http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/07/g...s-on/#comments

Now that's seriously cheap looking - '90s style.

And a 480x272 screen isn't exactly thrilling either...

iPhone:iPodTouch::G1:GiiNii

(except the G1 and GiiNii are made by different companies; but the point is, some are calling the GiiNii Mini the "android version of the iPod Touch")

If it had the N810 resolution, that would be good...

Good device for the price though... ($150 ?)

re: resolution: I don't miss the N810's resolution (nor screen size) at all (I'm using the G1, exclusively, as my pocketable). It's readable and clear for displaying web pages/etc. But, then, I don't use it as my PMP. So, unless you're looking to use it as a video watching device, I'd say "the resolution of the G1 is just fine, and this device's resolution is better than that, so you'll be fine".

What you might miss is that Google Apps will recognize you as being on a mobile device, and you'll get the lesser (mobile version) of Google's web pages. Not the worst version of the web pages (like you'd get on a Nokia phone), but the slightly prettier version (I think it's the same version of Google Reader that you'd get on an iPhone; missing such things as "keyboard shortcuts", and "add/edit tags", but being a little pretty, list oriented, and finger friendly). I haven't noticed any other sites being similarly obnoxious/watered, but Google Apps are.

IMO, Android's 6 shortcomings are:
- Lack of Full Gmail (edit labels, edit filters, "filter messages like these", "send as" your other registered email addrs, labs features)
- Lack of Full Google Reader (see above)
- Lack of Full Google Docs
- Lack of SSH/VNC integration (they don't quite come together completely)
- Lack of Full IM support (I think each of your AIM, Yahoo, MSN accounts can only have 1 active at a time; no logging that I am aware of; for Jabber, only 1 gmail account, no other Jabbers; no IRC; and no other chat protocols) (last I checked, Maemo's official IM support was also lacking, but I know that was being worked on ... and, with Maemo, you at least can install Pidgin; there's no "Pidgin for Android" that I'm aware of)
- Lack of SyncML client for Calendar (but, then, Maemo doesn't have this either).

(there's a 7th issue, but it's not so much an Android issue, as a T-Mobile's interaction with Android isssue: no tethering of any kind is available ... for the G1, that means you can't be a tethering 'server', but for the GiiNii, that will probably mean you can't tether to your phone unless that phone has WMWifiRouter or Joikuspot unless Google plans to deliver different features to different devices based upon that device partner's policies)

So, if those things wont bug you, and you're not big on video watching on your tiny N800/N810 screen, then I'd say this thing compares quite well with the NITs (but, the lack of keyboard puts it more in the N800's category than the N810's).

re: price: I don't know that it was specifically announced. What I heard was "less than an iPod Touch".

The other thing that I would worry about is: the G1's battery is abysmal, especially compared to Nokia devices. I'm very sure this is due to the G1, and not Android, so it shouldn't affect the above device, but I would be sure and double check the battery life on this thing. I find that with the G1, I have to keep wifi, 3G, and GPS turned off in order to not be paranoid about my battery life ... and even then, it is ALWAYS plugged in and charging when I'm at a USB port. (the 6 shortcomings of the G1 are: battery, USB port placement, battery, lack of dedicated headset jack, battery, lack of support for AT&T's 3G) The lack of GPS doesn't bother me, but it's kind of annoying that the only way I can make it through my day without charging is to be stuck at EDGE speed; as soon as I leave a wifi hotspot, I have to turn off wifi or I'll be wasting that power.

The GiiNii is also supposed to come out with a 7" version (called the "Maxx" as opposed to Mini). Dunno if it'll have a keyboard, what the resolution will be, etc. For that larger device, more resolution would definitely be an issue. I'm also hoping it'll have a physical keyboard. I'm not in the market for the Mini because it wont really offer me anything I don't get with the G1 (except slightly more screen, which isn't an issue), and I only want/need one pocketable ... the G1 does just fine in that category. But is not yet decided is what my tablet/netbook/notebook device will be. 7" with decent resolution would be enough, but a physical keyboard is a must. A 7" convertible tablet, with above 6 android issues fixed, would be perfect.

But, anyway, there you have it: what things you'd likely have issues with as an Android user in general. Overall, if I needed a pocketable, I'd think the GiiNii would be a great choice in comparison to the iPod Touch and NIT.

i suspect that android, in its unlocked form, can do tethering, only that t-mobile have nixed it on the G1...

I suspect the same, but not "unlocked vs locked", instead "T-Mobile oriented vs not" (there's a subtle difference) ... but right now there are only two available forms of Android (official consumer T-Mobile G1, and Google Developer G1), and as far as I know, both are tethering deficient. But both are T-Mobile oriented, even though the developer G1 is unlocked.

Until we see it on a different carrier, and/or delivered through a different partner, we wont know for sure if Google will be delivering different features to different carriers/partners.

well google did cut back on the bluetooth features on first release, as some of the stuff was in heavy development, and they didnt want to end up breaking some third party app in the future because of some deep change in the bluetooth support.

could be tethering is part of that...

The 'press release' photo shows an incorrect resolution. I took a snapshot of Facebook and put it to the actual screen size dimensions. Here it is:


VS.

Just for comparison here is what it would look like if the GiiNii had the N810's resolution: