This is the first week I have traveled with my iPod and not used it at all thanks to my G1 and the myTouch 3G.  As posted in a previous article I have an extended battery for the G1 so it has an actual standby of a week now and after watching several movies the battery meter only went down 25%.  The culprit of the G1′s battery strength is cell standby so it’s not just the improved battery but the benefit of not using it as a phone that keeps it alive.

While, I was VERY skeptical of the keyboard-less myTouch I have since warmed up to it and have kept my cool for its redeeming features of running background apps and the HTC keyboard.  (I would have kept my jailbroken/unlocked iPhone if only it would have run more than one productivity app at a time).  Another thing I tried this week is the Wireless Tether app.  Since I do not usually have a need for it because of nearly ubiquitous WiFi, Wireless Tether converts the EDGE/3G signal into WiFi so my phone can double as a hotspot and I can tether the G1 to the mT3G.

Here are some apps that make Android more bearable as a travel companion:

• Google Maps
• Wireless Tether
• music/video player(s)
• DoggCatcher for my podcasts
• VPN Connection
• HotSpot Locator
• eBuddy
• Google Voice
• aCompass
• And of course some of your favorite games

I have tried to use either phone as an “everything” device and inevitably I am let down by battery power, size, or being interrupted by calls when I am using it as a media player.  So while the holy grail is still a converged device of phone, media, social, location, and web it looks as if I will be destined to carry two units around for some time then I am glad that both of them are running Android.