[lug] Android comparisons

[stimits at comcast.net]

......
The downside of Android is Google makes the kernel, the manufacturers
port it to their phones, then it gets released as an update.  The
Droid X will certainly get 2.2.  I have the EVO 4G and while it took
two months, it now has 2.2.  xda-developers.net had 2.2 for EVO for a
long time before then.
...

Since I have never programmed for this before, even after looking at some of the google docs, I wonder if I even need to worry about the kernel. How reasonable is it to intercept incoming calls, read the phone number, and then most of the time let it handle normally? In some cases though I would want to decide whether to forward them to voice mail without ringing, perhaps even hang up and deny voice mail, based on time of day and where I'm physically at...how restricted is access at this level? Can this all be done with simple user space apps and the already published developer API? Or is this behavior something the phone environment will resist?


......
Apparently, the Galaxy S (on AT&T?) was set up such that you couldn't
hit the built-in toggle switch to allow non-Market apps to be
installed, but all the rest do.  A simple root fixes that.
...

I see there is going to be a lock on the Motorola X boot loader:
main story: 
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3826/motorola-droid-x-thoroughly-reviewed
boot loader lock part of story:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3826/motorola-droid-x-thoroughly-reviewed/7

Let's say that I do want root access, how much restriction is there to an app developer due to this? Is it strictly for stopping kernel changes? Would I be able to still do things like install KDE and the kate editor or vi? I'm thinking that developing on a separate machine and uploading to the phone means I do not need as much access, but then there are always issues with integrating software that often requires tweaking as root to do things efficiently. What is involved in the "simple root", and does it typically break a warranty? Or is this just some standard developer setup? Mostly I think of root as a "bad" thing.

.......
I've heard good things about the Nokia N900.  Android is also just a
Linux box, widely available on 1GHz machines (phones) these days.
...

I'm trying to stick to Verizon, and avoid AT&T. AT&T's coverage fails in one location in particular which I can't do without. They also have some issues with options they will make available only with requirements many other cell providers do not require. I've even had them bill me for someone else's phone, find out they had a typographic error, turned in the issue, had them say it was all done don't worry, then proceed to do it two more times, including sending it to a collection agency...only to find out after demanding to know who to contact for a lawsuit, that when paperwork was actually done, nobody bothered to put it in the computer system. At this point, I consider AT&T "the dark side". I'm dumping them as fast as I can and never going back. Also, most of my family has Verizon...there would be advantages for them if I also were on Verizon.

So, it seems that Nokia is not available under Verizon. The n900 seems to be a good phone too, but I like a lot of things about the Motorola Droid X. Would I need such unrestricted access which is provided by the n900 to customize the incoming call behavior?


D. Stimits, stimits AT comcast DOT net
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