First of all, there is no way around ads...even on an IPhone you still see ads when you browse pages, most of the time from Google anyway. Not too sure how the advertising will be with Android, but I doubt it will be a perma-banner on your screen. Most likely will be more targeted google adsense ads while browsing from your phone, or placement on top of web pages.

I personally use a Treo and prefer it over an Iphone and the Dingleberries. Problem is that Microsoft is really squeezing the market and the OS palm is at a do or die point. Hopefully they'll switch to this platform. I believe that Android will actually encompass all needs either simple browsing or even more complex things that the 'smartphones' ignore; things like being able to VPN, 3G, Lotus integration, compliant MS Office suite, etc.

Seamless integration with google, gmail, blogger, youtube [possible facebook if bought] & other google apps would be sick. Iphone 1.0 would make a nice coaster then.

Hadez, New York, New York

Please just give me a phone with Iphone capabilities that works with Verizon and I can use in other countries. Something simple and easy to use. I do not want AT&T. Everyone I know is on Verizon and refuses to change.

lindyf, West Windsor, NJ USA

So despite the fact that Linux almost has the same desktop share as OS X and the largest server share we are witnessing a 'third' major computer platform? Really David Pogue of the NYT. I don't think you can be a technology critic if you don't understand the players on the playing field.

Mike, Phoenix, AZ

"Nokia, the world's largest handset manufacturer, has also said it wants to third party developers to be able to write and release applications for its devices."

Where did the reporter get this quote from? The Symbian and S40 OS for Nokia phones have had a booming third party development community for years. It's the most open allowing much lower level programming than the iPhone and Android will.

Robert, Luton, UK

Apple's products work better because they marry the software directly to the hardware - optimising both. Their sizzle comes from great UIs.

The vendors mentioned who might adopt Android all have horrible UIs and horrible phone design. (Motorola excepted for RAZR.)

People are buying Apples for looks and sizzle or Blackberry's for email. The rest are being 'bought' because of deals between phone makers and service providers. You get the phone for free or inexpensively for a multi-year contract. But Apple and RIM products are being bought because people want them.

Can Android offer more there? No, because they are hoping someone else can deliver the sizzle. Read what happened when Apple tried to use someone else as the phone hardware maker before launching their own iPhone. It sucked.

And as someone else has said. Nothing is free, so expect tons of Google ads. Yuck!

Paul, Toronto, Canada

When will they build a phone for the over 40 age group, we buy most of the phones and want something that works for business, bigger keyboards and screens not smaller - we don't keep these devices in our pockets. We have the cash and were all getting older! I liked my old blackberry better than my new one, the key board is just to small.

Carl, Portland, Oregon

This can be a cooperative effort. Apple has provided a defined sandbox for developers to create in. They have defined the language of touch screens, much as they defined GUI syntax with the Mac. These are all good things and a lot of people will benefit with Apple from this step.

Android is designed with networking and multiple item management as goals. There is more room to create and manage new services within Google's framework. As things are defined today, Android applications can be written to improve peoples lives all over the planet. This includes folks who are less affluent than iPhone customers.

People who just want a cell phone may end up getting a lot more if they choose an Android phone.

Ed, Texas,

Google has the potential to do something great, but my guess is Android will be the mobile phone version of windows. It will do some things really well, there will be scores of security errors and patches. If it's cheap enough, people will buy it. Some people won't care if their phone data is stolen, others will get used to reinstalling their phone software b/c of a virus, large corporations will have to add 2 or 3 phone tech experts to handle the problems, etc., etc. As a former Blackberry user, I've already been through this.

Most of the stories about the delays in the release of Apple's SDK for the iPhone indicate that they have been working on security issues. It's hard to create a platform that is open and secure. Given Google's approach to privacy and copyrights, I doubt they'll be all that rigorous when it comes to mobile phone security.

Rob, Dallas, TX, USA

Google makes money 1 way - advertising - so the only way that Android can have any meaningful use for Google is if it will push ads to mobile phones. So do you really want Google ads on your phone all the time? and what if you don't have an unlimited data plan - will you actually be paying for data usage to get the ads? Open is great the only problem is somebody has to pay at some point and the way this is done now is with ads. I simply so not want ads pushed to my phone.

Kirasaw, Marietta, OH

Wow! How much money does Google make off of Android? A company that doesn't make money! I'll take 5000 shares!! I can't wait to invest in Niko's company too!!

Yroc, Hollywood, ca

"other manufacturers sill include things like nipples etc. on their keyboards - it's because their trackpads don't work very well"

Wrong.

It's actualy because it results in a more natural wrist alignment - and because you don't have to move your hands away from the keyboard when you want to use the pointer, it just makes things that little bit faster, that little bit better.

Hassan Azam, Banbury , Oxfordshire, England

Just please make a high end stateside phone like the Iphone that will be supported by someone like Verizon that has the ability to receive a Sim card for Europe or Brazil and I will be thrilled and buy two of them.

Rain39, Dallas, USA, TX

I trade currencies and travel a bit. At the moment some brokers in the UK are working on charts and trading platforms for the iPhone. From a business point of view, this is very good news for the likes of me. If googe can bring out hardware to do this, prices will come down, also.

For the trendy 'hey look at me I'm using something hip' types who spend their time messaging absolute tripe and being charged for it, good luck.

John, London,

The critics misunderstand just how much attention to detail goes into Apple products. They just work. Compare an Apple trackpad on a computer with any other manufacturers. In fact, ask the question why other manufacturers sill include things like nipples etc. on their keyboards - it's because their trackpads don't work very well.

On the iPhone the touch screen works exceptionally well. Other manufacturers seem to rush their devices to market when they work 80%, in their haste to outdo Apple. Google is big enough to fail on a project like this, so shareholders needn't worry about all this willy-waving.

Jon D, Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire

The real downfall SHOULD be the Apple's greed and the way they make their products and software proprietary. The only thing that really kept Apple alive are die-hard posers try to be non-conformists and the Ipod. Don't get me wrong they design some beautiful hardware and OSX is better than Vista in my opinion, but by always keeping the outside market closed it hurts in the long run. An open mobile alliance will destroy the Apple market just for the sheer volume of 'other' users and the huge volume of available apps. Need examples of 'open source' squashing the competition? Look at Myspace vs. Friendser. Look what Joomla.org has done for the web community.
Bottom line, Apple should make an Iphone 2.0 with 3g, FREE sdk and let it loose into the public and watch those puppies fly and really revolutionize the market. Google will destroy that market.

Niko, Queens, NY

In his previous job the man who is leading Google's Android efforts made a phone, the Sidekick, that was so locked down, it barely ever had any software written for it. It was built with total and utter control in mind. And I don't mean control by the user, but control of the user, and the user's data and money. We shall see whether Google's approach will be more open with this same man in charge.

Frank, San Francisco, CA

Android has the potential to gain more users, however, the iPhone has the better hardware and software, and that is what people will want. Its the user interface stupid. This segment (smart phones) dwarfs the PC/Mac market big time. The potential profits in China and India alone will be huge. in full disclosure this article was read and responded to using my iPhone.

Dave, Grand Rapids , USA MI

Yah but will google win the spectrum bid. That's what I want to know. I do not want to pay more for every kilobyte after 100k. A little too stoneage for me!

Fred, Phoenix, arizona usa

Once upon a time, another man had a dream of a platform that would span different manufacturers, and that man was Trip Hawking. His company was 3DO. We all saw how well the platform did. I imagine the same fate awaits Android.

NEVER let others make your product. It leads to consumer confusion, and manufacturers never follow specs exactly.

Takeshi, Montrose, AL

Until the iphone has a REAL qwery, there is NO chance serious emails will buy it. Period.

Steve, Brooklyn, NY

So, someone will just write a framework that maps to iPhone, S60 and Android API and make apps portable across all these platforms. It could even be Microsoft!

Colin Soames, London,