Prior to talking about the software, let us note a rather philosophical observation here. With G1, there is a (important, imho) paradigm shift when compared to (most) mobile/smart/whatever phones you used before.
Up to G1, mobiles were pretty much self-contained devices: the phone was where your data was stored. At best, the makers let you sync it with your desktop or such, and third party add-ons allowed you to sync with servers on the net. None of this without much hassle on the user’s part, especially if your choice of desktop and laptop software was uncommon, let alone free.
With G1, the mobile has finally returned to what it is by definition: a terminal device. When using G1, a remote data backend – in this case ubiquitously known and used Google’s services – is at the root of its usage paradigm, and it’s use is not only simple but seamless and transparent.
This has two important consequences:
- you need a fast (and preferrably cheap) data connection
- you do need to be trusting enough (or naive enough) to let Google’s servers store all your contacts and similar, rather private data
On one hand, you’ll never curse the stupid ActiveSync or somesuch bizarre and more-or-less closed protocol, when you won’t be able to sync your device with your favourite mail client, calendar etc.
On the other hand, the privacy-concerned might think twice before buying it. So what G1 and similar phones would really need having is a free (as in both speech and beer) implementation of the backend services – in this way, one (either an individual or an enterprise) could install and maintain his own backend instance and direct his phone(s) at it, taking care of the privacy issues in this manner. This is, I suspect, not really what Google wants, is it? 
The Defloration
Having read the above, you do have a fast data connection available, right?
Now take a moment before removing your SIM card out of your old phone in order to note the APN settings of your favourite carrier, because this is the first thing (and the only thing available prior your logging in to your Google account from the phone) you will have to set up on the phone.
After fiddling with the APN setting, just enter your Google account user name and password, wait for a few moments for the phone to check the account and sync your data (contacts, calendar, email etc.) to the phone.
Lo, and behold, the G1 lives and is ready to serve you.
The Basics
Your basic working environment consists of three virtual desktops: the central one that provides quicklaunch-style icons, the right one with a google search box, and an empty left one. Switching is performed with a touchy flip of your finger from left-to-right or vice versa. The desktop scrolls smoothly to the left or to the right. Mmmmm … nice.
G1, applications
Calling, that most important function, is catered to sufficiently: the interface defaults to your recent call list, and switching to a (easily browseable) contact list is just a tap of a finger away.
Contact editor and calendar are standard fare that you’d find on most higher-end phones.
Messaging is – strangely enough – divided into three distinct applications: Google mail interface, other e-mail servers, and SMS/MMS messaging. Which makes me want to punch someone in the face: I want all my message sources accessible from a single application and with a unified interface. Truth be told, the interface is pretty much similar in all three cases, so why not merge the three applications, anyway?!
There’s a nice instant messaging client provided by default, supporting GTalk and some other useless IM systems (AIM, Yahoo, M$).
The browser seems to be a mobile variant of Chrome with a nice layout engine, tolerable rendering, and decent support for multidocument browsing. The navigation and user input are far better than what mobile IE and similar freaks of nature provide. Can’t really say yet whether I prefer it to mobile Opera, though. And there’s no Flash for the time being …
G1, web browser
Location Awareness
Being used to rather pitiful excuses for a GPS receiver commonly integrated with phones (the one in my HTC Artemis does not deserve to be called GPS), the one in G1 made my eyes open widely and caused some saliva to trickle down my chin as my jaw dropped. The first time I turned it on, it got a fix in mere three seconds. Wow, this beats the dedicated handheld Garmins I commonly use on sailboats anytime.
The GPS does however squeeze your battery hard, so it’s not useful for long navigation unless it’s plugged into some juice provider. You can use geolocating based on the networks (GSM, WiFi etc.), though: it’s not very precise, but will do for coarse locating.
Of course, Google Maps are tightly integrated with G1′s geolocating capabilities and you can use them for a number of fun (and even some useful) things to do: you will surely track your location on the map in real time when you drive with a public bus for the first time after equipping yourself with G1. You can have Google Maps give you driving directions: a function that is not that much worse than with the dedicated navigation software like Garmin’s or TOM TOM. In any case, ever since TOM TOM routed me from Paris to Rennes via Peripherique on a busy Monday morning, I don’t really trust navigation capabilities of such devices and review every suggested route twice …
G1, routing via Google Maps
G1, routing via Google Maps
There’s plenty of third-party applications available that use the integrated GPS: from location-based WiFi selector to dining-out suggestions.
The Free Market
Google also provides you a one-stop shopping point for all your application needs: the Android market. Currently it features only free (as in free beer, not necessarily as in free speech) applications. Browse applications by category or search for them based on keywords, read the description (and user comments!), then download and install the desired one with a simple tap.
G1, the Android market
For some bizarre reason, the applications can only be installed in the phone’s internal memory, not on the SD card, which kind of severely limits the number of application you can install. Why, oh, why, you nimcompoops?!
My first selection of Things to Have™ included the Weather Channel, ConnectBot – an ssh client -, AndPipes game and a bar code scanner.
Asynchronicity
There is something about the aforementioned download-and-install procedure that should be pointed out, as it is a concept that is common to every potentially long-lasting operation on your G1: every such operation is asynchronous!
G1 will start downloading (installing, synchronizing etc.) what you tell him to in the background, allowing you to continue working with your phone unhindered. It will provide you with a status icon in the taskbar at the top, and a pull on the bar with your finger will reveal a notification area with current status of the jobs.
G1, notifications
When the job finishes, another notification will tell you that you can go test your new app.
Lovely!
The Kitchen Sink
The ssh client can be used to run emacs on a remote server. Do you need anything else?
G1, remote emacs session
Nothing beats hacking on gcc on your mobile …
G1, building gcc via ssh
And with this ladies and gentlemen, I conclude. There will be no finishing punch line, no advice, no suggestions, nothing, except for me once again pointing to three things, technological superiority, fair useability, and the privacy issues.
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