I’ve been toying with the HTC Magic and my verdict has been telltale of expectations that were basically preconceived with a “Google OS.” Apparently Android may be too early in its stages to support a couple of things, especially with the Mac. I’ve been having bad trouble trying to do two things:

1. First, a total free sync solution to the HTC Magic with my iCal and Address Book. If there existed one, the telco where I got it from didn’t really elaborate on the apps. Apparently, not all Androids are created equal and the version for the Philippines packed into the HTC Magic doesn’t even have the online marketplace or Google sign in. Sad!

2. Second, although my USB port recognizes the HTC Magic as a device and charges it, I can’t use it as a target drive to store data. I can’t even detect the microSD card inside it. Transferring photos and vids can be such a pain.

I’ve Google’d. I’ve even Yahoo’ed. Has anyone found a solution to these?

Similar to how Nokia launched their Ovi Music store in Singapore, it seems like the new Android OS for the HTC Magic isn’t fully implemented in other parts of the world. In the Philippines for instance, the Android store isn’t even a built in on device application which you can launch.

There isn’t even talk about integration with your Google Applications. Nonetheless, the HTC Magic is a good piece of hardware that seems very promising in what it can deliver. Not sure about when HTC will deploy the rest of the features, or if this is something the telcos should be pushing rather than the phone manufacturers. *shrug*

[image c/o myself]

It was bound to happen sooner than later so here it is — Dataviz has just released Documents to Go for the Android OS. FInally, a document viewer for the Google Phone!

Here are the key features:

* Download, open and send attachments in Gmail and other e-mail applications like the free RoadSync Beta

* Supports all the latest Microsoft Office file formats including Office 2007

* View, edit and create new documents on your T-mobile G1 and HTC Magic

* Access important files stored on expansion cards via the built-in file browser

* Automatically maintains a list of “Recently Used” documents for quick access

* Securely open password-protected files

* Multiple zoom levels with portrait and landscape support for optimized rendering on a small screen

* Touch-screen, trackball and keypad navigation

* Supports rich formatting in Word To Go including bold, italics, underline, font color, alignment, bulleted and numbered lists, tables, bookmarks, comments, footnotes, endnotes, track-changes, etc.

* Powerful data computation in Sheet To Go with support for 111 functions, cell formatting, row and column preferences, auto-fit options, freeze panes, sort, cut, copy, paste, undo, redo, etc.

Look, if you found out that you could have gotten $30.00 more worth of groceries then maybe I’d understand because thirty bucks can buy you a lot of produce. But when Walmart slashes $30.00 off the T-Mobile G1, I don’t think the early adopters should complain. I mean, you were crazy enough to buy it the day it shipped. That’s one. Second - the holidays are fast approaching and expect these discounts to happen. Third - it’s Walmart!

Walmart recently slashed thirty bucks off the new T-Mobile G1. And it seems that CNN is picking up such IMPORTANT news.

[image c/o Cellphone9]

One of the lead developers walks us through Google Apps in sync with your desktop on the T-Mobile G1. Similar to how Apple’s .Mac application should work, the Android OS does exactly the same, syncing your GMail contacts, calendar, GTalk account, Street View and Google Maps. Neat.

And yeah, the UI is very iPhone-like.

That’s all I have to say.

Kidding. But really, the G1 is a sight to behold and it’s nothing like what I expected it to be. Underneath the seemingly touchscreen-only device is a full QWERTY keypad that unfolds as you slide the screen out, like a T-Mobile Sidekick. The smartphone will be available in the USA this coming October 22 while the European market will have to wait a but till November, and still in time for Christmas!

There are three input methods for the G1 - the standard touch screen, the QWERTY keypad and the trackball navigation. Apps of note are the built in Amazon Music Store which is a huge statement against Apple. The G1 will allow you to purchase DRM free music on the fly.

The new G1 will cost USD $179.00 and will come with a 2 year plan with T-Mobile. I’ve never been this excited for a device since the iPhone. As you can clearly see, T-Mobile has released a product that does not reek of Brand X. This one’s a sure winner. And it’s only the first of many Android based devices. I’m now more excited to find out which applications are native to Android, and which ones are clearly T-Mobile’s, because I’d love to see how the ala cart menu of Android will turn out for other smartphones to come.

Could this be it? The promise of Android fulfilled at the beginning of the 4th quarter? From the looks of it, we have a touch screen device that’s all about usability and integration with Google’s kick ass services. The G1 or “Google 1″ (haha!) doesn’t seem to be all that kick ass in terms of features (no video recording!) but the talk that this phone will be all about integration and usability seems not a far cry away. The phone looks like a standard Windows Mobile smartphone - or one of them widget powered Samsung smartphones - the Omnia.

* In-store, immediate sales only available in locations within 5 miles of a 3G covered area. If a store is beyond that range, representatives will walk customers through a T-mobile.com purchase
* One touch access to: Search, Maps, Gmail, Youtube, Calendar, and Google Talk
* Gmail account and data plan required
* GPS
* 3.1 mp camera, no video recording
* No stereo bluetooth (A2DP)
* Dimensions: 4.6 x 2.16 x 0.63 in
* Weighs 5.6 ounces
* 480×320 65K color screen
* 5 hour talk time, 130 hour standby time
* Expandable up to 8GB

[Specs Leaked from MobileCrunch]