OT: Android Tablet Thread

[Naples39]

Actually, the Xoom doesn't have better hardware than the iPad2.

A larger, higher resolution and quality screen, LTE & SD Card Expansion. Those are WAY more important than the 1fps you gain from the a5 over the tegra 2.

USB port, too. That would be a must for me since I download a ton of fights, races and European sporting events through the faster wired connection on my laptop and would want to watch them on a tablet off a thumb drive.

I'm not sure where you want to watch all those shows and if you'd have a data connection, but if you do, airvideo is a really great app for iPad. I have a 2TB USB hard drive with all kinds of videos on it connected to my laptop, and I stream them to my iPad with airvideo. It works great and no switching back and forth and worrying about what you have loaded on your drive or tablet at the moment. If it's on your computer and you have a data connection, you've got it instantly.

[pk500]

How is the quality, Naples? Any buffering or framerate issues?

[wco81]

By that argument, you might as well dock almost all Verizon devices for not being able to roam internationally, including Canada and Mexico, because it's not using a widely supported standard.

It's a meaningless checkbox item unless there's actual utility attached to it.

Especially when Motorola hasn't even started upgrading the units out in the field yet for this LTE update:

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/06/07 ... n-its-way/

[Naples39]

How is the quality, Naples? Any buffering or framerate issues?

Buffering is essentially nonexistent in my experience, but obviously overall quality will depend on many factors, particularly when you are connecting to your home rig from a distant location.

Honestly I mostly use it in my home over my home wireless network to watch archived TV shows in bed or on the couch (I also got the ipad hdmi adapter so I can hook up the iPad to any hd tv in the house and play my downloaded shows on the big screen). I never sit at my computer and watch shows. Around the house, it works perfectly.

[dbdynsty25]

By that argument, you might as well dock almost all Verizon devices for not being able to roam internationally, including Canada and Mexico, because it's not using a widely supported standard.

What in the bloody hell are you talking about? Verizon has the best infrastructure in the USA...I live in the USA. If I wanted a global phone, I could get a global phone on Verizon (Droid 2 Global, Droid Pro, HTC Incredible 2). They offer them for those who want them...what's your point again?

As for LTE upgradability on the Xoom...it's not a meaningless check box. Can you get LTE on an iPad/iPhone/anything other than a Verizon-based device? Nope...but you can on the Xoom at some point in the near future. That is a checkbox that can't be checked on any other device and until such time as you have experienced LTE and the speed it allows (Yes, faster than FIOS), then you might want to refrain from saying it's meaningless. Anyone who's on the LTE system would beg to differ. And anyone who may someday WANT to be on the LTE system can't do it on an iPad.

I don't know what this crusade is...you're just wrong. Flat out wrong. I already said the iPad 2 is a better all around device...so I'm not exactly sure why you have to "try" to disprove factual data.

Again, the bot needs to be reprogrammed...or maybe I just need to stick your cartridge under my shirt and blow on it like we did the old nintendo games to get them to work right. God knowns you're not on a CD or a hard drive with the speed at which you've proven to be able to process data.

[wco81]

Americans do travel overseas, including to Canada and Mexico, which do not have EVDO or LTE networks. Now maybe the Xoom will fall back to HSPA if LTE isn't available.

If you're talking about future LTE support, the same will be true of the iPad and everything else out there, since LTE is going to be adopted by every UMTS carrier in the world.

Xoom will maybe end up having a year head-start on LTE. Lets see if that makes a difference to its sales. People may seek it out for LTE or maybe LTE turns out to be a battery hog (with the initial chipsets, not an unlikely outcome).

[dbdynsty25]

Americans do travel overseas, including to Canada and Mexico, which do not have EVDO or LTE networks. Now maybe the Xoom will fall back to HSPA if LTE isn't available.

If you're talking about future LTE support, the same will be true of the iPad and everything else out there, since LTE is going to be adopted by every UMTS carrier in the world.

Xoom will maybe end up having a year head-start on LTE. Lets see if that makes a difference to its sales. People may seek it out for LTE or maybe LTE turns out to be a battery hog (with the initial chipsets, not an unlikely outcome).

But you can get a phone on Verizon that supports world roaming correct? You cannot get an apple based product that supports LTE. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Xoom will both do LTE.

Gonna be way more than a year for At&t who is just now THINKING about getting 5 cities lit up w/ LTE. Verizon's got a 3 year lead as far as full infrastructure goes in the US. So you can almost guarantee you won't see an iPad 3 with LTE, same reason you won't see an iPhone 5 w/ LTE. Maybe, just maybe, iPad 4 and iPhone 6.

[wco81]

No probably won't be this year.

Besides AT&T, most carriers around the world aren't going to deploy widely. That and the fact that it will probably take awhile to optimize LTE chipsets, as was the case when 3G devices initially came out.

People may actually give more of a damn about LTE by then.

[dbdynsty25]

Well after all the tablet talk...I had to get one for home use...what did I get...a Xoom of course. LOL. We will see if I use it enough to justify keeping it.

[Rodster]

Well after all the tablet talk...I had to get one for home use...what did I get...a Xoom of course. LOL. We will see if I use it enough to justify keeping it.

Let me know cause i'm itching for a tablet but I dislike Apple so i'm fighting buying an iPad2 LOL.

[dbdynsty25]

Well after all the tablet talk...I had to get one for home use...what did I get...a Xoom of course. LOL. We will see if I use it enough to justify keeping it.

Let me know cause i'm itching for a tablet but I dislike Apple so i'm fighting buying an iPad2 LOL.

Well you already know how I feel about tablets. LOL...I like the iPad 2 a lot, but I'm an Android guy at heart. I've used both extensively and ultimately chose the Xoom...so you've got my answer. That does not mean that I can't change my mind when I'm using the Xoom for fun at home.

But in reality, you really can't go wrong with either. If you really want to go Android, I'd actually hold out until the 17th however because that's when the next Android powerhouse comes out...Galaxy Tab 10.1. It's got essentially the same specs as the Xoom tho...so it'll pretty much come down to form factor. I'll still be in my return window from Best Buy, so it's not a big deal either way and you can take advantage of that too if you decide you want a Xoom this minute.

[Murph]

I bought an iPad 2 recently and haven't looked back. I'm loving it!

[Rodster]

If you really want to go Android, I'd actually hold out until the 17th however because that's when the next Android powerhouse comes out...Galaxy Tab 10.1. It's got essentially the same specs as the Xoom tho...so it'll pretty much come down to form factor. I'll still be in my return window from Best Buy, so it's not a big deal either way and you can take advantage of that too if you decide you want a Xoom this minute.

The Galaxy is made by Samsung, right? And I take it the screen size is 10.1". What's the screen size of the Android you bought? I think the iPad is a little too big size wise or at least it looks that way.

[dbdynsty25]

If you really want to go Android, I'd actually hold out until the 17th however because that's when the next Android powerhouse comes out...Galaxy Tab 10.1. It's got essentially the same specs as the Xoom tho...so it'll pretty much come down to form factor. I'll still be in my return window from Best Buy, so it's not a big deal either way and you can take advantage of that too if you decide you want a Xoom this minute.

The Galaxy is made by Samsung, right? And I take it the screen size is 10.1". What's the screen size of the Android you bought? I think the iPad is a little too big size wise or at least it looks that way.

The Xoom, the Galaxy and the iPad 2 all are around 10". So if you want something smaller, something like the HTC Flyer (7"), or the upcoming Galaxy Tab 8.9" will be more to your liking (no ETA on the Tab 8.9). Flyer is available now at Best Buy, you can go see it live.

[Rodster]

OK so there all about the same size. What stands out about the Galaxy? I'm kinda interested in that one. I think someone may have started a thread on the Galaxy.

[dbdynsty25]

OK so there all about the same size. What stands out about the Galaxy? I'm kinda interested in that one. I think someone may have started a thread on the Galaxy.

Basically that its the smallest and thinnest 10" tablet around. That's the big selling point. I'm going to pre-order one right now, then I can compare it to the Xoom and keep the better of the two. I'm thinking it'll probably be the Samsung.

[Rodster]

DB give me a link to the Tablet your talking about. I may preorder it to LOL.

All the stuff i've Googled shows the Galaxy Tab and another device that has been out for a few months.

[dbdynsty25]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+G ... &cp=1&lp=5

That's the 16gb grey. They also have white and both colors come in 32gb variants as well.

[Rodster]

I'll check them out when BB gets them. I'd like to see a white Galaxy Tab. The BB pictures has the same photo for both colors. I also like that they priced their tablets the same as the iPad.

[dbdynsty25]

I'll check them out when BB gets them. I'd like to see a white Galaxy Tab. The BB pictures has the same photo for both colors. I also like that they priced their tablets the same as the iPad.

http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-g ... al-edition

There's a review that shows the size difference compared to the Xoom (it's thinner). If you just google Galaxy Tab 10.1 Review, there are about 15 reviews that all show a white model (or the limited edition which has the little android guy embossed on the back).

[Rodster]

All the reviews i've read so far indicate very positive feedback for the new Galaxy. Having a C2D helps but did I read right that the resolution is not as good as that of the iPad? And is the white Galaxy just wrt the back of the unit? All the Galaxies have a black front face plate. Does this thing play Flash content?

Cnet says this thing doesn't have any USB or HDMI ports. That sucks cause I would like to hookup my USB flash drive and watch Formula 1 races. They also mentioned the plastic backing feels cheap. That of course is nitpicking stuff but the USB is a huge negative for me IF true.

I do like the Home screen, very nice.

[dbdynsty25]

C2D? Core 2 duo?

Its dual core Tegra...there is supposedly an adapter for USB and one coming for HDMI as well, if not you can always load the races on your tab by hooking it up to your PC. Yes, you can watch flash content...yes, the front is black on both grey and white models.

And the home screen is the beauty of Android. You can make it look however you want. That screen looks terrible BTW...much cooler things you can do. Give me a few and I'll get mine uploaded.

[Rodster]

So is the Galaxy you have the older one? And yeah thanks for the clarification it is a Tegra.

Yeah upload, I want to see the screen !

[dbdynsty25]

So is the Galaxy you have the older one? And yeah thanks for the clarification it is a Tegra.

Yeah upload, I want to see the screen !

I have the Xoom right now...picked it up the other day. So I'm still customizing.

The Xoom's specs are nearly identical to the Tab 10.1 (that comes out on the 17th)...tho it does have HDMI out and an expansion slot for SD Cards. The tradeoff is that it's quite a bit thicker. So I've gotta decide which one I'd rather have with me. I'll get the Tab when it comes out and then compare the hell out of them. Software wise, they are exactly the same. Another few min. and I'll upload my two screens I'm done with so far.

[dbdynsty25]

Here's my main screen (poor lighting in my office, sorry for quality and washed out look of the screens, much better in person)...I like only the apps I use daily on this screen, so it's pretty plain.



Then I move to the left and have all of my bookmarks (sync'd with my desktop and laptop via Chrome) and my calendar and a few other programs. If I move to the right I just have all of my gaming stuff, emulators, games, etc. (boring screen so didn't bother).



The thing I like about Android is that you're not tied to what the OS wants you to do. Like half of the iphone/ipad things you can't even delete. If you do delete them from your screen, they are gone for good. At least with Android, if you notice in the top right corner, y ou have an Apps folder that has all of your apps. You choose which ones to display, where you want them to display.

And here's my Thunderbolt. Modified heavily with desktop visualization and a new launcher (ADW). Looks nothing like most Android phones you see.