PRS-T1 Sony T1 is Android

[log]

Originally Posted by kartu

You sure know more than me about those devices and IT in general, guys. It is more than obvious. No worries.

Was not directed at you in particular but many on this forum. Maybe you stick with what you know instead of making it seem you know about everything.

If you think Android even includes a JVM -- you're making it obvious that you have no clue what you are talking about and have never done any development or any serious work on the platform.

[Mark Nord]

Originally Posted by log

..
If you think Android even includes a JVM --
....

OK lets call it DALVIK

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by OrganicJerk

So I saw from Kartu's post above. I didn't know what build of Linux Sony was using specifically, but I would still figure that finding "Android" programmers are still cheaper than finding "MontaVista Professional Edition" programmers. That was one of my original points, and I still think it holds true.

There are two problems with this claim though.

1) There's the assumption that "more" = "cheaper". This doesn't work if the demand remains higher than the available supply. As people tend to chase money, it's reasonable to assume that if the rest of your argument is true, that the supply of "Monta Vista Professional Edition" programmers likely outstrips demand and makes them cheaper than Android developers. No demand = little supply, and I'll get into why the supply is likely bigger with my next point. Many of whom would love to start their own small business, and effectively cause the supply to shrink.

2) There's the assumption that a programmer is tied down to a platform. Which is kinda true, but "Monta Vista Professional Edition" is no more a platform than a tomato is a vegetable. It looks like one, but it isn't. In this case, the platform is Linux, which is one of the biggest around with a large base of programmers who know it. Switching between eCos, Ubuntu, Red Hat or Monta Vista is less work than switching between Win32 and .NET. And many developers, including myself have done the latter. And many developers, including myself, have worked on all 3 major platforms (Windows, Linux, OS X). That said, there are developers who wind up in a rut because they stop adapting, or simply stop wanting to adapt, to the changes in the industry.

[trekchick]

Originally Posted by kartu

Very interesting. Where can I see the list of standard android apps that I can install on Nook Touch without hacking it?

Since B&N sells and supports some popular Android Apps for the Nook Color, some have speculated that it's only a matter of time before the Nook Touch is granted similar access. I rather doubt that (and I think you do, too). Android development has plenty of existing hurdles related aspect ratios and screen resolution without considering e-ink's special little snowflake requirements.

Only a tiny minority of the standard Android apps I installed on my (rooted, obviously) Nook Touch worked well. Most apps ran more like "proof of concept" party tricks than consumer-ready apps -- plenty good for hobbyists and geeks, but too quirky for mainstream consumers. Standard things that mobile apps routinely employ, like splash pages and menu animations, look terrible on an e-ink display and cause delays while the screen re-re-refreshes and tries to keep up.

Forgive me if I'm reading too much into your statement, kartu, but I think that your point, however subtle, was that Android's "standard" label isn't a big bonus on an e-ink device, because e-ink devices aren't the "standard" for which Android was designed, as evidenced by the fact that "standard" Android apps don't work and play well on an Android-powered e-ink device.

I agree that Sony probably expended a lot of effort in reworking (or rewrapping) everything and pouring it into an Android-flavored package, and simply extending their existing foundation would have been easier, at least in the short run.

However, I believe that their (apparent) choice to go with Android stems from the introduction of Sony's new Android tablets. A Sony accountant probably saw an opportunity to spread their Android startup costs over two departments instead of one (I'm only half-joking), and as the products are similar, there are some long-term efficiencies to be gained by having one common development environment (possibly more perceived than actual).

That said, having used Sony Reader's Android (cr)application in all its poorly designed, non-intuitive "glory", I'm afraid. I'm very afraid.