RANT: Things wrong with the Galaxy S

I've been really trying to like Android, but I just can't do it.  With over 10 years experience designing and building mobile handsets with the Windows Mobile and Blackberry operating system, neither of which are perfect, I've seen a lot of different implementations of mobile platforms.  The look and feel of a mobile OS is a very personal thing and I certainly don't object to Google's try at optimising the usage experience.  It could certainly improve on the level of customisability of fonts, colours and system layout, but I can live with it.  I'm more concerned by the basic usability of the device.  Can it perform basic functions such as calls, emails and browsing, how are apps and services handled, is the handset responsive and crash/reset free?  This baseline performance is what I've been struggling to accept, but with the 2.2 update the situation is markedly worse than 2.1 and I see no solution.

If I had to sum Android up in a word it would be "amateurish".   Some things work suitably, I wouldn't say work well, and some things are chronically broken by design such as the IP stack and connectivity usage model.  Always connected, always online is a good mantra, but any developer must suitablly cover the case when there is no connectivity.  Google's engineers haven't even thought of the possibility of using the device offline.  When the OS cannot operate without a connection (or even worse, an intermittent one) the result is an inexcusable array of crashes, hangs and general user frustration, even after the official 2.2 upgrade.

What many mobile devices fail to understand is that the devices are used for creating content.  Text messages, emails and calls are the basic functions that a mobile device is used for.  Consuming content is important too, but in my opinion a secondary concern.  Thus the keyboard is of great importance.  I am writing this on a Bluetooth keyboard as there is no way I would write anything longer than an SMS using any onscreen keyboard on an Android device.  Part of the fault lies with the capacitive touchscreen and the gross inaccuracy of the sensors.  This is made worse by the stock Android keyboard, and Swype, or Swiftkey.  None match the speed of input from a hardware keyboard or a resistive keyboard with a stylus.  I have been using a pen to write with for much longer than I've been fingerpainting.

Instead of ranting on about the plethora of issues I dislike about Android I'll list my biggest grievances with the OS below.  Unfortunately I don't really see any prospect for improvements in the near term for any of them.  Sadly there is no good competitor at the moment that seems to get the mobile experience and has the capability to implement it in a competent device.  I certainly intend to keep trying to help out fellow Galaxy S users, I'll still keep with it untill RIM get their act together.

Google need to fix:
On-screen keyboard is unusable
Mandating Capacitive touchscreen so any on-screen keyboard is too inaccurate to be any use
Must be online for OS not to crash
Patchy integration of Google services
No spell checking
Appalling CPU scheduling and memory management
Appalling integration of the IP stack and DNS lookup into Java services
Unable to remove or hide system apps and bloatware
Android Market randomly not downloading apps
Constant media scanning blocking access to user memory

Samsung need to fix:
Email client crashes and hangs with abysmally slow performance
Location embedding in photographs without an option of disabling
100% battery notification cannot be disabled

Swype is evil because:
Only offer updates via Samsung, not incrementally and independently
Cannot add/remove languages
Cannot disable auto learning feature

I simply won't purchase a Google or Samsung product after the Galaxy S.  Struggling on with 3rd party apps that mitigate some of the above issues is not the hallmark of a quality product, or a professional development environment.  Shame on Google, shame on Samsung.

I would need a lobotomy before sinking to use an iPhone

You can try Web OS, I'm hearing good things about the Palm Pre 2.

Some of your rant I can sympathize with but some of it I don't get at all. I'll agree that Android is rough round the edges but this is only version 2. What I like is that I could root my phone and get rid of all that bloat ware or install a vanilla version of android. I happen to like the Samsung interface.

The screen thing definitely took some getting used to. Like Vos I was used to using a fingernail edge and now I have to use my actual finger tip. The glove thing could be a problem this winter too. Having said that, I really like swype (had it on my O2)

Being in Canada my phone has some interesting quirks. GPS is on but not *on* until I turn on maps or an app actually using the GPS. My pictures are not tagged with location because I can turn off the picture GPS feature in the camera tools.

As you said it's the best game in town at the moment. It would seem the windows phone must be always connected as well to to the glance and go they're pushing.

Hm? Are you a samsung firmware writer?

Anyway, I have a 12gb data plan which if exceeded is chargeable up to SGD$30, meaning for unlimited, I pay $30 more on top of my bundled 12gb, I to my best attempts have only reached 3gb per month

Astute point regarding designing OS'es and programs to specifically suit certain markets only. Being from the Philippines where 3G and unlimited data is a recent phenomenon, I can only wish for manufacturers to at least acknowledge our shortcomings and at least give us the option to TOTALLY switch off data/sync related services and apps (while leaving phone on), without having to resort to completely uninstalling the apps altogether, as what I've had to do in order to get some semblance of performance and or respectable battery life.

press the on button to switch off data connection on froyo.

or in settings, switch to GSM only to get 2G only.

Or enter a code to switch permanently to 3G until you switch it back.

or for a simple one click widget, there's apndroid or smthing

You're right, but that's just how the OS is designed, not much that you can do about it other then using those settings/apps to make it run like you want.
I've seen a lot of people over here in Italy buying an android phone without having the slightest idea of how it works, and reselling it after one week 'cause their credit was being slaughtered by data connection (and of course they didn't know data connection can be disabled).
Let's just say it clear: no matter the settings which make data connection disabling possible, android has been designed with flat data plans in mind, not with "pay per traffic" internet.