Android Honeycomb Tablet OS is official. This does not suck! (1 Viewer)

[DaveF]

How was the Nook Color as an ereader? The dividing lines between LCD and eInk seem pretty clear, but I've wondered if the NC has something over the iPad as a pure reader.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Other than the moderately higher PPI (of ~170 vs ~130 on the iPad), the display seems comparable to the iPad's (although probably not as fingerprint/smudge resistant as the iPad 2). Not sure if you'd find it to be a big diff, but I do think it's a fairly noticeable one though the screen is of course smaller -- they actually have the same horizontal pixel count at 1024.


As a reader platform, the NC does also have some e-books (mainly children's books) designed/formatted to make additional use of its interactive and multimedia capabilities -- and so far, the Nook reader apps offered on other platforms (including the base Android one) do not make the same use of other respective platforms (yet?). There are other moderately interesting wrinkles like their book lending feature (to lend ebooks to other NC users), their 1-hour free ebooks access (per day) at local B&N stores, etc. And there are the magazine/newspaper subscriptions you can get for it that are not readily available for other platforms (yet) -- actually, that seems to be one of the draws for some users.


As I play some more w/ the NC, I think I do like the 7" form factor more than 10" for the most part so far (even though the NC is actually not all that light) -- and I can more readily see why Hanson feels as he does about the 7" form factor.


I think if I get another tablet specifically for myself to be taken and used everywhere I go, I'd probably go for the 7-8" form factor (and probably in a widescreen ratio in that case). Then again, maybe I'd change my mind if I spent more time w/ a 10" tablet...


Either way though I'd like to see some more bump in pixel count to make portrait mode viewing better, particularly for web pages (so I don't always have to zoom in portrait mode or need to rotate to landscape as often)...


_Man_

 

[Sam Posten]

Here's Nvidia's next gen Quad Core Kal-El being shown off on Honeycomb:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/29/nvidias-quad-core-kal-el-used-to-demo-next-gen-mobile-graphics/


Pretty impressive. Wonder if there was any 'rush' to get it out this week before we see what WWDC has to show.


Maybe flash will finally run great on a quad core mobile =p

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Originally Posted by ManW_TheUncool


[url=http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/30/asus-announced-padfone/]http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/30/asus-announced-padfone/


_Man_

 

[Sam Posten]

If you buy a tablet from this guy you get what you deserve:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqjoRMHyYQc&feature=player_embedded

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by Sam Posten

If you buy a tablet from this guy you get what you deserve:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqjoRMHyYQc&feature=player_embedded

It's sad that Americans think it's so funny


I am not a fan of the android tablets, but I love seeing any CEO ramped up about their product. The Asus presentation was actually pretty good. Asus product lines in the component fields have been very good over the last few years; and their high end department has been great. The concept seems ridiculous, but good to see him try to sell it

 

[Sam Posten]

You're serious? You think that's how a multibillion dollar product launch should be handled?

 

[mattCR]

I can't get Quotes to work, damnit.. But, why not? I know we here buy into huge splashes. But when the Wii, which came out the most successful of all the platforms in bulk unit sales came out, it's first press conference was a guy dressed up in a costume and talk. No splashy graphics, no monumental big screens, no uproar. Asus is a manufacturing house first. This, for them, is NOT a multi-billion dollar product. I mean, they might hope that it could be, but it isn't on paper. More then that, they are showing it at a show where Asus is The Home Team. Their CEO and staff are very popular in their markets, not just for the quality of their goods, but because unlike several other manufacturing houses, Asus is viewed as one that pays good wages, and has positive buzz. In fact, when asked about public perception, the top 3 asian companies with perception in that market were; Chunghwa Telecom, ASUS and Acer. People generally like the brand name, and they like the people running the company. In Asia, an endorsement by a company like Asus is good as gold, and they are a trusted name brand. We just don't think about it the same way. But it's also a value thing. Here in the US, we value a big hoopla of a stag show. I get it. But that isn't what it takes everywhere. Here's a CEO coming out and saying: I really like this product, he gets out and he throws his name behind it. I love the Youtube comments that slap him around for his accent and how into it he is. It's the same as video of Ballmer leaping around. Etc. So what? I guess you could also say as someone married into a Chinese family, with roots there, long threads of comments that poke fun of people for their accent don't really go over for me. Call it a sore spot. Frankly, I wouldn't buy one, but I thought the presentation was flat out awesome.

 

[DaveF]

Regarding the padfone video: The "magic" of pulling out the phone was clever. But the presenter's jazzhands were a problem. I give bonus points for speaking in a second language.

Tangential to this: In my limited experience, I'm surprised at how poorly skilled senior management at half-billion dollar companies are at public speaking. I'd think that it would be worth a bit of time to hone the skills used regularly to communicate with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of employees. But apparently not, since upper management stumbles along with their sweaty palms, uhms, and awkward slides ... and drive home in the Mercedes 700-series...

 

[Sam Posten]

Right, I dig on them making fun of Apple for being magical. But the cheesy presentation seemed cheesy. Here's a similar one that sells it better and this guy would still be booed off many stages: http://t.co/qyRrEyG

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Google Nav on the NC?


_Man_

 

[DaveF]

Does the NC have a GPS?

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

No, it does not have built-in GPS hardware.


The guy at that link is using Bluetooth to link to an (inexpensive) external GPS receiver for that -- and the receiver could just be something one keeps installed in the vehicle (or not).


_Man_

 

[mattCR]

We kind of figured this would happen at some point. Acer's iconia slate is in the wild at $349