Round Robin: TreoCentral G1 Final Review

Jennifer Chappell · 12/11/2008, 02:17 AM

Welcome back to the Smartphone Round Robin! Round 3 is up and I'm finished with the T-Mobile G1 and am sending it off to Dieter. Kevin over at CrackBerry.com had the G1 before me and I think he liked it. I really enjoyed my time with the G1, even though there there were a couple of things that I wasn't too crazy about. I'm sort of sad to have to send it back just like I was when I had to return the BlackBerry Bold. I'm really enjoying getting to try out all these different smartphones! It would be nice to be able to try out every smartphone that I take an interest in. Well, now that I think about it, there wouldn't be enough time to ever do that! Just trying out these few smartphones for the Round Robin takes up an enormous amount of time. I'm sure that all the other editors agree there. And I miss not being able to use my Centro too. But the Round Robin is a great experiment and I love seeing how the other side lives via their smartphones. I appreciate that there are so many different smartphone designs out there and that we have different platforms to choose from. It would kind of suck if all the smartphones were the same. People sure aren't the same, and different people desire different phones. I prefer a smartphone with a front facing full QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen. That suits me best. And I don't mind using a stylus every now and then either. I know that CrackBerry Kevin hates using a stylus and says that he'd rather poke his eye out. LOL! He cracks me up!

Anyway, you can read the rest here.

Start discussing for your chance to win a Treo Pro! Good luck everyone!

This is an Official Round Robin Contest Thread!

Pamina · 12/11/2008, 06:45 PM

Thanks for the great review! I'm with you on the keyboard and the stylus, and I'm a Palm OS girl at heart myself, so I especially appreciate the detailed thoughts from your perspective.

T-ulk · 12/11/2008, 08:46 PM

most likely android will be my future os, as it looks closest to palm! anyway i have enjoyed reading ur review.

pmjohnson99 · 12/11/2008, 11:10 PM

i don't know how I feel about that keyboard

pinguino1 · 12/11/2008, 11:42 PM

Thank you again, Jennifer, for your review of the G1.

I still think that it is an OS and a phone with great future but for now it is an ugly (real ugly), boring phone with some glimpses of "Brilliantness"

puyi · 12/12/2008, 03:05 AM

I really hope Nova lives up to the potential of android.

Pamina · 12/12/2008, 07:22 AM

I hope whatever Palm unveils at the 2009 CES incorporates some of the android advances!

jfa1 · 12/12/2008, 11:53 AM

Thanks for your review I am looking for a successor for my 750 and with cracks in the pro case and I dont like sliders, and I not keen on touchless screens although I am researching balckberries and I dont want an iphone for mobile app concerns I am still leaving the options open. I am not sure about the G1 at present because of Tmbile 3G band issues. I think other devices down the road might fit the bill. Hopefully there will be positive news of the NOVA front soon. Again Thanks

Geo-Treo · 12/12/2008, 12:50 PM

Just making fun of your delightful accent from the video. Only one more to go. Just be yourself and it will be great!

Anyway, really enjoyed your review. It is strange how we comment on one device for a chance to win a different one, though.

How often did you have to use the slider keyboard? Would you prefer to have Android on a Treo type device with a front keyboard and smaller screen?

pmjohnson99 · 12/12/2008, 08:09 PM

Meh.

Duvi · 12/12/2008, 10:29 PM

Great review... The G1 is an interesting device.

pinguino1 · 12/13/2008, 12:52 AM

Wow, not too many post about the G1, Maybe there is a reason.
Can't wait fpr your review of the iPhone.

pmjohnson99 · 12/13/2008, 08:21 AM

meh

jhoff80 · 12/13/2008, 11:49 PM

I don't know, I really still feel like Google 'blew it' with Android. Instead of making something that is a great device, they really went for the eye candy competition with the iPhone. Hopefully future Android devices will fix this, but for now I'm very unimpressed by it.

jabbb · 12/14/2008, 01:49 AM

great review! i find the android platform awfully intriguing and like all of the other google products, one day will be quite awesome. this is the first phone running this os, and believe its still considered "beta"

Geo-Treo · 12/14/2008, 12:24 PM

I wouldn't call Android a beta. By all accounts it is stable and has the basic features expected in a version 1. The application market has already plugged some of the gaps. Clearly there is a lot more to come in early 2009 including a version 2 and new phones. Palm had better come up with something BIG in January or they will be too far behind to have any chance.

dannzeman · 12/14/2008, 09:15 PM

Show me an android device with a front facing keyboard on a US carrier (Sprint for me) and I'd probably jump all over it.

Pamina · 12/15/2008, 02:00 PM

I just hope the next android phone is nicer-looking. What can I say, I like shiny phones! (Even if they are fingerprint magnets.)

Geo-Treo · 12/15/2008, 02:22 PM

After 3 Treos I'm used to the plain, functional look. So many people use cases or body skins that you can hardly see the phone anyway. What's on the screen is what matters.

pinguino1 · 12/15/2008, 11:54 PM

Hi Jennifer,
While waiting for your iPhone review to start. A few more toughts about the G1.

Accepting that the G1/Androit still in its infacy, (nothing wrong with that) I can't avoid to compare it with the Treo (Uh, I know I'm in the Treo Temple)
The phenomenal journey from the Palm Pilot to the the Treo Pro is at its peak (almost) while the G1 is at its genesis ready for a long Journey too.

It's hard for me to visualize where the Treo will go from here and be the success it always was. But it easy to see the imaginary future of the G1 that started with the trend of the future: touch screen, full keyboard, flexible OS big screen. No need to follow the iPhone, just follow the flow.