The Open Handset Alliance is a consortium led by Google for the companies that embrace the Android system, made especially for mobile phones. HTC’s G1 is the first phone that utilized the operating system designed by Google and recently other companies have enrolled in the alliance as well.

Among the companies, the most important are mobile phone giant Sony Ericsson, AKM Semiconductor Inc., ARM, ASUSTek Computer Inc., Atheros Communications, Borqs, Garmin International Inc., Huawei Technologies, Omron Software Co. Ltd, Softbank Mobile Corporation, Teleca AB and Toshiba Corporation. The growing number of companies interested in Android point towards the fact that the G1 has been quite successful in terms of sales, even if it wasn’t the iPhone killer everyone expected.

The G1 is expected to have sold 500,000 devices by the end of this year, the phone being released on the market in fall. The G1 is able to go online and have access to all Google services, Mail, Google Maps, YouTube. The internet connection is assured, of course, by 3G or Wi-Fi making the G1 a very reliable smart phone.

The Android operating system was designed on the idea that a modern cell phone should be operated more like a computer, and not a limited device. Android does just that, allowing users to get the best out of their phones and out of their web experiences.

On the list of companies that have recently embraced the idea of the Android operating system we can also find Austek and Toshiba, well known for the manufacturing of laptops and mini notebooks. Is a mini notebook running Android a crazy idea?