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New Honeycomb preview today, your toughts for iOS5 please

A

aduteau

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 14, 2007
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I know this has been discussed a lot these days ...
But as I am typing this, Google is holding a new preview of its Honeycomb OS ( aka Android 3.0) over at Google HQ.

I want this thread to be constructive to know what you people think that iOS really needs to most ( or improve) for version 5.0 after looking at this:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/02/live-from-googles-android-event/

Google is being really aggressive with Honeycomb and after looking at this preview today .. I have to agree they have a nice OS for tablets !

So what do you guys think that iOS 5.0 really needs after seeing those new previews of Honeycomb ?

I for one want a complete redesign of notifications for iOS5 ! :D
 
Watched the whole thing live on youtube. Overall not that impressive. Seems like a lot of color changes with a little UI changes mixed in. Most of the Apps presented today are still not up to iOS polish and the games were disappointing. The one thing I do like are the notifications. Apple needs to get off their ass and redesign theirs.
 
jsbaugh said:
Watched the whole thing live on youtube. Overall not that impressive. Seems like a lot of color changes with a little UI changes mixed in. Most of the Apps presented today are still not up to iOS polish and the games were disappointing. The one thing I do like are the notifications. Apple needs to get off their ass and redesign theirs.
Click to expand...

Glad to see I am not the only one who wants a redesign of notifications in iOS 5.0 :)
 
What are the specs?

Does it require a dual core cpu as rumored and did they announce when it will be available?
 
It's obvious to anyone watching the google has absolutely destroyed iOS in terms of usability, fluidity, function, and UI. The widgets and notifications, and general continuity of the UI experience is exceptional, and will REALLY make it a great tablet OS (unlike iOS which is a blown up phone OS).

The problem is that the android market is a ways off of matching the app store, and so even though honeycomb is unspeakably better than iOS, I would still choose the iPad until the android market catches up. Even the good apps on the android market are usually just ports from iOS, which run much worse than they do on apple hardware (that they were originally designed for).

Having all of those amazing widgets and notifications will make the honeycomb tablet experience MUCH better than the iOS iPad experience, BUT in the end it comes down to what apps you are running, and until the market can match the app store the iPad will still win.

Seriously just think about it. OK let me open 12 difference applications in sequences on my iPad to accomplish what I can do with honeycomb by glancing at 1 or 2 of my home screens (full notifications, weather, calendar, facebook, twitter, news, email, bookmarks, all on the home screen ready RIGHT away). With iPad you click the home button, click on the apps folder, click on the app, wait for it to load, look at the info you want (say it's facebook), press the home button, click the app folder, click on the app you want (lets say weather this time), look at it, press the home button, etc... Do that 12 times and it's officially taken you TWELVE TIMES as long to gather simple information and updates, that are given to you all together and unified with honeycomb. That is why iOS completely 100% looses, and the only thing saving it is the pretty design of the hardware, the phenomenal support from apple, and the robust and polished apps/app store.

If you disagree, i'm very sorry to say, you are a fan boy plain and simple. I know people don't like this term, but in a case so obvious as this, there is nothing else to say. I've already stated that due to the app store, the iPad still wins overall, so i'm not saying that googles fancy UI makes it OVERALL the winner. If apple actually updates iOS to include proper notifications and widgets (maybe like a mission control thing from Lion) they can easily propel ahead of honeycomb due to their superior apps/apps store. It's just a matter of Apple stopping with their typical mantra of 'just good enough to get people to buy it', and actually try and pull ahead.
 
maflynn said:
What are the specs?

Does it require a dual core cpu as rumored and did they announce when it will be available?
Click to expand...

Hardware wasn't announced, neither were requirements. The first Honeycomb tablets (from Motorola and LG) will ship over the next 30-45 days however.
 
I think it looks interesting but an enhanced UI does not equal any sort of increased usability.

Google really needed to bring out specific apps besides a few games, CNN, and basic functions such as Mail, camera, maps, YouTube, and GoogleTalk and demonstrate something that replicates the ability to give PowerPoint presentations and other such things.

The only thing iOS really needs to improve on is notifications.

I am glad that those who are into widgets and tiling windows will have an OS to use, but nothing is compelling that in my mind would force Apple to abandon the basic metaphor of IOS.

The bottom line is that even if I wanted to switch to a honeycomb tablet, I simply can't due to the lack of proper productivity applications and a lack of any leadership from Google or any OEMs.
 
thesmoth said:
If you disagree, i'm very sorry to say, you are a fan boy plain and simple.
Click to expand...

I will agree that widgets are nice and so are notifications, but the overall User Experience of android blows and this is where Apple shines.


The tight integration from the hardware to the OS is key to this User Experience. Not fragmentation.
 
The Honeycomb home screen is generations ahead of iOS's home screen. You got one-tap access to search, notifications, system settings (brightness, wifi, etc.), multitasking, and music controls. The app spacing is much more appropriate and you can position home screen elements anywhere. The email widget is amazing!

I think that's what people are talking about when they say that the iOS UI looks stale, dated, boring, or needs an "overhaul". It's not just the notifications. It's not just about looking new. The layout of the controls and the functionality this UI provides is just so much better than iOS right now. In one week, WebOS for tablets will be demonstrated and I expect no less from them.

I didn't find anything else very impressive, plus there was really no new information. This was just a waste of an event, IMO.
 
Last edited:
Being independent and still able to think for myself I'm looking forward to seeing what Honeycomb and the whole Android Tablet sector grows into over the next 12 to 24 months.
I'm sure it will offer many interesting thing for many people, given the number of manufacturers, who themselves will want to bring the best they can to the table, I also look forward to many improvements at time goes on also.

Of course, we will still have those who cannot ever dream of faulting Apple and who will glance at, and then rubbish anything else. That's fine.

Also Apple haters who despise every fibre of what Apple does, and that's fine also :)

Me, I, and many others are interested in all things from all people.
My own personal views are, I prefer to be able to do what "I" want and not have to adjust my needs to fit into some predefined lifestyle decided by someone else.

I'm just going to be happy consumers will have a choice in the very near future.
 
thesmoth said:
It's obvious to anyone watching the google has absolutely destroyed iOS in terms of usability, fluidity, function, and UI. The widgets and notifications, and general continuity of the UI experience is exceptional, and will REALLY make it a great tablet OS (unlike iOS which is a blown up phone OS).

The problem is that the android market is a ways off of matching the app store, and so even though honeycomb is unspeakably better than iOS, I would still choose the iPad until the android market catches up. Even the good apps on the android market are usually just ports from iOS, which run much worse than they do on apple hardware (that they were originally designed for).

Having all of those amazing widgets and notifications will make the honeycomb tablet experience MUCH better than the iOS iPad experience, BUT in the end it comes down to what apps you are running, and until the market can match the app store the iPad will still win.

Seriously just think about it. OK let me open 12 difference applications in sequences on my iPad to accomplish what I can do with honeycomb by glancing at 1 or 2 of my home screens (full notifications, weather, calendar, facebook, twitter, news, email, bookmarks, all on the home screen ready RIGHT away). With iPad you click the home button, click on the apps folder, click on the app, wait for it to load, look at the info you want (say it's facebook), press the home button, click the app folder, click on the app you want (lets say weather this time), look at it, press the home button, etc... Do that 12 times and it's officially taken you TWELVE TIMES as long to gather simple information and updates, that are given to you all together and unified with honeycomb. That is why iOS completely 100% looses, and the only thing saving it is the pretty design of the hardware, the phenomenal support from apple, and the robust and polished apps/app store.

If you disagree, i'm very sorry to say, you are a fan boy plain and simple. I know people don't like this term, but in a case so obvious as this, there is nothing else to say. I've already stated that due to the app store, the iPad still wins overall, so i'm not saying that googles fancy UI makes it OVERALL the winner. If apple actually updates iOS to include proper notifications and widgets (maybe like a mission control thing from Lion) they can easily propel ahead of honeycomb due to their superior apps/apps store. It's just a matter of Apple stopping with their typical mantra of 'just good enough to get people to buy it', and actually try and pull ahead.
Click to expand...

So what you are saying is iOS is inferior because it doesn't run a pile of widgets? While I do agree with you that Apple should do more on convergence, widgets are a poor replacement for a better notification system. There is only so much space on the screen and a mobile system doesn't need or allow for overhead demands of a dozen weather and fart apps running.

The single feature I would like is a common dropbox for files and allowance for users and apps to access these common/shared files. It is absurd that data is held hostage by individual apps. If I have two apps that can read a PDF, I shouldn't need to specifically load it into one or the other. Likewise, as games get more complex, there needs to be a way to save your progress without having to keep the game loaded on the device or rolling back to some ancient backup. A dropbox would permit access to game save data.

The interface could use some kind of refresh but it is fairly good at what it is. I guess shiny new things are less important to me.
 
thesmoth said:
It's obvious to anyone watching the google has absolutely destroyed iOS in terms of usability, fluidity, function, and UI. The widgets and notifications, and general continuity of the UI experience is exceptional, and will REALLY make it a great tablet OS (unlike iOS which is a blown up phone OS).

The problem is that the android market is a ways off of matching the app store, and so even though honeycomb is unspeakably better than iOS, I would still choose the iPad until the android market catches up. Even the good apps on the android market are usually just ports from iOS, which run much worse than they do on apple hardware (that they were originally designed for).

Having all of those amazing widgets and notifications will make the honeycomb tablet experience MUCH better than the iOS iPad experience, BUT in the end it comes down to what apps you are running, and until the market can match the app store the iPad will still win.

Seriously just think about it. OK let me open 12 difference applications in sequences on my iPad to accomplish what I can do with honeycomb by glancing at 1 or 2 of my home screens (full notifications, weather, calendar, facebook, twitter, news, email, bookmarks, all on the home screen ready RIGHT away). With iPad you click the home button, click on the apps folder, click on the app, wait for it to load, look at the info you want (say it's facebook), press the home button, click the app folder, click on the app you want (lets say weather this time), look at it, press the home button, etc... Do that 12 times and it's officially taken you TWELVE TIMES as long to gather simple information and updates, that are given to you all together and unified with honeycomb. That is why iOS completely 100% looses, and the only thing saving it is the pretty design of the hardware, the phenomenal support from apple, and the robust and polished apps/app store.

If you disagree, i'm very sorry to say, you are a fan boy plain and simple. I know people don't like this term, but in a case so obvious as this, there is nothing else to say. I've already stated that due to the app store, the iPad still wins overall, so i'm not saying that googles fancy UI makes it OVERALL the winner. If apple actually updates iOS to include proper notifications and widgets (maybe like a mission control thing from Lion) they can easily propel ahead of honeycomb due to their superior apps/apps store. It's just a matter of Apple stopping with their typical mantra of 'just good enough to get people to buy it', and actually try and pull ahead.
Click to expand...

I disagree and I use a DroidX not an iphone. Widgets are fun for a day until you realize they kill your battery. I havent used a widget in I dont know how long. The notifications on Android are a million times better than Apple though. Apple should be ashamed with the lame notifications they are doing now.
I do agree that overall its going to come down to Apps that make or break a tablet. As of now Android apps are just weak ports of the iOS app and dont look as good.
 
Eso said:
The Honeycomb home screen is generations ahead of iOS's home screen. You got one-tap access to search, notifications, system settings (brightness, wifi, etc.), multitasking, and music controls. The app spacing is much more appropriate and you can position home screen elements anywhere. The email widget is amazing!

I didn't find anything else very impressive, plus there was really no new information. A waste of an event IMO.
Click to expand...

How are these more "one touch" than on iOS? Search= swipe to the left. Music=touch the iPod app or double click the home button or squeeze the headphone remote. While perhaps others need to frequently adjust brightness, wifi settings, or other things, I don't see a need for these secondary controls to clutter my screen.
 
Here are the Specs for the Xoom and Ipad.

To me the Xoom is a hands down winner. the app store could do work, but hey, im sure it will be upgraded by the end of 2011, and not just once but a few times.

Also lets not forget the new Ipad 2 will be coming out and some leaked info from Concord Securities says, Cortex-A9 dual core processor which offers 1.2GHz speed. Apple iPad 2 will bear 512MB of RAM and dual cameras, one at rear and one at front for video chat, but the ipad 2 will not have Retina Display instead it will get a thinner screen with anti-reflection features, a complaint about the original iPad that often surfaced. I also read it will be thinner then the Ipad so maybe with the extra space they will spruce up battery life for widgets, or just make it lighter in general and forget about battery life.


xoom-vs-ipad1 by 4d5f1c5f70d2012b5151dbbfaecfaba1, on Flickr
 
jsbaugh said:
I disagree and I use a DroidX not an iphone. Widgets are fun for a day until you realize they kill your battery. I havent used a widget in I dont know how long. The notifications on Android are a million times better than Apple though. Apple should be ashamed with the lame notifications they are doing now.
I do agree that overall its going to come down to Apps that make or break a tablet. As of now Android apps are just weak ports of the iOS app and dont look as good.
Click to expand...

I have facebook, twitter, weather/clock, bookmarks, calendar, news, memo, search, taskmanager, and alarm clock as widgets and I haven't had a problem with battery life.

I have an LG Optimus T and I make it through the entire day no problem (I charger every night, but I think everyone does as well).


I thought the same way as most apple users until I started using widgets and got used to them. Now when I go and use my iPod touch it feels like a very simple and dumbed down device. It reminds me of a single-tasking gaming consol like a nintendo, rather than a multitasking computer. You stick in a game cartrige (app), press the power button (click the app to open it), you play with the app, and then if you want to play another game you shut down the system (press the home buttom), put in another game and start it up (press a different app), use it until you are finished, etc...

With android it seems much more fluid and connected, with all of your current stuff showing up in the notifications bar, all of the info you want right there on your home screen with widgets, etc... It feels like a cohesive computer, where the iPhone/iPad feels like an app machine (runs one app at a time and that's it).
 
ac921ol said:
Here are the Specs for the Xoom and Ipad.

To me the Xoom is a hands down winner. the app store could do work, but hey, im sure it will be upgraded by the end of 2011, and not just once but a few times.
Click to expand...

You have to remember something very VERY important here.

Apple followers don't follow specs, they hate specs and always rubbish those who do follow and/or quote specs.

Unless of course one very important thing happens: An apple product has higher specs. Then the rules change and specs can be used to claim superiority ;)

If you don't believe me, read the thread here where people rubbish specs and meaningless, and then wait till Apple release a retina display iPad and see what happens then :D
 
ac921ol said:
Here are the Specs for the Xoom and Ipad.

To me the Xoom is a hands down winner. the app store could do work, but hey, im sure it will be upgraded by the end of 2011, and not just once but a few times.

Also lets not forget the new Ipad 2 will be coming out and some leaked info from Concord Securities says, Cortex-A9 dual core processor which offers 1.2GHz speed. Apple iPad 2 will bear 512MB of RAM and dual cameras, one at rear and one at front for video chat, but the ipad 2 will not have Retina Display instead it will get a thinner screen with anti-reflection features, a complaint about the original iPad that often surfaced.


xoom-vs-ipad1 by 4d5f1c5f70d2012b5151dbbfaecfaba1, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Wow, you mean an announced product beats a product that has been out on the market for a year? Anyways, the OS is the focus of thus thread. Honeycomb may be good but it is also not out yet while iOS4 has been around for a year. Both have their good and bad but to compare fairly, at least compare released versions.
 
Isn't iOS a derived product of Mac OSX ?

Why cant they do Widgets that pop on screen like in Mac OSX ?
That way people wanting Widgets would be happy ... and people not wanting widgets to clutter up the home screen would also be happy.

And for the battery life ... why not put a on/off of widgets in the preferences settings ?

Does this make any sense ?
 
thesmoth said:
I have facebook, twitter, weather/clock, bookmarks, calendar, news, memo, search, taskmanager, and alarm clock as widgets and I haven't had a problem with battery life.

I have an LG Optimus T and I make it through the entire day no problem (I charger every night, but I think everyone does as well).


I thought the same way as most apple users until I started using widgets and got used to them. Now when I go and use my iPod touch it feels like a very simple and dumbed down device. It reminds me of a single-tasking gaming consol like a nintendo, rather than a multitasking computer. You stick in a game cartrige (app), press the power button (click the app to open it), you play with the app, and then if you want to play another game you shut down the system (press the home buttom), put in another game and start it up (press a different app), use it until you are finished, etc...

With android it seems much more fluid and connected, with all of your current stuff showing up in the notifications bar, all of the info you want right there on your home screen with widgets, etc... It feels like a cohesive computer, where the iPhone/iPad feels like an app machine (runs one app at a time and that's it).
Click to expand...

Even my original iPhone still goes days without need for charging. There is no magic software that doesn't create overhead and therefore use power or resources.

aduteau said:
Isn't iOS a derived product of Mac OSX ?

Why cant they do Widgets that pop on screen like in Mac OSX ?
That way people wanting Widgets would be happy ... and people not wanting widgets to clutter up the home screen would also be happy.

And for the battery life ... why not put a on/off of widgets in the preferences settings ?

Does this make any sense ?
Click to expand...

Sure does. It seems like Apple hasn't figured out a way to do this intuitively or without sacrificing stability/power.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sedulous said:
How are these more "one touch" than on iOS? Search= swipe to the left. Music=touch the iPod app or double click the home button or squeeze the headphone remote. While perhaps others need to frequently adjust brightness, wifi settings, or other things, I don't see a need for these secondary controls to clutter my screen.
Click to expand...

How is it more "one touch" than a double-click of the home button? I guess in the way that double-click is "two touch" and tapping is "one touch" (search is only one swipe away if you are on the main home screen, otherwise it's multiple swipes or, you guessed it, clicking the home button twice).

But in a less literal sense, the Honeycomb UI is more cohesive - it was designed with all this functionality in mind. iOS doesn't have the same cohesive feel because different UI elements were patched on to the existing UI (which wasn't designed to incorporate them).

When they added spotlight search, there was really no good place to put it based on the UI they developed originally. They sort of tacked it on as it's own home screen. So now you've got this odd paradigm of the home screen just having a grid of app icons - except for spotlight which is just a little search box at the top with a blank screen and the keyboard.

Once again, with multitasking, there was a problem of how to incorporate into the existing UI. So what did they do? They decided that they would just slide up the entire UI a little bit and show a row of icons at the bottom with recently used apps. Unless you swipe to the right, of course, which case they are iPod controls - and a rotation lock?

At this point the UI just feels like a patch work of different UI elements that are sort of attached to the layout they designed in the beginning. It works... but it's not as nice an implementation as Honeycomb is where all of these elements were designed into the UI.

For the future, it's going to be notifications. The question is, are they going to design a new UI layout to better incorporate all the functions they've added up to this point (including notifications)? Or are they just going to patch it in by accessing some sort of notification area with a down swipe on the home screen?
 
Sedulous said:
Sure does. It seems like Apple hasn't figured out a way to do this intuitively or without sacrificing stability/power.
Click to expand...

I think that's where those new gestures for the iPad in the 4.3 beta would come in handy.

The five or four finger gesture to get back to the home screen ( you know the one that replaces to home button) ... well instead of doing that gesture .. why not do a five or four finger zoom ( I call it zoom because of doing the same pinch to zoom into pics) that would bring out widgets on top of any app running in iOS ... just like in Mac OSX

just my 2 cents
 
There is one major feature that Apple really needs to include in the iOS UI (IMO): app tracking. By that I mean, on the one hand, I would like to be able to tell Safari to automagically open links to pdfs in my pdf app, wikipedia in my wikipedia app, comedycentral.com in Skyfire (so I can see the videos) etc, etc. After that, give me the trail so that when I decide I am done with, say, the YouTube video it sent me to, I can return directly to the app that sent me there (which might have been a sports chat app or wikipedia app or whatever), bypassing the home screens.
 
Pic of the Android boys setting up to talk.

Says it all really (not to sound like a fanboy or anything ;) )
 

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