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Matthew Miller & Joel Evans
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Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0

By | January 28, 2011, 7:01pm PST

Summary: If you’ve been wondering what all of the hype around Honeycomb is about, check out Geek.com and AndroidCentral’s dissections of the new OS.

If you’ve been wondering what all of the hype around Honeycomb is about, check out these two detailed dissections of the new OS.

First up is Geek.com, who breaks out the elements of the new OS, including the UI, multitasking, typing, and Google Apps. Most notable is that in the Android 3.0 SDK, Google’s own Gmail app left them wanting more and even hoping it was incomplete. However, multitasking is much improved, handling multiple applications with ease, and displaying the actual in-app screens, instead of just the app name and an icon.

The second dissection comes to us from AndroidCentral. In this case, they really break out the new OS, including home screens, the system bar, action bar, keyboard, cut/copy/paste, web browser, and more. They also highlight that you can drag and drop items, which is a needed feature, but something that we’ve been enjoying on iOS and HTML5 for a while now.

In both of the above articles, it’s clear that a lot of thought went into this new OS. Gone is the feeling that you’re using a larger phone, and in its place is a futuristic, solid perfuming contender to the iPad.

As an iPad user I have to admit that interacting with a tablet device can be an experience. The iPad delivers on the experience, whereas the Samsung Tab just delivers functionality. With the new Honeycomb OS, you can bet that Android will start taking a bite out of the iPad’s market share in pretty short order.

You can also check out Google’s preview video of the OS below:

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Apple iPad, Operating System, Tablets, Operating Systems, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Software, Joel Evans

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands and technologies into the mobile and wireless space.

Disclosure

Joel Evans

Joel is a serial entrepreneur with his most recent business, CronkSoftware (cronksoftware.com), focusing on consulting and building games and applications for mobile devices. Joel has consulted for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile division and advises other companies on how to incorporate mobile into their existing brands and products. Joel purchases many of his devices and others are sent for review on a 30-day loaner basis and then returned to the supplier. If any devices are provided as “keeper” Joel will clearly disclose this in his reviews.

Biography

Joel Evans

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands, technologies and services into the mobile and wireless space. Joel is currently serving as the Managing Director of Cronk Software, Inc., a company he founded to offer full-service, end-to-end mobile strategy, design and development services.

Joel is the former founder and "Chief Geek" of Geek.com, a website praised by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and others as one of world's best sources of information for technology professionals and enthusiasts.

Joel also serves as a technology expert for a number of well-known publications and regularly advises corporations, analysts, journalists and bloggers on what the future of technology will bring. He brings decades of relationships with leading game publishers, online communities and publishers, along with both hardware and software product management and delivery expertise. Joel can be found online as "JoelGeek" and you can follow him on Twitter @JoelGeek.

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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
psvita 6th Nov
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Deep dive,
james347 28th Jan 2011
Into the shallow end of the journalistic gene pool.
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
Xenia Onatopp 2nd Feb 2011
@james347
Spot on. Seeing the headline, I expected a real in-depth review, not this.
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
katleo123 18th Mar 2011
@james347 Hope I could get my hands on the Honeycomb as early as possible. Video chat and a 3D, vector-based Google Maps makes honeycomb the most awaited one.
http://www.techreign.com/2011/01/next-android-honeycomb/
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
LP212 28th Jan 2011
With no real tablet applications what is the point of even designing a tablet OS?
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
Habiloso 29th Jan 2011
@LP212
Perhaps the expression, "If you build it, they will come" has some relevance?
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
JoeyAndroid 29th Jan 2011
@ptorning that person is just trying to provoke a response. There is a process to building products, businesses, markets, and industries. And Android will do all that.
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Unless the article is on WP7
Mister Spock 29th Jan 2011
@ptorning then I suspect that people will claim the opposite, is that not correct?
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Which came first....
Economister 29th Jan 2011
@LP212

the chicken or the egg?
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
katleo123 18th Mar 2011
@Economister Hope I could get my hands on the Honeycomb as early as possible. Video chat and a 3D, vector-based Google Maps makes honeycomb the most awaited one.
http://www.techreign.com/2011/01/next-android-honeycomb/
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Why build a server if you don't have files?
Cyberslammer3 29th Jan 2011
@LP212
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What was Google thinking!
os2baba Updated - 29th Jan 2011
@LP212

Google should have waited for the tablet apps first before designing the OS. They obviously got the cart before the horse. I mean, as every one knows (since Apple said so), Android tablets are really just scaled up phones as opposed to the iPad which is, um, well - just cool since it's from Apple.
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
dave95. Updated - 30th Jan 2011
@os2baba

Dude, even the author is agreeing that Android Tablets prior to Honeycomb is just a scaled-up phone.

"Gone is the feeling that youre using a larger phone, and in its place is a futuristic, solid perfuming contender to the iPad."
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I think his point was...
Michael Alan Goff 31st Jan 2011
That iOS on a tablet is just a scaled-up phone too.
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
katleo123 18th Mar 2011
@LP212 Hope I could get my hands on the Honeycomb as early as possible. Video chat and a 3D, vector-based Google Maps makes honeycomb the most awaited one.
http://www.techreign.com/2011/01/next-android-honeycomb/
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
JoeyAndroid 29th Jan 2011
Nice! and thanks for the references.

Anyone interested in a Gadget-of-the-Month Club? Maybe you guys can help spur interest.
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
DannyO_0x98 29th Jan 2011
In paragraph 4, I think there's a typo, you say "perfuming" where "performing" makes better contextual sense.

Or it was a metaphor that sailed over my head. Wouldn't be the first time.
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Well, it is sooooo obvious.
Economister 29th Jan 2011
@DannyO_0x98

That beautiful smell is clearly part of the experience. wink
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
Trep Ford 31st Jan 2011
@DannyO_0x98 ... SmellPhones ... I LIKE it!
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What is an "experience"?
Economister 29th Jan 2011
Seems to me functionality in every sense of the word, including how it fits in your hand and the quality of the screen, IS the experience. If it does everything you need it to do and does it well, where the heck does the "experience" add value? I do not buy gadgets for some nebulous stroking of my ego. And if functionality is lacking, no amount of "experience" will make up for it.
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One-size-fits-all is never a good product
wackoae 29th Jan 2011
@Economister People should buy products that fit the requirements for the job, not because of ego.

Some gadgets you can choose based on what you like. But for a job, you should get what fits best, not what looks like. A lot of things look nice, but can't meet the job requirement.
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Apple fanboys are sweating profusely
Cyberslammer3 29th Jan 2011
They know what's coming...cue shark music
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
dave95. 30th Jan 2011
"With the new Honeycomb OS, you can bet that Android will start taking a bite out of the iPad?s market share in pretty short order."

How do we know for sure?

First we were told in 2010 that Android tablets like the Galaxy Tab will take down the iPad but that didn't even come close to happening. Now we are hearing an OS that's yet to be released and proven with the public will surely take down the hot selling iPad device. I think many are confusing the phone market with the tablet market. Carriers won't have that same influential power that we've seen in the phone market (offering subsidy, two-for-one Android phones etc). This will likely play out more like the iPod market, which plays into Apple favor. iPad are now everywhere.
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
The Management consultant 8th Mar 2011
I am looking forward to this on my desktop
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
katleo123 18th Mar 2011
Hope I could get my hands on the Honeycomb as early as possible. Video chat and a 3D, vector-based Google Maps makes honeycomb the most awaited one.
http://www.techreign.com/2011/01/next-android-honeycomb/
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
katleo123 18th Mar 2011
Video chat and a 3D, vector-based Google Maps makes honeycomb the most awaited one.
http://www.techreign.com/2011/01/next-android-honeycomb/
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RE: Deep dive into Honeycomb--Android 3.0
katleo123 22nd Mar 2011
Hot on the heels of the new Google Nexus S phone, which runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Honeycomb was revealed on a prototype Motorola tablet.
http://www.techreign.com/2011/01/next-android-honeycomb/
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