Android Tablet Thread: Defend Your Other Purchase

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Android Tablet Thread: Defend Your Other Purchase

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

zer0spunk posted:

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't ios only "zoom" to upscale for non tab apps? It looks pretty terrible upscaling to 1024x, I can't imagine scaling up to 2048 will be pleasant. They'd almost have to introduce a different scaling method ala android. Though that would cut into the devs that release 'normal' and then "HD" versions of their apps instead of making one universal version. Now they can sell you a third XHD version, hooray!

It'll look the same since the size of the screen itself isn't getting any bigger. It'll just upscale one iPhone pixel to four iPad pixels instead of two like it does now. Potentially, they could even finally let it use Retina assets, but who knows.

# ¿ Jan 28, 2012 01:39

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# ¿ May 7, 2024 22:28

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Ciabatta posted:

What Android tablets were there in Q4 '10? OG Galaxy Tab? Is that it? I'm really confused how there'd been 3.1 million sold by then.

The Nook Color was out then, too. And probably a million terrible DealExtreme tablets running 1.5.

# ¿ Jan 28, 2012 16:26

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

eric posted:

Can Google keep manufacturers from using Android and make them themselves or is it too late to put the genie back in the bottle?

They absolutely could. They're only required to release source for the GPL portions of Android.

zer0spunk posted:

They do still make most of their income from ad revenue though. Where I'd imagine it's the exact opposite for apple (software, percentages of distribution models, possibly hardware depending on their margins)

The vast majority of Apple's revenue last quarter was from hardware. 54% comes from iPhone sales alone.

# ¿ Jan 28, 2012 23:11

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

got dat wmd posted:

Things like that don't really seem to exist for Androids because they all seem to mostly center-mount the camera. Manufacturers should take a hint and position the camera in a corner so there could be little accessories like that.

It's not that. (Or not just that, anyway.) It's that manufacturers have no idea which devices will be popular enough to support them making accessories for them - especially not niche accessories like camera lenses. It doesn't help that Android OEMs release different devices (or, more importantly, same devices with different case designs) in different regions and different carriers.

# ¿ Jan 30, 2012 23:36

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Craptacular! posted:

I find it weird people would mount 10" tablets to their dashboards. The smaller ones at least could be confused for a big TomTom if someone was drunk enough.

Yeah, why would anyone want a 10" GPS screen when they can have one with a 3-4" screen instead?

# ¿ Feb 4, 2012 18:56

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Gorilla Salsa posted:

I have to agree that I wouldn't care about paying twice for an app that was properly formatted. But decent scaling makes it so that an app that was developed in some teenager's basement while high doesn't look like total loving garbage until the end of time.

Honestly, an app developed in a high teenager's basement is probably going to look like total loving garbage regardless of how it's scaled or what platform it's on.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2012 02:21

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Rastor posted:

iPhone, iPhone 4, iPad, soon iPad 3 if it has a doubled resolution as rumored. That's 4 resolutions to worry about. Who knows how many there will be another 2 years down the road. Meanwhile Android went for a resolution-independent approach right from the beginning and now years down the road that's starting to look pretty smart. Look at the Galaxy Nexus, cranked the resolution crazy high but there were hardly any apps that didn't work great immediately.

It's inevitable that Android apps are going to be better at phone/tablet portability.

You're missing a pretty important piece of the puzzle though. Resolution and dpi aren't the only factors in usability. A tablet may be using the same OS as a phone, but they're still fundamentally different devices. You don't interact with them the same way (or, if you are, you are either using a very large phone or a very small tablet). I can't pretend to know how Android tablet apps work, but between an iPhone and iPad, the versions are typically designed differently to take advantage of the differences in the devices. Making a list view show more stuff on a tablet is fine (and certainly better than just magnifying a phone app), but it's kind of missing the point of using a tablet.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2012 17:27

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Resistive screens work fine with a finger. They can only take one input, though, which is a bigger limiter.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2012 23:41

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

BraveUlysses posted:

The screen on my transformer recently stopped working for no particular reason...the power switch will turn the backlight on but nothing comes up on-screen. Should I just RMA it?

Try wrapping it in a towel and whacking it against your table first.

# ¿ Feb 28, 2012 21:25

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Excuse me, they accurately predicted a new iPad coming out this year. :rolleye:

# ¿ Mar 1, 2012 20:38

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Don Lapre posted:

It might actually come back worse from RMA.

edit:
Screen doesn't work after RMA
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1522556&highlight=rma

Got a TF101 back
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1511758&highlight=rma

Glass not aligned and turns off by itself
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1501110&highlight=rma

Prime destroyed by texas RMA center
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1461570&highlight=rma

At least the official Asus support forums don't delete negative posts!

# ¿ Mar 8, 2012 22:52

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Scaramouche posted:

Android Tablet Thread: Your Purchasing Priorities are Different Than Mine

I have to say I'm warming up to the Transformer Prime. Speaking personally I'm glad I got a Xoom a long time ago, tried it out, and then returned it and decided to wait out the initial rush. My friend who got a Galaxy tab doesn't really use it; it's been sitting on his desk for the last week not having been touched once. They're extremely neat devices, still not sure if I need one though. I think for me the next bump up in resolution will probably seal the deal.

I can tell you if you need a tablet or not: you don't. No one does, except people who develop apps for them.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2012 21:42

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Star War Sex Butt posted:

You don't need a television either, but a lot of people sure seem to like them.

I didn't say they weren't cool to have! But it's easy to determine whether you need one or not.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2012 21:48

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Cakefool posted:

If an iPad is "suddenly out of your price range" I'd wonder about the advisability of buying any non-crucial consumer electronics.

Excuse me, this thread is not for telling people not to make bad financial decisions.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2012 22:03

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

chocolateTHUNDER posted:

Will it get ICS though?

No, if you want Ice Cream Sandwich, you have to buy the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which is basically the same but with a worse camera and different styling.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2012 22:40

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

dissss posted:

Do we actually have that confirmed?

I thought that model was in line for 4.0, it was the fat 10.1v that was abandoned.

Wait, so the Samsung Tab 2 10.1 is actually the third Samsung Tab 10.1? loving hell.

# ¿ Mar 20, 2012 17:19

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Kazy posted:

Fourth if you count the Galaxy Note 10.1.

And then there's the 3G and LTE variants.

edit:

I'm not counting the Note since it's a Galaxy Note, not a Galaxy Tab.

# ¿ Mar 20, 2012 18:24

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Duckman2008 posted:

ICS is just terrible for it, the hardware can't handle it. I got rid of mine for those reasons.

What? A Tegra 2 should be more than sufficient for Ice Cream Sandwich.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2012 15:14

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

nickhimself posted:

Good enough. I really want to use it as a reader but I know myself. I'll be playing stupid games more than reading.

Why don't you just get a regular Kindle then? It's far better as a reader and you won't be distracted.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2012 21:42

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

b0nes posted:

8G, as in gigabytes? I saw something saying it is coming with 32GB and Tegra 3 for $399.

No, as in it has two 4G radios (HSPA+ and LTE).

# ¿ Apr 19, 2012 19:42

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Don Lapre posted:

The Geforce 256 was pretty awesome for its time.

Im not sure there are any tegra 3 products with wide availablity yet. The Prime has been a joke.

Isn't the HTC One X out?

# ¿ Apr 24, 2012 22:25

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

dissss posted:

Really someone (Apple) needs to come up with a magsafe connector that can carry audio/data.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Only if it's an open standard, and Apple is not likely to allow that. I sure as hell wouldn't want to be stuck with Apple headphones all the time.

# ¿ Apr 25, 2012 14:54

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

zer0spunk posted:

It's the girth difference between all of these. The dock hinge connector thing is precise fit, that's why you can't really have a screen protector on it if you're going to use the dock. I guess they could design a expandable style hinge but more moving parts to break. It's not like they'll make more with multiple keyboard SKUs since we're the only region that even has the option of buying these things without a keyboard bundled in anyway.

They would save a bundle by only having to make a single SKU (or two or three for different colors or whatever) rather than one for each new tablet they make. Stores would probably be more likely to sell it, too, if it's something that's not obsolete in six months.

# ¿ May 1, 2012 20:04

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

b0nes posted:

What Tablets use a standard USB2 or USB3 interface to charge?

Also a good article on Yahoo about picking up a budget tablet.
http://news.yahoo.com/three-tech-gadgets-you-might-be-tempted-to-buy--but-shouldn-t.html

To my knowledge, only the iPad can charge of USB, and even then only slowly without either a special driver or being a Mac.

# ¿ May 11, 2012 02:44

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

DrBouvenstein posted:

I mean...don't they know why the iPad is far and away the most successful tablet? Because Apple takes their time, and only releases ONE new version of it a year. They take a whole year to tinker and play with it to get it drat near perfect.

Technically, Apple released two this year: The new iPad and a revised iPad 2.

# ¿ Jun 14, 2012 16:11

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Kynetx posted:

...and no mention of Motorola or Asus.

"Other Android"

# ¿ Jun 20, 2012 00:37

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

I'm in DC and ride Metro all the time and I see lots of iPads, Kindle Fires, and an occasional Nook Color. I saw a Xoom once, but not on the Metro. I don't think I've ever seen any Samsungs, and there's one guy I've seen a couple times with a Playbook. And I have a friend who got a firesale Touchpad.

# ¿ Jun 20, 2012 15:22

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

That is weird, since I probably see 13" Macs most of all Macs (though that's split up among Pro, aluminum non-Pro, Air, and plastic), but probably see work-issued Dells more often than anything else.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2012 19:15

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

got dat wmd posted:

I've never seen an Android tablet in Boston in the wild, never seen a portable video game being played either, thankfully.

I see DSes on occasion, and a PSP on very rare occasion. Haven't seen a Vita, and I don't think I've seen a 3DS.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2012 20:59

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

There's no loving way Google can handle updates for every device made going forward.

# ¿ Jun 25, 2012 15:00

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

McLarenF1 posted:

I've got a Asus Transformer Prime (10 inch screen) and I think it's the perfect size for comics. Physically it's just smaller than an actual comic, but not enough to make the text hard to read. A 7 inch screen however would be too small, so if reading comics is high on your list, bite the bullet and get a 10 inch.

Deja Vu ...

Yep, agreed. I have an iPad, and could't imagine reading comics on a smaller screen. If you're using Comixology, the panel view is fine on a 7", but I'm not a fan of that view, in general, and your pirated comics won't have it, anyway.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2012 15:00

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Siroc posted:

I bought the Samsung Galaxy s2 in October when it was released in the US and I have very little experience with iPads. I read impressions on the Nexus 7 and they all comment how it is a direct competitor to the Fire, but not to the iPad. Besides the larger screen size and some "higher end" productivity apps (I think Aperture, etc), why aren't people considering this to be an iPad competitor?

Different sizes, prices, capacities, capabilities, &c.

# ¿ Jul 2, 2012 19:48

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Siroc posted:

Are the only capacities you're talking about the size? And as far as I know, the only capabilities the Nexus is missing compared to the iPad is the back facing camera and the ability to "do more" out of the bottom port. What other capabilities?

Size I understand. Price seems rather secondary because everything else you listed is a factor in its determination.

Yeah, storage (you can get up to 16 GB in a Nexus 7, which is where iPads start). No rear-facing camera (which I will grant is not terribly useful, but when the iPad 1 didn't have one everyone was angry), weaker GPU (based on other Tegra 3 devices), no available LTE, lower resolution screen. The Nexus 7 has NFC, which is something. Seriously, though, Google is targeting Amazon with it, not Apple. It's obvious in form-factor and price.

# ¿ Jul 2, 2012 20:05

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

IT Guy posted:

I feel the Nexus Q's $300 price tag would be justified if it had gig-e and was able to stream from a NAS or UPnP server. That and it needs Netflix and Hulu.

Then it would only be overpriced by $150 instead of $200.

# ¿ Jul 2, 2012 21:14

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

General_Failure posted:

But seriously it's a flagship item of sorts.

"Of sorts" is the best description of it. It was a tablet Asus already had in development and Google convinced them to use it as their Nexus tablet with four months till release.

# ¿ Jul 17, 2012 15:21

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Syrinxx posted:

Man. I realize it's some kind of mandated "elegant solution" from a very important Google engineering team but gently caress not having expandable storage and gently caress not being able to see your device from your computer. I can't imagine this is a benefit to the consumer at all.

All your poo poo is in one place and you don't have to be worried about being "out of storage" because the device manufacturer gave it a system partition that is barely big enough for the OS plus the Facebook app and nothing else. Those are pretty huge benefits, if you ask me.

# ¿ Jul 17, 2012 20:44

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

UncleGuito posted:

So does Flipboard on the Nexus 7 run using the phone interface (flip up/down) or is it optimized for tablets? I'm thinking about selling my iPad 2 but Flipboard is one of my most used apps on it- I don't really want to get rid of it if the experience isn't the same.

It's the phone interface.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 16:45

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

UncleGuito posted:

I had this same issue and all I did was open it up and shave a layer of the black foam piece off (with a knife). The screen is now flush with the rest of the unit and doesn't have the "spongey" feeling that creaks anymore.

You could have just gotten a warranty replacement for your broken tablet.

# ¿ Jul 27, 2012 21:03

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Biggest human being Ever posted:

I've been looking at some very cheap tablet options and I'm wondering if those cheap china tablets are worth a drat, specifically this one:

http://www.pandawill.com/teclast-p85-dual-core-tablet-pc-hd-screen-8-inch-android-40-1g-ram-16gb-hdmi-camera-p65201.html

The price difference to the N7 is actually 85 USD in my country and I wonder if this would be decent enough, if all I'm looking for is web browsing, video calls and playing words with friends.

No, the Ainol Elf II is the lovely Chinese tablet of choice.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2012 16:56

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# ¿ May 7, 2024 22:28

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Polo-Rican posted:

It's going to be really, really funny if the confirmed solution for the screen lift problem turns out to be "push it down for a while."

Problem: Screen is poppin up!
Solution: Push it down.

The confirmed solution is "return it to where you purchased and get another." There's no excuse for keeping something broken out of the box, even if it's an easy fix.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2012 20:43

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Android Tablet Thread: Defend Your Other Purchase

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