the tablet war is heating up

[Banshee16]

One of the biggest issues with the Android OS (Linux) is that is not the same from unit to unit. Different makers of phones and tablets are using different parts of the OS or even changing the code. Add to that, mix-match of parts.

Apple is a closed system, no one but apple changes it.

History repeats itself, Windows vs Mac; where windows is blamed for issues with PC makers hardware. Now it is Android vs Apple OS and the Android OS is getting blamed for tablet's hardware configuration.

You say that like it's a bad thing. It's a matter of choice. Apple, as a company, make choices about how their devices work, how their OS works etc. Because it's a closed system, if you don't find their choices convenient, you have to go elsewhere.

Simple things like....Flash. On a PC, if you want Flash, it's your choice. Yes, it can slow things down....but as the consumer, it's your choice to do so. Apple says "we believe in X, you as the consumer don't need X, hence we won't allow you to use X".

If someone's ok with those limitations, fine. Personally, I hope Google kicks Apple's butt . I'm in favour of choice rather than artificial limitations.

Banshee

 

[Relique du Madde]

I read yesterday that there are less then 100 android apps optimized for tablets.
Can the people here who have the Galaxy tabs and the Xooms verifiy this?
Also have you used your android tablets in a game yet?

It's really hard to say since the android market doesn't have a Honeycomb section that holds every tablet app (a major drawback with the current version of the store). However, the store does have a section that contains 50 featured tablet apps, which might be why people say that there are "only 100" Honeycomb apps.

I should mentioned that Honeycomb optimization is a tricky benchmark issue. This is because there are so many ways one can optimized an app for Honeycomb that it can make your head spin. First off, there's fragments which allow an app to use two activities* within the same app at once (multitaxing ftw!), but require some programming and layout work to get right. Then there is the poor-man's version of doing optimization which is making a new layout that takes advantage of the added screen real estate.

Since I only do PBP I actually have actually tried using my Xoom it in a game per say. Since I didn't want to flip back and forth between two browser windows/tabs (the post and the rogues gallery), and a word doc, 2 books/pdfs (for reference) I placed the word doc on my Xoom used half of my laptop's screen for the rogues gallery, half for the post, then pulled out my books to do quick rule checks (I could have used two pdf versions).

I've also used my Xoom to do some type up a npc's character sheet when I was away from my laptop.


* Some Programming jargon. An android activity is an app component that provides a screen (view) which the user can interact with. The most basic form of an activity is a typical screen that saids "hello world". A fragment is like an activity on steroids. They allow you to attach multiple activities to one screen. One way I have seen this used was to provide a windows styled file manager.

 

[Zaukrie]

As Teach knows, I have a Nook Color. It is quite nice as an e-reader and for a few other things. For browsing, it can be a tad small with my fat fingers, but it is much better now that you can zoom more.

I look forward to the next Nook update. I think if it really supports flash, much of my "need" for a bigger device goes away.

But, bigger is better for pdf and general surfing and typing.

 

[falcarrion]

As Teach knows, I have a Nook Color. It is quite nice as an e-reader and for a few other things. For browsing, it can be a tad small with my fat fingers, but it is much better now that you can zoom more.

I look forward to the next Nook update. I think if it really supports flash, much of my "need" for a bigger device goes away.

But, bigger is better for pdf and general surfing and typing.

Have you tried a pdf of a character sheet on it?

What kind of things are you able to do with it besides read books?

I haven't checked out a Nook and am just curious.

 

[Hand of Evil]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

It has it pros and cons - ran into one this week; we changed over Outlook to 2010 this last weekend, this changed the settings on all ActiveSync devices (Apple OS and Droid OS). HTC Droid phones do not support all the freatures and as such stopped recieving email, Droid X's did not sync contacts, Galaxy's just recieved emails, no calendar or contacts. Everyone but HTC had a download to fix the issues but walking users through it! Freaking nightmare.

 

[Banshee16]

It has it pros and cons - ran into one this week; we changed over Outlook to 2010 this last weekend, this changed the settings on all ActiveSync devices (Apple OS and Droid OS). HTC Droid phones do not support all the freatures and as such stopped recieving email, Droid X's did not sync contacts, Galaxy's just recieved emails, no calendar or contacts. Everyone but HTC had a download to fix the issues but walking users through it! Freaking nightmare.

Oh, it can be a pain.....but closed systems can be as well.

Pick your poison, I guess. Nobody's built the perfect system yet...neither Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.

Banshee

 

[Relique du Madde]

For everyone who complains about the fragmentation of android, Google has announced that they will be locking down an android licensing and will be adding in some device and software base requirements.

 

[Fast Learner]

You'll get a perfectly good Android phone or tablet at a much lower cost

This hasn't proven true so far in the tablet world.

There'll also be a separate Android range at the Apple price level, with better components. Most of these things even come off the same production line, before being cased and badged.

Really? I don't see this at all. Apple has worked exceedingly hard to ensure that they have a lock on essential components.

 

[Hand of Evil]

For everyone who complains about the fragmentation of android, Google has announced that they will be locking down an android licensing and will be adding in some device and software base requirements.

which makes it sound as if they are going to be getting in on the app market.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I don't view the tablets as getting quite there yet. If they're going to become anything significant and not be something extra you don't need, they need to get better processors and more power.

Honeycomb looks good, but I know it's not "complete" yet as Google admitted they rushed it out. Still the future is Android.