An Update on the G1 Update

Okay, I've got about a week to play with the update so far.  I haven't been able to find a whole lot of information on the web about it.  Android folks seem to have very little cheer about lately.  We're in like a wait-and-see pattern until we hear more from Google and Co.  We're a good bunch.

Well, on to the update.  Two main things:  Latitude and connectivity.

Bad stuff first.  Latitude.  I get it.  Loopt-alike.  But it needs a lot of work.  I tried a whole weekend trying to accept an invitation from my friend until we figured out I have to sign in on the desktop to do that.  I can't understand why I couldn't just accept an invite direction from the G1.

And it still needs to work with more mobile platforms.  Missing is the iPhone but I can understand why.  Apple isn't about to let Google use its millions of users as beta testers.

Another thing about latitude is it doesn't do much except tell folks where you are.  There has to be more than this.  I've got a couple of ideas how Google can use this but right now, I'm not even sure Google knows what it wants to do with Latitude.

Needs work there.

Now, the good stuff, even though it should have been available when the G1 first shipped.  I think we're now in the second beta with this.  Connection.  I was walking home one day when I got an IM.  I get IMs all the time.  But this IM was from a friend on Yahoo.

Yahoo?  Previously, G1 would log you off after a while.  Now, I didn't remember signing into G1 after I restarted it and there I was getting a Yahoo message.  Apparently, the IM appears to keep connections for your IM alive now.

This is by far the best part of the update.

Oh, that's pretty much it.  I was hoping the speed and stability would improve.  Definitely saw no improvement in speed and it has only been a week since the update so I can't say much about the stability.

This is definitely a good update.  One that should have come earlier.  Better late than never.

Note:  WSJ reports there's going to be a change to the Marketplace - paid apps.  Stay tuned for updates on that if it's true.