JohnOfSheffield
Lifer
- Jun 26, 2007
- 11,925
- 2
- 0
lxskllr
No Lifer
- Nov 30, 2004
- 60,023
- 10,518
- 126
No I haven't. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the way it's all setup. I put a little time into it every now and again, but I haven't been especially motivated.
My next project is compiling apps for a MIPS cpu. I want a decent keyboard for my unit, and the compatible apps have been lacking. There's a shocking dearth of libre software available for these systems. I'm a little surprised tbh. I've often thought I'd like to get into programming. Android might be a perfect outlet for that. There's a lot of stuff I could use, but either aren't available, or don't have the features I want. I could give the Market some GPL lovin' :^)
Google already puts out a "bright shining model" once a year (Nexus) and not one of those phones have ever sold anywhere near where iPhone or even most of the Galaxy phones have sold.
JohnOfSheffield
Lifer
- Jun 26, 2007
- 11,925
- 2
- 0
It's your future.. i forsee problems.
I know full well about the keyboards available, for me it was as simple as rooting and upgrading to 4.0.3 and i had the keyboard i wanted, recompiling isn't always as easy as you might think, the calls are different on each chipset and you might get strange results.
But hey, go for it and figure it out, it's the only way to learn.
And hey, if you do get into the market, i might be using YOUR keyboard on my next gadget.
SP33Demon
Lifer
- Jun 22, 2001
- 27,928
- 143
- 106
And Android still beat Apple handily over the holidays.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57355321-93/android-overtakes-apples-ios-during-holiday-season/
The 4S "surge" in November was a fluke for Apple, they will need more than a few months of bloated hype to take the lead.
Once Droid passes Apple's number of apps this quarter, it will solidify its death grip as more and more devs defect from Apple.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57355321-93/android-overtakes-apples-ios-during-holiday-season/
The 4S "surge" in November was a fluke for Apple, they will need more than a few months of bloated hype to take the lead.
Once Droid passes Apple's number of apps this quarter, it will solidify its death grip as more and more devs defect from Apple.
Last edited:
JohnOfSheffield
Lifer
- Jun 26, 2007
- 11,925
- 2
- 0
No one cares about the Nexus, but Samsung is outselling Apple alone and then there is HTC, ZTE, Sony and a sheitload of others.
The point would be to release a model like Motorola once did with the Razr, one that will put all apple products in the background, that is what i meant and i made it no secret either.
Will it work? Your guess is as good as mine...
Personally i hope it will for no other reason than that i hate yesterdays tech being sold as if it was something new.
Uh, 6.8 million iOS + Android devices were activated on Christmas Day alone. By Google's own admission 3.7M Android devices were activated on 12/24 and 12/25. Unless a large majority of those Android sales were on 12/25 (which by Google's explicit inclusion of 12/24 it's not likely) Android got its ass handed to them by Apple this Christmas.
Despite Android's growth no devs have defected to Android from iOS. iOS continues to dominate in leading application development. Nearly every major app that eventually ends up on Android is a half-baked iOS port.
Last edited:
shortylickens
No Lifer
- Jul 15, 2003
- 80,287
- 17,081
- 136
there are figures out there that apple activated 1.6 million more devices around x-mas time than android.
and apple's suppliers have either reported earnings or upped their estimates for the 4th quarter. apple is predicted to have a monster 4th quarter with over 30 million iphones sold. some estimates say 35-40 million
SP33Demon
Lifer
- Jun 22, 2001
- 27,928
- 143
- 106
First off, learn to link: Where are you getting this 6.8 million on xmas day? Fix your lame link with an actual source.
Android will soon surpass Apple this quarter in apps so your graph will be changing in the next 6 months. To quote Eric Schmidt: "“My prediction is that six months from now, you’ll say the opposite [regarding which company will be the king of apps]."
Either way, most apps port fine to Droid and they're either free or cheaper.
Last, 5,000+ new businesses per day are joining Google Apps... what do you think this means for the future of Droid?
http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/01/er...as-40m-users-adding-5k-new-companies-per-day/
SP33Demon
Lifer
- Jun 22, 2001
- 27,928
- 143
- 106
Chitka says Droid beat iOS over the holidays, sorry.
Already posted the link but here it is again:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57355321-93/android-overtakes-apples-ios-during-holiday-season/
and there are other companies that track these things in different ways and they have different numbers
Sinsear
Diamond Member
- Jan 13, 2007
- 6,439
- 80
- 91
JTsyo
Lifer
- Nov 18, 2007
- 12,032
- 1,132
- 126
CZroe
Lifer
- Jun 24, 2001
- 24,195
- 857
- 126
As a recent user who switched to Android, my biggest disappointments were
1) that is wasn't as open as I thought it was and
2) that the basic user experience is lacking in basic functionality.
To elaborate on #1, I often criticized Apple while showing off features that I could only use on a jailbroken iOS device, which I blamed on their restrictive software ecosystem and direct interest in continuing an "upgrade cycle" with arbitrary restrictions. I often told interested people that Android devices could do those very same things without needing to be "hacked." The problem is, the two examples I used were:
SpringFlash + Activator to activate the LED Flash as a torch/flashlight by double-pressing the lock button (even on the lock-screen)
Numeric battery life indicator option disabled by settings app on perfectly capable devices after hardware ID check
I bought a Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY 4G (R800at) phone with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and soon realized that there was no way to approximate SpringFlash + Activator without a custom ROM on an unlocked or hacked bootloader and that there was no numeric battery option in the base version and approximating it required rooting the phone to replace parts of the OS with customizations from another ODM's Android distro who did Google's work for them.
Both are "hacks" and both are less straight-forward than a typical iOS jailbreak. In fact, one didn't even need to JB to get numeric battery on an iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch, or iPod Touch 2G: You could enable it on a supported device and load the iTunes backup on the old device and your settings will follow. And, before anyone says anything about notification bar apps that approximate having a numeric battery indicator, any Android Market app doing that requires an active monitoring application that kills battery life and wastes screen real estate (no way to disable the other indicator), so it is not the same thing at all.
Now, to elaborate on #2, watch Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol. They mention how much time they have left, set a count-down timer on their iPhone 4, and go about their business. I used the same feature daily for many small tasks. This BASIC FEATURE does not exist on Google's straight-up Android build. I used it CONSTANTLY. When I have 30 minutes to prepare for something, I have to go create and save an alarm set for the appropriate time to equal the time I have left. Not only does this take 10x longer, if I don't also go delete the last alarm I created for such a temporary thing, I will quickly have a screen full of old useless alarms to manage. You know what else I used daily that doesn't exist on the basic Android distro? Notes. I'm serious. It's missing FREAKING NOTES! There is no notepad. Nothing. You might as well email yourself. Granted, there are many options for both of these on the Android Market, but choosing one is equal to trusting one and that should not be something I need to do for BASIC functionality.
Despite HATING on Apple, I am actually tempted to bring an iPod Touch to work to compensate for my Android phone's lack of basic features. For this to even be a consideration, Google has failed. Yes, your [Insert Manufacturer] [Insert Device Name] may have a notes app or an alarm with a timer, but Google's BASIC platform does not include the functionality and, thus, neither my R800at nor my HP TouchPad running fancy-schmancy CyanogenMod 7 have the basic features of my iPod Touch. That. Is. FAIL.
Now, 1 and 2 aren't the only things. There's also out-right irresponsible and sloppy presentation of their own supporting products, like Google Voice integration. For example, iMessage and SMS GV Extensions on iOS, BBM on BlackBerry, Live Messenger on Windows Phone 7, etc have shown that integrating free messaging services with the native text/SMS on smart phones is not only a feature people are starting to expect, it it becoming an industry STANDARD. Now, I assumed all along that Google Voice could replace the native messaging app. Indeed: If I pick something that would take me to the native Messages app, I get prompted to select between it and Google Voice, but if I replace the app with it and set it as default, I get several problems:
I can't rename it to "SMS" or "Messaging" nor can I have it show only those without voicemail and call history
When someone texts my cell number directly, I can't reply from Google Voice without great effort involving determining the exact number it came from and responding to it from Google Voice
I can't send a message with a poor signal and have it sent later or marked, instead having it held hostage on a screen while it makes a futile attempt to connect to the Internet
Despite consumer expectations of proper free integration like the rest of the smartphone industry has moved to, the settings option to receive incoming messages/notifications "also through the Messages app" actually forwards them as billable SMS messages to your number without warning causing unexpected charges.
Now, I never used iMessage because I never upgraded my iOS device to iOS5, but SMS GV Extensions eliminated the first, second and third issue by integrating transparently with the native app.
The last one is infuriatingly sloppy and unique to Google. There is no way they would allow you to configure SMS forwarding online without telling you of potential fees and explaining that you will be responsible for charges. Also, forwarding them to your number is not the same thing at all as also receiving through the app. This is an inexcusably obvious distinction and heads should roll. I mean, I thought I found exactly the option I was looking for... exactly the option I EXPECTED to find, and even when CAREFULLY reading and determining that it could have meant nothing else, I find that it did mean exactly what I had ruled out. "No, they couldn't be that stupid." YES. THEY. CAN. Hello $30 texting bill for a guy who specifically used it to avoid paying for text messages. *grrrrr*
Now there is no visual voicemail standard for Android but that would be fine if I could use Google Voice properly with voicemail forwarding. Unfortunately, like SMS, which I already pointed out has no way to set up a GV app/icon/shortcut/widget that only presents SMS messages, there is no way to make a "voicemail" GV app/icon/shortcut/wodget. This makes it a poor substitute app for the native messaging and worsens the clusterF$!@# of having all your missed calls and texts messages littering your list of VMs and vice versa. There should be a widget for GV VVM and a widget for GV SMS and a way to make icons linking to them specifically, like Maps, Lattitude, Navigation, etc are all separate but integrated.
Speaking of Maps/Navigation integration with multi-tasking: WORST IMPLEMENTATION EVAR! Let me give you an example. I started driving to a Christmas dinner at my Boss' home on Christmas Eve without actually getting the address. I knew that the subdivision was off of a "Jodeco" road that was about an hour away and that he would get back to me with the actual address when I was about half way there. I started by pulling up Maps, letting GPS get a fix on my location, searching "Jodeco" and finding a "Jodeco Self-Service Gas Station" or something like that in the general area, calculated driving directions, and then tapped the little drop-down that takes me to the navigation app. I did not realize that it was a different app because it is presented the same way as other Maps options. Anyway, when he called with the actual address, I pulled over and carefully entered the address into Maps and generated driving directions almost exactly like before. Once again, I selected "Navigation" from the drop-down. It took me to the navigation app and I began following its instructions. Actually, I thought to check the destination address again but did not see any such option in the Navigation app. I expect it to be displayed front and center at all times. After poking around really quickly, I realized that I didn't have much time and would just have to trust that Maps handed off the address like it should have. Just to make sure that my digging through the Navigation for the destination address didn't change anything important, I actually calculated driving directions to the exact address in Maps and linked back to Navigation a second time (remember: Navigation acts like it's just another "view" within Maps and this is how I was treating it). Sure enough, I'm already late when I "arrive" at Jodeco Gas. #!%@!$#! This was actually VERY far away from my intended destination, and so I was very late upon arriving there. What's worse is that there was no easy way to kill the app and allow Maps to set the destination as it did the first time. It takes WAY too much effort to go through 50+ running apps and background processes to find it and kill it and even that requires knowing where to find the buried application management settings. For most people, it's probably easier just to reboot, especially when driving and being unable to legally poke around through the settings and such.
First of all, there should have been a very obvious app-switching GUI animation to make it clear that it switched to an already-running application. Second, it should have prompted even the first time to accept the destination address passed to it and it should specifically mention overriding it with a list of the two destinations when linked/passed to a second time. Instead, it doesn't even mention a thing about the parameters passed to it that it completely ignored just because it was already running. Despite user and application execution/interaction/management being the very basis of an operating system's function, this is as unrefined as I could possibly expect any OS application management to be. That means if fails at the primary functions of an OS, which is unforgivable.
Remember: I am a recently new Android user. My experience is from someone WILLINGLY leaving Apple to embrace Android. I am sticking with it, but mostly because there is no good alternative that works with my Sony Ericsson MBW-150 Bluetooth watch, Parrot SK4000 Motorcycle kit, and integrated game controls (huge classic gamer) and I am hoping ICS fixes a lot of my concerns. I come from the perspective of an iOS HATER, but even I have to admit where Android fails and iOS excels. Gingerbread seems like something I would not have released in 2008 if I were in charge of the project at Google and yet it was the very latest version for phones back when I got it in November (few months ago). That is truly a sad result for the effort and time invested in beating iOS.
1) that is wasn't as open as I thought it was and
2) that the basic user experience is lacking in basic functionality.
To elaborate on #1, I often criticized Apple while showing off features that I could only use on a jailbroken iOS device, which I blamed on their restrictive software ecosystem and direct interest in continuing an "upgrade cycle" with arbitrary restrictions. I often told interested people that Android devices could do those very same things without needing to be "hacked." The problem is, the two examples I used were:
SpringFlash + Activator to activate the LED Flash as a torch/flashlight by double-pressing the lock button (even on the lock-screen)
Numeric battery life indicator option disabled by settings app on perfectly capable devices after hardware ID check
I bought a Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY 4G (R800at) phone with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and soon realized that there was no way to approximate SpringFlash + Activator without a custom ROM on an unlocked or hacked bootloader and that there was no numeric battery option in the base version and approximating it required rooting the phone to replace parts of the OS with customizations from another ODM's Android distro who did Google's work for them.
Both are "hacks" and both are less straight-forward than a typical iOS jailbreak. In fact, one didn't even need to JB to get numeric battery on an iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch, or iPod Touch 2G: You could enable it on a supported device and load the iTunes backup on the old device and your settings will follow. And, before anyone says anything about notification bar apps that approximate having a numeric battery indicator, any Android Market app doing that requires an active monitoring application that kills battery life and wastes screen real estate (no way to disable the other indicator), so it is not the same thing at all.
Now, to elaborate on #2, watch Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol. They mention how much time they have left, set a count-down timer on their iPhone 4, and go about their business. I used the same feature daily for many small tasks. This BASIC FEATURE does not exist on Google's straight-up Android build. I used it CONSTANTLY. When I have 30 minutes to prepare for something, I have to go create and save an alarm set for the appropriate time to equal the time I have left. Not only does this take 10x longer, if I don't also go delete the last alarm I created for such a temporary thing, I will quickly have a screen full of old useless alarms to manage. You know what else I used daily that doesn't exist on the basic Android distro? Notes. I'm serious. It's missing FREAKING NOTES! There is no notepad. Nothing. You might as well email yourself. Granted, there are many options for both of these on the Android Market, but choosing one is equal to trusting one and that should not be something I need to do for BASIC functionality.
Despite HATING on Apple, I am actually tempted to bring an iPod Touch to work to compensate for my Android phone's lack of basic features. For this to even be a consideration, Google has failed. Yes, your [Insert Manufacturer] [Insert Device Name] may have a notes app or an alarm with a timer, but Google's BASIC platform does not include the functionality and, thus, neither my R800at nor my HP TouchPad running fancy-schmancy CyanogenMod 7 have the basic features of my iPod Touch. That. Is. FAIL.
Now, 1 and 2 aren't the only things. There's also out-right irresponsible and sloppy presentation of their own supporting products, like Google Voice integration. For example, iMessage and SMS GV Extensions on iOS, BBM on BlackBerry, Live Messenger on Windows Phone 7, etc have shown that integrating free messaging services with the native text/SMS on smart phones is not only a feature people are starting to expect, it it becoming an industry STANDARD. Now, I assumed all along that Google Voice could replace the native messaging app. Indeed: If I pick something that would take me to the native Messages app, I get prompted to select between it and Google Voice, but if I replace the app with it and set it as default, I get several problems:
I can't rename it to "SMS" or "Messaging" nor can I have it show only those without voicemail and call history
When someone texts my cell number directly, I can't reply from Google Voice without great effort involving determining the exact number it came from and responding to it from Google Voice
I can't send a message with a poor signal and have it sent later or marked, instead having it held hostage on a screen while it makes a futile attempt to connect to the Internet
Despite consumer expectations of proper free integration like the rest of the smartphone industry has moved to, the settings option to receive incoming messages/notifications "also through the Messages app" actually forwards them as billable SMS messages to your number without warning causing unexpected charges.
Now, I never used iMessage because I never upgraded my iOS device to iOS5, but SMS GV Extensions eliminated the first, second and third issue by integrating transparently with the native app.
The last one is infuriatingly sloppy and unique to Google. There is no way they would allow you to configure SMS forwarding online without telling you of potential fees and explaining that you will be responsible for charges. Also, forwarding them to your number is not the same thing at all as also receiving through the app. This is an inexcusably obvious distinction and heads should roll. I mean, I thought I found exactly the option I was looking for... exactly the option I EXPECTED to find, and even when CAREFULLY reading and determining that it could have meant nothing else, I find that it did mean exactly what I had ruled out. "No, they couldn't be that stupid." YES. THEY. CAN. Hello $30 texting bill for a guy who specifically used it to avoid paying for text messages. *grrrrr*
Now there is no visual voicemail standard for Android but that would be fine if I could use Google Voice properly with voicemail forwarding. Unfortunately, like SMS, which I already pointed out has no way to set up a GV app/icon/shortcut/widget that only presents SMS messages, there is no way to make a "voicemail" GV app/icon/shortcut/wodget. This makes it a poor substitute app for the native messaging and worsens the clusterF$!@# of having all your missed calls and texts messages littering your list of VMs and vice versa. There should be a widget for GV VVM and a widget for GV SMS and a way to make icons linking to them specifically, like Maps, Lattitude, Navigation, etc are all separate but integrated.
Speaking of Maps/Navigation integration with multi-tasking: WORST IMPLEMENTATION EVAR! Let me give you an example. I started driving to a Christmas dinner at my Boss' home on Christmas Eve without actually getting the address. I knew that the subdivision was off of a "Jodeco" road that was about an hour away and that he would get back to me with the actual address when I was about half way there. I started by pulling up Maps, letting GPS get a fix on my location, searching "Jodeco" and finding a "Jodeco Self-Service Gas Station" or something like that in the general area, calculated driving directions, and then tapped the little drop-down that takes me to the navigation app. I did not realize that it was a different app because it is presented the same way as other Maps options. Anyway, when he called with the actual address, I pulled over and carefully entered the address into Maps and generated driving directions almost exactly like before. Once again, I selected "Navigation" from the drop-down. It took me to the navigation app and I began following its instructions. Actually, I thought to check the destination address again but did not see any such option in the Navigation app. I expect it to be displayed front and center at all times. After poking around really quickly, I realized that I didn't have much time and would just have to trust that Maps handed off the address like it should have. Just to make sure that my digging through the Navigation for the destination address didn't change anything important, I actually calculated driving directions to the exact address in Maps and linked back to Navigation a second time (remember: Navigation acts like it's just another "view" within Maps and this is how I was treating it). Sure enough, I'm already late when I "arrive" at Jodeco Gas. #!%@!$#! This was actually VERY far away from my intended destination, and so I was very late upon arriving there. What's worse is that there was no easy way to kill the app and allow Maps to set the destination as it did the first time. It takes WAY too much effort to go through 50+ running apps and background processes to find it and kill it and even that requires knowing where to find the buried application management settings. For most people, it's probably easier just to reboot, especially when driving and being unable to legally poke around through the settings and such.
First of all, there should have been a very obvious app-switching GUI animation to make it clear that it switched to an already-running application. Second, it should have prompted even the first time to accept the destination address passed to it and it should specifically mention overriding it with a list of the two destinations when linked/passed to a second time. Instead, it doesn't even mention a thing about the parameters passed to it that it completely ignored just because it was already running. Despite user and application execution/interaction/management being the very basis of an operating system's function, this is as unrefined as I could possibly expect any OS application management to be. That means if fails at the primary functions of an OS, which is unforgivable.
Remember: I am a recently new Android user. My experience is from someone WILLINGLY leaving Apple to embrace Android. I am sticking with it, but mostly because there is no good alternative that works with my Sony Ericsson MBW-150 Bluetooth watch, Parrot SK4000 Motorcycle kit, and integrated game controls (huge classic gamer) and I am hoping ICS fixes a lot of my concerns. I come from the perspective of an iOS HATER, but even I have to admit where Android fails and iOS excels. Gingerbread seems like something I would not have released in 2008 if I were in charge of the project at Google and yet it was the very latest version for phones back when I got it in November (few months ago). That is truly a sad result for the effort and time invested in beating iOS.
i had a HTC Inspire for 6 months last year and Google Nav was crap. every time i put my phone down it would lose GPS lock. i thought it was AT&T since only a moron would code a GPS navigation app to use real GPS satellites for location like this. on the internets people kept saying it was my phone.
got a droid pro at work and same thing. it loses GPS when i put it down inside the car.
dump the HTC phone and got a 4S on release day. Waze with real time traffic is free and it works even if i put my phone down. even when i had my 3GS it would work with mapquest when i put my phone down near the transmission.
got a droid pro at work and same thing. it loses GPS when i put it down inside the car.
dump the HTC phone and got a 4S on release day. Waze with real time traffic is free and it works even if i put my phone down. even when i had my 3GS it would work with mapquest when i put my phone down near the transmission.
first thing i noticed in the android market is that there is a huge number of live wallpaper apps. in the app store the wallpaper apps will have dozens of wallpapers per app. not one per app
Well I think in this case they mean 'PC' as in desktop and laptop computers with a hard drive for storage. I agree with what you're saying, though. Laptops are functional replacements for desktops, and I believe sales of traditional desktop computers are way down. Smartphones and mobile devices don't necessarily replace laptops; there is some overlap. Still, I think the phrase 'post-PC' as it was used has some relevance.
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
- Jul 3, 2003
- 74,580
- 982
- 126
I found it pretty difficult to read. I understood what he was talking about but it was just written horribly.
shortylickens
No Lifer
- Jul 15, 2003
- 80,287
- 17,081
- 136
Its easier with apple. Just buy a new phone, laptop and tablet every year. Buy a new desktop every two years.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes + WCL Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 22K
-
News NVIDIA and Intel to Develop AI Infrastructure and Personal Computing Products- Started by poke01
- Replies: 386
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
Facebook
Twitter