And BTW, using hundreds of new, multicolored, nonintuitive icons for the buttons does not a better interface make.
And not to forge that every tab on Ribbon has one fundamental problem and it is that there are different kind buttons mixed.
1) Buttons with icons only 2) Buttons with icon + text under icon 3) Buttons with icon + text aside of icon 4) Button taking all vertical space 5) Buttons at 2-3 different rows 6) Preview buttons changing their showing data
The old toolbar way is much better, as it gives one same kind look for everything. If then wanted, you can have multiple toolbars (2-3 taking as much space as Ribbon) and they don't change position or look depending what size the window is. Neither there is mixed icons+text look.
Only one thing I like with the Ribbon idea, and it is from Lotus and Macromedia times (1998 if I remember correctly...) who invented the Ribbon interface, that you had tabs with informative actions.
Like "Add", "Formating", "Layout" "Actions"
So when you wanted to add something, you went to add tab. When you wanted to format something, you opened formating tab. Layout for changing the whole document look and if wanted to do special actions, you opened actions.
And everything was from left to right order in the workflow manner. So you start from left by inputting data. Then you formated the data, then you chose layout and then you assigned actions (URL's and so on) to it. And after all, you published/shared/printed the document.
So it was workflow from the beginning with step by step manner. Now with MS version of Ribbon, it is mixed again. That you start with inputing data and formating it same time, then you insert some elements and then you change layout and after publishing, you do review...
Preview function and Ribbon toolbar are two different things. The real time preview could have been added without ribbon and vice versa.
ps. Did you know that Microsoft did not invent Ribbon but Ribbon is from Lotus and Macromedia? They abandoned it because it was too hard and difficult for advanced users.
How many current printers on network don't understand PostScript? Are we even today in position that printing is such a problem like Email is? How many decades there have been and we are still having problems of emails because HTML formating and own binary blob drivers and input data?
If Unix hackers would have designed and sold devices, we would not have terrible HTML for Emails and every printer and device anyway would work together because clean text data being used.
Metro is the Windows Phone 7 GUI. The tiles, livehubs, and so on. Metro allows two different sizes for tiles. 1*1 or 2*1.
On Windows Phone, you have only 2*Y space (Y is infinite as depence how much you place tiles, more and usability suffers) On "Windows 8" the Metro UI is used, but instead 2*Y, you can have a start screen what is X*Y and filled with those tiles, both, 1*1 and 2*1. And then when you drag and push screen, you are allowed to place a side those tiles.
Oh, my, my..... Those are almost identical what KDE did to plasma notification center a two or three years ago.... and to rename dialog over a year ago....
Erh.... Windows is system. And windowing environment is since Windows 7 again a separate software, since on project MinWin they did separate WDM and many others from NT operating system (Actually vice versa, they cut NT operating system depencies to layers on it). So that is how they got NT slimmed back to few megabytes and much stable than what it was earlier when even some parts of the IE were integrated to NT servers.
Did you know that Unix systems the user interface is separated software from the operating system? Linux operating system does not actually even have a user interface, you use other software for that like Bash and hardware.
Microsoft is doing smart move here. But the bad side effect is that now the metro can be a default one.
I would make few changes to phone to be a "perfectly happy". - 1-1.2Ghz CPU - a (dual/)LED flash for camera - better speaker (and microphone for speaker function on calls) - A non-buggy touch screen (some screens are buggy that they convert the dual touchpoints to around http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhuMhBb4FOY)
Of course the AMOLED as some models sold in UK had could be nice.
And no one expect developers should go complain to developers forums where they discuss about development process (why they dont use postlist?) as it just slows down them. When they release a beta or RC, then they might ask about testing something.
Early alpha ROM's are available for ZTE Blade as well. Possible slowest and cheapest Android phone what is still available on market. Here you can find the process from 4 days ago (1st December) http://android.modaco.com/topic/348898-ics-compiled-for-zte-blade/page__p__1850381#entry1850381 and as you can see, few things ain't working (like camera). OpenGL acceleration has been sayd to work at later thread but I dont know does it work.
What Modaco and CM teams are possible to do, why cant manufacturers really maintain 2 year those phones? Contract people can not usually buy a new one where SIM or phone is locked. So they could just maintain the good user experience and user base by updateing Android. And then when contract needs to be changed or continued, they could get same manufacturer but better phone by that experience!
short list of ZTE Blade specs ARM6 600Mhz CPU (MSM7227) Adreno 200 GPU (Integrated to CPU, and is same as earliest snapdragon CPU's) 512 RAM 512 NAND Flash 480x800 Super bright LCD 1250mAh (4 hour 3G talk time, about 3.5h video playtime, 7h music playtime and little over 200 hour stand by time)
Full specs here (without OpenGL extensions listed): CPU Name: ARMv6-compatible processor rev 5 (v5l) Current freq.: 600 MHz Max freq.: 600 MHz Min freq.: 122.88 MHz Cores: 1 Architecture: 6TEJ BogoMIPS: 599.65 Hardware: blade ZTE handset Revision: 5 Serial #: 0000000000000000
That is basicly work what CM developers did under a week from Android 4.0 source release. ZTE Blade has ARM6 600Mhz, 512 RAM, 512 NAND Flash. The Android 4.0 SDK was not available for ARM6 but for least ARM7. So they needed to compile it as well (one developer compiled it with netbook in 31 hours).
Since then, GPU drivers has been added and OpenGL is coming shape so smoother UI can be excepted. Still needs optimizing but most features are there.
If almost slowest currenty available Android phone can run ICS, then definetely most of the mid-range androids can.
It's not the screens that are the problem. It's the OS. Android was historically developed without any GPU acceleration requirements, and the OS up through Honeycomb still does most UI drawing on the CPU instead.
It is not the OS. The OS in Android is Linux 2.6.x. And operating system (linux kernel) does not have anything to do with that. Even a ARM6 600Mhz CPU can render whole Android perfectly smooth. Different thing is then per application what might be very CPU demanding or need better GPU.
I have ZTE Blade what I would say is slowest and cheapest (about 120 dollars without contract) Android phone on the market.
ARM6 254-600Mhz 512 RAM 512 NAND Flash 800 x 600px Super bright LCD And I have MicroSD Class 4 in it.
I have had Android 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 (current 2.3.7) on it and coming is 4.0 for it (there is almost everything working)
The 2.1 had very little laggy home screen. What was fixed with ADW launcher. But a 2.2 fixed everything and phone was smooth and without lags in use. And a 2.3 was not different (thanks CM7. 2.1 and 2.2 were officials for now).
But the problems of ARM6 600Mhz processing speed are visible when using heavy CPU demanded apps. Like when starting a such application, it might take 1-2 seconds instead instantly like how normal Android apps starts. Webpages scrolls smoothly, haven't come up with any what would laggy, thanks to non-existing Flash for the ARM6 architecture. The phone is as well fine when using it as hotspot and traffic is to HSDPA network a full 7.2Mbits. It does get little warm in long run because WLAN chip (12h) but nothing serious.
But yes, I am little jelous for other Android phone owners like Samsung Galaxy S II. As I would like to have bigger screen, bigger battery (SII with 3500mAh battery is.... dream) and little more responsive phone when starting those heavy applications. As I want to use Autodesk applications or some very intensive 3D modeling applications what demand a better GPU.
I bought a cheap Android phone and didn't expect a much. But it was very huge supprise when noticing how perfectly it runs. So, I got hungry and I want more. Maybe in a year I bougth a something cheaper from 200-300 dollar range what offers more speed and features what are today available in highend phones.
Lack of DVD or HDD are even in todays laptops more or less legacy thing. Search earlier slashdot article about DVD needs by laptop owners and you find out that most people have used it only few times. HDD is not good idea at all for small laptops what can be hold on lap or table or when walking. As there is bigger risk to drop it. But on bigger laptops like 15-19" versions, you want a table for those so HDD is "safe".
But, I would take a 15" tablet, with 2cm thickness so it could have huge battery on it. And demand would be it has a hybrid display with very accurate pen (not a small stylus) and when pen is in use on screen, touch does nothing. And by my opinion I would definetely take it with Android instead Windows 8.
Such features, options, possibilities etc should be OPT-IN. If someone has problems with their carrier network. Then they can turn diagnostic tool ON and report it.
No, I am not saying. But EU will rip that company into pieces if someone just makes lawsuite against that company, in this case that operator. As you are not allowed to be tracked without your permission. And as video already shows, it is done without permission. Do believe that carrieriq has gone and asked permission from EU to do a citizen spying legal? No....
CarrierIQ is more like rootkit or very well hided program in ROM.
My suggested application is answer for this:
Always been suspicious of the countless android apps that REQUIRE device permissions such as "full internet access", "read phone state and identity" etc...
As you see, it was not about CarrierIQ but countless android apps that require device permissions
what is the difference between Troll and Flamebait anyway?
I just today started to play Trine 2 game and when the trolls came on it, I just started to wonder how easily people mark other people or their posts as trolls. And I tough that trolling is such a skilled way to actually get other people fight against each other that no one does not seem to have such skills anymore.
I like the slashdot modding idea, that random group of registered people are given a 15 points what they can spend to comments as they like. One point per comment and you have less biased system than giving a permanent group of people to mod. As everyone mod things judging the comment with their knowledge, was it insightful or then just "WOU!" effect without ever thinking it before what comment said.
There is always a biased opinions about topics and only real way to avoid is to give random people to vote. We know already even among scientists that they can not agree with everything, they have personal bias toward some people and against someone. The only real way to actually get the real information to come up is to write, read and actually discuss about the subject. But people have started to be very lazy and they don't like to spend more than 10 seconds to read someones comment. Such people don't actually care others person opinions or conclusions how such person build that opinion, important thing for them is that person who wrote, is she/he with them or against them.
One thing what I always miss is newsgroups modding. And I actually mean the whole newsgroup system. Every reader could give points to specific writers by their own taste. So when the person writes, the whole discussion root is going to be modded based those. This way reader could set +5 to person A and -5 to person B, so the root where these two would be discussing, would be ranked as 0. If there is person C who reader has ranked as +15 and wrote a message, the root gets +15 points.
And the newsgroup threading was just awesome. I miss that from every HTML/Javascript/PHP forums today. As all the trolling, unrelated posts etc, got own branch (root) and they could be left outside (closed) by reader if wanted and focus only to the main topic. But with those forums what just slaps new messages after each other, it just cause fights and blaming in the end.
That is one nice thing what Slashdot have maintained at least some manner, but still missing the clarity of newsgroups tree system.
By my opinion, every Android phone should be upgradable by the user in any country legally, when ever new ROM is released, from Google or from third party. After all, phone manufacturers and carriers are just selling hardware and services, not the software.
Seems like none of phones sold in EU comes with this preinstalled.
Think about it. EU would rip every carrier, phone manufacturer and software company in pieces if such privacy abusing would rise. Not even any end user license would protect those companies at all.
After selecting what permissions the app can have, you need to reboot to take it affect. And the other great application is Droidwall what is firewall (needs root as well) where you choose per application does it have access to WLAN or 3G internet connection. Great to limit some apps only to use WLAN instead 3G or vice versa.
Slashdot Mirror
And BTW, using hundreds of new, multicolored, nonintuitive icons for the buttons does not a better interface make.
And not to forge that every tab on Ribbon has one fundamental problem and it is that there are different kind buttons mixed.
1) Buttons with icons only
2) Buttons with icon + text under icon
3) Buttons with icon + text aside of icon
4) Button taking all vertical space
5) Buttons at 2-3 different rows
6) Preview buttons changing their showing data
The old toolbar way is much better, as it gives one same kind look for everything. If then wanted, you can have multiple toolbars (2-3 taking as much space as Ribbon) and they don't change position or look depending what size the window is. Neither there is mixed icons+text look.
Only one thing I like with the Ribbon idea, and it is from Lotus and Macromedia times (1998 if I remember correctly...) who invented the Ribbon interface, that you had tabs with informative actions.
Like "Add", "Formating", "Layout" "Actions"
So when you wanted to add something, you went to add tab. When you wanted to format something, you opened formating tab. Layout for changing the whole document look and if wanted to do special actions, you opened actions.
And everything was from left to right order in the workflow manner. So you start from left by inputting data. Then you formated the data, then you chose layout and then you assigned actions (URL's and so on) to it. And after all, you published/shared/printed the document.
So it was workflow from the beginning with step by step manner. Now with MS version of Ribbon, it is mixed again. That you start with inputing data and formating it same time, then you insert some elements and then you change layout and after publishing, you do review...
Preview function and Ribbon toolbar are two different things. The real time preview could have been added without ribbon and vice versa.
ps. Did you know that Microsoft did not invent Ribbon but Ribbon is from Lotus and Macromedia? They abandoned it because it was too hard and difficult for advanced users.
How many current printers on network don't understand PostScript?
Are we even today in position that printing is such a problem like Email is?
How many decades there have been and we are still having problems of emails because HTML formating and own binary blob drivers and input data?
If Unix hackers would have designed and sold devices, we would not have terrible HTML for Emails and every printer and device anyway would work together because clean text data being used.
Metro is the Windows Phone 7 GUI. The tiles, livehubs, and so on.
Metro allows two different sizes for tiles. 1*1 or 2*1.
On Windows Phone, you have only 2*Y space (Y is infinite as depence how much you place tiles, more and usability suffers)
On "Windows 8" the Metro UI is used, but instead 2*Y, you can have a start screen what is X*Y and filled with those tiles, both, 1*1 and 2*1.
And then when you drag and push screen, you are allowed to place a side those tiles.
Oh, my, my..... Those are almost identical what KDE did to plasma notification center a two or three years ago.... and to rename dialog over a year ago....
So Microsoft again copied from KDE what they do.
Are you refering to KDE concept to Activities?
Idea is that only important data and applications are shown to the user.
Erh.... Windows is system. And windowing environment is since Windows 7 again a separate software, since on project MinWin they did separate WDM and many others from NT operating system (Actually vice versa, they cut NT operating system depencies to layers on it). So that is how they got NT slimmed back to few megabytes and much stable than what it was earlier when even some parts of the IE were integrated to NT servers.
Did you know that Unix systems the user interface is separated software from the operating system?
Linux operating system does not actually even have a user interface, you use other software for that like Bash and hardware.
Microsoft is doing smart move here. But the bad side effect is that now the metro can be a default one.
I would make few changes to phone to be a "perfectly happy".
- 1-1.2Ghz CPU
- a (dual/)LED flash for camera
- better speaker (and microphone for speaker function on calls)
- A non-buggy touch screen (some screens are buggy that they convert the dual touchpoints to around http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhuMhBb4FOY)
Of course the AMOLED as some models sold in UK had could be nice.
And no one expect developers should go complain to developers forums where they discuss about development process (why they dont use postlist?) as it just slows down them.
When they release a beta or RC, then they might ask about testing something.
Early alpha ROM's are available for ZTE Blade as well. Possible slowest and cheapest Android phone what is still available on market.
Here you can find the process from 4 days ago (1st December) http://android.modaco.com/topic/348898-ics-compiled-for-zte-blade/page__p__1850381#entry1850381 and as you can see, few things ain't working (like camera). OpenGL acceleration has been sayd to work at later thread but I dont know does it work.
What Modaco and CM teams are possible to do, why cant manufacturers really maintain 2 year those phones? Contract people can not usually buy a new one where SIM or phone is locked. So they could just maintain the good user experience and user base by updateing Android. And then when contract needs to be changed or continued, they could get same manufacturer but better phone by that experience!
short list of ZTE Blade specs
ARM6 600Mhz CPU (MSM7227)
Adreno 200 GPU (Integrated to CPU, and is same as earliest snapdragon CPU's)
512 RAM
512 NAND Flash
480x800 Super bright LCD
1250mAh (4 hour 3G talk time, about 3.5h video playtime, 7h music playtime and little over 200 hour stand by time)
Full specs here (without OpenGL extensions listed):
CPU
Name: ARMv6-compatible processor rev 5 (v5l)
Current freq.: 600 MHz
Max freq.: 600 MHz
Min freq.: 122.88 MHz
Cores: 1
Architecture: 6TEJ
BogoMIPS: 599.65
Hardware: blade ZTE handset
Revision: 5
Serial #: 0000000000000000
Memory
Total: 424884 kB
Free: 107552 kB
Inactive: 94424 kB
Display
Resolution: 480x800
Refresh rate: 0.1 Hz
GPU (OpenGL)
Vendor: Qualcomm
Renderer: Adreno
Version: OpenGL ES-CM 1.1
Max texture units: 2
Max texture size: 1024
Max lights: 8
VBO: supported
Frame buffers: unsupported
Cube maps: supported
Texture combiners: supported
DOT3 combiner: supported
Crossbar combiner: supported
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVleFJuNuQI
That is basicly work what CM developers did under a week from Android 4.0 source release.
ZTE Blade has ARM6 600Mhz, 512 RAM, 512 NAND Flash.
The Android 4.0 SDK was not available for ARM6 but for least ARM7. So they needed to compile it as well (one developer compiled it with netbook in 31 hours).
Since then, GPU drivers has been added and OpenGL is coming shape so smoother UI can be excepted. Still needs optimizing but most features are there.
If almost slowest currenty available Android phone can run ICS, then definetely most of the mid-range androids can.
It's not the screens that are the problem. It's the OS. Android was historically developed without any GPU acceleration requirements, and the OS up through Honeycomb still does most UI drawing on the CPU instead.
It is not the OS. The OS in Android is Linux 2.6.x. And operating system (linux kernel) does not have anything to do with that. Even a ARM6 600Mhz CPU can render whole Android perfectly smooth. Different thing is then per application what might be very CPU demanding or need better GPU.
I have ZTE Blade what I would say is slowest and cheapest (about 120 dollars without contract) Android phone on the market.
ARM6 254-600Mhz
512 RAM
512 NAND Flash
800 x 600px Super bright LCD
And I have MicroSD Class 4 in it.
I have had Android 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 (current 2.3.7) on it and coming is 4.0 for it (there is almost everything working)
The 2.1 had very little laggy home screen. What was fixed with ADW launcher.
But a 2.2 fixed everything and phone was smooth and without lags in use.
And a 2.3 was not different (thanks CM7. 2.1 and 2.2 were officials for now).
But the problems of ARM6 600Mhz processing speed are visible when using heavy CPU demanded apps.
Like when starting a such application, it might take 1-2 seconds instead instantly like how normal Android apps starts.
Webpages scrolls smoothly, haven't come up with any what would laggy, thanks to non-existing Flash for the ARM6 architecture.
The phone is as well fine when using it as hotspot and traffic is to HSDPA network a full 7.2Mbits. It does get little warm in long run because WLAN chip (12h) but nothing serious.
But yes, I am little jelous for other Android phone owners like Samsung Galaxy S II. As I would like to have bigger screen, bigger battery (SII with 3500mAh battery is.... dream) and little more responsive phone when starting those heavy applications. As I want to use Autodesk applications or some very intensive 3D modeling applications what demand a better GPU.
I bought a cheap Android phone and didn't expect a much. But it was very huge supprise when noticing how perfectly it runs.
So, I got hungry and I want more. Maybe in a year I bougth a something cheaper from 200-300 dollar range what offers more speed and features what are today available in highend phones.
Lack of DVD or HDD are even in todays laptops more or less legacy thing.
Search earlier slashdot article about DVD needs by laptop owners and you find out that most people have used it only few times.
HDD is not good idea at all for small laptops what can be hold on lap or table or when walking. As there is bigger risk to drop it. But on bigger laptops like 15-19" versions, you want a table for those so HDD is "safe".
But, I would take a 15" tablet, with 2cm thickness so it could have huge battery on it. And demand would be it has a hybrid display with very accurate pen (not a small stylus) and when pen is in use on screen, touch does nothing.
And by my opinion I would definetely take it with Android instead Windows 8.
We do not need Opt-Out, we need Opt-In.
Such features, options, possibilities etc should be OPT-IN. If someone has problems with their carrier network. Then they can turn diagnostic tool ON and report it.
Where are those skilled network hackers who reads and comments to slashdot, and who would do tests does CarrierIQ send data over network?
Would it be possible to test with WLAN sniffing? Collectin data from specific period, like one week and check what it actually brings up?
No, I am not saying. But EU will rip that company into pieces if someone just makes lawsuite against that company, in this case that operator. As you are not allowed to be tracked without your permission. And as video already shows, it is done without permission. Do believe that carrieriq has gone and asked permission from EU to do a citizen spying legal? No....
Seems like
CarrierIQ is more like rootkit or very well hided program in ROM.
My suggested application is answer for this:
Always been suspicious of the countless android apps that REQUIRE device permissions such as "full internet access", "read phone state and identity" etc...
As you see, it was not about CarrierIQ but countless android apps that require device permissions
That application was not as fix for CarrierIQ but fix for every application what you ever install your phone.
You see, that works for EVERY application what you install. Not to one single pre-installed one.
what is the difference between Troll and Flamebait anyway?
I just today started to play Trine 2 game and when the trolls came on it, I just started to wonder how easily people mark other people or their posts as trolls.
And I tough that trolling is such a skilled way to actually get other people fight against each other that no one does not seem to have such skills anymore.
I like the slashdot modding idea, that random group of registered people are given a 15 points what they can spend to comments as they like. One point per comment and you have less biased system than giving a permanent group of people to mod. As everyone mod things judging the comment with their knowledge, was it insightful or then just "WOU!" effect without ever thinking it before what comment said.
There is always a biased opinions about topics and only real way to avoid is to give random people to vote.
We know already even among scientists that they can not agree with everything, they have personal bias toward some people and against someone.
The only real way to actually get the real information to come up is to write, read and actually discuss about the subject.
But people have started to be very lazy and they don't like to spend more than 10 seconds to read someones comment. Such people don't actually care others person opinions or conclusions how such person build that opinion, important thing for them is that person who wrote, is she/he with them or against them.
One thing what I always miss is newsgroups modding. And I actually mean the whole newsgroup system.
Every reader could give points to specific writers by their own taste. So when the person writes, the whole discussion root is going to be modded based those.
This way reader could set +5 to person A and -5 to person B, so the root where these two would be discussing, would be ranked as 0. If there is person C who reader has ranked as +15 and wrote a message, the root gets +15 points.
And the newsgroup threading was just awesome. I miss that from every HTML/Javascript/PHP forums today. As all the trolling, unrelated posts etc, got own branch (root) and they could be left outside (closed) by reader if wanted and focus only to the main topic.
But with those forums what just slaps new messages after each other, it just cause fights and blaming in the end.
That is one nice thing what Slashdot have maintained at least some manner, but still missing the clarity of newsgroups tree system.
By my opinion, every Android phone should be upgradable by the user in any country legally, when ever new ROM is released, from Google or from third party.
After all, phone manufacturers and carriers are just selling hardware and services, not the software.
Seems like none of phones sold in EU comes with this preinstalled.
Think about it. EU would rip every carrier, phone manufacturer and software company in pieces if such privacy abusing would rise.
Not even any end user license would protect those companies at all.
Then install Permission Denied application (you need root) what gives you possibility to rip those permissions off from application https://market.android.com/details?id=com.stericson.permissions.
After selecting what permissions the app can have, you need to reboot to take it affect.
And the other great application is Droidwall what is firewall (needs root as well) where you choose per application does it have access to WLAN or 3G internet connection. Great to limit some apps only to use WLAN instead 3G or vice versa.