Make no mistake: Google’s tablet-optimized Android 3.0 represents the outrageous alleviation altogether over prior versions of Google’s mobile doing system. But that’s not to contend it gets all right. After endless operate opposite mixed tablets, I’ve identified 5 things which Google needs to residence in Honeycomb.
1. Improve Image Rendering
Photos beheld in Android 3.0′s Gallery app crop up hairy as good as cleared out when compared to when we perspective them upon alternative inclination As we photographer, we beheld this complaint rught away upon loading my own cinema upon the Motorola Xoom. Ultimately, the complaint comes down to Honeycomb’s strong incapacity to rightly describe images in the picture Gallery-and elsewhere. After weeks of behind as good as forth, the Google orator concurred the problem, nonetheless couldn’t give the timeline upon the fix. Thus far, there hasn’t been one.
The complaint is distinguished when we perspective the same picture displayed upon the Honeycomb tablets corresponding with Apple’s iPad 2 as good as even the Android 2.2-based Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch. On the Honeycomb tablets-Motorola Xoom, T-Mobile G-Slate, Acer Iconia A500, as good as Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101-the images miss ill temper as good as detail. Colors crop up off , too; they demeanour pale as good as miss vibrance. While the small of this can be attributed to differences between the tangible displays themselves, we additionally have the clarity which something is off-kilter with the tone heat as good as white change in Honeycomb. it lowered the default tone heat in Android 2.3.3 to equates to pale colors. The logic for messing with Honeycomb’s defaults would expected be the same, too: Just as in Gingerbread, the interface is darker, so as good does Honeycomb have the darker interface. But the finish outcome stays unsatisfactory.
2. Make the Keyboard Better
The batch Honeycomb set of keys is most softened over which in Android 2.x, as good as it includes the appreciative QWERTY pattern as good as utilitarian context-sensitive keys (such as .com as good as @). But there’s no series row-a game-changer once you’ve attempted it upon tablets similar to the Asus Transformer (which has the law Asus keyboard) as good as stirring HP TouchPad (which runs WebOS). And which tone intrigue has got to go: light gray characters inset upon darker gray keys usually do not pop, so the keys do not mountain out enough. The pointed blue prominence which shows you’ve pulpy the pass is the great touch, nonetheless we privately similar to the pop-up letters which crop up when we sort upon the Apple iPhone set of keys instead. However, the blue stain outcome needs to be widened; as it stands, we can frequency see the blue heat since it’s lonesome by your finger that’s upon the key.
3. Tweak the Interface
Those 3 core navigation buttons during the bottom left of each Honeycomb screen? Let’s send them behind to the striking designers for an overhaul. Of the 3 light snippet designs, usually one-the home button-is essentially transparent sufficient in the function. And even that’s debatable: One co-worker certified to me he suspicion which the default home idol was an up arrow during first.
From the outset, which “exit” symbol has been the problem. It looks similar to the laterally bookmark, nonetheless is dictated to be an exit or behind button. It behaves similar to the behind symbol to pierce we behind to the formerly beheld screen, nonetheless usually does so in the small apps; and, according to Google, it will essentially tighten we out of an app if we operate it to behind out of an app). Meanwhile, the not prolonged ago accessed symbol during right is conjunction transparent in the function, nor easy to perspective as the light tracing.
I most cite the thicker, clearer redesign implemented by Asus upon the Transformer; as good as which association isn’t the usually the single I’ve seen re-skin those buttons upon the tablet. If some-more than the single manufacturer sees it as the complaint point, Google would do good to residence the a emanate itself.
4. Clean Up the Root Directory
As compared to alternative mobile doing systems, Android lets we have freer entrance to your files from inside of apps. This capacity is pass to interoperability with alternative computers as good as apps, as good as it allows the inscription to have the limit probable coherence in what it can do, as good as how distant it can plea some-more determined desktop doing systems. It equates to which we can send files to the inscription around email, around an app, around the mental recall card, or even the approach tie to your PC; as good as afterwards entrance those files regulating an additional app upon the device to essentially do something with them. It’s about creation, as good as not usually consumption.
Take this real-world operate example. While regulating the Asus Eee Pad Transformer as it was docked in the Mobile Docking Station keyboard, we trustworthy the USB peep drive, non-stop the Word .docx record in the Polaris Office 3.0 program preinstalled upon the tablet, edited the document, as good as afterwards saved it with the latest name but delay to the office of my choice-be it upon the peep drive, or behind to the tablet. we chose to resave it to the tablet, as good as afterwards we non-stop the Gmail app as good as was means to insert which newly edited record to an outbound e-mail.
Here’s the rub, though: A series of record physical education instructor apps will let we entrance the Android record system, nonetheless by default, the file/folder classification looks similar to the mess. You have to be the developer to know where files have been stored, as good as what’s in what directory. For example, upon which Transformer tablet, the record physical education instructor showed which the USB expostulate folders were buried underneath the Removable directory, inside of the base directory.
The bottom line is which anticipating files manually stays the cluttered as good as keen knowledge since Android’s engorgement of commissioned files as good as folders, as good as miss of apparent, real-world hierarchy to those files as good as folder. A small housekeeping in display here can go the prolonged approach towards creation tablets some-more functional.
5. Improve Handling of External Storage
Many of the Honeycomb tablets have, during the least, the microSD label container for expanding storage. And the small have USB ports, possibly but delay built in to the tablet, or built in to the advancing hire which connects to the tablet. That’s the lot of outmost storage options. Unfortunately, Honeycomb appears ill-equipped for doing outmost storage. For starters, each time we insert the label or device, the Android OS needs to mountain it-and which infrequently seems to take forever. Not which Microsoft Windows achieves this instantaneously, either, nonetheless afterwards again, we shouldn’t feel the need to elicit comparisons to Windows when I’m articulate about the lighter, theoretically some-more nimble Android OS upon the mobile, flash-based tablet.
I’ve had Android 2.2 throttle upon an SD label we inserted, as good as lapse an blunder observant the label was depraved (experienced upon Dell’s Streak 7). On Honeycomb, we haven’t gifted which sort of issue, nonetheless we have had to mislay as good as reinsert media mixed times to get it to be recognized. And if we brave to mislay the label but initial unmounting by the Android doing system, Android 3.0 gets unequivocally fractious (either giving the “force close” error, or not noticing the subsequent media plugged in to which pier or slot).
Unmount media? Is which unequivocally the step Google has to demand on? The law is cards as good as USB drives get extrinsic as good as yanked out all the time, as good as insisting upon which additional step usually bogs things down. One of Android’s large differentiators is the actuality which in can give users file-level carry out (see indicate 4). But if Google can’t get the OS to fool around good with those files, that’s starting to be an Achilles’ Heel, as good as the single which boundary either the inscription can make an effort to turn an interoperable deputy for the laptop.
Where’s the Update?
The OS has nonetheless to have some-more than the teenager indicate update, so as if the programmers during the Googleplex have been operative upon how to understanding with these points, as good as more. After all, I’ve usually pinpointed the handful of weaknesses. Others issues we know about: Honeycomb additionally has to be means to improved understanding with customary Android 2.x apps upon the inscription (too often, I’ll see such apps crash); it has to turn some-more fast (the formula needs to get spotless up so “Force Close” errors upon core, enclosed apps have been the thing of the past); it needs to capacitate HDMI outlay to await full 1080p output, as good as twin video streams, so we can do the single thing upon the device whilst outputting the apart tide around HDMI; as good as it needs to capacitate full fast charging around USB. And that’s the usually the reduced list I’m wakeful of.
Hopefully these points, as good as most more, have been upon the calendar to be addressed. And maybe, we’ll listen to the bit about them during Google I/O this week.
