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Hello there.
I'm a new Archos 101 16GB User having a mixed experience.
I feel that what I've got has huge potential, but just isn't being fulfilled - don't know if anyone else feels that.
I've come straight to tablets from netbooks and an iPhone, and have tried not to have any preconceived notions about how iPad sets the bar for these devices, although it does seem to be the case.
I'm finding, knowing very little about Android, that manufacturers have apparently rushed to force-fit a phone OS in a bigger package, which in respect of certain features makes the A101 seem like a giant (largeprint) smartphone. An example of this is the way in which the small, dainty iPhone-worthy icons for Apps can only be laid out on the 'desktop' panes with massive margins of space between them because the Android system seems to rigidly adhere to strict grid patterns for layout when really what users in this day and age want is user-definable pixel-perfect precise placement of elements. Of course, even iPhone is lacking this configurability.
Anyway, I'm currently trying to overcome my disappointment with the UI and the usability and consistency of desktops across horizontal and vertical orientations (Beautiful Widgets look 'OK' in portrait layout, and fugly in horizontal orientation), indeed the feeling that while what I wanted was the unified visual goodness of a WindowsMobile 7 type platform (or indeed the style brought by both HTC and third party developers (SPB?) to WinMo6, or indeed the carefully tuned visual loveliness of some of the HTC Android skins (Sense?) what I've actually got is a pretty clunky and grumpy Linux build that doesn't play well with its own software applications.
This is only a seventy two hour evaluation so far.
I've been looking at benchmarking, and have been led to Quadrant.
So I've got a batch of results, and I'm wondering if anyone cares to compare results and then compare notes.
I've already wiped and reinstalled the fresh FroYo firmware on the device, and am using gApps4 from these forums. I've populated with some apps and such, and had very unsatisfying attempts to switch from the stock Launcher (LauncherPro and ADW) as well as attempting to find usability in QuickDeskPro, mostly to no avail.
So in this 'stock' but loaded with apps state, Quadrant gives me a result of 780.
Then I've rooted with z4root and run SetCPU to give me 1000mhz on demand, and Quadrant gives me a result of 933.
Since then I've used SetCPU to give me 1000mhz on the 'performance' (non-scaled) setting and I get a result of 974.
With people in various forums talking about Archos Internet Tablet devices running Froyo giving them up to 1200 under Quadrant, I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong or lacking?
The 1200 scores you are talking about came from beta software and not the release software. Something was changed in the release version that brought Quadrant scores back down to those of 2.1. Don't read to much in to Quadrant scores though as they don't really affect real world use.
As for apps, the main issue is screen size and resolution. Many apps were not written with a resolution of 1024X600 in mind. So they don't scale very well. Beautiful Widgets is one of those. Once more developers become tablet aware and as Google increases compatibility with tablets this issue will go away.
The Android home screen is what you make it. There are other launcher, as you mentioned, that can be more customized however, there is no real theming that can be done on the 101 until it is rooted. This is the same for all Android devices unless of course you get a phone from HTC or one of the other OEMs that add their own theme to Android.
I think your main issue is that you know very little about Android and you are expecting it to be as evolved as iOS is even though it hasn't been around as long. New version of Android are coming that will be prettier and more tablet friendly but it will take a little time for it to be perfected.
with another beta beta firmware
the score is 1313
cajl said:
with another beta beta firmware
the score is 1313
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
any rumors regarding the release date?
About the same scores here. Topping out around 1000 in quadrant and a bit over 13 in Linpack.
Not sure about your problems installing launcherpro and adw, but I would try one or both again. The stock browser is horrendous in comparison (laggy, takes much longer swipes to see action, etc).
czesiu said:
any rumors regarding the release date?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the A5A last year they gave us one on 14 Dec and another on 24 Dec.
Allen
AllenPapapetrou said:
and another on 24 Dec.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
crazy Archos devs
no firmware the friday
cajl said:
no firmware the friday
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?
________________
I get 820 on a temp-rooted archos 101 8GB with 1GHz set by set cpu.
Appearently the H264-coding takes much too long... my htc desire takes a fraction of a second to pass this test while the archos takes several seconds (20+). I read in another thread that the hardware isn't supported yet by Android-API on the Archos, which will be changed in the future, i presume.
Another glitch: The second 3D-test is much slower than on the Desire (7fps compared to 25), with some errors on the moon (black triangles). Perhaps the OpenGLS-driver is faulty in some way. The first 3D-test, however, shows 3-5 frames more per second than the Desire (clocked at 1152 MHz).
Thanks for the input, guys. I'm sure you all know how comforting, and useful it is to be able to geek out on a forum, compare stories and get tips.
BlazingWolf, I'm certain that you're right. Android is entirely new to me other than a quick fiddle (ooh-err) with a Sammy GTab in a branch of PCWorld with a snotty little elf breathing down my neck to see if he could play games on it.
My big mistake in starting to experiment with this device was that I came at it from an iPhone background, expecting to just load up a device with apps from an app store and watch as it sings, dances and performs tricks for me.
I'm back down to earth with a bump (and not in a bad way) because of the greater openness, some would say 'fragmentation' of the Android platform which creates a scenario similar to that in the PC world where we can have any one of a number of preconfigured devices using specific but sometimes unique chipset combinations, with an array of OS's and software that can be installed on them.
I'm sure one day Android will mature to the place where we begin to see such harmony on the software front end in such a way as the hardware backend becomes irrelevant.
My first 72 hours with the device were bitty. I was expecting these instant results and instant satisfaction, and progress didn't really start to be achieved until I'd wiped the A101 and reinstalled 2.2 from scratch. That's a daunting task, especially to a casual user who might buy this off the shelf. Of course, I'm sure Archos are already looking at that and working to fix it so that the product is good to go from the off.
I'm warming very quickly to the A101. I want to like it. I still have an A504wifi which has only ever been used as a much-loved, if clunky looking and with a sucky interface, portable video player, which has had a great deal of use. So I've been excited about the A101 for a while.
And as a device it is an odd one to classify. The inevitable comparison with the iPad is not necessarily as clear cut as it seems. We have to be utilitarian, sometimes, in looking at these things. The iPad fulfils a multiple of tasks, like the Archos, and it does it within a tightly regulated and strictly defined 'controlled' environment which pushes constantly at 'parity' across all contemporary devices (the OS version for example). This gives us an elegant, reliable but inflexible interface, the trade-off for which is the relative safety of the apps in the app store. The Archos, on the other hand, has a less than elegant interface, is suffering from the issues of platform fragmentation and the remote relationship between the OS developer and the hardware manufacturer, has an App Store full of garbage that doesn't work properly but might get fixed one day, and takes a lot of 'taming' as an all-round package in order to get consistent and satisfying results. That said, the nature of the more open platform affords more opportunities, akind to jailbreaking the iDevices, in successfully customising the device to complete satisfaction, and as already said assuming the OS platform is sufficiently developed to catch up with these new 'tablet' formats, especially the larger screen varieties, we could see something really special and really refined happening.
Where the Archos succeeds, however, is that it is clearly a better platform for at least two of the intended functions of the iPad. We've got a better movie player, capable of working with more formats, with instant HDMI output, and with a proper widescreen display instead of the iPad's nearly 4:3 widescreen letterbox squinty vision. We've also got a better e-reader than the Apple ArmBreaker. OK, the bezel on the iPad is easier to grip single-handed than the Archos's much thinner, but much more elegant design, but this is a device I can sit in an armchair with and actually fall asleep while still holding the thing (I know... it happened). With an iPad, I have to keep shuffling position because the thing is so dang heavy.
The Archos seems to be only a few shades shy of perfect, as far as a hardware platform goes.
Granted, Tegra2 might be fun. And definately the low amount of RAM is an inexplicable and bizarre mistake. Plus we could have done with a 32Gb storage option. Oh, and a more easily viewable screen would be nice.
But as I tweek the thing, and accept the failings of OS and softwares, while anticipating future fixes, I'm really getting to like the little fella. I just need a really nice case to cart it around in, and a decent size memory card so I can store more, and I suspect that if someone can make a permanent root happen, that will pave the way to things like 'Startup Managers' so I can stop some of these apps auto loading when I don't need them to.
A question, though... is there any reason why the MicroSD capacity is listed as being limited to 32GB? Is that an actual capacity ceiling, or is it just the number that was most commonly available or tested at the time? Is the hardware limited to 32Gig or is it Android which is limited? Can the Archos 101 'scale' as MicroSD capacities get larger, or are we literally stuck with 32GB?
I've had no issues with build quality, possibly because I don't expect it to be as solid as an iPad, being a cheaper price and different materials. I've never really had much history of busting my devices with rough treatment or accidents, and even my 'expensive' iPhone 3GS has experienced the not-uncommon 'natural' phenomena of cracks appearing in the back casing around the dock port.
One thing I did notice is that when the A101 first arrived fresh from FedEx the box was freezing cold and so was the device, and when I unpackaged it, the top edge of the device (top of the screen when held in landscape) appeared to be quite significantly convex in shape, arced, not separated from the glass in any way, but definitely bulging. I did a lot of pressing back down on the bulge and letting the device get to room temperature before this 'bulge' became minimal. It is there ever so slightly even now, but doesn't appear to be putting any pressure or distortion on the screen.
Oh, and I think it is just the viewing angle issue, but when I hold the device in portrait to browse long pages or long lists, it almost appears as if the screen itself is convex, and I tend to tilt it back and forth to change the viewing angle on each section of the screen. The screen could definately have been executed better, and I don't think it would have raised the price too significantly.
Any other tips for an A101 n00b would be greatly welcomed.
32GB is atm the maximum you can build a sd to.
The std doesn't give more.
There is a new spec by sony that has more, but it seems not compatible.
I'm not sure if you're interested, but my Samsung Galaxy S used to only do about 900 on the Quadrant benchmark with Android 2.1, it was laggy and slow and really seemed a bit disappointing! Then came Froyo! My oh my, what a difference, unbelievable! It's snappy, touch, and it's there, spin, and it spins, breath, and it feels you! And, it also performs excellently in a Quandrant test now, usually in excess of 1700, even out performs most Nexus One phones I think.
It's absolutely blown me away that a simple software upgrade could entirely change a user experience so much! Battery life has also improved dramatically, at times giving me upto 12 hours or more with general use (regular texting plus photos etc). Which is really great for a 1500mAh battery.
So, I wouldn't give up. Froyo is a really smooth incarnation of Android, and future releases will no doubt get even better. It's exciting seeing what having a company as powerful as Google, backing an opensource project like Android can achieve.
While Microsoft and other companies are focusing purely on developing products from a financial profitability standpoint, Google seems to be able to focus more on simply developing a really excellent product.
I think the biggest 'downside' to Android is that numerous companies overload it with bloatware and don't optomise it enough for their hard ware. There is maybe just a general lack of understanding on the importance of making Android work WITH not against the hardware it's on.
Keep the faith though, have a play around with it and I'm sure eventually things will improve for you, otherwise, if you're really disappointed just go and buy a Samsung Galaxy tab or something similar! Samsung does a really good job, even though they take a looooooong time for updates!
Just ran quadrant, score was 1380. Gapps5 launcher pro plus non root.
2500 with urukdroid build
I've owned my Prime since end of December 2011. My boss recently requested Ipad3's for all employees. Got mine yesterday, and here's what I see:
I couldn't go more than 10 minutes with the Ipad3, before I said enough is enough-
Just looking at the boring rows of icon Grids was just aweful. The New Retina Display was not as bright as my coworkers last gen Ipad2. IPAD2 screen looked brighter and had a better tint. IPAD3 looked Yellow and less bright. High res screen on IPAD3 looked no different than the Transformer Primes.... Prime actually looked better and brighter, especially when IPS mode was turned on ... NO comparison at all. IOS 5 is nothing special to me at all- lacks so much functionality when compared to Android- Sure, its a little smoother when browsing the web, but using this thing for any extended time was like someone cutting off both of my legs.
Then, It also hit me... NO access to the filesystem on the IPAD3.... just good for launching Apps that you pay 3 times as much for in the App store.
I will stick with ANDROID and ICS. Why do corporation's get sucked into all the false iPAD hype is beyond me. I really hope Google does not screw this up. We need more and better Android tablets on the Market to continue on what Asus has done with the Prime.
I never really appreciated my Prime as much until today- What an Eye opener this was for me.
mazjohn said:
... but using this thing for any extended time was like someone cutting off both of my legs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a good laugh. Thanks.
Google has done their work, ICS is a great OS for tablets and phones. Only thing I wish they would do is release source earlier so other OEMs can get it out quicker. Corporations get sucked into the iPad because its all the hype in the news about being the future of computing. Its also easy to use for novices who don't want/need the features of Android, they just want apps.
I'm with you, I have a hard time considering something a computer type device without a browse-able file system. Not sure what is out there for iOS, but Android has some great File Explorers that let you into the full file system, granted system folders are read only without root. But its better than nothing. I use file explorers heavily on any OS.
The new display on the iPad must be nice though pixel wise. We will probably see Android tablets with the same or better resolution soon. I would like to see a 1920x1080 Android tablet with HDMI out. Slightly lower than the iPad 3's resolution but its 16:9 and would have true 1080p via HDMI. Perfect mirroring instead of the up converting that devices do now via HDMI.
spunker88 said:
Google has done their work, ICS is a great OS for tablets and phones. Only thing I wish they would do is release source earlier so other OEMs can get it out quicker. Corporations get sucked into the iPad because its all the hype in the news about being the future of computing. Its also easy to use for novices who don't want/need the features of Android, they just want apps.
I'm with you, I have a hard time considering something a computer type device without a browse-able file system. Not sure what is out there for iOS, but Android has some great File Explorers that let you into the full file system, granted system folders are read only without root. But its better than nothing. I use file explorers heavily on any OS.
The new display on the iPad must be nice though pixel wise. We will probably see Android tablets with the same or better resolution soon. I would like to see a 1920x1080 Android tablet with HDMI out. Slightly lower than the iPad 3's resolution but its 16:9 and would have true 1080p via HDMI. Perfect mirroring instead of the up converting that devices do now via HDMI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are describing the new Asus Infinity pad tablet aka Tf-700t. It has all those things you listed. Hopefully be out by end of June. Could be earlier. More than likely later. We'll have to see if Asus surprises consumers.
I have both and love them both. The Prime is more fun (as is my little A100). Theirs some neat stuff you can do with an iPad. If you take 4 fingers and swipe across the screen you'll switch to a different app, very cool. Also if your on the home screen if you swipe up with all four fingers you see what's running along the bottom. Once in an App if you place five fingers on the screen and bring your fingertips together, you close the App. My previous Apple Device is an iPod Touch 4th Gen, and it doesn't do these thing. I still prefer the Prime because of how flexible Android is and the customizations that can be done with it. Also a ton of games look better on the Prime vs the iPad3. Riptide, Dungeon Defenders, Shadowgun, Zen Pinball, all look better on the Prime than the iPad3. Bear in mind, they look a LOT sharper than on the Prime, but the extra lighting and shading afforded by the Geforce on the Prime vs the PowerVR Chip on the iPad3, make these games look better overall on the Prime. I can only imagine how epic the Infinity will look. In reality the Resolution between the Infinity and iPad3 isn't that huge. 1920x1200 vs 2048x1536, oooooh 128 more pixels going left and right and 336 going up and down. From a normal viewing distance you WON'T be able to tell a difference, hell sticking your nose against the screen you won't tell the difference.
Wow are you serious 2 exact threads... And some people never knew they were different. hehe..
/r/ thread close for ******spam.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
We have plenty of these threads already - go post in there - no need to clutter up by creating yet another thread
Hi all,
I know that if someone want's the look and especially the super fast reaction speed of an Ipad, then one should buy an Ipad..
But I love my 10.1, and prefer android any day of the week..
My questions are:
Why is an Ipad so much faster at reacting to what you are making it do (virtually instant), than a Galaxy tab?
And, is there anything I can do to make it react at this super fast rate?
I have done the following to try achieve this:
Rooted it
Installed SetCPU to boost the idle speed a bit to 608Mhz
Installed ADW.
I am running a startup manager to limit the startup apps.
Short of installing a new ROM, and overclocking the daylights of it, is there anything that can be done?
Kind regards,
Trevor
trevormc said:
Hi all,
I know that if someone want's the look and especially the super fast reaction speed of an Ipad, then one should buy an Ipad..
But I love my 10.1, and prefer android any day of the week..
My questions are:
Why is an Ipad so much faster at reacting to what you are making it do (virtually instant), than a Galaxy tab?
And, is there anything I can do to make it react at this super fast rate?
I have done the following to try achieve this:
Rooted it
Installed SetCPU to boost the idle speed a bit to 608Mhz
Installed ADW.
I am running a startup manager to limit the startup apps.
Short of installing a new ROM, and overclocking the daylights of it, is there anything that can be done?
Kind regards,
Trevor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obviously there is some mistake here. The DEFAULT speed of the tab is 1000mhz. 608 is serious underclocking... Now if you overclock and install adw, there is not much else you can do. Try a different rom as well and wait for official ics as we all do...
Sent from my amazing 10.1 galaxy tab
Panos_dm said:
Obviously there is some mistake here. The DEFAULT speed of the tab is 1000mhz. 608 is serious underclocking...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I think he is talking about the idle clock freq and not the max clock. The idle clock for our tab is 200MHz I think, so our friend raised that to 608. Well, I don't think that will help to anything but draining your battery faster
On other hand I have the same question. My brother in law have an iPad 2 and the new iPad. I really hate that closed OS, but I must admit that the responsiveness of both iPads is far better than my loved 10.1, even after installing CM9. I suspect that there is something in the hardware that doesn't allow our tab to provide a quicker response.
patriciocs said:
Actually I think he is talking about the idle clock freq and not the max clock. The idle clock for our tab is 200MHz I think, so our friend raised that to 608. Well, I don't think that will help to anything but draining your battery faster
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it helps responsiveness a lot. As the CPU ramps up from 216mhz at idle it seems to stumble. Agree though it's at the expense of battery life so gains are minimal once that's factored in.
Personally I run setcpu profiles and have mine setup such that at battery level higher than 75% I push up the idle clock speed a notch or two. Once below that threshold I drop it down to stock. When being charged I push idle speed to 608 like OP does and max CPU to 1400. Helps responsiveness noticably. At these settings though the tab's just trickle charging when in use so if set that way during charging and the battery is low don't expect it to charge much during use.
It's been asked and answered 1000 times, but... why not.
First: the ipad (and ipad 2) have lower resolution screens that display icons in a grid, and a clock. There's nothing more than that. All of it is cached for near-instant retrieval: The launcher interface is loaded at all times. Android tablets have a higher resolution screen (more pixels to account for) and the icons have a great deal of functionality, including widgets. These can be cached only to a certain degree, but if you want things to update, you need to keep them dynamic. So, there's reason #1 the ipad launcher is "faster." (The ipad 3 is the same; the newer hardware makes up for the higher resolution screen).
Second: The ipad is a tightly controlled (sandbox) system. That means that the system does not expect anything but specific gestures and touches; in fact it has no way (absent a jailbreak) to add new ways of interacting with the device. Android has a completely different framework that allows devs to come up with anything they want. It's like comparing a set of legos to a machine that one could use to build legos with. You sacrifice simplicity (and consequently speed) for the sake of comprehensive customizability.
Third: ipads are premium devices. They are expensive even though each model (of which there are only a few) is produced in much larger numbers than any individual android device. This is a pretty big deal, honestly: you only need one set of engineers, one set of programmers, and one set of administrators (even though you'll have multiple working groups of each) to create these devices. And apple employs lots. Compare that to android devices: sure, google has a lot of people working software, but once the product is finished, it's handed over to a completely different set of folks at the OEMs who "customize" (read: touchwiz-ify) it. Efficient? Not compared to the tight ship they have at Apple. But to get back to the original point: ipads are expensive even though Apple is (potentially) a much more efficient producer. They use top-quality components and have world-class engineers and software designers all working on one device. Compare that to what Samsung can do (and still turn a profit).
I'm not a fan of apple (I prefer customizability), but think this through and you'll understand why the "reaction speed" is better on an ipad.
One last thing: Ask yourself why you got a tablet. Did you get it for the launcher interface? And if you got an ipad, would the smooth user interface make your experience better, even at the cost of widgets? It's a trade-off.
Questions go in the Q&A section
Firstly, thank you to Step666 for moving my post to the correct section, I appreciate it.
Thank you slack04 for your detailed response. It has answered my question rather well..
However..
I would prefer it if you would refrain from the attitude about my "inane question". I did some fair searching on the subject, and found no suitable answer.
If one existed as you so subtly put "It's been asked and answered 1000 times, but... why not." then why did you simply not add a link to one of the "thousands" of suitable answers, and save yourself the trouble? But thank you none the less.
Muzzy 996, I agree, I have also found that the idle speed a 200Mhz is stumbly, and much prefer it's responsiveness at 608Mhz.
P.S. I do have ADW EX launcher.. And yes, it is very good and much better than the stock launcher.
I guess all that's left to do is install a custom ROM and overclock if I want more speed.
Regards
T
JB solves a large part of the problem, as it ramps the devices to max speed on touch.
Saw this thread randomly, but as I've been using an iPad and an android phone for the past couple years, here's my two cents.
Android is more suitable as a phone os, on the tablet side iPad is just better. Think of what you would use a tablet for. Mostly web surfing, maybe doing some word processing or file editing, watching pictures, reading documents and sometimes play a bit of games. Any of this is fully achievable on an iPad and it's not like it is less capable than any android tablet. Plus since it has less thing for u to play with, my experience is that you can focus on what you're doing instead of playing the device doing nothing productive (sorry if that's a bit blunt ).
Just my piece of advice, for phone, use android, for tablet, I would prefer an iPad.
Sent from my LT26i using xda app-developers app
Thanks slack04 for your answer, pretty detailed. I was not complaining about my tab responsiveness, I was just curious about the slower responsiveness compared with the iPad.
Well, I think you got the point in your post. I chose my GT over the iPad, even the 'new' iPad and after trying the iPad2, the new iPad and my tab. To me, feeling that I am free to do what ever I want with my device is invaluable.
trevormc said:
Firstly, thank you to Step666 for moving my post to the correct section, I appreciate it.
Thank you slack04 for your detailed response. It has answered my question rather well..
However..
I would prefer it if you would refrain from the attitude about my "inane question". I did some fair searching on the subject, and found no suitable answer.
If one existed as you so subtly put "It's been asked and answered 1000 times, but... why not." then why did you simply not add a link to one of the "thousands" of suitable answers, and save yourself the trouble? But thank you none the less.
Muzzy 996, I agree, I have also found that the idle speed a 200Mhz is stumbly, and much prefer it's responsiveness at 608Mhz.
P.S. I do have ADW EX launcher.. And yes, it is very good and much better than the stock launcher.
I guess all that's left to do is install a custom ROM and overclock if I want more speed.
Regards
T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I deleted my last paragraph. You're right, no need to be a **** about it. But the question has been asked and answered, and honestly, it doesn't take much to figure it out. I'm not a dev or anything remotely close. It also doesn't help that most of the time people "ask" about the differences it's usually just a cover for a troll or a whine. If your purpose was entirely academic, then I suppose your intentions were pure....
i use an iPhone 4 and galaxy 10.1
iOS just works, and doesn't need customizing (personal preference)
However. I use tab for movies and sstreaming TV episodes which the ipad doesn't do or does poorly
I've also been fustrated and annoyed at this issue ans looked into this reaction speed thing.and have just come to the conclusion that an IPAD would be so mmuch better if only I could ccopy movies over directly and streaming flash TV episodes
Its a shame. There is no perfect device
Both are great in different areas
With the move to HTML 5 streaming movies, and the poor support by Samsung etc to role out new versions of aandroid. I'm going for an ipad next .... never thought I'd be one of those types!
My advice,embrace it, it will never react as good as an ipad
They have a closed system to make it this good ....love and hate them for it!
actually bottom line is Apple programmed the UI to prioritize the scheduling of UI requests so when your finger touches that screen, it drops everything to service that finger. Not so with Android (4 and below) which only applies normal priority to the request - JB corrects this
so while there are a number of work arounds and hacks to improve it - it will never get to the state that IOS delivers - until JB
slack04 said:
It's been asked and answered 1000 times, but... why not.
First: the ipad (and ipad 2) have lower resolution screens that display icons in a grid, and a clock. There's nothing more than that. All of it is cached for near-instant retrieval: The launcher interface is loaded at all times. Android tablets have a higher resolution screen (more pixels to account for) and the icons have a great deal of functionality, including widgets. These can be cached only to a certain degree, but if you want things to update, you need to keep them dynamic. So, there's reason #1 the ipad launcher is "faster." (The ipad 3 is the same; the newer hardware makes up for the higher resolution screen).
Second: The ipad is a tightly controlled (sandbox) system. That means that the system does not expect anything but specific gestures and touches; in fact it has no way (absent a jailbreak) to add new ways of interacting with the device. Android has a completely different framework that allows devs to come up with anything they want. It's like comparing a set of legos to a machine that one could use to build legos with. You sacrifice simplicity (and consequently speed) for the sake of comprehensive customizability.
Third: ipads are premium devices. They are expensive even though each model (of which there are only a few) is produced in much larger numbers than any individual android device. This is a pretty big deal, honestly: you only need one set of engineers, one set of programmers, and one set of administrators (even though you'll have multiple working groups of each) to create these devices. And apple employs lots. Compare that to android devices: sure, google has a lot of people working software, but once the product is finished, it's handed over to a completely different set of folks at the OEMs who "customize" (read: touchwiz-ify) it. Efficient? Not compared to the tight ship they have at Apple. But to get back to the original point: ipads are expensive even though Apple is (potentially) a much more efficient producer. They use top-quality components and have world-class engineers and software designers all working on one device. Compare that to what Samsung can do (and still turn a profit).
I'm not a fan of apple (I prefer customizability), but think this through and you'll understand why the "reaction speed" is better on an ipad.
One last thing: Ask yourself why you got a tablet. Did you get it for the launcher interface? And if you got an ipad, would the smooth user interface make your experience better, even at the cost of widgets? It's a trade-off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
animatechnica said:
actually bottom line is Apple programmed the UI to prioritize the scheduling of UI requests so when your finger touches that screen, it drops everything to service that finger. Not so with Android (4 and below) which only applies normal priority to the request - JB corrects this
so while there are a number of work arounds and hacks to improve it - it will never get to the state that IOS delivers - until JB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to dumb it down a bit and avoid the "so why don't the devs just add this to the ROM" question... But this is another good point and you wrote it much more clearly than I could...
If i really want to just run android on an 8.9 hdx do i care about the esn being 'bad'? does this mean that the device is stolen or something? i currently have a touchpad running android but it's way too slow for netflix these days. the hdx screen intrigues me.. this would be mostly for plex and netflix. thoughts?
misterbbq said:
If i really want to just run android on an 8.9 hdx do i care about the esn being 'bad'? does this mean that the device is stolen or something? i currently have a touchpad running android but it's way too slow for netflix these days. the hdx screen intrigues me.. this would be mostly for plex and netflix. thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While the HDX screen is indeed gorgeous you really do not need that level of quality for most streams. Many lower resolution screens work quite well for video. Higher resolution panels come into play with small text and other fine detail.
A bad ESN should not stop you from rooting and installing a custom ROM provided the device is 3rd (not 4th) gen and nothing else is wrong with it.
yes, thank you.. it's a 3rd gen. interesting about the screen resolution though.. figured it would provide a clearer picture than say a newer generation fire hd 8 or something along those lines...
misterbbq said:
yes, thank you.. it's a 3rd gen. interesting about the screen resolution though.. figured it would provide a clearer picture than say a newer generation fire hd 8 or something along those lines...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a difference (HDX panel is brighter with more accurate colors) but vids still look decent on mid to lower end IPS displays. Really depends how fussy you are on this topic. Text and fine graphics is a completely different story; higher resolution HDX panel rules in that context.
Davey126 said:
There is a difference (HDX panel is brighter with more accurate colors) but vids still look decent on mid to lower end IPS displays. Really depends how fussy you are on this topic. Text and fine graphics is a completely different story; higher resolution HDX panel rules in that context.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not fussy, actually. i have terrible eyesight to be honest. i guess i just want a largish screen and enough power to play netflix and plex, etc. my touchpad just ain't cuttin' it anymore.
Hi All,
After much deliberation, I have bought the Mediapad M5 8.4 (wifi only) to replace a Nexus 7 2013 32G model (which i broke the screen while trying to fix usb port...)
WTF !!! this is NOT a TABLET !!!!! it seems it thinks its a oversized smartphone...
it might not be a big deal to some, but it gets annoying....
I will try to live with it for a bit, hopefully getting used to it...
BUT....
is there a way to make it a "tablet" (i know people sugessted other launchers, but these do not do the trick....)
Help me get this tablet back to being a tablet....or is it a pad...hmmm...... Huawei.... i bought a tablet...not a 8.4 inch phone that cannot even make calls !!!!
Thanks,
George
There's definitely some odd design choices. Specifically the odd button placement and the lack of the USB C video output.
But the caveat is who else is attempting premium level Android tablets in 2018?
Samsung and Huawei.
Potentially Xiaomi.
Maybe Asus and that's highly questionable (given their choices of internals).
The fact is that Android tablets are a dying breed. Even Apple's sales have dipped slightly year after year.
-----
But aside from Launchers (Nova, Apex, etc) and the ROMs section of this forum, there's not much else that can be done to circumvent an OEM's design choices.
My advice; if you're unhappy, return the product and look at something like a Galaxy Tab S2/S3 or Xiaomi MiPad 4.
Hmm, I bought this tablet in part because it was an oversized smartphone. Why have a separate phone, tablet, and laptop when I can basically combine them into one pocketable device? Huawei seems to be the only company really rallying around this mold of late, which I appreciate.
What exactly makes a smartphone vs a tablet? You can change DPI via Developer Options. One of the Open Kirin roms might help as well.
I also bought M5 8 LTE because it is a oversized phone, I used M2 8 LTE for 2 years and couldn't bee more pleased with the device, and made the upgrade to M5 8 so I get a faster and newer software, I just love this form factor and a big bonus with this is that I can make phone calls. All I one device for me
My guess is because they won't have to make changes uptading firmware, which is in my book better to have software support than getting few Android tablet features. This is the least of it's problems.
o_giorkos said:
is there a way to make it a "tablet" (i know people sugessted other launchers, but these do not do the trick....)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not the tablet's fault, rather it's the apps - or the app developers, to be precise.
When you build an Android App, you design and define layouts based on attributes of the device on which the app is running - or, as the case with many Android app developers these days, you don't! Therefore, without appropriate layouts defined for the resolution and ratio of the M5, you get what you see in a lot of apps: the M5 acts like a big fat phone.
However, you can find apps that work well: Crashlands is a game that gives you visibility of a large area of the map when played on the M5. Netflix looks brilliant, using the ratio and resolution of the display.
If there are particular apps that don't look good, contact the developers. Given the limited use of Andoird tablets these days, in relation to the number of phones, don't be suprised if the dev simply can't be arsed to build in layout support for what's effectively a "niche" device category.
mroshaw said:
It's not the tablet's fault, rather it's the apps - or the app developers, to be precise.
When you build an Android App, you design and define layouts based on attributes of the device on which the app is running - or, as the case with many Android app developers these days, you don't! Therefore, without appropriate layouts defined for the resolution and ratio of the M5, you get what you see in a lot of apps: the M5 acts like a big fat phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
if I undestand what you say, then my previous nexus 7 2013 , was 1920 x1200 = 1.6 Aspect Ratios
the mediapad me 8.4 is 2560x1600 = 1.6 aspect Ratio again...
also, re resolution on the mediapad is higher (which someone might guess its a bigger screen - ok..not necessarily ) !!!
then again...my moto g5 is 1920x1080 is still 'high' res, but a smartphone nevetheless... and it acts like a phone..like it should...
yet again...my lenovo tab a2 10 is 1920x1080 ..same res and aspec as my moto g5, but acts like a 'tablet' as it should
so...I don;t really see that this is the reason why is acting as a phone (I am saying this without any android app development knowledge as you do...so i might be completely wrong !!))
for example...chrome on nexus 7 has tabs and 'new' tab tabbi thing like a desktop version does...on media pad is like my motorola phone...no visible tabs... (i installed firefox but does not render pages as 'accurately' as chrome)....
gmail the same...i know its not a huge problem....but a problem nevertheless....oh boy do i miss my nexus 7 nice soft feel.... (im actually plannign on buying a used one ...again....)
anyways...thanks for the info !
Geoge
o_giorkos said:
Hi All,
After much deliberation, I have bought the Mediapad M5 8.4 (wifi only) to replace a Nexus 7 2013 32G model (which i broke the screen while trying to fix usb port...)
WTF !!! this is NOT a TABLET !!!!! it seems it thinks its a oversized smartphone...
it might not be a big deal to some, but it gets annoying....
I will try to live with it for a bit, hopefully getting used to it...
BUT....
is there a way to make it a "tablet" (i know people sugessted other launchers, but these do not do the trick....)
Help me get this tablet back to being a tablet....or is it a pad...hmmm...... Huawei.... i bought a tablet...not a 8.4 inch phone that cannot even make calls !!!!
Thanks,
George
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Since mine is not even 1 week old, I had not tried it with much apps yet, but at the moment, I am getting funny render from the Facebook app. It draws correctly in landscape mode but squeeze the person's profile done to the left while having full size normal suggested people on the right while in portrait mode. Not sure if it even knows if it is a phone or a tablet itself as:
a. things display correctly on my K1 Shield with FHD display
b. things display correctly on my Axon 7 with QHD display
---------- Post added at 04:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:20 PM ----------
mroshaw said:
It's not the tablet's fault, rather it's the apps - or the app developers, to be precise.
When you build an Android App, you design and define layouts based on attributes of the device on which the app is running - or, as the case with many Android app developers these days, you don't! Therefore, without appropriate layouts defined for the resolution and ratio of the M5, you get what you see in a lot of apps: the M5 acts like a big fat phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about who's fault is it but the same app (Facebook) "draws" correctly on my Axon 7 which has QHD display like the M5.
Some interesting reading on the Android Dev pages:
https://developer.android.com/training/multiscreen/screensizes
I've developed a couple of apps in the past and dealing with multiple devices, resolutions, DPI and ratios is an absolute nightmare! It's one of the reasons building for Apple devices is that much easier.
Writing this from the MediaPad itself. Heheheh
Things are getting bit better.... I can swear I tried this before but I didn't notice any difference... I was playing bit more with it tonight....
I have set display settings, view mode to small.....
And presto.... My chrome can show multiple tabs side by side now, Gmail behaviour like tablet.....
So go ahead guys and try it... It might solve some of your issues....
At least I can now give this "tablet" a second chance.....
George....
P. S still don't like the "premium" feel as people describe it.... Too shiny and slippy.... Where is my nexus rubbery surface??????
mroshaw said:
Some interesting reading on the Android Dev pages:
https://developer.android.com/training/multiscreen/screensizes
I've developed a couple of apps in the past and dealing with multiple devices, resolutions, DPI and ratios is an absolute nightmare! It's one of the reasons building for Apple devices is that much easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what u say... Even though I use android devices, I can see the mix and match problems they have.
But nevertheless, I tried to post this before but don't know why it doesn't show so I'm pasting it here... I have some better news
Writing this from the MediaPad itself. Heheheh
Things are getting bit better.... I can swear I tried this before but I didn't notice any difference... I was playing bit more with it tonight....
I have set display settings, view mode to small.....
And presto.... My chrome can show multiple tabs side by side now, Gmail behaviour like tablet.....
So go ahead guys and try it... It might solve some of your issues....
At least I can now give this "tablet" a second chance.....
George....
P. S still don't like the "premium" feel as people describe it.... Too shiny and slippy.... Where is my nexus rubbery surface??????
o_giorkos said:
Writing this from the MediaPad itself. Heheheh
Things are getting bit better.... I can swear I tried this before but I didn't notice any difference... I was playing bit more with it tonight....
I have set display settings, view mode to small.....
And presto.... My chrome can show multiple tabs side by side now, Gmail behaviour like tablet.....
So go ahead guys and try it... It might solve some of your issues....
At least I can now give this "tablet" a second chance.....
George....
P. S still don't like the "premium" feel as people describe it.... Too shiny and slippy.... Where is my nexus rubbery surface??????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK changing view mode works but made text kind of too small. Need to change text size upwards to large.
I just got the Huawei M5 8.4 (replacing Nvidia Shield Tablet) and didn't notice anything different about the Huawei M5 8.4 until I used the YouTube app which looks more like it does on my Xperia Z5 Premium the it did on the shield tablet. Specifically minimized videos looks absolutely bizarre, no matter whether if you're in landscape or portrait mode: they don't shrink correctly.
You can change the DPI in development settings and your apps will go into tablet mode. Oddly the back and task manager button are gone and once you reboot it will go back to the original DPI. I tried to get a bootloader unlock code from FunkyHuawei to install a treble ROM but they could not unlock it and gave me a refund after 14 days. All this and the lack of Bluetooth codecs made me return the tablet. For now I will stick with my 2015 Tab S2.