Honeycomb vs iOS

[AppleScruff1]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8C148)

Yes and hopefully apple steps up their game in iOS 5, and shows a preview tomorrow. I played with the xoom, and although it is much more feature rich as you said, it also lacks polish. Transitions, movement are delayed or choppy in many cases. This can obviously be addressed.

What you need to also talk about it consumer fear of their android product not receiving the quick updates it deserves. I would rather have a xoom (wifi), but I have a real fear that motorola will not give this product the attention it deserves the moment a revision comes out.

The poor update history for Android will hold it back. Too many cooks are spoiling the broth.

One of the primary uses of any tablet is for content consumption. Currently, Honeycomb does not have an easy way to purchase and/or transfer movies and music onto the Xoom without a tedious and messy drag and drop process. You might be able to use doubletwist on it--if you can keep it from crashing.

The Android Marketplace also does not have many tablet specific apps at this point, leaving you with comically magnified apps designed for smartphones.

I played with the Xoom and I will say its a huge improvement over the Galaxy Tab and certainly shows potential. However, I'd give it a generation or two before I'd consider it a viable competitor. Google also *must* solve the problems with getting media onto the device.

There are too many glitches in the software for Honeycomb to be a finished product. Good potential, but not quite ready.

You can't make a fair judgement until we know what iOS 5 has in store. Where was honeycomb when the iPad was introduced? It didn't exist. Any of the new tablet os's were made to compete with the iPad. If apple doesn't do anything, then you can say apple is falling behind

As for honeycomb, i tested it out on the xoom for 3 days. Ill admit the browser is really nice and other design elements a's well. Overall it feels beta software, ironically when I tried the nexus last year it felt the same way. In it's current state, it has way too many bugs.

Agreed, too many bugs.

IMO Apple failed to create a useful tablet at all, just because they failed to create a device with a "good web browsing experience", and for me "a good web browsing" is the minimun this kind of device MUST offer, Safari on iPad simply sucks, too slow, reloading pages between tab shifts, that's horrible, ok you'd say iCab or Atomic is better, but even both of them must deal with a lack of RAM.

On the other hand iPad has enought RAM to run most games, but that fact becomes iPad an expensive toy with no USB ports, no SD card port, and very limited mobile device which is nothing but an oversize iPod.

Honeycomb has taken advantage of this lacks on the iPad so from now on Apple must be smarter to stay up in this battle.

I love competition!!!

Load msnbc.com on the iPad and see how long it takes. I have to agree that web browsing is still too slow on the iPad. Tabbed browsing and some added speed would be a nice improvement.

 

[PCClone]

I care more about the apps than how I access them. Apps like iMovie and GarageBand are simply amazing. That is what the ignorant goo fans don't understand. Safari works great and doesn't reload pages. iPad 2 is more than ample spec wise because Apple optimizes the OS to work with the hardware.

 

[weespeed]

I do agree with all that and get that's what Apple is going for with the iPad. And that's what I use it as.

I'll just be happy when someone finally nails a Tablet PC (or Tablet Mac if Apple goes that route) and I can have a thin light Table that I can use for both an information appliance and entertainment gadget, but is also sufficient for doing real work when paired with a keyboard.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/0...s-with-promo-videos-for-asus-eee-slate-ep121/

The ASUS has one. Runs full windows 7 and can handle photoshop.
I'm gonna say in a year it'll be the size of an iPad1.

 

[PCClone]

MSNBC is your example? Does that site get the same pathetic hits as the channel has viewers? That would make it just as irrelevant.

 

[AppleScruff1]

MSNBC is your example? Does that site get the same pathetic hits as the channel has viewers? That would make it just as irrelevant.

Are you disappointed by the load time?

 

[bossxii]

I give you the ease of drag&drop without having to sync through iTunes, but nobody is restricted to only the iTunes music store. As long as a song is non-DRM and in mp3 format, they can be dragged into iTunes, no matter what their source. You can, for example, buy music from Amazon and push them directly into iTunes. I just don't get where this "restricted to iTunes store" idea is coming from.

Or... Bypass the entire iTunes Eco system and download a mp3 file from any number of sites and play it. Simply more option to never even bother with iTunes, which IMO is a pain in the butt to deal with. It's never been an enjoyable way to deal with all types of files. Try to import a home video into iMovie from iTunes and see it iMovie can even find the file? Nope, Apples own app and it takes special steps just to import a file. That is just one of several painful tasks that leaves me wanting more and more to totally purge it use from my PC.

I'm glad you like it, I simply want other options that take less steps to complete.

I'd love to know, what sort of multitasking are you doing on your Xoom that you can't do on an iPad?

Mine is work related, and frankly didn't know for sure it would work but I can download a PDF off a website of my clients blueprints while I continue on typing emails. Once the file is done, I get to click "attach" and simply goto the file system, locate that PDF in the "download" folder and send it off to my truss designer, and estimator to price out the project. It also allows me to attach multiple files, which is often the case with a spec book and a blueprint.

That is simply not possible on an iPad. The iPad is a great tablet, I'm by no means saying otherwise, but for me Honeycomb does more of what I need and until Apple implements those types of features I don't find myself drawn to the iOS. I've simply found a better solution for my needs.

I use the best tech and gadgets for my needs. I have spent the last 9 months trying to find ways to make the iPad work in all aspects of what I do but have yet to be able to replace my laptop due to the situation I described above. Android is not my first choice, as I own an iPhone and have owned the iPad, but Android has now been able to take my tablet uses to the next level and be more useful.

People need to actually take the time to explore all available tech vs getting so wrapped up in media and hype the overlook useful tools. Both OS' have their strong points, for me Android simply does what I need better.

 

[PCClone]

Are you disappointed by the load time?

No, I am disappointed by the content. . It actually loads quickly..

 

[dmaul1114]

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/0...s-with-promo-videos-for-asus-eee-slate-ep121/

The ASUS has one. Runs full windows 7 and can handle photoshop.
I'm gonna say in a year it'll be the size of an iPad1.

Yeah, the issue is how well it works though as a thing that plagued tablet PCs in the past is just putting touch on a full window OS wasn't a very pleasant user experience.

I'm keeping an eye on those Asus machines and others like them (the lenova with the detachable screen that's a table when removed etc.), but really hoping MS does come out with a full Tablet OS (based off their Phone OS or a new versions) that's fully optimized for touch usage and have a full MS Office suite, PC file system etc.

Not holding my breath, but it will be fun to see what comes out the next 2 or 3 years.

 

[AppleScruff1]

No, I am disappointed by the content. . It actually loads quickly..

It doesn't load quickly on wifi, lots of checkerboarding. This was at an Apple store. The first iPad I attempted this with froze completely and had to hit the home button to get out of it. The Macbooks load this page must faster.

And whatever your comments are about liking MSNBC, they really are irrelevant to what I said about the page loading. The point was the performance when loading a large page with lots of graphics. On some sites, I still find it to be slow and there is plenty of area to improve the web browsing experience.

 

[neteng101]

You all say how the software makes the device.

It does - Android is simply a huge mess. People want an easy experience - they don't care about managing which apps are running and such, its got to just work. iOS is not perfect either, but until Android can provide a logical, simple to use, non geeky UI... iOS wins.

That is what Apple does best - its about the user experience. Still, I'd like Flash on iOS regardless of what Apple says.

Honeycomb looks like its trying way too hard to be "cool" gee whiz look at me all 3-D-ish and such. iOS is something people understand and easily pick up... that it works mostly the same on the phone and tablet is good.

 

[vrDrew]

All you need to know about Honeycomb:

It's "look and feel" is apparently inspired by the cult-classic movie Tron. A favorite of geeks everywhere, Tron basically involves a tedious, (and technically implausible) story about someone getting trapped inside a computer program.

A curiously appropriate metaphor, I thought.

 

[lilo777]

It's "look and feel" is apparently inspired by the cult-classic movie Tron. A favorite of geeks everywhere, Tron basically involves a tedious, (and technically implausible) story about someone getting trapped inside a computer program.

A curiously appropriate metaphor, I thought.

Indeed, this metaphor suits iOS ecosystem much more than Android. Too bad Google did it first.

 

[yodaxl7]

The mass majority of people here and elsewhere will agree that it's the software that makes the product, not so much the hardware. Up until tablets, Apple has really outdone everyone in the software area. That's what makes the iPhone so spectacular.

However, Apple is losing when it comes to tablet software. iOS is in no way a satisfying experience for tablets. Honeycomb is what will cause people to pull away from the iPad.

Who cares what the iPad 2 or 3 or 4 brings hardware wise? If Apple can't get a proper tablet softare operating system on their iPad, it will slowly die out.

Take out all the hardware specs and just compare tablet browsers. Honeycomb is pretty much a fully functioning desktop browser...iOS is not. Or how about multitaksing. Honeycomb is true multitasking...iOS is not. A tablet should be a bridge between phone and computer (multiple desktops, widgets, etc), which it is...iOS is not (just a large ipod).

Everyone here, practice what you preach. You all say how the software makes the device. Own up to it. The iPad software is generic and underpowered for a tablet. iOS is great for a PHONE, but not a tablet, which should be a bridge for the user.

Honeycomb is a rehash of the previous android os and it's not ready for prime time. It may appeared to be more practical but the form factor remains the same. Simplicity is the king. iOS is full of features unmatched by honeycomb: 1) itune 2) superior app store 3) airplay,airprint, airdrop(seen in lion), airvault (seen in lion). We have not seen what iOS 5 will bring next month. Better: notifications, clouding sharing, OTA, etc.

Hence, honeycomb is 1 star out of 5. iOS, 5 star out of 5!!

 

[yodaxl7]

It doesn't load quickly on wifi, lots of checkerboarding. This was at an Apple store. The first iPad I attempted this with froze completely and had to hit the home button to get out of it. The Macbooks load this page must faster.

And whatever your comments are about liking MSNBC, they really are irrelevant to what I said about the page loading. The point was the performance when loading a large page with lots of graphics. On some sites, I still find it to be slow and there is plenty of area to improve the web browsing experience.

Depends on a given level of bandwidth: High bandwidth: neither iPad 1 or 2
Low bandwidth: moreso with iPad1
in-between: neither

Not every apple store has a great bandwidth. Check the speedtest.net app first.

 

[yodaxl7]

No, I am disappointed by the content. . It actually loads quickly..

Maybe, there's too much content. I usually select from top 25. Encourage Microsoft to make office for ios.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Depends on a given level of bandwidth: High bandwidth: neither iPad 1 or 2
Low bandwidth: moreso with iPad1
in-between: neither

Not every apple store has a great bandwidth. Check the speedtest.net app first.

Nextime I go I'll check it with speedtest. I thought it was a fair comparison since I loaded the same site on the iPads and Macbook Airs and Pros and it loaded much faster on the Macbooks.

 

[yodaxl7]

I really hope that is the case as I really would love a tablet that I could do all the entertainment stuff and simple tasks I do on my iPad, but that I could also do real work on and not have to leave my iPad at home and take my laptop on business trips.

MS Office (or truly 100% compatible apps), USB port or accessory that I can get files beyond pictures (like word docs, powerpoints etc.) on and off the tablet to a thumb drive while traveling and so on.

It can be useful for work, too. Under the feature section in the appstore, there is a section for work. Some of the apps that can be productive for work.

 

[dmaul1114]

It can be useful for work, too. Under the feature section in the appstore, there is a section for work. Some of the apps that can be productive for work.

None really fit my needs as I use a lot of stats programs etc as a researcher and teacher (professor).

Even writing is tough as iWorks and docstogo mess up too much formatting going back and forth between them and MS Office when you have a lot of tables, figures, objects like equations etc.

Plus when traveling I'd need a way to get my Powerpoints off it and on to my jump drive if I was going to leave my laptop at home (and I won't travel with both as that's too much bulk and redundancy.

The only work tasks I use mine for are taking notes in meetings and reading some articles in good reader instead of printing the PDF.

 

[bossxii]

Depends on a given level of bandwidth: High bandwidth: neither iPad 1 or 2
Low bandwidth: moreso with iPad1
in-between: neither

Not every apple store has a great bandwidth. Check the speedtest.net app first.

I have 25mb down/5mb up connection at my house with Apples own Airport Extreme. iPad 2 has checkerboards on plenty of sites and I rarely open more than 2 or 3 pages at once. It has improved from from iPad 1, but anyone says it's gone is simply lying. The reloads have gone down but not totally gone as well. Safari is faster but IMO still rather annoying.

 

[dgree03]

I have 25mb down/5mb up connection at my house with Apples own Airport Extreme. iPad 2 has checkerboards on plenty of sites and I rarely open more than 2 or 3 pages at once. It has improved from from iPad 1, but anyone says it's gone is simply lying. The reloads have gone down but not totally gone as well. Safari is faster but IMO still rather annoying.

So true, my wife has a Ipad 2 and with my xoom side by side... browsing the SAME websites.. xooms is way faster. Safari still reloads tabs, just not as many as ipad 1.


Xooms tabbed browser and thumb controls wipe the floor with anything safari has to offer.

 

[princealfie]

Sorry but Honeycomb PWNs iOS already. Granted if this is already beta form, think of what would happen when refined Honeycomb is ready to rock and roll. I really love iOS's simplicity and stability but I need the power that Honeycomb offers to hackers

 

[bossxii]

So true, my wife has a Ipad 2 and with my xoom side by side... browsing the SAME websites.. xooms is way faster. Safari still reloads tabs, just not as many as ipad 1.


Xooms tabbed browser and thumb controls wipe the floor with anything safari has to offer.

I agree, I own both the Xoom and iPad 2, it's a very different (better) experience on the Xoom. The quick/thumb controls make browsing on a tablet very nice. I hope Apple pays attention and brings similar functionality to the iPad.