I used to hate Java. It was slow, then it got faster. I can never keep up with the acronyms, and I didn’t find it particularly easier to code with than in C. Anyway, I’m not a developer and millions love it, so what do I know?

One thing that did interest me was Java as a mobile platform. I don’t think I ever posted this before, but there used to be something called SavaJe, which was an all-Java platform phone. They even did a proof-of-concept. Tim Bray played with it and I agreed with his conclusions. I quote,

…the notion of having a phone that any Java geek can program to do whatever—if it actually happens—isn’t just a game-changer, it’s a world-changer.

He was also probably talking to the right people at the time…

The vibe I get from my mobile-savvy friends is that a lot of people think Linux+Java is the mobile platform of the future.

I think what we have with Android is just this—a phone any Java geek can program to do whatever. This, I think, has the potential to spawn some crazy third-party development, helped along surely by Google’s $10 mn prize stash.

I’m still in doubt as to whether Android-based phones will be crazy-cool devices as the iPhone is. A platform needs to be implemented real nice on some real nice hardware to create something desirable. LG, Samsung and HTC have some nice(?) phones, but they’re not Apple. The Android videos show prototypes that are neat, but not iPhone-quick.

Unrealistic wish: iPhone hardware, Android software.