As mentioned yesterday, I am the owner of a new Palm Centro smartphone. I really love it. It's been a long while since I've owned a Palm PDA, so it has that nostalgic feeling every time I power on and start working. I do miss the handwriting recognition, however. That was good times. Overall I'm impressed. Especially with the pains that Google has gone to to make my online experience a pleasurable one.
The Centro comes with a lot of great Internet tools, including a web browser, Google Maps, text messaging and more. With these apps, it's essential that my experience, in a 320x320 screen, be as positive as possible. Google recognizes this, and as such, has streamlined most, if not all, of their web apps to fit beautifully in my small screen. Reader, Gmail, Search, Calendar, Docs and more look fabulous on my Centro. This is crucial, I think, as when out on the road looking for a steakhouse in the area, then getting the directions. Even better, some of the apps are available for download and installation directly to my phone, such as Google Maps.
All in all, I think that Google is doing the right thing by offering these utilities. It shows that Google actually is interested in reaching a wider audience than just the traditional person using online web apps. When innovation surfaces, such as Google Mobile, the productivity of the person using the tools can be greatly increased. Either I can wait until I get to the hotel to check my email, and update my class roster, or I can use the convenience of my Internet-capable phone to get the job done while sitting in the airport. You get the idea.
{ 2 } Comments