• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

My Quest for "The" Tablet

The Xoom isn't being praised because it shipped half baked. Just a quick list of stuff that's wrong with it that comes immediately to mind:

1. Weird position for the power button. Seriously, WTF was Motorola thinking?
2. Shipped with a non-working SD card slot. Again, WTF? I know they've since updated it to fix that, but seriously why ship it that way to begin with?
3. Very few tablet optimized apps. Yes, I know regular apps will (usually) scale, but not always.
4. Apps not designed for HC don't always work.
5. Price is insane. Just saying. $500? No thanks. If you're going to compete with the iPad, you've got to beat it in price, not match it.

Meanwhile, the iPad has a user interface that a brain dead monkey could use, tons of apps written for it and it's just a smoother overall interface. It's the tablet to beat and for good reason. This isn't really surprising since it's a second gen product and all the Android tablets are basically first gen devices. Give it a year or so and we'll see where everything is. At the moment, the iPad 2 is the best tablet for most people.

That's just 4 reasons that jump to the top of my head.
 
Why would the average consumer want to buy something halfbaked instead of something that's already developed and stable?
 
If you want to be a non-conformist, you have to look like us, think like us, and listen to the same music we do. :rolleyes:
 
Salt Slasher said:
Well politics aside, if the worst thing to happen is getting an iPad 1 64gb or iPad 2 16gb, then I would still be in pretty good shape.

The apps would be the biggest lose, but then again I am getting a mac book pro for school in August with leftover Grant money, and the mac app store would cut it, especially since garageband and imovie would be full programs and not just apps.

I really think that Archos is going to bring the big guns out and put apple up for its money. The archos 101 was a really nice tablet besides for the screen and the lack of prowess of android 2.2. If I could get a suped up archos dual core 1.6GHz with a 1gb ddr2, and honeycomb, I would be a happy man especially if they put a kickstand on it :)

I like the xoom, but no flash is very upsetting and now that i am researching these bugs it is depressing cause motorola could of waited a couple more months and not worry about the ipad 2 release, then they might of released a really cool tablet. But hey, if it were able to do everything it should and have thousands of honeycomb apps for 10.1" screens then it would be in business!
Click to expand...

I'm not Android Fanboy but I do love Android but Honeycomb is the trial version of the Android tablet OS. Just like with the smartphones, the G1 didn't take down the Iphone, Winmo or blackberry phones but it was a good start to Android. Android didn't become a competitor until Eclair,IMO. So, it'll take a couple of more OS tweaks for it to compete with the Ipad.
 
A.Nonymous said:
The Xoom isn't being praised because it shipped half baked. Just a quick list of stuff that's wrong with it that comes immediately to mind:

1. Weird position for the power button. Seriously, WTF was Motorola thinking?
2. Shipped with a non-working SD card slot. Again, WTF? I know they've since updated it to fix that, but seriously why ship it that way to begin with?
3. Very few tablet optimized apps. Yes, I know regular apps will (usually) scale, but not always.
4. Apps not designed for HC don't always work.
5. Price is insane. Just saying. $500? No thanks. If you're going to compete with the iPad, you've got to beat it in price, not match it.

Meanwhile, the iPad has a user interface that a brain dead monkey could use, tons of apps written for it and it's just a smoother overall interface. It's the tablet to beat and for good reason. This isn't really surprising since it's a second gen product and all the Android tablets are basically first gen devices. Give it a year or so and we'll see where everything is. At the moment, the iPad 2 is the best tablet for most people.

That's just 4 reasons that jump to the top of my head.
Click to expand...

And when the final Jailbreak for the iPad 2 arrives, the iPad's GUI can be highly modified and you will be able to do many things Apple currently does not "allow."

The OP seems to hate Apple and love XOOM for no good reason.

I take issue with the power button placement. Not sure it really matters much in the real world. But that is just me.

As for applications, I'll say it again: right now, there are iPad apps that are simply flat out gorgeous to look at and that is something the Android developers need to work on. They will likely get there, I'm sure.
 
Salt Slasher said:
Anyways, I got my Xoom, and I can't wait to see Android on top. I have started my quest to develop the best apps for android in hopes that we can take down Steve "the hand" Jobs and his conformist army. For the record I dont like the ipad 2, the ipad was great and was worthy of the hype.
Click to expand...

So what apps are you developing? Apparently you hate Apple for reasons that are quite unreasonable, yet you love Android for reasons that are quite silly and not important or perhaps a tad unfair.

Your comments about "Hand jobs" clearly makes you a member of the Unreasonable Apple Hater Society.

So let me, a daily user of my iPad, a user that actually needs the iPad for actual business and making actual money to pay for my amusing sins and my excess lifestyle, tell you that there is nothing on the Android side that comes close to the iPad; because I Jailbreak, many of the reasons so many iPad haters hate iPads go away.

Android will arrive in a mature form and I certainly expect to see some amazing tablets running their OS. But . . . when we say that, we seem to overlook the Apple factor. Just because Android tablets will arrive that are past amazing, we can expect Apple to do the same and perhaps one day, we will see an iPad that keeps it number one for decades to come.

The XOOM is nice but it is not there yet. Specs are nice to consider but to hell with specifications because what I need are good apps. And that is exactly what I get from Apple.

If you want to get the rulers out and start measuring, try listing some specific reasons why the XOOM or other Android Tablets trump the iPad. To be Fair, it might be that for you, personally, the XOOM is better. But as far as I can tell, you love the XOOM only because you dislike Apple and the XOOM is the only tablet out there.

Chances are, you bought your XOOM because of their marketing. Yet you complain about Apple's marketing. I just saw a commercial for XOOM and it is a direct stab at Apple and iPad. They make a big deal out of Flash and its importance.

Sorry XOOM, but I have Flash if I need it.

My iPad is as customizable as all bloody hell and my iPad apps are simply wonderful. So far, there is nothing on the Android side that can dare to compete with Apple's offerings. I am sure that will change as Android matures.
 
Salt Slasher said:
I like the xoom, but no flash is very upsetting and now that i am researching these bugs it is depressing cause motorola could of waited a couple more months and not worry about the ipad 2 release, then they might of released a really cool tablet. But hey, if it were able to do everything it should and have thousands of honeycomb apps for 10.1" screens then it would be in business!
Click to expand...

Clarify please . . . do you really consider the lack of Flash on the iPad to be a bug? If Apple wanted it, it would have been included. Omission is not a bug, it is an omission.

BTW: I have Flash (Frash) on my iPad or through several cool iPad web browsers.
 
I don't really see any of the tablet options out there as being the clear winner for me - not the iPad, the Xoom, the Flyer, whatever. Some thoughts, as I am likewise look for "the" tablet.

Ultimately this really comes down to identifying functional needs that are best suited for a tablet. I have a laptop for work, which does things very well. I have a TV, I have a smart phone, I have a home desktop. If I already have something that takes care of 'X' function from a tablet, why bother repeating it?

Requirements-
  1. Practicality.
    On one hand, smooth and elegant visuals are nice. On the other hand, being able to "get things done" is essential, particularly as an engineer in a very fast paced environment. "Toy" apps like Garage Band or Photobooth don't really sell me.

    Personally I like a number of apps available from Google for Android phones. Maps Navigation is huge for me. Don't believe that's available on a Windows tablet? I would imagine that in general, the mobile app availability for Android and Apple are much better than Windows.
  2. Size & portability.
    I'm a bit more sold on the 7" tablets than 10". Seems that form factor is much more portable than a laptop, even fit in a coat pocket. If I'm at home and want to watch a movie - I'll watch it on my 42" TV. If I'm on the road, is watching something on 10" going to really be that much more enjoyable than 7"? Not sure. In any event, this leans me away from the iPad and the Xoom.
  3. Data input methods - probably the biggest thing for me!
    I do an immense amount of technical sketching, note taking, annotation, list writing, etc. Pen/stylus input is a must.

    I'm aware one can get some stylus options for things like the iPad, but for the most part they look like you're going to be writing with a worn down crayon - a big round nub at the end of a tube. I would like something that affords me fine precision.

    HTC Flyer seemed to be a slam dunk to that end, though the fact that so few apps are around to make use of its 'Scribe Technology' (N-Trig Digital Pencil, whatever) makes me hesitant. Doesn't even have handwriting recognition.
  4. Power and storage - how much do you really need?
    If I'm going to be doing something really computationally intensive... graphic design or engineering computing for example... or virtual multitrack music recording... I'm going to do it on my laptop or desktop. How much advantage is there for multicore processors on a tablet?

    Likewise with storage... how many gig do you really need? I like the 'cloud' computing notion. Just uploaded all my music to Music Beta so I have that anywhere. Google Documents, Evernote, don't think I need much from storage.
  5. Cross-platform friendliness.
    Home desktop is Windows 7. Work laptop is Windows 7. Being able to interface transparently with MS Office and Outlook would be big sellers for me.

With all of that, the HTC Flyer seems like a good match for me... though I do have my hesitations. Going to wait it out and see how things develop - particularly with app deployment and price point. $500-600 is a non trivial amount to spend, and if I'm going to drop it... product better deliver on the important things.
 
Salt Slasher said:
I have had both I pads and several android devices. I say this cause apple lacks inalot of departments. The I pad 2was just a I pad 1.5 to me. I returned it after a week. My xoom is so much more than the ipad, iam not locked out of websites by the hand, I can do things my way. I guess if I want to hack the I pad then maybe it might not suck as bad. But people call the I pad the best tablet, while out the box it takes hackimg or the purchasing of tons of appa to make up for steves dicratorship agenda. I haven't bought one app and I am able to do more than I could with an I pad hacked or not.

I was more steamed cuz I spent 670$ on an I pad 2, to bring it home and find myself unhappy with everything. So I don't want to sound iggnourant, but those were the only word a I an find to express how I felt.

Of course I know apple can do anything, but Steve insists that no one uses flash or any third parties. I call him the hand because he conforms u into his way of thinking and using. ITunes for everything and no third parties. Even developers have sticker guidelines, like when I am practicing using Java to make Droid apps I have about 7 programs to use all that are used at school, but apple won't let me use any of them.

The only reason people would use apple is cause there computer illeterate, brain washed by the hands masterful marketing, or you are to scared to try and learn something new like windows or android.
Then for the exceptions well that happens all the time, like Mr business man, musicians(like me), who want something apple has that they can't get anywhere else. As a musician apple logic w/garage and is prissless. While if I were a business man I would want something idiot proof for my workers. nd other things of that nature.

But don't tell me that people automatically liked ipad2 just cause ot was so awesome, I pads reign automatically gave it recognition and this shortage Is just another one of Steve's marketing campaigns, cause you want what you cant have, which is why I bought the ipad2, cuz I wanted something I couldn't have, and I assumed by I pads success and the word that it was something great but I was dissapointed to find the same old I pad that got facelift and a boob job.

Sent from my awesome xoom. Go read a book called 1984, and tell me what u think apples master plan is.
Click to expand...

Many iPad apps are free and many Android apps are free. Both platforms have paid for apps as well. Quite often, the stock apps "suck" and third party apps are better; the paid apps are sometimes worse than the free ones and vice versa. It is this way with tablets, Macs, and Windows machines. To be fair, the stock apps work quite well and you really do not need anything else. What is your point?

And yes, a JB helps considerably because it adds features aplenty. So perhaps part of the discussion should compare what a jail-broken device can/cannot do when compared to a stock device. Because one is great and the other, although workable, lacks some things only a handful of users care one whit about.

One thing is certain: millions of people love their iPad as it comes out of the box and it serves them well. Another thing is when the iPad 3 arrives, God only knows how amazing it will be.

I am not sure what apps you require to remove yourself from under the thumb of Job's dictatorship. I know for a fact that you XOOM owners will invest in applications that your XOOM does not provide stock. I also bet many XOOM owners will root their devices because out of the box the XOOM won't do some things the user wants. And as far as most Android users are concerned, they can only install applications from the Android market.

The major selling point for ALL Android/Apple devices is the availability of a market to find apps that make their devices useful.

I also know that you likely cannot avoid Google; as I recall, you must have a GMail account or you cannot activate your Android device. True or not, with the XOOM? Either way, we are all under one thumb or another.

I can eliminate Apple altogether. I can avoid iTunes and I can avoid the market. Steve Jobs made a pretty good case for not allowing Flash. Then again, if I need it, I can use "Frash" or a different web browser to view most (if not all) Flash content.

XOOMs current marketing campaign (TV) is based upon their having Flash and suggests the iPad is not as good because it lacks Flash, without mentioning the iPad. Without any doubt, they are relying on ignorance of typical users that are convinced that they need Flash. As I recall, there was a time when Android did not natively support Flash.

When you call us brain dead and illiterate, you suddenly loose credibility. And before you call us illiterate, you might consider proofreading your posts. Physician, heal thyself.

I do not consider myself a stupid and illiterate mutt. I went with the iPad because there was nothing else available. As I type this reply, there is still nothing as good on the market. But that is because I have different requirements and what I need is likely not what you need.

I avoided the iPad 2 because it added features I do not need and there was no JB available. Still not available. FYI: the iPad2 was given far more than just a mere face lift. And the XOOM is costly considering what one costs without signing up for a 3G service contract. I recall it was near $800.00 or so.

But I have 4G if I need it and no contract. Correct me if I am wrong, but you XOOM users are under the thumb of your carriers and us Apple iPad users were never required to sign a contract. I suggest you ask your girlfriend to look at your back; chances are, there is a big thumb-print, somewhere.

Now, to be fair, I will agree with a few often cited complaints. First, the idea that you can't install third party apps is a problem for me. But there is a good reason for it. As I recall, the first XOOM did not ship with Flash and so far, very few native Android tablet apps.

Secondly, I do not think Flash is required, but perhaps it should be made available to those that likely only think they need it. Third, I do not like the lack of theme support or the ability to change icons or Apple's insistence that widgets be removed from the market. Forth, I do not like that you cannot SSH if you do not JB your iDevice.

But, these are things Apple likely considered with great care and they took a chance that most users will like it Apple's way. Guess what? They were spot on. Apple's way isn't so bad, despite your view of Apple. Every manufacturer must make a decision as to what to include in their product and what to eliminate. It is not a matter of dictatorship. Apple had a vision, and that vision led to the creation of the iPad and that was likely largely responsible for creating the XOOM. You are welcome.

I guess Apple's market share, profits, and growth shows that to be a fairly correct assumption. I'll add this: if iOS were made available to others, in my view you would see many more tablet makers running the Apple OS and fewer Android tablets on the market. (more than 150 models from China alone and they would never exist if the OS were not free) Or you might see 30 different OS versions and huge market fragmentation.

My belief is Android is so popular because it is an Open source OS with no licencing fees as far as I can tell.

Be happy with your XOOM. Not telling you that you made a mistake. Just try to consider your comments before you make them and stop comparing Apple to 1984.

1984 came and went some 27 years ago and so far, we are still largely OK.

As a musician, please tell me what apps are native to Android/XOOM that look half as nice or one quarter as useful as many of the Apple music applications? One musician to another, good luck finding them.

Bob
 
Jersey Tom said:
I don't really see any of the tablet options out there as being the clear winner for me - not the iPad, the Xoom, the Flyer, whatever. Some thoughts, as I am likewise look for "the" tablet.

Ultimately this really comes down to identifying functional needs that are best suited for a tablet. I have a laptop for work, which does things very well. I have a TV, I have a smart phone, I have a home desktop. If I already have something that takes care of 'X' function from a tablet, why bother repeating it?

Requirements-
  1. Practicality.
    On one hand, smooth and elegant visuals are nice. On the other hand, being able to "get things done" is essential, particularly as an engineer in a very fast paced environment. "Toy" apps like Garage Band or Photobooth don't really sell me.

    Personally I like a number of apps available from Google for Android phones. Maps Navigation is huge for me. Don't believe that's available on a Windows tablet? I would imagine that in general, the mobile app availability for Android and Apple are much better than Windows.
  2. Size & portability.
    I'm a bit more sold on the 7" tablets than 10". Seems that form factor is much more portable than a laptop, even fit in a coat pocket. If I'm at home and want to watch a movie - I'll watch it on my 42" TV. If I'm on the road, is watching something on 10" going to really be that much more enjoyable than 7"? Not sure. In any event, this leans me away from the iPad and the Xoom.
  3. Data input methods - probably the biggest thing for me!
    I do an immense amount of technical sketching, note taking, annotation, list writing, etc. Pen/stylus input is a must.

    I'm aware one can get some stylus options for things like the iPad, but for the most part they look like you're going to be writing with a worn down crayon - a big round nub at the end of a tube. I would like something that affords me fine precision.

    HTC Flyer seemed to be a slam dunk to that end, though the fact that so few apps are around to make use of its 'Scribe Technology' (N-Trig Digital Pencil, whatever) makes me hesitant. Doesn't even have handwriting recognition.
  4. Power and storage - how much do you really need?
    If I'm going to be doing something really computationally intensive... graphic design or engineering computing for example... or virtual multitrack music recording... I'm going to do it on my laptop or desktop. How much advantage is there for multicore processors on a tablet?

    Likewise with storage... how many gig do you really need? I like the 'cloud' computing notion. Just uploaded all my music to Music Beta so I have that anywhere. Google Documents, Evernote, don't think I need much from storage.
  5. Cross-platform friendliness.
    Home desktop is Windows 7. Work laptop is Windows 7. Being able to interface transparently with MS Office and Outlook would be big sellers for me.

With all of that, the HTC Flyer seems like a good match for me... though I do have my hesitations. Going to wait it out and see how things develop - particularly with app deployment and price point. $500-600 is a non trivial amount to spend, and if I'm going to drop it... product better deliver on the important things.
Click to expand...

I think part of the problem is when reality meets our assumptions. We assume that our devices will do this or that, even though the device was not designed to do this or that. When it does not work in a way we think is logical, well, it sucks, period.

Case in point: I read Apple's web site before I bought an iPad. It talked about wireless printing and WiFi. It seemed reasonable to me that most users that need to print would be able to do so and my brand new WiFi printer would work. It wasn't until I read the forums and dug deeper into the iPad web site that I learned only a few printers supported wireless printing with the iPad and you needed a different app to print directly from Pages.

I am not sure how many WiFi enabled printers are available today, but only 12 or so will directly print from the iPad without a special application (ten bucks) from the market.

I assumed that you could save files anywhere you want. My resume, for example, in a 'resume' folder. Not possible. Or "Pages" would allow me to create new folders, or I could create Pages templates that are available from the Pages dialog. Not true; a typical Pages template has about 30 different files and multiple folders per template. Not at all as simple as it is with Word on my laptop.

I was guilty of making assumptions but they were reasonable ones in my mind. Like buying a car and discovering that the car does not come with an engine. We assume that when we purchase a new car, the engine is included and we would be pissed if it did not come with an engine.

The iPad changes things and stock iPads do not follow my ideas of how the OS should function. But in some cases, it is quite logical and it can be easily changed.

Bob
 
I would agree with that. Ultimately for the time being I'm trying to avoid the pitfall of buying a tablet and then thinking up the uses for it, rather than establishing clear needs and then identifying the solution that best meets them.

The needs vs wants vs delivers becomes a bit hazy with smart phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, smart TV's, etc.

Ultimately I may end up waiting toward the end of the year... see what happens as tablet technology matures in general.

Plus I have an extra level of difficulty in if I'd even be able to use a personal tablet at work, with confidential IP and all. But that's a whole separate story.
 
As this thread is three months old, nobody has mentioned the Nexus 7 on here. I'm thinking about getting one, mainly because it's nearly pure Google out of the box. But you can easily tell that it's an entry-point device, lacking in several basic features: near-HDD storage capacity, rear-facing camera (useful for my line of work which involves a lot of photography), and a fine-point stylus. Samsung has the latter covered with the Note, and most other tablets have two cameras. Many offer large flash storage capacities, which would be fine for me. A 128G internal storage capacity and a full-sized SDHC card slot would be perfect. Throw in a 13MP rear and 3MP front camera combination, and I'd order a dozen for work. Google really should consider selling a high-end tablet. They've already proven with the Nexus 7 that Android is completely viable in the tablet market, and with a budget price point a lot of people are already convinced. The Tablet, in my mind, would be an 8-inch unit with the features I mentioned, 100% free of third-party apps baked in, and pure Android with no overlays like Sense or TouchWiz or anything else. If I could get two and dock them together for a dual-screen laptop configuration, I'd be ecstatic.
 
TheMortallyWounded said:
As this thread is three months old, nobody has mentioned the Nexus 7 on here. I'm thinking about getting one, mainly because it's nearly pure Google out of the box. But you can easily tell that it's an entry-point device, lacking in several basic features: near-HDD storage capacity, rear-facing camera (useful for my line of work which involves a lot of photography), and a fine-point stylus. Samsung has the latter covered with the Note, and most other tablets have two cameras. Many offer large flash storage capacities, which would be fine for me. A 128G internal storage capacity and a full-sized SDHC card slot would be perfect. Throw in a 13MP rear and 3MP front camera combination, and I'd order a dozen for work. Google really should consider selling a high-end tablet. They've already proven with the Nexus 7 that Android is completely viable in the tablet market, and with a budget price point a lot of people are already convinced. The Tablet, in my mind, would be an 8-inch unit with the features I mentioned, 100% free of third-party apps baked in, and pure Android with no overlays like Sense or TouchWiz or anything else. If I could get two and dock them together for a dual-screen laptop configuration, I'd be ecstatic.
Click to expand...

I think the padfone would be ideal. Besides the 10" tablet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom