Related
Ok first and foremost this is not just another post of someone complaining, in no way am i trying to offend or criticize this new device...these are simply observations made by a previous HTC owner (MDA/Herald/Wing) me...
I understand that the open source to "create" applications is fairly new not to mention all us G1 owners (ive had mine for lil more then a month). My concern is why are we seeing such "simple" programing in applications and things tht in reality none of us would ever use? Not to mention graphics what is going on...Look i have not created any nor have taken the time to even try to create applications, and if you or someone you know has, then my hats off to you, i envy you for knowing how and taking the time to...what im saying is why do all these new applications have so many bugs and in my opinion (cause that is all it is) are sub-par...i know its not really fair to compare to any other device on the market since it is the first of its kind, but im getting a little skeptical...am i alone in this? i find myself checking the android market every hour hoping for some sign to motivate me, but nothing so far aside from the obvious winners (youtube,maps,imeem,wheather channel etc...)...ill shut up now i sincerely was not trying to stir things up, and know/knew when i purcased the G1 it was the first of its kind and would probably take time to show its full potential, i just thought there were some things google had up its sleeve that were ready...does anyone have any insight or knowledge of better things to come...?
timace said:
Ok first and foremost this is not just another post of someone complaining, in no way am i trying to offend or criticize this new device...these are simply observations made by a previous HTC owner (MDA/Herald/Wing) me...
I understand that the open source to "create" applications is fairly new not to mention all us G1 owners (ive had mine for lil more then a month). My concern is why are we seeing such "simple" programing in applications and things tht in reality none of us would ever use? Not to mention graphics what is going on...Look i have not created any nor have taken the time to even try to create applications, and if you or someone you know has, then my hats off to you, i envy you for knowing how and taking the time to...what im saying is why do all these new applications have so many bugs and in my opinion (cause that is all it is) are sub-par...i know its not really fair to compare to any other device on the market since it is the first of its kind, but im getting a little skeptical...am i alone in this? i find myself checking the android market every hour hoping for some sign to motivate me, but nothing so far aside from the obvious winners (youtube,maps,imeem,wheather channel etc...)...ill shut up now i sincerely was not trying to stir things up, and know/knew when i purcased the G1 it was the first of its kind and would probably take time to show its full potential, i just thought there were some things google had up its sleeve that were ready...does anyone have any insight or knowledge of better things to come...?
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Click to collapse
Personally, I find the plethora of apps encouraging, yes, some are more useful than others but the wide range of effort is fan-flippin-tastic.
MY biggest observation is that the Market place needs some severe MODERATOR intervention... the one star "i is first u goons" and "this app suks (because I am too stupid to read the intro to figure out what it is for) really really really needs to be cleaned up/out. (A perfect example is the UTC clock... it does EXACTLY what it says, true, the numbers in the display look like they are from a missile silo, but hey, it is a tribute to the UTC heritage...anyway, people bag on it because they have no idea why, what, or anything else about it... morons)
[/rant]
--M
demontefixo said:
Personally, I find the plethora of apps encouraging, yes, some are more useful than others but the wide range of effort is fan-flippin-tastic.
MY biggest observation is that the Market place needs some severe MODERATOR intervention... the one star "i is first u goons" and "this app suks (because I am too stupid to read the intro to figure out what it is for) really really really needs to be cleaned up/out. (A perfect example is the UTC clock... it does EXACTLY what it says, true, the numbers in the display look like they are from a missile silo, but hey, it is a tribute to the UTC heritage...anyway, people bag on it because they have no idea why, what, or anything else about it... morons)
[/rant]
--M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree "first" comments are riduculous, and if you dont like the application from descrption then dont install it...positive criticism is more then welcome but "this sucks" is getting on my nerves...
timace said:
Ok first and foremost this is not just another post of someone complaining, in no way am i trying to offend or criticize this new device...these are simply observations made by a previous HTC owner (MDA/Herald/Wing) me...
I understand that the open source to "create" applications is fairly new not to mention all us G1 owners (ive had mine for lil more then a month). My concern is why are we seeing such "simple" programing in applications and things tht in reality none of us would ever use? Not to mention graphics what is going on...Look i have not created any nor have taken the time to even try to create applications, and if you or someone you know has, then my hats off to you, i envy you for knowing how and taking the time to...what im saying is why do all these new applications have so many bugs and in my opinion (cause that is all it is) are sub-par...i know its not really fair to compare to any other device on the market since it is the first of its kind, but im getting a little skeptical...am i alone in this? i find myself checking the android market every hour hoping for some sign to motivate me, but nothing so far aside from the obvious winners (youtube,maps,imeem,wheather channel etc...)...ill shut up now i sincerely was not trying to stir things up, and know/knew when i purcased the G1 it was the first of its kind and would probably take time to show its full potential, i just thought there were some things google had up its sleeve that were ready...does anyone have any insight or knowledge of better things to come...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree with you; even though i love this phone there are a lot of things i dislike about it. the only advice i can give to you is to be patient. the phone has 'officially' been out for a little under a month and there is already so much improvements to it:
- 2 updates have already been rolled out,
- we have found a Root and a way to manually update it.
- we are beginning to see system folders moved to sdcard to save space(even though the phone should have came with more memory)
apps on the market are getting better i don't if you have seen the app "bubble". bubble is a basic bubble level that uses the accelerometer to see if something is level and changes as the phone changes orientation it may seem like a simple app but it shows that Google came come out with an update that uses the accelerometer to change orientation.
- first signs of on screen keyboards like akeyui, a7email and a7sms.
all of these improvements in about 3 weeks and tons more to come idk what anybody can complain about besides hardware issues
just wait come Jan 2009 the G1 isnt going to be anything like it is today.
demontefixo said:
Personally, I find the plethora of apps encouraging, yes, some are more useful than others but the wide range of effort is fan-flippin-tastic.
MY biggest observation is that the Market place needs some severe MODERATOR intervention... the one star "i is first u goons" and "this app suks (because I am too stupid to read the intro to figure out what it is for) really really really needs to be cleaned up/out. (A perfect example is the UTC clock... it does EXACTLY what it says, true, the numbers in the display look like they are from a missile silo, but hey, it is a tribute to the UTC heritage...anyway, people bag on it because they have no idea why, what, or anything else about it... morons)
[/rant]
--M
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Click to collapse
yeah there need to be some serious clean up in th commenting sections, some of these comments might discourage people from developing apps for the G1, i think comments should strictly about the apps and not about being 1st or 151st, or bashing other commenters, and people definitely should not comment on an app the don't know how to use.
however developers should include directions on how to use their apps so people do not have to rely on commenting to try and figure out what it does and how it does it.
The point is the development muscle that has been put in the device is minor.I feel like the market is made by kids or teenagers that stopped uploading on youtube and are writing apps using ready made lego kits (APIs). The apps in the market are all basic stuff. There is not even a Divx player for this device available but 5 Video players using the Google provided APIs to play mp4 which only play SOME mp4 files not all.
I love the sliding, bubble and Gmail on it but I cant name too many more things I love. Not even a Navi that works properly. I really cant think of anything else I love about it. No office, word, excel, PDF, flash, divx. The SMS system is grouped together. The actual phone keyboard is beyond basic with no options. There are simply too many bugs on the phone operation itself like bluetooth etc.
Time flies google, we need apps that have more than 10 man-hours of software programming spent on it. Lets stop the growth of many timers and alarms in the market and get some real stuff out there. Microsoft has probably put in millions of development hours into WM and it was not until now that I realized this.
brooklynite said:
The point is the development muscle that has been put in the device is minor.I feel like the market is made by kids or teenagers that stopped uploading on youtube and are writing apps using ready made lego kits (APIs). The apps in the market are all basic stuff. There is not even a Divx player for this device available but 5 Video players using the Google provided APIs to play mp4 which only play SOME mp4 files not all.
I love the sliding, bubble and Gmail on it but I cant name too many more things I love. Not even a Navi that works properly. I really cant think of anything else I love about it. No office, word, excel, PDF, flash, divx. The SMS system is grouped together. The actual phone keyboard is beyond basic with no options. There are simply too many bugs on the phone operation itself like bluetooth etc.
Time flies google, we need apps that have more than 10 man-hours of software programming spent on it. Lets stop the growth of many timers and alarms in the market and get some real stuff out there. Microsoft has probably put in millions of development hours into WM and it was not until now that I realized this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
muscle...DiVix...kids...office...flash...basic...bugs
words that stood out and i DEFINATELY agree
as i said before patience is the key here
the reason why there aren't many good programs out right know is because they are still in development, there are some apps that won google's app contest that are not on the market because they are still under development. developers take their to try and come out with a bug free app and you criticize them for taking to long however if they rush it and get it out with SOME bugs people crucify them. how long did you think it took for divx or flash to be developed for other phones?
why do people expect a phone thats been out for under a month to have the same capabilities as phones that been out for years?
how many phone do you know had divx support right out of the box or even one month after release? i estimate that divx support will be out before the end of the year.
i agree that apps on the market are going the the hole, especially with millions of the same type of apps, c'mon how many different weather apps do we need, how many background apps is necessary. but you got to admit out of the hundreds of apps on the market there are some good ones.
I'm waiting with great anticipation on the games for the g1. Sure i want cut copy and paste, document reader, full video player, full file manager and task manager as well as others but i'm dying to play nes games and others on this phone. The market is pretty lame in the games department but hey i got pacman, solitaire, and a few others free so i'm not gonna complain. I think the apps are very promising and there are a wide variety of them. Granted none of the crucial apps are out yet but i have quite a few on g1 that i love and got em all for free!!! We just have to be patient, i knew going in i would have to be.
All the apps are free. The hardware has only been in people's hands for a few weeks (at most). A serious developer, wanting to create the exact apps we're all hoping for, needs a heck of a lot more time. The SDK was fine, but any serious developer is going to want to log a lot of hours with a physical device (or several) to finalize the product.
And they're not going to do all that, for free.
This device has huge potential, and the reason we're seeing amaturish apps is because the only people who are willing to play around with creating apps for free are mostly hobbyists who want feedback to further their skills.
I predict that once the payment system is set up for the Market, the apps you're all stomping your feet about are going to show up.
The programs we're talking about are complex, writing them and testing them is time consuming, and I assume that they're going to be larger than the apps we're seeing now. It's entirely possible that some of these apps are almost finished, but are waiting for SD card loading to be added to the functionality before they can release them. Some may even be delayed by the announcement of the virtual keyboard -- they may want to integrate that for the launch of their apps.
I think two things need to happen before we're going to see the apps we all want.
-Pay system on Android Market
-The Ability for Apps to be installed and run from the SD card.
Until those two things happen, the App Store is going to be like it is. And it's also time you guys thought about something. The apps that are "missing" were never a secret, most of the complaints I see are about things that were known well before launch, or discovered the first week people had it in hand. If you didn't read up, that's your fault. If you read up and assumed things would be taken care of within one to two months (something no one promised you) that's also your fault.
I'll predict something for you right now, in light of the economy and everything else, it'll be 6 months to a year before HALF the apps we want are available and working. Now, that's just my estimate, but if that sounds "too long" to wait, then I'd invest in another phone rather than spending the next 6 months posting complaints like "why isn't _____ done yet? And where's the ______ app?!!"
Just my 2 cents
I have already heard many apps have been developed but the developers are waiting for the pay system which has already been annoucnced and is coming 3 months after launch.
I am similar to you... give it time and you will see the best things you have ever seen. I mean look at Linux... they have some awesome apps on most linux flavors that make me dual boot into linux just to have. I think this device will be the same as this was the entire purpose.
Google is updating features all the time in the git directory and it won't be long before they fix the main issues and then the developers will be looking at new things to give us.
So far the barcode readers alone seem like such a huge advantage as I haven't seen them on mobile devices before(at least none that worked)
brooklynite said:
The point is the development muscle that has been put in the device is minor.I feel like the market is made by kids or teenagers that stopped uploading on youtube and are writing apps using ready made lego kits (APIs). The apps in the market are all basic stuff. There is not even a Divx player for this device available but 5 Video players using the Google provided APIs to play mp4 which only play SOME mp4 files not all.
I love the sliding, bubble and Gmail on it but I cant name too many more things I love. Not even a Navi that works properly. I really cant think of anything else I love about it. No office, word, excel, PDF, flash, divx. The SMS system is grouped together. The actual phone keyboard is beyond basic with no options. There are simply too many bugs on the phone operation itself like bluetooth etc.
Time flies google, we need apps that have more than 10 man-hours of software programming spent on it. Lets stop the growth of many timers and alarms in the market and get some real stuff out there. Microsoft has probably put in millions of development hours into WM and it was not until now that I realized this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you said my answer in your own post. The device has been out less than a month. That's nowhere near enough time to make those killer apps you're talking about. To google's credit they did put in things like street view with the compass mode and there are those apps you've talked about. It takes MONTHS to do real software developement so you're going to keep seeing more and more alarms and stuff until then.
seriously, does ANYBODY give a ratsass or even use streetview?
They should have made sure all the media stuff and the email was topnotcxh.
I agree 100% with the first post! Google should have prepaired Android better. There is a lot of competition out there and I would say by what I've seen so far they are light years behind. I did not expect that with all the money in the world Google couldn't release product that was better polished. I have put my G1 back in its box and I'm back to my unlocked Tilt, what sucks is going back to the old screen and Edge but its functinality that I need. I wish they made some kind of task aplication that I can put on the screen kind of likr thr picture frame that would display my tasks for the day. I have a Motorola ROKR E2 that runs Linux and there are more useful stuff for it out there. I desagree we have to wait untill we start paying for apliications, I believe Google can afford providing us with free functional software as more and more people will be using their services.
i love my g1, but i agree with these people that google didn't do enough...and i hope they're working to fix it.
i think that their whole "leave it in the hands of developers" approach was probably a mistake. they should have made all the basic applications like they did but also gone a step further to spice up the phone. i hope that google, in the new few updates, incorporates some more stuff, like OUTLOOK SYNC (i wuld love it if they changed the google calendar sync for windows into just google sync and have it sync everything with outlook....funambol right now sucks i have like 80 of each contact!)
they also should have made a GOOD video recorder / player, and even a better music player. they're trying to beat apple at multimedia, and are failing miserably.
they should add a decent on-screen keyboard and maybe even a task manager...or make it only have like 4 open tasks in the backgroudn...because i've noticed my g1 slowing down a lot after having a few apps open.
google should add a manual update button...i'm still on RC28 because i dont feel like installing the modified rc30 or plugging it in to update. have a freaking "UPDATE" button in the system info thing or something.
i think google needs more than 3 home screens...i've already filled all of mine up. they also should have added more widgets, like the guy above me said.
SELECTING TEXT SUCKS. i have to use the trackball to select a ltter of a word...on my windows mobile i could just tap on where i wanted it to be and at least it would get me within 1 or 2 letters...if i tap on a word on the g1 nothing happens!
we need to be able to install stuff to the sd card!
i think i'm missing a lot of things but i've only had the phone for 2 days and i've noticed all that...i hope developers DO step in if google is too stupid not to add more basic functionality.
/rant
Look at it this way currently there is no way to charge for apps that are developed. This is why we are seeing nothing but apps programed by independant programers some of which are good and some of which are useless. Once companies can charge for apps then it will make sence to put money into the development of better more porfessional apps. My suggestion is to just hold off on passing judgement untill the market is finished to where people that spend money in development can recoup those losses. I do think that the market place should have been finished before launch but what can you do.
coffeboy23 said:
Look at it this way currently there is no way to charge for apps that are developed. This is why we are seeing nothing but apps programed by independant programers some of which are good and some of which are useless. Once companies can charge for apps then it will make sence to put money into the development of better more porfessional apps. My suggestion is to just hold off on passing judgement untill the market is finished to where people that spend money in development can recoup those losses. I do think that the market place should have been finished before launch but what can you do.
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Click to collapse
Agaqin, super lame of google.
We can get a bunch of usless wank programs, but not proepr ones, becasue they don't have the pay market ready.
Also, I think that certain things like exchange and a proper email client shoudl have been included.
And remember most people are new to development, don't know how many "this is my first try" apps I have seen. When you get that one that charges 20 bucks for the app... you will get another developer who will release it free and just ask for donations... I suggest donating whatever you can to the one that gives it free.
Henchman said:
Agaqin, super lame of google.
We can get a bunch of usless wank programs, but not proepr ones, becasue they don't have the pay market ready.
Also, I think that certain things like exchange and a proper email client shoudl have been included.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
google isnt the one entirely in charge of the market... tmobile is the one wanting money
neoobs said:
google isnt the one entirely in charge of the market... tmobile is the one wanting money
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Click to collapse
No, but it was google who shoudl ahve made sure that the basics were coveredf well.
The Camera I'm sure can take greta pics, but the controls suck.
The email is severly lacking.
No streaming video.
And they shoudl ahve elarnt form the iPhoen release, that push email fro MsExcahnge should have been there fromt he getgo.
Or the should have built a BB app, just like you can get for WinMo.
No, they focused on teenagers, not professionals.
neoobs said:
google isnt the one entirely in charge of the market... tmobile is the one wanting money
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no....google is not taking any money but is giving 30% of all apps sold to the carriers...tmobile might be the one "wanting" money but they have no control over the app store at all.
How can we make the Nexus One experience even better in our app?
We're a mapping company, so support for large images is a must, and Nexus One and Droid have it but we're stuck supporting all the low-res devices. What's the killer indoor mapping experience for the user? We'll keep digging at Point Inside dot com.
INDOOR SMART MAPS(TM) for malls! Have you ever needed to find a store, or restroom, or even the closest escalator while shopping? POINT INSIDE can help. Quickly find your way to over 100,000 stores and services in hundreds of malls across the U.S. and Canada.
G1 User
I've been playing with this app on a G1 as well as someone else's Droid and the G1 is clearly handicapping the application. Takes forever to even start the app vs. the Droid or even what I can imagine the Nexus One to do. 6 more months until my contract is up...
Amusement parks would be a good idea, IMHO, as well.
pjcforpres said:
Amusement parks would be a good idea, IMHO, as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That.
And airports. I hate airport maps, they're generally useless and a real pain to use.
Android Indoor Maps API
OK, so Airport maps and Amusement Parks it is. Both have bothered me over the years. We could easily implement those. I should have made amusement parks a choice in the survey. Thanks for the feedback. Airports are on their way. Who else wants to use indoor maps through our API? Surely we're not going to be the best app to show off indoor maps.
Now...we need to prioritize these.
Latest Update for Mall Maps Released
This release has mall events and promotions. If we decide to do airports and theme-parks...then what do we show for "more content" like events and promotions in the mall???
Please take the survey as it ends in a week.
We did some optimization...but I'm not sure it will help some of the slower G1's out there.
gpscaddy said:
This release has mall events and promotions. If we decide to do airports and theme-parks...then what do we show for "more content" like events and promotions in the mall???
Please take the survey as it ends in a week.
We did some optimization...but I'm not sure it will help some of the slower G1's out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couple things, not sure where all you are posting this besides here, but you might get more response if you post in the "App" sub-threads, as well there is a general Android development section at the top of the main forum list with an app sub-forum there as well...
Anyways, for Amusement parks, for more content, I would say have a "quick bathroom finder" option... "remember where I parked" option... and perhaps a "prices" option and a "closed ride" option...
How about not making it look like an iPhone app?
SC
Running 720kps on 3g and "fetch this place" is taking way to long to load on the nexus. Great app but if i am already at the mall, it doesn't load fast enough.
And once its loading its no way to cancel, i have to kill the app.
Reply to pjcforpres, ScaredyCat & dallastx
@pjcforpres - Thanks for the tip. Yep...should have posted there. I don't see a way to transfer this thread to that "app sub thread" now, but will in the future. This doesn't belong under Nexus despite that being our best platform.
@ScaredyCat - Hmmm...we did several things different to accentuate Android instead of our iPhone app. In fact we don't believe in true parity between the two apps since each platform has it's advantage. Next release will have "search" and you'll be able to pull up a store's details when tapping on the map. Maybe the "search" will set it more apart from it's iPhone sibling. I'm open to suggestions if you have any. Thanks by the way.
@dallastx - Our average venue size for all the map images, spatial data and promotions/events content is ~900K so that is what's taking 15-30 seconds. We went with a full download container so you could reference the map faster when in the app (and make it available offline if you're on the plane in "airplane mode". Perhaps an "on demand" download strategy would have been better. I hate apps that query a web service for darn thing...but see the value.
Maybe there could be an option to plan a trip when at home so it could download the needed maps faster. I'm on EDGE so it would help me greatly.
Is there good GPS reception inside large malls? (multi story)
Just downloaded the app but the first thing I noticed was the lack of multi touch. And all the maps I have seen seem to be a bit low-res.
Wow, this app is better than I expected. Only suggestion, can you make the maps scroll more fluidly? As it is they seem kinda clunky when you scroll and a flick doesn't move the map like you'd expect it to. This will definitely stay on my phone, though.
Reply to britoso, apeironer, detox702
It sounds like we're onto the right venues. So thanks to everyone that took the poll.
@detox702 - Thanks for the praise. Great objective feedback. We agree, and will be working on the zoom/pan/scroll this week and next.
@apeironer - Yeah...multi-touch would be cool. We're excited that Nexus and others are heading in that direction. It's a game changer.
@britso - Good idea on trip planning (especially for airports). We don't have great GPS inside the mall...and it's platform dependent (i.e. Droid on VZW vs. Nexus on T-Mobile). We don't use the Skyhook SDK yet.
Thanks again everyone!
I'm from India and nexus one isn't officially launched. I know that if I buy the unlocked version, I'll be able to use it here in my country. I just wanted to know what features of this phone would be blocked in my country (i don't think any). Will I be able to use the GPS? iPhone worked flawlessly but I'm not a big fan of apple. I just don't like it. I really wanted an N1, because of android OS (custom roms) and the hardware its offering. If there is anything more you guys want me to know about the phone, please enlighten me
Its better than the iphone... thats all you need to know
Its a great phone buy one
Hopefully this attempt is mature and coherent:
PROS-
Multitasking
Maps and free gps navigation are accurate and awesome
Having a desktop is great for widgets and other customizations
Camera has adequate megapixels
5 screens is convenient
Google's apps are useful
Some multitouch capability
Live wallpapers are very cool
UI screen transitions are swell
Having access to Google apps can be really convenient
Amoled display is beautiful indoors and at night
If you want to root the phone the possibilities are abundant
CONS-
The stock and third party keyboards are terrible, HTC keyboard is less awful
The touchscreen is jittery
The amoled display is invisible in sunlight
Cameras pictures aren't what they should be considering the hardware
Most third party apps are useless
Randomly reboots
Sending mms is unreliable
Utilizes half of the ram it is capable of using
Browser is, for lack of room to elaborate, "finicky" (dont expect it to resemble a pc's browser)
I have 3g and full bars where I live but I lose all signal in most buildings (probably tmobiles fault)
In general I prefer Google to Apple. The Nexus is one of the better phones out there, I initially thought it was the best for the first couple of weeks, I haven't rooted and new software problems present themselves routinely. Since so many of the issues appear to be software related, If Google becomes motivated to address the multitude of those issues they could make this phone hands down the best mobile device for a pretty long while.
uhh... Cool story bro?
Anyway, everything should work in india, except google voice and maps navigation, except you can get a working(albeit limited) version from this very website. Check with your service provider for their frequencies. The original n1 is 900/2100, and a new one is out that supports 850. So find that out before you buy.
You will not be disappointed by this device.
DMaverick50 said:
I'm a huge fan of android but the iPhone is better than the nexus and better than android so far, which is really pathetic because the nexus has better specs and Google had ample time to see what works best about the iPhone but they chose not to learn from the most successful mobile OS on the planet. I've really been holding out hope that android would get their **** together. the g1 and mytouch were fun and cute little phones but the nexus purported to be a 'superphone' it has super potential but id definitely rather have an iPhone 3gs. I can't even see the damn screen on full brightness when the suns out. Android is better for geeks, and that's cool but its not for me, I want a phone that is backed by its maker. I don't have time or interest in fixing my own phone or having 3 different browser apps to collectively do what safari does. Every day I find a new bug in the android software. My confidence in android takes a hit daily.Today's android failure I found in a gizmodo article about thickbuttons or whatever its called keyboard, the article indicated that the iPhone already uses that technology. Only it does it better because androids crappy third party app moves the buttons over it doesn't simply enlarge them, so the letter isn't where you expect it to be. I tried it and thought wow finally some innovation for android. But buttons move and it isn't useful, plus its already on the iPhone in a useful implementation. Im so tired of having to rely on ****ty third party apps to do what my phone should out of the box. I've stopped looking at 'just in' apps, 99.5% of them are useless. I'm tired of waiting for google to update android to utilize this expensive hardware. I've got a year until my contracts up, if android hasn't got their **** together by then I'm moving my family to the iPhone. I'm sorry to many of you who read this, I really do like android, but I've been with android since the g1 and its just not good enough.
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Click to collapse
I might have taken this post seriously if you didn't ramble and write like a 13 year old who just got his first phone.
Anyhow OP, I can't really see any features that you'll miss out on. I'm from the UK and apart from Google talk (US only), everything else works fine.
DMaverick50 said:
I'm a huge fan of android but the iPhone is better than the nexus and better than android so far, which is really pathetic because the nexus has better specs and Google had ample time to see what works best about the iPhone but they chose not to learn from the most successful mobile OS on the planet. I've really been holding out hope that android would get their **** together. the g1 and mytouch were fun and cute little phones but the nexus purported to be a 'superphone' it has super potential but id definitely rather have an iPhone 3gs. I can't even see the damn screen on full brightness when the suns out. Android is better for geeks, and that's cool but its not for me, I want a phone that is backed by its maker. I don't have time or interest in fixing my own phone or having 3 different browser apps to collectively do what safari does. Every day I find a new bug in the android software. My confidence in android takes a hit daily.Today's android failure I found in a gizmodo article about thickbuttons or whatever its called keyboard, the article indicated that the iPhone already uses that technology. Only it does it better because androids crappy third party app moves the buttons over it doesn't simply enlarge them, so the letter isn't where you expect it to be. I tried it and thought wow finally some innovation for android. But buttons move and it isn't useful, plus its already on the iPhone in a useful implementation. Im so tired of having to rely on ****ty third party apps to do what my phone should out of the box. I've stopped looking at 'just in' apps, 99.5% of them are useless. I'm tired of waiting for google to update android to utilize this expensive hardware. I've got a year until my contracts up, if android hasn't got their **** together by then I'm moving my family to the iPhone. I'm sorry to many of you who read this, I really do like android, but I've been with android since the g1 and its just not good enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FFS learn to use paragraphs, Jesus Christ.
All I read was "I'm sorry to many of you who read this" -- yes, because of the eye strain
Maverick: You should really just make a thread outlining the OBJECTIVE flaws you see with the N1. You always complain, but it's never based on fact.
liam.lah said:
uhh... Cool story bro?
Anyway, everything should work in india, except google voice and maps navigation, except you can get a working(albeit limited) version from this very website. Check with your service provider for their frequencies. The original n1 is 900/2100, and a new one is out that supports 850. So find that out before you buy.
You will not be disappointed by this device.
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I know google voice won't be available but why would map navigation not work here? It works on all other phones.
Most of the 2g networks function at 900/1800 MHz and 3g at 2100 MHz. So I guess, tmo version would work fine but I can get AT&T one to get the additional 850
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
TheGeek007 said:
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
10% of your commission, and you got a deal
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
TheGeek007 said:
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, if the person wiped this and the device will not reset it when it is wiped you need to call Moto and let them know or call your Home Office and let them know. PM me what store you work for and I will try and help as best I can.
Verrrrry interesting original post...
I'm guessing Best Buy. First thing:
Move it out of the stinking netbook aisle at the very back, put it in a more prominent place, where it deserves to be. If you hide stuff like that, people aren't gonna see it, therefore they aren't gonna buy it. This should be basic stuff for a retail chain, but for some reason these types of things slip their mind. When I went to bestbuy to get my xoom, I wouldn't have even known it existed if I hadn't done some research beforehand, and the tablet was waaaaaaaaaaay in the back of the netbook section, and I mean the VERY back...last "stall" there.
As for your boss, I think he can take the hit on ONE xoom to sell many of them. Tell him that the most effective way to "ipad baby-proof" the thing is to root it and install TitaniumBackup. He probably thinks rooting means radically changing things, which currently, it doesn't. You're going to have to explain it to him, probably in baby terms if he's anything like most managers I've had, who didn't know their butt from a hole in the ground. If you put it in terms of profitability, he MAY understand.
As for cool apps, just give the sales force a demo model to play with when they're not doing anything else. Let them get to KNOW the device. When I go to buy something, it's not so important for the sales person to know what they're selling me because I already have done a ton of research, but I am not your typical customer. You're going to get a lot of people in there who aren't really that tech-savvy, so if the sales people on the floor know how to use the device, they can demo some of the cooler features to the people.
For example:
Your grandmother walks into the store, she's looking for something to use to email her grandchildren, perhaps a video chat occasionally and she wants something EASY to use, fairly inexpensive and something she's not going to have to pay the geek squad to set up. Well, right this way ma'am, I have something that would be perfect for you, <insert sales demo here>... unit sold.
Another example:
Younger person comes into the store, looking at iPads. Ask them what they're looking to do with the device. If your sales force KNOWS both the iPad and the Xoom, it's kind of a no-brainer to be able to make the best sale for the customer and isn't that what business is all about?
I rarely go into a superstore like Best Buy and find truly knowledgeable people when it comes to the latest electronics. The BestBuy in South County, Missouri lost a sale not too long ago from me because they told me I couldn't buy the Verizon Xoom off contract, which is nonsense. So I simply went to another store and bought it. Perfect example of a person not knowing what the heck they're talking about.
I realize that there are a LOT of new products out there, but it's the responsibility of the store's employees (and ultimately the store's management) to LEARN about these devices so that when people ask BASIC questions, they can answer them.
It wasn't too long ago that I attended a sales lecture at college. Younger people (age 35 and under) normally knew what they were going after when they went to buy tech, and often preferred to be left alone to fiddle with the product a bit and basically only needed help during the actual sales process (or the retrieval process if the item was locked in a secure case). People 35 and over almost universally wanted help from start to finish because their understanding of the tech wasn't always so great. To sell to that person over 35, which is going to be a sizable portion of your business, your employees need to know that device and demo what it it can do on a moment's notice.
So, to me, you've got the "location, location, location" problem and also the "knowledge, knowledge, knowledge" problem if you haven't sold any of these things yet.
Here's something you can do, which will really appeal to older folks... set up one xoom on one side of the aisle, set up another one in sight of the first, but farther away, perhaps on the other side of the aisle. When someone comes in and asks what the xoom can do, just turn on video conferencing and SHOW them how cool it is. Have your sales people be able to demo the different features.
You can also show them how much FASTER the xoom is rendering web pages than the iPad. Everyone loves to save time, irrespective of age.
Another thing the xoom does EXTREMELY well is reformatting text. It will automatically reformat the text when you zoom in on a website, to make it readable. In fact, it makes the text beautiful.
You can show them how they can have live widgets on their home-screens, and the iPad can't.
Honestly, if people knew what the xoom could do, who in the hell would buy an iPad anyway???
Motorola made a HUGE mistake with their superbowl commercial too, they didn't show what the xoom could do. Nobody is going to buy a device like this because it looks cool. Sure, that's something they think about, but that's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down their list, probably down around "what kind of towel do I need to use to clean the screen" or something. What matters most is functionality and price. If it doesn't do what I need it to do, if it doesn't enrich my life in some way, what good is it??
I guarantee you that if you gave me 10 minutes with 10 people who were going to buy an iPad, and they gave me a fair chance to demo what the xoom could do, at least 7 of those would buy the xoom instead. The number would be even higher if it was just a basic netbook buyer, because a good netbook is even MORE expensive than the xoom.
It baffles me that these things aren't FLYING off the shelves. I think that's mostly due to bad sales tactics and poor marketing. It's unfortunate too because it's such an amazing device.
Oh yeah, FLASH. iPad can't give you the web like a desktop can, but xoom can.
Didn't you say you worked at (Hint - That was easy) - Anyways when I purchased my XOOM from (Staples) it was right in the front near the registers? Had its own display with other accessories, etc. I've been in retail sales before and the only way I would imagine to make more of a push on the product is have both positive and negative reviews about the product compared to other competitors. I believe in 100% honesty and if you are straight forward with a customer and tell them the benefits and disadvantages of the unit compared to what’s on the market currently they will appreciate it. Honesty in my opinion goes a long way then any marketing gimmick a retail chain will try to implement on its staff or customer.
stevenege said:
Honestly, if the person wiped this and the device will not reset it when it is wiped you need to call Moto and let them know or call your Home Office and let them know. PM me what store you work for and I will try and help as best I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh it boots, but its missing the Books app and the music that was preloaded. Hence my problem. I guess doing a factory restore from recovery mode won't get back the music. :/
if you have a Nexus or some other phone that can do mobile hotspot on display or some phone that can do mobile hotspot, that'll be your best chance of getting internet connection. from there you can reinstall anything.
i think most of the displays i've seen failed because of the lack of internet. every ipad i've seen always had internet connection. impressed with some of the free games like Gun bros or dungeon and defenders
vkuber said:
Didn't you say you worked at (Hint - That was easy) - Anyways when I purchased my XOOM from (Staples) it was right in the front near the registers? Had its own display with other accessories, etc. I've been in retail sales before and the only way I would imagine to make more of a push on the product is have both positive and negative reviews about the product compared to other competitors. I believe in 100% honesty and if you are straight forward with a customer and tell them the benefits and disadvantages of the unit compared to what’s on the market currently they will appreciate it. Honesty in my opinion goes a long way then any marketing gimmick a retail chain will try to implement on its staff or customer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Darn! I made it too easy. ^_^
I'm very honest in my sales, I always mention its V1.0 of the software and that the apps aren't there yet. Its very hard to explain its potential without demonstrating it somehow.
And yes we have an endcap right near the registers with lots of accessories. The Xoom deserves a prominent place in our store TBH.
It really irks me, people come in to the store and in that sheepish voice ask "do you have any iPads?". By the time I say "No. But I would love to show you our android ta..." they are halfway out the door.
Still looking for a "kiosk-mode" or "kid-safe" app that locks the device settings in some way. That and apps that really bring out the Xoom's best qualities.
Hey check this out for app locking. http://htcdev.net/topic/1224-kid-mode-for-your-tablet-and-smartphone/
Sent from my HTC Incredible using XDA App
Also, I'm looking for a way to keep the device on and at full brightness 100% of the time (it will be plugged in 24/7). I know under apps/development you can keep it from powering off while charging, but that doesn't keep it bright.
I'll look into zoodle, but perhaps "kid-mode" is too much control. But its a start. Thanks. ^_^
TheGeek007 said:
Also, I'm looking for a way to keep the device on and at full brightness 100% of the time (it will be plugged in 24/7). I know under apps/development you can keep it from powering off while charging, but that doesn't keep it bright.
I'll look into zoodle, but perhaps "kid-mode" is too much control. But its a start. Thanks. ^_^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download Quick Settings (Free) from the market. Once installed, in the menu, choose customize and drag the Screen Timeout to the top area. You can set it to "Never Timeout". This appears to keep the screen from dimming, at least in the 5 minutes I tested it.
Gotta say +1 on the bad placement at best buy. They even had a whole featured section called "tablets" with the streak, galaxy, Ipad, etc. I had to ask someone if they were selling xooms. They were out (this was wifi release day) but they directed me to their demo model all the way on the other side of the store BEHIND all the computers, near the random stereo cables. Went to staples and it was front and center and in stock. Sorry BB, I came to you first and you let me down.
But forget about attracting new people to buy the xoom, put it somewhere that I can find it if I came there SPECIFICALLY for it.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
My suggestion would be putting the wallpaper of android that came preinstalled. Put games like gunbros,dungeon defenders, cordy on the center homescreen. Also gmail widget. And YouTube app is very pretty and lots of people use it and it'll be a very good bet to get people. Also, sideload Amazon appstore as well as the market on there. Picsay also is an awesome little app. Good luck.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Are you allowed to lock apps with a password? If so, there ares dozens of solutions already in the Android market:
https://market.android.com/search?q=app+password&so=1&c=apps
Just apply a password to the apps you want to protect, at least I assume its thats simple... I haven't tried these apps myself, so you'll have to experiment.
TheGeek007 said:
I'm an employee at [removed (PM me if curious)] and we are selling WiFi Xooms. We haven't sold ANY yet! I need some help and advice.
First I need to solve a problem. Some SOB uninstalled the Google Books app, and a factory restore not only didn't fix that, but it wiped the bundled in music as well! I figure I can just make a dummy account for the Xoom and reinstall the Google Books app, but I need to add music so that people can try the music app and test the speakers.
How can I put music on the Xoom so that the music app will have nice album art like before?
Second, I need a way of locking certain apps and settings IE, I need a child-proofing app. The Xoom didn't come with any kiosk software so any Apple fanboy can sabotage the tablet! I also could use a way to return the tablet to a default demo setup, just in case something does happen, like Ti Backup. (The boss says I can't root it )
Is there any app that allows me to "Lock" the settings and/or access to certain apps?
And finally, I need suggestions on apps that show off the functionality. Bonus points for things the iPad CAN'T do. I need apps that show off the power and graphics ability of the Xoom. They have to be fairly easy to use as people might open them themselves, but others I can use to quickly demonstrate features.
Also, I need apps that don't use an internet connection, as sometimes the public wi-fi goes down. That way if it does go down, I can still demonstrate the Xoom's abilities.
Help me sell Xooms and show up all those iSnobs that come into my store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quick list:
Flash (47% of all web sites have flash according to a research firm as of today)
Higher quality cameras (Many times better then the iPad 2)
Excellent battery life
A solid screen. (It might help if you turn the brightness off auto and place it at 100%)
Put it next to the ipad2's, not by netbooks. (some kind of DroidDoes-eque banner would be great, but I can understand that could be hard to get.)
A SD slot (stress that it WILL happen soon. (like may)
4G upgrade (Stress it's FREE, something the iPad 2 will never have, and that it's a hardware upgrade and will only take a matter of days)
I would load up a couple of graphically advanced games on the main home screen. (like maybe GunBros and SpeedX 3D, both of which are fun, free, good looking games)
Stress how open it is to making it individual (ease at which to customize)
If the person looks tech savy, be sure to say the boot loader is unlockable.
Stress the widescreen (16:9) over the "full screen" (4:3) iPad
Use some of the tablet optimized apps to show the multipane options. (show this next to the iPad as an OS designed for a tablet screen, not a handheld screen.)
And lastly for my list, compare the browser to the ipad browser, with tabs and a fuller experience. it earns high marks.
Hope this helped and wasn't too repeative.
(p.s. on the hole lack of books app, just go through and reinstall the apps and register with the same account as the Xoom is on.)
p.s.s. just customize it, make it look like a person uses it, not like it just came from a factory.
Another thing you can show them...
HDMI Out, with HD support. They could even do video chats on their TV (something the ipad can't do w/o an expensive add-on, and even then it doesn't look very good due to it not being HD and being in 4:3).
The ONE area where the ipad beats the xoom is standby battery. But for all that battery, you give up all the cool widgets and what makes android cool. So to me, it was a no-brainer.
If you have the authority, send a demo xoom home with your sales associates, let 'em keep it for a weekend or something so they KNOW what all they can do with it. Encourage them to play with it and do whatever they want. Once a person gets ahold of this device, they'll realize how amazing it truly is and they'll start to spread that enthusiasm to customers. I loved my android phone at first, but after a week of playing with it, I wouldn't trade it for a dozen iphones.
It's all about getting these things in peoples' hands. If they can SEE what it does, they'll want one, it's just that simple. It beats the ipad in virtually every area. When you couple that with the fact that the xoom is incredibly customizable, themeable, unlockable and the browsing experience is so much better, it's a winner of a tablet.
If they want a tablet to play the guitar, drums or some other synthesizer nonsense, then the ipad is for them. If they want to CONNECT to other people and experience the web as it's meant to be, they need the xoom.
Google maps with 3d buildings look great on zoom.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
Prepare your Xoom with Moboplayer and load it up with some movies in different formats with all different kind of subtitles (.srt, .ass (this is a subtitle format), and be sure to get some .mkv with built-in subtitles). Then choose the correct subtitle for the correct customer.
>It really irks me, people come in to the store and in that sheepish voice ask "do you have any iPads?". By the time I say "No. But I would love to show you our android ta..." they are halfway out the door.
I don't know what you can do for the Xoom, but it'd help your sales pitch by not starting with a "no."
That said, there isn't much you can do or say, other than to wait for Moto to drop its premium pricing--or until it releases the 16GB SKU at a more competitive price.
http://ubergizmo.com/2011/04/16gb-motorola-xoom-on-its-way
Most people don't want a Xoom and you can't make them.
Sent from my Captivate
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-announces-android-at-home-framework/
I understand this is a bit off topic (not directly Evo related), but I thought I'd still throw this out there because it may help me. I am working on a competitive analysis report in home automation and wanted to see if anyone had thoughts on this technology. With the announcement of [email protected], this went straight to the top of the list.
Do you think developers are excited to get their hands on this technology? Google mentions the creation of an alarm app that slowly turns the lights on to wake you up, etc. Although the company I just started working for is a few years ahead of Google in this aspect, the robustness and amount of resources available to Google has us wanting to keep a close eye on them.
I personally think that they do have potential here with these ideas, but it would require a lot of effort which they may or may not be willing to do.
I am by no means an expert in this field but what I do think Google's role in this field will be a large one. Having a big name in that arena can help propel smart home technologies in a way that is beneficial to all companies that are in sector.
I think at the end what they will bring is unity just how they did in the smart phone arena.
I'd be all for it. The more things I can eliminate and replace with my phone (which is a must-have anyway), the better.
My question is is Sony going to team up with Google Sony wanted to do this with the ps3 before it came out but I don't think it worked out so well or they cut that idea out of the plan lol
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
I am in full support of it...I love the idea and concept.
This epic reply brought to you by none other than my roxx'd out Evo.
I'd like to see this come to fruition, but I'm also intersted in what microsoft is doing with home automation. They have some pretty cool ideas that they are working with.
I could definitely see something like this being a benefit. A novel, but not entirely surprising, idea for more control / automation. +Tasker support and this could pwn.
Enviado desde mi PC36100 utilizando XDA Premium de la aplicación
teh roxxorz said:
I am in full support of it...I love the idea and concept.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree with you. I have been thinking of some great use cases that may be possible with this technology.
I like this technology idea, however I don't think it should be limited to just Android but should include iOS/Windows, etc.. and be an open spec. I think there are a few things that are stunting this technology growth which I will go over here in this long sleepy thread, which was the only one I could find on XDA in search. This highlights my first point very well.
1. Interest:
There is simply not enough interest for this technology that could be so amazingly cool. First people have to be interested in smartphones and then they also have to be interested in home automation. I have been ever since I've head of Gates's "smart house" and even before then when many of these ideas were covered in sci-fi flicks of the past.
2. Price and Practicality:
Let's face it, anyone who wants home automation right now will pay through the nose for it. This will also lock out many, I mean why pay money to turn on a light remotely when you can just walk over there and do it yourself. What practical purpose does it serve? The disabled is an obvious market that would benefit from such technology but generally most things I see for the disabled cost an arm and a leg because I think they expect people to gouge their insurance companies for the cash.
3. Implementation:
Most people are idiots and can't even figure out how to wire in a light socket, let alone a smart one where you can adjust it remotely from thousands of miles away. They would have to hire a contractor to install/upgrade things/run any wire (more secure than wireless,) etc... which also costs that money thing.
4. Fragmentation:
There are already quite a few competing technologies for home automation. x10 is probably one of the more obvious ones. That's why I say it shouldn't be [email protected], it should be [email protected] or something like that and work across as many mobile devices/computers as possible.
Why am I writing this now? Yesterday my space heater shorted out on me, so at the moment I'm using my dad's spare to keep warm. I'd like to shut it on and off when I'm not at home, specifically to turn it on 30 minutes to an hour before I get home so it's not absolutely frigid when I do. I can't find any home automated space heaters online, anywhere. These should be a thing.
Why here? I love XDA, more specifically I love the people who are developers. If an open standard were to be developed where anyone could modify hardware to work with it I'd expect you guys to come up with the most amazing stuff, especially on the phone/controller end. Also I'm hoping that when this gets big enough that the mods will give mobile home automation a separate subforum as well.
Sony had wanted to do this a long time ago I don't really seeing this going anywhere as dude above said most people can't figure half their crap out nor want to drop money in their house if everything works
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
I know cost is a bit high but I work with a supplier in this field. Name is Crestron with an app in market https://market.android.com/details?id=com.crestron.mobile.android.free that already does controllers and systems that work within a home. I work in audio visual in regards to these systems that can be controlled with a phone or touch panel. Pretty cool stuffs.
Sent from my EVO
Can you explain the difference between free and pro (for $100!) Just wondering.
There is also autom8 but the server is for windows and I use linux :/
It would be nice if there was a complete list of apps/information on this somewhere.
I haven't specifically looked at the paid vs free Creston apps, but in order for you to use the app you need to first own a Creston system. And per the point made earlier, cost is definitely a limiting factor. $100 for the app is nothing compared to the system. A good whole home Creston automation system (excluding their low end prodigy line) would probably run you over $100k. There are cheaper options out there, but cost is still a big issue which is exaggerated by the fragmentation of the industry.
I have not heard much more about Androids home automation system since the initial announcements. Since then apple has also made plans to enter the arena. Many companies have tried in the past...like ibm...but most fail. Goggle has already suspended it's energy division which is closely related to automation. It will be interesting to watch this market grow as I'm sure it will...
Yeah I remember at Google IO all the lights and stuff they showed off and said a company(forget who exactly) would have some out in the later year but this obviously never happened.
Regardless to do automation you have to change out a ton of things in the home and it gets costly like others have said. Prolly the cheapest is getting stuff like zwave devices switches and controling stuff that route.
I looked into crestron here but it was deff costly. Wouldn't be the 10k you said since my home isn't huge but it was not cheap in the very least still.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App
Yes, super expensive. But some times you can piece together the systems to get a result you'd love. Guy I work with got the main control unit for 200 bucks. Sounds expensive but its typically a ton more than that lol. Having the Ethernet version of the controller allows him to use his home network and his EVO to send out these commands like turn on tv and at same time turn on surround sound. Or when dvd player is turned on also turn on tv and dim the lights. Just little things like that.
Sent from my EVO
I think they would be do to the fact that we always want one remote for everything rather then the 4 I have now. I think they will come out with alot of things that will be pretty cool.