Google Android 3.2 is designed to bridge the gap between 7 and 10 inch tablets by offering a version of the Android operating system that will scale easily to various screen sizes. Motorola has already begun rolling out the software update for its 10 inch XOOM tablet and Asus plans to issue an update for the Eee Pad Transformer soon. Meanwhile the 7 inch Huawei MediaPad is set to be one of the first devices that will ship with Androi 3.2 already installed.
But what about existing 7 inch tablets? Samsung release a 7 inch Galaxy Tab last year, and while the company has been working on a software update, it only brings the tablet up to Android 2.3, not Android 3.x.
That’s where the independent developer community comes in. Xda-developers forum member spacemoose1 was already working on porting Android 3.x Honeycomb to run on Samsung’s 7 inch tablet, but now that Android 3.2 is starting to make the rounds he’s going to focus on porting the latest version of the OS.
It’s still an early work in progress at this point. Google hasn’t released the full source code for any version of Honeycomb. That means developers have to modify software extracted from the emulators that come with Google’s software developer kit or the firmware from existing Android devices. For now the only firmware available to work with is from the Motorola XOOM.
How does this article have anything to do with “crapple”? Geez fan boys, who are you trying to convince?
Oh and where have all the cheap 7″ tablets gone to?
Apple says “7 inch tablet is too small for us” so now no-one wants to build/sell them. That just seems bizarre… a smaller iPad-like device would definitely suit a lot of people if the price was right.
It will be interesting to see the Sony S2 when it arrives with its potentially game changing screen design. But the price will probably kill it from mainstream – much like their high res pocket netbooks (would have loved one of those but they were just way too dear) as the form factor was cool.
Sony need to make cool products affordable to recapture their reputation. The world market has changed since their heyday.
Even Apple are competing more on price than ever before. They are still expensive but when other tablet makers are using their price benchmarks (rather than undercut them) they will remain dominant.
I see plenty of 10″ tablets in retail stores now (and more to come) but without the Apps and brand recognition, their is little to tempt purchasers to buy these unproven items. THAT is why the Zooms and HPs have underperformed expectations.
Apple will continue to push the specs (to keep up with the others) so competition is great for all of us. But just as there are few MP3 players these days, the vast majority of tablets will probably also fail when sitting next to Apple’s items.
(And off topic, the Microsoft Stores… LOL. Ever walked into a Sony Store and seen the lack of consumer interest? The can copy the Apple Store idea but if you don’t “get it”, you can’t recreate it).
Android is the new Linux: the “cool kids play toy”.
Fragmented operating systems are not really ready for end users. Closed, controlled ecosystems might not be in favour but they do make life EASIER for the masses.
Even Google know this and are somewhat trying to rein in control. When 2.x builds weren’t really tablet designed YET were still used, maybe Google realised the negative impact this could have. Now they are trying to be less open.
I would hate to be buying a machine, locked into their hardware and then having to wait patiently (hopefully!!!) for an update. Hardware guys rarely care about systems once they are sold. They are looking to the next sale, not the past ones. How many times have you (or I) been caught by bleeding edge promises…
Makes me nervous; I would prefer not to cook my Tab, thank you, so I’m paaaatiently waiting for the official Gingerbread upgrade to roll out to Canadian Rogers customers.