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Android tablets=fail

How can some bash Apple for crippling their phones and the iPad when Google is doing the same thing with tablets? In case you don't know, Google has made it so tablets and anything else running Android not a "with Google" device will not be able to access the Android market. Seriously? What good will it be to have an Android tablet if you can't access the market? The shiny widgets? What an epic fail.
 
You know we don't mindlessly love Google. We use Android phones, it's a cool OS, we like it because it's open source and not restricted like iPhone OS.

We don't like restrictive actions by anyone, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Cadburys, anyone.

We're not going to suddenly stop hating Apple just because Google did something slightly similar. If this is true, Google will receive any justified criticism.
 
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I second Pryomancer.

But not allowing the market on certain tablet is not even close to the same thing as what Apple does. Android OS was originally developed with the phone in mind not other device and that goes for the market and apps as well. Being open does not mean to have not rules and standards.

Bill
 
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Pyromancer said it best.

We enjoy our Android phones (I love my Hero - it's not perfect, but for MY needs it's damn close), but 99% of us don't blindly follow and love every product that Google gets their hands in on.

I also have a Macbook and love it. It fits MY needs perfectly and has for 4 years now. That being said, I also don't think every Apple product is a godsend. I don't have a need at all for the iPad, for example. My Windows desktop and my Ubuntu desktop get plenty of use as well, as they fill certain needs/wants that I have.

Every single person, on this forum and in the public, has different needs and wants. Who are we to say what people should buy, or shouldn't buy. If someone wants to buy a "crippled" Android tablet, what do you care? If someone want to buy an iPad, who are we to say that's a bad idea - it might work for them (or they may have more money than they know what do to with hah).

Regardless, different products from every company fill a need for different consumers - if they didn't, they'd go out of business.
 
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Going by the title of this thread...and the info you are presenting, iPad = fail :)

I see Google doing nothing wrong other than protecting their name and making sure products that run their product are quality.

The same thing Apple does....

Um what?

First of all, Apple isnt allowing anyone else to put the iPhone/iPad/iMac OS into hardware that isnt an Apple product. So no, its NOT the same thing that Apple does. Apple controls all of that, Google on the other hand does not manufacture the hardware, but rather the OS. Much the same way Microsoft does.

Having said that, Google isnt telling us that we cant have flash. Apple? Not so much. So while Google isnt going to allow some ragtag manufacture to just slap Android into a device and give them access to market, Apple is out there telling people what they can, and can not run on hardware they own.

Its a huge difference between not allowing an unapproved device access to market and not allowing users access to software to use their device the way they want to.
 
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I dont think it will be too long before we see a tablet officially supported by google with the Market on it. Once that option and flash (due to hit for android this summer) I think we will see devices that can offer a viable alternative to the iPad. I currently have Android on a netbook and it is fast, looks good, and works reasonable well- this is with a very experimental x86 build. Let's also not forget that other than the WePad, most rumored Android tablets are significantly cheaper than the iPad.

As far as Google goes, I am willing to bet they are simply working on relationships with those trying to make Android tablets in order to get some sort of compensation for their work and to ensure some sort of standardization and quality control. This is tougher with an open source system than it is for Apple who doesnt allow anyone near their OS. They could also be waiting for Flash on Android in order to have some more leverage over the iPad.

As a last note, it is not Google crippling these tablets. Google open sourced their code for the OS, which is designed to run on mobile processors, not x86 processors. So far all x86 ports are custom builds and not official Google stuff-- yet. Some specific apps- Market and the Google PIM's that sync to Google are not open- surely because Google wants to ensure security and consistency in these.

My advice- be patient and see what happens when we see some actual tablets out there and not just vaporware.
 
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Android and Apple's OS are two completely different things. Opposite sides of the spectrum.

Exactly... Apple stuff is as proprietary as you can get. It takes people like Geohot and the other Jailbreakers to make it more accessible to the consumer, whereas the open source Android platform doesn't. I would absolutely grab an Android tablet, but certainly not for more than about 150$ It would be nice to have a cheap(er) color touchscreen where I can read my newspapers and carry my textbooks for school all in one tablet.
 
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How does the lack of Flash impact your web browsing? I would have thought a lot sites would be unusable, since not enough sites have a backup page for when Flash is turned off etc.

Only issue I have had is trying to play a flash video. Actual websites with flash in them, like myspace pages load up a bit slow but still work.
 
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There are some advantages over a netbook- Instant on, size/weight, battery life, affordability. Netbooks running full OS tend to be slightly underpowered. Although they do have the advantage of a full OS and all the software that comes along with it, they typically do not have GPS which some Android tablets might.

I had tablet PC's in their early days, smartphones since before they were called smartphones, and netbooks since they came out. I use a high end laptop and don't even own a desktop anymore. I dont like carrying or opening my laptop in a meeting and the battery wont go a full day at a conference. My netbook is nice for this as it is much less obtrusive and has a better battery life. It is still a bit obtrusive to open in a meeting and it is another full blown PC to maintain. A tablet (Android, iPad, whatever) should be able to sync whatever docs I need on the run or in a meeting, keep email and calendar all synced up, easily take short notes, have entertainment availability (news, sports, video, etc). Ideally, it would even be capable of running a presentation (PPT or otherwise connected to projector).

Sure, most of that can be done on my phone too. The bigger screen and keyboard are nicer though. It really does depend on the personal user and what their preference is. As a secondary device for many a tablet would work well- for others a netbook- and for some their really is no alternative to a full blown laptop.
 
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