Development Android 2.2

Originally Posted by jsfiller

I don't think people have to be pushed to keep products up to date. Simply keeping your product relevant is enough, imo.

yes, I would like to agree, but if you could give me an example of that from entourage, that would be great. Not to be a jerk, but 1.6 is seriously outdated, and they are selling a $500 product which is a little behind the curve.

Originally Posted by thegreenarrow

yes, I would like to agree, but if you could give me an example of that from entourage, that would be great. Not to be a jerk, but 1.6 is seriously outdated, and they are selling a $500 product which is a little behind the curve.

To be honest, for tablet type devices 1.6 is not seriously outdated. 2.2. SDK was released in May 2010 (6 months ago-7 if we're talking the first part of May). This does not constitute "seriously outdated". Outdated, yes, just as Vista is an outdated Windows OS. There is only one significant tablet on the market that uses 2.2 (whatever there may be in other countries such as Japan-Alefor can speak to that), Samsung, and it just came out (and looking at it, I question its status as a tablet). Dell Streak just came out with 2.2 in November.

These are tablets, both of which are really little more than a large phone, and 2.2 is just now coming out on them. The Edge is not a tablet. It is a far more complex device that integrates two distinct and unique technologies (tablet and ereader). As such, developing any OS for the Edge is going to be more complicated than it is for other devices.

If you want examples from Entourage, how about the fact that the Edge was released in February and has had 3 major updates since then: updated Badger to Coyote and now to Dingo. 3 major updates in 9 months (or two in 9 months, if it was released with badger-I was told they started with Armadillo, but maybe that was in beta testing). One update every 4.5 months. That sounds pretty reasonable to me. I don't have many products that are updated more often than that. And that doesn't include all the minor updates (we are now on Dingo 1.10). How often do you expect them to update? Every day?

And they are not selling a $500 product that is behind the curve. They are selling a $500 product that is WAY ahead of the curve. There is nothing else out there that does what the Edge does. It's advantage does not lie in simply being able to annotate PDFs. My Kindle 3 does that. It is a far more integrated educational device. In fact, if it were behind the curve, they would have had no problem getting Froyo ready. The problem is exactly the opposite, again in my opinion.

Other products are only now coming out with 2.2 and you're complaining that the Edge is "seriously outdated"? I don't want to be a jerk either, but be reasonable.

I feel kinda stupid being the Edge apologist, since I haven't purchased one yet. I would prefer someone else do this (BORIS!!!). I'm sure once I do, I'll have my own issues. But all these complaints about Froyo are ridiculous. It's coming! GEEZ! LOL

Lets not compare 1.6 to Vista here, I don't want this to get out of control. But the other tablets which are just coming out with 2.2 are taking a long time because the hardware was either still under development, or because the FCC was still checking them out. When it comes to technology, especially something as rapidly developing as the portable electronics industry, 6 or 7 months IS a long time. As I stated in an earlier post, there were unpaid dev's who individually rolled custom roms for phones within weeks of the kernel releases.

Ok, so the edge is a little more complex. But they have a paid dev team. And it has been lets say 4 months since froyo became mainstream for hand helds (meaning the kernel and SDK were released).

So prettymuch yes its great that they were able to drop 3 "major" updates early on, but since then, nothing. This isn't terrible, I have simply gone back to the netbook to take notes in class, even though I do love the e reader portion. But I have to say it just seems to be lacking the, yes, I'll say it again, tablet portion. (It has a large touch screen and you can carry it around).

I'm hoping that eventually a dev is going to pop in and say hi to me in this thread and possibly comment on some of the specific problems with the froyo update, even though it would be rediculous to expect a much larger company to do the same.

Ok, I'm done ranting. I just hope I can stir this pot a little and maybe show that there are people who aren't content sitting around and waiting to be told that the update has been pushed off indefinitely.

-Sent from my iPad. (I'm kidding.)

Originally Posted by thegreenarrow

-Sent from my iPad. (I'm kidding.)

LOL

We already have had someone pop in and inform us of some of the specific problems being encountered with the Froyo update.

You don't need to worry about showing that people aren't content. More than one person has made that point more than adequately clear.

As for the major updates "early on, but since then, nothing". Come on! We just updated to Dingo a month or so ago. See, this is what I mean when I say you guys are being irrational. We want Froyo, yes absolutely. But you guys are far too impatient (product of the world we live in, I guess) and you revise history to suit your arguments. It's fine to desire the update. Everyone does. But be reasonable with your expectations and accurate in your assertions.

4 months and you're complaining about it not being develoepd quickly enough. *sigh*

And I'm not sure how producing custom roms for phones equates to developing an OS for a unique device, but then, I have no programming and/or technical skills. Which, ironically enough, is why I'm the one person still employed in my technology based company. LOL

Good luck, greenarrow. I hope you find satisfaction and contentment somewhere.

Originally Posted by jsfiller

I feel kinda stupid being the Edge apologist, since I haven't purchased one yet. I would prefer someone else do this (BORIS!!!).

I've given up on this thread.

Originally Posted by borisb

I've given up on this thread.

As I have said many times, you're a much wiser man than I.

Originally Posted by jsfiller

I actually perceive you as a hardcore cynic

That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me!!!

Originally Posted by Chubulor

That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me!!!

LOL I figured you'd see it that way.

1. Anyone knows when Android 2.2 will be availabe?
2. What is flash lite? Entourage mentioned Flash lite is installed on the Edge and not Flash 10, so what can Flash lite do?

Welcome to the forus, itishcsf

Only enTourage knows when Android 2.2 will be available. They had hoped to release it in the last month or so, but are still working on it to get the performance satisfactory. They haven't announced a release date.

Flash Lite is a more basic version of Flash that supports some Flash applications, but not most. It's what enables playing YouTube video via the Tube app, for example, but not most Flash videos and applets embedded in web sites.

They had hoped to release it in the last month or so, but are still working on it to get the performance satisfactory.

And we have always been at war with Eastasia!

According to Mr. Dontpanic, 2.2 is going to be released for the Pocket Edge first, so us 10-inchers shouldn't get our hopes up until they start talking about the 7-inchers getting their update.

"...inchers..."
Made me laugh, why, unknown...

Originally Posted by jsfiller

To be honest, for tablet type devices 1.6 is not seriously outdated. 2.2. SDK was released in May 2010 (6 months ago-7 if we're talking the first part of May). This does not constitute "seriously outdated". Outdated, yes, just as Vista is an outdated Windows OS. There is only one significant tablet on the market that uses 2.2 (whatever there may be in other countries such as Japan-Alefor can speak to that), Samsung, and it just came out (and looking at it, I question its status as a tablet). Dell Streak just came out with 2.2 in November.

1. The Archos 101 and Viewsonic gTablet are 10" devices that run 2.2, and are at least as significant as the Edge in the tablet world. It's not like there are a bunch of significant tablets that have struggled to make the leap from 1.6 to 2.2 as Edge has; there simply are no significant Android tablets right now.

2. If we're going to use the eink side as an excuse for sluggish OS updating, then we have to stop touting the Edge as an Android tablet plus e-reader. It would be more accurate to describe it as an ereader attached to an eternally behind-the-times tablet.

Originally Posted by Chubulor

1. The Archos 101 and Viewsonic gTablet are 10" devices that run 2.2, and are at least as significant as the Edge in the tablet world. It's not like there are a bunch of significant tablets that have struggled to make the leap from 1.6 to 2.2 as Edge has; there simply are no significant Android tablets right now.

2. If we're going to use the eink side as an excuse for sluggish OS updating, then we have to stop touting the Edge as an Android tablet plus e-reader. It would be more accurate to describe it as an ereader attached to an eternally behind-the-times tablet.

Wow, did you just find that? I wrote that ages ago. LOL

Just catching up on my curmudgeoning.