03-01-2012, 12:21 PM | #1 |
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Why no Android?
I could understand if Android is not officially supported if license fees are very high. But what i don't understand is, that there seem to be not even unofficial efforts to make Android run.
Why is that? I could only see positive effects: Development of software outsourced to dedicated software producers -> cost reduction. Much better software -> more sales. Last edited by Defenderland; 03-01-2012 at 12:26 PM. |
03-01-2012, 02:41 PM | #2 |
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Doesn't it mean a lot of effort to develop Android for an eink product? You wouldn't want all those android effects like when changing from one home screen to another or when opening the drawer etc. So you'd have to disable all of them manually. Besides that you would have to remove all those apps, preferences and internal modules for sms, phone, camera, gps etc etc
Porting Android to an ereader seems to be mostly about _removing_ stuff. And it's a lot of stuff you'd have to remove... If you create your own firmware from scratch, you will only be concerned with the user interface. Everything concerning modules/drivers is the same effort for Android... If you plan to keep your software very slim (because ereaders have bad hardware specs), it doesn't sound so clever to take Android and strip nearly 80% of it... I actually didn't understand in the first place why there actually are some brands like Sony that chose an Android platform for their devices... (btw, the effort put into getting android to run doesn't seem to pay out: 80% of apps simply won't work at all: http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/10...e-ink-display/) Last edited by tuxor; 03-01-2012 at 02:49 PM. |
03-01-2012, 03:38 PM | #3 | |
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couple of days ago I saw a demo of such eink ereader. in the long run androind is a safer bet and I believe it was a good choie Nook Touch runs Android and it is an advantage ...for example a nook can run kindle for android or kobo for android. See the difference now ? |
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03-01-2012, 05:49 PM | #4 | |
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But some would be extremely helpful. Given the problems some companies have with their software, Android seem to me the obvious choice. And why is everybody so busy to root their devices whenever there is the slightest chance to do so? |
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03-01-2012, 06:08 PM | #5 |
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At the moment, we lack an appropriate basis of discussion, since we don't know any app (besides Kindle and Kobo, but come on - that's a bad joke?!), that actually works on an ereader with eink... Maybe there will be certain eink devices in the future, that will be compatible with a lot of apps. But I honestly doubt a device like the Boox M92 would provide a nicer experience if there was an android mod for it. I simply can't imagine that any "real" android app would run on it given all those touch gestures, animations, etc.
Btw, 256 mb ram with android 2.2+? Horrible - I'm a Milestone owner, I know what I'm talking about. Just forget it. It's a pain. And I have to admit that I simply don't like android - it's not really open source and it's so crappy to actually build an android mod. For the whole build procedure you'll need up to 90GB on your hard drive!!! Last edited by tuxor; 03-01-2012 at 06:13 PM. |
03-01-2012, 07:05 PM | #6 |
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tuxor,
i don't understand your opposition to Android as if the status quo without academic PDF-reading was any good. For Android professional apps do exist. I guess the problem would be solved for a long time. In April it seems an 9,7" E-Ink device with Android is coming. And judging from the video it seems to be quite fast: http://translate.google.com/translat...ie=ISO-8859-15 http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...w-9-7-ereader/ Last edited by Defenderland; 03-01-2012 at 07:14 PM. |
03-02-2012, 12:45 AM | #7 |
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Well, if it actually solves our problems, why not? But two things: as far as this thread is concerned we were not talking about android on ereaders in general, but about android for onyx devices. It may be the case that for some companies like nook or sony the effort of adapting android to an ereader's needs pays out. But it's too much work for us users to port Android to a device that has no official support for it.
the other thing is, that the article on the-digital-reader.com also wonders, whether there actually is an android app, that has the functionality that we are looking for. And I'm wondering, too: Is there an Android app that does what we want _and_ that's likely to run on eink device? |
03-02-2012, 02:00 AM | #8 | |
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Available apps? Plenty. For PDF-reading/annotating, multiple clipboard, notes applilkation, email, writing ... |
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03-02-2012, 04:22 AM | #9 |
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The question is not, if there are interesting applicatins running on android.
The question is, if those applications would satisfacory run on eink reader!! My feeling is most of them wouldn't without modification to run fairly well on eink. My opinion is, there is no shortcut to have decent app on eink. Starting from Linux A or android (Linux B) the applications must be modified to run smoothly on eink. The intuitevily easier path (using android) might be easily the more difficult one. We'll see in future. If someone big adopts android for eink and if developers of android applications will take in account that they might run on eink, then android is better in long run. To my opinion there is plenty of app for linux that could run with some effort on eink. It is not that important if it is android or another Linux. |
03-02-2012, 05:33 AM | #10 | |
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people are doing with their rooted T1s ... |
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03-02-2012, 05:51 AM | #11 |
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Doesn't look that overwhelming... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=169078
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03-02-2012, 05:58 AM | #12 | |
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There seem to be quite some options ... |
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03-02-2012, 07:29 AM | #13 | ||
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Quote:
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03-02-2012, 02:19 PM | #14 | |
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03-02-2012, 02:50 PM | #15 |
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Please guys, I am getting tired of these "experimental reading"
It is like complaining that we have no settlements on Moon yet! We are where we are. Is anybody in the eInk world ahead ??? If yes please indicate the device and I will buy it. If not let's stop complaining and if you do have work to do and eInk is mandatory then use it as is otherwise don't buy it and don't compare it with what the "aliens" could do on the Moon (read Android and tablet PCs) let's be reasonable... Last edited by PF4Mobile; 03-03-2012 at 04:19 PM. |
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