Why an Android tablet would be Superior to iPad

I was one of the guys standing in line at 7am for an iPad when the store didn't open until nine. I'm always an early (first) adopter of new tech. Did the same thing with the iPhone on June 27, 2007 only I waited 8 hours in the rain for that. Did it with the Motorola Droid and most recently, the Droid Incredible. I like to get my gadgets before the masses, obviously.

So when the iPad came out, even though I ditched the iPhone platform in February 2009 for Android (G1), I jumped on it. I don't see eye-to-eye much with Steve Jobs anymore and didn't like the direction the entire iPhone OS was (and has continued) going. But I loved the idea of a tablet. My MacBook Pro is a great workhorse. She does everything I need and then some, especially after maxing out the RAM and buying a 1TB external hard drive. My (then) Motorola Droid was my constant companion.. it went everywhere with me, even the bathroom. Yes, I'm one of those guys.

I see Android as the OS of the future. Its always changing, always improving, always growing, and as reported recently, has already surpassed the iPhone in sales. So the iPad was a bit of an ugly ducking to my Google-biased mindset from the start. But I gave it a chance and bought the 32gb wifi-only model on launch day. The launch-apps were good. The physical form factor is amazing. But it lacked too much for me to really truly love it. So thanks to my Premium Silver Rewards membership at Best Buy, it went back 39 days later.

In that 39 days, I tested all the mainstream iPad-specific apps. I integrated it into my daily life. From streaming music via bluetooth to my car stereo, to reading the news while visiting the porcelain palace, to games, tethering it thru my rooted Droid for internet connectivity anywhere and everywhere, and everything else I did with it, I never found true love with it.

Noah from PhoneDog.com thinks its an underpowered computer and doesn't see the point of the whole tablet idea. So he's selling his. He's missing the point. The iPad (and future tablets of ANY operating system) probably never will compare with modern computers. That's just it: they aren't MEANT to. At least for most folks. You don't buy a tablet with the idea of junking out your desktop or laptop completely. You buy a tablet for portability; for ease of use; for pleasure; you buy it with a different mindset than you do a full blown Mac/PC.

The example I gave him was a comparison between bicycles and cars. Bikes aren't as fast as cars. They can't transport your groceries, your luggage, or your family. They aren't as safe since its harder for drivers to see you, they aren't practical in inclement weather or at night, and they aren't suitable for long distances. So do we stop selling them? Will people stop buying them? Absolutely not. They're intended for a different purpose, which is where Noah and others of the same mindset are missing the point of tablet computing. He compares a MacBook to a Swiss Army knife and the iPad (and tablets in general) to a butter knife saying one is more flexible AND powerful. Agreed; the Swiss Army knife does have more ability than a butter knife obviously. But that still doesn't take into account the intended purpose. Are you going to use a Swiss Army knife to spread cream cheese on your bagel? Doubtful. Why? Its overkill.

Now we're getting somewhere.

In this day and age, we have the mindset of always having the most powerful and performance-based gadgets at all times. I'm guilty. My Motorola Droid was a great phone. But the HTC Droid Incredible is a better phone. So I upgraded. And in most cases, this idea brings beneficial and expected results. But with tablets being in their own category (not a smartphone, not a laptop), that idea just doesn't apply. You can't compare the power, performance and functionality of a tablet to that of a laptop when they aren't even designed to compete (at least tablets running mobile OS's like Apple / Android).

Let's talk real world, since that's what it all comes down to. I used my tablet in the car, in coffee shops, in hotels, in my living room, in my garage, at my friends houses, at restaurants, and just about everywhere else. And I absolutely could have used my MacBook Pro in all those places, too. Why didn't I? Because I didn't need to. I didn't need to wait for it to boot up (although its fast, its not instantaneously). I didn't need to do any real production at those times or in those places. It was more about leisure and enjoyment. Obviously, I read PhoneDog, plus all the other tech blogs you know you've got bookmarked, too. Why use my powerhouse of a laptop for such medial tasks when a tablet will more than suffice? I could save the battery life of my laptop for more important and demanding tasks. Again, going back to the knife vs. knife analogy... why spread cream cheese on your bagel with a Swiss Army knife?

Tablets are obviously here to stay. As are smartphones. And laptops. None of these three categories are out there to knock the others out of the game. I don't want a tablet to replace my computer, just as I don't get rid of my Droid Incredible because technically speaking, my MacBook is WAY more incredible specs-wise.

Yeah, I took my iPad back. Yeah, I'm waiting on a great Android tablet to debut. When it does, I'll be one of the first to order it. Why do I have so much more faith in an Android offering? Because of the operating system superiority for my needs. Working with one application open at a time is ludicrous in this age with all the amazing applications available. Steve Jobs' neglecting multi-tasking (until this summer for iPhone / fall for iPad) is like your mom never letting you out of the house because of that chance you could get hit by a car. Or lightening. Or you could trip and skin your knee. Apple has left it out because it uses more battery life to run multiple applications. Cry. Me. A. River. Guess what, Steve? Android users don't get great battery life but we just surpassed your stupid iPhone in sales! Android Market is gaining on the AppStore fast! Developers are leaving your platform and vendors are discontinuing support for your products! Maybe you'll get ousted from your own company. Again.

Android is open source. And nobody cares that you root your phone and install applications from outside the market. There's even a little check box for it right in the settings menu! By allowing third-party app installations, you acknowledge that you're responsible for whatever happens to your device. I think we're all mature enough to make that decision for ourself here, momma Steve. We can go outside and take the risk of skinning our knee. And we can choose what we run on our devices.

So the iPad, in my book, is a failure. Not by design, per se, but by limitation. I suppose that also means by design, since 1 Infinite Loop knowingly built it that way. I'm anxious to see a solid and comparable Android-based tablet though; even taking the hardware out of my Droid Incredible and upsizing the screen would be superior to the iPad in every way. Expandable storage, open source, simultaneous apps, camera, and wifi radio to name a few. Plus, for Google fan-boys like me who have integrated Google products into their everyday lives, it makes more sense. I use Chrome, Blogger, Google Voice, Maps, Gmail, Talk, Picasa, Docs, Reader, YouTube, Search, Calendar, Buzz, and Android -- DAILY. So a tablet that integrates much better with those services than iPad (since Google and Apple are still at each other's throats) would be amazing. The larger screen would be more conducive to both productivity and pleasure; the backbone would be built upon everything I already have going and it'd flow together seamlessly. And that's what everyone wants from the web: a seamless integration of their experience from device to device, no matter where they are. An Android tablet would accomplish that much faster and easier than any Apple-based device simply because Google already has such a huge footprint all over the web, where Apple just has music, books and apps to call their own. If all I wanted from my online experience was music, books and apps, Apple would be my brand of choice. But I want more. And Android answers the call.

iPhone and iPad Update to OS 4.0 - Ughh

I could really care less about the iPhone itself. It was cool back in 2007 when it debuted but Android has since left it in the dust. Not only software-wise, but also with the *innovation* of new and superior hardware by Motorola and HTC. However, I'm still tied down to Apple's iPhone OS by way of my iPad. Yeah, I know... "Get an Android tablet." Until one is available boasting the same (or better) hardware specs as the iPad in as sleek and slim of a package, I, like 450,000 others, are stuck. And it's not entirely a bad "stuck." I'm happy with what the iPad can do for now, keeping in mind it'll evolve in the near future.

Enter iPhone OS 4.

Apple removed the wool from the sheeps' eyes this morning (pun intended?) with the unveiling of iPhone OS 4.0. It's being made available to developers today and will be released to current iPhone 3G and 3Gs owners "this summer." No specific date was provided. Chief among the 100+ improvements is the ability to multitask, something Apple has been behind on since, oh, I don't know... the beginning? This means I can now stream Pandora WHILE browsing the web. I can actually get Twitter updates from TweetDeck in REAL time while browsing the web or working in another application. It's a big deal, I know. Something Android has done from the beginning, Apple manages to produce 3 years later. Oh well, better late than never I suppose. Right?

iPhone 3G and iPod Touch third-gen devices will get the update this summer sometime. Based on Apple's history, I'm guessing in June. We iPad owners though will be waiting until an undisclosed time "this fall." I suppose the other appropriate adage to use here is "Good things come to those who wait." Well, I'm tired of waiting for Apple to get their head on straight, but that's what I get for buying into the closed-minded heavily guarded and protected ecosystem of Apple.

More features of OS 4.0 after the jump.

HTC Incredible Final release date: April 29

According to Taylor from Android and Me, the long awaited HTC Incredible will finally see the light of day! Come April 29, you (and I) should be able to snag your dream phone at Verizon and Best Buy stores nationwide.

Check out the leaked internal documents from both VZW and Best Buy below. Looks like the long wait actually has a finite ending! Still no word yet on the Verizon Nexus one, though.










-- Post From My iPad

Reports Confirmed: iPad requires more juice

If you've tried using an iPhone/iPod accessory with your iPad, you've probably gotten the same error I did tonight. I tried plugging my iPad in via a car charger made for the iPhone 3G I used to have. If you remember, Apple did this before with first-gen iPhones; most accessories including chargers wouldn't work with the iPhone 3G.

I have no complaints with the battery life on the iPad though. In fact, unlike most gadgets, it's battery life actually outperforms the manufacturer's claims. I'm just a power junkie... Always want to make sure my devices are juiced up and ready to go. So I don't have a huge problem waiting for Apple or Belkin or Griffin to make a charger for the car. In the meantime, if I need to, I'll just lug the MacBook Pro along and plug it into the USB port.

Screenshot:






-- Post From My iPad

iPad + Android Phone = iPad 3G

Like 300,000 others, I picked up my Apple iPad last Saturday. Since the Wifi-only model is the only one available so far, it really left me limited on connectivity. Sure, I've got Wifi at home and most serious businesses offer it now too, but what about all the gaps? I do a lot of traveling in the car for both business and pleasure. And that device just begs to be used everywhere you go. So, using my trusty Droid, I found a quick, easy and FREE solution.

All you need is a rooted Android phone running Android 2.0 or higher. I've only tested this with my Droid on Verizon, but the connection is established and routed from the handset, so the carrier you're on shouldn't be an issue.

As long as your phone is rooted, just install the app "Wireless Tether for Root Users" which you can get here. Set up your phone as a mobile hotspot by giving it an SSID, a security key and you're good to go. Once you've launched the tethering application, put your phone aside and go to the Wifi setup on your iPad. Choose your newly created network from the list, enter your security key and click Join. That's it.

Now, anywhere you have a data connection on your phone through your carrier, your iPad will also have internet access. This beats buying the actual 3G version of the iPad later this month for a few reasons:

1. The official iPad 3G will only offer service from AT&T using their odd-ball micro-SIMs. 
2. AT&T's network is already a mess with the enormous plague of iPhone.
3. As the Verizon commercials point out, Big Red has far more 3G coverage than AT&T.
4. You already pay for the data plan as part of your Droid service - why pay for internet access a second time, on a second account, with a second bill on an inferior network?
5. Once the HTC Evo 4G from Sprint comes out, you'll actually have an iPad 4G! 

Video demonstration after the jump.

Android App Review: MyBackup Pro

This is probably the best application you'll never actually use. Well, hopefully not anyway. 

Occasionally there comes a time when having a solid backup of your entire system can be a life saver. Lose your phone, break your phone, accidentally wipe all your data doing some custom hackery; whatever the case, MyBackup Pro has you covered.

Not only do you have the option of backing up your system locally to your SD card, but also to Rerware's remote secure servers, which is what you want if your phone goes MIA. The Pro version runs $4.99 in the Android market, comes with lifetime updates and provides 50mb of online storage. 

Remember when I said its the best application you'll never use? MyBackup Pro performs automatic backups, either to your SD card or to your online storage, at a prescheduled interval you define when you install the app. Backup your system daily or weekly at a time when you're not using your phone (i.e. when you're asleep!). 

Summary and screen shots after the jump.

Android App Review: bTunes

Many of us have used Apple's iPod UI at some point, namely the interface supplied with Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. Being a former (and proudly rehabilitated) iPhone junkie, one of the things that I wasn't necessarily impressed with in Android's OS from the beginning was the music player. Sure, it did the job, but finding certain songs in a thousands-deep library wasn't always easy. Enter bTunes.

bTunes is an iPod look-alike application for Android. The entire UI is designed after the iPhone / iPod Touch application, which is one thing Apple is most famous for. From the look and feel of the touch interface to the graphics and functionality, bTunes does leaps and bounds over the stock music player.

It's easy to build playlists on the go, rearrange the track order within them, add and remove songs at will, and shuffle the entire mix. When the phone is in sleep mode with the screen off, bTunes has a lock-screen overlay that gives easy access to "Next Track", "Pause" and "Previous Track" buttons, while displaying downloaded album artwork in the background. Nice.

Each time you launch the app, bTunes searches your memory card for new media files automatically, so you're always up to date with new additions to your music collection. Use the "Recently Added" queue to then take those songs and insert them into your existing playlists.

For advanced users, the Preferences list is a dream. It allows you to control all aspects of bTunes; from Last.fm scrobbling to shortcut key functions to search options.

Summary and screen shots after the jump.