7 ms·

Google shows off Android 3.0, the 'Entirely for Tablet' Honeycomb (video)

160 points by tomeast 16y ago

zachallaun 16y ago
I can only hope that Android 3.0 will be available on the swath of 2.1 and 2.2 tablets that have been released thus far. Neither of those operating systems were well optimized for tablet use.
- trotsky 16y ago
  It appears google is requiring a dual core cpu for Honeycomb. So it's unlikely you'll see official updates for them. Even tablets that skipped market access and such probably won't upgrade if there is a serious performance penalty, and it's hard to believe google would make that restriction if it was unnecessary.
  - Kylekramer 16y ago
    There has been plenty of claims that Google is going to limiting hardware with the next OS update, and those are always been squashed. I mean, when has Google ever shown a even an inkling of trying to lock down Android? I'd be surprised if they could do it even if they wanted to.
    - zachallaun 16y ago
      Most likely the "restrictions" will be more akin to recommendations.
    - trotsky 16y ago
      When? You mean like withholding google applications including the android market from devices that don't meet their hardware specifications? color nook archos PMPs archos tablets viewsonic g etc.
      - Kylekramer 16y ago
        I suspect all of those weren't rejected because their hardware didn't meet specifications, but the manufacturers didn't want to go through the trouble to get the Google stamp of approval. In particular, one of the last things Barnes and Noble want for their e-reader is Market access, with the Kindle app being available and all.
        trotsky 16y ago
        http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/android-devices-crave-googles-attention/ http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/android-devices-crave... Google requires [for market access] “all hardware components have the same software APIs as defined in their SDK to be compatible,” says Kitagawa. “This provides consistency to third-party developers that access these components,” he says. That means devices always need to have some key components, such as touchscreens with a specified minimum resolution, a certain number of navigation keys, Wi-Fi, camera and accelerometer. Devices such as the Alex e-reader or a digital picture frame don’t conform to these requirements.
        drivebyacct2 16y ago
        Again, that's only for access to the Market. Anyone can build Gingerbread from source right now. I just did last night. API consistency for access to a Market based on those consistent APIs seems a pretty innocent requirement.
    - guelo 16y ago
      In order for a manufacturer to be able to include the Market on their device Google imposes a bunch of hardware restrictions. For Gingerbread the restrictions include - the size and density of the screen - it has to have a touchscreen - it has to have more than 128MB RAM and 150MB flash - it has to ship with a 1GB or greater sdcard installed - home, menu and back buttons required - all kinds of restrictions on the accelerometer,magnenometer, gps, gyro, etc - it has to have fast network capability - the camera has to be 2 megapixels or greater - it has to have USB I don't see why they wouldn't be able to add a dual-core cpu as a requirement
      - Kylekramer 16y ago
        It is quite a jump from needing a pittance of RAM, touchscreen, connectivity, and a SD card to requiring a dual core. Android's model requires large market penetration, and requiring a dual core doesn't really make sense.
        blinkingled 16y ago
        There's no hard minimum processor requirement for Honeycomb. Via http://twitter.com/#!/morrildl/status/22845294886518785 http://twitter.com/#!/morrildl/status/22845294886518785
      - vetinari 16y ago
        It was just LG caught with their pants down making up excuses, why don't they provide updates for current products.
oneplusone 16y ago
Man, functionality aside since I haven't used it, it is not very impressive. I would describe it as ugly as sin. It looks like the graphics were all thrown together in an afternoon. I hope it is placeholder. - They replaced the nice soft gray/blue Chrome UI with a harsh gray one. -The keyboard buttons are flat and lifeless. -Arrows for selecting text has no depth and high contrast border. -The page turning looks like something from the 90s -The Youtube videos pop in from the left This has really set my expectations low for what was suppose to be a significant UI upgrade. As a designer this makes me cringe.
- kenjackson 16y ago
  Really? I'm no Android fan, and I expected it to be impressive (Honeycomb that is) -- this meets expectations. Everyone around me is buzzing about this. iPad2 had better come strong (Apple usually does, but Android is moving so fast!).
  - Xuzz 16y ago
    You can't argue with the page turning, though. I have no idea how the Google engineers turn a page, since it's nothing like anyone else does it (or iBooks, for that matter).
  - rimantas 16y ago
    How representative are those around you of the general population?
TomOfTTB 16y ago
More and more I'm forced to face the reality that ChromeOS is doomed. Conceptually I still like the IDEA of ChromeOS more but I just can't see a consumer choosing what is essentially a browser over something like this. My only hope is that Google will try and move Android to a place where Web Apps are just as powerful as native apps on the platform.
- callahad 16y ago
  I think ChromeOS could succeed in "kiosk" situations -- libraries, coffee shops, hotel lobbies, etc. Verified boot and automatic updates would be a boon for maintenance concerns, while customers would be much more likely to trust Google than a random Windows kiosk with a shoddy browser and questionable shell. Of course, kiosks / public access terminals may be as unnecessary as phone booths once we're all carrying personal tablets...
  - sjs 16y ago
    There are a lot of people outside of the 1st world's lavish lifestyle and deep pockets (filled also with $500 gadgets). If you live in the USA you don't even have to leave your own country to see the other side. Strike the last sentence and I agree with your comment wholeheartedly.
    - netcan 16y ago
      Interestingly, outside the "1st world" mobile phones are quite common. The speed at which this technology trickled down is amazing, about ten years from yuppies in major cities to subsistence farmers in failed states. Even more amazing is penetration. Most things just don't go that far down the economic ladder at all. Basic, fundamental things like vaccination, artificial fertilizers, electricity or regular phone lines which our grandparents took for granted have been outpaced by mobile phones in many places. Tablets may be similar enough to mobile phone to hope that the same economics apply and we might see the <$3-a-day majority benefiting by 2020. Hopefully.
- gaiusparx 16y ago
Kylekramer 16y ago
Torn. I like that it isn't just a grid of icons and some apps with split views, but I doubt Google can really pull off a great tablet OS by forking Android. I still think there needs to be an OS built from the ground up to be a tablet and a tablet only. I want an revolution like the iPhone was went it was originally announced, not a half hearted evolution.
- callahad 16y ago
  I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the iPad.
  - Kylekramer 16y ago
    To be honest, I think you can get my general opinion of the iPad from my original comment. But in one line, an excellently realized product that doesn't really fit my particular pipe dream for a tablet.
  - panacea 16y ago
    (You didn't ask me personally, but here are mine) I bought the original iPhone on day one (my upgrade from the original Motorola Razr). I vociferously read about technology and gadgets, but am rarely compelled to act on my consumer desires unless I feel like I'm 'gaming' the system by buying at the optimum time and also by defeating the endless upgrade cycle prompts. I succumbed last year and purchased an iPad while on holiday in The States (ostensibly because of the cheaper price compared to the UK and because my wife wanted to watch Mad Men on vacation). In truth it was because even though the iPad just seemed to be an enlarged iPod Touch, Apple had certainly hit a home run with the (dare I say it) 'revolutionary' first iPhone, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. It immediately made my first generation iPhone obsolete for kicking back at home and mucking about on a touch-screen device, but it certainly wasn't a revolutionary device. It really was just a scaled-up less-portable (read: less useful) version of the original iPhone. I got an iPhone 4 for christmas and it's a beautiful upgrade from iPhone 1. And it immediately relegated the iPad to 'sitting on the shelf' status in our flat. This promo video, however teaser/vaporware-like it is, has me rethinking my current reliance on the Apple ecosystem. It's feels a bit revolutionary... like the first iPhone. A re-imagining of on OS specifically designed for the new form factor. The iPad OS isn't that beast... Apple were first to market with a credible tablet because the initial iPhone OS, albeit upscaled, did a passable job. For the first time in years, I'm interested in my next device being outside the Apple Walled City.
orangecat 16y ago
It's hard to tell from a 60 second video, but that looks pretty darn awesome. Like a MovieOS(tm) that actually works.
blinkingled 16y ago
They seem to have checked all the right boxes on this one - Eye Candy, Tablet UI optimizations, Video Chat (Great stuff if it works well - all GTalk users even on desktop can use this), No physical buttons, Dual Core minimum (easier on devs - they don't have to worry about crappy hardware), HTML5.
cryptoz 16y ago
I am so excited for the future. It's so clear to me that tablets are a stepping stone, and a very very exciting one. They're going to be the first time a consumer computer has lived up to their dreams and expectations of the future of computing: it works, it's fast, it's easy, it's safe and it's fun. Using Windows on a desktop is none of those things. It turns out that iPad was a glorious thing; not in that it was physically incredible, but that it opened up a world that Google understands and is preparing for. We're going to have Android and iOS running HTML5 applications (and native apps of course) on nearly every device in just a few years. Guys, that promised future is coming!
- melvinram 16y ago
  Color me excited as well! It feels like the era of Jetsons. Now we just need flying cars to go mainstream. A quote from Steve Jobs comes to mind. "I think PCs are going to be like trucks. And this is going to make some people uneasy." This competition between Apple & Google will bring forward an environment that is bring about a lot of opportunities.
  - billmcneale 16y ago
    > A quote from Steve Jobs comes to mind. "I think PCs are going to be like trucks. And this is going to make some people uneasy." Yes, Jobs has been predicting the death of the Windows PC (when he says "PC", he really means "Windows PC". He is offended if you call the computers he creates "PC's") for a while. He's not very often wrong, but it's one of these few times.
    - erikpukinskis 16y ago
      I don't think so. Actually if you go back and watch the video where he said that, he very deliberately defines the "PC" category as Windows machines and Macs. Kara Swisher is a little confused, because for her "PC" means a Windows box. She gets some kind of clarification, but it's clear that Jobs wants to use the word "PC" as an umbrella term for all high-powered keyboard+mouse+12-24in screen machines. Apple does the whole "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" thing, but where have you ever seen Jobs personally try to assert that Macs are not PCs?
lopatamd 16y ago
WOW that is awesome
dkl 16y ago
First, I had to watch an annoying commercial. Then, there was an ad overlay to the video that obscured part of the video. Goddamn that's annoying, so I didn't watch.
- melvinram 16y ago
  Someone has to pay the bill for the video bandwidth.
  - bkudria 16y ago
    Except this video is essentially an advertisement.
- mgcross 16y ago
  I don't mind a :10-:15 spot, but the overlay ad was covering a significant amount of the video. I quickly switched to the linked swf: http://cdn.static.viddler.com/flash/as3/simple-publisher.swf?key=fd57af85 http://cdn.static.viddler.com/flash/as3/simple-publisher.swf...
CitizenKane 16y ago
I'm really impressed by the video, it looks like there are a lot of cool ideas and the tablet form factor really brings the homescreen widgets that android has to life. That being said, I find the prospect of this not ending up on Android phones disappointing. Android 2.2 is fantastic to use but definitely needs some love in terms of UI.
miah_ 16y ago
As a long time Android user I'm definitely looking forward to a tablet. I've been holding off on buying anything until a good tablet comes out. I really wish I could watch this video without an ad preventing me from reading all the text in the video so I knew more about what to look for and not just stare at the omg eye candy. As far as ChromeOS being dead, I dunno. I have been playing with my cr48 a few weeks now and love it. Its a great system for most things. The things it prevents me from doing well right now (ssh to hosts and doing dev/support) are minor. In general I have a browser, IM App, and terminal open on my computer. If a good and secure way to remotely manage hosts via ssh is added into ChromeOS it will quickly become my goto system that I drag everywhere with me. I doubt I would ever say that for a tablet, unless its really good and has fantastic keyboard support. I just hate having to deal with wireless keyboards and their aaa batteries that never seem to last long enough. *edit: i can spell
roadnottaken 16y ago
The demo is nice, but I'd like to see it running on real hardware.
tiles 16y ago
My impression of the video was that Android 3.0 applications will be entirely a Google stack... where does that leave developers? I applaud Google for finally taking on the role of owning the whole OS experience, like Apple, but if they are going to do this then they'll also be judged on those merits. I give Android OS a lot of leeway for what it lacks by saying "a developer can fill that niche"... It looks like their tablet will be much closer to an iPad experience in having a singular vision.
- moultano 16y ago
  If any component sucks you can always offer a replacement. That will still be the case I presume?
- rlmw 16y ago
  I imagine they're just showing off their programs for the platform. Google have been touting Android as an 'open' platform, I doubt they're going to turn back at this stage.
  - enjo 16y ago
    I'm not particularly in the know, but I think it's important to keep in mind that this isn't a "normal" platform release. Honeycomb is still a bit immature, we're not expecting to see shipping devices for another 3-6 months (Motorola is simply saying "Q2" at this point from what I can tell). It's a bit too early for 3rd party developers to be invited to the party I think.
archgrove 16y ago
One can't really tell from a promotional video, but the main thing that stands out to me is the improved home screen over iPad. It's too "technical" to be mass market in this version; viz. "Books \n 3x3" type stuff - my parents won't know what 3x3 means, even after explanation. Even I'm only guessing is the size the widget takes on the home screen. However, assuming they fix that, it's rather an improvement on Apple's iOS SpringBoard, which is looking rather dated (alongside their notification system). Here's to competition accelerating an upgrade in iOS 5! The rest of the applications, one can't really tell in short clip. A lot of them - mail, video chat etc - seem very similar to what one would find elsewhere, except with the Honeycomb chrome (take it or leave it, as personal preference dictates). In others, I worry they've gone for eye candy over usability. For example, in "Books", the circular scroll is all very well, but I can't see any way of telling how far through your collection you are, nor where the book you want might be. Of course, the is prerelease promo, so it might be obvious in the real thing. What most people don't seem to get is that Apple tend to use eye candy only when it's useful - not just to look like something in Minority Report. Even they don't get it right all the time (I'm looking at you, Time Machine animation!). Eye candy is really cool for promotional videos, but when you're trying to use the application for the 4562nd time you really hope that it's added just to enhance usability, rather than impress CES visitors.
- drivebyacct2 16y ago
  Not enough eye candy, too much eye candy. And the usual Android is too hard. Too bad this logic has been wrong for the last two years of Android and I'm willing to bet it will continue to be wrong.
  - ugh 16y ago
    It so frustrating to discuss about Android (or iOS). Some people will take the slightest criticism and interpret it as platform bashing. The grandparent never claimed that Android is doomed because it has too much eye candy. Eye candy is damn hard to get right. It’s easy to have too little or too much or to be kitschy. Apple seems to be really into kitsch and Google seems to be really fond of doing too much lately. (You can’t really tell from the video, though. I would love to see some extended demo or a guided tour.)
zmitri 16y ago
The look and feel remind me very much of Bumptop. Looks like a more complicated, although more effective way to organize the tablet versus the iPad.
aaronbrethorst 16y ago
This looks fantastic, but I'm concerned about what isn't being discussed: namely, what happens to small form factor devices in the Android 3.0 timeline, like my Nexus S? Is Google going to pull an Apple: temporarily bifurcating Android between tablets and phones, and then later reunite them? Or is Honeycomb going to ship for phones, too, but with less of the large-screen optimized UI goodness?
- goodscreens 16y ago
  That's what I'm wondering too. Android is already pretty fragmented and seems things will get worse before they get better.
- yardie 16y ago
  It certainly appears that way. With the high requirements for Honeycomb and no phones on the market that currently meet that requirement I think it will be a while before the releases are synchronous. Anyway my contract is just about up and this CES is not making me look forward to renewal. CES has a way of blasting out announcements for really great sounding products and then what actually ships may be selective or may be cancelled entirely. No one ever remembers the products from the last CES that never arrived.
flip 16y ago
It looks great, but... Come on... Bring back single tasking...

160 points by tomeast 16y ago

I can only hope that Android 3.0 will be available on the swath of 2.1 and 2.2 tablets that have been released thus far. Neither of those operating systems were well optimized for tablet use.

trotsky 16y ago
It appears google is requiring a dual core cpu for Honeycomb. So it's unlikely you'll see official updates for them. Even tablets that skipped market access and such probably won't upgrade if there is a serious performance penalty, and it's hard to believe google would make that restriction if it was unnecessary.
- Kylekramer 16y ago
  There has been plenty of claims that Google is going to limiting hardware with the next OS update, and those are always been squashed. I mean, when has Google ever shown a even an inkling of trying to lock down Android? I'd be surprised if they could do it even if they wanted to.
  - zachallaun 16y ago
    Most likely the "restrictions" will be more akin to recommendations.
  - trotsky 16y ago
    When? You mean like withholding google applications including the android market from devices that don't meet their hardware specifications? color nook archos PMPs archos tablets viewsonic g etc.
    - Kylekramer 16y ago
      I suspect all of those weren't rejected because their hardware didn't meet specifications, but the manufacturers didn't want to go through the trouble to get the Google stamp of approval. In particular, one of the last things Barnes and Noble want for their e-reader is Market access, with the Kindle app being available and all.
      - trotsky 16y ago
        http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/android-devices-crave-googles-attention/ http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/android-devices-crave... Google requires [for market access] “all hardware components have the same software APIs as defined in their SDK to be compatible,” says Kitagawa. “This provides consistency to third-party developers that access these components,” he says. That means devices always need to have some key components, such as touchscreens with a specified minimum resolution, a certain number of navigation keys, Wi-Fi, camera and accelerometer. Devices such as the Alex e-reader or a digital picture frame don’t conform to these requirements.
        drivebyacct2 16y ago
        Again, that's only for access to the Market. Anyone can build Gingerbread from source right now. I just did last night. API consistency for access to a Market based on those consistent APIs seems a pretty innocent requirement.
  - guelo 16y ago
    In order for a manufacturer to be able to include the Market on their device Google imposes a bunch of hardware restrictions. For Gingerbread the restrictions include - the size and density of the screen - it has to have a touchscreen - it has to have more than 128MB RAM and 150MB flash - it has to ship with a 1GB or greater sdcard installed - home, menu and back buttons required - all kinds of restrictions on the accelerometer,magnenometer, gps, gyro, etc - it has to have fast network capability - the camera has to be 2 megapixels or greater - it has to have USB I don't see why they wouldn't be able to add a dual-core cpu as a requirement
    - Kylekramer 16y ago
      It is quite a jump from needing a pittance of RAM, touchscreen, connectivity, and a SD card to requiring a dual core. Android's model requires large market penetration, and requiring a dual core doesn't really make sense.
      - blinkingled 16y ago
        There's no hard minimum processor requirement for Honeycomb. Via http://twitter.com/#!/morrildl/status/22845294886518785 http://twitter.com/#!/morrildl/status/22845294886518785
    - vetinari 16y ago
      It was just LG caught with their pants down making up excuses, why don't they provide updates for current products.

oneplusone 16y ago

Man, functionality aside since I haven't used it, it is not very impressive. I would describe it as ugly as sin. It looks like the graphics were all thrown together in an afternoon. I hope it is placeholder. - They replaced the nice soft gray/blue Chrome UI with a harsh gray one. -The keyboard buttons are flat and lifeless. -Arrows for selecting text has no depth and high contrast border. -The page turning looks like something from the 90s -The Youtube videos pop in from the left This has really set my expectations low for what was suppose to be a significant UI upgrade. As a designer this makes me cringe.

kenjackson 16y ago
Really? I'm no Android fan, and I expected it to be impressive (Honeycomb that is) -- this meets expectations. Everyone around me is buzzing about this. iPad2 had better come strong (Apple usually does, but Android is moving so fast!).
- Xuzz 16y ago
  You can't argue with the page turning, though. I have no idea how the Google engineers turn a page, since it's nothing like anyone else does it (or iBooks, for that matter).
- rimantas 16y ago
  How representative are those around you of the general population?

TomOfTTB 16y ago

More and more I'm forced to face the reality that ChromeOS is doomed. Conceptually I still like the IDEA of ChromeOS more but I just can't see a consumer choosing what is essentially a browser over something like this. My only hope is that Google will try and move Android to a place where Web Apps are just as powerful as native apps on the platform.

callahad 16y ago
I think ChromeOS could succeed in "kiosk" situations -- libraries, coffee shops, hotel lobbies, etc. Verified boot and automatic updates would be a boon for maintenance concerns, while customers would be much more likely to trust Google than a random Windows kiosk with a shoddy browser and questionable shell. Of course, kiosks / public access terminals may be as unnecessary as phone booths once we're all carrying personal tablets...
- sjs 16y ago
  There are a lot of people outside of the 1st world's lavish lifestyle and deep pockets (filled also with $500 gadgets). If you live in the USA you don't even have to leave your own country to see the other side. Strike the last sentence and I agree with your comment wholeheartedly.
  - netcan 16y ago
    Interestingly, outside the "1st world" mobile phones are quite common. The speed at which this technology trickled down is amazing, about ten years from yuppies in major cities to subsistence farmers in failed states. Even more amazing is penetration. Most things just don't go that far down the economic ladder at all. Basic, fundamental things like vaccination, artificial fertilizers, electricity or regular phone lines which our grandparents took for granted have been outpaced by mobile phones in many places. Tablets may be similar enough to mobile phone to hope that the same economics apply and we might see the <$3-a-day majority benefiting by 2020. Hopefully.
gaiusparx 16y ago

Kylekramer 16y ago

Torn. I like that it isn't just a grid of icons and some apps with split views, but I doubt Google can really pull off a great tablet OS by forking Android. I still think there needs to be an OS built from the ground up to be a tablet and a tablet only. I want an revolution like the iPhone was went it was originally announced, not a half hearted evolution.

callahad 16y ago
I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the iPad.
- Kylekramer 16y ago
  To be honest, I think you can get my general opinion of the iPad from my original comment. But in one line, an excellently realized product that doesn't really fit my particular pipe dream for a tablet.
- panacea 16y ago
  (You didn't ask me personally, but here are mine) I bought the original iPhone on day one (my upgrade from the original Motorola Razr). I vociferously read about technology and gadgets, but am rarely compelled to act on my consumer desires unless I feel like I'm 'gaming' the system by buying at the optimum time and also by defeating the endless upgrade cycle prompts. I succumbed last year and purchased an iPad while on holiday in The States (ostensibly because of the cheaper price compared to the UK and because my wife wanted to watch Mad Men on vacation). In truth it was because even though the iPad just seemed to be an enlarged iPod Touch, Apple had certainly hit a home run with the (dare I say it) 'revolutionary' first iPhone, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. It immediately made my first generation iPhone obsolete for kicking back at home and mucking about on a touch-screen device, but it certainly wasn't a revolutionary device. It really was just a scaled-up less-portable (read: less useful) version of the original iPhone. I got an iPhone 4 for christmas and it's a beautiful upgrade from iPhone 1. And it immediately relegated the iPad to 'sitting on the shelf' status in our flat. This promo video, however teaser/vaporware-like it is, has me rethinking my current reliance on the Apple ecosystem. It's feels a bit revolutionary... like the first iPhone. A re-imagining of on OS specifically designed for the new form factor. The iPad OS isn't that beast... Apple were first to market with a credible tablet because the initial iPhone OS, albeit upscaled, did a passable job. For the first time in years, I'm interested in my next device being outside the Apple Walled City.

orangecat 16y ago

It's hard to tell from a 60 second video, but that looks pretty darn awesome. Like a MovieOS(tm) that actually works.

blinkingled 16y ago

They seem to have checked all the right boxes on this one - Eye Candy, Tablet UI optimizations, Video Chat (Great stuff if it works well - all GTalk users even on desktop can use this), No physical buttons, Dual Core minimum (easier on devs - they don't have to worry about crappy hardware), HTML5.

cryptoz 16y ago

I am so excited for the future. It's so clear to me that tablets are a stepping stone, and a very very exciting one. They're going to be the first time a consumer computer has lived up to their dreams and expectations of the future of computing: it works, it's fast, it's easy, it's safe and it's fun. Using Windows on a desktop is none of those things. It turns out that iPad was a glorious thing; not in that it was physically incredible, but that it opened up a world that Google understands and is preparing for. We're going to have Android and iOS running HTML5 applications (and native apps of course) on nearly every device in just a few years. Guys, that promised future is coming!

melvinram 16y ago
Color me excited as well! It feels like the era of Jetsons. Now we just need flying cars to go mainstream. A quote from Steve Jobs comes to mind. "I think PCs are going to be like trucks. And this is going to make some people uneasy." This competition between Apple & Google will bring forward an environment that is bring about a lot of opportunities.
- billmcneale 16y ago
  > A quote from Steve Jobs comes to mind. "I think PCs are going to be like trucks. And this is going to make some people uneasy." Yes, Jobs has been predicting the death of the Windows PC (when he says "PC", he really means "Windows PC". He is offended if you call the computers he creates "PC's") for a while. He's not very often wrong, but it's one of these few times.
  - erikpukinskis 16y ago
    I don't think so. Actually if you go back and watch the video where he said that, he very deliberately defines the "PC" category as Windows machines and Macs. Kara Swisher is a little confused, because for her "PC" means a Windows box. She gets some kind of clarification, but it's clear that Jobs wants to use the word "PC" as an umbrella term for all high-powered keyboard+mouse+12-24in screen machines. Apple does the whole "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" thing, but where have you ever seen Jobs personally try to assert that Macs are not PCs?

lopatamd 16y ago

WOW that is awesome

dkl 16y ago

First, I had to watch an annoying commercial. Then, there was an ad overlay to the video that obscured part of the video. Goddamn that's annoying, so I didn't watch.

melvinram 16y ago
Someone has to pay the bill for the video bandwidth.
- bkudria 16y ago
  Except this video is essentially an advertisement.
mgcross 16y ago
I don't mind a :10-:15 spot, but the overlay ad was covering a significant amount of the video. I quickly switched to the linked swf: http://cdn.static.viddler.com/flash/as3/simple-publisher.swf?key=fd57af85 http://cdn.static.viddler.com/flash/as3/simple-publisher.swf...

CitizenKane 16y ago

I'm really impressed by the video, it looks like there are a lot of cool ideas and the tablet form factor really brings the homescreen widgets that android has to life. That being said, I find the prospect of this not ending up on Android phones disappointing. Android 2.2 is fantastic to use but definitely needs some love in terms of UI.

miah_ 16y ago

As a long time Android user I'm definitely looking forward to a tablet. I've been holding off on buying anything until a good tablet comes out. I really wish I could watch this video without an ad preventing me from reading all the text in the video so I knew more about what to look for and not just stare at the omg eye candy. As far as ChromeOS being dead, I dunno. I have been playing with my cr48 a few weeks now and love it. Its a great system for most things. The things it prevents me from doing well right now (ssh to hosts and doing dev/support) are minor. In general I have a browser, IM App, and terminal open on my computer. If a good and secure way to remotely manage hosts via ssh is added into ChromeOS it will quickly become my goto system that I drag everywhere with me. I doubt I would ever say that for a tablet, unless its really good and has fantastic keyboard support. I just hate having to deal with wireless keyboards and their aaa batteries that never seem to last long enough. *edit: i can spell

roadnottaken 16y ago

The demo is nice, but I'd like to see it running on real hardware.

tiles 16y ago

My impression of the video was that Android 3.0 applications will be entirely a Google stack... where does that leave developers? I applaud Google for finally taking on the role of owning the whole OS experience, like Apple, but if they are going to do this then they'll also be judged on those merits. I give Android OS a lot of leeway for what it lacks by saying "a developer can fill that niche"... It looks like their tablet will be much closer to an iPad experience in having a singular vision.

moultano 16y ago
If any component sucks you can always offer a replacement. That will still be the case I presume?
rlmw 16y ago
I imagine they're just showing off their programs for the platform. Google have been touting Android as an 'open' platform, I doubt they're going to turn back at this stage.
- enjo 16y ago
  I'm not particularly in the know, but I think it's important to keep in mind that this isn't a "normal" platform release. Honeycomb is still a bit immature, we're not expecting to see shipping devices for another 3-6 months (Motorola is simply saying "Q2" at this point from what I can tell). It's a bit too early for 3rd party developers to be invited to the party I think.

archgrove 16y ago

One can't really tell from a promotional video, but the main thing that stands out to me is the improved home screen over iPad. It's too "technical" to be mass market in this version; viz. "Books \n 3x3" type stuff - my parents won't know what 3x3 means, even after explanation. Even I'm only guessing is the size the widget takes on the home screen. However, assuming they fix that, it's rather an improvement on Apple's iOS SpringBoard, which is looking rather dated (alongside their notification system). Here's to competition accelerating an upgrade in iOS 5! The rest of the applications, one can't really tell in short clip. A lot of them - mail, video chat etc - seem very similar to what one would find elsewhere, except with the Honeycomb chrome (take it or leave it, as personal preference dictates). In others, I worry they've gone for eye candy over usability. For example, in "Books", the circular scroll is all very well, but I can't see any way of telling how far through your collection you are, nor where the book you want might be. Of course, the is prerelease promo, so it might be obvious in the real thing. What most people don't seem to get is that Apple tend to use eye candy only when it's useful - not just to look like something in Minority Report. Even they don't get it right all the time (I'm looking at you, Time Machine animation!). Eye candy is really cool for promotional videos, but when you're trying to use the application for the 4562nd time you really hope that it's added just to enhance usability, rather than impress CES visitors.

drivebyacct2 16y ago
Not enough eye candy, too much eye candy. And the usual Android is too hard. Too bad this logic has been wrong for the last two years of Android and I'm willing to bet it will continue to be wrong.
- ugh 16y ago
  It so frustrating to discuss about Android (or iOS). Some people will take the slightest criticism and interpret it as platform bashing. The grandparent never claimed that Android is doomed because it has too much eye candy. Eye candy is damn hard to get right. It’s easy to have too little or too much or to be kitschy. Apple seems to be really into kitsch and Google seems to be really fond of doing too much lately. (You can’t really tell from the video, though. I would love to see some extended demo or a guided tour.)

zmitri 16y ago

The look and feel remind me very much of Bumptop. Looks like a more complicated, although more effective way to organize the tablet versus the iPad.

aaronbrethorst 16y ago

This looks fantastic, but I'm concerned about what isn't being discussed: namely, what happens to small form factor devices in the Android 3.0 timeline, like my Nexus S? Is Google going to pull an Apple: temporarily bifurcating Android between tablets and phones, and then later reunite them? Or is Honeycomb going to ship for phones, too, but with less of the large-screen optimized UI goodness?

goodscreens 16y ago
That's what I'm wondering too. Android is already pretty fragmented and seems things will get worse before they get better.
yardie 16y ago
It certainly appears that way. With the high requirements for Honeycomb and no phones on the market that currently meet that requirement I think it will be a while before the releases are synchronous. Anyway my contract is just about up and this CES is not making me look forward to renewal. CES has a way of blasting out announcements for really great sounding products and then what actually ships may be selective or may be cancelled entirely. No one ever remembers the products from the last CES that never arrived.

flip 16y ago

It looks great, but... Come on... Bring back single tasking...