I've browsed the Android Market a lot and I'm not sure what you mean by "fragmentation". There's just a lot of apps - I only use the ones with high ratings, and give feedback where its necessary. Its a great self-sustaining model, and it "works for me".
You're aware that ideally, apps flagged not to work on your phone model (or OS) don't even show up in the Marketplace, right? You could be looking at a ton of fragmentation and not even know about it.
Windows can be used safely and quickly without protection, but only by savvy users who don't do any "real-world" stuff like torrent or allow the occasional ingorant user to use their computer.
Now where would you get that idea? I haven't ever run a background virus/malware scanner, and both my Win7 installs are going on... well, since release, and they still aren't infested by any crapware. Still snappy too (they need to be, since I'm running one of them on pretty dated hardware). Scan downloaded (especially torrented) files manually before opening them and you'll be fine... It's getting people to actually selectively scan the relevant files before opening them that's a pain, because most will either scan everything, even from trusted sources (so they might as well use a background scanner and save themselves the hassle, if not the time), or scan too little.
There's nothing like UAC and a few active virus scanners in the background for people who seem to be incapable of discerning even the most obvious malicious files - like when you download a video and are confronted with an executable file instead of an actual video... hmmm... suspicious? No, it's probably just a self-extracting archive, which also explains why that 200 minute 1080p video is only 80MB.:D
All I know is that my parents and my girlfriend are all getting Macbooks as soon as I can afford it...
Here in NRW it's not too bad. The only times I've had problems are during train rides, mainly close to the border to the Netherlands...
Blau.de (E-Plus network) was mostly limited to UMTS when I was trying to decide what to go with, and they had quite a few problems with VoIP.
On O2 I've been using SIP and Skype without problems (the former permanently connected via SIPDroid on my Android phone)... that's more than I can say about my experiences with E-Plus.
Oh, and have I mentioned that O2 specifically allows VoIP on their network?:)
The multitasking aspect is essential for things like keeping an instant messenger or VoIP app running in the background (a 24/7 scenario here)...
Although I've got to say - most Android IM apps suck at staying connected in the background. Fring, eBuddy, Nimbuzz - they all disconnect (and then don't reconnect automatically!) or crash after a while...
Or Tchibo. Similar pricing scheme (buy 1GB at a time and use it as you please... pretty cool) and on o2 (HSDPA coverage isn't bad, with downloads regularly hitting a constant 400-500KB/s).
Dude, there was actually a buzz a few months back about a piece of hardware that does exactly that... think it was a set top box of some kind that takes direct video from a console or gaming PC and streams over LAN.
I've watched the video, and I still don't buy it...
Have you played multiplayer games online before? Have you noticed the issues you get when you play, say, Counter-Strike or Team Fortress, or any other moderately fast-paced game, at a ping over 30? How about with a ping of 100, or *gasp* 200.
In this traditional client-server model, only small packets of data are being sent back and forth - player positions, where they're shooting, the direction they're facing etc. In OnLive, there'll be a whole video stream clogging up the pipe, which causes ping time to skyrocket... I don't know the technical details here, but try playing a traditional multiplayer game or even using Skype while someone's streaming Youtube HD over the same connection (say 50% of the available downstream used). It gets laggy and unbearable...
Which cable provider are you on in Germany? I'm looking to get away from 1&1, and 30€ a month for a realistic 1.8Mbit/s of upload speed sounds pretty good to me:)
Do they offer VoIP?
Re:Firefox + NoScript + Adblock Plus + FlashBlocke
on
Window Pain
·
· Score: 1
Aha, I was wondering why anyone would use Flashblock in addition to NoScript - thanks for clearing that up!:)
That's entirely possible, if they implemented a custom driver or something like that. As of now, it's not possible to just pair up a Bluetooth keyboard and call it a day... and even my stone-aged WinMo phone from 5 years ago could do that.
It's one of those things you think is a given when you buy the phone, so you don't even bother researching whether or not Bluetooth HID is supported, and the surprise comes 2 months later (after all money-back deadlines are expired), when you actually try to connect a keyboard...
Android doesn't even have support for Bluetooth HID keyboards, and SPP is only supported halfway via a buggy app that refuses to stay connected for longer than 10 minutes at a time...:(
You can also put a new ROM on your phone...nobody is really stopping you from doing this either. It will invalidate any warranty you have (just as installing a new version of Windows will invalidate most of your support for your PC) but let's be honest here, people buy a phone for the features that are available on it at the time of purchase (pretty much the same as a PC.) If they get something new a year later they feel privileged. Right or wrong, the general populace of phone shoppers are this way.
Actually, Motorola went ahead and signed the bootloader on my phone (Milestone), so flashing a new ROM isn't possible.
I'd love for it to be different, but it's not. I responded to someone above about devices selling today with outdated Android builds, so I won't argue that point here, but you can't really blame Google for Sony/HTC/etc. shipping an old OS.
That's just it - why create an operating system for multiple devices, which allows companies to release device locked down to an old version of the OS? Isn't the whole point of having a unified OS that everyone is able to run the same software across all the different hardware versions?
Sure, there's bound to be _some_ fragmentation and incompatibilities, but this is ridiculous. Half of the apps in the Market have comments about the app not working on phone so and so or OS version so and so...
What nonstandard ("alternative" hardware is available on Android devices?
Some may have no keyboard, or a D-Pad instead of a trackball, or a bigger screen, but it's still a limited number of hardware configurations - especially compared to, say, the PC market.
In your example, you'd have to wait for Apple to update their browser as well or use a third party browser (also available in Android from the market.)
When Apple releases a new OS (which includes the browser, in the Android case I was referring to), all of their devices get it... Some may not support all the new functions, but they all get the upgrade.
With Android, some devices get upgrades, others get upgrades later, and some devices don't get upgrades at all.
In this case, it's an "upgrades later" situation, and in the mean time (it could, and probably will, judging by the last update, take months), no alternative browsers that solve the problem are available, because they all use the same engine...
- I complain that that game won't work on my old DirectX8 Video card.
3. Someone writes an application that uses.NET3 - Why can't I run it in Windows 2000?
See?
Put XP on there and run those apps without problems. Unless the hardware is actually incompatible or too slow, nobody's going to stop you from doing this.
I got into Android thinking I'd get regular OTA updates of the same system everyone else would be using, or that I'd at least be able to update to new versions manually (and officially (!), without needing custom ROMs and such)... of course, this illusion didn't last long, and even though that never stopped me from buying an Android phone, I'd love to see more of the desktop OS-upgrade-philosophy in Android...
Games and other high-performance applications aren't exactly a great example, since they're also highly dependent on actual CPU- and GPU-horsepower... but when basic applications refuse to run on hardware that's perfectly capable of running it for seemingly arbitrary reasons, that's just silly.
As an example: Right now, I'm stuck with Android 2.0.1, with an awful bug that makes web sites with a lot of graphics scroll very choppily. Nexus One owners are chugging alone happily with Android 2.1...
On a traditional PC setup, I could just upgrade my OS (or even just the browser, if I were so inclined) to the latest version, but in this case, I have to wait for Google, the phone manufacturer and multiple mobile carriers to sign off on the software... That's one of the many things at which Apple has Google beat squarely.
Interesting. I thought VLC came with all the required codecs, which would lead me to believe that they're licensed somehow or other...
I highly doubt that VLC is using the same decoder as my other media players (this is on a Windows box), since it uses 30% more CPU than software decoding in the other players. Doesn't this mean it's using its own codec?
Slashdot Mirror
I've browsed the Android Market a lot and I'm not sure what you mean by "fragmentation". There's just a lot of apps - I only use the ones with high ratings, and give feedback where its necessary. Its a great self-sustaining model, and it "works for me".
You're aware that ideally, apps flagged not to work on your phone model (or OS) don't even show up in the Marketplace, right? You could be looking at a ton of fragmentation and not even know about it.
So use Photobucket...
Windows can be used safely and quickly without protection, but only by savvy users who don't do any "real-world" stuff like torrent or allow the occasional ingorant user to use their computer.
Now where would you get that idea? I haven't ever run a background virus/malware scanner, and both my Win7 installs are going on... well, since release, and they still aren't infested by any crapware. Still snappy too (they need to be, since I'm running one of them on pretty dated hardware). Scan downloaded (especially torrented) files manually before opening them and you'll be fine... It's getting people to actually selectively scan the relevant files before opening them that's a pain, because most will either scan everything, even from trusted sources (so they might as well use a background scanner and save themselves the hassle, if not the time), or scan too little.
There's nothing like UAC and a few active virus scanners in the background for people who seem to be incapable of discerning even the most obvious malicious files - like when you download a video and are confronted with an executable file instead of an actual video... hmmm... suspicious? No, it's probably just a self-extracting archive, which also explains why that 200 minute 1080p video is only 80MB. :D
All I know is that my parents and my girlfriend are all getting Macbooks as soon as I can afford it...
I mentioned that ;)
Here in NRW it's not too bad. The only times I've had problems are during train rides, mainly close to the border to the Netherlands...
Blau.de (E-Plus network) was mostly limited to UMTS when I was trying to decide what to go with, and they had quite a few problems with VoIP.
On O2 I've been using SIP and Skype without problems (the former permanently connected via SIPDroid on my Android phone)... that's more than I can say about my experiences with E-Plus.
Oh, and have I mentioned that O2 specifically allows VoIP on their network? :)
The multitasking aspect is essential for things like keeping an instant messenger or VoIP app running in the background (a 24/7 scenario here)...
Although I've got to say - most Android IM apps suck at staying connected in the background. Fring, eBuddy, Nimbuzz - they all disconnect (and then don't reconnect automatically!) or crash after a while...
Or Tchibo. Similar pricing scheme (buy 1GB at a time and use it as you please... pretty cool) and on o2 (HSDPA coverage isn't bad, with downloads regularly hitting a constant 400-500KB/s).
Damn, I wish I had mod points. To be honest, I'd forgotten all about the little console replacement box.
And, with a console-type controller, the input lag might not even be that noticable... Do you have any comments about that, by any chance?
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/video-spawn-labs-hd-720-aims-to-be-the-slingbox-to-your-game-co/
Looks like it's only for consoles though...
Dude, there was actually a buzz a few months back about a piece of hardware that does exactly that... think it was a set top box of some kind that takes direct video from a console or gaming PC and streams over LAN.
I'm pretty sure it was on Engadget...
I've watched the video, and I still don't buy it...
Have you played multiplayer games online before? Have you noticed the issues you get when you play, say, Counter-Strike or Team Fortress, or any other moderately fast-paced game, at a ping over 30? How about with a ping of 100, or *gasp* 200.
In this traditional client-server model, only small packets of data are being sent back and forth - player positions, where they're shooting, the direction they're facing etc. In OnLive, there'll be a whole video stream clogging up the pipe, which causes ping time to skyrocket... I don't know the technical details here, but try playing a traditional multiplayer game or even using Skype while someone's streaming Youtube HD over the same connection (say 50% of the available downstream used). It gets laggy and unbearable...
That's basically what Onlive will be like...
Which cable provider are you on in Germany? I'm looking to get away from 1&1, and 30€ a month for a realistic 1.8Mbit/s of upload speed sounds pretty good to me :)
Do they offer VoIP?
Aha, I was wondering why anyone would use Flashblock in addition to NoScript - thanks for clearing that up! :)
One can only hope...
Beat netbooks? At what? Playing movies, maybe.
Actually, netbooks have a closer aspect ratio for films...
That's because before it was announced, people were expecting something with a bit more functionality than an oversized iPod...
That's entirely possible, if they implemented a custom driver or something like that. As of now, it's not possible to just pair up a Bluetooth keyboard and call it a day... and even my stone-aged WinMo phone from 5 years ago could do that.
It's one of those things you think is a given when you buy the phone, so you don't even bother researching whether or not Bluetooth HID is supported, and the surprise comes 2 months later (after all money-back deadlines are expired), when you actually try to connect a keyboard...
Android doesn't even have support for Bluetooth HID keyboards, and SPP is only supported halfway via a buggy app that refuses to stay connected for longer than 10 minutes at a time... :(
You can also put a new ROM on your phone...nobody is really stopping you from doing this either. It will invalidate any warranty you have (just as installing a new version of Windows will invalidate most of your support for your PC) but let's be honest here, people buy a phone for the features that are available on it at the time of purchase (pretty much the same as a PC.) If they get something new a year later they feel privileged. Right or wrong, the general populace of phone shoppers are this way.
Actually, Motorola went ahead and signed the bootloader on my phone (Milestone), so flashing a new ROM isn't possible.
I'd love for it to be different, but it's not. I responded to someone above about devices selling today with outdated Android builds, so I won't argue that point here, but you can't really blame Google for Sony/HTC/etc. shipping an old OS.
That's just it - why create an operating system for multiple devices, which allows companies to release device locked down to an old version of the OS? Isn't the whole point of having a unified OS that everyone is able to run the same software across all the different hardware versions?
Sure, there's bound to be _some_ fragmentation and incompatibilities, but this is ridiculous. Half of the apps in the Market have comments about the app not working on phone so and so or OS version so and so...
What nonstandard ("alternative" hardware is available on Android devices?
Some may have no keyboard, or a D-Pad instead of a trackball, or a bigger screen, but it's still a limited number of hardware configurations - especially compared to, say, the PC market.
In your example, you'd have to wait for Apple to update their browser as well or use a third party browser (also available in Android from the market.)
When Apple releases a new OS (which includes the browser, in the Android case I was referring to), all of their devices get it... Some may not support all the new functions, but they all get the upgrade.
With Android, some devices get upgrades, others get upgrades later, and some devices don't get upgrades at all.
In this case, it's an "upgrades later" situation, and in the mean time (it could, and probably will, judging by the last update, take months), no alternative browsers that solve the problem are available, because they all use the same engine...
-retroactive edit-
Quoted too much... was only referring to the .NET3 in Windows2000 part.
- I complain that that game won't work on my old DirectX8 Video card.
3. Someone writes an application that uses .NET3
- Why can't I run it in Windows 2000?
See?
Put XP on there and run those apps without problems. Unless the hardware is actually incompatible or too slow, nobody's going to stop you from doing this.
I got into Android thinking I'd get regular OTA updates of the same system everyone else would be using, or that I'd at least be able to update to new versions manually (and officially (!), without needing custom ROMs and such)... of course, this illusion didn't last long, and even though that never stopped me from buying an Android phone, I'd love to see more of the desktop OS-upgrade-philosophy in Android...
Games and other high-performance applications aren't exactly a great example, since they're also highly dependent on actual CPU- and GPU-horsepower... but when basic applications refuse to run on hardware that's perfectly capable of running it for seemingly arbitrary reasons, that's just silly.
As an example: Right now, I'm stuck with Android 2.0.1, with an awful bug that makes web sites with a lot of graphics scroll very choppily. Nexus One owners are chugging alone happily with Android 2.1...
On a traditional PC setup, I could just upgrade my OS (or even just the browser, if I were so inclined) to the latest version, but in this case, I have to wait for Google, the phone manufacturer and multiple mobile carriers to sign off on the software... That's one of the many things at which Apple has Google beat squarely.
That would probably explain it. Thanks.
Interesting. I thought VLC came with all the required codecs, which would lead me to believe that they're licensed somehow or other...
I highly doubt that VLC is using the same decoder as my other media players (this is on a Windows box), since it uses 30% more CPU than software decoding in the other players. Doesn't this mean it's using its own codec?
I'm a bit confused :P