iPad2 v Galaxy Tab - compelling case?

[Bob Maxey]

But the difference is that coders can design it with touch in mind (which is what many sites using HTML5 are doing).



I can understand that, but you can play that in iSwifter if you'd like. I tested it just for you and it worked great.

EDIT: It's also weird that almost every example I hear from people on this site about sites that require Flash all work on iOS devices.

I just had a discussion regarding Flash and Comedy Central. I looked at the site and had no issues. A link was posted to a site that required Flash, but it was outside CS and CS was hammered for not having Flash.

I think you can yell at Apple for not having flash which makes some sites unavailable. But what about those sites that do not make their site "universal?" Is it always have to be Apple's fault?

The iPad is the standard and if Apple will not allow Flash, then web designers must design around that or risk being left behind. Money is tight these days so making your site available to everyone will mean no Flash or a non-Flash site so millions of visitors can view the content.

Perish or die and Apple is the big kid on the block defining things for the most part.

 

[4DThinker]

iPads are the largest single device out there, but Safari on iOS isn't the largest mobile browser hitting the web. With more Flash-capable Android devices (phones and tablets together) hitting the web Apple isn't the big dog any more. The larger that gap grows the less incentive web devs have to make/maintain a flash-free site just for their iOS visitors. It also helps/hurts that there are alternative browsers available for iOS that will display flash content anyway.

As for the Tab over the iPad, they are otherwise so close in specs that even Apple confuses the two (see law suits over look and feel). I recommend the Sony S. Be different!

 

[mystik610]

Don't know why people keep complaining about the lack of flash support. THE IPAD CAN RUN FLASH IF YOU USE THE RIGHT BROWSER.

 

[Mac.World]

iPads are the largest single device out there, but Safari on iOS isn't the largest mobile browser hitting the web. With more Flash-capable Android devices (phones and tablets together) hitting the web Apple isn't the big dog any more. The larger that gap grows the less incentive web devs have to make/maintain a flash-free site just for their iOS visitors. It also helps/hurts that there are alternative browsers available for iOS that will display flash content anyway.

As for the Tab over the iPad, they are otherwise so close in specs that even Apple confuses the two (see law suits over look and feel). I recommend the Sony S. Be different!

4D, please read this article. This is coming direct from Google, not some blogger or claimed industry insider.
http://www.lovefortech.com/2011/09/22/google-says-two-thirds-of-its-mobile-search-comes-from-apple’s-ios/

So even Google says that 67% of their web traffic comes from IOS. So who's the big dog if not Apple? Now granted, Safari may not be the first browser ranked anywhere (I wouldn't rank it as first. I don't even use it.) but why would anyone look at a specific web browser to make a decision on making their website 'ios' compatible. No one makes a website Safari compampatible! iOS is the big dog, as iPhone, iPad, iPod and soon even Apple TV make up the iOS world, which dwarfs Android based products by the way.

 

[kdarling]

But the difference is that coders can design it with touch in mind (which is what many sites using HTML5 are doing).

Ditto for Flash, which has multi-touch event handling.

I can understand that, but you can play that in iSwifter if you'd like. I tested it just for you and it worked great.

How far did you get into Moshi Monsters with iSwifter? It used to not work. (I gave my last iPad to my oldest daughter, so can't test it at the moment.)

Flash really isn't an issue like it used to be. So many sites have gone iOS friendly and more continue everyday, since 83% of all mobile web traffic comes from iOS devices.

Isn't iOS 53% of world mobile traffic?

IOS is also still only 2% of world traffic altogether, so it's pretty small from that standpoint.

(Not that I'm against the effect that iOS has had on making more websites have a mobile version, at least as long as it's not iOS specific.)

 

[Lankyman]

BTW, just to restore balance and for those that accused me of Apple bashing, an accusation that has now been accepted as scurrilous - the tile of the thread is
iPad 2 v Galaxy Tab a compelling case?

The give away in the title is the ? i.e. I was simply asking the question.

 

[palpatine]

Don't know why people keep complaining about the lack of flash support. THE IPAD CAN RUN FLASH IF YOU USE THE RIGHT BROWSER.

And the "right" browser is...

iPads are the largest single device out there, but Safari on iOS isn't the largest mobile browser hitting the web. With more Flash-capable Android devices (phones and tablets together) hitting the web Apple isn't the big dog any more. The larger that gap grows the less incentive web devs have to make/maintain a flash-free site just for their iOS visitors. It also helps/hurts that there are alternative browsers available for iOS that will display flash content anyway.

As for the Tab over the iPad, they are otherwise so close in specs that even Apple confuses the two (see law suits over look and feel). I recommend the Sony S. Be different!

i don't know of any web devs who make or maintain flash-free sites just for their ios visitors. do you have any examples to back that up?

different isn't always better (or worse). what do you recommend about the sony s? weak battery. no 3g option. bulky. smaller screen. you can only view in horizontal mode one way (with the bulky end up). virtually no productivity apps or customization. the list goes on and on... i don't own one, so maybe i am missing the good stuff here.

 

[kdarling]

So even Google says that 67% of their web traffic comes from IOS.

That's 2/3 of their mobile search traffic.

Of all their search traffic, the last number I saw was that mobile accounted for 5% of Google searches inside the USA.

So iOS = 67% of 5% = 3% of all Google searches, which makes more sense.

 

[mystik610]

And the "right" browser is....

I have yet to run into a flash site I couldn't view on iswifter.

 

[Mac.World]

That's 2/3 of their mobile search traffic.

Of all their search traffic, the last number I saw was that mobile accounted for 5% of Google searches inside the USA.

So iOS = 67% of 5% = 3% of all Google searches, which makes more sense.

You are making my point for me. iOS is the 900 pound gorilla in mobile traffic. This discussion wasn't about ALL search traffic in the world. That said, mobile traffic is continuing an upward trend with iOS leading the way, which is why you see so many companies moving away from Flash only websites and why Adobe is making it easier to make iOS friendly sites. When windows 8 comes on board, you'll have yet another tablet that isn't Flash friendly.

That said, obviously we can still view Flash on iPads. I actually like the Photon web browser. Has a nice little button to show Flash content when you want it.

 

[DeathChill]

Ditto for Flash, which has multi-touch event handling.

Indeed, but HTML5 isn't reliant on Adobe delivering a closed product that is seemingly having issues on mobile. To include this multi-touch event handling the coder is going to be redoing it anyways so why not do it in a language that will be universal?

How far did you get into Moshi Monsters with iSwifter? It used to not work. (I gave my last iPad to my oldest daughter, so can't test it at the moment.)

I setup an account and created a monster and did some moving around and everything worked great.

 

[Bob Maxey]

So even Google says that 67% of their web traffic comes from IOS. So who's the big dog if not Apple? Now granted, Safari may not be the first browser ranked anywhere (I wouldn't rank it as first. I don't even use it.) but why would anyone look at a specific web browser to make a decision on making their website 'ios' compatible. No one makes a website Safari compampatible! iOS is the big dog, as iPhone, iPad, iPod and soon even Apple TV make up the iOS world, which dwarfs Android based products by the way.

A fine point, but that is not what the article says. Ms. Creighton says 2/3 of Google's mobile traffic comes from iOS devices.

 

[jsh1120]

A fine point, but that is not what the article says. Ms. Creighton says 2/3 of Google's mobile traffic comes from iOS devices.

Actually, it's not at all clear what Ms. Creighton said; at least from the video I looked at. She indicated that 2/3 of the "group you asked about" came from iOS devices. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to determine what "group" Senator Franken asked about given the way the clip was cut.

However, it appears from the comments that followed that what may have been asked about was the use of Google as the search engine for the Safari browser. If that was the "group," being referenced it's hardly surprising that 2/3 of searches coming from mobile devices using Safari would be iOS devices. In fact, I'm surprised it's not about 99%.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Actually, it's not at all clear what Ms. Creighton said; at least from the video I looked at. She indicated that 2/3 of the "group you asked about" came from iOS devices. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to determine what "group" Senator Franken asked about given the way the clip was cut.

However, it appears from the comments that followed that what may have been asked about was the use of Google as the search engine for the Safari browser. If that was the "group," being referenced it's hardly surprising that 2/3 of searches coming from mobile devices using Safari would be iOS devices. In fact, I'm surprised it's not about 99%.

I do not know what she said. My comment was about the slight error posted compared to the article at the end of the link. If interested, I feel certain you can find a transcript.

 

[Bubba Satori]

I wasn't a fan of the Acer Iconia, but after playing with it some more, I'd choose it or the Transformer over the Galaxy Tab.

For what reasons?

 

[Mac.World]

For what reasons?

When I played with the Galaxy Tab, at two different places, the transitions from landscape to portrait was slow, the typing seemed about a second off from when you hit the key to when the character showed up, the UI didn't seem as smooth as the Iconia or Transformer... And so on. Truth be told, I was skeptical about the Iconia, but walked away impressed. I'm waiting for the next gen of Transformer and Iconia and will def pick one of them up. Should make a nice addition to my ipad2 and Touchpad.

 

[Lankyman]

When I played with the Galaxy Tab, at two different places, the transitions from landscape to portrait was slow, the typing seemed about a second off from when you hit the key to when the character showed up, the UI didn't seem as smooth as the Iconia or Transformer... And so on. Truth be told, I was skeptical about the Iconia, but walked away impressed. I'm waiting for the next gen of Transformer and Iconia and will def pick one of them up. Should make a nice addition to my ipad2 and Touchpad.

You've gone from the top of the heap to the bottom IMO. Certainly in the UK Acer is seen as a budget line, i.e. you buy if that's all you budget will allow. I thought the build quality of the Acer was pretty poor when compared to just about the whole of the opposition.

 

[CraigGB]

I'm always surprised the Asus Transformer doesn't get mentioned as a good rival to the iPad, people always bring up the Galaxy Tab as its main competiter, well firstly the obvious choice is between iOS and Android, each has its benefits and each has its cons, as much as people jump on the stereotype that Android is buggy, slow and every device running it has a small battery life and any app will drain that, they are wrong, I think its more dependent on the hardware, some devices are great and whilst not as bug free as a Apple device it is still very good.

I own a Transformer myself, it has a IPS screen like the iPad so no complaints there, it has SD card support which the Galaxy Tab doesn't which is a big plus and will be a benefit over the iPad too, battery life very close to a iPad, Asus customer support is also very good, and they seem keen to support the Transformer which is a huge plus over the Galaxy Tab, Samsung are awful in supporting products, I expect after a few months support will be mostly dropped, the Transformer is defo getting Ice Cream Sandwich, this hasn't been confirmed for the Galaxy Tab, I see the Galaxy Tab as a iPad running Android, there isn't much difference, it is a shame so few people seem aware of the Transformer

 

[4DThinker]

I see the Galaxy Tab as a iPad running Android, there isn't much difference, it is a shame so few people seem aware of the Transformer

I've got a Transformer, and my Slider should show up later today. Asus makes nice hardware, but these "tablets" are for people who want more functionality than you get from the iPad2 or Galaxy. Essentially they are netbooks... a screen and a keyboard. These forums often compare the Galaxy and the iPad more for being nearly identical in what they CAN'T do.

Personally I think Apple should worry about the Sony Tablet S and the (any day now) Amazon tablet. Both have content hubs behind their hardware to compete with iTunes.

 

[mystik610]

I've got a Transformer, and my Slider should show up later today. Asus makes nice hardware, but these "tablets" are for people who want more functionality than you get from the iPad2 or Galaxy. Essentially they are netbooks... a screen and a keyboard. These forums often compare the Galaxy and the iPad more for being nearly identical in what they CAN'T do.

Personally I think Apple should worry about the Sony Tablet S and the (any day now) Amazon tablet. Both have content hubs behind their hardware to compete with iTunes.

I had a chance to play with the Sony S at Frys this weekend, and was not impressed. The Sony S feels extremely cheap. Lots of hard plastics all around. The transformer has a much better feel to it.

Plus the Tegra 3 equipped Transformer 2 is right around the corner. The Tegra 2 equipped Sony S will be obsolete within 1-2 months when Tegra 3 tablets start hitting the market.

 

[ed.g]

I had a chance to play with the Sony S at Frys this weekend, and was not impressed. The Sony S feels extremely cheap. Lots of hard plastics all around. The transformer has a much better feel to it.

Plus the Tegra 3 equipped Transformer 2 is right around the corner. The Tegra 2 equipped Sony S will be obsolete within 1-2 months when Tegra 3 tablets start hitting the market.

I always believe is impressive how technology and advertisement can create necessity in costumers. All this talk about specs, new processors, more memory, etc but how about new features that actually require that kind of power.

At this point hardware is definitively more evolve than software. Manufacturers just keep shipping products with new and more advanced technology but the software is exactly the same. How much productive your life will become with a Tegra 3 compared with a Tegra 2 tablet..will your life be longer?

I just saying people need to start demanding for more advanced features instead of more advanced technology.

 

[4DThinker]

I had a chance to play with the Sony S at Frys this weekend, and was not impressed. The Sony S feels extremely cheap. Lots of hard plastics all around. The Transformer has a much better feel to it. Plus the Tegra 3 equipped Transformer 2 is right around the corner. The Tegra 2 equipped Sony S will be obsolete within 1-2 months when Tegra 3 tablets start hitting the market.

Transformer feels better, but it is also much heavier than the Sony S or the Galaxy 10.1. What becomes apparent when you own the S long enough to spend a day with it is that the wedge shape, textured back, and light weight add up to a surpisingly comfortable experience. Comfort meaning "without discomfort". The heavier tablets are fine if you always have a table (or any horizontal surface) to set them on when using them.

As for the upcoming quad-core processors and such... These Tegra 2 tablet will still be able to run the same apps then that they do now. In fact there are only rare apps that get close to using all of a Tegra 2's potential. I'd love to see a real need for a faster processor, but I haven't yet. The tasks I need more horsepower for are better handled by my i7 desktop PC.

 

[Bob Maxey]

I always believe is impressive how technology and advertisement can create necessity in costumers. All this talk about specs, new processors, more memory, etc but how about new features that actually require that kind of power.

At this point hardware is definitively more evolve than software. Manufacturers just keep shipping products with new and more advanced technology but the software is exactly the same. How much productive your life will become with a Tegra 3 compared with a Tegra 2 tablet..will your life be longer?

I just saying people need to start demanding for more advanced features instead of more advanced technology.

I am lucky in that a five year old laptop with a copy of Word 2.0 and nothing else is all I need to be productive. As it is, my new laptop is far more than I need for work. Even Word Pad will work if I can't find Disk #5 of 24 and therefore can't install Word 2.0. Then again, I'll also need a FDD.

If Apple never offered a better screen than on my iPad 1, it would not matter to me. It is as good as it needs to be. For me. You are correct, we are driven to consume the new and the better when all we need is OK and good enough for the job. Unfortunately, programs are created to take advantage of the latest hardware and hardware is improved because there is a need for faster and "better" programs. One feeds the other. Oddly enough, the latest and greatest compared to last year is quite often cheaper.

My first Laptop was a 486 and it cost me more than three grand. It wont even run my screensaver, today.

 

[jsh1120]

I always believe is impressive how technology and advertisement can create necessity in costumers. All this talk about specs, new processors, more memory, etc but how about new features that actually require that kind of power.

At this point hardware is definitively more evolve than software. Manufacturers just keep shipping products with new and more advanced technology but the software is exactly the same. How much productive your life will become with a Tegra 3 compared with a Tegra 2 tablet..will your life be longer?

I just saying people need to start demanding for more advanced features instead of more advanced technology.

The problem with your analysis is that software cannot be written for hardware that doesn't exist. To demand that software provide more features without taking into account the availability of processing power is nonsensical.

 

[mystik610]

I always believe is impressive how technology and advertisement can create necessity in costumers. All this talk about specs, new processors, more memory, etc but how about new features that actually require that kind of power.

At this point hardware is definitively more evolve than software. Manufacturers just keep shipping products with new and more advanced technology but the software is exactly the same. How much productive your life will become with a Tegra 3 compared with a Tegra 2 tablet..will your life be longer?

I just saying people need to start demanding for more advanced features instead of more advanced technology.

If you've ever used an Android tablet or device...and I mean really use it daily with multiple apps running simultaneously throughout the day, you'll very quickly find it easy to tax the Tegra 2 chip.

Android is nowhere near is efficient as iOS, and Android is never fully optimized for the hardware it runs on. As such, head-room in terms of processing power goes a long way.

You also have to consider that since the market is flooded with Android devices, all running....Android, that tablet manufacturers who aren't Apple, have to differentiate based on hardware. This is compounded further by the fact that, for the most part, they all share the same Tegra 2 based internals. As such, the Tegra 3 chip will be a very big differentiator and selling point for the Transformer 2 for Android users.

That being said, I feel the same way you do, and do not believe that hardware alone is the most important factor...If that were the case, I would not own as many Apple devices as I do. Apple's products are very much focused on the end experience (software)....hardware upgrades are necessary to the extent that they enrich the user experience.

The market for Android devices is very different, however.