Google: "Android 2.2 not made for Tablets", This is not good

[MrX8503]

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=19592

The one OS that I truly believed would be a viable option for the tablet market is now being written off as not made for tablet use.

As it seems, this is why Google has not allowed the Marketplace to run on Tablet devices. I think the apps simply don't run, support higher res, or the experience is not the same on a Tablet.

Without Android, I don't see an alternative for Tablets in the near future. (No, WinMo7 and WebOS is not in the near future, plus those platforms have no apps) I also think Windows 7 is a terrible solution, but I won't go into details why, as the problems are too long to list.

For a tablet to be successful, it needs an engaging Tablet OS. I would say its OS is more important than the hardware itself. Without a Tablet OS that caters to touch input, I foresee the iPad's lead being extended even further. This looks like a repeat of the iPhone being released in 2007 with no competing devices at the time.

From what I can tell, its probably gonna take the same amount of time as it did back in the smartphone days to catch up in the tablet sector.

 

[Deeko]

They're talking about Froyo - who says Gingerbread or Honycomb won't be?

Frankly, I don't blame them for not optimizing Froyo for tablets. Why start focusing on another segment when they still had more work to do on the smartphone level? Once they've got that nailed, then work on something else.

 

[Pliablemoose]

When the competitors do show up, Apple has the room to cut prices by quite a bit, say ~$100 across the whole line easily...

Plus Apple is working on Gen II of it's tablet(s)...

I actually think Google did the right thing by distancing itself from any tablets running 2.2, they're far from a compelling device at this point.

Now a Motorola tablet running Gingerbread may be an interesting device, I suspect Google and Moto are collaborating on a device that'll be pretty decent.

 

[MrX8503]

They're talking about Froyo - who says Gingerbread or Honycomb won't be?

Frankly, I don't blame them for not optimizing Froyo for tablets. Why start focusing on another segment when they still had more work to do on the smartphone level? Once they've got that nailed, then work on something else.

I agree.

I guess there is going to be a Verizon Gingerbread/HoneyComb tablet next year. I'm thinking Tablets aren't gonna cause any noise till mid/late 2011. By then Apple probably is going to release their next iPad, most likely throughly upsetting current iPad users, lol.

 

[Glitchny]

When the competitors do show up, Apple has the room to cut prices by quite a bit, say ~$100 across the whole line easily...

Plus Apple is working on Gen II of it's tablet(s)...

I actually think Google did the right thing by distancing itself from any tablets running 2.2, they're far from a compelling device at this point.

Now a Motorola tablet running Gingerbread may be an interesting device, I suspect Google and Moto are collaborating on a device that'll be pretty decent.

^pretty much exactly what I was thinking.

 

[pm]

Yeah, ditto what Pliable said. I think given the lukewarm reception Froyo tablets have been getting it's a good thing that Google is aware of it and is willing to admit it. One of the things that I generally like about Google is that I don't feel that they "spin" things a lot - they call things as they see them.

As Deeko said, just because they are saying Froyo isn't optimized for tablets, doesn't mean that future releases won't be - although it would have been nice for them to actually come out and state a timetable for tablet support. I don't see this statement as a bad thing at all - it reassures me that Google aren't trying to gloss over shortcomings, and I'm sure that by next summer, Android will be optimized for tablets.

This statement today shouldn't be too much of a surprise - things like the Engadget preview of the Samsung Tab said as much already several days ago (http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/samsung-galaxy-tab-preview/ ):

By all accounts Android isn't really "ready" for tablets. It's still a phone OS being asked to do a big screen job, but while we could see room for improvement, we'd say Samsung has shored up enough of Android's deficiencies with its own custom skin and apps to make the OS thoroughly palatable in this form factor. TouchWiz 3.0 still does have a bit of a "iPhone for kids" flavor to it, but props to Samsung for the depth and consistency of its UI layer.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=19592

The one OS that I truly believed would be a viable option for the tablet market is now being written off as not made for tablet use.

As it seems, this is why Google has not allowed the Marketplace to run on Tablet devices. I think the apps simply don't run, support higher res, or the experience is not the same on a Tablet.

Without Android, I don't see an alternative for Tablets in the near future. (No, WinMo7 and WebOS is not in the near future, plus those platforms have no apps) I also think Windows 7 is a terrible solution, but I won't go into details why, as the problems are too long to list.

For a tablet to be successful, it needs an engaging Tablet OS. I would say its OS is more important than the hardware itself. Without a Tablet OS that caters to touch input, I foresee the iPad's lead being extended even further. This looks like a repeat of the iPhone being released in 2007 with no competing devices at the time.

From what I can tell, its probably gonna take the same amount of time as it did back in the smartphone days to catch up in the tablet sector.

Meego looks like it has the potential to be a good os for tablets although application support may be a bit lacking at first.

 

[rockstar]

I think I've read that Google has designed Chrome OS for larger form factors like tablets. Which seems likely if they want to differentiate the apps on the market and target the devices in a way that makes better sense. (like some other company might) I bet they make it easy to convert an app into a chrome app and possibly add more features which fit the tablet size.

What I don't like is fragmentation, but after going from a G1 phone (early adopter) to a Samsung Vibrant recently, I think this idea is based on fear more than reality. Google is well aware that hardware technology moves at a fast rate and they want to keep up. Don't we all want new software technology to match our latest and best hardware?

One can only hope that Google has a plan for Chrome OS which fits better on a larger form factor.

 

[BoberFett]

In this day and age, how can a brand new OS and all of the software developed for it not have a proper interface designed to scale? Stuff I was writing more than a decade ago had dynamic UIs depending on resolution. A tablet is the same damn thing as a phone with just a bigger screen. How do you screw up something as simple as that?

 

[senseamp]

It does scale, Android works on tablets, Froyo is just not specifically optimized for them by Google, leaving it up for manufacturers to do so. The battle is in the phone device space, where the big money is for Google, mobile advertising. The focus goes where the money is. Tablets are a market segment, but it's one that can wait for Gingerbread, once the phone segment is secured. For now, both netbook and iPad users are using Google services, and unlike mobile, Google does not fear being squeezed out by Apple in that form factor. It sucks for tablet manufacturers who are waiting for a tablet optimized OS, but Google is looking out for Google.

 

[BoberFett]

What does that even mean? Tablet optimized? Sounds like nonsense to me.

 

[zerocool84]

What does that even mean? Tablet optimized? Sounds like nonsense to me.

Umm no, just like the iPad, things have to be optimized for a larger screen/larger resolutions.

 

[cbn]

http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobilize...-future-tablets-116?source=rss_infoworld_news

 

[TheStu]

I merged Computer Bottleneck's new thread with this existing one since they seemed to pertain to the same things.
Moderator TheStu

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

it's ok guys.
RIM has a blackpad coming out.

 

[Pliablemoose]

it's ok guys.
RIM has a blackpad coming out.

Knowing BB, it'll look like a giant Curve With no touchscreen, but a great keyboard and a trackball.

 

[trmiv]

Knowing BB, it'll look like a giant Curve With no touchscreen, but a great keyboard and a trackball.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Sweet, now if they make it so it'll only tether to a traditional BB with an additional monthly tethering charge of say $40, they've got a winner.