HTC Magic - At last !!

[miffed]

Well , I have got it , and I absolutely love it , OK so the iPhone is "better" - and TBH I was not expect the Magic to "beat" the iPhone , but for the first time , I actually feel that someone else in the industry (other than Apple) has finally woken up to what they need to do !!

It has taken long enough !! but they got it right - the phone was quick and simple to set up , no messing around transferring contacts and syncing - simple put my google id in , and the thing is fully set up , ready to use !!
This is a bit of an awakening , A few years ago in the period known as B.I. ( B.I. = "Before iPhone" ) - if you bought a new phone, (especially on a different platform to your previous one) ..you would find yourself dedicating the best part of a day installing software on your computer ,messing around syncing contacts , then putting them all right where the sync messed them all up , leaving you thinking you may as well have copied them manually :D , then there is all the fun of looking up your email server settings , then spending a while trying to get the account sending and receiving properly , usually never straightforward - Normally 8 hours hard labour was about right to get the thing into a "usable" state
This period usually serves as a bit of a "bonding" period - but not with this magic thingy - It was up and running with all my details on within 10 minutes or so. All I need to do is learn to use it right ? WRONG !
Those clever people at Android have clicked onto the same thing that Apple have done , and made a device you can simply pick up and use - this is something that I suspect the Likes of Nokia are never going to understand , let alone develop , they are far too set in their ways , an I'd bet the N97 probably suffers from the same deep and cryptic menu systems that Nokia love so much.
I am so glad that someone other than Apple has clocked onto this at last - I am sick of hearing all the Apple haters implying that we big up the iPhone because of the Apple logo , The iPhone is better because it is innovative in terms of user experience and ease of use - Now someone else has "seen the light" , and will receive similar praise to the iPhone (no doubt) the haters argument that it is all about the Apple badge wears a bit thin - and sends a clear message to the industry .... "This is what you need to do , if you can't do it , then please step out of the ring "

Absolutely loving it , using the Google maps streetview with the compass is absolutely freaky !!

[Hands0n]

Aha, a parallel experience similar to my own :)

My eldest lad had the G1 from the outset with T-Mobile. I was never involved in the service establishment and so knew nothing of how easy or difficult it was going to be. However, like yourself, the set-up was as simple as following the initial power-up prompt to enter in your Google ID and password. The rest all fell out of the cloud and into the HTC Magic within seconds.

I find it really useful to be able to manage my contacts from within Google Mail rather than the handset itself. Although that does not preclude managing the contacts from the handset either. The whole process of 'push' works faultlessly and seamlessly within seconds. It is, to use a current buzzword, completely transparent. That is, it requires no user forethought or specific action to achieve. It simply happens, simply.

Like miffed, I am happy that there is [finally] some respectable competition for the iPhone and Apple. It is a very healthy thing to have happened, and with the Google Android 2.0 firmware, nickname Donut, we are to expect something of a leapfrogging by the platform over iPhone firmware 3.0.

I think that as the public begin to see how Google Android in general, and the HTC Magic in particular, make for a potential iPhone alternative that there will be a steady uptake of the new platform. Apple will begin to feel the pinch without doubt as the Google Android support infrastructure is well in place, has a healthy following of developers, and prices its products realistically also. The ease of use of Android Market easily matches that of Apple's App Store.

I can barely recall the 'traditional' handset set-up steps that miffed portrays above. It seems like another age, another time, entirely. But it really has been only two years at best, how soon we forget. My motley collection of 'traditional' handsets consisting of various Nokia N95, LG Viewty, Motorola Rizr Z8, Sony Ericsson W900, are all looking extremely dated and tired. The sheer energy required to establish any one of these into full service is extraordinary in comparison to either of the iPhone or Magic. These latter two establish themselves, leaving us humans to simply get on and use the thing.

Have you yet observed that Streetview on the HTC is omnidirectional - that is the view changes in both horizontal and vertical directions as you move/tilt the handset. Check out Skymap also if you're into astronomy or astrology - its freaky!!

[miffed]

The Googletalk thing is pretty cool , I have set up a dedicated ID for the iMac in the kitchen now - and this will serve as a permanant "free" messaging service between me and home -

Erm , Handson me old buddy , you don't know how to get rid of the pink background on the Magic app do you ? ...not really my colour :confused: - Hope they sort this out in Chelsea bun , or whatever the next release is called !

[Hands0n]

... you don't know how to get rid of the pink background on the Magic app do you ?

Sorry but I don't - this is one of those "system" schema things defined for the stock Google Android, its the same on the G1.

There may be (bound to be) some scheme changers that will allow you to change the colours etc. I've seen some stuff my lad has been playing around with that made it look like an iPhone screen!

If I come up with anything I'll let you know :)

[solo12002]

"you don't know how to get rid of the pink background on the Magic app do you ? ...not really my colour "

Miffed I thought you were in tune with your sexually! clearly not ? lol

[getti]

Just heard about 'BeebPlayer' which is a iPlayer app for Android.

Works over 3G and WiFi (take that iPhone!)

[miffed]

On Vodafone's stingy 500mb cap I'd be wary of using it on 3G , fortunately I rarely see a 3G signal , so it's out of temptations way for me !

[Hands0n]

Its not a 500MB cap as such - the "Unlimited" bit is that they won't automatically start charging you for going over. But they will likely contact you if you do for any significant amount. Charges will only be levied if you persistently go over, and before that they'll do stuff to your bandwidth.

There has been a ton of dissenting disucssion on the Vodafone forum, with the forum's Mods taking a bit of a beating at times. But they have all delivered a consistent message, and so I am inclined to believe it.