A Wired.com article titled “Top 5 Cell Phone Busts of 2008” is the target of this rant-filled post for naming the T-Mobile G1 as one of the biggest busts of the year. Actually, they called it the Google G1 – their first mistake.
First of all, if you’re going to name a cell phone that hasn’t yet been released to your biggest busts lists how about pointing your finger at the Xperia or Tube or something… ANYthing besides the G1 – a phone with a RIDICULOUS amount of potential? So whats your beef with the G1?
The Letdown: Letdown: The G1’s unveiling was a lot like the Bigfoot press conference — a long, awkward presentation that left a lot of people confused and/or disappointed. The handset poised to out-iPhone the iPhone had a laundry list of hardware letdowns: bulky, unattractive, and saddled with yet another proprietary headphone jack. Under the hood, the G1 had even more perplexing issues. Any sort of multitouch interface was missing, as was Microsoft Office support (beyond viewing), and video playback. Updates to Google’s Android OS could salvage the device (à la the iPhone 3G). But for now, the G1 doesn’t even trigger the same excitement as a gorilla costume in an ice chest.
Well it obviously left ONE person confused.
The hardware let down is a matter of function over design. iSnobs can make as many jabs as they want at the T-Mobile G1 but I guarantee that having a device with a touch-screen, several dedicated, physical keys, a trackball and a full QWERTY keyboard will make the G1 MUCH more of a pleasure to use in the long run. I saw the phone live and I think its pretty darn attractive.
Any sort of multi-touch is missing? Well I was demonstrated the longpress which is the virtual equivalent of a right click with your computer mouse – that seemed pretty cool and functional to me.
Microsoft Office, Video Playback, etc…. the list goes on and on but these are all things that can be solved by 3rd party developers. THIS is the power of the platform AND the phone. The APPLICATIONS. Somehow so many people are missing this point and it is unnerving.
Finally, the author sums up the article by saying, “the G1 doesn’t even trigger the same excitement as a gorilla costume in an ice chest.”
What does that even mean? If it actually HAS a meaning please don’t tell me – save your breath – it’s really, really not worth explaining. The phone is selling like hotcakes, excitement is extremely high and this phone will be T-Mobile’s hottest handset in history by a landslide. And… there are more Android phones on the way.
I just wanted to make an equally idiotic list to illustrate a level of epic fail unmatched for the day.
Top 1 Dumbest Articles of October 3rd 2008