of the capacity as it is really bright – much brighter, in fact, than our LED MacBook. Easy to Love Netbook For the price and the specs, the Asus Eee PC 1000HA is easy to love. The storage space is ample at 160GB (we’re not thrilled that the hard drive has been split into two sectors, this seems to be a Eee PC thing which we observed even with earlier models). You get the most important connectivity with Wi-Fi B and G, three high-speed USB ports and a 1.3 Megapixel camera and two microphones to boot. Windows XP is on SP3 now and works great on this netbook, the Atom Processor is a revelation in power and economy –we love it and its ability to switch gears from economy mode (running the processor at 1.2GHz) to high performance (1.7GHz) makes this little notebook quite the overachiever for light to moderate computing. We are already planning trips to take the Eee PC on and won’t feel bad tossing it into our knapsack and throwing it into the conveyors at airport security. Something we’d hate to do with our more expensive notebooks. Verdict We like the direction Asus is taking the Eee PC line of netbooks, something for every possible user. With the 1000HA they cover business users and frequent travelers who may not want to lug their main machines. The 1000HA is attractive, functional and reasonably priced for a full-functioning, hassle free netbook that I actually fun to use and compromises little. We think people in the market for a second portable or who are planning a trip and need to keep connected, should check these out.

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