Very much so. It's amazing to see what a terrible job is being made, when really, there isn't a mad pressure on to come out with something that quickly. We saw Android Tablets before the iPad was even officially announced, and a year and a half later, we're still seeing those same lousy specs being produced. And when someone/does/ get something close to a decent competitor to the iPad, they either disable half the functionality in a market (no voice calling on the Galaxy Tab), or throw a bunch of carrier specific nonsense on (Verizon/AT&T), or disable simple features like sideloading apps/hotspot functionality. Really looks like they're trying hard to fail.
They're pushing the Android Tablets with comms functionality when it appears/most/ customers would be happy with wireless and stock Android. Now, considering they're getting the fees for 2 years, how they justify a HIGHER cost than without that cost is... mad.
I keep waiting for a decent Android Tablet, only to be disappointed by/someone/ (and yeah, the telco's point to the hardware supplier, and the hardware suppliers point to the telcos. Android's getting out there because Google's backing off, but they really need to start throwing their weight around, perhaps that 'Approved by Google' stamp for stock Android?
Power drain appears to be drastic. Screen rez being lower than the Tab is going to be annoying. And releasing a 2.x version device NOW when if they'd wait a couple of weeks they could do 3.0? Then again, the Tab was nobbled by not allowing regular voice calls in the US. But at least it's price is better, but overall a lesser experience when Android Tab makers should be aiming far higher.
Dell, what are you doing?
How to make a decent 7" Android Tablet Tegra appears to work well. Don't be afraid of standardising on it. Latest version of Android, whatever version that is. Full Bluetooth support so we can pair up devices HDMI output so we can use it with bigger screens if we want to.
Speaking of HDMI port, if you need to use a non-standard port then split out the hdmi? well, if you have to, but make a standard USB port too for us to charge/connect upto. Voice calling as an option, not limited. Let me choose to pay a phone company 50 bucks a month and make you more money, don't limit us Standard Android UI, no motoblur/horrible stuff we only load a newer launcher over anyway 1024x600 at least (Tab's display really is bright and clear. Should be the bare minimum rez for future devices, 7" at least, and don't even/think/ of less on a 10" device. Decent speakers (again, the Tab does pretty good here) Clean edges. Glass fronted. Tab/Ipad/Streak, cover the full front of the screen. Not try and jam in terrible trackpad controls like the cheap version being sold in BestBuy atm. Rootable. (if you want to put the entire bootable OS part on a seperate SDcard inside that's not easily accesible? Go for it, but these devices WILL be hacked. Making it repairable as people learn helps make a better device for customer/client.) Accept that some people will use them landscape, some portrait, take into account button/headphone positioning. Don't try and force landscape. (again, launchers help us get around this, so... save some time!)
/raises hand. I still use a 'Proggy' directory (not folder!) for my big programs. and a 'bin' folder for my... uhm, utilities? Smaller programs I guess.
Kept me sane jumping between OS's if I could rely on some things always in the same place, then other things deliberately not being called by accident. Then at least I knew which scripts to change between platforms.
If you've got the choice, and the figures to back things up? Perhaps. "ok, this company is offering internet for 40 bucks a month, and I get the option for an extra 5 bucks to get Netflix bundled in" (which a smart ISP here, if traffic IS that popular, might be worth getting in on. "or I can spend 30 bucks a month, and Netflix works, just not in HD, but I've the choice"
Ok, ok, it's more likely the ISP's will charge extar for netflix, AND you'd need a seperate netflix account AND if you don't pay, they'll slow things down.
Very nice. Rather impressive to pre-empt the ISP's. "well, your competitor is able to provide better speeds to more customers, why are you whining? Oh? AND You charge more for lower service? Interesting. Well, lets let your customers decide for themselves with more facts who they want"
It'd make sense at this point for an ISP with a bit of sense to make a nice deal with Netflix to improve things here, then everyone wins.
Hmm, good points. But even so, even if not gamers now, it's still been experienced far more than it used to be? People who used to play games when younger and then got bored, moved onto other stuff, didn't kill/maim anyone, isn't that also a valid argument that his type of stuff is pure bunk?
But I'd even argue that the amount of 'gamers' is bigger than people think. Maybe even themselves. Ok, they may not sit around and play WoW/CoD for 16 hours straight, but they might have a few sessions of Angry Birds/some other phone game.
Alot of this resistance is surely just anti-technology sentiments. People who've not grown up with Atari VCS/Intellivisions/NES/SNES/Megadrives/C64's/......./....../Gameboys/...../Playstations/Xbox/Wii/iPods/SmartPhones/flash games on the web theyplay for 10 mins drinking that first cup of coffee at the desk.
I still think this sort of behavior will be self-correcting in a few more years.
Huge unemployment, wars still raging in Iraq/Afghanistan, debt at crippling levels, and people losing their homes at huge levels, great to see the important stuff like video games is being addressed.
But...
Every time a politician brings this up, it just shows how out of touch (old?) they are. Hopefully this won't be too much of a problem in not too many years as people who grew up gaming end up in positions of power and see that it's just a pastime. Golfing/Tennis/few rounds at the bar. It's just so not worth spending any time over, and shows they probably shouldn't be holding any positions where their opinions matter if this is the best they can come up with on something todo.
The stakes to get phone payments working everywhere are so incredibly high. Can see why they'd want to get this in quickly.
Though... I actually like the idea of a barcode, something I have to select on the phone and hit 'display' (after entering my pin or something first to display it so that if it's stolen, just having the phone to tap against nfc contacts isn't enough to clear my account out). Then swipe/display the barcode as normal. Seems a more flexible way to handle it than embedding NFC stuff in hardware.
Totally. I'd be happy paying another 10bucks on what I currently pay to be able to stream something released in the last 15 years. Caught up on my early 80's Zombie flicks, just want more recent (well, better!) films... Big film companies need to make this work as an awesome service before everyone heads back to Bittorrenting.
And as for ISP's wanting to charge more? Why did you sell me a high speed link if you didn't expect me to actually use it?
They don't report amounts, but they DO now report that you DO have an account with them now. If you hold money abroad, and file a US tax return, you have to submit your holdings. You could get away with it (probably) before as the banks wouldn't say a word. Now the government knows you've got/something/ elsewhere...
Makes total sense, all it needs is the dual shock controllers (and it looks like there could be space for it). Sony probably won't do the sensible thing here alas.
With all this stuff in the news recently about backscatter machines and the need for improved x-ray machines, this sort of system would be fantastic for improving the quality of screening, being able to look in and see depth in luggage.
Not played it (yet), but considering it's a game about running around and shooting each other... Doesn't seem out of context if one side, being the bad-guys, is wearing the attire of those bad-guys does it? Or is the enemy shown just as amorphous gray blobs? If this particular game doesn't have Nazis in, then fair enough, please ignore THIS post. I'll post it again when there is a recognisable enemy! But when CoD had WWII as the theme, did the enemy not have any markings showing which side they were on?
heh, totally. Freerealms has had some freaky constructs, Everquest is just about to release housing where you can build structures for all to see. Amazing the creativity (and depravity) of players!
FAST has very dubious practices to get people to cough up to join their little group 'we offer a reward for copied software your employees may report to us, if you pay us, we'll let you know that we've had a report and let you get legit before we set the attack lawyers onto you". Anything to gouge them of some of their dubiously gained monies is great by me. That advice about never talk to a cop because they'll twist it around somehow to ensnare you, even (probably) if you're innocent? They've got nothing on these jokers.
That actually looks pretty good. It's got all the must have features any new tablet will have to provide, and if direct access to the Blackberry servers, not having 3G for huge offices could be usefull for some corporations. Might as well use their in-building wireless with all it's controls. I don't see this as an iPad competitor, but Android, as long as it comes out REALLY early in 2011 and has decent battery life and reasonable price. Doesn't need to be cheaper considering they're after the business market, just reasonable. Considering they ARE aiming for their existing market, not having an itunes like media/apps center could be seen as an advantage "Your execs desperate for a tablet but you don't want them playing Angry Birds all day? use this! With a set of policies able to be locked down, your drones will be doing what YOU want them to do".
Never understood this myself. Android works, and works well. Sure Chrome will be great, but can't they get the Chrome browser in Android? Then get the best of both worlds. More online apps running in a browser, and Android apps to cover everything else. To turn away people wanting to use your products, making them harder to use, seems an odd path to go down. I'm still after a decent Android tablet, Samsung Tab looks perfect if it ever gets released, and I'd be happy with just a wifi version if I had to.
It's been a fair few years now since I've had a Doom dream. Probably because I've not run through the game for about the same time. Used to load it up, clear through the entire game in 30 mins as warmup to playing/doing anything else on the computer, and/or as a last thing before powering off for the night. Backpage of PC..Pro?Gamer? (one with David McCandless writing for it), there was a comment about Doom Dreams and I suddenly realised what I'd been having the last few weeks. They'd be normal dreams perhaps, perfectly normal settings, no hideous demons throwing fireballs, but the movement... Soon as I started to strafe in a game, or run up and keep nudging a door to open it, I'd be aware that I was dreaming, and it was a Doom Dream. Never had that since for any other game. Also, some dreams would have be carrying something and it'd be that gentle swaying motion. And I'd be lucid again that I was dreaming.
Perhaps I should load it up and play for a few nights before hitting the sack, see if I can duplicate the effect.
Can we all agree to use the exclamation point at the beginning of a sentence to denote sarcasm? A question mark at the end makes sense as it's right at the end, if you read the main part in your 'mind voice', raising tone at the end makes sense. For sarcasm, you need to know at the beginning of the sentence, so the punctuation needs to go there. ! would work I think
Slashdot Mirror
Very much so. It's amazing to see what a terrible job is being made, when really, there isn't a mad pressure on to come out with something that quickly. /does/ get something close to a decent competitor to the iPad, they either disable half the functionality in a market (no voice calling on the Galaxy Tab), or throw a bunch of carrier specific nonsense on (Verizon/AT&T), or disable simple features like sideloading apps/hotspot functionality.
We saw Android Tablets before the iPad was even officially announced, and a year and a half later, we're still seeing those same lousy specs being produced.
And when someone
Really looks like they're trying hard to fail.
They're pushing the Android Tablets with comms functionality when it appears /most/ customers would be happy with wireless and stock Android. Now, considering they're getting the fees for 2 years, how they justify a HIGHER cost than without that cost is... mad.
I keep waiting for a decent Android Tablet, only to be disappointed by /someone/ (and yeah, the telco's point to the hardware supplier, and the hardware suppliers point to the telcos. Android's getting out there because Google's backing off, but they really need to start throwing their weight around, perhaps that 'Approved by Google' stamp for stock Android?
Power drain appears to be drastic.
Screen rez being lower than the Tab is going to be annoying.
And releasing a 2.x version device NOW when if they'd wait a couple of weeks they could do 3.0?
Then again, the Tab was nobbled by not allowing regular voice calls in the US.
But at least it's price is better, but overall a lesser experience when Android Tab makers should be aiming far higher.
Dell, what are you doing?
How to make a decent 7" Android Tablet /think/ of less on a 10" device.
Tegra appears to work well. Don't be afraid of standardising on it.
Latest version of Android, whatever version that is.
Full Bluetooth support so we can pair up devices
HDMI output so we can use it with bigger screens if we want to.
Speaking of HDMI port, if you need to use a non-standard port then split out the hdmi? well, if you have to, but make a standard USB port too for us to charge/connect upto.
Voice calling as an option, not limited. Let me choose to pay a phone company 50 bucks a month and make you more money, don't limit us
Standard Android UI, no motoblur/horrible stuff we only load a newer launcher over anyway
1024x600 at least (Tab's display really is bright and clear. Should be the bare minimum rez for future devices, 7" at least, and don't even
Decent speakers (again, the Tab does pretty good here)
Clean edges. Glass fronted. Tab/Ipad/Streak, cover the full front of the screen. Not try and jam in terrible trackpad controls like the cheap version being sold in BestBuy atm.
Rootable. (if you want to put the entire bootable OS part on a seperate SDcard inside that's not easily accesible? Go for it, but these devices WILL be hacked. Making it repairable as people learn helps make a better device for customer/client.)
Accept that some people will use them landscape, some portrait, take into account button/headphone positioning. Don't try and force landscape. (again, launchers help us get around this, so... save some time!)
More blue LEDs please
Splundig vur thrigg! my squxx dex Thargo!
/raises hand.
I still use a 'Proggy' directory (not folder!) for my big programs.
and a 'bin' folder for my... uhm, utilities? Smaller programs I guess.
Kept me sane jumping between OS's if I could rely on some things always in the same place, then other things deliberately not being called by accident.
Then at least I knew which scripts to change between platforms.
If you've got the choice, and the figures to back things up? Perhaps.
"ok, this company is offering internet for 40 bucks a month, and I get the option for an extra 5 bucks to get Netflix bundled in" (which a smart ISP here, if traffic IS that popular, might be worth getting in on.
"or I can spend 30 bucks a month, and Netflix works, just not in HD, but I've the choice"
Ok, ok, it's more likely the ISP's will charge extar for netflix, AND you'd need a seperate netflix account AND if you don't pay, they'll slow things down.
Very nice. Rather impressive to pre-empt the ISP's.
"well, your competitor is able to provide better speeds to more customers, why are you whining? Oh? AND You charge more for lower service? Interesting. Well, lets let your customers decide for themselves with more facts who they want"
It'd make sense at this point for an ISP with a bit of sense to make a nice deal with Netflix to improve things here, then everyone wins.
Hmm, good points.
But even so, even if not gamers now, it's still been experienced far more than it used to be? People who used to play games when younger and then got bored, moved onto other stuff, didn't kill/maim anyone, isn't that also a valid argument that his type of stuff is pure bunk?
But I'd even argue that the amount of 'gamers' is bigger than people think. Maybe even themselves. Ok, they may not sit around and play WoW/CoD for 16 hours straight, but they might have a few sessions of Angry Birds/some other phone game.
Alot of this resistance is surely just anti-technology sentiments. People who've not grown up with Atari VCS/Intellivisions/NES/SNES/Megadrives/C64's/......./....../Gameboys/...../Playstations/Xbox/Wii/iPods/SmartPhones/flash games on the web theyplay for 10 mins drinking that first cup of coffee at the desk.
I still think this sort of behavior will be self-correcting in a few more years.
Huge unemployment, wars still raging in Iraq/Afghanistan, debt at crippling levels, and people losing their homes at huge levels, great to see the important stuff like video games is being addressed.
But...
Every time a politician brings this up, it just shows how out of touch (old?) they are. Hopefully this won't be too much of a problem in not too many years as people who grew up gaming end up in positions of power and see that it's just a pastime. Golfing/Tennis/few rounds at the bar. It's just so not worth spending any time over, and shows they probably shouldn't be holding any positions where their opinions matter if this is the best they can come up with on something todo.
The stakes to get phone payments working everywhere are so incredibly high. Can see why they'd want to get this in quickly.
Though... I actually like the idea of a barcode, something I have to select on the phone and hit 'display' (after entering my pin or something first to display it so that if it's stolen, just having the phone to tap against nfc contacts isn't enough to clear my account out). Then swipe/display the barcode as normal. Seems a more flexible way to handle it than embedding NFC stuff in hardware.
Totally. I'd be happy paying another 10bucks on what I currently pay to be able to stream something released in the last 15 years.
Caught up on my early 80's Zombie flicks, just want more recent (well, better!) films... Big film companies need to make this work as an awesome service before everyone heads back to Bittorrenting.
And as for ISP's wanting to charge more? Why did you sell me a high speed link if you didn't expect me to actually use it?
I wonder who would win in a fight, a crocodile or a shark? Australia has the most dangerous animals, those poor aussies...
There's no Crocs round here.
Sharks ate 'em all.
Hey bluey, I can see the pub from here.
They don't report amounts, but they DO now report that you DO have an account with them now. /something/ elsewhere...
If you hold money abroad, and file a US tax return, you have to submit your holdings. You could get away with it (probably) before as the banks wouldn't say a word.
Now the government knows you've got
Either way, it's going to be hilarious.
When, as shown, the US Government is directly influencing policy for non-US citizens, I think it's not unreasonable to let everyone involved be aware.
Makes total sense, all it needs is the dual shock controllers (and it looks like there could be space for it).
Sony probably won't do the sensible thing here alas.
With all this stuff in the news recently about backscatter machines and the need for improved x-ray machines, this sort of system would be fantastic for improving the quality of screening, being able to look in and see depth in luggage.
Ah, thanks for the clarification.
Not played it (yet), but considering it's a game about running around and shooting each other...
Doesn't seem out of context if one side, being the bad-guys, is wearing the attire of those bad-guys does it? Or is the enemy shown just as amorphous gray blobs?
If this particular game doesn't have Nazis in, then fair enough, please ignore THIS post. I'll post it again when there is a recognisable enemy! But when CoD had WWII as the theme, did the enemy not have any markings showing which side they were on?
pop ups, having to stop blocking javascript all over the place.
Not sure if I've failed or just can't be bothered taking the test.
heh, totally.
Freerealms has had some freaky constructs, Everquest is just about to release housing where you can build structures for all to see. Amazing the creativity (and depravity) of players!
FAST has very dubious practices to get people to cough up to join their little group 'we offer a reward for copied software your employees may report to us, if you pay us, we'll let you know that we've had a report and let you get legit before we set the attack lawyers onto you". Anything to gouge them of some of their dubiously gained monies is great by me.
That advice about never talk to a cop because they'll twist it around somehow to ensnare you, even (probably) if you're innocent? They've got nothing on these jokers.
That actually looks pretty good. It's got all the must have features any new tablet will have to provide, and if direct access to the Blackberry servers, not having 3G for huge offices could be usefull for some corporations. Might as well use their in-building wireless with all it's controls.
I don't see this as an iPad competitor, but Android, as long as it comes out REALLY early in 2011 and has decent battery life and reasonable price. Doesn't need to be cheaper considering they're after the business market, just reasonable. Considering they ARE aiming for their existing market, not having an itunes like media/apps center could be seen as an advantage "Your execs desperate for a tablet but you don't want them playing Angry Birds all day? use this! With a set of policies able to be locked down, your drones will be doing what YOU want them to do".
Never understood this myself. Android works, and works well. Sure Chrome will be great, but can't they get the Chrome browser in Android? Then get the best of both worlds. More online apps running in a browser, and Android apps to cover everything else.
To turn away people wanting to use your products, making them harder to use, seems an odd path to go down.
I'm still after a decent Android tablet, Samsung Tab looks perfect if it ever gets released, and I'd be happy with just a wifi version if I had to.
It's been a fair few years now since I've had a Doom dream. Probably because I've not run through the game for about the same time. Used to load it up, clear through the entire game in 30 mins as warmup to playing/doing anything else on the computer, and/or as a last thing before powering off for the night.
Backpage of PC..Pro?Gamer? (one with David McCandless writing for it), there was a comment about Doom Dreams and I suddenly realised what I'd been having the last few weeks.
They'd be normal dreams perhaps, perfectly normal settings, no hideous demons throwing fireballs, but the movement...
Soon as I started to strafe in a game, or run up and keep nudging a door to open it, I'd be aware that I was dreaming, and it was a Doom Dream. Never had that since for any other game.
Also, some dreams would have be carrying something and it'd be that gentle swaying motion. And I'd be lucid again that I was dreaming.
Perhaps I should load it up and play for a few nights before hitting the sack, see if I can duplicate the effect.
Can we all agree to use the exclamation point at the beginning of a sentence to denote sarcasm?
A question mark at the end makes sense as it's right at the end, if you read the main part in your 'mind voice', raising tone at the end makes sense.
For sarcasm, you need to know at the beginning of the sentence, so the punctuation needs to go there.
! would work I think
!Oh, that's such a good idea.
!Have we forgotten our pants today?
See? Compatible for other punctuation too.