I read the Ars XOOM review, and I'm not worried in the slightest. Android has a history of fast releases to market, and generally good bug-fixing and general improvement. I suspect that these concerns will disappear in short time. Homescreen replacements, new widgets, and new applications will improve the users experience greatly.

I also suspect the Xoom as being incomplete relative to Motorola, and may not be the same with other vendors (eg. Samsung). Time will tell.

Android has been moving towards the quick update model found in Chrome noted in the separation of OS from applications, as well as some system facilities (eg. UI fragments lib). I expect android to move forward at maximum speed with numerous innovations.

I foresee Android tablets being as successful in that arena as Android handsets were in theirs.

What I mean is that with the proliferation of apps in the Apps store / Marketplace etc and with Android there being multiple market stores, the problem arises

1) as to how do I discover a good app for my particular purpose ? Of course just searching thruu the Marketplace is not a good option anymore - since along with the 5 gems you will find 50 junk apps as well - so how do we filter ? (Ratings based is not always dependable either).

2) So I go ahead and install around 20-30 apps at max on my device.
Now its not very practical to remember all 30 apps - sinse some of them are very rarely used - not a everday usage scenario applies to all.
(for example I use MINT app and a Finance app and a eTrade app, and a second 3rd party finance app all for checking on my porfolio - now any of these apps I don't use everyday. So I nowadays remember the MINT app when I want to check my accounts, but the portfolio growth or loss is better reflected in the GFinance app - and I may have forgotten after a month of non-use that I had it installed (or what its name was).

3) The problem 2 arises since I can't possibly have all the 30 apps I installed as a shortcut on my desktop when I don't use it regularly - and also having all apps on the desktop would kill the purpose of the "quick-access" nature of the desktop itself (even with 5 desktops). So this very nature of "multiple applications and then have some frequent usage apps on the desktop" paradigm is also partly limited I would say since it only works upto a certain extent.

4) And after a year's worth of other apps that you may have bought on impulse (remember mobile apps are priced for impulse buying unlike desktop apps), my apps list might scroll to an unmanageable lenghth - and trying to find THAT one app for say my cardio training purposes that I used last summer (while I lazed all winter in front of the Kinect ) is pretty hard enough unless you remember actively what you had used 5 months back.


This is what I already face to a small extent - with only 30 apps (and my limited memory). I guess unless you run into this issue yourself, its difficult to appreciate the problem. But good for you Dan that you have been able to keep your apps installation to a minumum. And aso I hope I have been able to explain the issue to you. Its not a "you cant do it" kind of a problem, but more of a usability issue as you install more and more apps on your device.

Also to address the solution you mentioned - go to the apps marketplace online and do a search - while that is OK for times when you are looking for apps at leisure, it doesnt work when you need the app right now, but dont have the time to search from your god-awfully long list of apps on the device, let alone seacrh online.

I personally believe this app centric view of the mobile workspace is quite limited in scope and functionality. There HAS to be a better paradigm.

Yes, and to add to my point above of hitting the App wall, now we may soon hit the "App Market wall"

But again, competition is always a good thing.

@nilchak

I think I fall roughly into dan's category as well. Generally, I probably have between 10-20 apps, not including games. Usually, if I don't use an app for a while, it isn't useful, so I get rid of it. That keeps the clutter down. Any apps I do install, I try to use for a couple days. If they don't do what I want/need, I uninstall them. I do have some apps I don't use frequently, but these are generally "utilities" and don't warrant regular use. There are only a couple of these anyway.

Even a the impulse prices, I usually won't buy an app until I'm sure I need/want it, which includes doing other research as necessary. Preferably, I'll use a free/ad/lite version for a bit before I buy a full version. Very few impulse buys.

As far as finding apps:
I haven't found a situation where I needed an app immediately, where 10 minutes to search and find it was an issue. I can't say that as I scroll through a menu list of installed apps, that there are any that I've forgotten what they are for. I may see some that I have not have used for a while (at which point I may uninstall them).

Generally, I find suggestions for apps in forums, blogs, articles, etc. I also end up searching those places as well as the market for things I'm looking for. It is tough to find the gems amid all the others, but keep in mind, my gem may be your trash, and your trash may be my gem.

I'd rather have more choices than fewer. I'd rather do a little research to find that gem rather than have someone else decide what apps are "gems". I guess I just don't see the very plentiful amount of apps as an issue yet.

Fantastic news. Google is supporting SIP as a part of Google Voice! No more proprietary protocols here folks!

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/03/voi...-google-voice/

LINK: Call a google voice number via SIP (bypass PSTN)

Free calls for everyone!

Soon a call will be simple calculated in terms of data consumed -- next to nothing.

I can see this feature being extremely useful for businesses. It's cheap, and because of Android handset proliferation, provides a very easy avenue for internet telephony on handsets.

I think it's a very interesting sociological question, with some potentially interesting implications.

In practicality, it's similar to any medium where the amount of content exceeds a persons capacity to consume it. This is not exclusive to Android apps. For example:

• The Web and it's tens of pages
• Movies
• Books
• Songs (or artists for that matter)
• Computer Software (eg. linux software)
• Etc

In the end, we are happy if there's software available that we are looking for. The huge repository can be seen as a boon for selection, not something that has to be consumed fully to be enjoyed.

That said, I have a finite number of apps on my machine, and I'm ok with it. I am grateful, though, when there's a rich selection available when I'm looking for new functionality.

It looks as though Google's search now offers previews to mobile devices!


http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/201...ilable-on.html

The performance on the Nexus S looks abysmal, but that is likely due to the Android browser performance in general. Otherwise, it looks like a neat feature!

Here's a great post and video of N64oid on the Galaxy Tab:
http://www.androidcentral.com/androi...p-n64-emulator

VIDEO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dx_j0mSchU

The framerate is WONDERFUL. Very impressive.

I'm with Lemmy and Cap'n on this one and I suspect most users would agree with us, given that it's not something I've heard a lot of debate about. After having moved a LOT of people around me onto the Android platform (several even off of Maemo, now), I heard FAR more complaining about a severe lack of applications even when they were all free and open-source back on Maemo than I'm hearing complaints of too MANY apps being available and hard to sort through on Android. Most people seem to listen to reviews, friends and try out demos. It's rare to spend money to purchase apps on Android and the ones that people seem to purchase are only the ones that really fit their needs or interest.

Who knows, though, you might be on to something that adds at least some more friendliness and usability to the platform. Being that this is driven by Google, it wouldn't surprise me if they're already thinking about that, After looking through the Honeycomb version of the app store, I noticed that it's a LOT more complete and nicer than using the app store on the 2.x versions (and it seems they've even begun separating apps from books in the store, like they did on the web site--thank GOD.. I hated how people were mixing apps with other content), and even the old one wasn't too bad an experience for most people I know. Cripes--my luddite mother even knows how to use and loves her hacked Nook Color tablet that I'd got her and she knows to ask "is there a program to" do something she needs. I search it for her and she knows where it is. It's in the app list (or she has a shortcut on one of the desktops). This is why I had to ask for elaboration. If she isn't getting lost in it, I didn't understand how you might. Your perspective is far more important, since it's the guys that aren't comfortable that give everyone the opportunity to tweak things into being better.

To summarize: I feel that most people are happy with their app experiences (I certainly am) but I recognize that your view of how there has to be a better way is certainly right--I tend to believe things can always be improved even when you think they're great. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing what a solution to that might look like.

Bravo, Dan, bravo..

Normally complaints are struck down as being inane or a problem with the user at TMO, but your post shows that being constructive can at least begin the brainstorming for making things better; even if only a suggestion to said user to improve h(is|er) experience.

Are you sure you're in the right place?

Oh, and do you have any spare change?