1820 replies to this topic

[Blumenkohl]

I'm looking forward to the rumored system wide voice WolframAlpha integration...

Blumenkohl: Computer, what is the square root of the temperature at my current location times my current speed?

Computer: 11.05

Blumenkohl: Computer, please refer to me as Lt. Cmdr. Data. Thanks.

Computer: Unable to comply.

[Jason LeBlanc]

A 2 minute video showing Ice Cream Sandwich in action

http://www.engadget....y-of-a-lucky-e/

[Jason LeBlanc]

Samsung is announcing the Prime on October 11th!!!

http://www.phonearen...-Google_id22512

[Marian Schedenig]

I still wonder if they're ever going to announce a Nexus tablet.

[Stefancos]

Not a Linux one?

[Marian Schedenig]

Android is Linux.

[Stefancos]

But easier to use.

[Marian Schedenig]

Linux is easier to use than Linux?

[Stefancos]

Indeed!

[Blumenkohl]

Android is derived from Linux at the kernel level. At that level there's very little that affects how the user interacts with the device.

[Stefancos]

The problem with the few Linux interfaces I've used is that they are far to complex and counter-intuitive for non-experts to use.

Android is so very simple, easy to understand, easy to use. Better then Apple possibly.

My one encounter with Windows Mobile made me want to harm myself....

[Marian Schedenig]

Android is derived from Linux at the kernel level. At that level there's very little that affects how the user interacts with the device.

Linux is the kernel. To be specific, the full operating system normally used on desktop PCs is GNU/Linux. Even then, the user experience depends mostly on the desktop you use, and with KDE and Gnome, there are at least two widespread (in the Linux community) ones.

The problem with the few Linux interfaces I've used is that they are far to complex and counter-intuitive for non-experts to use.

Android is so very simple, easy to understand, easy to use. Better then Apple possibly.

Just as I imagine an iPhone is easier to use than an Apple PC, just to get back to your original comparison. Different requirements and therefore different levels of complexity. I wouldn't want Android as my desktop operating system, but it's great on phones, and I expect to be very happy with an Android tablet.

As far as desktop interfaces go, I strongly believes it depends very much on what you're used to (and I don't really follow the frequent "I'm used to Windows, so I'll stick with it" argument - but that's something that applies to other areas as well, people are just too lazy to bother changing habits, even if the results might be better for them/for others/for the environment).

For example, I never liked Gnome, finding it too stripped-down and simple for my power user requirements. I've never used an Apple OS, but it seems to go in the same direction. I like to be in control of what I do on my computer. I'm very happy with KDE, and I find it just as intuitive as Windows as far as the Windows desktop's capabilities are concerned, minus some of Window's annoying habits. But KDE has a much advanced widget library and Window manager, while GUI issues I've been complaining about in Windows are still unresolved there. They spiced up the look of the GUI (it looks modern for the first time, but still not particularly good), but it's still not themeable, and instead of resolving their various usability and backend issues, they introduced some new concepts that drive me mad.

And when it comes to having to fiddle with the depths of the system to fix stuff: You get that in both Windows and Linux (and perhaps with Apple, too, but according to reports from friends who had to admin these systems, you're mostly just completely out of luck there in that case). And while having to copy a few lines of text into a console may shock some users, I don't see why it's regarded as difficult. Surely, copying and pasting a bit of text is easier than following lengthy guides on how to click through dialog windows where you first have to locate the correct buttons?

Not wanting to derail this thread, sorry.

[Blumenkohl]

Apple iPhone event tomorrow...

Stay tuned...

[Jason LeBlanc]

I'm more excited about the Samsung Nexus Prime being announced next Tuesday!

http://www.phonearen...aceLock_id22551

[Jason LeBlanc]

YES! The Droid Prime will only have a 4.3" screen after all!

http://www.phonearen...olution_id22674

[Jason LeBlanc]

Here is a liveblog where you can follow Apple's iOS5 and next iPhone keynote, which is starting right NOW

http://www.engadget....dest&refresh=60

[Koray Savas]

No iPhone 5 yet, but some nice prices for the previous models.

iPhone 3GS - Free with contract
iPhone 4, 8GB - $99 with contract
iPhone 4S, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB - $199, $299, $399 with contract

I'll see what I can do to upgrade my HTC Incredible POS to the 32GB model.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Er, the iPhone 4S IS the iPhone 5 dude....

1: iPhone
2: iPhone 3G
3: iPhone 3Gs
4: iPhone4
5: iPhone4S

Whatever Apple launches next year will be the iPhone 6, not the iPhone 5




Anyway, new iPhone is called the iPhone4S... and just like the iPhone 3GS, it keeps the exact same exterior as the previous iPhone, and just changes the interior. I guess its nice people won't have to buy new cases. The big differences are:

1. New A5 chip, with graphics 7x faster than iPhone 4
2. It's a world phone, so it has a CDMA and a GSM modem inside
3. Has an awesome new 8mpx camera that takes pictures VERY fast
4. Has a program called Siri, where you can talk to your phone and it will give you information, or set up an appointment, etc.
5. FINALLY available in 64GB variation

Big dissapointments:

1. Still contains a tiny 3.5" screen! There are TONS of great android phones with 4.0 or 4.3" screens... what was Apple thinking?
2. No 4G at all - no LTE, no WiMax, but also only does 14.4 HSDPA! LTE and WiMax I totally understand, but there's NO excuse for it not being able to do 21 or 42 HSDPA. Weak sauce.
3. No word on the processor speed or internal memory yet, but if its only 1Ghz then that's a letdown. There are tons of dual core 1.2Ghz Android phones out now, and 1.5Ghz dual cores are coming real soon


On to Android, and the Verizon Nexus Prime I go! Can't wait to get rid of my iPhone 3GS, which is so old they literally give it away for free now!

[Blumenkohl]

3. No word on the processor speed or internal memory yet, but if its only 1Ghz then that's a letdown. There are tons of dual core 1.2Ghz Android phones out now, and 1.5Ghz dual cores are coming real soon

Internal memory should be 1 GB. I think you will find the dual core A5 smokes them all in terms of performance, no matter what their advertised on paper numbers say. It's an incredible beast.

I doubt even Samsung/Google's offering next week will be able to surpass it (while maintaining any semblance of battery life that is).

I've got plenty of disappointments with the 4S, but performance ain't one!

[Jason LeBlanc]

That is a very good point blume. I'd rather have a 1.2Ghz Exynos than a 1.5Ghz Snapdragon.

What are you personal disappointments with it?

[Trent Bennett]

I'm still puzzled as to why the iPhone never had a bigger screen.

That's cool though the iPhone 4Gs will have 64gbs. It would almost be tempted to trade my iPhone 4 in for this sucker.

[Jason LeBlanc]

3.5" was approaching undersized in June 2010, and in October of 2011 it's completely, completely ridiculously undersized!

Even if they didn't want to change the outside dimensions of the iPhone, they could have put a 4" screen in the same body (smaller bezel)

[Koray Savas]

I don't like big screens on phones. It's not like I'm watching movies and shit, that's the reason why I chose the Incredible over the humungous Droid X.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I never said it should have been humongous, like the 4.3" Droid X. But like I said, a 4" screen would have fit in the exact same phone they already have.

Not to mention 960x640 screens are practically out of date now too, with a bunch of 1280x720 screen phones coming out in a few weeks

Overall, they just didn't change enough from the iPhone4 to the iPhone4S. They slapped in a faster processor, a much better camera, different antennae and both types of modems in one box, but left everything else the same. In the SEVENTEEN MONTHS it's been since the iPhone 4, they should have done more. You know how much Android phones have change in seventeen months? My god!

The iPhone 6 will have to be a COMPLETE redesign with specs that at LEAST compare, if not exceed, the Android phones that exist at the time, or Apple's in a lot of trouble

[Koray Savas]

Apple in trouble?

[Jason LeBlanc]

OK here's demo of Siri



Very cool technology!

I except Android won't take long to catch up

[Blumenkohl]

Awesome:

1) Speeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeddd! I'm 75% sure this'll be the fastest smartphone for at least another 5 or 6 months methinks.
2) Siri. LCARS is here. (More on that when I have more time)

Lame:

1) $399 64GB. What the hell? This is a rip off. The entire line needs to just be shifted down so at $299 you have 64GB, $199 is 32 and 16 and 8 GB are saved for the older (now budget) iPhone 4 and 3GS.
2) No real improvement in battery life (3G Talk has gone up, WiFi has gone down)
3) Disappointed about retaining same form factor after 18 months. (however this is also understandable given Apple's OCD attention to detail...it's just not economical to do a new design every phone because on the manufacturing side Apple devices have ungodly tolerances and use some of the most advanced manufacturing processes en masse....so this is the price for precision quality)
4) Front camera remains garbage
5) No network speed bump in the USA. 14.4MB/s for the 1% of the country that supports HSDPA

[Jason LeBlanc]

Agreed 100% with your point #1 in all respects!!

Agreed 100% with point #4 as well. The Samsung Galaxy S2 has a 2mpx camera in front!

You're not disappointed that they are sticking with a 3.5" screen - the same size screen they've had since 2007?

Every other smartphone being made in the world is at least a 4.0" unless it comes with a physical keyboard pretty much.... and a 4.0" screen would have fit in the same form factor with a smaller bezel.


I fully expect apple will release an iPhone 6 in early 2012... like, by June/July at the latest... with a complete redesigned exterior, and 4G LTE capability

[Stefancos]

iPhone 5, Jason. Not 6.

[Jason LeBlanc]

What are you talking about?

2007 - iPhone 1 - iPhone
2008 - iPhone 2 - iPhone 3G
2009 - iPhone 3 - iPhone 3GS
2010 - iPhone 4 - iPhone 4
2011 - iPhone 5 - iPhone 4S
2012 - iPhone 6 - unknown

[Koray Savas]

Yeah I've decided to wait considering it will probably take less than a year this time around. Not worth all the money to cancel my contract and all that.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I assume you want to stay on Verizon, yes? I recommend checking out the Verizon Droid Prime when it is announced on Tuesday. By the time Apple announces the iPhone 6, it probably still won't be as good as that phone.

[Stefancos]

What are you talking about?

2007 - iPhone 1 - iPhone
2008 - iPhone 2 - iPhone 3G
2009 - iPhone 3 - iPhone 3GS
2010 - iPhone 4 - iPhone 4
2011 - iPhone 5 - iPhone 4S
2012 - iPhone 6 - unknown

There is no such thing as an iPhone 5. The new one is called iPhone 4s. Why would they go from 4s to iPhone 6?

[Jason LeBlanc]

What are you talking about? There was no such thing as as iPhone 2 or iPhone 3 either, yet they released a product called iPhone 4. Why wouldn't their sixth generation iPhone be codenamed iPhone 6? Doesn't mean that's going to be the final product name. In fact, I bet the final product name will be "iPhone 4G" or "iPhone LTE". But it's not debatable that its the 6th generation of iPhones... that's a fact...

[Stefancos]

Insane!

One of their models was called the 3GS, so it makes sense to follow up with the number 4.

Why call something iPhone 6 if there is no indication that that is the final name of new years iPhone?

[Jason LeBlanc]

I am speechless. And I'm done arguing. You need to get a job, man.

[Trent Bennett]

1) $399 64GB. What the hell? This is a rip off. The entire line needs to just be shifted down so at $299 you have 64GB, $199 is 32 and 16 and 8 GB are saved for the older (now budget) iPhone 4 and 3GS.

I agree 100%! I think it's rather damn retarded how much Apple charges for their new phones. I've lost count on how many posts i've read that people would love to get an iPod Classic and or Touch but can't because of the price factor when they're released. Then they stay that way until the new generation comes out. They don't even drop in price until the new generation is out!

If they did drop in price between that time frame that would be one thing but they don't and it's highly irritating. Especially since I want to get a new iPod Touch or even another classic but the fact they're so damn much is what is putting me off.

[Stefancos]

I am speechless. And I'm done arguing. You need to get a job, man.

When did my job ever stop me? Just face it, there is no iPhone 6.

[Koray Savas]

Jay is correct.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Teaser video for the Samsung Nexus Prime!