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What's wrong with Android on a tablet?
- Thread starter iCarabma
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This is what I think, as a guy who has the Transformer Prime and loves it.
The keyboard is excellent. I now have a mini-computer with all the relevant ports, and I am not a slave to Asus expensive add-ons. I haven't come across anything that hasn't worked with the USB port. It is also very useful at University as I can whip it out and type, and it really isn't hard to carry about or anything
ICS on its own is excellent. It is a really functional OS which in my experience runs well. I think it is a bit hit and miss how well manufacturers code it. I know people have had issues with the TP but it seems like i've been a lucky one.
The battery is truely epic.
The ipad is a bit of a toy. You can't actually get a lot done with it. I know the argument with flash etc has been beaten to death, but it is actually quite nice being able to just get up live football matches on the go!!
problems:
Well there aren't many tablet apps out there, but I will say one thing - Apps scale so much better on android than they do on iOS. They don't look awful compared to blown up iphone apps on ipads.
Go on, rip me to shreds, but that's just my opinion
The keyboard is excellent. I now have a mini-computer with all the relevant ports, and I am not a slave to Asus expensive add-ons. I haven't come across anything that hasn't worked with the USB port. It is also very useful at University as I can whip it out and type, and it really isn't hard to carry about or anything
ICS on its own is excellent. It is a really functional OS which in my experience runs well. I think it is a bit hit and miss how well manufacturers code it. I know people have had issues with the TP but it seems like i've been a lucky one.
The battery is truely epic.
The ipad is a bit of a toy. You can't actually get a lot done with it. I know the argument with flash etc has been beaten to death, but it is actually quite nice being able to just get up live football matches on the go!!
problems:
Well there aren't many tablet apps out there, but I will say one thing - Apps scale so much better on android than they do on iOS. They don't look awful compared to blown up iphone apps on ipads.
Go on, rip me to shreds, but that's just my opinion
The iPad is a bit of a toy, but the Transformer is great because you can watch footie on it. Brilliant.
This. Write it off as a buzz word all you want, but so long as this exists developers will be discouraged from taking the platform seriously. Developers decide what devices win in this portable market.
Hey there, thanks for replying. It's always good to have a debate about where the industry is going. So I'll reply to a few of your statements.
1. NTFS is more advanced than HFS but about the same advancement as HFS+ which is currently on OSX as well as iOS devices. HFS+ is still pretty archaic compared to ZFS which now belongs to Oracle (damn you DB freaks!). if ZFS ever graces Apple products, we'll be seeing the ability to do a lot more with files and objects. HFS+ however has the ability in OSX to not require defragmentation which is more user-friendly to consumers.
2. The Metro interface kinda sucks for desktop and laptop users compared to tablet users. There's a LOT of history here because I used to even use MS's Onenote software as well as their XP Tablet Edition which was ok but generally based on the old Windows systems which are still existent in Windows 7 and Windows 8. I understand that it's basically an Alt-Tab hell for Windows 8 users since it's about a bunch of different interfaces all trying to fight each other. It's the equivalent of Apple's OSX Lion's Full Screen Apps which allows you to only use 1 program at a time. OSX solves this with multitouch on their hardware. Windows on the other hand needs to have OEMs to support this using hardware. While this causes front-end issues for users immediately, it will force OEMs using Windows 8 to really improve their hardware to support multi-touch. The base of the system is still really susceptible to multiple forms of viruses, malware, and spyware. That part of the system is something that no consumer/user should really have to deal with. Apple's iOS and OSX are idiot-proof. I have always felt it better to try and build in defenses so they are unnoticeable to users. Overall, while Windows 8 is useable however, it's top-heavy and users will notice lag and battery life issues.
3. Windows software from previous systems can still be used in Windows 8 under the desktop mode. Launching happens from the Start (page?) now but everything functions about the same. Metro apps have added another type of application which is easy to program for but ultimately on the lighter side so it doesn't bog down the processor as much. It's still the king of compatibility but at the price of power consumption and performance.
4. I totally agree with you on Windows Phone 7. Little to no market share and EXTREMELY late to the party. I was a Windows CE/Windows Mobile user before and I traversed to iOS. Android was and is a tinkering session for me and due to development of custom ROM packages. Fun for a techie but not so great for a consumer that expect out-of-the-box performance. Windows Phone 7 should have been scrapped a year after they started development even though it led to Metro UI.
5. Windows 8 is a good upgrade for Windows 7 users despite the negatives of the Metro UI. When you purchase a new machine with a multitouch screen, it will make even more sense. Most likely, HP will become a really big part of this movement since they already do a lot to make Windows more palatable for consumers. Does Windows 8 threaten the Android tablet space? I would definitely say that it will take away some marketshare even though it's still clunky. It's just that so many people use Windows so they'll stick with Windows through the next iteration. Will it cannibalize iOS sales? Probably not since it will be compatible with iOS via iTunes.
Looking forward to more debate. These are just my opinions but I think I make valid arguments for iOS vs Android and vs Windows 8.
i had an iPad1, decided against the iPad2 and got the transformer prime with ICS, now have a iPad3
i have to say that the apple store has googles' beat hands down, and with apple everything just works! (well most of the time unless your IT dept are total apple haters)
i agree that "fragmentation" does keep android down but i compare it to iOS users who don't upgrade and complain that this or that doesn't work, the difference is that it is the manufactures who are not upgrading their products, possibly due to feared loss of future sales, and who are causing all the issues in the androidverse
each product has its niche and if android/google ever got it together they would be a force to be reckoned with saleswise...apple products just work well together
now i gotta go play with my new New Ipad...
i have to say that the apple store has googles' beat hands down, and with apple everything just works! (well most of the time unless your IT dept are total apple haters)
i agree that "fragmentation" does keep android down but i compare it to iOS users who don't upgrade and complain that this or that doesn't work, the difference is that it is the manufactures who are not upgrading their products, possibly due to feared loss of future sales, and who are causing all the issues in the androidverse
each product has its niche and if android/google ever got it together they would be a force to be reckoned with saleswise...apple products just work well together
now i gotta go play with my new New Ipad...
Oh, no. Lion Full Screen apps are nothing like Metro apps at all. Lion apps running full screen still look and act like OS X apps, and what's more, go back to being a regular windowed app with a single keyboard command or mouse click. Metro apps look and feel totally different from regular Windows apps, and there's no way to switch them back to a regular Windows mode. To make things even more confusing, currently Microsoft has both Metro and Windows versions od the same app -- Internet Explorer comes in both Metro and Windows flavors, and there's a Metro Settings app and a Desktop Control Panel. Infruiating enough, some settings can only be accessed through the Desktop Control Panel, and some only through the Metro Settings app, and the user is left to guess which is which.
I am not upgrading to Windows 8 unless I can disable Metro, and that will be the first thing I do when I install Win8.
Apple just does it better. But its a matter of taste. ICS maybe a good step in the right direction but when its skinned by Samsung (touch wiz) you lose functionality and appeal of ICS.
Not to mention I used ICS on the Prime and was not as impressed using it compared to the reviews I saw. It still runs "clunky". But Androids most popular tablet is a kindle fire which is a horrible experience compared to the iPad. Android runs the risk of being the new Linux which means people just use the base to make what they want.
Not to mention I used ICS on the Prime and was not as impressed using it compared to the reviews I saw. It still runs "clunky". But Androids most popular tablet is a kindle fire which is a horrible experience compared to the iPad. Android runs the risk of being the new Linux which means people just use the base to make what they want.
1. Market share for Android tablets is 45%. Hardly a failure. With this progress Android tablets will overtake iPad in a year or two.
2. Android on tablets has more features than iOS (despite what you said). It even has a file system (and iOS does not - a major failure).
3. Do you really want to replace your laptop/desktop with 9" screen? Why? I love my 27" monitor. iPad is good for Tetris though.
Don't worry about Android on tablets. It'll do just fine.
2. Android on tablets has more features than iOS (despite what you said). It even has a file system (and iOS does not - a major failure).
3. Do you really want to replace your laptop/desktop with 9" screen? Why? I love my 27" monitor. iPad is good for Tetris though.
Don't worry about Android on tablets. It'll do just fine.
If, and I know it is a very big if,
If android had as many apps as the ipad, it would be an absolute no-brainer.
ignore the apps, and concentrate on the OS itself, then ICS is far far superior.
you could actually use ICS as a basic replacement to windows. You can't say the same for iOS, it is just an app launcher
If android had as many apps as the ipad, it would be an absolute no-brainer.
ignore the apps, and concentrate on the OS itself, then ICS is far far superior.
you could actually use ICS as a basic replacement to windows. You can't say the same for iOS, it is just an app launcher
What can you get done on a Android tab that you can't on the iPad. I'm totally not bias, I have an adroid phone windows 7 PC. But on the tablet front the IPad is so much better. You buy a tablet for Web browsing, email, and streaming, maybe apps, and the iPad does all those way better. I do miss flash, but its a small price, especially when I think about the bricked tramsformer I'm using for a coaster.
well like windows...
1) you can multi-task
2) you can install any app you like from any source
3) you can mess about with the OS in any fashion you like
4) you have useful ports!!! (you can use a mouse for parts of the internet designed for use with a mouse, like some flash stuff)
5)the prime looks better
1) you can multi-task
2) you can install any app you like from any source
3) you can mess about with the OS in any fashion you like
4) you have useful ports!!! (you can use a mouse for parts of the internet designed for use with a mouse, like some flash stuff)
5)the prime looks better
I think you're jumping to conclusions that tablets will become people's primary computers. Unless its in the form of a hybrid with a keyboard I don't see the tablets taking anything from PCs.
I mean outside of touch screen (which has its own benefits/deficiencies), what can tablets do that a computer that most already own can't?
I've got two tablets and I love them but when it comes to typing or multi-tasking the PC/Mac are still light years ahead, especially when you have mastered keyboard shortcuts or have a mouse with extra buttons.
Typing is the pits on tablets, I'm unlikely to get it right the first time and when I get flying I tend to get inaccurate and hit the wrong keys, this happens both on my Xoom and Kindle Fire. It can be quite frustrating at times.
....
As a android tablet owner (Fire and Xoom), I find the following the most lacking with the tablets:
- Apps are designed to run on smart phones and when you install it on a tablet its simply ballooned to fit the screen, whereas Apple has established a nice market for tablet apps that is DESIGNED to fit the screen.
- Terminating apps is cumbersome and annoying without 3rd party software because you have to go through a few screens just to get to the list of running software whereas its a double-tap and hold the home button with iOS.
- Apple was right on the dot when they said Android has a fragmentation problem, it is a nightmare to have so many android versions on the market, Google really needs to unify the operating system and allow only ONE version of the Android OS instead of allowing manufacturers to pick what version they want and modify how they want.
- The release schedule is ridiculous (at least with the phones), I mean there is literally a new android phone every month, at least with Apple you can be top dawg for a year.
The android tablets aren't horrible by any means, I enjoy mine but it definitely isn't perfect.
As far as the market share goes, Android has got their market share through (probably) 50+ phones that have the OS installed, whereas Apple has got their market share through a maximum of 3 items, iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad so really I'm not so sure its fair to compare the two.
I mean outside of touch screen (which has its own benefits/deficiencies), what can tablets do that a computer that most already own can't?
I've got two tablets and I love them but when it comes to typing or multi-tasking the PC/Mac are still light years ahead, especially when you have mastered keyboard shortcuts or have a mouse with extra buttons.
Typing is the pits on tablets, I'm unlikely to get it right the first time and when I get flying I tend to get inaccurate and hit the wrong keys, this happens both on my Xoom and Kindle Fire. It can be quite frustrating at times.
....
As a android tablet owner (Fire and Xoom), I find the following the most lacking with the tablets:
- Apps are designed to run on smart phones and when you install it on a tablet its simply ballooned to fit the screen, whereas Apple has established a nice market for tablet apps that is DESIGNED to fit the screen.
- Terminating apps is cumbersome and annoying without 3rd party software because you have to go through a few screens just to get to the list of running software whereas its a double-tap and hold the home button with iOS.
- Apple was right on the dot when they said Android has a fragmentation problem, it is a nightmare to have so many android versions on the market, Google really needs to unify the operating system and allow only ONE version of the Android OS instead of allowing manufacturers to pick what version they want and modify how they want.
- The release schedule is ridiculous (at least with the phones), I mean there is literally a new android phone every month, at least with Apple you can be top dawg for a year.
The android tablets aren't horrible by any means, I enjoy mine but it definitely isn't perfect.
As far as the market share goes, Android has got their market share through (probably) 50+ phones that have the OS installed, whereas Apple has got their market share through a maximum of 3 items, iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad so really I'm not so sure its fair to compare the two.
Agree, it reminds me of OS/2.
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Does Android have a music making app comparable to GarageBand? Does it have iElectribe, ReBirth, iMS-20, AniMoog, or Sketchbook Pro or anything closely comparable? No? Guess I'll have to stick with my iPad then.
no it doesn't, but if you want to use it for something actually useful, it does a lot of things well.
You get the full internet (not the watered-down kind of internet you lot get)
With Asus you can get a proper keyboard
You can use a mouse with it
you can multi-task
oh...and most tablets play almost any video without hours and hours and hours of converting, or having some horrible 3rd party player playing it
You get the full internet (not the watered-down kind of internet you lot get)
With Asus you can get a proper keyboard
You can use a mouse with it
you can multi-task
oh...and most tablets play almost any video without hours and hours and hours of converting, or having some horrible 3rd party player playing it
with all due respect, if you want to make music, you use instruments.
I don't think many modern bands have composed their albums using garageband. It's just a bit of fun.
is he for real
I don't think many modern bands have composed their albums using garageband. It's just a bit of fun.
is he for real1.) You can multi-task with iOS...maybe a bit differently, but I think it's a matter of taste myself...
2 and 3.) Can you? Without rooting the thing? If not...then how's that any different than a JB iPad?
4.) Useful ports but few good specific products and apps to support them IMHO. There is zero question that the iOS third party accessory market absolutely dwarfs all others...
5.) Once again...a matter of taste. And it might look better to some...until you turn that screen on side by side.
My tablet has a USB port on it, which so far has had no problems with any device. I can just plug in an external harddrive and away I go. Same with any mouse (wired/wireless) or even a printer.
it all works
And no, the ipad does not multitask. you can't leave youtube on in the background, for example.
Jailbreaking is just a black market of mostly illegally cracked apps. With android, you can just sideload anything on from anywhere
it all works
And no, the ipad does not multitask. you can't leave youtube on in the background, for example.
Jailbreaking is just a black market of mostly illegally cracked apps. With android, you can just sideload anything on from anywhere
Full Internet? please...I've been using iOS since the original iPhone and I haven't missed anything yet.
Tell me...how much is that "real" keyboard accessory? I can grab the small Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and the Incase Origami Workstation for under a bill and have a "real" keyboard too.
Darn...you got me on the mouse. Drats. Note to self - "Why'd I buy a touchscreen again?"
iOS does multitask...just maybe not like you want it to...but for me and many others...it does just fine.
By the way, and I've always wondered this because I never go to Droid sites to pimp my personal electronics selections and diss others, but do folks go onto Droid forums and do this kinda crap in the other direction? I'm just wondering...
All of this reminds me of the Windows vs. OS X wars from back in the PowerPC days. All the same sorts of arguments were made then too...sure seems to have killed Apple. All that interface and hardware stubbornness of theirs...
It's pretty simple...if you don't like their products because of reasons X, Y, or Z...then don't buy it. But don't expect Apple to be crying in their Billions because you didn't...they look at it like you weren't really their customer anyway.
uhm, you totally can.
also, you know you can pair any bluetooth keyboard with the iPad.
someone REALLY knows his iOS here and isn't just blindly trolling ...
Boy...really digging for pretty much anything there on the youtube bit... I can't imagine that swaying any large number of typical users...but anyway...
Jailbreaking is most certainly NOT just a black market of illegally cracked apps any more than all the rooting activity for Droid is. I don't JB for cracked apps...I JB for the same reasons peeps do on 'Droid... To circumvent crappy, inane, or overburdensome controls placed by the HW manufacturer or in some cases the carrier. I JB to gain access to the internals of the device and the "real file system" that is only obscured from the user by iOS. If you think JB'ing is only about cracked apps...then you're the one who has cracked.