.
Umm … how? There's no iTunes-like program on the PC to simplify the transfer. And with everyone have tens of gigabytes of legally-acquired music on their PCs, you're going to have to make some sort of choice if you don't want to fill your Xoom within minutes of buying it.
You can get DoubleTwist, which does have a PC/Mac incarnation as well, though it can't "see" iTunes's Smart Playlists (where you create playlists that will include any artist whose first name is "Justin", say). It can synchronise "static" playlists with iTunes effectively, and create playlists on the Xoom. But in that case, why have the Honeycomb music app? Plus DoubleTwist doesn't synchronise too well with the Honeycomb music player: when I transferred over some iTunes music, the music player saw it, but DoubleTwist didn't. (It does play AAC-encoded files from the iTunes Music Store.)
You can get Spotify, of course, or We7's Radio Plus, so you don't have to store the music on your machine. But again, this questions the point of the Honeycomb music app – unless it too is meant for a forthcoming Google Music service, as frequently hinted at, not least by Motorola's chief executive Sanjay Jha.
Video: bad, bad, bad
Know what media tablets should be good at? Playing media. Know what the Xoom is bad at? Playing video. Once you've laboriously transferred files over from your machine (you have to download drivers for Windows and Mac – that is so non-post-PC), you find that
• it will play MP4 files
• it won't play AVI files
• it won't play .VOB (decrypted DVD) files
• actually, it doesn't have a program to "play" videos at all.
It's this latter point which is the most bizarre. If you've got a device that's meant to be able to play media, then shouldn't it have an app whose purpose is to play media? Lots of forms of it?
True, the iPad won't play AVI files or .VOB files either, but it won't even transfer them in the first place. The Xoom will happily let you fill it to the brim with video files, and good luck then finding an app to play them. (VLC isn't available in the Android Market, and I tried a number which just looked at my video files – AVI and VOB – and shrugged their executable shoulders.)
The lack of any explicit app for playing videos (despite there being a folder called "Movies" and another called "Videos"), unlike the iPad where you can play videos directly in iTunes – always assuming it's a format you got onto the device - is odd.
Perhaps we're only meant to watch full-length Flash videos?
Overall: the verdict
The Xoom is a good container for Honeycomb: the device itself is pleasing to look at, not too heavy (though it is heavier than the iPad 2), and if you get rid of Flash has good battery life and a competitive price. Android's strengths (cloud synchronisation of apps across platforms such as your computer, smarthone and tablet) are to the fore, but so are its weaknesses – small user interface niggles, and particularly the dearth of apps in the broader Market.
Overall? If you're offered the experience of the iPad or the Xoom, there's no price difference, and the iPad will do many of the cloud synchronisation things (addresses, calendars, email) as well as having iTunes if you want to synchronise music and apps. Which means this loses to the iPad.
All in favour
• Competitive price against iPad with same amount of storage;
• interesting typeface and general design for menus and elements;
• some neat user interaction elements;
• flexibility of Android for adding sub-elements (eg, turning wireless on/off) to main screens
All against
• 16:9 screen dimensions mean typing can be inconvenient either way up
• inclusion of Flash halves battery life
• too easy to hit notifications by accident while typing;
• low quality of apps in Market;
• nonstandard USB and power ports
• hard to add video, few formats supported
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Comments in chronological order (Total 78 comments)
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Briantist
27 April 2011 8:43AM
I'm seriously laughing at
...inclusion of Flash halves battery life...
Whereas not having Flash means you miss 50% of the internet.
Personally, I'm waiting to get an Asus EeePad Transformer TF101.
Recommend (22)
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Lemonsanver
27 April 2011 8:56AM
Great review - I'm also not convinced by the 16:9 form factor for tablets or the need to experience flash content.
Recommend (4)
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ImperfectRex
27 April 2011 9:03AM
Its a pity. At that price, it would be hard to recommend it to someone over the ipad. I might struggle to justify it myself.
On the browser - is there a possible fix? Open the browser, choose settings -> user agent. There may be a choice to change to ipad. Not ideal but may offer a workaround.
The choice is there on Gingerbread 2.3. Useful if you dont want flash desktop versions of sites but also don't want the standard Android mobile version.
Recommend (3)
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dashbad
27 April 2011 9:09AM
Owning both the ipad and xoom I agree with this review. The ipad is still a better device all round.
A number of the issues mentioned - video playback and poor keyboard notably can be mitigated through 3rd party apps - though this doesn't make the tablet 'better' than the ipad out of the box.
One correction - the usb connector on the xoom is the same as the nexus S: micro usb
Ultimately it comes down to whether you are a believer in android and the ultimate aims of the platform, and like the idea of tweaking parts of the device with 3rd party apps that Apple will not let you touch.
For the average 'default' user the ipad is the better recommendation at the moment.
It will be interesting to see where things stand in a yea'rs time.
Recommend (2)
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GhostDaz
27 April 2011 9:13AM
I'm very confused by what you mean by non-standard usb. I just plugged my normal usb cable into it and it worked fine. I don't think I even bothered to look if one had been included in the box.
I would see not being tied to iTunes as being a bonus. I've had no problem syncing to Media Monkey just as I do with my phone, it seems happy enough making play lists.
I was also a little surprised to find the range of video formats that are supported. I've had no problems with AVI and was pleased to see that MKV works fine. I've been using Rock player for video playback.
The issue with apps has been interesting. As soon as a I signed in with my Google account it added all the apps I have on my phone so things like flash were already there.
I've had no problem with battery life, even streaming films it's comfortably lasted all day.
The major criticism I have is the flimsiyness of the power cable/socket. I frequently have to check the thing is charging. Other than that I'm rally happy with it.
The price is ridculous but I felt it was worth paying extra to avoid the requirment for iTunes.
Recommend (21)
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kingmaker
27 April 2011 9:25AM
It (and other Android tablets) will live or die on the amount of available apps, and their quality.
Side-note: Flash is a bad joke for mobile devices. I haven't missed it on my iPad at all, and even if I did, I could pay a small fee for a browser app that would support it....but I don't :P
Recommend (3)
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anig
27 April 2011 9:27AM
Is there not a setting in the browser which allows you to only play flash content when you touch it? Otherwise you can use opera mobile, they have a specific android tablet version and it has an option of click to play for flash.
Recommend (5)
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jforbes
27 April 2011 9:56AM
Interesting review - 4* even seems a little generous given some fundamental criticisms.
A few thoughts;
I'm guessing you are a touch typist - so the keyboard size may not be an issue for those that aren't?
Have Motorola really created another USB type? Other reviews suggest it is a standard micro USB. It seems the upside of a separate charging device is faster charging. Probably handy if you are using Flash!
Your problem with transferring music may be because you are in the Mac world. I've had no problem transferring music to a variety of USB devices from my PC using plain old Windows Media Player. I'm assuming the Xoom would be no different.
Recommend (9)
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HotSoup
27 April 2011 9:57AM
It's not as if there are too many apps: the default installation has 24 buried in that folder, while each of the five screens can take at least 48 apps.
You're thinking too much in the 'iOS' mindset. Why? why? why? would you fill up your home screens with apps. It's a ridiculously wasted use of the space. Widgets, widgets, widgets! Oh, and more widgets.
It's relevant for the average user though that the 'default' could point more towards what you could do.
ES File explorer, if it works on 3.0 will give you cut and paste for files over your wi-fi network. It would be nice though having a split screen drag and drop affair, which would work on a larger device. (See the Archos network file systems).
Shame you ruined the article with the misinformation about the usb cable. The micro usb is/will be the European regulatory standard.
Spot on about the proprietary charger, though I would guess this is to increase power for charging times.
Further confirmed my desire to get one too.
Recommend (13)
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omnisvalidus
27 April 2011 9:58AM
I have the Advent Iconia A500 which does run Honeycomb and looks more or less identical from a hardware point of view, but with a more sensibly placed power button.
There is a solution to the mobile web site problem mentioned (as far as I know a variation of this works on older versions of Android too).
Open the browser and type about:debug.
Go to the Browser settings and Debug
In the UAString option change to Desktop.
This will now cause the browser to declare itself to sites as a desktop device. The only problem I have found is that it frequently forgets and you have to keep resetting it but it does work for those irritating sites that don’t give you an option to switch to the main site (I’m looking at you ITV.com).
I can’t speak for the Xoom but I love the Advent and my wife has an iPad and I don’t envy her in the slightest. The lack of good tablet apps is a pain at the moment but decent Android tablets are only just becoming available so it’s understandable, Android phones had the same issue and look at them now.
Recommend (3)
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CharlesArthur
27 April 2011 10:05AM
Thanks for comments so far.
@HotSoup "You're thinking too much in the 'iOS' mindset. Why? why? why? would you fill up your home screens with apps. It's a ridiculously wasted use of the space. Widgets, widgets, widgets! Oh, and more widgets.
It's relevant for the average user though that the 'default' could point more towards what you could do. "
Well, that's exactly the point: to sell in volume, these things need to go a lot further than people who know how to add widgets (which is quite well buried even in Android 2.x). I'm fairly sure Apple hasn't added widget-ability partly because it thinks they're hard to discover. Certainly it's noticeable that Honeycomb takes away the "long press" for contextual menus - word I've heard is that the designers think it's too hard to find and so have rowed back on it.
Remember, the default setting is what the majority of people use for any widely-used device. That's why changing User-Agent strings isn't going to be a solution beyond a tiny minority. I'm really trying to give you the "default user" view in this review - not the "well, if you study for years, here's what you'll be able to do" review.
Recommend (4)
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jonar
27 April 2011 10:10AM
To avoid the tablet being detected as a mobile device you can just download the Dolphin HD browser and use the add-on to switch device type between PC and Mobile. This allows you to play iPlayer and other on-demand content easily on the Xoom.
In the interests of full disclosure, I took mine back after a week. I had to do 3 'hard resets' (volume up and power buttons) in this time, when the Xoom would fail to wake from hibernation overnight. This was unacceptable for me - generally I quite liked it, although it did feel heavy holding it one-handed for a period of time.
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HotSoup
27 April 2011 10:20AM
Charles.
Its a shame if the long press has been taken away. There are other ways to add Widgets or apps but for those in the know its a much more elegant solution.
HTC do a new user tutorial on first use. Its maybe something Google could incorporate along with better default home views.
I think some people just get Android and the way it works though and Google perhaps haven't applied further thought to those that don't.
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anig
27 April 2011 10:53AM
I'm really trying to give you the "default user" view in this review - not the "well, if you study for years, here's what you'll be able to do" review.
I get the point about UA strings but it doesn't make sense if your talking about the widgets and app icon. The default user is not one who has used iOS but one who comes to the tablet from using a windows pc. Said person would surely look for a "start" button, which is the "apps" button and would recognise the rest as a desktop onto which they can add the clutter.
Recommend (8)
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dirkbruere
27 April 2011 11:17AM
When Honeycomb clones are retailing for £200 (probably next year) it will be a different story. Xoom is clearly massively overpriced. Anyway, with dozens poised to arrive from just about every Chinese factory in existence Android Tablets are going to be fighting for a slice of the market solely on price.
However, actually having used a 10" tablet for some time I am not convinced that they are really useful. The 7" OTOH, really is far more portable. I would not be surprised if that form factor became the biggest seller by a long way.
Recommend (4)
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art55
27 April 2011 11:17AM
The iPad's 4:3 aspect ratio is (believe it or not) the main reason I'd decided to get an iPad rather than a RIM PlayBook even before the PlayBook reviews started coming out. Since a tablet doesn't have to accommodate a keyboard, there's no imaginable excuse for a squatscreen.
Recommend (3)
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Diplo
27 April 2011 11:18AM
@CharlesArthur
I'm really trying to give you the "default user" view in this review - not the "well, if you study for years, here's what you'll be able to do" review.
But it appears you are giving the "default user view" of someone who is used to iOS and then comparing everything to that. The fact is that Android is far more customisable than iOS and, whilst this can clearly be a weakness in terms of ease of use, it does also offers a far more tailored experience for those that spend a little time exploring it.
For instance, when it comes to synchronising music there are lots of different ways of doing this - without having the need to tie yourself to insidious software like iTunes (which is really just a way that Apple forces you down the road of using it's store to buy music from). There are apps to synch music wirelessly (Winamp), apps to play music from the cloud (Amazon), apps to stream music from a media-server (2Player) and so-on.
I'd also say that Android's home screen offers a far better experience than iOS's "wall of icons" which resembles nothing more than an old Windows 98 PC where the novice user has filled the desktop with shortcuts. Horrendous!
Honeycomb has a long way to go, but it's not iOS and isn't tied to iTunes and that is a massive plus point to many people.
Recommend (25)
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falcomomo
27 April 2011 11:20AM
This review is embarrassing. Could the reviewer post a review that is an objective review, rather than just a comparison to the iPad? That isn't the point of reviewing, surely?
Don't approach it from an iOS man standpoint. Not everybody is familiar with it, with how it works etc. I for one have picked up a friend's iPhone and not instantly found how to do things at all, it isn't as intuitive as you seem to make out.
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CharlesArthur
27 April 2011 11:37AM
@diplo "But it appears you are giving the "default user view" of someone who is used to iOS and then comparing everything to that."
Well, Apple has defined the market in this space, and it offers you a home screen populated - filled - with icons.. And Honeycomb does come with some apps on the home screen. There are just some things that aren't obvious and so many users will miss them, or only discover them after a long period of use. That's not going to help usability.
"For instance, when it comes to synchronising music there are lots of different ways of doing this"
Actually, what most users want is *just one* way to sync music. It's easier to think about then. Having "just iTunes" to sync music to the iPod was a key part of its success. Don't underestimate the value of simplicity and single, straight paths through complex processes.
Love the icon btw.
Recommend (3)
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Olaph
27 April 2011 11:39AM
yes comparing to an i-pad is irritating, you knew it would be and it was.
well done.
Recommend (2)
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anig
27 April 2011 11:46AM
Well, Apple has defined the market in this space, and it offers you a home screen populated - filled - with icons.. And Honeycomb does come with some apps on the home screen. There are just some things that aren't obvious and so many users will miss them, or only discover them after a long period of use. That's not going to help usability.
Are tablets not computers? You assume everyone has used the iPad instead of the actual default user being someone who has used a windows PC. When you get a new PC there are some shortcuts to applications on the desktop that the manufacturer has decided to put on and the rest of the applications are hidden away in the start menu, you can then customise however you want to.
I'm sure everyone has a level of intelligence and curiosity that they can figure these things out. Everything doesn't need to be right there in front of you and just because Apple has chosen to implement it this way doesn't mean everyone has to or that it is the best way of doing it.
Recommend (8)
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Olaph
27 April 2011 11:48AM
@Chalres Arthur
"Don't underestimate the value of simplicity and single, straight paths through complex processes."
Plug in and drag and drop, what ever you want, where ever you want.
It doesn't get any simpler.
Your point is valid about the custom usb port shape but people have been saying that for ages even against apple and their custom connections. All phone manufacturers agreed to use the same one and I really think companys just do it to generate extra revenue on peripherals - just like apple.
Recommend (3)
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Hookersden
27 April 2011 11:49AM
'If Apple were the sort of company that was keen on litigation over look and feel of interfaces...'
Actually, it is that sort of company. Currently with Samsung and, back in the days of Windows 3.1, with Microsoft. Here Apple cited exactly that, Microsoft were being sued for copying 'the look and feel' of Apples current PC OS.
Apple lost against Microsoft, Bill Gates correctly pointing out that Steve Jobs had copied the 'look and feel' from xerox's research lab in the early 1970s.
I hoped Apple had learnt the lesson from Windows but maybe not and it's only a matter of time before Job's gets his guns turned on Google!
Recommend (9)
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ThwartedEfforts
27 April 2011 12:01PM
Diplo
Honeycomb has a long way to go, but it's not iOS and isn't tied to iTunes and that is a massive plus point to many people.
quite
Still, overall a rather enjoyable and balanced review.
Given the inescapable truth of the tablet market is that it (a) was defined by and (b) is still dominated by one product, to look at the Xoom in isolation wouldn't really help anyone. It'd be like finding and falling in love with what appears to be the perfect home, only failing to notice the one for sale just up the road, built to the same design but with a much larger back garden, an en suite to the master bedroom and fifty grand cheaper price tag.
Recommend (4)
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jaymbee
27 April 2011 12:02PM
@Hookersden
What's that whooshing sound?
Recommend (1)
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jforbes
27 April 2011 12:03PM
It's fair enough to compare the Xoom with the iPad which is after all the market leader in 'media tablets'.
What's not reasonable is to assume that most users Xoom will already be familiar with iOS and expect the Xoom to work the same way. As has been said most users may well be more familiar with Windows and or perhaps Android phones.
Perhaps with Charles being steeped in iOS - he simply wasn't the best person to do an objective review..
Recommend (15)
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LordHester
27 April 2011 12:11PM
@Briantist
Whereas not having Flash means you miss 50% of the internet.
Though I appreciate the wisdom of many of your postings, this, frankly is bollox.
Recommend (9)
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jforbes
27 April 2011 12:14PM
@Charles
Are you going to confirm or correct your comments about the USB connector?
You might find Wikipedia helpful ;-)
Serioulsy I find the various Mini and Micro connectors a bit confusing but it would be surprising if Motorola had added a propriety one .
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anig
27 April 2011 12:31PM
And that's not even the power charging socket; that requires a completely separate adapter and lead. Did you notice, Motorola, how for years Apple has let you charge devices through the same port as you use to connect it to a computer? Please do that in future.
The reason for this is that you may be using a peripheral, such as memory stick, external hard disk etc through the USB port and so you can then power the device using the power port rather than having to stop what you're doing in order to recharge. It's the same reason the Nokia N8 has a seperate power port even though you can still recharge through the USB itself.
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falcomomo
27 April 2011 12:41PM
@LordHester
I think that wasn't meant to be taken literally -- was referencing the halving of battery life.
In any case, you do miss a lot by not having flash -- there is no denying that.
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falcomomo
27 April 2011 12:44PM
@CharlesArthur
I'm really trying to give you the "default user" view in this review - not the "well, if you study for years, here's what you'll be able to do" review.
Actually I think it would've been good to focus on the "what you'll be able to do" bit a lot more. That is the whole reason why Android is superior to iOS -- you can do basically anything. All you have to do is find an app for it...or even if you're a power user, then tinker a little.
Recommend (4)
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megaGenius
27 April 2011 1:02PM
@CharlesArthur - you get some stick here don't you? I actually think your review is bang on the money. The problems with the xoom are essentially a problem with nearly all computers apart from ones desgined by apple. Many aspects of how they operate and function are just not thought through - like this app sub-folder. My girlfriend would use a xoom for hours and never know that it was there. Whatever might be said against apple, you can't criticise them for insufficient thought about the user experience.
Computers, mobiles, tablets, or whatever don't have to have this pc heritage - it is genuinely new computing and needs a new, simpler paradigm. I do hate the level of control apple insists on having on its products and I want to like Android but its current deficiencies in apps while being at the same (or higher) price point make it a no-brainer.
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CharlesArthur
27 April 2011 1:16PM
@Hookersden "Actually, it is that sort of company [to sue over look and feel]. Currently with Samsung and, back in the days of Windows 3.1, with Microsoft. Here Apple cited exactly that, Microsoft were being sued for copying 'the look and feel' of Apples current PC OS."
The Samsung case is different from the Microsoft Windows one, and the reason why Microsoft won that isn't what you said.
- Microsoft won not on the Xerox precedent, but on Apple having licensed the GUI to it. Also I don't think it was Windows 3.1 - more like Windows 1.0. It was 1985-ish. Windows 3.1 is some years later.
- Samsung is being sued principally over "trade dress", which is "making an object look just like someone else's object". We've covered it in the Technology blog if you have a look.
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randomdoofus
27 April 2011 1:20PM
"well, if you study for years, here's what you'll be able to do" review.
If you knew half as much as you think you do you would have realised that there are a number of user errors in your review that are quite funny and revealing. It's simply not enough to subsequently claim you were doing an impression of an idiots review.
Personally, I'm waiting to get an Asus EeePad Transformer TF101.
So was I but after being disappointed owning 7" tablets, 10" tablets and the laughable comparative uselessness of Advert packed Android I'm waiting for a convertible tablet which can do 720p playback and run Win OS which will allow me to cook my own version of Windows Lite, run X and retain compatibility with everything else I use.
The hardware I want is about a year off.
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thegr33k
27 April 2011 1:31PM
I have to be honest. This reads like someone who has from the outset looked for everything that isnt apple is bad.
The USB comment is just ludicrous. Micro USB is almost everywhere!
How is having the ability to use flash a negative? If you don't want it then don't install it, or uninstall it! At least you have the choice though, id say that is a positive!
I also disagree with the App argument. Yes apps are handy but unless you go out of your way to get an app 99% of the time you dont need them! Why? Because you have the internet browser! Id personally consider Apps a secondary consideration over the main use of the browser and OS.
Again the 16:9 argument seems flawed. You no doubt use an ipad a fair amount judging from what you write, and it reads as though you are simply more used to the 4:3 configuration. So to call that a negative seems harsh.
Again, the widgets thing. The only people I have ever heard say that they are confusing or hard to use are IOS users. My brother for example who is not technology ofay at all has no issue at all with them.
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CharlesArthur
27 April 2011 1:35PM
I've updated the review with points raised about email (there is an app that does offer unified view) and micro-USB. Thanks all for input.
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Frequent
27 April 2011 1:43PM
@thegr33k
I also disagree with the App argument. Yes apps are handy but unless you go out of your way to get an app 99% of the time you dont need them! Why? Because you have the internet browser! Id personally consider Apps a secondary consideration over the main use of the browser and OS.
Except Apple did exactly that with iPhone 1. It was all about apps in Safari. They had instructions on how to do it for developers, and I think it's still a default bookmark in the iOS browser.
Unfortunately it didn't catch on. At all. Remember the howls of outrage from everyone, demanding an SDK for iPhone OS (as it was then). Jobs did his usual 'I know better than the rest of the world' schtick for a while, but eventually Apple caved. And look where we are now. Apps everywhere.
Personally I agree that HTML 5 apps in a browser are preferable in an ideal world. Then, you buy your app once and you can use it on whatever device / OS you like. Trouble is, you need better connectivity than is currently available to be able to do that, and you don't get the really rich experience that standalone apps deliver. Maybe in a few years we'll get there, but for the moment I think apps is where it's at.
@CharlesArthur
Thanks for the review. I personally thought it was pretty balanced, and I didn't have a problem with the comparison with iOS; that has to be a factor. It would be interesting to document a completely new tablet user's experience with the Xoom, and possibly someone who has used an Android phone but not iOS. That would be a couple of interesting reviews to read. Fancy setting up a review panel? :)
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nichp
27 April 2011 2:05PM
Not sure who would spend five hours watching online video on a flash player in your browser, not ipad users thats for sure! I do wish we could play flash games on a tablet as there are lots of fantastic games freely available on the web that are far better than most of the rubbish you find on ipads or whatever. Not sure why everyone is so competitive about, I like my web to be free and open, go on take a look at some of the free games out there and then ask yourself why your paying for 99% of your apps on an ipod, xoom or whatever.
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Streethawk101
27 April 2011 2:16PM
@thegr33k
Micro USB is not nearly everywhere, mini USB is nearly everywhere perhaps, but they are two different standards and far more devices use mini USB, which would've been the sensible option, that and a full sized USB for charging.
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Poppa
27 April 2011 2:18PM
Because Apple have made a sucseful tablet in the ipad,everyone wants to make one now,but you are only as good as the apps you have to run on your tablet.I have not seen any decent Android apps that show off these tablets,yet the ipad has some good dedicated ipad apps.
Android need to get developers making decent dedicated apps to make me want to buy one,if I was going to buy one I would still go for the ipad2.
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Diplo
27 April 2011 2:20PM
@CharlesArthur I don't have a problem with the general conclusions of your review - I personally think it is best to skip the first generation of Android tablets. Honeycomb will mature and prices will fall, just like happened with Android smartphones, so wait.
However, just one point about when you say:
Well, Apple has defined the market in this space...
Apple may have defined the market, but the initial market for Android tablets will not be iOS users. Therefore it is erroneous to use iOS as the benchmark for usability based on the preconception that this is what the public are used to. Apple users may well find Android tablets "different" and "difficult" compared to their iOS devices, but the majority of people who will be buying Android tablets (at least initially) will be Android smartphone users who will have no such problems.
I just think you need to approach the review at least in some-part from the perspective of how existing Android users would find a tablet. Not being iOS can be a positive for many people!
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jaymbee
27 April 2011 2:29PM
@Frequent
Except Apple did exactly that with iPhone 1. It was all about apps in Safari. They had instructions on how to do it for developers, and I think it's still a default bookmark in the iOS browser.
Unfortunately it didn't catch on. At all. Remember the howls of outrage from everyone, demanding an SDK for iPhone OS (as it was then). Jobs did his usual 'I know better than the rest of the world' schtick for a while, but eventually Apple caved. And look where we are now. Apps everywhere.
You're right that the iPhone didn't have 3rd party apps from day one and that Apple spun the 'just write web apps' line.
However, I don't think they caved to pressure. I think an SDK and an app store was always in their game plan. The fact that it took less than a year to get the SDK and the app store infrastructure ready for the launch of the iPhone 3G is remarkable. In the meantime, Jobs simply pretended web apps were the only way forward.
As usual, it totally wrongfooted Apple's competitors who spent the next year getting their own SDK and app stores off the ground.
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Streethawk101
27 April 2011 2:37PM
@jaymbee
[quote]As usual, it totally wrongfooted Apple's competitors who spent the next year getting their own SDK and app stores off the ground."[/quote]
And they're still not off-the-ground...
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CharlesArthur
27 April 2011 3:00PM
@nichp "I do wish we could play flash games on a tablet as there are lots of fantastic games freely available on the web"
Optimised for physical keyboard and mouse. Not touch-optimised. I've seen reviews of people trying to play Flash games on tablets. Not a good experience.
@diplo "Apple users may well find Android tablets "different" and "difficult" compared to their iOS devices, but the majority of people who will be buying Android tablets (at least initially) will be Android smartphone users who will have no such problems.
"I just think you need to approach the review at least in some-part from the perspective of how existing Android users would find a tablet."
Good point in general.
But I'm not "an iOS user" - I don't have an iPhone; my everyday phone is an Android.
I've used iOS and I've used Android and Honeycomb isn't quite like an Android phone, in part because tablets are different use cases from phones. I approached it from the point of view of "here are things I want to do - now how do I do them? What's the experience like?"
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ravipatel
27 April 2011 3:35PM
You mention that the BBC offers a HTML compatible version of iPlayer but this isn't entirely true. Yes it does offer this for iDevices but not for Android.
For some reason they have determined that the optimal Android experience requires Flash and the HTML5 streams are not accessible by default. They've also banned the apps that previously used these streams from the market.
I've no idea why iDevices get preferential treatment but I would hazard that DRM has something to do with it.
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Tacty
27 April 2011 3:47PM
apps are overrated. there are literary MILLIONS of windows apps out there, and we ended up with how much? 10-15 in most cases? unless you need some specialty apps for work of course...browser this or that, couple of media players, pdf reader, some kind of office and burning program..and, that's it...
with tablet, you even need less, because you can't use any complicated programs on touch screen. browser, media player, ebook reader, picture viewer, mail program...and, that's about it...and you can't say there is a lack of these type of apps on ANY tablet platform. garage band? yeah, it's for showing off only. "mate, look, i can pluck some guitar strings on touch screen! yeah, fine, gimme me a beer...loook, mate, i can punching drums on my touch screen..yeah, fine, bring those snacks please and turn on the telly.."
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MonChat
27 April 2011 3:52PM
The problem I have is that the Android tablet seems to have a less solid identity than an iPAD. I look at Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Barnes and Nobles, Dell etc and all these different Android incarnations which all seem to have different user interfaces and hardware specifications and find that I am often left with the question ‘What is an Android’?
I think it’s far too simplistic to say that Android is simply like windows just because the Android OS runs on multiple hardware platforms; windows looks the pretty much the same on most platforms but this does not seem to be the case with the various Android devices.
If we wanted to draw a comparison here it may be more appropriate to compare Android to say Winamp which has different skins which one can use to customize the UI. In addition to this each Android phone manufacturer seems to have a different ‘default skin’. I realize that ‘under the hood’ all Android devices are making use of the Android OS. But beyond this it seems that not all Androids are created equally: none of them seem to look the same from a hardware or user interface perspective which makes knowing exactly what you are buying very difficult unless you are very tech savvy.
When I open up an iPAD I pretty much know what to expect. I get a nice looking, snappy simple interface that responds to my commands swiftly and gives me exactly what I want within one or two taps. The number of steps to complete a task is optimal and the UI is responsive, intuitive and good looking.
Choice is usually a good thing for consumers but when the level of ignorance in tech is so high in the general population and the number of new (and different) Android devices seems to be increasing exponentially--which can only serve to further confuse consumers--a strong simple interface such as that offered by the iPAD can lead to a lot of peace of mind for the consumer.
An interesting solution to the Android identity problem is being presented by the BlackBerry PlayBook. The PlayBook has amazing hardware specifications, essentially carries the solid BlackBerry identity through its UI(albeit with some modifications which are quite suited for the tablet) and via an emulator is actually able to play Android apps. I think that this makes the PlayBook superior to all Android tablets which exist right now. The PlayBook will have its native apps and also have access to Android apps even though it is not an Android. Not being an Android but being able to access Android apps may solve this entire identity issue and may actually have been a brilliant strategy on the part of Research and Motion. Consumers know what a BlackBerry is, know what to expect from a BlackBerry PlayBook and will benefit from the compatibility with Android apps.
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UrbanDK
27 April 2011 5:28PM
This is a very good rounded review, but I don't understand how it gets 4 stars.
From the review it definitely sounds like it is only worth of 3 at most.
I am hoping to get an Android tablet in 2011, but it looks like this is not the one. It would have to be considerably cheaper than the iPad to make it a worthwhile purchase.
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MarcoPoloMint
27 April 2011 5:47PM
@Tacty
apps are overrated. there are literary MILLIONS of windows apps out there, and we ended up with how much? 10-15 in most cases?
Clearly you are someone that hasn't used a tablet, or only thinks they're for showing off down the pub. You don't get it. Apps are at the heart of the phone and tablet experience - they make it live and breathe, allow novel and useful ways to do things (or waste time), and for medics, musicians and academics and all kinds of professionals allow them to do more things, more conveniently.
@CharlesArthur
It was inevitable there would be some iOS/Android/Windows comparison, it gets boring. But you usefully declare your own gadgetry allegiances halfway down the comments section. Why not place it more prominently in the review? This would stop pointless speculation by commenters and show how you're approaching the device.
Good review by the way.
I don't have a tablet but am waiting on a usable Android device; in the meantime I'm going to try out an iPad 2 for some archival research soon - can't wait!
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palmtreeent
27 April 2011 6:35PM
I've owned a Xoom for 3 weeks know (and used it on a daily basis) and can honestly saw I havent experianced any of the niggles expressed in the review above. I've never tried an ipad so cant comment on the comparison but for me I wouldnt buy an Ipad on principle as I want to be able to customize my device in ways Apple would never allow. This is one of the powers of the Xoom - its flexibility to be tailoured to work in the way you want it to. Media players for the Xoom will follow in the next few months - notably VLC. I've been nothing but impressed with the Android App store and pleasantly surprised by how good the virtual keyboard is (I wont be buying an external one).All in all its a great device that just needs a few apps customised for the tablet experiance to make it complete. I'm looking forward to seeing these appear over the next few months.
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