Interesting to see where google is going here. I don't know if it is just me or it really looks and borrows a lot from Windows. Fact is after so many releases there are things in windows (since probably 95) that just do not need to be changed or completely redesigned. They are optimized, yes, but nothing new really. I think this one will rock Apple's world and be a gamechanger in the tablet world. If only battery can go for > 24h somehow things are getting better in the tablet world. BTW after Tegra2 will there be support for the other SOCs and when?
I doubt Google+* could beat Apple for battery life. Apple is fighting this problem on two fronts:
Programming in iOS has a base design-philosophy of conserving power. There's no garbage collection in iOS, and almost all actions are event-driven. Plus, Apple is still researching in how to extend lithium-ion battery lifetime through different charging methods.
This is a strong contrast to Google, who is relying on other companies to fix the analog-portion, and the Android-platform, where performance is desired over efficiency (say, moving garbage collection to the second core).
I have to wonder who will win. The people trying to go for the laptop-holy-grail of interfacing with technology, or the people who disregard that.
So you are saying Apple has figured out an efficient way of using object-oriented design and development without using garbage collection. In other words, developers have to marshal their own resources. Must be a nightmare to program in objective-c.
I'm not sure what you mean and I'm not saying its bad by itself. PS3 programming is a nightmare because devs have to perform their own CPU scheduling. It seems Apple wants people to spend resources marshalling their own resources. Having to do that makes teams less productive. Thankfully Apple came to their senses and allowed binary compatibility.
I have an iPhone 3GS and my wife has an Android 2.2 (Froyo) based LG Optimus V. Both phones have the same basic specs with a 600 MHz cpu. I just bought here phone a few weeks ago, and mine is about 1.5 years old. I have to say I was surprised at how "choppy" her phone feels. The all-around UI is not nearly as smooth as my old iPhone, and even games like angry birds stutter a little bit. The battery life is also not nearly as good. Her phone is supposed to get an update to Gingerbread 2.3 in a few months, and I hope that makes things smoother.
My initial impression is that Android needs better hardware to achieve the same smoothness as iOS. It also uses more battery power, even while not being nearly as smooth in the UI. I appreciate the freedom you get with Android, but I still think it needs more improvement.
True, Apple set the bar. But I think you are underestimating google a bit here. Look at their development curve and look at apple's(considering their tablet/phone upgrade strategy exceeds other products). Apple started where no one could come even close, now we are talking of some programming advantages. Mostly coming from the tighter structure of their platform.
Multicore cpu+ efficient usage can compensate for sheer computing volume... no? Besides we are talking about at least 4 Socs and different optimizations from companies like samsung, nvidia and LG, not powercolor or club3d. I am not so confident apple can best the whole group.
Interesting. Is it possible that there is something wrong with your wife's device? My girlfriend has an iPhone 3GS and an iPhone 4. I will say that Apple does seem to go out of their way to make the general UI transition effects and such look nice. This is something I couldn't care less about, but it is aesthetically pleasing. The iPhone 4 is no exception.
However, as far as overall performance my Galaxy S device with an EXT4 file system conversion feels much faster and has better battery life than a 3GS by far...even with a faster CPU and the same size battery. Granted, the CPU is faster than that of the Optimus V, but it's roughly the same as that of the iPhone 4, and side-by-side the Galaxy S "feels" just as fast. In fact, in games the Galaxy S is performing better than the iPhone 4 for the most part, although this can vary depending on how well optimized the software is for the particular set of hardware.
From what I've been seeing, Gingerbread has some rather large improvements in overall UI "smoothness" as well. I think I disagree with your assessment that Android requires better hardware to achieve the same results, though. My device "feels" just as snappy as my GF's iPhone 4, benchmarks just as well, and is running 5 screens worth of widgets in the background while iOS's core UI is just an app drawer and notifications. Is it possible that your wife's Optimus is bogged-down by a lot of bloatware?
iOS has GPU accelerated UI. Android does everything on CPU. That's why the interface and transitions feel smoother on iPhone, yet when it comes to actual performance tests - it doesn't impress. Only some Android phones have dedicated GPUs, so while creating new UI engine, the developers would still have to keep and improve the old one for the less fortunate phones. Which kind of ticks me off. My Motorola Droid is capable of producing much smoother transitions that don't affect battery life so much, if given the proper software (because it has a very good GPU). Yet I see better transitions on cheap new phones with faster CPUs but worthless or non-existing GPUs, only due to how Andoid developers' prioritize feature implementation :(
Glad somebody pointed this out because all the fanboys are blinded by hardware performance but fails to see such balant design flaw due to their hardware fragmentation problem.
Fast CPU means jack, GPU acceleration is where the UI speed will be felt.
Actually you are the fanboy here. For one thing there is no "fragmentation", that is how computers are on all platforms - even apple. Secondly its not a design flaw, its how programmers have chosen to do it - if people don't like what the programmers do they should complain to them.
You're likely wrong objectively, but since you've chosen to subjectify "fragmentation", I doubt any argument would make sense to you.
Try setting up a Hackintosh, and it'll become evident just how much PC-vendors vary from BIOS-implementations on the same chipset, not to mention actual hardware variations.
This is purely Android's fault though. Even OS X has Quartz (graphical) acceleration based purely on the CPU, that just seamlessly maps onto a more capable GPU.
Considering all the kernel work that should have gone into Android, I don't see why this hasn't been done. Unless Google has the philosophy that speed and application-freedom will win a market, instead of a steady and refined API. Given the rush to higher power components though, it's not far-fetched.
Again, GPU-accelerated UI effects come along with Android 2.3/2.4 (Gingerbread). Graphics hardware fragmentation is not an issue with a unified graphics driver model and properly-designed APIs for developers to use. Turn the rage knob counter-clockwise and turn the maturity knob clockwise, guy, there's no reason to start running around calling people fanboys. This is just a discussion, not a soap box for platform evangelism.
Um...yeah, I believe I mentioned Gingerbread bringing UI speed improvements to the table. It will be in the form of GPU-accelerated UI effects and an improved graphics driver model and API. If it's designed correctly developers will NOT need to accommodate both phones with dedicated GPUs and those without. The same API should degrade gracefully to support CPU-based graphics rendering.
"Price is another issue if Honeycomb tablets need to stay competitive in the market. While more expensive tablet price points are tempting, a major strength of Android has been its ability to hit lower price points. For Honeycomb to be successful we need to see tablets priced at an iPad-competitive $499 in addition to the more expensive options we've been hearing about"
I agree exactly. I would rather get a gingerbread tablet but if they are going to charge more than the IPAD, why would I risk "Trying" a different device when I know the IPAD runs great. I also think the 3G carriers need to be more flexible with the plans. There are alot of customers like myself that would like to enable the 3G one month here, and one month there (for vacations), but most carriers won't allow you to do that. Apparently, you can do that with the IPAD which is a huge plus (and it is relatively inexpensive).
Regarding the next Android version 'icecream' you mention "we can be reasonably sure that many of the under-the-hood enhancements like an updated Dalvik VM, support for multi-core SoCs, 2D/3D hardware acceleration ... should make the cut."
But doesn't Android 2.3 not have this stuff already? It must atleast have some kind of multi-core support... whats the difference between support in 2.3 and 3.0?
I'm sure 2.3 also FINALLY now has UI GPU acceleration. Which has been one of the biggest problems with Android - laggy scrolling / animations. I hope to see a super smooth UI when i get the Galaxy S2.
1. Gingerbread might be able to see and recognize multi-core processors, but that's where the story ends. The Dalvik VM in Honeycomb actually divides tasks between cores, which Gingerbread doesn't support.
2. Gingerbread's UI only had partial hardware acceleration. That is, not all parts of the OS were being hardware accelerated.
"Gingerbread might be able to see and recognize multi-core processors, but that's where the story ends. The Dalvik VM in Honeycomb actually divides tasks between cores, which Gingerbread doesn't support."
That is incorrect. The major Dalvik VM improvement in 3.0 is that the VM can run the garbage collector in another thread. Ever since beta version Dalvik VM has supported SMP, if the kernel had that module enabled. (Dalvik VM threads are directly mapped to pthreads. pthreads have supported multicore on ARM ever since the first ARM with multiple cores rolled down the manufacturing line and on other architectures since last century)
Having seen the last weeks MWC there's no doubt that Google did alot of work with Honeycomb and it looks like it could actually give iOS a run for it's money.
However, as you noticed there yourself, platform fragmentation will be yet again a killer for Android-based tablets as the experience simply will differ too much between all the devices. That's the strong point of Apple and iOS, as they don't have to deal with this issue and have a consistent experience throughout all their devices.
There seems to be a confusion between differentiated UI (user experience) and platform fragmentation. For all the doomsayers like you, Android has been growing precisely because of this differentiated experience, which people who are hooked to Apple's ecosystem will never be able to fathom.
I'm the typical nerd using a plethora of different devices and software. My desktop is running Windows 7, my HTPC is running Ubuntu+XBMC, my MacBookPro is MacOS X and my Nokia is running Symbian.
If I would use all Apple products there, then my experience would be consistent throughout all the devices. Hardware and software being developed to work flawlessly etc.
If I'm going to use Android x86 for my PCs and Android 2.3 for my phone and Android 3.0 for my tablet etc, then it simply wouldn't be anymore consistent then the plethora of different OS and devices I'm using currently, so it actually doesn't offer anything I'd desire.
If the manufacturers now start to tweak Android for their devices then the devices get even more differentiated then what I allready have today.
Imho, the Android OS should be allways the same, so that I can switch from one Android-tablet to another and then to my smartphone without problems because of a different UI etc and the hardware for all those devices should be the way, that the experience is aswell the same, e.g. apps loading as fast as on the other devices etc.
Apple achieves this consistency and it's the reason for their success.
Then go with Apple, if that's what you want. You may not be able to conceive the concept that other people may not want what you want, but that doesn't mean it's not possible.
And if you really believe that is the reason for Apple's success, I feel sorry for you.
I disagree, IMO there need to be substantial differences in the interface design based on the usage model. An interface that works well on a <4" touchscreen is likely not the best option for a desktop using a 24" screen with keyboard and mouse.
All what devices? Apple makes one device per generational year. This "fragmentation" argument is bunk.
Would you be happier if blu-ray manufacturers only sold one type of blu-ray machine per year, or do you appreciate the fact that they "fragment" themselves with several models of players at different price points, hardware features and functionality each release cycle?
Yet when phone manufacturers offer cheaper phones with cheaper hardware and lesser features, it's "fragmentation" that is going to kill off the brand? Hardly. The only thing it does it ruin brand-awareness for mainstream consumers who know nothing about technology and believe that an OS manufacturer is the same as a hardware manufacturer.
These people thus believe an Android 1.6 device made by Archos is representative of a Android 3.0 device made by HTC with an Nvidia T20 SoC. For those people, maybe Apple is best, as with their ecosystem it's very easy to live in that sheltered bubble.
You overlook that the whole point is to be different on different devices. Android are for people who can make up their own mind, and not have others do it for them.
While I think it's "nice" Google is waiting till the end of May to announce Ice Cream, I think there are two features of Honeycomb Android needs to get pronto:
1) UI HW Acceleration 2) Multi-language support in the browser
I mean I can't believe in 2011, Android's browser can't recognize Arabic text, for example.
How smooth did Flash run in Honeycomb's browser? I realize it hasn't been released for Honeycomb yet (ver 10.2) but you can download it from the market. Doe sit make use of Tegra 2's GPU acceleration?
Disappointed that there was not even a brief mention of Notion Ink's ADAM tablet. This product is already in the hands of a select group of consumers and will be updated with Honeycomb in the future. It has two USB's, a mini USB, HDMI, SD card slot, SIM slot and runs on an NVIDIA Tegra 2. The price points are extremely competitive in my opinion and once they ramp up their production capability even more and get a distributer specifically for the US.....they WILL BE a force to be reckoned with in the developing tablet market.
Yeah, I'd like to see Adam running Honeycomb. What I really need is an usb host capability, and Adam apparently has that, and only it.
Also the Pixel Qi is awesome. But I don't know if the Adam has the new, updated 10.1 Pixel Qi with the better viewing angles.
I also think the Motorola/Honeycomb UI is TOO DARK to use outdoors. Not enough contrast in the buttons, menus, etc. Black or dark outdoors = mirror. You can't see a thing.
Can't wait for the first review. You have it to take it to the beach and see what you can read.
Interface looks great, but until we get the valley girls away from thinking Apple is the best, ipad will probably hold sway. Apple really broke the mold with iphone, from an interface standpoint. That is what helped them to become popular, along with their all the "cool" people have Apple image. Google or someone else is going to have to make a similar huge leap in the tablet space to knock Apple out. I don't think we will see Apple change anything since the iphone and ipad are essential the exact same interfaces as the original iphone, and they still sell like hotcakes. iOS is boring and blah now, but that isn't what is selling products. The "in" thing is what is selling things, and right now, unfortunately, that is Apple.
Everywhere I go people say it's not the case. Apple just buys large quantities and profits from that.
If anything, after dropping 7.8Bi into Samsung, I think Apple is going to surprise people with even better prices. It also requested 60Million LCD from LG. I think the economies of scales are huge.
Now if you can backup your claims, I'd love to hear othewise.
I think his claims are pretty obvious, and don't need much backing up. Apple makes money on all App purchases - no proof needed. I don't think the other manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola, ViewSonic etc. make much or any profit from App purchases. So that's an advantage Apple has right there.
It would be interesting to hear the average amount of Apps purchased from each iPad sold.
I don't doubt that Apple makes a profit even on $500 iPads, from the huge manufacturing volume they have, but they also make a lot on App purchases, and the new subscription service they offer will make them even more profit.
$1.4b from all iPad, iPhone, music, and movie sales $4.6b from iPad and accessories $10.4b from iPhone and accessories
If the iTunes store is split 50/50 between media and apps, that means $700m for apps. If apps are split 50/50 between iPad and iPhone (fewer iPads, but more expensive apps), that means only $350m for the iPad. Among the 7.3m iPads, that's only $47 in apps per iPad. Across the 15m iPads sold since April, thats only $24 per iPad.
Actually proof is need if you want to convince us of that, sure they make money but all industry reports say they make very little from selling apps (in the big picture)
Because Apple and Microsoft have patented everything related to font rendering and licensed it to each other but not to others. FreeType thus has to disable functionality and deliberately make a worse product under the threat of being sued.
Looking at the pictures, If anything Honeycomb looks like a very promising Windows Media Center optimized for Touch.
Of course the animations may make it look something completely different.
I'd like to see something more whiteish in the background, or more contrasty. I fear this is totally geared towards media/couch/gaming consumption, and not overhead bright lights/outdoor productivity.
So what you're saying is that when you change the wallpapaer (say, to white or grey whatever) you also change the side lists (apps, widgets, etc.) and the notification bar too? I don't know, just asking.
I suppose then you can change the icon fonts too (from white to black, for example).
Most "phone" icons still look like something off an old dial phone from the 50s, another one where there isn't anything instantly recognizable to replace it with
Apple comes out with the IPAD. now suddenly tablets are "in". so what we now have are companies like Samsung and LG , Asus, Acer etc... who can't compete with their own designs, will now use the Google's tablet OS to take on Apple, an American company. sheesh. Whose side is Google on anyway? just my opinion.
There are a number of tablets out there selling for under $150. With names like Archos, Boss, ANHUB, etc. I personally would not buy them because I am not a guinea pig. But I would like to know if these things can do remote desktop competently. You guys spend all your time reviewing stuff that costs 3-5 times more than it should. I want to know what these $100~$150 tablets are capable of. After all, how much hardware does it really take to simply relay what is on my desktop's screen? And why would anyone want to spend hundreds of dollars duplicating hardware they most likely already have, when all you really need is a fast remote interface to your desktop, or a friend's desktop?
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koss - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Interesting to see where google is going here. I don't know if it is just me or it really looks and borrows a lot from Windows. Fact is after so many releases there are things in windows (since probably 95) that just do not need to be changed or completely redesigned. They are optimized, yes, but nothing new really.I think this one will rock Apple's world and be a gamechanger in the tablet world. If only battery can go for > 24h somehow things are getting better in the tablet world.
BTW after Tegra2 will there be support for the other SOCs and when?
Cheers
Tros - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
I doubt Google+* could beat Apple for battery life. Apple is fighting this problem on two fronts:Programming in iOS has a base design-philosophy of conserving power. There's no garbage collection in iOS, and almost all actions are event-driven. Plus, Apple is still researching in how to extend lithium-ion battery lifetime through different charging methods.
This is a strong contrast to Google, who is relying on other companies to fix the analog-portion, and the Android-platform, where performance is desired over efficiency (say, moving garbage collection to the second core).
I have to wonder who will win. The people trying to go for the laptop-holy-grail of interfacing with technology, or the people who disregard that.
InternetGeek - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
So you are saying Apple has figured out an efficient way of using object-oriented design and development without using garbage collection. In other words, developers have to marshal their own resources. Must be a nightmare to program in objective-c.InternetGeek - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Just read objective-c does have a garbage collection based on reference counting.michael2k - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Yes, but how is marshalling resources a new thing?Even if it is a "nightmare", it's still profitable. No different than programming for any console, handheld, or computer up until the last 5 years.
InternetGeek - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - link
I'm not sure what you mean and I'm not saying its bad by itself. PS3 programming is a nightmare because devs have to perform their own CPU scheduling. It seems Apple wants people to spend resources marshalling their own resources. Having to do that makes teams less productive. Thankfully Apple came to their senses and allowed binary compatibility.kmmatney - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
I have an iPhone 3GS and my wife has an Android 2.2 (Froyo) based LG Optimus V. Both phones have the same basic specs with a 600 MHz cpu. I just bought here phone a few weeks ago, and mine is about 1.5 years old. I have to say I was surprised at how "choppy" her phone feels. The all-around UI is not nearly as smooth as my old iPhone, and even games like angry birds stutter a little bit. The battery life is also not nearly as good. Her phone is supposed to get an update to Gingerbread 2.3 in a few months, and I hope that makes things smoother.My initial impression is that Android needs better hardware to achieve the same smoothness as iOS. It also uses more battery power, even while not being nearly as smooth in the UI. I appreciate the freedom you get with Android, but I still think it needs more improvement.
koss - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
True, Apple set the bar. But I think you are underestimating google a bit here. Look at their development curve and look at apple's(considering their tablet/phone upgrade strategy exceeds other products). Apple started where no one could come even close, now we are talking of some programming advantages. Mostly coming from the tighter structure of their platform.Multicore cpu+ efficient usage can compensate for sheer computing volume... no? Besides we are talking about at least 4 Socs and different optimizations from companies like samsung, nvidia and LG, not powercolor or club3d. I am not so confident apple can best the whole group.
Dex1701 - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Interesting. Is it possible that there is something wrong with your wife's device? My girlfriend has an iPhone 3GS and an iPhone 4. I will say that Apple does seem to go out of their way to make the general UI transition effects and such look nice. This is something I couldn't care less about, but it is aesthetically pleasing. The iPhone 4 is no exception.However, as far as overall performance my Galaxy S device with an EXT4 file system conversion feels much faster and has better battery life than a 3GS by far...even with a faster CPU and the same size battery. Granted, the CPU is faster than that of the Optimus V, but it's roughly the same as that of the iPhone 4, and side-by-side the Galaxy S "feels" just as fast. In fact, in games the Galaxy S is performing better than the iPhone 4 for the most part, although this can vary depending on how well optimized the software is for the particular set of hardware.
From what I've been seeing, Gingerbread has some rather large improvements in overall UI "smoothness" as well. I think I disagree with your assessment that Android requires better hardware to achieve the same results, though. My device "feels" just as snappy as my GF's iPhone 4, benchmarks just as well, and is running 5 screens worth of widgets in the background while iOS's core UI is just an app drawer and notifications. Is it possible that your wife's Optimus is bogged-down by a lot of bloatware?
Stas - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
iOS has GPU accelerated UI. Android does everything on CPU. That's why the interface and transitions feel smoother on iPhone, yet when it comes to actual performance tests - it doesn't impress. Only some Android phones have dedicated GPUs, so while creating new UI engine, the developers would still have to keep and improve the old one for the less fortunate phones. Which kind of ticks me off. My Motorola Droid is capable of producing much smoother transitions that don't affect battery life so much, if given the proper software (because it has a very good GPU). Yet I see better transitions on cheap new phones with faster CPUs but worthless or non-existing GPUs, only due to how Andoid developers' prioritize feature implementation :(vision33r - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Glad somebody pointed this out because all the fanboys are blinded by hardware performance but fails to see such balant design flaw due to their hardware fragmentation problem.Fast CPU means jack, GPU acceleration is where the UI speed will be felt.
spambonk - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Actually you are the fanboy here. For one thing there is no "fragmentation", that is how computers are on all platforms - even apple. Secondly its not a design flaw, its how programmers have chosen to do it - if people don't like what the programmers do they should complain to them.Tros - Saturday, February 26, 2011 - link
You're likely wrong objectively, but since you've chosen to subjectify "fragmentation", I doubt any argument would make sense to you.Try setting up a Hackintosh, and it'll become evident just how much PC-vendors vary from BIOS-implementations on the same chipset, not to mention actual hardware variations.
This is purely Android's fault though. Even OS X has Quartz (graphical) acceleration based purely on the CPU, that just seamlessly maps onto a more capable GPU.
Considering all the kernel work that should have gone into Android, I don't see why this hasn't been done. Unless Google has the philosophy that speed and application-freedom will win a market, instead of a steady and refined API. Given the rush to higher power components though, it's not far-fetched.
Dex1701 - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Again, GPU-accelerated UI effects come along with Android 2.3/2.4 (Gingerbread). Graphics hardware fragmentation is not an issue with a unified graphics driver model and properly-designed APIs for developers to use. Turn the rage knob counter-clockwise and turn the maturity knob clockwise, guy, there's no reason to start running around calling people fanboys. This is just a discussion, not a soap box for platform evangelism.Dex1701 - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Um...yeah, I believe I mentioned Gingerbread bringing UI speed improvements to the table. It will be in the form of GPU-accelerated UI effects and an improved graphics driver model and API. If it's designed correctly developers will NOT need to accommodate both phones with dedicated GPUs and those without. The same API should degrade gracefully to support CPU-based graphics rendering.chavv - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
"replete with a smorgasbord of new user and developer features"Maybe not, but then why use so many english words?
tipoo - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Was it really that hard to understand?spambonk - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
That is English - get a dictionary.deputc26 - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
"Offers ample of space" page one just above the "Notification Bar" subtitle.Saumitra - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Thanks for the tip, fixed!chomlee - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
"Price is another issue if Honeycomb tablets need to stay competitive in the market. While more expensive tablet price points are tempting, a major strength of Android has been its ability to hit lower price points. For Honeycomb to be successful we need to see tablets priced at an iPad-competitive $499 in addition to the more expensive options we've been hearing about"I agree exactly. I would rather get a gingerbread tablet but if they are going to charge more than the IPAD, why would I risk "Trying" a different device when I know the IPAD runs great. I also think the 3G carriers need to be more flexible with the plans. There are alot of customers like myself that would like to enable the 3G one month here, and one month there (for vacations), but most carriers won't allow you to do that. Apparently, you can do that with the IPAD which is a huge plus (and it is relatively inexpensive).
medi01 - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Why? Let me guess:1) SD card slot
2) Folder support
3) Being able to read from / write to your tablet instead of syncing it with only one PC?
michael2k - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
That costs $100?Shadowself - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
"just the catalyst manufacturers need to come up with the next iPad-killer."The "next iPad-killer"? Has there been a first one *yet*?
NCM - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Just couldn't resist the "xxx-killer" cliché, could we?B3an - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
@ Saumitra, nice first article.Regarding the next Android version 'icecream' you mention "we can be reasonably sure that many of the under-the-hood enhancements like an updated Dalvik VM, support for multi-core SoCs, 2D/3D hardware acceleration ... should make the cut."
But doesn't Android 2.3 not have this stuff already? It must atleast have some kind of multi-core support... whats the difference between support in 2.3 and 3.0?
I'm sure 2.3 also FINALLY now has UI GPU acceleration. Which has been one of the biggest problems with Android - laggy scrolling / animations. I hope to see a super smooth UI when i get the Galaxy S2.
Saumitra - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Glad you liked the article!1. Gingerbread might be able to see and recognize multi-core processors, but that's where the story ends. The Dalvik VM in Honeycomb actually divides tasks between cores, which Gingerbread doesn't support.
2. Gingerbread's UI only had partial hardware acceleration. That is, not all parts of the OS were being hardware accelerated.
jalexoid - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
"Gingerbread might be able to see and recognize multi-core processors, but that's where the story ends. The Dalvik VM in Honeycomb actually divides tasks between cores, which Gingerbread doesn't support."That is incorrect. The major Dalvik VM improvement in 3.0 is that the VM can run the garbage collector in another thread. Ever since beta version Dalvik VM has supported SMP, if the kernel had that module enabled.
(Dalvik VM threads are directly mapped to pthreads. pthreads have supported multicore on ARM ever since the first ARM with multiple cores rolled down the manufacturing line and on other architectures since last century)
jrs77 - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Having seen the last weeks MWC there's no doubt that Google did alot of work with Honeycomb and it looks like it could actually give iOS a run for it's money.However, as you noticed there yourself, platform fragmentation will be yet again a killer for Android-based tablets as the experience simply will differ too much between all the devices.
That's the strong point of Apple and iOS, as they don't have to deal with this issue and have a consistent experience throughout all their devices.
mantrik00 - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
There seems to be a confusion between differentiated UI (user experience) and platform fragmentation. For all the doomsayers like you, Android has been growing precisely because of this differentiated experience, which people who are hooked to Apple's ecosystem will never be able to fathom.jrs77 - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
I'm the typical nerd using a plethora of different devices and software. My desktop is running Windows 7, my HTPC is running Ubuntu+XBMC, my MacBookPro is MacOS X and my Nokia is running Symbian.If I would use all Apple products there, then my experience would be consistent throughout all the devices. Hardware and software being developed to work flawlessly etc.
If I'm going to use Android x86 for my PCs and Android 2.3 for my phone and Android 3.0 for my tablet etc, then it simply wouldn't be anymore consistent then the plethora of different OS and devices I'm using currently, so it actually doesn't offer anything I'd desire.
If the manufacturers now start to tweak Android for their devices then the devices get even more differentiated then what I allready have today.
Imho, the Android OS should be allways the same, so that I can switch from one Android-tablet to another and then to my smartphone without problems because of a different UI etc and the hardware for all those devices should be the way, that the experience is aswell the same, e.g. apps loading as fast as on the other devices etc.
Apple achieves this consistency and it's the reason for their success.
bplewis24 - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Then go with Apple, if that's what you want. You may not be able to conceive the concept that other people may not want what you want, but that doesn't mean it's not possible.And if you really believe that is the reason for Apple's success, I feel sorry for you.
Brandon
strikeback03 - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
I disagree, IMO there need to be substantial differences in the interface design based on the usage model. An interface that works well on a <4" touchscreen is likely not the best option for a desktop using a 24" screen with keyboard and mouse.bplewis24 - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
All what devices? Apple makes one device per generational year. This "fragmentation" argument is bunk.Would you be happier if blu-ray manufacturers only sold one type of blu-ray machine per year, or do you appreciate the fact that they "fragment" themselves with several models of players at different price points, hardware features and functionality each release cycle?
Yet when phone manufacturers offer cheaper phones with cheaper hardware and lesser features, it's "fragmentation" that is going to kill off the brand? Hardly. The only thing it does it ruin brand-awareness for mainstream consumers who know nothing about technology and believe that an OS manufacturer is the same as a hardware manufacturer.
These people thus believe an Android 1.6 device made by Archos is representative of a Android 3.0 device made by HTC with an Nvidia T20 SoC. For those people, maybe Apple is best, as with their ecosystem it's very easy to live in that sheltered bubble.
Brandon
spambonk - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
You overlook that the whole point is to be different on different devices. Android are for people who can make up their own mind, and not have others do it for them.TareX - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
While I think it's "nice" Google is waiting till the end of May to announce Ice Cream, I think there are two features of Honeycomb Android needs to get pronto:1) UI HW Acceleration
2) Multi-language support in the browser
I mean I can't believe in 2011, Android's browser can't recognize Arabic text, for example.
TareX - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
How smooth did Flash run in Honeycomb's browser? I realize it hasn't been released for Honeycomb yet (ver 10.2) but you can download it from the market. Doe sit make use of Tegra 2's GPU acceleration?Jumangi - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Apparently the Xoom won't ship with Flash support....but get it 'sometime in the Spring'.Pjotr - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
"This is a huge addition as it Again, the UI is extremely clean and should work well on tablets."?Saumitra - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Fixed!Cheers,
Saumitra
GotThumbs - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Disappointed that there was not even a brief mention of Notion Ink's ADAM tablet. This product is already in the hands of a select group of consumers and will be updated with Honeycomb in the future. It has two USB's, a mini USB, HDMI, SD card slot, SIM slot and runs on an NVIDIA Tegra 2. The price points are extremely competitive in my opinion and once they ramp up their production capability even more and get a distributer specifically for the US.....they WILL BE a force to be reckoned with in the developing tablet market.TareX - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
The Adam's UI is complicated and non-intuitive, it also looks bland and amateurish.The hardware is pretty ugly, especially that oversized bezel.
I think the two only good things about it are the Pixel Qi screen, and the swiveling camera.
RHurst - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Yeah, I'd like to see Adam running Honeycomb. What I really need is an usb host capability, and Adam apparently has that, and only it.Also the Pixel Qi is awesome. But I don't know if the Adam has the new, updated 10.1 Pixel Qi with the better viewing angles.
I also think the Motorola/Honeycomb UI is TOO DARK to use outdoors. Not enough contrast in the buttons, menus, etc. Black or dark outdoors = mirror. You can't see a thing.
Can't wait for the first review. You have it to take it to the beach and see what you can read.
ICBM - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Interface looks great, but until we get the valley girls away from thinking Apple is the best, ipad will probably hold sway. Apple really broke the mold with iphone, from an interface standpoint. That is what helped them to become popular, along with their all the "cool" people have Apple image. Google or someone else is going to have to make a similar huge leap in the tablet space to knock Apple out. I don't think we will see Apple change anything since the iphone and ipad are essential the exact same interfaces as the original iphone, and they still sell like hotcakes. iOS is boring and blah now, but that isn't what is selling products. The "in" thing is what is selling things, and right now, unfortunately, that is Apple.Shadowmaster625 - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Looking at the Xoom, where do these people get off charging $800-$1200 for a device that should have a bill of materials under $300?wyvernknight - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Apple can price at $500 because they receive revenue from app purchases etc. Android tablet makers don't have that same advantage.Jumangi - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Apple makes a profit on every iPad they sell, even the $500 one. They do not subsidize hardware.RHurst - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Everywhere I go people say it's not the case. Apple just buys large quantities and profits from that.If anything, after dropping 7.8Bi into Samsung, I think Apple is going to surprise people with even better prices. It also requested 60Million LCD from LG. I think the economies of scales are huge.
Now if you can backup your claims, I'd love to hear othewise.
kmmatney - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
I think his claims are pretty obvious, and don't need much backing up. Apple makes money on all App purchases - no proof needed. I don't think the other manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola, ViewSonic etc. make much or any profit from App purchases. So that's an advantage Apple has right there.It would be interesting to hear the average amount of Apps purchased from each iPad sold.
I don't doubt that Apple makes a profit even on $500 iPads, from the huge manufacturing volume they have, but they also make a lot on App purchases, and the new subscription service they offer will make them even more profit.
michael2k - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Apple's quarterly report very clearly indicates that software sales is pretty low on the totem pole, however:http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/01/18results....
$1.4b from all iPad, iPhone, music, and movie sales
$4.6b from iPad and accessories
$10.4b from iPhone and accessories
If the iTunes store is split 50/50 between media and apps, that means $700m for apps. If apps are split 50/50 between iPad and iPhone (fewer iPads, but more expensive apps), that means only $350m for the iPad. Among the 7.3m iPads, that's only $47 in apps per iPad. Across the 15m iPads sold since April, thats only $24 per iPad.
spambonk - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Actually proof is need if you want to convince us of that, sure they make money but all industry reports say they make very little from selling apps (in the big picture)Calabros - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
why all open source OSs are so bad with fonts? :-)Xaeg - Thursday, February 24, 2011 - link
Because Apple and Microsoft have patented everything related to font rendering and licensed it to each other but not to others. FreeType thus has to disable functionality and deliberately make a worse product under the threat of being sued.vailr - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Lots better than my old Radio Shack Model 100:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Shack_Model_100
Perisphetic - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
I grant this comment my seal of approval.Ryan Smith - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Ahh the TRaSh-80. Those were the days...RHurst - Monday, February 21, 2011 - link
Looking at the pictures, If anything Honeycomb looks like a very promising Windows Media Center optimized for Touch.Of course the animations may make it look something completely different.
I'd like to see something more whiteish in the background, or more contrasty. I fear this is totally geared towards media/couch/gaming consumption, and not overhead bright lights/outdoor productivity.
Can't wait for the first review.
iamthecosmos - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
You can change the wallpaper you know! A nice plain white background may be to your tastes...bplewis24 - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Exactly. Remember, this is Android, not iOS.RHurst - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - link
So what you're saying is that when you change the wallpapaer (say, to white or grey whatever) you also change the side lists (apps, widgets, etc.) and the notification bar too? I don't know, just asking.I suppose then you can change the icon fonts too (from white to black, for example).
Cool.
Jason H - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Isn't it weird we're still using a floppy disk icon for "save"? Not sure what I'd update it to though... a memory card? An EEPROM chip? A cloud?strikeback03 - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Most "phone" icons still look like something off an old dial phone from the 50s, another one where there isn't anything instantly recognizable to replace it witharaczynski - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
the only thing that will kill the iPad for me, is the iPad2.IF it has more than 64gb of storage, otherwise iPad3.
then again i only use the thing for gaming, and occasional surfing.
cyberserf - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - link
Apple comes out with the IPAD. now suddenly tablets are "in". so what we now have are companies like Samsung and LG , Asus, Acer etc... who can't compete with their own designs, will now use the Google's tablet OS to take on Apple, an American company. sheesh. Whose side is Google on anyway?just my opinion.
Shadowmaster625 - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - link
There are a number of tablets out there selling for under $150. With names like Archos, Boss, ANHUB, etc. I personally would not buy them because I am not a guinea pig. But I would like to know if these things can do remote desktop competently. You guys spend all your time reviewing stuff that costs 3-5 times more than it should. I want to know what these $100~$150 tablets are capable of. After all, how much hardware does it really take to simply relay what is on my desktop's screen? And why would anyone want to spend hundreds of dollars duplicating hardware they most likely already have, when all you really need is a fast remote interface to your desktop, or a friend's desktop?