Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich -- sigh

As to overall performance, we saw a good deal of stutter in the Galaxy Nexus before us. Taps were not always recognized and there were occasional delays in performing an instruction, though in Google’s defense, it was a phone fully loaded with running tasks and the software is being continually improved and optimized (i.e. it’s not yet fully baked). That having been said, it unfortunately remains the case that Android isn’t as swift and responsive as iOS or Windows Phone (or even MeeGo Harmattan on the N9). Or at least it wasn’t on the demo phone we got a look at. The subtle, pervasive lag that has characterized the Android UI since it inception is still there, which is not a heartening thing to hear when you’re talking about a super-powered dual-core device like the Galaxy Nexus.
via thisismynext.com

Maybe instead of cramming the device with rarely used gimmicks you should fix the basics first, no?

[NL] Wegwerp (Android) telefoons?

De nieuwe HTC EVO 4G is uit in Amerika. Een heel mooi toestel met super specificaties. Gratis uitgedeeld aan een select groepje mensen op Google I/O. 

Direct gaan mensen vergelijken met de Apple iPhone. Ook met de iPhone die nog niet eens op de markt is. Puur op specificaties die niet bevestigd zijn. Leuk en aardig, maar is het relevant? De zoveelste iPhone killer.

Maar mensen zijn appels en peren aan het vergelijken, en daar zit hem de crux. Ten eerste is Android geen telefoon maar een OS. Niets meer, niets minder. Je zou een vergelijk moeten maken met iPhone OS, niet zozeer tussen Android en iPhone. Maar goed, als we ons focussen op de Android EVO 4G HTC in vergelijk met de iPhone 3GS heb je inderdaad wel een redelijk vergelijk. Uiteraard vergelijk je (bijna) 2 jaar oude techniek met techniek die een week oud is, maar ok. 

Alleen, neem eens een stapje terug van de techniek en kijk naar het proces als geheel. Apple heeft in principe 1 handset: de iPhone. Zelf ontworpen, zelf gemaakt (niet letterlijk natuurlijk, Apple laat ook liever mensen in China bouwen om de kosten te drukken).

Google heeft de Nexus One. Niet zelf gemaakt, puur een HTC zonder badge. Google heeft wel Android. Ook niet echt meer zelf gemaakt, maar Open Source en gebruikt door een consortium van fabrikanten. HTC, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, en meer.

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ChromeOS - BeOS in 1999: see a similarity? ChromeOS can be everywhere

ChromeOS seems to be redefining computing for many users. The concept of a "cloud-only" environment is new and really takes some effort to understand. With ChromeOS, the user won't need to worry about files and folders anymore. Users only need to worry about content. Photos, Movies, Documents, etc. Hopefully with a sensible name.

I'm not sure how Google wants to go forward in managing this without the legacy concept of folders and files, but we'll see.
[edit] @luclodder indeed commented that Google is already doing this in gmail using tags and search.

Back in 1998, 1999 there was a small company called Be Inc. Their success on the desktop was not what they expected and Jean Louis Gassée, the CEO of Be came up with the "brilliant" idea to start making so-called internet devices. Lightweight devices running BeOS. The iPad, archived on Scot Hacker's site here: http://www.birdhouse.org/beos/byte/07-IPAD/ was one example. Be wanted to be inside every device. From your fridge (ordering milk if needed) to TV (web experience).

The idea never took off, and eventually Be Inc was bought by Palm and we never saw anything from BeOS or iPad again.

It does seem though that the time is now right for these devices. ChromeOS seems to be made for lightweight devices.

Most people now think that ChromeOS will be for lite netbooks, a laptop like computer that you carry around. But Google could take this much further. ChromeOS can essentially run in any device.
Imagine having a small touch-enabled screen in the kitchen. Connected to the internet, you are just a few clicks away from ordering groceries. Or check your email while waiting for the oven, or load that latest recipe from that cooking forum.

ChromeOS can run in your TV set. Streaming the latest movies. Playing the latest games. Chatting with friends and relatives. Or even in your car. Guiding you towards that new restaurant you want to try. Streaming your favorite radio channel.

Just regarding ChromeOS as a means for an even lighter netbook is shortsighted. It looks as if Google is reaching beyond this, it wants to be everywhere.

1984 and 1999 all over again?

Should e-book readers really become multi-purpose devices? @leolaporte

in the latest episode of This Week in Tech (link) Leo Laporte and co-hosts talked about e-book readers like the Kindle and the Barnes & Noble device. For most of the hosts the devices were not powerful and full featured enough, and for instance email and web browsing was lacking. The discussion went on towards the desire for multi purpose devices or single task devices. I guess indeed it is depending on your situation where you are, when you are there. I can see myself carrying an iPhone for most of the stuff I do but using an e-book reader for reading since the iPhone screen is just too small and the backlight is very annoying for actual long duration reading.

Let's focus on e-book readers for a moment. People are looking for an ebook reader that can do more than just be used as an electronic book library. They would also like it to play mp3s (audiobooks, music) or maybe even videos (movies, streaming video episodes of TV series, etc). I can see the appeal for that. But apart from mp3 and video storage, should an e-book reader be able to check email and browse the web? I am not so sure, and here's why:

Reading a book is probably the best single example of a single-tasking, focussed action a person can do. You read a book, you get into the story, you lose track of time and nothing else matters. We all hate it when you are right in the middle of an exciting book and the phone or doorbell rings.. What the hell, who disturbs my moment of alternate reality!?

Imagine an e-book reader that checks for email and goes PING if there is an email. Or even worse, shows a notification right across the screen. Yes, you can probably disable this, but the nagging "maybe there is new email" may stay with you throughout the book, ruining the experience, pulling you away from that wonderful virtual world only a book can create. And we know how distracting Twitter can be. Say your e-book reader supports browsing. I bet you want to check on your friends' tweets once in a while. Stop reading, check the web or twitter. Another disturbance.

So, maybe e-book readers should remain just that. For reading electronic books. Undisturbed by other features. Okay, apart from an empty battery once in a while...

Vodafone Netherlands going to offer the iPhone in 2010?

First a disclaimer: this is my own opinion and no official Vodafone statement:

According to this posterous post and this (dutch) newsbit

Jens Schult-Bockum (JSB), CEO of Vodafone Netherlands has said that "Vodafone made a huge mistake by not winning the iPhone deal" two years ago. At that time, JSB was Global Director of Terminals at Vodafone Group. Fast forward to 2009. JSB is now CEO of Vodafone Netherlands. In the UK the exclusive iPhone deal with O2 has ended and at the (very) last moment, Vodafone UK joined Orange in carrying the iPhone for 2010.

I'm assuming that the T-Mobile exclusivity deal in the Netherlands (and Germany) is going to end in 2010 as well. Add to that the JSB statement and it's not that difficult to figure out that it is very possible that Vodafone Netherlands (and Germany) will join the iPhone deal in the very near future.

That's positive. More choices for the user. With the better network, Vodafone might easily collect convert T-mobile users to switch. Vodafone360 will get its own iPhone app as well, albeit limited in functionality. However, if the iPhone comes to Vodafone, that won't be an issue anymore and Vodafone360 may be a full-fledged service. (Not sure how they will handle this technically, with the sandbox application model in the iPhone)

A lot of times you hear people (myself included) say the iPhone is great but the T-Mobile network sucks. Well, the above may make those users happier :-)

Exciting times ahead? You bet. Let's just say the silly season (sic) has begun.

Snow Leopard sales double that of Leopard, I think not just because of the price.

According to theAppleBlog, sales of SL are double that of Leopard.

Most will agree that the price is pushing sales high, but I also think Leopard was just not good enough. At least in my case, and talking to other Apple users, a lot of them aren't (weren't) really happy with Leopard.

Leopard was suffering from "Windows syndrome". Being bloated and slow. Some of it due to carrying legacy PowerPC support, some of it by feature creep and unoptimized code. In SL there are still some loops open, but that is mostly in the application area. (iTunes is still carbon for
instance). That will change in due time (I predict an "iMovie08" makeover for iTunes next year)

The OS is finally mature :-)