T-mobile's G1 phone is the first real competitor to Apple's Iphone. Like Apple’s product, it’s a serious handheld computer with a powerful new operating system (called Android) and a touch-based user interface. The phone was largely designed by Google, and was built by HTC of Taiwan. T-mobile sent us a unit for evaluation. 

By now most people have read reviews comparing the G1 to the Iphone. We are going to look at how the G1 works day-to-day for a business person. First, we have a specification sheet which compares the G1 to the Blackberry Curve and the Treo 755p. Palm's Treo literally invented today’s smartphone. But, they have not kept up with the changing marketplace. RIM's Blackberry has been the “gold standard” for smartphones in the business community.

We have been using so-called smartphones since the days of the Kyocera 7135. Prior to that, we used the HP 200LX with a two-way pager. In the very early 1990s, we built a vertical niche system using the PoqetPC and original two-way Motorola Advisor pager.

The photo at the right gives a comparison between the HP 200LX and the G1 Android. Obviously, the G1 is feature rich compared to the old HP. There is no comparison between display screen resolution of the two devices.

 Our first impression of the G1 Android is there are problems trying to one-hand use all the features. Compared to the buttons and touch screen for the Blackberry and the Treo, the G1 Android is not as easy for us to retrieve and send email as the other two are. This brings up the question of familiarity breeding rigid thinking. With over five years of pushing on buttons and using a stylist on the touchscreens, we are admittedly slow to grasp the G1 Android rhythm for doing things quickly.

Check out our comparison table here, to see how the Blackberry Curve, G1 Android, and Treo 755p features compare. Over the next several weeks we will be digging deeper into how the G1 Android works for us. X