There isn't really much of a tablet market • Hacker News Board

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#41

Post by mboyle » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:13 AM UTC

rlmw wrote: post #36

Allegedly Samsung have sold 1 million Tabs within 2 months of putting it on sale. [0] This isn't as fast as the ipad, but it does demonstrate that there's a market for non-ipad tablets. One of the things thats quite important in this market is that Android 3 is meant to be rather tablet oriented, and I think that will address his concerns. There certainly are a lot of cheap, poor quality, android tablets on the marke…

Have actual consumers purchased a million galaxy tabs or is some portion of that million unit figure inventory that carriers have purchased but not necessarily sold to end users?

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#42

Post by blinkingled » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:15 AM UTC

joeguilmette wrote: post #9

Xuzz wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Unless you claim that Android is "bad software that actively interferes with usability" (because it doesn't officially support tablets yet, or has custom skins, or isn't integrated, or whatever), which the author seems to be, in a sense, saying. I'm not sure if I agree or not.)

I would say that while popular, Android on the whole is 'bad software' the same way Windows is. Doesn't mean it wont dominate the market.

If you were talking from 1999 that statement might be true. Not in 2010. Even the biggest Apple fan Walt Mossberg says Windows 7 is as good if not better than OSX. That's what I am happily running on my 17" MBP as OS X has no working high DPI support and that kills my eyes @1920x1200.

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#43

Post by joeguilmette » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:15 AM UTC

Pewpewarrows wrote: post #20

joeguilmette wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would say that while popular, Android on the whole is 'bad software' the same way Windows is. Doesn't mean it wont dominate the market.

No reasons why? No examples? No comparisons between it and what you would consider "good software"? You might be getting upvoted because the HackerNews hivemind has a giant hard-on for all things Apple, but don't think for a second that you're actually making a valid point. If you want to start an intelligent discussion then go right ahead, but keep the obvious fanboy flamebait out of this.

The UI sucks (ugly, inconsistent).

Relative to iOS there is a much, much higher ratio of shitty apps to killer apps.

It is too customizable in that non-technical users have a hard time with many features (my girlfriend had no idea how to install, setup or in any way manage widgets, and she is by no means whatsoever computer stupid.). The install procedure for NoLED is a great example of Android's failure to be 'good software' IMO.

The devices are various and the vast majority are poorly designed. Battery life, shitty button placement, etc. Yes this is not a software issue but Google allows the software to be licensed to shitty hardware, so they are ultimately culpable.

Android allows vendors to include their own forced, uninstallalble software. This is complete bullshit.

You are able to install apps that just don't work due to a lack of curation, fragmentation of hardware, and multiple, conflicting app stores.

Also, i would argue that your comment is more flame bait than mine was.

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#44

Post by blinkingled » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:17 AM UTC

mboyle wrote: post #41

rlmw wrote: post #36

Allegedly Samsung have sold 1 million Tabs within 2 months of putting it on sale. [0] This isn't as fast as the ipad, but it does demonstrate that there's a market for non-ipad tablets. One of the things thats quite important in this market is that Android 3 is meant to be rather tablet oriented, and I think that will address his concerns. There certainly are a lot of cheap, poor quality, android tablets on the marke…

Have actual consumers purchased a million galaxy tabs or is some portion of that million unit figure inventory that carriers have purchased but not necessarily sold to end users?

Actually sold - http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/03/samsung-sells-one-million...

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#45

Post by joeguilmette » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:17 AM UTC

Pewpewarrows wrote: post #21

ugh wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would argue that Android is currently not in a position to dominate the tablet market in the short term. It’s worse for tablets than Windows was for PCs and it has to (and undoubtedly will) improve in that respect this year. (It was not supposed to run on tablets so you can’t really hold that against Google.) All Android tablets I tried felt like upscaled phones, they use more or less the same phone UI on a bigger…

> It’s not just a huge iPod touch. Yes, it is. The only difference you're seeing is that developers for iOS apps have accommodated for the additional screen real estate after its release. Developers of Android apps haven't yet because the OS isn't officially ready for tablets until Honeycomb. Once an official Android tablet is released post-Honeycomb can you actually start to make comparisons.

I would agree that the iPad is essentially a giant iPod touch. Owning both an iPhone and an iPad, i see this as a massive compliment.

I disagree that you can't compare an iPad to a Galaxy Tab. Of course you can. They are both tablets. If Android 'isn't ready' ready for tablets then they shouldn't be selling them. But they are. Which means you can make comparisons and draw conclusions about iOS vs Android in regards to tablets.

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#46

Post by blinkingled » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:21 AM UTC

Xuzz wrote: post #23

enjo wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? You really believe that? I've been using an Android phone exclusively for the last year. I love it. I'm hardly alone. I find it a superior experience to the iPhone in a lot of ways.

One example: Android still doesn't use the GPU for the interface, so the scrolling on a brand-new Nexus S still isn't as smooth as on a three-plus year old iPhone 2G. Plus, the lists don't bounce at the end, so not only is it choppier but it's (slightly) disconcerting to hit the end of a list as well (maybe the Gingerbread green flashes will help here, but a bounce just is more natural). (This is not to say I only li…

The thing is not many people care about how smoothly their lists scroll unless it actively hampers what they are doing. The people who care are mostly the paranoid ones - I know several people who use Android phone (one an $29 Optimus) and I bet you they will have a puzzled face if you told them anything about list scrolling! Good enough is good to go for them.

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#47

Post by zephyrfalcon » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:23 AM UTC

Pewpewarrows wrote: post #29

zephyrfalcon wrote: post #22

Well, no, there isn't really much of a tablet market. It's an emerging market; a year ago it didn't even exist until the iPad single-handedly created it. Everybody else is still trying to catch up. Right now your choices are basically, an iPad, or something else that probably isn't nowhere near as good (unless you count Kindles and Nooks which are much more specialized devices). However, in a few years or so, I can t…

The iPad popularized the Tablet market, it didn't create it. Tablets have existed since 2000.

Technically yes, but they were all considered failures. I recall that before it became clear what Apple was making (somewhere late 2009), there was a lot of speculation along the lines of, "well it can't possibly be a tablet PC, because nobody has ever had success with that".

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#48

Post by Xuzz » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:23 AM UTC

Pewpewarrows wrote: post #40

Xuzz wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To avoid reposting the exact same message: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2056896

Certainly valid points, but that isn't even a fraction of what it would take for me to blanket label something as "bad software." Apple definitely took more time polishing the edges of iOS than Google did with Android. Game creation is also a bit lacking with regards to features that developers have access to. That's really the only criticism I can make towards Android having used and developed for both extensively.…

I think the issue is that for me, the edges are what make or break it. I can't stand one little thing that bugs me every time I use it (for example, the iOS monstrosity of a notification system).

I'm sure Google can make polished and smooth experiences -- just look at Chrome for a great example -- they just haven't done so yet with Android. (Another issue is the embarrassing lack of actual upgrades (likely due to the sheer number of devices) on Android: any improvements won't help if I'm locked into a 2-year contract on a device they won't update.)

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#49

Post by jamesk2 » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:24 AM UTC

jawee wrote: post #30

I know about five (non-techies) that got Nook Colors and a few people that got Tabs (3 to be exact). It´s probably partially because of the stronghold Verizon holds in my area so AT&T isn´t worth it... there is literally no AT&T service within a 10 mile radius of my house and school. I only know one person who got an iPad; well someone that posted on Facebook. I´m not sure I get the original argument.

I know many more people who have Kindles or iPads and nobody who own a Nook or a Tab... I live in the SF Bay Area but still, it's an oddly different market where you are... where are you?

Re: There isn't really much of a tablet market

#50

Post by joeguilmette » Sat, Jan 01, 2011, 1:24 AM UTC

samstokes wrote: post #35

joeguilmette wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

80-90% of computer users never leave the browser. The tablet will take over. Everything except power users will be using tablets in 5 years.

I assume you (reasonably) count webmail as "not leaving the browser". Typing emails (or Facebook messages or whatever) is much more pleasant on a real keyboard than on a virtual touch-screen keyboard. Seems unlikely people are going to give up typing in droves. What does seem quite plausible is tablet + peripherals - the tablet basically assuming the role of the old mini-tower computer, angled upright on a stand for…

Almost every single Facebook comment and status update made in the past two years has been from an iPhone or iPad. Every comment made in this thread has been from my iPad.

Almost all of my email is sent from my iPad, and I write a lot of email. I send vastly more email from iOS than OSX/XP/W7. I use all four operating systems between my personal and work machines, and prefer iOS for almost all tasks.

Touchscreen typing is weird at first, but, just like using a physical keyboard you start slow and eventually become proficient and comfortable.