Raspberry Pi to get Android 4.0

I have XBMC on my desktop, laptop, phone, tablet and raspberry Pi. Using a single app, I can play media from any of those devices to another. It's so simple and elegant and it blows my mind everytime I do it.

Re: Raspberry Pi to get Android 4.0

#5

Post by darklajid » Wed, Aug 01, 2012, 7:51 AM UTC

Probably ready before the update for the LG smartphone I bought. sigh

But from the news coverage (don't own one yet myself) it seems that this is a good indicator for a generally healthy tinkering community. Sounds great.

Re: Raspberry Pi to get Android 4.0

#6

Post by davidarkemp2 » Wed, Aug 01, 2012, 8:00 AM UTC

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #4

I still don't understand the desire for Android on non-touch devices. At all... The more exciting bit is XBMC being available in Android, in my opinion. I have XBMC on my desktop, laptop, phone, tablet and raspberry Pi. Using a single app, I can play media from any of those devices to another. It's so simple and elegant and it blows my mind everytime I do it.

Exactly. Android on an underpowered device like the Pi is going to be underwhelming.

Re: Raspberry Pi to get Android 4.0

#7

Post by CrazedGeek » Wed, Aug 01, 2012, 8:15 AM UTC

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #4

I still don't understand the desire for Android on non-touch devices. At all... The more exciting bit is XBMC being available in Android, in my opinion. I have XBMC on my desktop, laptop, phone, tablet and raspberry Pi. Using a single app, I can play media from any of those devices to another. It's so simple and elegant and it blows my mind everytime I do it.

The ability to run Android apps would be the key. Plus, for an HTPC, Android (tablet UI or Google TV, take your pick) has a much better interface than XBMC, IMO.

Re: Raspberry Pi to get Android 4.0

#8

Post by roymabookie » Wed, Aug 01, 2012, 8:52 AM UTC

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #4

I still don't understand the desire for Android on non-touch devices. At all... The more exciting bit is XBMC being available in Android, in my opinion. I have XBMC on my desktop, laptop, phone, tablet and raspberry Pi. Using a single app, I can play media from any of those devices to another. It's so simple and elegant and it blows my mind everytime I do it.

You could make the RPi into a touch device...

Re: Raspberry Pi to get Android 4.0

#9

Post by __alexs » Wed, Aug 01, 2012, 8:53 AM UTC

CrazedGeek wrote: post #7

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #4

I still don't understand the desire for Android on non-touch devices. At all... The more exciting bit is XBMC being available in Android, in my opinion. I have XBMC on my desktop, laptop, phone, tablet and raspberry Pi. Using a single app, I can play media from any of those devices to another. It's so simple and elegant and it blows my mind everytime I do it.

The ability to run Android apps would be the key. Plus, for an HTPC, Android (tablet UI or Google TV, take your pick) has a much better interface than XBMC, IMO.

But the RPi is an awful HTPC, it's way too underpowered and can only barely cope with 720p decoding. It definitely doesn't cope well with having to do composite overlays like XBMC uses to display controls. The FPS you get in the menus is only also only barely acceptable so even if your content does play the experience is choppy. Yes it's cheap, but it still sucks.

Re: Raspberry Pi to get Android 4.0

#10

Post by mike-cardwell » Wed, Aug 01, 2012, 9:03 AM UTC

__alexs wrote: post #9

CrazedGeek wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ability to run Android apps would be the key. Plus, for an HTPC, Android (tablet UI or Google TV, take your pick) has a much better interface than XBMC, IMO.

But the RPi is an awful HTPC, it's way too underpowered and can only barely cope with 720p decoding. It definitely doesn't cope well with having to do composite overlays like XBMC uses to display controls. The FPS you get in the menus is only also only barely acceptable so even if your content does play the experience is choppy. Yes it's cheap, but it still sucks.

I'm waiting for the day when you can get a raspberry pi style machine that will do full 1080p and will transcode anything I throw at it in real time or faster. It can't be that far off in the future can it? A couple of years maybe?