Google quits selling tablets • Hacker News Board

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#231

Post by mercury888 » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 1:12 PM UTC

dalbasal wrote: post #223

__sr__ wrote: post #12

Good riddance! It’s not like they have actively been developing Android to support tablets. In fact, it is the other way around. The older versions had better support for tablets. Even Nexus 9 was a half hearted attempt at best — and the rest is history. Google’s lack of interest in nowhere more evident than their own apps — many of them were just scaled versions of phone apps. And if Google is not bothering to optim…

In a lot of cases a scaled (or just small) phone app is good enough. But... overall.. I think the tablet category is just not a very big one. I had an iPad and an old 7" nexus. When they died, I didn't replace. Phones got bigger and better. We got better at thumb typing and comfortable holding screens close. Reading on a tablet for example, is not that different to a phone these days and a (cheap) dedicated reader is…

Nah I love my iPad Pro 10.5

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#232

Post by chiefalchemist » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 1:14 PM UTC

mercury888 wrote: post #231

dalbasal wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a lot of cases a scaled (or just small) phone app is good enough. But... overall.. I think the tablet category is just not a very big one. I had an iPad and an old 7" nexus. When they died, I didn't replace. Phones got bigger and better. We got better at thumb typing and comfortable holding screens close. Reading on a tablet for example, is not that different to a phone these days and a (cheap) dedicated reader is…

Nah I love my iPad Pro 10.5

Yes. But I think the gist of the point is you're in the fringe, the minority.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#233

Post by GordonS » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 1:22 PM UTC

kbd wrote: post #44

sliken wrote: post #4

I loved my nexus-7, and the 2nd gen nexus-7 even more. Inexpensive, pure android, decent hardware spec, and a usefully larger display than a phone. Anyone know of a current table that avoids the adware, crapware, and 3d contact managers where each card flies around in 3D? I just want android with the current security updates and 7-9" display.

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.

Still have a Nexus 10, but it's gotten so slow it's ready for the bin :(

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#234

Post by dalbasal » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 1:23 PM UTC

chiefalchemist wrote: post #232

mercury888 wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah I love my iPad Pro 10.5

Yes. But I think the gist of the point is you're in the fringe, the minority.

I meant it even more delicately than that. I think (a) more people thought they would be in his boat than were, just because tablets are fun and likeable and (b) as phones/laptops got bigger/smaller, and improved faster.... There is a little less need for tablets now than 5 years ago.

That's why (I think) they will get less investment, like this article.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#235

Post by tedmielczarek » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 1:25 PM UTC

yjftsjthsd-h wrote: post #212

mmsimanga wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I ran into the issue your wife experienced with kids at her school teaching kids to use a mouse with my daughter. We have a Samsung tablet that my daughter has made her own for the last several years. The tablet will not charge anymore so I put her in front of my old laptop. I was surprised at how much she struggled to use the mouse. Her hands are stiff and she seems bewildered. I realise now how intuitive tablets ar…

Anything is intuitive with years of experience.

I watched my kids figure out how to use a variety of Android and iOS devices they had never seen before when they were less than 2 years old, so I would argue that touchscreens are in fact more intuitive to use.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#236

Post by qrbLPHiKpiux » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 1:28 PM UTC

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.

Reddit is trying to force me into downloading their app and constantly switches to the mobile interface. I always have to request desktop site, as I really like the desktop format, using pinch and zoom.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#237

Post by smaddox » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 1:29 PM UTC

dalbasal wrote: post #223

__sr__ wrote: post #12

Good riddance! It’s not like they have actively been developing Android to support tablets. In fact, it is the other way around. The older versions had better support for tablets. Even Nexus 9 was a half hearted attempt at best — and the rest is history. Google’s lack of interest in nowhere more evident than their own apps — many of them were just scaled versions of phone apps. And if Google is not bothering to optim…

In a lot of cases a scaled (or just small) phone app is good enough. But... overall.. I think the tablet category is just not a very big one. I had an iPad and an old 7" nexus. When they died, I didn't replace. Phones got bigger and better. We got better at thumb typing and comfortable holding screens close. Reading on a tablet for example, is not that different to a phone these days and a (cheap) dedicated reader is…

My nephews are constantly on their iPads playing games or watching YouTube.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#238

Post by smaddox » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 1:35 PM UTC

collyw wrote: post #185

hajderr wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry just got stuck and smiled over your first sentence "Fragments were way over engineered." and couldn't restrain myself of thinking about all Googlers that passed the whiteboard tests

True I don't think I have ever had an interview question that questioned my ability to keep simple. I think this is where experience comes in valuable, the ability to "keep things as simple as possible and no simpler".

I find the best approach to KISS is to write it as simple as possible under the assumption you'll have to throw it away. If it turns out you don't have to (after measuring), then all the better.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#239

Post by oneweekwonder » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 1:44 PM UTC

muse900 wrote: post #191

__sr__ wrote: post #12

Good riddance! It’s not like they have actively been developing Android to support tablets. In fact, it is the other way around. The older versions had better support for tablets. Even Nexus 9 was a half hearted attempt at best — and the rest is history. Google’s lack of interest in nowhere more evident than their own apps — many of them were just scaled versions of phone apps. And if Google is not bothering to optim…

I agree. 1st table I ever owned was a Nexus 7. I bought it because I was very satisfied with Nexus 5 being my phone (price and stability). The thing that annoyed me the most about Nexus 7 apart from lacking on basic things was its sound... I'd go in an airplane and I wouldn't be able to hear anything. After that I never bought a Nexus product again, and tbh I don't feel left out of anything.

> basic things was its sound... I'd go in an airplane and I wouldn't be able to hear anything.

Was the sound issue also present when you were using headphones?

A bit of topic: Because it inconsiderate to use speakers in a airplane. Last airline I used warn passengers to not use speakers.

Re: Google quits selling tablets

#240

Post by Dylan16807 » Sat, Jun 02, 2018, 2:13 PM UTC

voltagex_ wrote: post #226

Dylan16807 wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Gets security updates (ChromeOS devices are great for this compared to the dumpster fire that is Android security) Enjoy that while it lasts. I have a chromebook that recently notified me it won't get any more updates, after four and a half years. That beats a phone, but it's pretty terrible by laptop standards. You can expect a laptop or desktop with any other OS to be good for a decade or more.

Can you run Linux on it instead? Not to excuse Google - but there's little incentive for a company to maintain devices past a certain point when there's no financial or regulatory requirement to do so. I'm not sure Windows 7 being supported for a decade was intentional, but we'll see what pans out with Windows 10's incremental model.

I'm planning to stick some kind of linux or alternative chrome OS on there, if possible.

> I'm not sure Windows 7 being supported for a decade was intentional, but we'll see what pans out with Windows 10's incremental model.

It definitely was. XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10LTSB all start[ed] with 10 years of support, and you can install a newer version on your same hardware to reset that counter.

Something's gone wrong with the core architecture if Google needs to actively "maintain devices" instead of just making generic security patches and shipping them out, with a little bit of testing.