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Android doesn't need a Google tablet, it needs a great tablet, regardless of who makes it. And I don't see it happening anytime soon. Android tablets aren't te

by lukifer 15y ago

Android doesn't need a Google tablet, it needs a great tablet, regardless of who makes it. And I don't see it happening anytime soon. Android tablets aren't terrible. They're fast, usable, and some of them have real advantages over iPads. But they miss the point of the iPad market: making computing fun. In the hands of regular people, Android tablets feel heavy, clunky, techy, okay-I-guess. If they were significantly cheaper, people might not care, and buy the most affordable movie/game thing for the kids. But they're the same price, and often more. And of course, that's aside from the mess that is the ecosystem. I don't think apps are a big deal to regular people, but games are, and so are books, movies and music. These things exist on Android, but both the selection and the experience can't compare to iTunes (which in my mind, should be a relatively low bar). No one wants them to put out a really good tablet more than me. But the tablet market is incredibly different from the phone market, and neither Google nor its hardware partners seem to be chasing the right things.

bonch 15y ago
I would clarify and say that the point of the iPad isn't to make computing fun so much as it is to move computing away from complexity. For a variety of reasons, Android as a platform is complicated.
bookwormAT 15y ago
I disagree here: There is nothing heavy, clunky or techy about Samsung's Galaxy Tab series. The devices are slim, light, durable and they look stunning. Android 4.0 also makes much more sense as a tablet operating system than iOS. IMHO of course. The reason they do no sell any of these things is simply that consumers need a good reason why they should not buy the default that everyone else is buying. The iPad has the mindshare of both consumers and developers, and making a tablet that is thinner than the ipad doesn't convince anyone to switch. Well, price does.
- lukifer 15y ago
  Disclaimer: I've not held every Android tablet in my hands, so my opinion is based on general impressions of many non-Apple tablets. And I'm only talking about the bigger tablets; in the 7" space, Androids compete more with e-readers than the iPad. I just checked, and I had no idea that the 10" Tabs beat the iPad on weight. If it wasn't for the fact that I prefer 4:3, I'd be strongly tempted. And credit where it's deserved: Android 3+ is much better at tailoring the environment to a tablet rather than being a modified smartphone OS. Nonetheless, I can't really picture my mom using a Tab. That may be an unfair assumption, but that's part of my point: the Android ecosystem is not creating the right impression with its target market of people who are sick of their computing experience being computer-y. (And of course, the price issue is also huge for a luxury item like a tablet.)

by lukifer 15y ago

bonch 15y ago

I would clarify and say that the point of the iPad isn't to make computing fun so much as it is to move computing away from complexity. For a variety of reasons, Android as a platform is complicated.

bookwormAT 15y ago

I disagree here: There is nothing heavy, clunky or techy about Samsung's Galaxy Tab series. The devices are slim, light, durable and they look stunning. Android 4.0 also makes much more sense as a tablet operating system than iOS. IMHO of course. The reason they do no sell any of these things is simply that consumers need a good reason why they should not buy the default that everyone else is buying. The iPad has the mindshare of both consumers and developers, and making a tablet that is thinner than the ipad doesn't convince anyone to switch. Well, price does.

lukifer 15y ago
Disclaimer: I've not held every Android tablet in my hands, so my opinion is based on general impressions of many non-Apple tablets. And I'm only talking about the bigger tablets; in the 7" space, Androids compete more with e-readers than the iPad. I just checked, and I had no idea that the 10" Tabs beat the iPad on weight. If it wasn't for the fact that I prefer 4:3, I'd be strongly tempted. And credit where it's deserved: Android 3+ is much better at tailoring the environment to a tablet rather than being a modified smartphone OS. Nonetheless, I can't really picture my mom using a Tab. That may be an unfair assumption, but that's part of my point: the Android ecosystem is not creating the right impression with its target market of people who are sick of their computing experience being computer-y. (And of course, the price issue is also huge for a luxury item like a tablet.)