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I still cannot understand why the A500 is not in the top 5 tablets, rarely in the top 10. I love my a500 and I think it out beats any other tab. It has all the ports you need, its fast, just as fast as an overclocked Xoom or G-tab, and it cant be overclocked yet!!!!!! Wait till the new kernal comes out! But so far the Xoom, Eee Pad, Playbook and Galaxy 10.1 are always beating it. The A500 has all the features of all these tablets combined. The Xoom sd doesnt work and no usb port, same with the Eee pad, Galaxy has not ports at all (damn you apple for influencing such a stupid idea)! and the playbook is half the size and lacks everything, more like a big phone. It might be heavier (by an arm tearing, wrist breaking, cardio session .25lb) than all these tabs but who cares if you get all the ports, cameras gps, gyroscope, accelerometer and compass.
Why is the Acer not acknowledged for what it has?! I think it is the king right now.
What do you guys think?
I think all the tabs are good to some extent, but it seems the A500 always takes a hit on wieght and the screen. I personally love mine. I have no issues with the videos I have watched and as for speed, I think it is on par to the rest. The reviews that lump the PlayBook and iPad2 in with the android pads are not fair. They are not the same class of tab. Completely different OS. If I was a business man using a Blackberry phone, I would have chose the PlayBook. They play well together because the PlayBook was designed that way. If I want to play a few games, surf the WEB, read a book, or friend then I would choose an iPad or the Galaxey 10.1.
That is not what I wanted. I wanted the flexability to expand and use periferials without a special cable, adapter or such, so I chose the Acer A500 and am quite pleased with it. I with all the useres would quite bashing the other tabs. Each like what they like for what ever reason they like it. No different here. Next year the next great tab will come out. For now, for me, it is the A500. I do not need to defend my decision. It is mine.
Happy tabbing.
I do love mine too, and sincerely, I don´t care to top lists or trendings.
I used to have an iPhone 4, never got used to it. I never got the concept of missing a home screen, the need of iTunes and a lot of other details.
Anyway, if you are happy with your tablet, ignore those lists. It´s your opinion that matters to yourself, period.
I don't know, I just love this fat bus****!
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I ve had the xoom for 10 days i got the sd to work and upgraded to 3.1
the build is quite nice but for the price and the lack of usb i returned it for an a500 and am loving it... Go acer
I for one don't know or care why the Acer is rated so low. I did quite a bit of reading and research before I got mine and compared to the other tablets I was looking at, it had the most features and a really good screen. With the possible exception of the Toshiba tablet which isn't even out yet the Acer has the most bang for my hard earned buck. My one complaint and its a small one is the lack of accessories. I do like me some accessories.
karlkarloff said:
I for one don't know or care why the Acer is rated so low. I did quite a bit of reading and research before I got mine and compared to the other tablets I was looking at, it had the most features and a really good screen. With the possible exception of the Toshiba tablet which isn't even out yet the Acer has the most bang for my hard earned buck. My one complaint and its a small one is the lack of accessories. I do like me some accessories.
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What accessories do you want? You have a case, docking station, screen protector, HDI cable and a pethra of USB items that you can attach. Way more than most of the other tabs on the market. The after market seems to be getting on the band wagon too. Won't be long until you will find anything you are looking for.
maybe some hardcase angrybird, or diamond cover stuff...
hahaha
Actually I will do prefer have more "case, cover" choices, not just a sad black leather things....
but
I have to say
WEIGHT should not be taken as a bad point... for me it's a better point I do love feel what I have in the hand.
i think its just because of the brand...
come on, acer vs apple vs samsung vs motorola
this is all about brand, you know 80% of people in this world are branded mind...
There was an article on Cnet yesterday that says Acer is vieing for the number two spot in the tablet market right now.
http://m.cnet.com/Article.rbml?nid=20073055&cid=null&bcid=&bid=-64
Search for top android tablets on cnet.......a500 is at 5th position....and in the specs.....the ram is given as ddr3...!
Sent from my XT720 using XDA App
Isn't the Xoom barely thinner and the same weight anyway?
Either way i'm happy with my device, and that's really all that matters. Even though some of the others may look nicer and be thinner/lighter, it's not worth the price premium imo.
Xoom has a very poor build, like anything moto.
Either way guys ,perhaps you haven't noticed the price on the Iconia.
Corners have been cut where they've not been strictly essential, eg. no divx support (codec) and especially no ads. This thing hs been available right from the start in my country (some hell hole on the border of the EU) where things always come in last.
If there were no ads, I imagine tech sites like engadget haven't been paid to make a proper review (no, they don't do them for passion for technology, only for cash or when a product reaches critical hype)
That being said, this is a product for the tech savvy who don't get a device just because of the hype. I like my device cheaper and less advertised, thank you.
Bec07 said:
Xoom has a very poor build, like anything moto.
Either way guys ,perhaps you haven't noticed the price on the Iconia.
Corners have been cut where they've not been strictly essential, eg. no divx support (codec) and especially no ads. This thing hs been available right from the start in my country (some hell hole on the border of the EU) where things always come in last.
If there were no ads, I imagine tech sites like engadget haven't been paid to make a proper review (no, they don't do them for passion for technology, only for cash or when a product reaches critical hype)
That being said, this is a product for the tech savvy who don't get a device just because of the hype. I like my device cheaper and less advertised, thank you.
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Omg I want a LIKE Button for can LIKE this post !!!!
I have a Xoom WiFi only. What an amazing peice of kit. But it's crippled by the fact that Motorola or Google or whoever can't actually use the devices they make. I'm almost ready to throw mine in the bin it's so unusable.
- I had hoped I could use my Xoom on site rather than run round with my laptop, except I can't get files onto and off it easily. SyncToy won't play ball. I don't want to have to manually drag and drop each file in turn. Waste of time.
- Bluetooth and WiFi file transfer is just a missed opportunity
- SD card doesn't work
- Can't print reliably
- Simple features that are present on my HTC Desire are missing, like scheduling peak times for email polling so the wife doesn't get woken up at three in the morning if I forget to turn it off.
- Stupid stupid stupid stupid charger. No USB charging, which is supposed to be the universal standard. The charger is huge and the connector is so thin it'll break the first time someone trips over the cable.
- The Motorola Folio case is uggggggggly. Have these people not seen the Smart Cover for the iPad?
- I can stand the Xoom up in the folio case, but I can't charge it, because the charger connector is on the bottom. A poor attempt to get me to fork out more money for the charging dock I assume.
- Word, Excel etc, sort of work, but if you have headers and footers or anything like an automated spreadsheet, it ain't gonna work properly on Docs to Go or anything else for that matter. Good God, do these people not use the World's most dominant software?
It's great for games, and stuff though, but you CANNOT use it as a business tool; you'll spend all the time you were hoping to save in wrestling with the bloody thing.
The moral? Don't be an early(ish) adopter - I thought 6 months would be enough for Motorola to have this sorted.
TL;DR?
Rant over.
Sdcard is readable in 3.2 or u can simply root to make it fully usable
Usb charging is slow. The charger makes us can let our xoom fully charged super quiclly
The case for many ppl is nice
My bro bought it for business n he is quite happy with it
Have a lager and calm down, friend. I feel your pain.
However, you can save yourself a lot of grief by understanding that no matter what the marketing people say, a tablet is not a full laptop replacement yet, not even the iPad. You need to make some compromises if you intend to make full use of your Xoom while on the job.
First of all, lets discuss the charger. Moto opted not to allow the device to trickle charge simple because it would take far to long to fill the battery via a standard USB cable. Therefore they went for the dedicated charger which was a good choice under the circumstances. I agree I have worries to about the very thin connector, but they were working hard not to make the device too thick. THus far I have not brought the charger to the office because I have not had to charge the Xoom except for overnight. The battery can make it through a day pretty easily, so feel free to leave the charger behind and see how you do.
Next, Office apps. I agree, they are limited and are the same on pretty much every non-laptop you will try to work on. Key features are missing, other features work strangely...it gets ugly out there. Therefore, I try to restrict my Office app work on the Xoom to reading and making notes. I wouldn't try to actually create a document on the Xoom at this point, unless it was very short and/or I would be able to edit on my laptop later. I use the Polaris app that was provided with the Asus Transformer, which you should be able to find in the Xoom Apps forum here, and it actually does pretty well.
I have had good luck with Bluetooth transferring files, but it can take a while. You should try using the OTG connector in conjunction with a flash drive for larger files. It adds a step in the transfer but it works perfectly for me.
The folio case? I agree, ugly as sin. Therefore I go without a case during use since I really like the looks of the Xoom anyway. I put it into an iPad Exo Sleevecase from Waterfield (great company, great case) before putting it in my gear bag and it does just fine.
The Xoom is a fine business tool in my opinion, it just has its limitations. All tablets currently available are still at the stage where you are best off thinking of them as an extension of your laptop or desktop computer, not the whole shebang. Use it for the tasks it is suited for, and be creative with how you apply it to those tasks which are a bit beyond a tablet's skillset at the moment.
Remember, we went through a decade of clunky, useless TabletPCs before we suddenly had a burst of innovation (thanks Apple) to get to this point in mobile computing. We are still at the early stages...just think where we will be in a couple years. THAT is when tablets will really shine, and at the moment you are ahead of the curve, devising business use cases for tablets out of sheer necessity. That is not a bad place to be.
rschenck said:
Have a lager and calm down, friend. I feel your pain.
However, you can save yourself a lot of grief by understanding that no matter what the marketing people say, a tablet is not a full laptop replacement yet, not even the iPad. You need to make some compromises if you intend to make full use of your Xoom while on the job.
First of all, lets discuss the charger. Moto opted not to allow the device to trickle charge simple because it would take far to long to fill the battery via a standard USB cable. Therefore they went for the dedicated charger which was a good choice under the circumstances. I agree I have worries to about the very thin connector, but they were working hard not to make the device too thick. THus far I have not brought the charger to the office because I have not had to charge the Xoom except for overnight. The battery can make it through a day pretty easily, so feel free to leave the charger behind and see how you do.
Next, Office apps. I agree, they are limited and are the same on pretty much every non-laptop you will try to work on. Key features are missing, other features work strangely...it gets ugly out there. Therefore, I try to restrict my Office app work on the Xoom to reading and making notes. I wouldn't try to actually create a document on the Xoom at this point, unless it was very short and/or I would be able to edit on my laptop later. I use the Polaris app that was provided with the Asus Transformer, which you should be able to find in the Xoom Apps forum here, and it actually does pretty well.
I have had good luck with Bluetooth transferring files, but it can take a while. You should try using the OTG connector in conjunction with a flash drive for larger files. It adds a step in the transfer but it works perfectly for me.
The folio case? I agree, ugly as sin. Therefore I go without a case during use since I really like the looks of the Xoom anyway. I put it into an iPad Exo Sleevecase from Waterfield (great company, great case) before putting it in my gear bag and it does just fine.
The Xoom is a fine business tool in my opinion, it just has its limitations. All tablets currently available are still at the stage where you are best off thinking of them as an extension of your laptop or desktop computer, not the whole shebang. Use it for the tasks it is suited for, and be creative with how you apply it to those tasks which are a bit beyond a tablet's skillset at the moment.
Remember, we went through a decade of clunky, useless TabletPCs before we suddenly had a burst of innovation (thanks Apple) to get to this point in mobile computing. We are still at the early stages...just think where we will be in a couple years. THAT is when tablets will really shine, and at the moment you are ahead of the curve, devising business use cases for tablets out of sheer necessity. That is not a bad place to be.
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I have found the Xoom to be a great substitute for a laptop out in the field. I just email the files to my work pc, or use my Passport HDD or thumb drive to save...I use dropbox for some non-secure files. Cloud print works fine if you run Chrome on your pc. My work network is locked down tight but I use Splashtop HD to sync with and remotely access my home pc, so I can use full MS Word, Excel, PP etc. I use my Moto BT keyboard and an MS BT mouse if I need do do intensive writing/editing, otherwise Tablet Keyboard Pro or FlexT9 work great. I have the WiFi only Xoom but use my Clear 4G mifi hotspot for connectivity most places I need to be.
This can work. Rooting helps--gives you a few more tools. The battery life is great, especially if you set your screen to minimum necessary brightness and set a battery-saving screen-off profile in SetCPU.
Ok, I will admit that Xoom(as with many android devices) has some bugs to work out, but Android 3.2 has done a lot of fixes that you are talking about....And as for stuff like file managers it matters what one u use.
Some good responses here, I have been on a couple of business trips and left the laptop at home, taking just the Xoom. Sync with and use of Exchange email is brilliant (as it should be). What I had hoped to be able to do is modify spreadsheets while walking round sites, I have some great Excel sheets with drop downs and the like but that is not going to be happening any time soon.
I have found Memento, a great database app that will be my work around for this, but I shouldn't be working around...
I included the iPad in the "tablet computing is sucky" title.
My issue with Bluetooth, a technology that has been with us for years, is that it insists on asking me to OK every file - if I take 100 photos on a site survey, I want them to come over to my laptop with one approval, not 100. It can take a hour, that's fine, just stop asking me if it's OK...This has been a problem for as long as I have been using a smartphone (except my Nokia N73, that had great Bluetooth.)
My frustration remains that I have been able to see the potential of mobile computing and now we have powerful enough devices to deliver it, but the software just isn't there - as usual its the back room hobbyists providing the real world solutions, the paid for software falls very short of the mark.
You talk of 3.2, I have a work device so rooting is not possible and Motorola don't seem in any rush to update me. Any ideas?
66mustang said:
Some good responses here, I have been on a couple of business trips and left the laptop at home, taking just the Xoom. Sync with and use of Exchange email is brilliant (as it should be). What I had hoped to be able to do is modify spreadsheets while walking round sites, I have some great Excel sheets with drop downs and the like but that is not going to be happening any time soon.
I have found Memento, a great database app that will be my work around for this, but I shouldn't be working around...
I included the iPad in the "tablet computing is sucky" title.
My issue with Bluetooth, a technology that has been with us for years, is that it insists on asking me to OK every file - if I take 100 photos on a site survey, I want them to come over to my laptop with one approval, not 100. It can take a hour, that's fine, just stop asking me if it's OK...This has been a problem for as long as I have been using a smartphone (except my Nokia N73, that had great Bluetooth.)
My frustration remains that I have been able to see the potential of mobile computing and now we have powerful enough devices to deliver it, but the software just isn't there - as usual its the back room hobbyists providing the real world solutions, the paid for software falls very short of the mark.
You talk of 3.2, I have a work device so rooting is not possible and Motorola don't seem in any rush to update me. Any ideas?
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If you're taking pictures with your xoom, have it connected to a network (via a wifi network or phone tethering) you can use the auto upload feature that google+ has. That way you can access those pictures on your laptop as well by going to your google+ account.
I love my Xoom, even if my love for Motorola is waning, but I do have to agree to a point.
When I bought the thing, I had dreams of an all-in-one device... something that I could use as a laptop replacement but that I could also use to make phone calls.
Well, I can make phone calls using GrooveIP, but I would be lying if I said I was satisfied with this solution. GrooveIP works fine but generally kicks me out of Google Talk, which is pretty annoying given that I communicate more through chat than phone calls, so keeping it resident makes chat iffy. And speaking of GrooveIP, what's going on with the official Google Voice app for Honeycomb? I never imagined it would take Google so long to get it released.
The result? I finally decided to give up the dream and buy a new phone.
In a lot of ways, the Xoom has replaced my laptop for web surfing, but it doesn't make for a great word processor. I've purchased a few of the word processing apps available for Android, and they really aren't that great and lack key features such as auto-save. I still think that Google's official Google Docs app is the best of all available word processor apps, but even it is really mediocre on the Xoom. I think I gave it three stars in the market, and that might be one star too generous. I dislike Apple greatly, but iWork on the iPad is superior to anything available for Honeycomb. A native Google Docs Honeycomb app that doesn't rely on WebKit would be absolutely killer.
I still use my Xoom for most of my word processing, but it is a less than perfect solution. I love the size, and the tablet+bluetooth keyboard are still much more lightweight than my laptop, which makes them a more ideal travel companion. In fact, these days, the Xoom has replaced my laptop for about 85% of all my tasks, but it's still not a true laptop replacement.
I think it was unrealistic of me to expect my Xoom to be anything other than a tablet.
The first mistake was expecting it to replace your laptop + be productive as a business tool from the day you purchased it. Some things you mentioned the iPad 2 can't even do so it is what it is man.....
BUT if you use your xoom for play and your laptop for work then you won't have to worry about being stuck on your laptop charger all day long.
66mustang said:
- I can stand the Xoom up in the folio case, but I can't charge it, because the charger connector is on the bottom. A poor attempt to get me to fork out more money for the charging dock I assume.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easy solution: turn the Xoom upside down. There is no dedicated button, dedicated top or bottom for most applications. In that case power connection is in the top, easy to charge, easy to work on the tablel. Xoom works well for me as a laptop replacement.
I won't get into a long explanation as to why uninformed people should not be posting such a thread. Here is what I will say:
True... tablets cannot fully replace a laptop or PC just yet in terms of raw power, RAM, graphics, gaming, or features. Windows has been an OS for computers for a loooong time now. Honeycomb for tablets has not been around for that long. There is a HUGE difference between a tablet, and a desktop/laptop. I'll make this very clear for you so that it's easy to understand:
[Words of wisdom]
A desktop is a powerful computer that is meant to stay in one place at all times, a laptop is less powerful desktop computer that is portable, meanwhile a tablet is essentially an even more portable laptop with less power. It's not supposed to fully replace a computer in the first place, but rather work right along side it instead. Thus, one should not say tablet computing is "sucky". Apples and bananas as they say... cannot be compared. Don't even attempt to do such a thing.
[/End Words of wisdom]
Tablets are catching up fast in terms of overall specs to match computers, it's very impressive. They are currently working on beast quad core tablets. That's a lot of power for a small lightweight device.
Re: Charging - The Xoom uses a 7.4V/24.1Whr battery, so can't use USB charging which is only 5V. The iPad2 has a 3.8V/25Whr battery, so it can. (All current HC tabs AFAIK use 7.4V batt.)
The iPad2's USB wall-wart is 5V/2A, and users report it takes 3-4 hrs for a full charge. Based on this, charging from a PC's 5V/0.5A USB port would take a long time (charge time isn't linear to current level, but we're simplifying). So practically, you'd still have to lug along an AC charger for the iPad, although PC charging exists as an emergency measure.
Re: Charge adapter - Moto Mobo is a phone vendor. The Xoom is its first tablet, and it's likely that some components were common-sourced from existing phone parts. The smallish charge adapter plug is likely one. Ergonomic issues should be ironed out for the Xoom2, which undoubtedly will be thinner and lighter.
Re: Tablet as productivity device - It'd be interesting to see how much app support ICS gets, as HC didn't get much love from devs, or consumers for that matter. The major thrusts for ICS are phone+tablet convergence and cloud computing, at least as inferred from Google I/O '11. Productivity wasn't mentioned. It'd be a step up for Gbread phones, but I don't see a big improvement for current HC users.
On the flip side, if ICS is indeed incremental, then it should be here relatively soon after 3.2. My SWAG says Oct, which would be enough time for holiday shopping. If true, vendors would likely hold their 2nd-gen tablet offerings until that time. Else, we'll see the second wave starting in Sept. Moto's Xoom2 will serve as a bellwether.
Speaking of the Xoom2, my money is on it having the TI OMAP 4460, with the 7" probably using the 4430. Both are a big step up from the Tegra 2 wrt multimedia support, and the 4460's 1.5GHz speed will make for easy marketing pitch ("it's 50% faster!"). Pricing will likely be the same as current, ie USD$500 for 32GB wifi base model, and probably $400 for the 7".
I bought a really expensive power drill but it's terrible at hammering nails and useless for painting my walls.
I'm mad and posting about it.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
hi_its_ryan said:
I bought a really expensive power drill but it's terrible at hammering nails and useless for painting my walls.
I'm mad and posting about it.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
lol, did u try applying the paint to the drill before using it on ur wall
hi_its_ryan said:
I bought a really expensive power drill but it's terrible at hammering nails and useless for painting my walls.
I'm mad and posting about it.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
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+1 +1 +1 +1 +1
I think a tablet pc would be great OP?
my fav part of the gripe is about not using the worlds most dominant microsoft software... Of course they are not going to use it... Microsoft competes with android... Its the same as crying that your iphone cant run flash or windows programs...
I know it sucks but a tab is not a direct replacement for a laptop just yet... Theres a lot of ways to get around some of your gripes.. Like dropbox app for posting and syncing all your files to all your devices.. Docs to go.. It aint perfect but it helps... Etc...
My only gripe where I agree with the OP is the charger and not being able to charge when in the folio case...but when you consider that the battery lasts at least 24 hours with normal usage it's really not s big deal. I can get a good 5 work days when I use it to stream Pandora or Slacker over WiFi without needing to recharge.
Remote control your PC from your tablet. Then you have the best of both worlds.
brandogg said:
My only gripe where I agree with the OP is the charger and not being able to charge when in the folio case...but when you consider that the battery lasts at least 24 hours with normal usage it's really not s big deal. I can get a good 5 work days when I use it to stream Pandora or Slacker over WiFi without needing to recharge.
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Click to collapse
Umm... someone already mentioned it, but... there is NOT a "correct" way to hold the Xoom, or any Honeycomb tablet for that matter. The soft keys are located on the screen itself, and will follow the screen when rotated, meaning you can hold it any way you want. Just unlock the screen rotation option, and then rotate the Xoom to position the charging port to the way that fits your needs. That is what sets Honeycomb apart from the rest. If the OP has this "complaint" he should think again before opening his mouth. It's called rotation... it's a feature. The Honeycomb developers want you to hold and position your tablet however you wish, not force you to hold it one way. Look it up, or better yet... use it.
its interesting to see the posts we have here...
personally i think a tablet is pretty close to becoming a laptop replacement... for some...
now... my laptop at the moment will probably crush many many desktops out there by a long shot (i definitely moved from desktops 5 years ago) but in saying that my battery life is HORRIBLE... i cant even go through 1 class and my charger is the size of a house brick lol but personally i love how i could whizz through a thousand, tabs, programs, music whatever with not one instance of lag and it dual boots like a boss and the 18 inch screen is amazing..
my xoom i bought it to hopefully be able to replace the aspect of taking my laptop to uni as we have alot of classes with just a powerpoint and we can type our own stuff from there (i just received my hk cheapo folio keyboard case today; as i dont see paying $50+ for one with a wire i would have preferred a bluetooth with trackpad or something) and i think im going to try and leave my laptop at home next time.. i agree the word compatible apps are sometimes uses, i cant find one where i can edit the notes section of a powerpoint but what i would really love is too have 2 programs open side by side on the one screen as this would be even easier to multitask but i will be finished uni before these will be met and then simply put my needs now/future are minimal in the 'business' area.. but this will NEVER replace a laptop for me im on it everyday for 6+ hours easy and the necessity for ease of access, large screen, etc for me negate the tablet switch for sometime if at all
for those who require specified proprietary programs your needs may never be met and if so they may only be met in the apple arena for sometime to come.. apple is the in thing at the moment and for the average joe as we all know cant understand alot of techno-babble (this may be a good argument for proprietary stuff to come out on the more tech android, but in business there are alot of people with their head in the sand)..
as for the OP i say this...
1. really consider rooting/flashing a custom rom you can always revert back to stock for warranty (i purchased mine overseas so i have NO warranty, im a poor uni student and saved for mine and honestly it was cheaper than my phone but yeh)
2. get an OTG cable (i got mine for $3 from hk) and use your flash drive for everything you want from the tablet/computer transfers (get a 32gb if you really need a large one).. that will remove alot of file transfer issues with bluetooth, etc and if you need to have constant backups then copy the file to the sdcard of the xoom to be super safe
3. have a better look in the area of printing.. i can wirelessly print from my android devices and they come out great (not good for photos) but documents come out pretty clear
4. burn the folio case, dance around it and move on try something else (if so inclined lol)...
5. the battery life is awesome.. absolutely awesome... i can go 2 full days without charge and using it all day on the train, music, wifi, internet.. bla bla
sorry for being long
I have read several articles about "junk", bad video, and what ever, complaints about the Iconia, and decided to add my 2 cents worth.
I have been personal computing since the early 1980s. I was on the internet before the world wide web, and started using the www when command prompts were the norm and things like gopher were being used. I've used every version of msdos and all versions of windows except 8.
I have two desktops, one portable, one netbook, and the Iconia. Which computer do I use the most. The simple answer is the A500. The more complex is the one that best suits the job I have to do. If I'm doing photo or video work it's my best desktop, at the moment it's my portable. If I were not typing it would probably be the a500. The real point is I don't use my tablet for something it was not designed to do.
The other side of my computing experience has been the small computer. I don't remember which came first, the Springboard,Palm variant, or the Microsoft with and early version of a portable widows. It seems like a long time ago but I bought the Springboard in 2001 and It cost more than the A500. The Microsoft machine had a wider screen which was great, but the screen was almost unreadable. Both used a stylus and phone modems. I always wanted a good book reader. Neither worked that well. The small amount of material on screen means a lot of page turning and page turning delays just disrupts the flow of reading. I also had a sony reader that used disks. In good light reading was okay, but disk access and page turning was terrible, and sony did not support it for very long. Microsoft didn't support their computer either.
Next came the Itouch. Back light and color WOW. It also had WIFI and a web browser. I used it a lot, and my wife loves to play angry birds on it. This was my first real experience with ITunes and Apple. I did not like the way Apple ties you down to their way and I do not own a piece of software that gets updated as much a Itunes does. In fact I just got another update notice while typing in this post. I would not have it on the computer if it were not fore the Itouch. Reading with the Itouch was a far better experience than anything else I've used but page turning so often still is a hassle.
Then came BN and the nook with color touch area at the bottom. Now reading was an all together new experience and the size is great. But, I happened to be in my local BN and someone had not bought their pre order Nook Color. I jumped and have had it over a year now. Biggest problem, BN throttled the NC down worse than apple. I rooted as soon as It came available. A rooted nook color has been the very best at what I wanted in a small computer. I soon learned that the color screen did not bother my reading, and I could go browsing when ever I wanted, plus Overdrive a library loan application worked as well. I could download both audio and epub books from my local library. No need for BN at all.
Audio playback is not great and sound volume sucks. I had to use earphones to listen to anything. So what is my book reader, book playback, browser now? My Acer Iconia.
My most used computer for almost everything I like to do on the computer is my Iconia. And it does these thing very well. A much bigger screen for browsing. The sound is good and volume is high enough not to have to use earphones all the time. Screen data is almost too much for my normal reading, but with apps like Cool Reader I can set up the reader just like I want it, down to the ability to set touch zones just the way I want them. The Acer book reader Lumaread is better than most.
The Acer is somewhat tied down but not bad enough for me to bother rooting, and I have found plenty of good apps from market for my needs. I don't know if I'll root or not.
I don't know, at this point, if I were standing at Best Buy with $700 that this is the tablet I would buy. I got a deal from my daughter when she found out I was looking for a tablet and she was not happy with the tablet, because she social networks a lot and likes to have a keyboard. The point is that the acer is half this not existent $700. I would do just about anything not to buy an Apple and the remaining options are not that many.
My first problem was the wt. I lay in bed and read and like to move around and keep reading. Kind of paperback mode. The slippery skin and shape is not that great for my way reading. It is heavier than some of the tablets but only 1/3 lb. more than the Ipad2, and less than others.
It has a good selection of ports. The full usb lets me use usb mem and I have a 80 gig batt. operated hard drive that works just fine. Fat 32 format. USB keyboard and mouse works. The mouse driver is new to honeycomb.
I had a little trouble getting a HDMI cord but got one for 12 bucks from fry's and the picture looks great on my tv. I don't understand the video complaints. Netflix works great and looks just fine to me. As I understand it, this was an early complaint in reviews and was fixed with honycomb updates. On early review said angry birds was jumpy, but I don't see it and I think that is also due to honeycomb updates. Outside in the sun the display is not very good but is fine in my car with tinted windows. I don't know why there is not more manual control for the screen. Contrast control would be great. I don't know if this is a problem with acer or android.
Battery times are not that big of issue for me. I always travel with inverter and can charge it up at anytime. Even though the volatage is 12v the plug seem to be smaller than standard plugs and I have not found one that works.
I rotate browsers but the standard browser works fine and sometimes works when others don't seem to want to display a page correctly.
I believe it has all the normal sensors and gps seems to work fine.
I have not had any wifi problems. I have not traveled that much with it yet so I don't know about starbucks and Mac, but I expect those will work fine.
I have three acer computers. Portable, netbook, and know tablet and they all work fine.
So the Iconia has met my needs in the middle. I think I prefer the NC size for book reading. And I sort of regret trading it to my daughter, but all in all I'm very happy with A500 and I don't regret getting it. What about that $700, well I just might walk out with Acer anyway and get a several new tools in the process.
Woody
Damn Dude, that's more like a buck and a half's worth, instead of 2 cents.
Walls of text are never pleasant to read, next time break it up into smaller, coherent parts.
Loved your review. Love my A500.
Sent from my A500 using xda premium
WereCatf said:
Walls of text are never pleasant to read, next time break it up into smaller, coherent parts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't read it then.
Sent from my A100 using xda premium
qhinton said:
Don't read it then.
Sent from my A100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doubt they did, most people don't complain about length and read it. He did have paragraphs, that breaks it up. but it was old school
qhinton said:
Don't read it then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I skimmed through it. But my comment was merely provided as constructive criticism to him should he decide to write as much again sometime in the future, not as an insult: it'll be more pleasant for people to read if it's broken up in smaller, coherent pieces and the author doesn't just jump from one thing to the next like he had ADHD.
Being able to accept constructive criticism and improve yourself and/or your behaviour based on that is a terribly useful and positive trait and can even make or break you getting that long-wished-for promotion or job offer.
That said I am not commenting on the content of the OP's post, only the presentation.
Thanks for the in depth thoughts. I don't agree with some of it but we all have our personal requirements as to what works best for us.
It sounds like you are in the same boat as many of us what with a multitude of decent but not fantastic products out there but you have to remember we are still at the dawn/infancy of these devices and they WILL get better. No one tablet is best, rather they are all a set of choices and compromises which is good for the consumer since that leaves a lot of choices out there. That's good.
You have the disadvantage of not shopping for it, rather you got it from your daughter so you didn't even get to choose the compromises you'd be OK accepting. You might have chosen something different but give the A500 a fighting chance (sounds like you are doing that) and I think you'll be fine with it.
I had no problems with your formatting by the way. Type however you feel is best and I'll cope! TYPE IN ALL CAPS IF YOU WANT. I can handle it.
Sounds like your computer experience is similar to mine though I started dabbling in the late 70's and early 80s and on through today. Way to stick with it. Technology is cool.
One suggestion - if you have issues with the A500 slipping out of your hands, consider getting the Zagg full body protection. It's a "skin" you apply to all sides of the tablet and is somewhat rubbery. It makes it a LOT less slippery.
Good luck and thanks for the review.
And if you plan to hangout at McDonalds to use the free wifi, I would advise an app called "KillWifi". It's a nice diagnostic tool allowing to teach a lesson to those pesky Apple "Homesteaders" sucking up all the bandwidth.
Moscow Desire said:
And if you plan to hangout at McDonalds to use the free wifi, I would advise an app called "KillWifi". It's a nice diagnostic tool allowing to teach a lesson to those pesky Apple "Homesteaders" sucking up all the bandwidth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have no right to decide who gets to use the bandwidth and who doesn't. Only selfish douchebags would do what you're advising. Not to mention that it's incredibly childish to annoy other people only because of what device they happen to use, that's like denying you Internet connection because you're wearing a wrong shirt.
Thanks very much for you review. I hope that I will also happy with my coming a500 . Nothing is perfect, but we can learn to be happy with it. Regretting is not good for your health .
Next time, I think you should consider double linefeed (enter) to make things easier to read.
WereCatf said:
You have no right to decide who gets to use the bandwidth and who doesn't. Only selfish douchebags would do what you're advising. Not to mention that it's incredibly childish to annoy other people only because of what device they happen to use, that's like denying you Internet connection because you're wearing a wrong shirt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, but it's like wearing a $250 ed hardy tshirt with the dragons and ****, and I would certainly approve of anything to annoy them
Thanks for the suggestions on formatting. I didn't mean for the post to be that long, just got away from me. "typical"
Sent from my A500 using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
Hi everyone
I am considering a smart watch for multiple reasons but mainly so i know when somebody calls me at work.. must say though I LOVE customizations like everyone else on XDA
I have researched up on the following three watches
sony smartwatch
motorola motoactv
i'm watch
all three of these watches are nice and have their ups and downs.
i loved the motoactv because of its customizations however after reading up on the size of the actual thing i was a little more sceptical about it!
my wrist is not the biggest at about 47mm.. the motoactv is 46mm and quite bulky from the images and wanted to know what people think about its size. the i'm watch is a little bigger than the motoactv and bulkier however it is curved.. what do you guys think of that? the sony smartwatch would seem to be the best option thanks to its slick design and size however its functionality makes it more of a half smartwatch.
what do you guys think would suite my needs and wrist size? what are your opinions on the watches and what do you have and why did you pick it?
Just to say the pebble watch does not interest me because it lacks rich functionality.. i use whatsapp.. phone.. sms.. calendar.. music as my core apps and i would expect most of these on the watch (understand if whatsapp is not useable as long as there is notification)
Motoactv is my choice.
Yeah, it's kind of big, and my wrist is tiny, like girls wrist tiny. I personally don't give a crap about the looks, and it never feels in the way or like it's weighing me down, in fact I forget I'm wearing it sometimes.
The very few people that actually do make a comment or a little joke about the size have always eaten their words when I either show them or tell them what it does. And I work at a building supply store, so if anyone would think it was dorky it would be them. Yet they still always leave blown away, or asking where to get one.
I mean sure, sometimes I wished it was curved slightly to fit my wrist a little better, but out of all the smart watches out there currently this one is definitely the most capable.
Yeah I get where you're coming from.. functionality wise you don't have to take your phone out of your pocket! The only reason I am considering the sony smartwatch is because it is a size my wrist can cope with.. is there something out there like the motoactv but more ergonomic and a tad smaller or landscape?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
aadil7 said:
Yeah I get where you're coming from.. functionality wise you don't have to take your phone out of your pocket! The only reason I am considering the sony smartwatch is because it is a size my wrist can cope with.. is there something out there like the motoactv but more ergonomic and a tad smaller or landscape?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, at least not one as functional. All the smaller ones don't do anything by themselves but tell time. Out of the 4 you can get that run full fledged Android and as such can perform as independent Android devices, the Motoactv beats them all for me.
The other three being:
WIMM One - developmentally dead, uglier than the motoctv, lower res screen, and was never able to be modified to use as a full android device. Good CPU and RAM though, and always-on screen is nice
I'm Watch - Looks nice but lacks wifi, slow CPU and little RAM, no hardware buttons and Android 1.6 limit app compatibility
Z1 Smartwatch - A fully functioning watch Smart phone with cell radio, but MASSIVE, way bigger than the Motoactv, also very slow CPU and little RAM
Hmm I see thanks for that.. being able to use android on your wrist is an amazin pheat however I am still contemplating my uses for the device.. its a real shame I cannot see these in person.. that would greatly help!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
I honestly dont think this market has been struck with THE device of all devices just yet.. in the neptune pine I see the future
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
aadil7 said:
Hmm I see thanks for that.. being able to use android on your wrist is an amazin pheat however I am still contemplating my uses for the device.. its a real shame I cannot see these in person.. that would greatly help!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I like about it, customization. I can change SO many things on my Motoactv to make it mine. I mean, a plethora of clock widgets, wallpapers (static or live), custom lock screen with apps like widget locker, calender widgets (DAMN handy on a watch), and apps. Oh man apps. I've installed a notepad with widget support, awesome for reminders or other things. Also a calculator (reminds me of the old casio watches), Poweramp for an amazing music player with custom equalizer, Gameboy emulator for simple RPG games, MXPlayer for videos...I can make my watch essentially what I want it to be, thanks to the nature of Android.
I've got videos of it on Youtube if you're interested. Just search my username, it's the same as on here.
My smartwatch comparison
Feel free to check out all the stats there. MotoACTV for my vote of course.
imho... at $18 with free shipping on ebay, the sony liveview mn800 (NOT THE SMARTWATCH)
is badass! it's tiny, sips power, can run all day, runs standard CHIBIOS RTOS on oled screen.
There's a custom firmware/rom functioning and under active development; an OPEN source app manager for the phone; an official app from Sony still being updated... tons of support and devs. Over 50 plugin apps available at the moment. AND liveview takes standard micro usb power so no proprietary cables and chargers.... use your phone charger if you must.
I agree it's not anywhere near the power of the motoactv (which is my second favorite but good luck finding motoactv below $160ish !almost 10 times as much!) and while it does have a degree of independence and I LOVE that it runs fullblown android... it's wifi/bt only ... so for most things you are still tethered to phone anyway. And it's mini usb... so plan on carrying around an additional adapter or charger.
Liveview is tiny, extensible, and dirt cheap and universal.
imho that's hard to beat!
if motoactv comes down to $80 I'll reassess.
---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:00 PM ----------
I want the motoactv... I lust after it.
BUT. It's discontinued. Before sinking close to $200 and then more on the accessories in to something... I'd wonder how many more charge/discharge cycles the battery statistically has? MTBF type stuff.
Is the battery replaceable? Can you get a suitable replacement battery at a reasonable price?
If the screen breaks... can you get replacement screen or digitizer? Is the device easy enough to tear apart and operate on?
Is there an Open motoactv client app for phone? Will moto/google release this to allow extensibility? Will it remain compatible with future android versions/apis? What kind of a power drain will you get maintaining a connection btw phone and motoactv?
But if you have cash to burn - go for it It looks awesome.
Otherwise. $18 on ebay for the liveview lets you wade into the water slowly and if it breaks... **** order two!!! This thing is awesome!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-Ericss...er_Cell_Phone_Accessories&hash=item589938963b
I'm in the process of trying to build a solar watchstrap for it with this guy:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thin-Film-L...675?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a8132e5db
and this guy:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-DC-DC-...420?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd02d1204
if this works... battery should run forever!!!
---------- Post added at 03:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:13 PM ----------
But the biggest feature for me is that at $18 with free 2 day shipping from NYC... this thing is cheap enough with enough functionality that people will impulse buy it and then want more features... so the DEV community is set to grow exponentially as the price continues to fall.
As we've seen time and again - there are no feats the XDA community is unable to traverse. With an exponentially growing DEV and lay community... this thing is going to continue to become sicker and sicker.
PS if you google liveview, don't be turned off by negative reviews... Imho they are older, by unsophisticated users on older android versions and older firmware and app versions. In my experiences across the evo 4g, evo 3d, and note 2, this watch is solid. The connection and battery issues have largely been obviated by the new firmwares, new phone companion apps, and 3rd party app solutions. I love this little watch. I've bought 4 of them and donated to the local hackerspace until my primary breaks - but it's been several years already and she's still ticking.
I've got both, they're both microusb and both use my regular sgs3 charger.
I like my liveview, just not nearly as much. Can't play music on it or do anything standalone really. Can't even keep time without being tethered.
Hell, I can play angry birds on my actv lol.
Sent using XDA-funded carrier pigeons
ClearD said:
I've got both, they're both microusb and both use my regular sgs3 charger.
I like my liveview, just not nearly as much. Can't play music on it or do anything standalone really. Can't even keep time without being tethered.
Hell, I can play angry birds on my actv lol.
Sent using XDA-funded carrier pigeons
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New Sony firmware or the open firmware allows to keep time even without connection to phone.
Motoactv is MICRO? same connector as liveview? man, apologies. my search, though cursory, showed mini. Good save. thanks.
I agree Motoactv is awesome; especially if you are will be in wifi areas.
But at $200ish vs. $20ish...
If you don't like it... makes a great gift to a geek when/if you want to upgrade.
Any advice on where to get a cheap motoactv?
EBay, for sure. I've seen them there for under $150, but they're still in high demand after they discontinued them, sadly.
Sent using XDA-funded carrier pigeons
Damn I never knew someone would rate the tiny sony watch so highly I may have to look into it.. maybe even buy it to try it n see what all the fuss is about!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
willfck4beer said:
so for most things you are still tethered to phone anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the exact opposite. The connection to the phone feels much more like an extension than a reliance. In fact there was a period i hadn't connected it to my phone for months. This was due to Android 4.2.2 having bluetooth issues on the GNex. I've since downgraded to 4.1.2 to get my text messages and caller ID function back, because it's damn handy at work. Otherwise, everything else runs right on it. For what I use it for mostly I don't need an internet connection most of the time.
willfck4beer said:
I'd wonder how many more charge/discharge cycles the battery statistically has? MTBF type stuff.
Is the battery replaceable? Can you get a suitable replacement battery at a reasonable price?
If the screen breaks... can you get replacement screen or digitizer? Is the device easy enough to tear apart and operate on?
Is there an Open motoactv client app for phone? Will moto/google release this to allow extensibility? Will it remain compatible with future android versions/apis? What kind of a power drain will you get maintaining a connection btw phone and motoactv?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The battery is replaceable, and available last time I checked. Screen/digitizer will be hard to find. Lots of people have opened this thing up and worked on it. There are tutorials online even. No open client, but people have found ways to communicate with it despite this. It uses Bluetooth 4.0, which is only just now being introduced to Android. The only thing that could stop it in the somewhat near future is companion app compatibility, and that's only if a new Android version breaks it. It wouldn't be hard for motorola to update the app with a simple compatibility update either.
I had my motoactv connected to my phone for 8 hours while I was at work today. It's been on for a total of 12 hours from when I unplugged it this morning, and I have 77% left right now.
Happen to have an extra Moto actv laying around?
willfck4beer said:
Happen to have an extra Moto actv laying around?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, I almost want one as a backup...then again by the time this thing is kaput there might be something better out
Oh fxuck sony just opened up dev on smartwatches. Loving them fir the first time since the nineties right now! Smartwatch 1 and 2 just became much more attractive! OP, buy smartwatch2 when it hits $70ish for full touchscreen... buy smartwatch1 mn800 live view if you can only afford $20ish ... but no multi touchscreen imho. Anyone else know the added features delta betwixt the two smartwatches?
I have been somewhat following the whole Phonebloks and ARA scene, participating in the Dscout missions, and generally have to say that there is a lot of buzz and hype with very little meat behind it. The general populace is thinking legos, colors, fancy shmancy materials, and other appearance related nonsense. There seems to be very little technical content, and the majority of the crowd seems to be lured by key words such as "eco", "reusable", "repairable", "customizable" and so on.
Certainly, in terms of driving sales, this is good attention, something Motorola needs.
The downside, however, seems to be that people do not understand how things work, have no patience for it, and want things to "just work."
I highly doubt that this will be something that is user friendly out of the box.
The biggest misconception seems to be that you will be able to build anything you want out of this. If this idea is not curbed, this project will fail. People will become disappointed. Already they seem to think that they can have an espresso maker and a telescope added to the thing.
On top of it all, Motorola has a track record of taking good ideas and executing them poorly. Think Atrix lapdock.
So what is the clear mission of this project?
Ease of repair? That can already be done using current production methods. Look at the iPhone vs Galaxy series in terms of screen replacement. Its night and day.
Reusing parts? What could you reuse from an iPhone 4 when building a 5s? The headphone jack? Batteries die, radios, memory, sensors, processors, become old news by the time they hit the assembly line, and screens evolve at a fast pace.
There is no mention of a core device with expansion bays, the project seems to suggest you could swap all basic components on the fly. This is nonsense. Is it really worth taking steps back to make separate little bricks for Bluetooth, Wifi, NFC, GSM radio, etc., when current production methods can squeeze these into a single system-on-chip design at a fraction of the cost?
Imagine for a minute if Googorola took the Moto X approach to hardware: You log into your Motomaker account, and at checkout you pick your options. 3 choices of screen size, 3 choices of processors, 3 choices of storage capacity, an 8, 13, or 16 Mpix camera, 3 different battery capacities, cdma, gsm, or global radio, etc., then once you select your hardware, you customize the case colors, and you're done.
I know this rant is way into the TL;DR territory, but there are other factors to consider, perhaps profitability being paramount. Open source phone, with open source modules, etc. How will Motorola make $ on this? How long till knock off modules hit the market? What is the pricing scheme, etc.
I would love to get a serious discussion going, touching on some of the things I brought up.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
I wouldn't say they're doomed from the start but their social network app and stuff seems pretty gimmicky to me. I definitely think that modular phones are in the future but they need to spend more time talking about the actual hardware and open sourcing drivers and stuff instead of their weird Instagram clone in my opinion. I'm still staying optimistic if they don't do it someone else will.
Sent using Tapatalk
Nice idea, but people here at xda would have a nightmare with such a thing, meaning rom development for every and each component combination.......
Lets ask ourselves, when would it be appropriate or papamount to upgrade a hardware component of any of our phones now? The reasoning now is more like, 'it would be cool if we could'. I cant think of any necessary reason now for needing to change harware unless it needs repair. I believe necessity should be a starting point for this whole concept. Necessity often drives truly good design.
I personally think that this would be good because of the fact that technology advances at such a rapid pace that being able to upgrade your components when a better version comes out would be good. Obviously there would be some compatibility issues between some parts that would be unavoidable. It would be more for the person who wants the high end device. Take me for example, I have the S4 and I love it but next year when the S5 comes out it wouldn't be the latest and greatest and I can't upgrade for two years. I could love a Moto X but I don't wanna pay the off contract price for it. So I think this is the only time it would be good and efficient, not a huge game changer but a slight game changer.
Also about the knock off or cheap parts, if they have the drivers and protocols open source than it shouldn't be to big of an issue, not anymore than buying a knock off replacement screen. Still something to look out for when buying modules.
I think that the idea from Phoneblocks or Ara are really good but I think that the project will prospere
Project Ara.
Being a modular design, brings complications, but with those complications comes new opportunities in the hardware section as well as the software side of the development.
The metric is quite valid and tangible, even more so today, wth the manufacturing techniques available, this idea actually makes far more sense than feeding the giant a steady diet of the same old thing.
You save money if all you require is a modified version of the RF section, you install that block.
The same goes for the remainder of the phone, easy upgrading, no downtime, and lower overall cost for the entire market, not to mention the lowering of landfill garbage from dumped devices that could not be upgraded.
The engineering end of this is wonderful, I wish it arrived years ago. A 'Lego-Phone' you build and upgrade as you need to, no more buying an aircraft carrier, when all you require is a shuttle.
We can finally drive the market, provide for ourselves, push manufacturers in the direction we need them to head, instead of driving us with their own thoughts on what is necessary.
I don't use much in the way of media, so anything more than 720P is of little use, but I do appreciate an HDMI-type format screen.
The RF section is far more important to my needs, and of course, a micro-SD card slot.
I prefer a sensitive front end, high dynamic range, and a superbly augmented IP3(third intercept point) as a basis for my receiver design.
I have grown tired of matchbox quality RF systems, and when in poor signal areas, or in a heavily wooded area with sparse cell tower penetration, i prefer my phone have the ability to connect with a site even if the RSSI indicates no signal, at least a data channel should be able to 'hear' a short text message for help if sent.
If the phone can't hear well, it can't talk well, either.
Most subscribers assume that cell signals are routed through the power lines*!*
I have had customers that actually said this...But this is the basis of my most desired and important 'want', a solid RF system, receiver and transmitter section that works!
High density areas have few problems with dropped calls, if the site loading is low, but in rural areas, loading is not an issue, it's accessibility, and sites spaced 10 miles apart, can actually have users drop calls even near by, due to dense foliage or hilly/mountainous terrain, even though the tower is within eyesight, you still drop a call. This is where fresnel zones come into play, and where a good RF section makes the difference.
If you think rain kills RF signals, see my pic I just snapped from my door, of the trees filled with heavy snow!
Poorly designed RF systems can't decode signals properly, the B.E.R suffers, causing message failures, call time-outs as well as just lousy QOS due to noise, echoing, raspy speech processing and a host of other problems.
The memory subsystems are important, as well as the GPU and video systems, but you can still make a call if the video drops, not so much if the RF section dies.
We all have our own desires, as well as what is most important to our needs, but overall, i do believe that project Ara is a great step in the right direction for a change....Where the customer drive the market, not the manufacturers!
Now I don't know if you were aware, but Google only owns Motorola's Research Lab. The actual company was purchased by Lenovo a few weeks ago.
Besides, I sort feel the same way, because, besides the hubbub, it doesn't seem like a very user friendly process in my mind. That's why I think it feels like nothing more than a research project with a couple of news reporters locked inside their facilities.
Sent from my ST21i using XDA app-developers app.
Don't forget to hit thanks if I helped!
In the beginning, they will have to offer options in a controlled environment like one poster abive said. It will be similar to
1. CHOOSE YOUR PROCESSOR:
a. Good
b. Better
c. Best
Etc etc....
The first question probably will be "Choose Your Carrier". Then all of the module choices will be pre-screened to function together on that network.
Samsung Galaxy S4 "Fort Knox Edition"
Guys, believe in Google. They made a search engine wich is now the most used engine. They also made a very good browser, an operating system for mobiles, an online map wich has street view and many other good things. Why they couldn't make project ara?
Sent from my LG-P880 using xda app-developers app
PenguinStyle said:
Guys, believe in Google. They made a search engine wich is now the most used engine. They also made a very good browser, an operating system for mobiles, an online map wich has street view and many other good things. Why they couldn't make project ara?
Sent from my LG-P880 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just making sure it wasnt a misinterpretation but google did not create android, Android Inc founded by andy rubin(correct me if im wrong) http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...e-phones/a-complete-history-of-android-470327
PenguinStyle said:
Guys, believe in Google. They made a search engine wich is now the most used engine. They also made a very good browser, an operating system for mobiles, an online map wich has street view and many other good things. Why they couldn't make project ara?
Sent from my LG-P880 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All those things you mention are software, that runs on high performance computers. What ARA requires is a total rethinking of the hardware and engineering of today's mobile phones.
Can any module be swapped for some other type of module? How do they interface? What bandwidth limitations do these interfaces introduce?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
SynGates said:
All those things you mention are software, that runs on high performance computers. What ARA requires is a total rethinking of the hardware and engineering of today's mobile phones.
Can any module be swapped for some other type of module? How do they interface? What bandwidth limitations do these interfaces introduce?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
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The ARA developers conference already answered most of this, so its possibility is not the question. Its availability and adaptability is the question. Will people flock to it or despise it?? Will it make people feel more in control?
If google can advertise this thing as something that gives people more power it will definitely catch on. Plus if Google is truly looking to start their own mobile network as rumoured, then they could start in that manner and make others envious to catch on.
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It's going to be a wait and see what happens on release thing I think. I don't personally don't think it's going to explode instantly onto the mobile scene but give it a year or two and hopefully it will start changing the game. With everything being open source it might pave the way for smaller companies to get into the handheld scene where they don't have the money or resources to develop full devices but can focus on just a single module. Much like the way of the custom pc market.
replicamask said:
It's going to be a wait and see what happens on release thing I think. I don't personally don't think it's going to explode instantly onto the mobile scene but give it a year or two and hopefully it will start changing the game. With everything being open source it might pave the way for smaller companies to get into the handheld scene where they don't have the money or resources to develop full devices but can focus on just a single module. Much like the way of the custom pc market.
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My sentiments exactly.
Koreans will really fight against this project. They won't be willing to loose the cellular market to Google. ARA has a lot of potential in developing countries, provided the prices for modules will be adequate. But yes, even with adequate pricetag such innovation will require a drastic change in marketing-infected minds of people.
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I hope it could work really well. I'd like to see the ability to transfer all the core modules from one endo 'frame' to another - SIM, WiFi, ROM, storage plus camera and perhaps CPU/RAM from a larger 'everyday' frame to a smaller 'night out' frame. I'd like an 'everyday' camera and a 'holiday' camera. I might carry a speaker module, but would swap it in against a torch module only for those occasions I'd need it. I'd carry spare battery modules and expect to see external chargers for them.
Didn't read the whole thread, but I'd say the whole "eco friendly" concept is BS from the beginning. People will start buying new components everytime they are out, thus generating MORE electric waste.
till22 said:
Didn't read the whole thread, but I'd say the whole "eco friendly" concept is BS from the beginning. People will start buying new components everytime they are out, thus generating MORE electric waste.
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This is possible and a good point. I think they could counter this by placing some inherent value on modules so you could trade them in for cash or credit towards other modules.
I think this will work much better than trading in phones since all modules should work for all ara phones.
What you all need to remember is that the microcomputer revolution didn't really become a mass market phenomenon until the IBM PC arrived with its open "Industry Standard Architecture". This allowed the rapid emergence of third party expansion cards and other "PC compatible" hardware, and "PC clones". Not only did this accelerate the pace of technology development it also pushed prices down significantly. If IBM had not made the PC architecture both expandable and open, general purpose computing would have remained an expensive and specialised tool available only to business and the very rich. Imagine the effect that wouls have had on the development of the worldwide web a decade later.
If you are of the generation who grew up uaing laptops you may not have realised that modular technology is cheaper and more flexible, and it means longer hardware lifecycles.