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Google quits selling tablets

techcrunch.com

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Re: Google quits selling tablets

#171

Post by pjmlp »

Bud wrote: post #75
shasheene wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Samsung Chromebook Plus satisfies my needs for a tablet: mainly media consumption (web browsing, YouTube, reading long articles, and watching movies). 1. Incredibly nice screen 2. Gets security updates (ChromeOS devices are great for this compared to the dumpster fire that is Android security) 3. Haven't had any issues with Android support (I use mainly apps like RBDigital, Instapaper, Wikipedia) 4. Works well for mo…

Current iPad trounces the Samsung in all these categories (except Android support, of course), though, and costs less too. And has a better aspect ratio. And is much lighter.

Samsung also has W10 tablets, and for my use cases, iPad surely doesn't trounces those.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#172

Post by 0xFFC »

jbigelow76 wrote: post #93
esturk wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's only a matter of time for the convergence of phones and Dex like docking functionality. I'm actually surprised Google isn't exploring this area more because it will really kick up the versality of phones. I guess Google doesn't want phones to cannabalize their Chromebook marketshare.

I guess Google doesn't want phones to cannabalize their Chromebook marketshare. Android, Chrome, and ChromeOS exist as channels for Google to deliver its services, they are not profit centers in and of themselves (no license fee for Android, Chrome is a free download, ChromeOS runs on the cheapest hardware out there). Google would have no qualms about gutting the ChromeOS market if whatever replaced it offered a bett…

Exactly. This is the core strategy for Google. And it makes sense, because google makes money from ads. Not android or chromeos

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#173

Post by shasheene »

chimeracoder wrote: post #151
shasheene wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Samsung Chromebook Plus satisfies my needs for a tablet: mainly media consumption (web browsing, YouTube, reading long articles, and watching movies). 1. Incredibly nice screen 2. Gets security updates (ChromeOS devices are great for this compared to the dumpster fire that is Android security) 3. Haven't had any issues with Android support (I use mainly apps like RBDigital, Instapaper, Wikipedia) 4. Works well for mo…

> Samsung Chromebook Plus satisfies my needs for a tablet: mainly media consumption (web browsing, YouTube, reading long articles, and watching movies). I have a Samsung Chromebook Plus, and I absolutely despise it as a tablet. Compared to my Nexus 9 (which is still kicking), it's a far inferior device. My primary uses for my tablet are watching video and reading comics. It manages to fail at both of those two things…

Good response. Sorry to hear your experiences. Given I use tablet-mode mainly for Android reading apps (media consumption) and the native Chrome browser (all in portrait-mode), I don't think I've had those issues, at least anytime recently.

I've definitely had the soft keyboard issues on a lot of Android devices in the past a lot however.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#174

Post by pjmlp »

freedomben wrote: post #111
paulie_a wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love their hardware but I will never buy it again. It's disappointing that Google won't be making tables anymore. i really liked my Nexus 7. But Samsung is junk software wise in my opinion.

I totally agree. There was a rumor a couple years ago that Samsung was going to make a "pure Android" phone and I got pretty excited for that, but alas the "pure" experience shipped with crapware and their custom launcher D-: I do actually know someone that loves Samsung software, but it's rare. I think they'd get really far if they would make it light and easy to remove. I really don't see any disadvantages to that…

Here is another one.

I can't stand the plain bland stock Android UI.

To see where I came from, Enlightenment was one of my favourite window managers on my Linux days.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#175

Post by superflyguy »

jotux wrote: post #62
kbd wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I still use my Nexus 7 (2nd gen) as my main tablet. That thing is a trooper. It's my book reader, Chromecast runner, Sonos controller, etc. It's big enough to comfortably watch Twitch on. It fits in my back jeans pocket so I can easily bring it with me, which lots of tablets including the ipad mini don't. I'd love to find a modern replacement for it, ideally just a little bit bigger.

I still use my Nexus 10 when traveling to watch movies. The screen looks amazing and even after ~5 years I can watch 6+ hours of video on it without a recharge.

My one's gone yellow and the battery lasts about 30 minutes.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#176

Post by pjmlp »

snuxoll wrote: post #102
013a wrote: post #58

Microsoft seems like the only company that understands tablets right now. They should be more like computers, not more like phones. There's also a pretty great argument that given all of our phones are absolute powerhouses nowadays, phones should also be less like phones and more like computers. I'm hopeful Microsoft can also move to spur on this change; maybe soon the market will be ready for the return of Windows P…

> Microsoft seems like the only company that understands tablets right now. They should be more like computers, not more like phones. Apple finally seems to be getting the hint here with the iPad Pro and the iOS 11 update. The restrictions on what Apple will approve to be published on the App Store means it certainly will not be a traditional computer replacement at this time - but I'm comfortable saying I can actual…

A big issue was the usual internal wars between DevTools and WinDev.

.NET used to belong to DevTools, while C and C++ to WinDev.

So from the outside when they won the internal Longhorn wars, and COM emerged as replacement for the .NET ideas, we ended up with WinRT and WinDev idea how .NET on thr new world should look like.

Naturally it wasn't well received, we ended up going through UAP, UWP and now they are merging Win32 and UWP into an common model.

Now that the divisions have been merged, maybe these issues are not happening again.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#177

Post by superflyguy »

makecheck wrote: post #148

For me the tablet form factor was killed not by apps but ironically the non-apps: web browsing went from perfection to trash once sites tried to detect touch screens and “improve their experiences”. Pinch-and-zoom with normal sites goes a long way and should have been the preferred tablet web model.

What tablet do you use? I can pinch to zoom the same on my Android tablet as on my Android phone - unsurprisingly, really, as I'm using the same browser (Firefox) on both.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#178

Post by superflyguy »

djrogers wrote: post #64
akhilcacharya wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree completely! I've been thinking about why the rise of the ultra-cheap Fire tablets haven't created a new maker revolution so to speak. They can be had for cheaper than the RPi for Black Friday with a built in screen!

Well it’s not as if Amazon lets you hack around around on them or side load apps - you’re stuck with the Amazon store unless you try a dodgy exploit based unlocking method - which leaves you with a questionable tablet.

If you find the risk of hacking your tablets unacceptable to then use for banking/shopping etc can't you just use them (as intended) for youtube, browsing etc? Worst case scenario - you have to create a few new logins for sites such as this. It's not a compelling reason to avoid at £35 tablet if you ask me.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#179

Post by superflyguy »

013a wrote: post #58

Microsoft seems like the only company that understands tablets right now. They should be more like computers, not more like phones. There's also a pretty great argument that given all of our phones are absolute powerhouses nowadays, phones should also be less like phones and more like computers. I'm hopeful Microsoft can also move to spur on this change; maybe soon the market will be ready for the return of Windows P…

"Microsoft seems like the only company that understands tablets right now. They should be more like computers, not more like phones."

Consumers are yet to get on board with this idea, though, as they're not very popular.

Nobody has anything to learn about hardware or software from Microsoft. Samsung and Amazon are doing fine. I'm going to sell my £150 10inch Amazon tablet and get what? An expensive Surface thing?

"maybe soon the market will be ready for the return of Windows Phone."

Or maybe not.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#180

Post by _o_ »

It is somhow understandable, phones keep contacts, call history, smses, emails, gps location,... tablet is mostly the same as workstation. I don't see any reason why they even tryed to have tablets, there is little synergy with their bussines model there.
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