The Dream is totally awesome oh my gawd thread

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:36 pm

So now that there is a potentially serious contender to the iPhone on the horizon, anyone waiting for it? The T-Mobile G1/Dream is the first to come out based on Google's Android open source operating system.

Cheaper than an iphone, more functionality, a real "keyboard", music downloads, likely more apps, cheaper phone rates...

http://www.t-mobileg1.com/?WT.mc_t=Onsi ... pect_home1

http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Update_G ... 24943.html

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:38 pm

But the thing is horrendously ugly and big. I honestly expected a lot more from HTC. The "real" keyboard is REALLY bad.

I'm interested in the OS though. It's very well designed...if you don't mind the Google-ization of everything that is.

Edit: oh yeah...and T-Mobile is by far the worst major carrier in the US. If you are on their network, I'm very very sorry. They have even less 3G coverage than At&t...given that they just launched it recently. I still miss Verizon...being that I have to be with At&t on the iPhone.

EZSnappin · Post by **EZSnappin** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:43 pm

For a second I thought this was going to be about Hakeem Olajuwon and his recent induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Then I remembered that there are maybe 3 or 4 hoops guys on the board...

T-Mobile doesn't offer any service where I live, let alone 3G. This isn't really going to make a dent in the iphone's market - as DB said, it is ugly, even clunky, with multiple buttons and a keypad. The aesthetics of the iphone are pretty impressive when you compare it to similar devices. Function isn't the only, or even the primary, thing that sells phones.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:49 pm

When I first saw the announcement, I said "Uh oh, lookout Apple!"...

Then I saw a pic of the phone & the words "T-Mobile" and said "Oh, nevermind"...

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:54 pm

greggsand wrote:When I first saw the announcement, I said "Uh oh, lookout Apple!"...

Then I saw a pic of the phone & the words "T-Mobile" and said "Oh, nevermind"...

The real problem is that's what Verizon did about 2 1/2 years ago as well. What could have been...a marriage between Apple and Verizon would have been so lovely.

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 3:32 pm

Heard about this on the radio...looks fugly but at the same time a cheaper alternative to the iPhone.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:45 pm

That looks like something the professor from Gilligans Island designed...

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:52 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote: Edit: oh yeah...and T-Mobile is by far the worst major carrier in the US. If you are on their network, I'm very very sorry. They have even less 3G coverage than At&t...given that they just launched it recently. I still miss Verizon...being that I have to be with At&t on the iPhone.

I have TMobile. It never drops a call here...or at least where I go... I wasnt thinking about 3G coverage when I got it. I didnt even know what that was.

So this looks good to me even as ugly as it is. It better than nothing.

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:36 pm

XXXIV wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote: Edit: oh yeah...and T-Mobile is by far the worst major carrier in the US. If you are on their network, I'm very very sorry. They have even less 3G coverage than At&t...given that they just launched it recently. I still miss Verizon...being that I have to be with At&t on the iPhone.
I have TMobile. It never drops a call here...or at least where I go... I wasnt thinking about 3G coverage when I got it. I didnt even know what that was.

So this looks good to me even as ugly as it is. It better than nothing.

Likewise. I have T-Mobile and get reception everywhere. My wife has AT&T and a Samsung BlackJack (I think). She's always got her nose pressed up against the window at home trying to get reception. AT&T flat out sucks for her in both Houston and when she lived in Boston.

Last week during the immediate aftermath of Ike, she broke down and used my phone (and T-Mobile) since she just couldn't get any signal with hers (or at best 1 out of 10 tries was good).

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:43 pm

F308GTB wrote:Likewise. I have T-Mobile and get reception everywhere. My wife has AT&T and a Samsung BlackJack (I think). She's always got her nose pressed up against the window at home trying to get reception. AT&T flat out sucks for her in both Houston and when she lived in Boston.

Last week during the immediate aftermath of Ike, she broke down and used my phone (and T-Mobile) since she just couldn't get any signal with hers (or at best 1 out of 10 tries was good).

Yeah, it's easy to use the service when no one else uses the network. LOL. GSM is fine in some places. Any place that has even the smallest hill though...forget it. Phoenix was pretty good when I had At&t back in the day...but LA sucks. Unfortunately I get to deal with it now with the iPhone. It's slightly better...but not much.

It all depends where you live. But there's a reason the GSM carriers are at the bottom of most consumer reviews nationally.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:57 pm

My experience with mobile phones is very limited, as you all know, but I received a free loaner the last two summers from Sprint/NEXTEL. My wife has been a Verizon subscriber for at least five years.

The difference in service quality between Sprint and Verizon here in Central New York is startling.

Sprint SUCKS, period. Dropped calls, no reception, low bars, bad reception, etc. Verizon is damn near bulletproof. She never has dropped calls, always has solid bars in service areas, a wider, more reliable service area.

Who knows if I'll ever actually pay for a cell phone? But if I do, it sure as hell won't be with Sprint, and it probably will be with Verizon.

Back on subject, that new T-Mobile phone looks awkward. Plus the forced usage of Google apps sucks if you aren't a Googleholic.

Take care,
PK

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:04 am

That is one hell of an ugly phone.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:13 pm

Diablo25 wrote:That is one hell of an ugly phone.

Yeah, but it's $20 cheaper! That's right, $20!

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:19 pm

There's nothing inherently inferior about GSM. In fact, in other countries where GSM is used, coverage and reliability are considered superior to any American carrier.

It's a question of how they built the network.

Within a few years, everyone will roll out LTE, including Verizon, so they'll start almost from zero.

T-Mobile was at a disadvantage because they didn't own spectrum for 3G. They secured some last year the bands they got are different than any other 3G network.

So a device for T-Mobile 3G probably can't roam, unless it supports all the different bands.

How much is their plan and which cities have 3G networks? Heard they had a 1 GB cap.

Will say though that in the videos, their "Chrome-lite" browser looked real fast and the instant syncing looked good too.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:27 pm

There is ABSOLUTELY something inferior about GSM. Since most of the network coverage in the US is on the 1900 band...the building penetration and general coverage area is severely limited. As soon as they make the 850mhz band the primary band, then they will always be inferior to the 800/850/900mhz band of CDMA (Verizon depending on the area).

SoMisss2000 · Post by **SoMisss2000** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:23 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:But the thing is horrendously ugly and big. I honestly expected a lot more from HTC. The "real" keyboard is REALLY bad.

I'm interested in the OS though. It's very well designed...if you don't mind the Google-ization of everything that is.

Edit: oh yeah...and T-Mobile is by far the worst major carrier in the US. If you are on their network, I'm very very sorry. They have even less 3G coverage than At&t...given that they just launched it recently. I still miss Verizon...being that I have to be with At&t on the iPhone.

left sprint and went with TMo. Love them. I have no problems. I have no problem re-uping for 2 more years when I get ready to upgrade in march of 2009. I live in Dallas and coverage has not been a problem. I just looked into 3G here and it is offered in my area. The new Android phone is tempting but i'm a blackberry guy and am holding out for the new Blackberry Javelin (now renamed anther Curve). The concern I have for it though is lack of 3G.

I'll let someone else be the guinea pig for the new Android phone before I have to decide.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:38 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:There is ABSOLUTELY something inferior about GSM. Since most of the network coverage in the US is on the 1900 band...the building penetration and general coverage area is severely limited. As soon as they make the 850mhz band the primary band, then they will always be inferior to the 800/850/900mhz band of CDMA (Verizon depending on the area).

GSM supports those and other bands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_bands

The carriers decided to implement on the higher band or that was the only spectrum they were able to license.

It's an implementation issue, not some inherent weakness in the standard.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:45 pm

Of course it supports it...BUT THEY DON'T USE IT.