Ranadok …doesn't have much better to do

Android Updates – Froyo edition

The last time I visited my Android good and bad lists was nearly a year ago, back in October. The platform has come a long way since then, adding a slew of new features and fixing a lot of old problems. Here's what I have changed from my lists:

The Android Bads

Software

• Can't stop individual programs from loading on startup. Notable offenders on this are ShopSavvy and Note Everything, though Meridian likes to pop up now and then. These programs load automatically shortly after the system starts, and I can't seem to find a setting anywhere in the programs themselves or in Android to prevent it. I only use ShopSavvy once every several weeks and NoteEverything only every couple of days or so, I certainly don't need them running all the time just in case (presumably to save time when the program is eventually started?). I don't know if it slows everything else down or not, but it is annoying. This is still a minor problem, but it seems that the Android OS seems to be pretty smart about getting killing unused processes when it needs the memory. It still bugs me that they load at all, but it doesn't seem to have any negative effects.
• The calendar application is terrible. Terrible enough that I am going to write another entry on that alone. For now, I'll just say that my first PDA (Palm III) did the calendar better a decade ago, and it seems like whoever designed the Android calendar app never used it or anything since then. (Update Sept5/10) Updates to the calendar app with Froyo have improved the situation somewhat, though a lot of other issues remain. I may actually get around to writing the complete list one of these days, but the list is shorter now, at least.
• On a related note, updating applications is way too clunky. When there is a new update to apply, it takes four presses to start it (select item from list, select "Update", hit OK, hit OK again). This seems to me like about two too many. It gets even worse when there are a dozen or so applications to update. Ideally what I would like to see would be a 'keep installed programs up to date' option that popped up a notification when there is a new update for a program with two options: update now (single click to update) or delay update (which would then require you to go through the normal Market method). Then I'd be happy with it. (Update Sept 5/10) Automatic updating with Froyo. About time.
• Not enough options. I don't know exactly what I would add, but I was quite disappointed when I first dove into the Android settings. I like to be able to change all sorts of things, even when I don't end up doing so. A lot of that sort of thing can be done through programs from the Market (I guess that's the Android way...) (Update Sept 5/10) The combo of CyanogenMod 6 and LauncherPro is packed with options. Almost too many.
• Interface is not always consistent. And I'm not just talking about third party vs first party here. Even between the different Google apps, they don't seem to be doing things the same way. A long press on a list item in, say, your bookmarks brings up a list of options (open, delete, etc), a long press on a calendar in Calendar does... nothing. In order to get to settings for a calendar, you have to select the calendar with the trackball (literally the ONLY TIME you ever do this on the whole phone), then pull up the menu with the menu button, and select 'Settings' (which is the only option there). This specific problem speaks more to the failings of the Calendar app (which I will get in to at a later date), but the concept holds throughout the system. Programs seem free to ignore conventions when they please, and it makes it frustrating when you have to re-learn things for a different program. (Update Sept 5/10) Seems to be getting a lot better as time goes on. Even the calendar issue above is fixed.
• The games suck. See what I wrote up there about third party programs? Same thing for games. Most flash games are better made.  The one exception is Bonsai Blast. That one is really really well done. Too bad I don't really like the game. (Sept 5/10) The quality in the market has gone up immensely. My phone doesn't have enough juice to run them all, but the quality games are finally arriving.
• Strange delay between vibrate and sound. Sometimes the sound and the vibration happen at the same time, other times there can be up to a minute delay between the buzz and the sound. I can't seem to find any rhyme or reason to this, and it annoys me. (Sept 5/10) Fixed in newer revisions (I'm not sure if it's CM or general Froyo that did it, but it's good now)

Hardware

• (added Sept 5/10)Underpowered. This is a first-generation device, and it certainly shows. I can still do most things I want to without problem, but there is frequent lag, programs getting unloaded in the background due to lack of ram, and times when it simply doesn't respond. I still like the phone, and Froyo has helped quite a bit, but it's slowly becoming frustrating to use on a day to day basis due to this.

The Android Goods

Software

• (added Sept 5/10) Voice commands. Pretty much the same as the voice search above, but pretty much system-wide. I can dictate wherever I can type, and use commands for things like sending texts and navigation with a single keypress. So very cool.
• (added Sept 5/10) Navigation. Navigation on par with (or better than) my dad's dedicated Garmin. For free. Integrated with Google's usual quality of search. There are a few places where the maps are a little out of date, but hopefully that'll improve with time
• (added Sept 5/10) Launcher Pro. I don't know if it's fair to give Android credit for a third-party home screen, but this is incredible, and has really made it feel like a new phone at times. The parts that stand out are the scrollable dock, the resizable widgets, and the piles and piles of customization options. It's the first (and so far only) Android app that I've felt the need to pay for, and that's even with the free app being full-featured.

Hardware

• (added Sept 5/10) The hardware buttons. It's not like this has changed since I wrote the original list, but the recent slew of handsets with the terrible touch-sensitive buttons (which, in fairness, I have not actually tried for myself) have made me appreciate the physical, clicky ones that I have now.

So, six bads items removed, one bad added, and four goods added. A net gain of nine; it's been a good year for Android.