I have the ipad2. Its not bad. But again, rdp and browsing are all I do on it. So I'm grabbing a kindle fire next week (preordered some). For webbrowsing, that's about all I really need. Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message----- From: "Greg Sevart" <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected]: Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:12:31 To: <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [H] Thought on tablets? And yet, I primarily use my tab for e-mail, web browsing, and RDP--and have yet to think to myself that the aspect ratio is somehow a disadvantage. Would I prefer 16:10? Maybe, but I just don't find it to be a disadvantage in practice. I understand I can't have it both ways, and I think I've made that clear. I was willing to sacrifice some items to get the form factor and screen I wanted based on the available products, but that doesn't mean I can't still list the tradeoffs as disadvantages. I also reject that a replaceable battery is unimportant. Sure, I will likely be using a different device as my primary slate in a year, but I don't plan on throwing my old one in the garbage. Maybe I'll leave it by the couch, maybe I'll leave it at work, maybe I'll give it to a relative or a friend, I don't know--but it will still be a useful and used device. The cues it takes from Apple are the disadvantages...lack of ports, fixed permanent battery. Being light and thin is an obvious innovation from years of tablet form-factor devices. I'm sure that exceeding the iPad2 specs--by any margin--was important to the SGT10 designers, but being light and thin are very generic and desirable traits. I find Android perfectly simple to use. This is similar to the MacOS v. Windows arguments of old - some people find all of the options and flexibility confusing, whereas I'm glad to be able to customize it to meet MY needs, not Apple's guesses. Again, after using more modern devices, iOS just feels old, and again, the larger form factor iPad makes this worse. It feels like having to use XP's interface after using Win7. This is definitely a form and not function question, but I don't think it should just be dismissed. These are not $25 devices; there's nothing wrong with wanting the interface to be visually appealing. I've had the device for several months now, and I don't think I'd classify the back as flimsy. I know some reviews have, but I just don't find it an issue in practice. The device feels very solid and comfortable in the hands. There are always design tradeoffs, but again, the Android advantage is that I have selection and make my own decision on which features are important to me and which I'm willing to sacrifice to get them. If battery life is important, I can buy one with a smaller screen or a bigger (or even replaceable) battery. If I want a big screen, I have that option too. If I want ports, I have that option. Android tablets going the way of the do-do? Hardly. A big part of what was holding them back was the fractured platform of 3.x vs 2.x. With a reunified platform in ICS/4.0, it's possible that we are in the beginning stages of Android doing to tablets what it did to phones. I'm not saying I predict it, but it's possible. You're happy with your Apple device and it meets your needs. I'm genuinely glad--you'll find numerous examples where I've argued that while opinions may differ, at the end of the day, you should buy whatever meets your own needs best. Apple's products don't meet mine on several categories, and this is a worthwhile discussion to have so that others may make up their own minds as well. > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:hardware- > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Anthony Q. Martin > Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 10:27 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [H] Thought on tablets? > > The screen form factor disadvantage shows up every time you open a > webpage or view a document like a pdf of a powerpoint in full page > mode. The aspect ratio of means you see a smaller image on the screen > with wasted space off to the sides. Using 16:9 rather than something > closer to 4:3 wastes screen space when doing real work. Sure, watching > a movie on a tablet is something nice to do, but how many people really > need to have their tablet screen optimized just for that? If I can > watch a movie on my phone, on a 7-inch tablet and be happy, means I'm > doing it because I have nothing else to do at the moment and I'm willing > to deal with a smaller screen. Optimizing a tablet screen for movies is > a poor design choice, IMO. > > Now you tout the thinness and lightness of the SGT10 as an advantage, > but for the price of that you lose ports and other features. My Acer > Iconia tab as many ports, space for an internal microSC slot and usb, > mini or micro usb, hdmi, front/rear cameras and runs HC 3.2. But it > weights close to 2 lbs. You can't have it both ways. I'm not sure a > replaceable battery is even important as this market segment changes too > fast...people will probably move on before the battery starts to die. > Funny, the reason you like the SGT10 is because it takes all it clues > from Apple, while still running HC. > > Saying that an OS is dated and citing that as a reason for it falling > behind misses the mark, IMO. If your standard is having to see > something new, no matter why, then you're going to have to wait for 4 > versions for the OS to work well just as you see is happening with > Android. What's important is whether you can do what you need to do > without a lot of hassle. Android is fiddly...and many people don't find > it intuitive to use. > > Frankly, I would expect a later product from a competitor to have > features that the older product doesn't have. Why is the SGT10 lighter > (than iPad)? Oh, it has that flimsy back. What's likely why it's > thinner too (than iPad). Wonder why it has less battery life (than > iPad)? Oh, it has a bigger & more vivid screen. All these factors play > into the overall experience. > > The real problem lots of people have with Apple is what you mention > below....doing it Apples way. Well, the good news is you do have a > zillion choices so you're not forced into anything if you feel > squeezed. Of course, you may not get much product support as lots of > these Android tablets are going the way of the do-do. > > On 11/10/2011 10:29 AM, Greg Sevart wrote: > > The SGT10 isn't perfect, but not for many of the reasons that you state. The > > thinness and weight are noteworthy in that it's the thinnest and lightest of > > all Android tablets right now, and even exceeds the iPad2. Granted, not by > > much, but Apple has always used the physical form of their products as a > > selling point, which doesn't hold up to the SGT10. The screen is > > significantly better--it's more vibrant, larger, and has a higher > > resolution. I've used an iPad 2 and do indeed find the SGT10 to have a > > materially superior screen. I can't say that the aspect ratio has ever > > negatively impacted anything I've used it for, either. Honeycomb is a > > disadvantage only if you're an iOS fan--it is, by far, superior to Android > > 2.x in every way. 3.0 may have been poor--I never used it--but 3.1 and > later > > are very nice platforms. > > > > Where the SGT10 does fall, however, is in the fact that the battery cannot > > be replaced and that it has no ports other than the proprietary main > > connector. This is an unfortunate cue from Apple. The plastic back can be a > > liability, but it is a very solid device to hold. > > > > Yes, the SGT10 was released after the iPad 2, but is that really > > justification for pulling punches? The iPad2 still represents the latest and > > greatest tablet from Apple and it is absolutely fair to compare it against > > the latest and greatest Android devices, especially since we're still months > > away from a possible iPad refresh. > > > > I still find that one of iOS's biggest deficiencies at this stage is that it > > feels old and tired. The interface is dated, while Honeycomb is fresh > (along > > with WP7, actually). It's long overdue for a visual overhaul that Apple > > seems unwilling to do, probably because their followers would find such a > > change confusing. > > > > Agreed--time waits for none. While Apple releases new versions every > year or > > so, you can hardly go a month without a newer Android tablet being > released. > > I have the choice to mix and match the features that are important to me > and > > not accept what one solitary organization dictates. That is the biggest > > advantage of a non-Apple device, and it's not to be understated. > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: [email protected] [mailto:hardware- > >> [email protected]] On Behalf Of Anthony Q. Martin > >> Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 9:03 AM > >> To: [email protected] > >> Subject: Re: [H] Thought on tablets? > >> > >> In this world, everything is debatable. > >> > >> However, the SGT10 has its flaws too. One is Honeycomb. Another is its > >> weak back side. While the screen might be better, you can't claim the > >> iPad screen is bad, and frankly I continue to find the aspect ratio > >> better than that on a Honeycomb tablet. IMO, setting the aspect ratio > >> for watching a movie on such a small device is bad design. There are > >> many other things one needs to do where that screen size is a > >> disadvantage. Saying that it is thinner isn't much of an advantage, > >> since the iPad is thin enough. One has to hold the thing and feel > >> confident doing so. And the tiny weight difference isn't that big of a > >> deal. And of course Samsung is clearly trying to imitate the iPad, but I > >> don't see it at any technological disadvantage, especially given that > >> the 2nd version came out before the SGT10. In terms of tech, later > >> products always have an advantage. > >> > >> And man....I waste more time fiddling around with Honeycomb than its > >> worth. Waiting for Google to get it's act together is a huge > >> time-waster for me. I'll be moving away from Google devices come time > >> to upgrade my phone (well, at least that's my thinking right now). The > >> Google TV (logitech revue) is the main reason I'm done with Google- > based > >> products. > >> > >> IMO, the best reason to rule out Apple is price. But in terms of > >> experience, IMO, none of the Honeycomb tablets competes. The > argument > >> always seems to be wait on the next thing down the road. Ok...but while > >> you're doing that life is marching on. Time waits for none. > >> > >> On 11/10/2011 8:56 AM, Greg Sevart wrote: > >>>> Of course, I already have an iPad (and nothing matches it) and an Acer > >>>> Iconia Tab (A500). Oh, and I have a Nook Color too. > >>>> > >>> I'd argue this point. While the iPad makes a very compelling ecosystem > >>> argument by simple virtue of running iOS, it has been eclipsed in every > >>> category from a technological superiority perspective. As an example, > my > >>> SGT10 has a more vibrant screen, larger screen, is lighter, thinner, and > >>> provides roughly equivalent performance and battery life. Honeycomb > >> (and > >>> ICS) are, in my opinion, far more modern looking than iOS as well. I > > have a > >>> work-provided iPhone4, and I find the interface to be dull and dated > >>> compared to Android's latest, and the larger profile iPad exacerbates > > this. > >>> Nobody else can compete with the ecosystem though, which is a strong > >>> competitive advantage to be sure, but "nothing matches it" is...highly > >>> debatable. With a reunified platform in ICS/Android 4.0, I suspect that > >>> we'll see the ecosystem argument lose standing as well. > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > > > >
