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On my HP Touchpad I prefer WebOS over Android. The reason I use Android is the quality of the apps, not the OS. * Cards - Application switching is fast and eas

by Osiris 14y ago

On my HP Touchpad I prefer WebOS over Android. The reason I use Android is the quality of the apps, not the OS. * Cards - Application switching is fast and easy. While in card view you can see the current state of running applications. Card stacking is pretty cool too. * Clean UI - The WebOS UI is very clean an uncluttered. I find it pleasing to look at and it's easy to use. * System-wide Mute - When I go to a meeting or other environment I need a full system-wide mute. On Android I'll turn down the sound only to have an annoying notification sound go off in a meeting because notification volume is still at 100%. * "Home button" - switches to card view and shows the application launcher. This means that a single button works for 1) closing apps, 2) switching apps, 3) launching apps. So in short, I hope WebOS does make a comeback, though they may want to look into adding some type of Android compatibility layer to make it easy to port apps over as that's the biggest downfall of the platform.

jonhohle 14y ago
But what niche does that fill that iOS doesn't? > * Clean UI - The WebOS UI is very clean an uncluttered. I find it pleasing to look at and it's easy to use. The WebOS UI is clean compared to Android, but years behind iOS. I was excited to try WebOS when I got a discounted TouchPad last year, but really disliked how unpolished the entire thing felt. Text selection was abysmal. Actions were often hidden in menus. Animation was not smooth or coherent. Cards is a cool concept, but I don't think it improves usability significantly (at least not significantly more than four-finger swipe). > * System-wide Mute - When I go to a meeting or other environment I need a full system-wide mute. On Android I'll turn down the sound only to have an annoying notification sound go off in a meeting because notification volume is still at 100%. Again, not an issue on iOS. Couldn't this be fixed with an app in Android (honest question, people always talk bout everything being replaceable in Android). > * "Home button" - switches to card view and shows the application launcher. This means that a single button works for 1) closing apps, 2) switching apps, 3) launching apps. This is largely the same in iOS, but the priorities are different - 1 click to launch new apps, two clicks to switch/close apps. I put CM9 on my TouchPad because development was stagnating on the TouchPad and I was really surprised how B-grade the entire experience is - even compared to WebOS. An iPad is fast, consistent, clean, and works out of the box. Besides cost, I really don't see what people like about _using_ WebOS or Android over iOS (philosophically I understand, pragmatically, I just can't get there).
- Osiris 14y ago
  I can't compare the experience to iOS as I've never owned an iOS device. I can't afford it. The two Android phones I have I got free with my cell service, I have a B&N Nook ($200) that I put Android on, and an HP Touchpad ($150) with Android. Mute - I found Android apps that offer it but it would be better if it was built into the OS. On iOS isn't the mute switch on the device a ringer mute, not a full system mute?
  - clarky07 14y ago
    Honestly not trying to be an ass, but $200 (nook) + $150 (touchpad) is more than the current entry level iPad mini at $330. I think most would say there isn't anything that either of them can do that the iPad can't...
    - Osiris 14y ago
      Nook I bought several years ago. Touchpad was over a year later. Mini didn't exist at the time that either device was available. Also two devices vs one? I have been tempted in the past to get an iPad but couldn't justify the price when I could get a full Windows laptop for the same price. All I'm saying is that for us lowly poor people, price is a factor especially for a "want" and not a "need".
- pessimizer 14y ago
  >The WebOS UI is clean compared to Android, but years behind iOS. I was excited to try WebOS when I got a discounted TouchPad last year, but really disliked how unpolished the entire thing felt. Text selection was abysmal. Actions were often hidden in menus. Animation was not smooth or coherent. I think the WebOS UI blows iOS away - the only problem with the WebOS UI is that it was buggy and unfinished. Both the iOS UI and the Android UI are clunky and terrible in design IMO, but they have had a lot more work put into them (and in the case of iOS, hardware tuning), so they're going to be a lot smoother and account for a lot more minority or uncommon use cases, and to have discovered more workflow speedbumps. I think the UI design of WebOS and Maemo/Meego are head and shoulders above the incumbents, but that a lot of extra-technical issues sank both OSes. You can't really stumble as bad as HP/Nokia did in such a tight duopoly and expect to survive.
veeti 14y ago
> On Android I'll turn down the sound only to have an annoying notification sound go off in a meeting because notification volume is still at 100%. I don't understand your problem. On tablets like the Nexus 7 the volume slider is global and muting will mute the device completely. On a phone turning down the ringer volume to vibrate/mute will stop all notification sounds. Only the media volume of the music player and games and whatever is separate.

by Osiris 14y ago

jonhohle 14y ago

But what niche does that fill that iOS doesn't? > * Clean UI - The WebOS UI is very clean an uncluttered. I find it pleasing to look at and it's easy to use. The WebOS UI is clean compared to Android, but years behind iOS. I was excited to try WebOS when I got a discounted TouchPad last year, but really disliked how unpolished the entire thing felt. Text selection was abysmal. Actions were often hidden in menus. Animation was not smooth or coherent. Cards is a cool concept, but I don't think it improves usability significantly (at least not significantly more than four-finger swipe). > * System-wide Mute - When I go to a meeting or other environment I need a full system-wide mute. On Android I'll turn down the sound only to have an annoying notification sound go off in a meeting because notification volume is still at 100%. Again, not an issue on iOS. Couldn't this be fixed with an app in Android (honest question, people always talk bout everything being replaceable in Android). > * "Home button" - switches to card view and shows the application launcher. This means that a single button works for 1) closing apps, 2) switching apps, 3) launching apps. This is largely the same in iOS, but the priorities are different - 1 click to launch new apps, two clicks to switch/close apps. I put CM9 on my TouchPad because development was stagnating on the TouchPad and I was really surprised how B-grade the entire experience is - even compared to WebOS. An iPad is fast, consistent, clean, and works out of the box. Besides cost, I really don't see what people like about _using_ WebOS or Android over iOS (philosophically I understand, pragmatically, I just can't get there).

Osiris 14y ago
I can't compare the experience to iOS as I've never owned an iOS device. I can't afford it. The two Android phones I have I got free with my cell service, I have a B&N Nook ($200) that I put Android on, and an HP Touchpad ($150) with Android. Mute - I found Android apps that offer it but it would be better if it was built into the OS. On iOS isn't the mute switch on the device a ringer mute, not a full system mute?
- clarky07 14y ago
  Honestly not trying to be an ass, but $200 (nook) + $150 (touchpad) is more than the current entry level iPad mini at $330. I think most would say there isn't anything that either of them can do that the iPad can't...
  - Osiris 14y ago
    Nook I bought several years ago. Touchpad was over a year later. Mini didn't exist at the time that either device was available. Also two devices vs one? I have been tempted in the past to get an iPad but couldn't justify the price when I could get a full Windows laptop for the same price. All I'm saying is that for us lowly poor people, price is a factor especially for a "want" and not a "need".
pessimizer 14y ago
>The WebOS UI is clean compared to Android, but years behind iOS. I was excited to try WebOS when I got a discounted TouchPad last year, but really disliked how unpolished the entire thing felt. Text selection was abysmal. Actions were often hidden in menus. Animation was not smooth or coherent. I think the WebOS UI blows iOS away - the only problem with the WebOS UI is that it was buggy and unfinished. Both the iOS UI and the Android UI are clunky and terrible in design IMO, but they have had a lot more work put into them (and in the case of iOS, hardware tuning), so they're going to be a lot smoother and account for a lot more minority or uncommon use cases, and to have discovered more workflow speedbumps. I think the UI design of WebOS and Maemo/Meego are head and shoulders above the incumbents, but that a lot of extra-technical issues sank both OSes. You can't really stumble as bad as HP/Nokia did in such a tight duopoly and expect to survive.

veeti 14y ago

> On Android I'll turn down the sound only to have an annoying notification sound go off in a meeting because notification volume is still at 100%. I don't understand your problem. On tablets like the Nexus 7 the volume slider is global and muting will mute the device completely. On a phone turning down the ringer volume to vibrate/mute will stop all notification sounds. Only the media volume of the music player and games and whatever is separate.