Android is the operating system that runs on the phone. Android is an Open Source operating system that runs on the Linux Kernel. (meaning it is free, and the source code for the operating system is freely available and can be downloaded and modified in any way a developer wishes to.)
The Cliq is manufacturer by Motorola. Android is available on over 20 different handsets and the number is growing rapidly. The Motorola Droid that you may have seen commercials for, is an Android phone.
Android has about 22,000 applications available to run on it from the Android Market, and the number is growing by about 3500 apps per month. The number of Android phones sold are expected to surpass the Iphone by 2011, and the app store will likely surpass the number of available apps even before that. (And about 2/3 of the apps are free.)
Android is a great OS. and is actually running on more than just phones. It also powers the Barnes and Noble Nook e-reader tablet, is being put into TV set-top boxes, DVD & Blu-Ray players, netbooks, even microwave ovens because of it's reliability, expandability, ease of programming, security and power.
Right now Android phones are the hottest growing market for Smart phones world-wide.
Android integrates *extremely* well with Google, email, contacts, calendar, youtube etc. One you sign into your phone with your Google account, all contacts, email, calendar, to-do lists, etc are available on your phone. Syncing is automatic and 2-way - meaning you can update either on the web site or the phone, and the changes are reflected on the other, almost instantly.
If you wish to check out most of the available apps in the Market, you can go to http://androlib.com to get a look at them.
I would highly recommend just about any Android phone, however if you want the current "top of the line" Android phone for T-Mobile, check out the Nexus One which DOES come directly from Google. You can check out the specs and/or order at http://google.com/phone
