Is it just me or do you feel like the live beta testers

[All~G1]

First off this is NOT a rant, this is just an observation...

But has anyone noticed that Tmo is now marketing the phone more? Before the Pre-order and a couple weeks after I had not seen the g1 commercial more then twice. Now before the Holiday season every time I turn on the TV i see a G1 commercial. Maybe its just for the holiday season that there is a marketing push, but it still would make sense that they released it and tested it on the pre-order group to get real feed back before Xmas.

I guess this isnt really a bad thing. I mean between flash being demoed and a marketing push, it might just mean they are getting ready to release what we've been asking for :D Lets hope

Please post your opinons

[al74]

First off this is NOT a rant, this is just an observation...

But has anyone noticed that Tmo is now marketing the phone more? Before the Pre-order and a couple weeks after I had not seen the g1 commercial more then twice. Now before the Holiday season every time I turn on the TV i see a G1 commercial. Maybe its just for the holiday season that there is a marketing push, but it still would make sense that they released it and tested it on the pre-order group to get real feed back before Xmas.

I guess this isnt really a bad thing. I mean between flash being demoed and a marketing push, it might just mean they are getting ready to release what we've been asking for :D Lets hope

Please post your opinons

If that's a Beta, I wish all Betas were as good as this.

[DesignDawg]

"Live" beta testers? As opposed to what kind? ;) Well, the fact is, we are beta testers. Some of the features still even say "Beta" on them. The only thing missing from the equation is the dialogue between the testers and the manufacturer. Usually, when you sign up for a beta, you have an official place to report bugs, sound off on tings that get implemented, and the developer lets you know what is new when a new build is available, etc. Right now, it's more like we're lab rats, because they're throwing the stuff out there for us to test, but if they're watching it, they're watching from afar, and they're leaving us clueless about what's new, what's coming, and what they already know is broken. For instance: Anyone seen a "known limitations" list anywhere?

[All~G1]

If that's a Beta, I wish all Betas were as good as this.

HAHA... you know what I mean. Im using "beta" fairly loosely, but Im thinking/hoping something is lurking around for a release.

[All~G1]

Usually, when you sign up for a beta, you have an official place to report bugs, sound off on tings that get implemented, and the developer lets you know what is new when a new build is available, etc. Right now, it's more like we're lab rats, because they're throwing the stuff out there for us to test, but if they're watching it, they're watching from afar, and they're leaving us clueless about what's new, what's coming, and what they already know is broken. For instance: Anyone seen a "known limitations" list anywhere?

Lab rats, haha... much better description. thats good!

[Re@lly Dope!]

I don't like the fact that were beta testers lol. Maybe, I'm just being a baby about it. I just don't like that word "Beta".

[LatinMessiah]

We're not beta testers. Google employees were the real lab rats. They had to use a prototype version of the G1 for a month and the phone looked ugly. We at least have a sleek phone. :D

[dantesparadisoG1]

I actually like the "beta tester" feeling. I get to play around with something that not a lot of people even know about. Plus, when we get out of the beta stage I know the in's and out's of my phone while all the new users are trying to figure out the new phone.

[MobileMan]

Hey Im glad there marketing the phone now after we all got ours. If they would have been pushing the phone we would have had to wait longer for it.

[djstar2k2]

fix the damn battery! make sms and mms like my wing! and allow me to close programs without shutting off phone! and allow me to fit a pic to themain home screen and im good!

[randybo]

No, beta testing implies that the features being tested are unstable, possibly buggy, and the code is not in a final production state. This is NOT the state of the G1 Android software stack. My phone has been super stable since I received it and I have only had a few applications crash (which did not affect my overall phone operation). The reason the phone is feature limited in certain areas (bluetooth, camera, etc...) is Google would rather release a proper stable API in a later update, rather than a crappy beta one just to get a 'feature complete' check mark.

My biggest issue with the phone is the limited application flash storage is going to become a real issue before a software update fixes it. I wish they would of just added an 8 GB e-MCC chip and charge $25 more for the phone!

[damnitpud]

Lab rats, haha... much better description. thats good!

The PC Term is Early adopters!


allow me to fit a pic to themain home screen and im good!

Google had nothing to do with it, but you are allowed, its called GIMP, Photoshop or MSPaint, pick your poison and find the "image size" feature in any of those programs. You can make the pic perfect sized...640x480!

[DesignDawg]

No, beta testing implies that the features being tested are unstable, possibly buggy, and the code is not in a final production state. This is NOT the state of the G1 Android software stack.

That's not the only definition of Beta testing. It can also mean that features and programs aren't working like they should, or are completely crippled, without affecting stability, and in many ways, this IS the state of th Android software stack. Non-Gmail email doesn't notify well enough to be considered working at all, there are major connection errors, the IM client drops connections constantly, and until just very recently, everything we typed into a text box was running as a command in a shell we couldn't see. Those are definitely not "final production state" features. It IS beta. Look at the market next time you're in there. It's even labeled as such.

[ghoonk]

The Android Market being beta has nothing to do with the device being beta.

Based on your argument, i could also argue that Windows and MacOS are also pretty much beta, with the number of bugs, bugfixes, optimizations, etc.

Please, beta is a grossly overused term today, and I suspect that there are reasons why companies choose to call their fairly mature products beta, e.g. tax reasons?

[All~G1]

Okay maybe I should of used the term "test market" I was using the term "beta" broadly, or overusing it for ghoonk... haha.

[ghoonk]

*grin* I've not much to complain about, seeing that I 'evolved' from the Original Apple Newton MessagePad (OMP/MP100), to the Messagepad 130 to the MessagePad 2000, to the MessagePad 2100, to the Palm III, Palm IIIe, Palm IIIx, Palm V, Treo 270, to the Philips Nino (Windows CE), iPAQ 3950 (PocketPC), iPAQ 3970 (PocketPC), to the Psion (EPOC), to HTC Touch (Windows Mobile), various versions of Nokia's Series60 and Sony Ericsson's UIQ (P800, P900, P990i), and honestly, hand on heart, having had first hand experience across various platforms in various stages of maturity, Google has been the first of the first-gen devices to release something that actually works as advertised.

I guess we're all test users in the grand scheme of things, from cars (new engines, etc) to desktop operating systems, to smartphone operating systems, hell, even when a new restuarant opens across the street selling something as simple as hotdogs :)

[Seraphic]

Being an early adopter of smartphones it pretty much comes with the territory.

[All~G1]

Being an early adopter of smartphones it pretty much comes with the territory.

This is very true.


*grin* I've not much to complain about, seeing that I 'evolved' from the Original Apple Newton MessagePad (OMP/MP100), to the Messagepad 130 to the MessagePad 2000, to the MessagePad 2100, to the Palm III, Palm IIIe, Palm IIIx, Palm V, Treo 270, to the Philips Nino (Windows CE), iPAQ 3950 (PocketPC), iPAQ 3970 (PocketPC), to the Psion (EPOC), to HTC Touch (Windows Mobile), various versions of Nokia's Series60 and Sony Ericsson's UIQ (P800, P900, P990i), and honestly, hand on heart, having had first hand experience across various platforms in various stages of maturity, Google has been the first of the first-gen devices to release something that actually works as advertised.

I guess we're all test users in the grand scheme of things, from cars (new engines, etc) to desktop operating systems, to smartphone operating systems, hell, even when a new restuarant opens across the street selling something as simple as hotdogs :)

Like testing/having the latest phones much?:)

[ghoonk]

Always :)

Is anyone here from the Apple Newton Community/Alumni?

[Don Won]

i'm returning mine. after 2 of them i don't think it's worth paying 350 bucks for it. like the promise of android but the hardware is just crappy.

[ghoonk]

That's pretty true. I've been better hardware from HTC, especially the new Touch Pro. Better surfacing and accents give the hardware a more classy look

[kommodore]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_adopter

[All~G1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_adopter

Haha... Yeah that!

[ariesboy]

Typically this will be a customer that, in addition to using the vendor's product or technology, will also provide considerable and candid feedback to help the vendor refine its future product releases, as well as the associated means of distribution, service, and support.
The relationship is synergistic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synergy), with the customer having early (and sometimes unique, or at least uniquely early) access to an advantageous new product or technology.
In exchange for being an early adopter, and thus being exposed to the problems, risks, and annoyances common to early-stage product testing and deployment, the lighthouse customer is given especially attentive vendor assistance and support, even to the point of having personnel at the customer's work site to assist with implementation. The customer is often given preferential pricing, terms, and conditions.
The vendor, on the other hand, benefits from receiving early revenues, and also from a lighthouse customer's endorsement and assistance in further developing the product and its go-to-market mechanisms. Acquiring lighthouse customers is a common step in new product development and implementation. The real-world focus that this type of relationship can bring to a vendor can be extremely valuable.
Individual early adopters are those who like the new and have enough money to buy things when they first come out at higher prices, and have been pleased with the product.
Since they can have anything they want, they tend to be fickle, easily displeased, but if they DO like something they have bought, they recommend the product to others.
Advertisers actively cultivate them, not just for sales lists and for beta testing, but because their opinions are based on actual experience and comparisons with other new products.
Early adoption does come with pitfalls: early versions of products may be buggy and/or prone to malfunction (such as the Commodore 64 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64) or Xbox 360 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360)), overpriced (iPhone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone)), or prematurely obsolete (8 track tapes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo_8), Betamax (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betamax), HD DVD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_DVD)). Furthermore, more efficient, less expensive versions of the product usually appear a few months after the initial release.[1] (http://money.aol.com/top5/general/gadgets) The trend of new technology costing more at release is colloquially referred to as the "early adopter tax".


the number of words so i can post this quote

[Jet]

When Android was announced I made sure I was going to get the very first one, I KNEW I was going to go through hell and back ( 1st Gen Android).
I dont care about the iPhone and all the other features like A2DP and crap, I knew that even before I got my G1.
Yes I am a tester, and if you all dont like the way Android is going! You all can GTFO and go to an iPhone forum and bash my Android.

[All~G1]

JetsG1... Go Farve??? :D

I just started ignoring all those complaint threads and once a thread goes south I stop reading it. I love this phone, really, I do. I mean its pretty solid. I definitely dont mind being an early adopter. Like I said, I truly think something is waiting in the wings for us and the ppl who get it through the holiday season.

Oh yeah is that a RSX in your sig. Im guessing those are Defi gauges too??? Boost??? Just wondering :)

[ariesboy]

We're not beta testers. Google employees were the real lab rats. They had to use a prototype version of the G1 for a month and the phone looked ugly. We at least have a sleek phone. :D

lab rats are alpha & closed beta testers... we're just the paying open beta testers.