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Google's Own Nexus Tablet Leaks Into the Wild
lukehopewell1 writes "Days out from Google's I/O conference, training documents have been issued to resellers all over the world detailing Google's new Nexus tablet. It's a 7-inch device with an optimized Tegra 3 chip inside and it's going to be the first device to run Jelly Bean, the new version of Android, that, among other notable features, will see Google manage device updates. The device will be priced at $US199 and is aimed as a direct competitor to Amazon's Kindle Fire."
RTFA, they're not - the thing is to be manufactured by Asus.
This is made by ASUS.
Google does not control when phones are moved from GB to ICS. They can only update Nexus devices. They will update those devices from ICS to JB.
Sad that even Google is afraid to take on the iPad in it's territory. Almost all the 10" Android tablets have seen dismal sales, HP Touchpad was sold in a firesale,
Playbook's having a tough time and Amazon and Google are forced to play in the sub $200 territory. All of these devices are oriented towards only consumption. Maybe Microsoft Surface will get traction by doubling as a device that you can actually do some light work on, but lets see what price it launches at.
Hmm, seeing as nVidia doesn't have such a great track record with releasing source code in general (for which they deservedly received the Linus' finger) and a quick Google reveals that devs are still waiting for Tegra 2 source code, I wonder what drove them to choose the Tegra 3 for a "Nexus" branded device, which supposedly would mean a "developer friendly" device with all the features and hackability that the Nexus devices have come to be known for.
By going with a 7" device that has a relatively low price point Google is offering up a device that that people will buy IN ADDITION to owning an iPad, not INSTEAD of an iPad. Why compete directly against the iPad with your first iteration of a tablet?
I have an Android tablet, and I don't use Apple products, but I have come to believe that the 16:9 format is not that good for a tablet. For one, it is too short vertically in landscape format to accommodate an on screen keyboard and have a generous amount of viewing space available. If one wants to type with one hand while holding the tablet in the other, the keys on the sides also seem a bit too far away (my experience is with a 10" screen). In portrait mode, the keyboard gets a bit too narrow. The screen also seems to be a bit too narrow when reading books in portrait.
On the other hand, I now find the 7" screen size to be much more handy, and probably the keys would not be too far away. Has anybody any idea about how easy or difficult it is to read books on such a screen?
Another thing that has me wondering is the price tag: how can Google afford to sell the tablet for $199 / $249 with a Tegra 3 board, while Samsung charges around $800 (in India, where I live) for the Galaxy S III?
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All Google's Nexus devices have unlockable bootloaders, as they are designed partly for developers to play around with customizing Android.
"None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
That retart sound delicious - that is a twice cooked tart, no?
The real question is, will nVIDIA allow it to run Linux satisfactorily?
Unlike the Harmony reference design on Tegra 2, for which it has stopped offering Linux (L4T - and Android driver) support, if the design Google chooses sells in large numbers, nVIDIA might be compelled to make specifications and drivers available for porting Linux on it.
Which brings us to the next question: is Linux ready to work on a full touch environment, or will we be forced to carry a keyboard or a dock wherever we go?
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Linux is just a kernel. Some DE's are more touch ready than others.
If you just want a typical linux distro type userland you can already use a chroot and vnc.
My Nexus One was orphaned at Gingerbeard. I mean, I understand the technical reasons why they couldn't fit Ice Cream Sammich on there (flash partitioning issue), but it's still irritating.
The device is more than two years old now, though, so I guess it getting left behind isn't that unexpected.
I'd prefer that than what I've seen from a serveral iPhone 3G owners now, an upgrade into uselessness. Their phones are so slow with the new OS that they are virtually unusable.
At least you hopefully haven't bought a Nokia Lumia 900 that was just Osborned last week when Microsoft announced all current Win 7 phones on the market will not run Wp8 when it is released in the fall.
This happened the same week that Elop let go his entire 'stealth' low-cost linux-for-emerging-markets-sans-Microsoft-License project. Gotta love the guy for consistency.
But wait, current Lumia 900 owners will be able to enjoy a new Start Screen that sort of looks like a Windows 8 phone, although technically it will be known as 7.8.
Personally I am pleased as punch with my Nokia N9 that looks like a Microsoft-enabled Lumia 900 but with better hardware specs, like 64gb RAM, front-facing camera that works with Google Talk, SIP, SSH/PGP, Firefox 13, flash, Swipe (OS and) keyboard, and also its own html5 browser. Contact integration (with Google using MailForExchange gateway) in the Notification area is awesome; weather is a nice touch. It is a keeper, and thank goodness it is also durable as Hell. SportsTracker w/ bluetooth is also very good.
The Maemo guys are also supporting my N900 with regular OS updates, and the keyboard is solid. I'm invested for awhile, just sitting on the sidelines trying to get work done, (scripting via SSH FTW!).
Elop could raise a lot of cash if he'd ever sell the N950 properly, but that would be inconsistent.
You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
Not really related to the story or actually important in any way, but I notice that the next Android is named "Jellybean". I wonder what comes after that. I'm hoping for Koeksister.
This is going to be very interesting when it gets officially introduced in Canada Q3 2014 for CAD 279.00
When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.
That is storage not RAM.
Flash is not RAM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N9
Has 1GB of ram and 64GB of storage.
I'm being serious. What benefit will you get from having source code for a graphics CPU on an Android tablet?
The only reason you need the drivers at all is to build a custom rom for the system, which I doubt Google is particularly eager to support. Not saying they want to stop you, I'm sure the system won't have a locked bootloader or anything stupid like that, but they don't have to waste time/money helping you either. Besides, you don't need the source for that, you just need a binary driver. Granted, last I checked nVidia hadn't released those for ICS, either...
Anyway, the type of "developer" you're thinking of is not the one Google is worried about. They want people making apps for the Play Store, not custom rom images.
Finally... Maybe, just maybe, they went with the nVidia chip because of the price/performance ratio?
Maxim: People cannot follow directions.
Increases in truth directly with the length of time spent explaining them
Most apps are still written to be compatible with Android 2.2 (Gingerbread), as that's the lowest common denominator for a lot of devices in circulation. The issue isn't "users can't run the newest apps" it's rather "nobody is writing apps that take advantage of the nifty new features because then the apps won't run on everyone's phone".
In fact, I'm struggling to think of any ICS-only apps; anyone know one off the top of their head?
Chrome Beta
The front-facing cameria is good for dick pics and crotch shots, so you have instant feedback and can get the most impressive angle. Not to mention facetime/video calls.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
still makes and receives calls as well as it did on day one.