2011 was pretty awesome but now I have some questions for you.
Will Android tablets with displays at 1920x1080 be unuseable garbage with intolerable java-lag?
Will the next Nexus be a shitty Motorola tablet with locked bootloader?
Will Google keep Motorola Mobility alive?
Will anyone ship an ARM computer, tablet, handset with enough RAM?
Will my darling Samsung return to Wolfson Microelectronics for Exynos SmartTVs?
Will Apple improve iOS and OSX?
Will Nokia return to Linux?
Will Windows Phone /finally/ support flagship class hardware?
PS -The destruction of flash for ARM was pretty awesome. Lets torch more unstable insecure garbage.
Abstract: It’s awesome. I love it. I still rather have a Samsung Galaxy Note
I tend to have two handsets at all times. Currently I’m rocking the classic Samsung i9000 as a personal device but after upgrading to a new awesome job this fall I find myself with the iPhone4S… and it’s fantastic.
The display may not work as well in direct sunlight like my i9000 but I’m a geek working long hours and only go outside in the morning while walking to the gym. The 4S display is actually good for low light as the display can dim more than some other devices. It’s also handy for late Netflix in bed while my partner is sleeping.
So how about iOS5? Well. It’s mostly irrelevant. The improved notifications lifted from Android are welcome but I still occasionally see the old style “let me stop everything you’re doing for a while so I can flash some random garbage on the display” with some apps. I’m not clear why but I’m not offended by the retro stupidity.
Speaking of retro. iOS5 inconsistencies are well documented to there’s no reason to dwell on the ugly and idiotic textures placed randomly around the OS. However, I cannot help but think in the wake of ICS and Mango iOS5 just looks like a half assed knockoff of S60.
Additionally the rainbow vomit of many colors on the screen is something of a punch in the face. I would be perfectly happy to see a return to blue/silver and enjoy the blue tint in iOS. It’s cool, but not in that way.
And the battery life? I’m only concerned with getting through a day with Exchange and a few other applications running so charging a dual core arm computer after a long day is not surprising.
…………………………………..
And the price I want to pay….
1) Samsung Galaxy Note 600$ USD
2) Galaxy Tab 7.7 325$ USD w/o HSPA …. 350$ USD with HSPA
3) Nexus Prime 550$ USD
4) Galaxy S2/GT-i9100 500$ USD
5) MacBook Air with 8GB RAM 1200$ USD
6) Asus UX31 with 8GB RAM 1100$ USD
7) Nokia N9 250$ USD
………. However my budget will not allow for all of these so I’ll probably go with whatever hits my price point first and the rest will wait for the future, when I’m somehow rich.
A solution comes to me.
ATT builds a tower next door with 700Mhz LTE, AWS, 850 and 1900.
BOOM! Scrolls like butter.
Not a real post here just some brief notes.
There are almost zero apps designed for the higher resolution display. Exchange/email, ConnectBot and AndChat look good but the majority of featured apps in the Tablet section of the market are nothing more than minor tweaks. Some featured apps seem to have zero difference between the 2.x and 3.x targets. No skype video? No Netflix? Jorte cannot install! The plex app is limited. Is this a joke?
Not impressed Google. Google Music, Plus and nearly every other GOOG app other than Gmail look lame on Honeycomb.
I see nothing special about resizable widgets and I’m not even using them currently.
All those negatives aside I love the hardware. I cant wait to try the miniHDMI out. I’ve ordered an adapter and 32GB microSDHC. The device is mostly used because the windows notebook from my employer is lame. As a secondary mobile device for the office it’s a welcome addition.
My home the beautiful, greedy and bankrupt state of California may force retailers out of state to collect taxes on online purchases.
I’m not interested in giving away any more of my cash so I’m considering the minimum requirements for an upgrade to an Android tablet if ICS and the next Nexus are postponed until after the new rules go into effect.
Ideally a 10inch screen will support resolutions near 1920x1080 but I can survive with a 7 or 9 inch display with 1280x800 pixels.
However the following are mandatory.
Dual core CPU
1GB RAM
USB port
HDMI or similar port. No MHL
QUAD band HSPA
Unlocked bootloader
Simple right?
I believe Huawei will release such a device this fall but I’d prefer a Taiwanese or South Korean manufacturer.
Now get to work you lazy bastards.
PS - Typed on my SGS
LG has “Smart TV upgrader” on the market for as little as 60$ in the US and here’s why you should pass.
The YouTube app does not allow login so no way to monitor your subscriptions. Same issue plagues the BD390 to this day.
Scrolling with the Magic Motion Remote does not work at all and the calibration is off by 30 degrees.
No Skype. For 700$ I expect something more.
Boot time is nice and short but App launches take far to long.
The PLEX integration is a fanatic idea but the UI is awkward and messy. Example: I want a Revison3 widget on my home screen rather than 5 clicks away.
The browser is not currently usable. Period.
The Android App only half works with my HTC on Android 2.3.4
Google TV will mature in the next year and happily support gaming before it’s time to refresh your current TV.
Monday I had a bit of hands-on with the Asus EEE Pad. Beautiful. I spent time running my hands over the back and sides. I want it but then I try to use Honeycomb. What are all those software buttons for? What happened to notifications? How do I get to device info? Can I hand this to my darling? Would she enjoy the experience?
No.
Can she pickup an iPad and understand the UI in moments?
Yes.
Honeycomb is a stopgap. In theory developers can get ready for ICS now but with a Nexus device looming for the big launch why would I commit now? There is nothing compelling about this experience.
Back to the hardware. I like NVIDIA and hope Tegra is a massive succes. However. MicroUSB? 3G dongle? MicroHDMI? If you’re going to sell me a pocket sized “computer experience” at least finish the thought.
And the code? I guess the great and massive GOOG cant quite get it up?
Anyway. I figure when the code is out the CyanogenMod folks will create something amazing… again.
To that end I just bought an extended battery for my HTC G2/Desire Z which I intended to use as a “laptop” until something really amazing drops. I’m perfectly happy with a GT-i9000 on MediaNet and the HTC for “work” at the office.
You’ve failed to take my money and I’m sincerely disappointed. Lets talk again next year.
All of these versions in 7 months and I’m excluding a pile Voodoo updates and modems. Good times!
XWJFB / 2.1
XWJM2
XXJPO / 2.2
XXJPY / 2.2.1 / The first great build
XWJS5
XWJS7
XWJS8
XXJVK / 2.3.3 / Took a few days for me to work out all the bugs and might take months to get a great custom kernel again.
And now I’m using IOS 4.3.1 I see how quickly an awesome platform stagnates.
