Introduction, accessories
“You’re immortal, beautiful Android” – so does a Hungarian song go, probably based on a concept different than the one discussed in this article. Still, this line always pops in my mind when thinking about Google’s latest mobile phone operating system and its future. I could fill pages with information about the origins of the system and its aims, we’re planning to write a separate article about this, but now, in order to maintain the necessary amount of information, I’d like to write a couple of raw facts about this new hype. Probably not many of you know that Android is based on a monolithic Linux kernel, which has its story go back until July 2005, when the software giant has acquired Californian Android Inc. It has been already suspected back then that the company is about to develop a mobile operating system, but the time of the official announcement has been 2007 November 5. They have promised the following: a flexible system that is easy to develop and that provides developers a way to write managed code* in Java (*managed code: code processed on a virtual machine instead of the CPU) and that the phone will be usable with Java libraries from Google. And by the way almost the whole Android is open-source.
I have first met Android in this February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. One piece of handset has been exposed at the stand of Texas Instruments. To tell the truth the white prototype didn’t impress me much back then, I only have some vague memories about its features and design. This might have been the reason why I have been discontented when answering the phone call from SpeedShop last week when they have told me that I am one of the first people to get one of the first Android phones from the country. The device first came without accessories, while at the second time it arrived in a white box that had a data cable, a carry case and a headset inside – it should have also had a charger and a memory card of an unknown size.
I had Android with me for four days. I’ve been using it constantly, but this time was not enough to get to completely know the new platform, no matter how hard I tried. It has been enough though to get used to the basic functions and to get an overall impression of the system. This is why I emphasize these parts besides the hardware in this review – but have no fear, as I’ve already mentioned there is a dedicated Android review in the making that will cover software and other possibilities.
A cikk még nem ért véget, kérlek, lapozz!
