HTC Dream/HTC Omni

[Felix]

Word goes that the HTC Dream's hardware platform is practically the same as that of the HTC Omni *, but being the first with the Google Android OS software platform as the major difference.

• 32 bit Qualcomm MSM7200 Chipset, 384 MHZ CPU Clock
• 256 MB ROM
• 128 RAM
• 800 x 480 px TFT 262 color touchscreen
• GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900, UMTS2100 connectivity
• CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA data support
• Built-in QWERTY-type keyboard, 65 keys * SDIO, microSD, TransFlash expansion slots
• USB 2.0 client, 60Mbit/s , USB Series Mini-B (mini-USB) connector
• Bluetooth 2.0
• 802.11b, 802.11g
• NMEA 0183 , 20 channels built-in GPS
• 3.1 Mpx camera with LED flash
• 640×480 VGA secondary camera
• Dimensions: 81 x 130 x 16 mm

Sum sauce wit it?

When we have a look at the specs you'll see that they offer plenty of arguments why this would be a competitor, but the killer argument hides in Google's platform I think. What could keep the X1 standing? Price? I think we all know the odds of that. Looks/ergonomics could certainly still keep the eyes on the X1. The notebook fold-open design of the HTC Omni has it's charms but also it's practical disadvantages I think. On one hand you don't have to worry about a scratched screen surface and it looks like you flip open an agenda from the future, but on the other it's less easy to access the interface.

* This is contradicted by the rumor that the phone used at last Google I/O is the HTC Dream, which (although the viewer barely gets a clear shot at the phone) definitely hasn't got the notebook fold-open design.

[Rudegar]

looks kinda big looks more like a sUMPC like htc Universal or Athena then a phoned
the program base of Android will take a few years to reach wm
and wonder why they feel the need to say "32 bit "
even pre 2000 pda's was 32bit

[Massamino]

These images are not for the omni. They have been published somewhere, but are not the right ones (read it one numberous sites)

I like the design, but it is big and the hardware is oldfasioned by then.

It looks like it has resurfaced

[JKingGrim]

I'll take Windows Mobile over Android. Android had me interested until I found out it is non multitasking (as in two programs cannot run at the same time; it may multithread, but it cannot multitask). Hmmm. Too Palm OS-ish iPhone-ish to me. I'll stick with WinMo. A real mobile operating system.

[Mweb586]

Originally Posted by JKingGrim

I'll take Windows Mobile over Android. Android had me interested until I found out it is non multitasking (as in two programs cannot run at the same time; it may multithread, but it cannot multitask). Hmmm. Too Palm OS-ish iPhone-ish to me. I'll stick with WinMo. A real mobile operating system.

That sucks the big one . I thought Android looked good, but I guess it's not at all. No multitasking means that you can never really make full use of one of Qualcomm's finest, the MSM7200's. Which if I remember correctly, are dualcore.

I think i'll stick with WM then.

[Massamino]

It's allmost like dual core. The 2 cores do different things. In a regular dual core they do the same. But hey, its dual .

http://www.qualcomm.com/press/releas...press1217.html

[Felix]

If Android has no support for multitasking, that would mean you couldn't even browse your email/web while listening to music. I had an mp3 player that was released in 2005 that could read rich text files while playing music/video.
They would never be able to sell that kind of an OS anno 2008. Surely Google has the brain to realize that. Maybe you're right about, but I think it's rather unlikely. Either way, Google will probably figure something out to overcome this.

[Rudegar]

also when linux that andriod is based on is fully able to multitask
first i've heard about it not being able to but then iphone which is based
on macosX i also heard cant multitask

[JKingGrim]

Originally Posted by Felix

If Android has no support for multitasking, that would mean you couldn't even browse your email/web while listening to music. I had an mp3 player that was released in 2005 that could read rich text files while playing music/video.
They would never be able to sell that kind of an OS anno 2008. Surely Google has the brain to realize that. Maybe you're right about, but I think it's rather unlikely. Either way, Google will probably figure something out to overcome this.

Take Palm OS and the iphone as an example. Have you used either one? I used to love Palm OS and I have played with a friend's iphone. They do support multithreading. Both the iphone and palm os had the ability to play mp3's in the background. Palm OS does not allow you to explicitly create a background thread (save for an API that is hidden and not widely known about) but there is a work around to keep an audio sampling thread open (I used to program for palm OS). The iphone probably does something similar. What they will not allow you to do, however, is keep more than one UI application open at a time. The OS will not allow two programs to be open at once. When you want to open another app, the current one must close. With Palm OS (and I assume the iphone) propper development model is to have your application save state when it exits so when the user opens it up, it is in the same state as before. This is the model that Android uses. It didnt work to well for Palm. Lets hope it works better for google. Even if Android apps have a good save state feature, there are still limitations. For instance on an iphone or android phone, you could not leave an AIM client open while using another app. When you exit AIM you are signed out. Only one app at a time can run. This is why I say the iphone is not a mobile computer. It is just another feature phone OS. I fear the same for Android. WM remains the only truly powerful mobile OS (there are reasons why I dont give symbian this title either, but thats another post).

Windows Mobile can truly multitask. Microsoft however shot themselves in the foot. They decided the the X button should not close programs. It should only minimize them. The programs will only close if the system is running out of memory. Terribbly stupid design. You wind up with a bunch of programs running in the background that you are nolonger using. They slow the device down and use precious memory. This major OS design flaw is easily remedied by a third party task manager that allows you to eaily view running programs, and makes the X-button actually close programs. My favorite is Wisbar Advance. It is a bargain for $10. It skins the whole WM interface and shows running tasks on the taskbar just like Windows desktop OSes. It has many other features. There are plenty of free ones too. My favorite free one is Magic Button.

[JKingGrim]

Originally Posted by Rudegar

also when linux that andriod is based on is fully able to multitask
first i've heard about it not being able to but then iphone which is based
on macosX i also heard cant multitask

The kernel that Palm OS is based on was fully multitasking capable as well. It was written be Kadak. Palm only licensed it for single tasking. When Palmsource wrote Palm OS 6, they still decided to keep it single tasking but now with multithreading ability. Google also seems to feel that people dont need full multitasking capability in a phone. Therefore to me, Android is just another pretty looking feature phone OS.