As useful as the Android SDK’s emulator is at playing with layouts, testing code and generally experimenting with various versions of software, there are times when having the platform on a handset you can physically hold is preferable; only then can you gauge how straightforward your UI is with a cellphone’s keys, or whether the typical display can do it justice. Few developers will have access to an official gPhone prototype, however, and while projects such as Bug Lab’s BUG modular smartphone suggest an innovative alternative, they too will often be outside of the reach of many. Josh Guilfoyle has been working on using a Windows Mobile-based smartphone as an Android test platform; the handsets are readily available, and thanks to full-screen VNC it allows programmers to experience their wares outside of the SDK.
Using a custom Android kernel and a port of the fbvncserver software, Josh established a server on his SDK machine, accessed by a WM handset running the popular .NET VNC Viewer.
It’s not a perfect solution: the VNC link needs some tweaking to make sure it’s running at best quality, and you might need to disable Android animations. However considering most cellphone app developers will have access to a WM-based smartphone it’s a great way of periodically testing how usable ongoing Android projects are until the hardware becomes more available.
It’s not a perfect solution: the VNC link needs some tweaking to make sure it’s running at best quality, and you might need to disable Android animations. However considering most cellphone app developers will have access to a WM-based smartphone it’s a great way of periodically testing how usable ongoing Android projects are until the hardware becomes more available.
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