PalmPre vs. iPhone vs. WinMo vs. Android vs. BlackBerry - Fight!

Posted by Gil Bouhnick on 01/14/09 in Opinion, Palm

It seems like I’m not the only one excited about the Palm Pre.

Gizmodo just published a nice post comparing between Palm Pre, iPhone and Android.

I took the original list (found in here), twisted it a bit according to my own opinion, added some new categories and of course, added Windows Mobile (and BlackBerry) to the competition.

Of course it’s a completely subjective competition so I will be the only judge.

So, are you ready?

1. Touch Screen:

Android, iPhone and Palm Pre have capacitive screens. Only iPhone and Palm Pre have multi-touch which is much better, so we have 2 winners here, each with 1 point:

iPhone: 1 pts

Palm Pre: 1 pts

Windows Mobile: 0 pts

Android: 0 pts

BlackBerry: 0 pts

2. Screen Gestures

All new devices have gestures. I believe iPhone used to have an advantage here, but after watching the Palm Pre videos I believe Palm took the gestures capabilities couple of levels up (shortcuts, closing apps, etc.).

In addition, there’s this gesture interface in the bottom of the device which really looks promising, so this point goes to Palm.

Palm Pre: 2 pts

iPhone: 1 pts

Windows Mobile: 0 pts

Android: 0 pts

BlackBerry: 0 pts

(Well well well, what do you know, the new-comer leads the way…)

3. Overall Design:

Until I saw the Palm Pre amazing pictures, I was certain that the best looking device ever created was Palm Treo Pro (or HTC Touch HD).

Omnia and Xperia are also good candidates here so since only Windows Mobile has this huge variety of different form factors, I will give the point to Windows Mobile.

Note: I wanted to penalize the Android for T-Mobile G1 for the horrible design but since it doesn’t have points yet, I couldn’t…

Palm Pre: 2 pts

Windows Mobile: 1 pts

iPhone: 1 pts

Android: 0 pts

BlackBerry: 0 pts

4. Single Hand Navigation:

Not every user is aware of that need, some people are even still using a stylus(!), but having the ability to operate your device with only one hand can really change your quality of life.

For me it’s a critical consideration: operating my phone while holding a bag, walking with my dog, or any other situation you can think of.

2 months of experience and I still can’t properly operate my iPhone with a single hand. The Android G1 has a sliding QWERTY so I guess it is out as well.

Based on what I’ve seen so far, and based on my personal experience with Palm Treo, I’m willing to bet the Pre will have the greatest single hand navigation. But since I just mentioned Treo 750 running Windows Mobile - it proves that WinMo can get single handed as well (it’s all a matter of form factor), so I will give 1 point each.

Oh, and let’s not forget BlackBerry which also gets 1 point here.

Palm Pre: 3 pts

Windows Mobile: 2 pts

iPhone: 1 pts

BlackBerry: 1 pts

Android: 0 pts

5. Multitasking:

iPhone - out.

Android - almost, but not quite there yet.

Windows Mobile - of course! (1 point there).

Palm Pre - the best! [The best Jerry! The best!] And did you see how they manage and close each task? multi-tasking by design. 1 point.

Palm Pre: 4 pts

Windows Mobile: 3 pts

iPhone: 1 pts

BlackBerry: 1 pts

Android: 0 pts

6. User Interface:

Even with the TouchFlo 3D, Windows Mobile is not doing well in this section.

Palm Pre looks amazing as well, even better than iPhone in some aspects, but we didn’t see enough, we don’t know how 3rd party apps will look like, and couldn’t find the flaws yet.

Android did not convince me that it’s better than the iPhone, so I will give this point to Apple, they deserve it just for the sake of creating a revolution.

Note: I almost took that 1 point from BlackBerry due to the horrible ‘text only’ user interface in most devices…

Palm Pre: 4 pts

Windows Mobile: 3 pts

iPhone: 2 pts

BlackBerry: 1 pts

Android: 0 pts

7. Development platform:

The Pre’s “Web OS” is an interesting concept. Many developers know how to write Java script, but the question is - how strong is it? How will the development environment work when trying to debug etc.

I once had an unpleasant experience with Java, trying to develop using IBM WebSphere tools (tip: don’t ever try that), then I moved back to Microsoft’s legendary Visual Studio - without a doubt, the best development framework.

With .Net compact framework - developing WinMo apps is something every kid can do. (heck, even I managed to develop a couple of free tools). Point goes to Windows Mobile.

Palm Pre: 4 pts

Windows Mobile: 4 pts

iPhone: 1 pts

BlackBerry: 1 pts

Android: 0 pts

8. PIM & Office Tools

No need to explain why Windows Mobile still leads this section.

BlackBerry is the best when it comes to emails, but I hate the workarounds for the office documents.

I believe Palm Pre will not be far behind but point goes to Windows Mobile.

Windows Mobile: 5 pts

Palm Pre: 4 pts

iPhone: 1 pts

BlackBerry: 1 pts

Android: 0 pts

(We have a changeover! Is this fun or what?)

9. Web Integration:

I took this section from the Gizmodo list, personally I don’t find it as the most important section, but I guess other people do.

Gizmodo Wrote: “The Pre subtly integrates the internet into the phone at every opportunity, and it’s awesome. Contacts get pulled in from Facebook, Gmail, IM and and scanned for dupes; the messaging app shows your last several emails, IMs and SMS with that contact in a single window. Really, really smart stuff. Advantage: Pre”

Windows Mobile: 5 pts

Palm Pre: 5 pts

iPhone: 1 pts

BlackBerry: 1 pts

Android: 0 pts

(Can you stand the hit?)

10. App Store / Developer Community:

While there are hundreds of Windows Mobile software & freeware sites, the AppStore, managed to create a bigger buzz (even though it doesn’t have trial options - which is lame)

From checking the Palm AppStore, I don’t think they will be able to compete with the original one.

Android’s more “open stance” might make it a decent opponent here, but I think that for now iPhone gets the points.

Windows Mobile: 5 pts

Palm Pre: 5 pts

iPhone: 2 pts

BlackBerry: 1 pts

Android: 0 pts

11. The Network:

Acording to Gizmodo: (”we stand by our numbers: Sprint is the best 3G network in our tests“) Sprint is the best 3G network.

On the other hand, we want the freedom to choose our own network!

Since Android (G1) is a T-Mobile phone (for now), Palm Pre is Sprint, and unlocking the iPhone is a pain in the a$$, I will go with Windows Mobile. You have the freedom to choose, and there are plenty of unlocked devices too. Point goes to Windows Mobile.

Windows Mobile: 6 pts

Palm Pre: 5 pts

iPhone: 2 pts

BlackBerry: 1 pts

Android: 0 pts

12. Physical keyboard:

let’s throw away this iPhone (though I must say I type pretty fast with the landscape keyboard - the problem is that many apps do not support landscape mode which brings me back to throwing it away…).

The Pre QWERTY keyboard is great, Android has it too, and Windows Mobile has many devices with good keyboard.

But for me the BlackBerry keyboard is the only one that gives a really fast and convenient typing. RIM will finally get another point!

Windows Mobile: 6 pts

Palm Pre: 5 pts

iPhone: 2 pts

BlackBerry: 2 pts

Android: 0 pts

13. Camera:

Since the best Cameras can be found in Windows Mobile devices like the Omnia (not all of them though) - the point will definitely go to Microsoft here.

Windows Mobile: 7 pts

Palm Pre: 5 pts

iPhone: 2 pts

BlackBerry: 2 pts

Android: 0 pts

14. Battery:

We still don’t know what will be the battery life of the Pre, but we can easily disqualify the iPhone from participating this one (20% during the night when 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth are all off!?).

Gizmodo gave extra point to the Palm Pre because of the wireless charger. I will do the same.

Windows Mobile: 7 pts

Palm Pre: 6 pts

iPhone: 2 pts

BlackBerry: 2 pts

Android: 0 pts

15. Copy & Paste:

The iPhone is the only one which doesn’t have this basic feature. Brrr.

BlackBerry’s copy / paste experience is far from being convenient so RIM does not deserve a point here as well.

WinMo, Android and Pre are the winners here, but since copy/paste is such a basic feature, I will give them only one 1 point which will be split between the 3 of them.

Windows Mobile: 7.333 pts

Palm Pre: 6.333 pts

iPhone: 2 pts

BlackBerry: 2 pts

Android: 0.333 pts

(Android finally gets one… OK… almost one point…)

16. Browser:

Pre, iPhone and Android browsers are based on WebKit, which has become the standard for the mobile web.

Safari crashes every once in a while, that’s true, but I still think it’s one of the best browsers.

I tried the android, and the navigation was not smooth.

I know many WinMo users think that there are better alternatives for Windows Mobile, but I tried Opera and I don’t think it’s good enough just yet, and for me SkyFire is an Autobot. (the first one who could fly, by the way…)

I will go with Gizmodo here as well, and give the points to the Pre and iPhone for having multi-touch in web browsing (a feature that I like very much)

Windows Mobile: 7.333 pts

Palm Pre: 7.333 pts

iPhone: 3 pts

BlackBerry: 2 pts

Android: 0.333 pts

Summary.

Wow, that was intensive, don’t you think?

The first place goes to… both Windows Mobile and Palm Pre!

What a match it is going to be!

(Who would have thought that those 2 old rivals that struggled 10 years ago with green screen PDAs will meet again…)

Of course, everything here is completely subjective. I’m sure many people will still prefer the BlackBerry alternative, while some spoiled kids will still nag their dad for an iPhone.

It’s amazing that the good old Windows Mobile is still standing and fighting proudly, mainly thanks to great devices that hide the weaknesses of the old OS.

I know there’s a lot of mobile “power users”, freaks, and blogger with a worm corner in the heart for Palm. It leads me to believe that the Pre is going to be a hit. And if not… well… that’s going to be a shame.

Written by Gil Bouhnick · Filed Under Opinion, Palm
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taranfx

Check this comparison showdown.

http://www.taranfx.com/blog/?p=1330
Palm Pre vs. iPhone 3.0 3G S vs. Windows Mobile 6.5 - Feature Comparison Showdown

spence

android has won just about every one of these the poster should more about this system before posting

1.g1 has very sensitive touch screen and if you have root access you have multi touch

2.g1 has long touch and a sliding gesture that looks much better and is much easier to use than any of the other smart phones (i have had my hands on all of these smart phones)

3.the g1 may be a tad thick but thats becasue its the only one with a full querty keyboard ( the palm pre is about a third the size so i don't count it) and the other android devices look more beautiful than any of the other phones (other phones including htc magic and i7500)

4.the g1 has one hand handling, all u have to do is use the virtual keyboard instead of the physical keyboard (the virtual keyboard is better and more responsive than iphone's)

5.the g1 can do multi tasking amazingly it can be running up to fifty applications and games at once, and you can access this from a slide down notification bar, genius!!!!!!

6.the android interface is beautiful and getting better and better as it grows

7. i give the author credit on that one

8.android has an app to run anything under microsoft office just fine and it is supporting 97-09

9.android's built in web interface is okay, but there are other internet browser's you can download, like steel and opera, that are beautiful

10.currently android has about 5,000 apps, good enough for anybody, and is by far the fastest growing os

11.android is on tmobile with the g1 mytouch 3g (coming soon), and i7500 (comning in a few months), is on vodafone with the htc magic, and is coming to at&t as the htc hero, quite a few networks to choose from

12.the g1 has a very nice full qwerty keyboard, a virtual one in landscape mode and portrait mode, as well as at-9 keyboard, all with auto cap auto punctuate and auto fix mispellings and many other nice features, i think it wins

13.there is an okay camera on the g1 (3.2 megapixels) and on thei7500 there is a decent camera with 5.2 megapixels magic has 3.2 megapixels and mytouch has 3.2 megapixels

14.the palm pre wins if there really is a wireless charger, but the all of the above mentioned devices can last the entire day while surfing the internet and using the gps, or any other battery eaters,

15.author has this correct

16.the navigation on android is just fine and the phones are quite fast at loading web pages adn again you are not stuck with the default browser

summary

android wins!!!!

Pony99CA

@spence:

android has won just about every one of these the poster should more about this system before posting

You're apparently criticizing an article written four months ago based on what's available today. See below.

3.the g1 may be a tad thick but thats becasue its the only one with a full querty keyboard ( the palm pre is about a third the size so i don't count it) and the other android devices look more beautiful than any of the other phones (other phones including htc magic and i7500)

There are at least three things wrong with your claim.

First, many Windows Mobile devices have QWERTY keyboards, so your claim that the G1 is the only one that had one is false.

Second, the Pre's counts because it's a physical QWERTY keyboard. You can discount it if you want, but the author apparently thought it was good enough.'

Third, if you're going to nitpick on "full", I'd say that no mobile phones have "full" QWERTY keyboards. Many don't have numeric rows, most have non-standard placement of symbols, almost none have a full set of cursor movement keys like real PC keyboards have, none are truly "full" size (obviously not practical on a phone, but "full" can be taken many ways), etc.

4.the g1 has one hand handling, all u have to do is use the virtual keyboard instead of the physical keyboard (the virtual keyboard is better and more responsive than iphone's)

Did the G1 have the virtual keyboard four months ago? I thought the virtual keyboard was part of Cupcake (or at least a later release of the original software).

6.the android interface is beautiful and getting better and better as it grows

Eye of the beholder, I'd say.

8.android has an app to run anything under microsoft office just fine and it is supporting 97-09

Did it have it four months ago? Do you have to pay for it? Windows Mobile includes Office support for free.

9.android's built in web interface is okay, but there are other internet browser's you can download, like steel and opera, that are beautiful

And other browsers exist for Windows Mobile, too -- Skyfire, Opera Mobile, Iris (Webkit-based), etc.

However, you completely misunderstood point #9. It wasn't about the device's Web browser; it was about Web integration, in other words, how well the OS was integrated with online services (what some people call the "cloud").

10.currently android has about 5,000 apps, good enough for anybody, and is by far the fastest growing os

Can you cite a reference for that claim? I suppose if you go from introduction with zero applications to 5000, it wins on a percentage basis (infinity is a big number).

However, Apple just claimed they had 50,000 iPhone apps available at the WWDC (that's debatable, but it's over 48,000 according to an app counter). It wasn't that long ago that they passed the 25,000 mark (and Windows Mobile). Even if it was 6 months ago, that means there are now 23,000 more apps in 6 months, far more than Android's 4,900 or so in the 7-8 months since Android shipped.

Second, your claim that 5000 apps is "good enough for anybody" is laughable -- whether it's really "good enough" depends on whether an app is available for everything you want to do. That's an individual decision, not yours to make.

I realize that your point was more likely saying that lots of the iPhone apps are duplicates or stupid apps, but the sheer number means there's probably a better chance that some app important to a niche market is available, too. That's certainly true of Windows Mobile.

11.android is on tmobile with the g1 mytouch 3g (coming soon), and i7500 (comning in a few months), is on vodafone with the htc magic, and is coming to at&t as the htc hero, quite a few networks to choose from

"Coming soon" is different than "available". And, again, how many networks was an Android device available on four months ago?

12.the g1 has a very nice full qwerty keyboard, a virtual one in landscape mode and portrait mode, as well as at-9 keyboard, all with auto cap auto punctuate and auto fix mispellings and many other nice features, i think it wins

I'm not sure why you're mentioning virtual keyboards or T9 here. The point was about physical keyboards and which phone had the best one (not just "had one"). Windows Mobile didn't get any points here, either; the author's opinion was that BlackBerrys had the best keyboards.

If you want to drag virtual keyboards in here, many Windows Mobile devices have had QWERTY keyboards and virtual keyboards for years (at least since the HP iPAQ 4300 back in June 2003). The Palm OS Treos also had them years ago. So what?

Finally, do you think the other platforms are standing still? Apple just announced its latest iPhone OS which finally adds copy/paste, video recording, voice command, etc. WM 6.5 is adding lots of Web service integration (MyPhone) and an app store. I'm sure RIM and Palm won't be sitting idly by, either.

Anyway, attacking the piece based on what Android has now is almost like criticizing stories that said the U.S. auto makers were doing great now that things have changed.

Steve

matt

This is a pretty terrible "fight". You can't compare a lot of these features at an OS level...at least, not the way YOU compared them.

You were way off base--seems to me you're an android hater, pretty arbitrarily.

Not to mention you kept talking about "taking away points." Don't be an idiot--that's now how reviews are supposed to work.

dave

android g1 has multitouch however you have to unlock it due to legal probs with apple.

Jonathan French

You are all so short-sighted. Apple will sue Palm so hard over multi-touch that it will be reduced to just a Thumb. I know this article is old, but it is also oblivious to the future. Winblows mobile is simply an oxymoron, as is anyone who uses it. It has what, 1-2% internet-usage market share? Android doesn't exist there. Palm is email only. Once iPhoneOS 3.0 hits, there will be no competitors.

dasickis

There's an error in your post, they are talking about Javascript which is completely different than Java. Actually Javascript is the language used by most online apps like Google Docs, Maps, GMail, and others.

Javascript is just starting to get better development tools and debugging platforms. Since it's used so widely, I think writing applications will be a piece of cake. You can, however, also write Javascript apps using Java with Google GWT tool or Python, Perl, etc. with similar tools. Yet, at the end of the day, Java is very different than Javascript.

See: http://www.woodger.ca/jvjs.htm

ojim

Man, you are such a liar. Your evaluation of Android is so off it doesn't warrant comment. Go use one and then write a fresh post.

ThatOneGuy

Here's my breakdown for Blackberry based on your criteria. I've skipped the sections I don't have any beef with.

2. The Storm has screen gestures. One more point for BB.
3. Blackberry has a huge variety of form factors as well. The only one I know of that it doesn't have is a slider format like the Pre or Android.
5. Blackberry has multi-task. One more point for BB.
6. Text-only interface on most Blackberrys?!? What are you talking about? Have you even used one? One more point.
8. Work-arounds for office documents? Documents to go does just fine. One more point.
9. I have my contacts synced with Google Apps, and the Facebook 1.5 app will sync contacts and calendar. (And Facebook 1.5 has been leaked for some devices, so it has a step up on the Pre.) One more point.
10. We have an app store now, so we get a point.
11. You can get a Blackberry on any network. Point.
14. Battery life is great, but the wireless charging on the Pre is pretty cool. I won't take a point for that reason.
15. What's so inconvenient about holding shift and scrolling the trackball? Point for BB.

Blackberry had two from you, plus the eight more from the inaccuracies I pointed out. That gives it ten points, which makes it the winner.

Jimmy

I have to note a few things g1 has, voice activated google search, and the chomp sms app. (sms with an onscreen keyboard) I honestly don't have any problem using this phone one handed.

Fred

WinMo is a decent OS. I have used a version of it off and on since it came out on the Philips Nino? I bought years ago.

I have (not for long) a Blackberry Storm. I have to say that it is quite nice as a device, but it has one real big disadvantage compared to the other devices/OS. RIM.

I recently had an bad experience with the Blackberry Storm (unlocked, received as a gift). I made the mistake of registering it in the US and then went overseas thinking that I could insert a local SIM and connect to my email/internet as I did with my WinMo device (an E-Ten Glofiish running 6.1 Pro) by configuring my account consistent with the country/carrier I was in. Much to my shock and surprise, the Blackberry will not connect to the Internet (the browser actaully disappears with a different SIM on an unknown network)nor would it send/receive email. You are forced to pay exhorbitant roaming data rates using the SIM/carrier you originally registered the BB with. So, with the local SIM (even with a data package)it became a simple voice only cellphone. Oh, and once the Blackberry is registered/assigned to a carrier, you cannot re-register with another carrier as a BB unless the first carrier "releases" it! I am amazed that they can actually sell the things to private parties with such restrictions.

Terrible for heavy travellers with multiple carrier contracts and/or pre-pay SIMs in other countries.

This alone disqualifies the Blackberry OS for most people who travel often.

I am, however, interested in developments of the Android OS, which like WinMo will have many manufacturers designing phones for it and SW developers writing programs for it. The Iphones I have played with are amazing, but I don't think they will be able to keep up with developments of so many independent companies working on WinMo and Android devices and SW. Same for Palm I suspect. But they have a chance. Blackberry is the odd man out I think.

Ken

First of all, very unfair to Android! Coz its still a baby now.

Ok, now talk about prefrence, It all depends on personal preference.I dont like to use anything that is right out of the factory, I like customization. I customized my house, my car(even just the muffler and bodykit),my bike, my gaming rig, and my phone.

Besides the love for better RAM/CPU,I hated a phone that looks like everybody else, I like customization, and put some character into the phone while at it. My iphone look just like everybody else,besides the skin! But my X7510 is tweak and customized right into the bone!Tons of apps/craps for almost anything you can think of.

However, Android is definite on my watch-list,Plenty of room to grow! Just like WInMO,but maybe even better, coz the Dev enviroment is looking very promising! Extremely excited to see what else it can do.

The hardware aspect of Android will definitely change after HTC and Samsung come seriously into the game, so expect crazy spec like WinMo.

Palm and Iphone will have to work harder to keep its fans on the hardware front, coz they are the only one that are producing their phone!Unlike winMo and Android.

So, for me Android and WinMo will have the upperhand in the longer run.

Juro

Do you know what is the best on the open solaris? The size of storage and the diagonal size of the LCD. Do you know, what is the worst on Windows Seven? Neither me, but I suppose it cannot boot to GUI - I saw it on YouTube. Do you know why FreeBSD has the best multitasking? Because it is very easy to switch to many text mode sessions - while in Windows you cannot.

This is how you did your research...

android user

I think you are lying about Google Android platform.
Multi touch is supported but not activated for now, web integration is the best of all...

Pony99CA

@Gil:

I don't think cumulative scoring was that bad. You usually said you gave "a point" to a device/platform, so once somebody sees a device or platform with more than one point, it should be fairly obvious that it's a running tally.

When I tune into a football game, I want to see the total score when I get there, not a score-by-score breakdown where I have to add the scores up to see who's winning.

Of course, you could use a tabular format to get the best of both worlds (I can't do tables here, so here's my simulation):

Palm Pre: +1 4 pts total
Windows Mobile: +1 3 pts total
iPhone: +0 2 pts total
BlackBerry: +0 1 pt total
Android: +0 0 pts total

Steve

Chris Leckness

I want to thank Gil, Hahha, and Cryptic79 for discuss this nicely. :) I like nice.
Ps. Hahha... You have mail.

Cryptic79

@Gil,

I think if you addressed #4 on your comment, things would be better. I could still see how someone would back WM. It's been around to work out most of the kinks.

I do think that splitting the only point that Android received any credit for seems a little suspect. If the point was important enough to list, then a full point could be attributed to all receiving credit.

A little battle of semantics (I'll stay more plesant this time...sorry for the first post):

Multitouch: If you are addressing Android, then it should get a point. If you're using the G1, then your result is fair.

One-handed navigation: Other than email/text, Android/G1 is very one-hand friendly. The Cupcake update should solve the last 2 issues as well.

Camera: Thankfully, I've never relied on a phone's camera. The G1's is pretty bad.

Network: Technically, the G1 is not the only Android phone. The Kogan Agora Pro is in production (I believe Australia). WM is definitely the winner at this point in time, though, since any of the 4 major US carriers have at least one WM device.

My biggest beef really is the lack of comparison point (#4 again). If you are going to re-address that, I would hope that you give Android a better chance at 1-hand and multi-touch should you decide to compare OS's.

Oh, Dev environment. I have to back the .NET framework. If I don't, I think MS will revoke my MCSD. :P That said, I'm going to try to relearn Java to write some stuff for my G1.

Hahha

@Gil

Honestly, it appears to me that you put twice as much effort and thought into your comment than you did your original post!

Blogging isn't "all about opinions," though certainly thats a big part of it. If you're just going to state your opinion and make no effort at objective analysis, that is your choice, but don't expect to be taken seriously. Half of the categories you really don't even make an attempt to legitimately justify your choice, so you must expect this kind of reaction from some people.

And yes, the particular format the text in your "cumulative scoring" was an absolute disaster ;-) It may be a good idea to score from 0 to 3, or 0 to 5, for each device in each category. Binary scoring is not very descriptive and ends up with insane results in what are sometimes very close competitions.

Gil Bouhnick

Wow!
I just finished reading the entire list of comments and it made me understand a few things.

1. Too many comments can really make your finger hurt while using the mouse scroll wheel…
2. I am never going to use a cumulative score ever again in any of my posts.
3. Chris, next time we meet I owe you a beer for messing MobilitySite up with the entire Android community…
4. True, I mixed between devices and OS, I take it back. It affected mostly WinMo and BlackBerry as all the others currently have only one device to talk about…
5. Palm Pre was not released yet (thanks for reminding me – that gives me more time to save money for it).
6. Believe it or not (as sick as it sounds) I actually am using WinMo(s), iPhone and BlackBerry – and DEVELOP for mobile phones as well so I think that blaming me in not knowing what I’m talking about is a bit of a mistake. You can, however, blame me for preferring Windows Mobile – which is actually… true… but as far as I remember – still allowed.
7. I don’t like Vista (as someone suggested). But I LOVE office 2007.
8. I’m completely impressed by the Palm Pre and webOS although it can change dramatically based on the quality of the 3rd party apps.
9. I still don’t like Android (at least the first phone running it).
I was in a mobile event today, got some time to play around with it AGAIN, and I’m sorry, I don’t like the hardware design of it, I think it cannot compete with the design of the iPhone, Touch Pro, Samsung Omnia or even BlackBerry Bold.
The user interface is OK but considering it was made AFTER so many amazing UI’s (iPhone, TouchFlo, SPB, etc.) – It’s not as thrilling as it could have been (i.e. as the webOS looks like in demos).
10. Based on the great things Google is developing (I’m using many of their tools actually) I’m pretty sure Android will soon become a leading mobile platform – I totally agree with that statement. But, at the moment, I am not buying and Android phone.

And one last comment.
I thought blogging is all about writing opinions. I read many blogs and comment a lot, but I never use such terms as used here.

Chris

Seriously? Have you ever used the G1? Ever heard of Android? It should get a point in many of those categories. This article is a JOKE if you think Windows Mobile wins. This SITE is a joke if you think Windows Mobile wins. Have you ever used Windows Mobile? It was the most sluggish, ugly, most complicated user interface ever. I give it -10 for that.

Seriously though. Here we go :

Multitouch? The Android touchscreen is great even if it isn't multitouch...kicks resistive Windows Mobile's @$$.

Screen gestures? Ok, Android doesn't win.

Design? Ok, the G1 may not be the prettiest. But the trackball goes a LONG way when trying to use the phone with gloves on, something that's impossible to do with an iPhone.

Single Hand Navigation? I believe you said navigation, not typing. So I "guess" the G1 is back in. Especially since it's getting an on-screen keyboard in about a week. Single handed navigation on the phone is amazing.

Multitasking? I love how no one gives the G1 credit. HOLD THE HOME KEY AND IT DISPLAYS THE LAST 6 APPLICATIONS THAT YOU'VE OPENED, AND IT HAS KEPT THEM RUNNING. This keeps the phone from slowing down, but also leaves 6 apps open for "multitasking"

User Interface? How do you not give Android a point? The notification bar is the best design feature in the history of smartphones. Also, it is very fluid and usable. Again, HAVE YOU USED THIS PHONE EVER?

Development platform? OPEN SOURCE. Enough said. Java is the one of the most known and most widely used programming language out there.

Office Tools? They're coming.

Web Integration? Well, obviously Android has none, because...you know...it was made by the biggest online corp around...GMAIL, PUSH NOTIFICATIONS, CONTACTS SYNC WITH GMAIL, CALENDAR SYNC, IM. Seriously, do your research.

App Store? Android has a great Marketplace. I guess you just didn't give it a point because it's not called App Store or Developer Community.

The Network? Same story as a lot of other features. More phones will be released on more networks very soon. So I guess I could justify this not getting a point (yet).

Physical Keyboard? THE G1 HAS ONE. AND ITS GOOD. You are so biased.

Camera? I agree, not the best.

Battery? Bad. Wow you got a section correct!

Copy & Paste? Oh crap. You decided to give Android a point. OH WAIT. You can't do that. On this section, you have to SPLIT the point, which you didn't do on any other section, because you were forced to give Android a point. Poor you.

Browser? Gizmodo and Engadget have only repeatedly rated it second only to the iPhone's browser...so I guess we go back to you never using the phone again...it's fantastic. Nice try though.

Please, get out more. Or stay in and read up on Android so you can actually write credible comparison articles.

FAILURE.

geb

You had me for a while. The multitasking section was too outrageously brain-dead to keep the joke going though...

-g

Chris Leckness

@ Hahha - It's no problem. I don't mind criticism or blasting if warranted. The only thing I don't appreciate are the crude replies with foul language. Those didn't make it to print though :)

Hahha

@Chris

Thanks for addressing some of the comments, even though some (cough, like mine) have come off with a bit of indignant hostility.

My responses and negative opinions are coming mainly from the fact that I expect comparisons like these to at least attempt to be fair and impartial.

Anybody can just write their random thoughts and opinions down. That's rarely very useful or readable except to those who agree with the opinion.

If the individual "feature" comparisons are going to be so unsupported and so devoid of reasonable arguments and consistency, the author may as well just state: "I like X better" as every reason.

Also, a few tips: compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges. Compare specific things, either just operating systems or individual phones. Without knowing it, by comparing "Windows Mobile," the author is comparing the "battery" and the "touch screen" and "camera" on every single WinMo phone ever made. Did he intend to do that?

Also: I would re-write the way the scoring is assigned. I had to read it several times, which was difficult, to realize that the score repeated in each individual section is actually a cumulative score. Realizing this, some of my earlier comments, and that of other comments, isn't accurate because we didn't understand the content. In each section, simply state the winner and assign it your "one point." Then at the end, give the final tally.

Anon

Thank you for this .. this was the worst post ever comparing mobile phones...

To find someone who was so in love with WinMo .. is astonishing..

I'm guessing you also love Vista and think that isn't flawed either..

Subjective... not even the word...

but thank you for the laugh..

edd

horrible review. way too subjective =/
i guess i just have different views

Chris Leckness

@Hahha - Yes. I can see your point and upon reading it again, I see that. I hope that Gil gets time later (He's not in the US) to field some comments.

All I can do is take it on the chin for my guy here. We are very WinMo centric here and our opinions are based much on our likes.

Personally, I don't like the G1 at all. The keyboard is all I really liked about it. I used it for about a month and unfamiliarity with the OS and some of the limitations of the OS turned me off. I have high hopes for the Android platform though. The G1 is a very nice 1st go at a phone with a new OS. It all comes down to preference in the end. I really hope Microsoft steps up with Windows Mobile though. WinMo isn't broken really, it's just that the bar has been raised by the iPhone, by the Android OS, and from what I saw at CES, Palm's WebOS. The Pre's form factor and feel is nice too. I actually held one for 8-10 seconds in my 1on1 with Palm.

Like I said, I can understand the commenters reaction to Gil's comparison here. For the most part, expect for the 2 comments I just deleted, the comments are welcome. I am sure they won't change his opinion, but as long as it's not just a pissing match, debate is healthy.

ps. To the poster that said they will never be back. Sorry to hear that. Is this your 1st visit in 6 years?

pps. We just added Palm WebOS and Android subs in our forums the other day and I added Blackberry and iPhone not too long ago as well. We are very WinMo centric though so I don't think they will get much use, but hey...

Hahha

Actually, I stand to correct my earlier comments, as I've given the author & post too much credit.

What the hell is even being compared here?

See the post from someoneother above: http://mobilitysite.com/2009/01/palmpre-vs-ipho...

Operating systems? No, cause he includes cameras and batteries.
Individual phones? No, because "blackberry," "android," and "windows mobile" aren't individual phones.

Again, total nonsense. Oh well. Everything has a downside, even freedom of speech.

Hahha

@Chris

I agree with the post "Cryptic79" a bit - the point isn't what his opinion is, it's that the comparisons he gives here are lacking supporting arguments or any kind of evidence.

You guys can go back and forth about whether WinMo or iPhone OS is sleeker, that will be subjective to a large degree.

But where this piece really loses all credibility is with the way he just arbitrarily assigns 0 to things he doesn't like and gives no reason for doing so. In some cases, he even says "iPhone is the worse, Android is a bit better, but Android gets 0, iPhone gets 1."

The opinion/subjectivity will always be there and you really can't fault somebody for stating that "something is a bit subjective, so heres my opinion." There are several obvious points where the poster simply prefers WinMo. Thats life.

But what you can fault people for is pretending to break things down by evidence/support based points and then letting their opinion assign out-of-the-blue scores. It really appears as though the author has either never seen or heard of an Android phone or taken the explicit position that it gets 0 because he doesn't like it (for whatever reason).

Again, the problem isn't his preference or how clearly it does or doesn't show through. It's that this is just whole piece is baseless and effortless.

someoneother

Nonsensical comparison.

iPhone: Are you referring to the original 2G iPhone here, or the iPhone OS?

Palm Pre: Hasn't really been out yet. Extremely little to base a comparison on.

Windows Mobile: Is not a handset. It's an operating system. It should be compared with other mobile operating systems.

Android: Android does not have a physical keyboard, a battery, a camera or a screen... Android is software.

BlackBerry: Blackberry what? The Blackberry storm? The Blackberry OS? What is being compared here?

really?

http://phandroid.com/2009/01/15/how-to-instantl...

Completely agree with the linked post, definitely won't be visiting this site again.

PalmPre vs. iPhone vs. WinMo vs. Android vs. BlackBerry - Fight!

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PalmPre vs. iPhone vs. WinMo vs. Android vs. BlackBerry - Fight!

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