Finally, an android experience that rivals the iPone. | Hacker News Reader

Finally, an android experience that rivals the iPone.

goforandroid.com

This looks like yet another attempt to paint an interface on top of another interface - something that has caused problems since Microsoft pioneered the idea with Windows floating over a DOS foundation.

You simply cannot fix a UI by adding makeup to it, no matter how well-designed that makeup might be.

In this case, I don't see what's been done from looking at the web site. Is it some custom themes and a different style of app launcher?

Alan Kay's quote remains true today - "People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware."

Its not a paint job. They do a poor job letting you know what features are the awesome ones. It pretty much makes the android launcher extremely user friendly. Try it out. Uninstalling apps, hiding stuff in app drawer. Folders that are more useful than standard stuff. Great performance compared to other launchers.

Its a skin as much as ADW is a skin, except its better than ADW. Their contact/dialer app is amazing, startup time is damn good compared to good dialer apps like dialer one (except dialer one does not integrate well with htc's missed call notif). Weekly updates with usually good stability improvements.

It's not a "skin" or theme like the old HTC Sense was on old Windows Mobile. On Android, everything is user replaceable, including the home screen, which is just another app. There is even a tutorial on the official Android site on how to make a homescreen app.

Go for Android is a homescreen app.

I don't want to come across too harshly, but I've looked through the site for about ten minutes and couldn't figure out what this is. This app is a replacement for the default Android home screen? Or does it replace lots of other UI elements on the Android phone?

FWIW many phone already come with non-default Android UIs, for example my craptacular Motorola CLIQ. Also, I have to agree with samuel1604 - if all the site offers are direct download links from servers in China I wouldn't touch this app with a pole. Sorry. To be blunt I wouldn't trust any application on my phone with that much power. Taking a look at the permissions required on their Android Market listing their app has permission to access and modify absolutely everything on the phone!

What's strange is that their app listing in the Android market is actually far more enticing (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.jb.gosms&featu...). Why didn't they invest more attention in their front page? At least a little two or three minute video showing what the app offers...

I would be worried to download some apps from an unknown server in china on my phone...

android market?

I've been using the GO Launcher/GO Dialer for a week now, and every fucking bit of frustration I had with android os just dissappeared. If I'd ever through "it would be awesome if android did..." that feature is in this launcher. Its not the big features, its every single little feature put together with great performance, stability, weekly updates, immediate bug fixes and quick customer feedback.

Hell it even has the perfect replacement to a task killer application integrated flawlessly into the launcher in the running tab of the app drawer. Oh and the skins are pretty awesome.

This this is amazing, I only hope these guys get more noticed!!!

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