This thing is beginning to look like full steam ahead, and I couldn't be more happy!  After yesterday's release of the Android SDK video, today Google posted up a timeline on the Android Site.   This pretty much solidifies the release of a device to hit the shelves in Q4 of this year.

To orient yourself, consult this brief timeline. Read on for details on these milestones.
12 November, 2007 - "Early Look" SDK released
January to August, 2008 - Android Developer Challenge I
18 August, 2008 - Android 0.9 SDK beta released
September 2008 - additional Android 1.0 (pre) SDK releases made available, as necessary
Q3 - Q4 2008 - Android 1.0 SDK release 1 available (first actual 1.0-compatible SDK)
Q4 2008 - Android 1.0 devices available at retail
Q4 2008 - Source code released
Q4 2008 - Key Announcement on Android Developer Challenge II

Notice how it says "devices", plural....sweet.

The team also wants you to know what's been going on and why there's been so much confusion.

On 12 November, 2007, we made available the first early look at the Android SDK to give developers an opportunity to explore Android and build applications for the Android Developer Challenge. That was followed by the "M5" early look build. 

Since then, we've been hard at work with our partners preparing the first device for launch and finalizing the APIs and platform. The developer feedback we received via the "early look" SDKs has been extremely valuable in that process. But as the platform nears 1.0, it's time to start polishing up the SDK with an eye toward 1.0 as well. This Roadmap outlines our plans for the coming months, and lets you know what to expect as we near device availability. 

This is the top-level Roadmap. Individual components of Android (such as the Dalvik virtual machine, the Android Developer Tools, and so on) will have their own roadmaps, once we complete the source code release. Those roadmaps will be linked to this page, as they become available.

That's the Google way of explaining things.  Still, I am really looking forward to getting my hands on one of these devices.  I truly believe that Android will be the one OS with it's HTC marriage, that will make Apple wish they hadn't put the iPhone on one carrier for ever and ever.  God do I hate the fact that they did that.

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