Some Android questions

[Jerry Feldman]

Currently the Backflip is running Android 1.5 and is upgradeable to 2.1.
It also is fully AT&T 3G.
Basically, one of the reasons I want an AT&T Android is that it is 3G
where the Nexus One is not (yet), and while I can leave AT&T it would
require me to upgrade both my wife and mother. Actually, the both the
Droid and Cliq were rooted because someone found an exploit. The
Backflip is essentially a Cliq XT with an larger keyboard. As long as I
can share my calendar, contacts, and notes with Windows at work, as well
as Linux at home, it will be an improvement over the Blackberry, which I
do like other than you really can't sync it with Linux. (You can back it
up). Both Blackberry and Android do Google sync and apps.
The Backflip is available on March 7th with models from HTC and Dell to
be introduced in June.

A couple of apps I would like to see are ssh and scp. There is currently
a console app for bash, busybox, and ssh. But, I would be happy to share
my data on Linux again.

I did notice that the Backflip comes with a 2GB microSD preinstalled in
comparison to the Droid's 16GB. All the Moto models have a 32GB max.

Most likely I will get the Backflip, but I am curious to see the specs
for the HTC and Dell models.



On 02/24/2010 01:45 PM, Randy Cole wrote:
> Jerry,
>
> The Motorola Droid is the only Motorola Android phone which is
> "rootable".  So I assume that the Backflip will have root locked (and
> will only accept signed updates).  Also the Backflip is probably Androi=
d
> 1.6 vs. 2.0.1 on the Droid and 2.1 on the Nexus One, although updates
> will appear "eventually".
>
>
> I've had the Motorola Droid for a week or so.  I like it a lot.  But th=
e
> hotness is the Google Nexus One, which has a processor that is about 2x=

> the Droids.  I know two people that immediately auctioned their
> brand-new Motorola Droids on e-bay and planned to get a Nexus One
> instead.  (Nexus One presently doesn't do AT&T 3G; rumor has it that
> there is a model that does, but it may not appear in the US).  BTW,
> there is an AT&T compatible version of the Droid for sale on Canada's
> Telus as the Motorola Milestone
>
>
> Upsides:
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
> Sipdroid integrates with the phone app.  When sipdroid is running, the
> phone app can be used to place & receive VOIP calls, certainly over wif=
i.
>
> Moto Droid has the largest screen and resolution of any Android or
> iphone presently.  (I think there is some Samsung somewhere that has th=
e
> same size screen).
>
> Video playback is excellent.  Youtube app is smoother than my laptop.
>
> Macho "DROID!!!!" sound.  Sounds closer to a Cylon than R2-D2.
>
>
> Some of the downsides of the Motorola Droid:
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D
>
> It's Verizon, so I haven't activated it yet.  Can't figure out yet how
> to get it activated on Straight Talk or MetroPCS ;).  (If anyone can
> offer assistance, let me know).   So for right now it is wifi only.  Th=
e
> browser doesn't seem to cache pages, so you can't look at old pages off=
line.
>
> It has a polycarbonate-type plastic face, which will scratch much easie=
r
> than glass, which I believe the iphone uses.
>
> It comes with a removable 16GB SD card (fat32 I think?), upgradable to
> 32GB, but the file system is configured so that apps have to be stored
> internally.  I'm already getting space warnings.  I haven't figured out=

> how to overcome this.
>
> Physical keys are too flat - not much improvement over the screen
> keyboard.  Touch typing - virtually impossible.
>
> Gmail client doesn't do folders.  No yahoo mail client for android.
>
> Droid is "Flash Ready", but flash is not ready.  So websites requiring
> adobe flash don't work.
>
> Airplane mode turns off CDMA and wifi, then have to turn on wifi.=20
> Rebooting turns off the wifi.
>
> Entering a 63? character wireless key is horrendous.  Had to type it
> into a note then copy-paste.
>
> wifi ability is much weaker than my laptop.
>
> When I turned off ssid broadcast, I had to delete the existing
> connection, reboot, and add the connection again for it to be recognize=
d.
>
> Haven't figured out how to do ad and script blocking.
>
> Hard to tell if installed apps are compromising your privacy.
>
>
>
> Jerry Feldman wrote:
>  =20
>> I will be replacing my Blackberry with the new Motorola Backflip with
>> Motoblur that is now available through AT&T wireless. While I'm not
>> locked in to AT&T Wireless getting my wife and mother to move to new
>> phones is an issue.
>>
>> Most of the features of the Android phones I am familiar with, but a
>> couple of things I'd like to do:\. First, I would like to be able to
>> share my contacts with Thunderbird. I know that I can sync with Google=
=2E
>> The Calendar is less important because I already use Google Calendar. =
I
>> would like to be able to sync with Outlook for work. The other thing i=
s
>> sharing contacts between Android and Thunderbird. More specifically, m=
y
>> Thunderbird contacts are huge, and I don't want to pollute my PDA
>> contacts. But I would like to be able to use and update the Android
>> contacts from my hime Linux system. This leaves 1 question:
>> With builtin WiFi, can I NFS export Android so I can access the contac=
ts
>> directly.
>>
>> Another issue is some password stuff. With the Palm I used to have the=

>> memo pad with some entries password protected. If for some reason I lo=
st
>> my Palm, the passwords and other data would at least be a bit difficul=
t
>> to get at (but crackable). I'd like an app where I could keep sensitiv=
e
>> data encrypted but also that I could share that data with Linux and
>> possibly with Putty on that other OS.
>>
>> Basically, what I want is a Palm or Blackberry-like memo pad (I've see=
n
>> a few apps that seem to fit the bill such as "Sticky Memo Widget Lite"=
=2E
>>
>>
>> BTW: My daughter's boyfrind has a Moto Droid and loved the Google GPS
>> turn by turn directions.
>>
>> The other things that are important to me, like backup is is already
>> available, so
>> =20
>>    =20

--=20
Jerry Feldman <gaf-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
PGP key id: 537C5846
PGP Key fingerprint: 3D1B 8377 A3C0 A5F2 ECBB  CA3B 4607 4319 537C 5846