Android Tablet

[Tom Metro]

Mark Woodward wrote:
> My wish list is.....
> 
> Linux Access - I have to be able to get below the Android front to run 
> ssh and stuff.
> full Linux tool set - Whether I have to put it on an SD card or what 
> ever, I want to be able to use the standard Linux tools.
> better than 800x600 video.
> USB ports, both device and host.

While tablets may be eclipsing netbooks, your requirements seem to
better fit a netbook. You plan to use a BlueTooth keyboard?

I occasionally use ssh from my N810 using a screen or thumb keyboard,
and its fine for that, but your "full Linux tool set" requirement
suggests you want to do light to moderate development work via the device.

The good news is that if a netbook does fit your needs better, you might
be able to find a better deal on them now that tablets are the hot item.


> Anyway, does anyone have any experience with any of the android tablets 
> out there?

I tried out a Motorola Xoom at BestBuy last weekend. Seemed nice, once I
found a sales droid that knew how to unlock it. It was loaded with a
Verizon-branded demo app with a few videos to show it off, but I think
they did a poor job. Each video was very brief. One covered
gaming/entertainment, another business apps, another something I don't
remember, and another I didn't view covered the 4G wireless. Oddly
absent was coverage of the book reader, which is likely a use that falls
into the top 3 ~ 5 for a tablet. I did find the reader app myself, and
it seemed quite usable. Nicely animated page flips, easy to change font
settings, etc.

I also saw a Barnes & Noble Nook Color, but ran out of time to do much
with it. Quick impression is that it has a smaller screen than the Xoom,
and was less responsive, but also lighter. (And as noted on BLU before,
less than half the price.)


> Should I wait for a few more months until better ones become available?

There are a slew of tablets scheduled for release this summer and fall.
So it is expected that choices will expand significantly in the coming
months.

There is also talk that there is an over production of tablets,
resulting in shortages of displays and other components common across
models. Whether that drives up prices due to supply shortages, or drives
them down due to slow moving inventory, isn't clear.

And Google announced that they're delaying the release of the Honeycomb
code for an indeterminate period of time. Supposedly to polish the code,
but a likely motivator is that they want to give their big licensees
(Motorola, Samsung) a good head start on the no-name Chinese clones.
That means prices won't drop as fast as they might have. But I still
wouldn't be surprised to see something with the equivalent hardware of a
Xoom WiFi selling for $100 to $200 less in a few months.

So short answer is figure out whether your tablet needs justify a few
hundred dollar premium. Or whether it makes sense to hack a Nook now,
and repurpose or give it away in 3 to 6 months.

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/