My first impressions of my Android tablet

My first exposure to Android:

I got my Toshiba Thrive 5 days ago and here are my first impressions. This is my first real exposure to Andriod. 

Summary:

1)      If I needed to replace my PC, could I replace it with a tablet?- NO

a.       I need to run my tax program

b.      I need to edit and read .docx files

c.       I need a real keyboard to be productive (yes I can get a Bluetooth keyboard but then I would just have a laptop.)

2)      Would I buy an iPad or an Android tablet? – Android

a.       I don’t like the restrictive nature of the iTunes/iPhone echo system. Some people are happy with iTunes/iPhone’s restrictions, I am not.

3)      If I had only $400 to spend and I had to either get a laptop or a tablet I would get the laptop. If I

had only $1000 to spend, I would get a better laptop, a smartphone, go out to a nice restaurant, and 

maybe a Kindle Fire.

Background:

For the last year and a half, I have been using an iPhone 4 which is my first and only exposure to Apples iOS. I like my iPhone but I am always frustrated by the restrictive nature of the platform. When looking for a tablet, I wanted to try something different and hopefully more open. Since I have been involved in Linux development for the last 12 years, Android devices seem to be a natural fit. Costing less than an iPad2 was an added bonus.

My main use for a tablet is to learn app development, e-mail, web browsing, and the occasional game.

I shopped around for a while and determined my minimal requirements.

1)      Android 3.1 or higher

2)      Duel core Integra 2

3)      16GB of storage

4)      1GB of memory

5)      7” screen or larger

If money was not at issue my first choice was an Asus Transformer Prime with better graphics, 10” screen, and a 4 core Integra3, but I would then be hitting the iPad2 price point. Instead I was able to get a Toshiba Thrive 16GB 10” tablet for almost half the price. Yes, it is thick and heavy but I got it for a good price and it will serve my needs. This is important; determine what you need to do and your budget.

What I like about iOS(iPhone/iPad):

It works. If you don’t mind staying within the boundaries defined by the iOS platform, it is a great platform. It is well integrated into the iOS/iTunes echo system. It is easy to use and it is very stable.  

What I like about Android:

1)      You can add extra storage - Unlike iOS devices, every Android device I have seen has an SD or micro-SD slot for additional storage. If you buy a 16GB Apple device, that is all you have. The only remedy is to buy another expensive device for more storage. Most of, if not all, the Android tablets can handle up to 32GB SD or micro SD cards. You cannot install apps onto the SD cards but you can install data files, like MP3 files, movies, etc…. I have 16GB of music which I can put on my SD card and leave my main 16GB free for apps and other stuff.

2)      Integration with Google-Yes Google is a big brother corporation like Apple but Google allows me to do more of the things I want to do. My GMAIL. Google Docs, and my Calendar are all seamlessly synced between my Android tablet device and the Google cloud. If I don’t have my tablet with me, no problem. I can get on any device with an internet connection and a browser and get access to all my stuff. I don’t need to back things up because they are on the cloud and Google does it for me. The downfall is, Googledocs does not do you much good if you don’t have access to a WIFI connection to the Internet. There is no local copy of Googledoc files on the device.

3)      You can print some things – From Googledocs you can print to your windows PC if you do the setup through the Chrome browser. Yes, you need to have your PC powered up but you don’t need to buy one of the very few printers that support Apple iOS. I can print to any printer that is connected to my PC. Actually my printer is a network printer that my PC uses. Google does have a few Cloud Printers which do not need a PC as a proxy. The Cloud Printers just need to be connected to your network. This is similar to what Apple has. The one thing nice about Google’s solution is, it allows me to use the printers I already have.

You cannot print everything, such as screenshots or from the browser on the tablet. While print options are better than Apple they are not complete.

4)      You don’t need iTunes or email files to your device to copy them – When I plug in my Android tablet into the USB port of my computer, it mounts as if it is a USB flash drive. I can simply copy, edit, and delete file just like a flash drive. If I want to put a PDF document on my tablet all I need to do is drag and drop. The only way I found to do this easily on my iPhone is to mail it to myself. I then had to leave it in my e-mail.

5)      I like the Android desktop – The Android desktop just looks cooler. I like the widgets. The iOS desktop seems so regimented compared to Android.

6)      It is running Linux – Having worked on Linux for the last 12 years I am prejudice, but is a rock solid OS. You don’t need to know Linux because it is buried underneath the Andriod UI like most things using Linux, like your home router, DVR, cable set top box, and the ATM machine down the street.  

What about Android I don’t care for:

1)      It sometimes does not work – The one thing I like about iOS, is that everything works for me 99% of the time while Android seems to work 97% of the time. The Android OS is fine, it seems the applications have issues. I crash the browser at least once a day. The OS always seemed stable. It appears to be an issue with the apps or maybe Java. I am not sure the cause, I am only sure of the results.

2)      Things are different from iOS – This is more of a “what you are familiar with” issue than a functional issue. I am just use to where things are in iOS. Everything in Adroid is there; I just need to learn where they are.

3)      Security – Because of Apples restrictive app store, you are less likely to download a mischievous app. The Android marketplace can be like the Wild West. You need to know what you are downloading. Practice safe downloading.

4)      No Screen Capture – This is dumb simple on an iPhone. On Adroid, you need to get the SDK and connect to a PC. Maybe when I start playing with the development tools, this will not be an issue but for the average user, it is not practical.

5)      No iTunes support – This is not an issue for me. I have all my music on CD’s. Yes, I like the physical media. When you are my age you can find a lot of music you like in the discount section of Best Buys or WalMart. I have around 150 CD ripped to MP3 format.  If you have all your music in iTunes format, you are probably out of luck. It will only play on Apple devices or in iTunes. There is a restriction free format for iTunes. If you music is in this format, you should be able to convert it to mp3’s. As I stated earlier, not an issue for me.