[Suggestion] Separate Android forums into major version sections - About xda-developers.com

I first came here when I got my Galaxy Nexus, and I've largely stayed exclusively in the Galaxy Nexus forums so far, but some of the threads I've been following, most notably a couple of ICS launcher threads, have (understandably) since been moved to the general Android forums, and this has had 2 negative effects which I personally have noticed:
Every couple of pages, some idiot will wander in and say 'Hi, does this work on Android 2.x?', or even worse, 'Hi, I can't get this working on my [device running Android 2.x].'
When I go to the general Android forums, I find it very difficult to tell just by reading the topics what is applicable for my device and what isn't, and most of it, at this stage, isn't.
My suggestion for significantly reducing these issues is simple. We already have Windows Mobile (6.x), Windows Phone 7, and Windows 8 forums separated, why not separate Android, at least into 1.x, 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x forums. Alternatively, in order to keep version-independent things like apps and themes together, at least split the Software and Hacking forum into major versions, like the split between GSM and CDMA development forums for the Galaxy Nexus.
Also, I've just noticed another thing. The threads for the 3 ICS based launchers I'm aware of are all in different forums right now. Trebuchet is in Android Software Development, Nova Launcher is in Android Apps and Games (this doesn't seem right to me...), and Apex Launcher is still back in Galaxy Nexus Themes and Apps. They're all in similar stages of development, and they're all ICS based launchers, so they should all be in the same place, wherever it is that launchers should be placed. Personally, I think that launchers should end up in with the Android OS modding stuff (which I'm suggesting be split into versions), due to how integral a part of Android, and how reliant on a particular minimum version, they are. Throwing launchers in with sudoku apps doesn't seem right to me.

Agreed. I have always had difficulty figuring out if a ROM is Gingerbread, ICS, etc.

No doubt about that.

That's down to the developer to title the thread correctly. There shouldn't really be any ROM threads on here that don't have the core version number in the thread title.
As for noobs going into the thread and asking if it's 2.3.4 or 2.3.5 when it's actually 4.0.3, you can't stop that. It's always going to happen. When you see someone do something like that the best thing you can do is politely educate them in how they could have found out, without having to ask. It's surprising how many old threads where I've helped people are still helping people out!

Milamber33 said:
I first came here when I got my Galaxy Nexus, and I've largely stayed exclusively in the Galaxy Nexus forums so far, but some of the threads I've been following, most notably a couple of ICS launcher threads, have (understandably) since been moved to the general Android forums, and this has had 2 negative effects which I personally have noticed:
Every couple of pages, some idiot will wander in and say 'Hi, does this work on Android 2.x?', or even worse, 'Hi, I can't get this working on my [device running Android 2.x].'
When I go to the general Android forums, I find it very difficult to tell just by reading the topics what is applicable for my device and what isn't, and most of it, at this stage, isn't.
My suggestion for significantly reducing these issues is simple. We already have Windows Mobile (6.x), Windows Phone 7, and Windows 8 forums separated, why not separate Android, at least into 1.x, 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x forums. Alternatively, in order to keep version-independent things like apps and themes together, at least split the Software and Hacking forum into major versions, like the split between GSM and CDMA development forums for the Galaxy Nexus.
Also, I've just noticed another thing. The threads for the 3 ICS based launchers I'm aware of are all in different forums right now. Trebuchet is in Android Software Development, Nova Launcher is in Android Apps and Games (this doesn't seem right to me...), and Apex Launcher is still back in Galaxy Nexus Themes and Apps. They're all in similar stages of development, and they're all ICS based launchers, so they should all be in the same place, wherever it is that launchers should be placed. Personally, I think that launchers should end up in with the Android OS modding stuff (which I'm suggesting be split into versions), due to how integral a part of Android, and how reliant on a particular minimum version, they are. Throwing launchers in with sudoku apps doesn't seem right to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Archer answered your main question above this. I'm just going to address one point you made in here to back up your point. Windows Mobile 6.5, Windows Phone 7, and Windows 8 have different forums because they are all completely different operating systems. I know the names may be confusing to you, but Windows Mobile 6.5 is a completely different operating system from Windows Phone 7. Windows 8 is a desktop OS with growing support for tablets and ARM processor architecture like we have on most of our phones.
That being said, it isn't like in Android, where each version number corresponds to an update of the system. Whether it's Froyo, Gingerbread, Cupcake, Eclair, or ICS, it's all still Android. Windows Mobile is a different operating system from Windows Phone 7. They are both built on the same core, but outside of that, there is no similarity. It would be like comparing Mac OS to Linux just because they are both Unix based.

Archer said:
That's down to the developer to title the thread correctly. There shouldn't really be any ROM threads on here that don't have the core version number in the thread title.
As for noobs going into the thread and asking if it's 2.3.4 or 2.3.5 when it's actually 4.0.3, you can't stop that. It's always going to happen. When you see someone do something like that the best thing you can do is politely educate them in how they could have found out, without having to ask. It's surprising how many old threads where I've helped people are still helping people out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I know it's never going to stop, but at least if it's in a dedicated ICS forum it should reduce it a decent amount.
cajunflavoredbob said:
Archer answered your main question above this. I'm just going to address one point you made in here to back up your point. Windows Mobile 6.5, Windows Phone 7, and Windows 8 have different forums because they are all completely different operating systems. I know the names may be confusing to you, but Windows Mobile 6.5 is a completely different operating system from Windows Phone 7. Windows 8 is a desktop OS with growing support for tablets and ARM processor architecture like we have on most of our phones.
That being said, it isn't like in Android, where each version number corresponds to an update of the system. Whether it's Froyo, Gingerbread, Cupcake, Eclair, or ICS, it's all still Android. Windows Mobile is a different operating system from Windows Phone 7. They are both built on the same core, but outside of that, there is no similarity. It would be like comparing Mac OS to Linux just because they are both Unix based.
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Point taken about the Windows Mobile/Phone stuff, but while I agree that there's no reason to separate some of the forums, certainly not the device specific ones, I think it would be good to make separate forums for the Android OS dev forum at least. ICS might not be as different from Gingerbread as Windows Mobile 6 is from Windows Phone 7, but a closer comparison would be that ICS is like Windows 7 while Gingerbread is like Windows XP. The same apps will (generally) run on both, but if you're dealing with tweaking the actual OS, the differences are significant enough to justify separating them into their own sections, IMO.

True, I know it's never going to stop, but at least if it's in a dedicated ICS forum it should reduce it a decent amount.
Point taken about the Windows Mobile/Phone stuff, but while I agree that there's no reason to separate some of the forums, certainly not the device specific ones, I think it would be good to make separate forums for the Android OS dev forum at least. ICS might not be as different from Gingerbread as Windows Mobile 6 is from Windows Phone 7, but a closer comparison would be that ICS is like Windows 7 while Gingerbread is like Windows XP. The same apps will (generally) run on both, but if you're dealing with tweaking the actual OS, the differences are significant enough to justify separating them into their own sections, IMO.
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Click to collapse
I do see your point, but I disagree. It would be far simpler if devs would simply title their threads properly. There is (should) be a general naming convention set up as a sticky in every single dev forum. If not, PM any of that forum's mods to make one.
-- Sent from my TouchPad using Communities

Each to their own, I guess.
And with regards to the three ICS launchers all being in different places, where is the proper place for launchers? Where would you expect to find them?

Related

A "Porting" section for OS?

One thing I noticed many people asking for is if an iphone game can go to a windows mobile device. Android to be ported to Windows Mobile. Android app to iPhone, etc. Instead make a section for this. And people can request the app they want or OS.
Biggest thing I see in some phone's sections is WHEN or IF it will be ported. Currently I've noticed this mostly in the HD2 section. While I know that the porting of Windows Mobile 7 and Android is a long process and it's voluntary I have seen that MANY MANY users have donated to those developers and I just think it would be nice to have some form of dedicated thread/section to show their contributors that it's being worked on.

[Q] Windows Phone 7 vs. Android?

Hi!
I'm a fan of resistive touchscreens, therefore I currently to stay with WM (or I could switch to Symbian).
Would I be open to switching to a capacitive-based phone, I'd probably go for Android. Now WP7 is out and I'm curious, what does it actually offer over Android phones? A different user interface and support for M$ games (for that I have my PC), so why, in your opinion, should s user interested basically in a phone/organizer/messages/e-book reader switch to WP7 instead of another system?
I don't intend this as a clash topic like "which system is better", I'm just curious.
Thanks
If you use a lot of MS services and depend on Exchange then WP7 will be for you.
Personally I don't really like Android. It just feels overall unfinished (and often quite sluggish) and all held together with alot of different 3rd party apps, and the fact that 3rd party apps can replace the homescreen, SMS function etc.
Sir. Haxalot said:
Personally I don't really like Android. It just feels overall unfinished (and often quite sluggish) and all held together with alot of different 3rd party apps, and the fact that 3rd party apps can replace the homescreen, SMS function etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think WP7 is more of the future of the ppc. Information will presented in more of a real time and fluid manner while incorporating both work and personal agendas. Third party applications will be enhancements of course, but they won't necessary to hold an OS platform together as we see currently with WM, iOS and Android. The concept of having apps to simply have apps is kind of annoying to me. I want great applications not millions of applications.
Android wins hands down.
Apart from XBox gaming, WP7 offers absolutely nothing that Android can not do. And Android does everything better.
Android provides a much better user experience, because you can get things done much more quickly.
This is because there are no limitations that require complex workarounds and because you can customize Android much easier to get the information you want and do the things you want to do faster.
WP7 is limited and does not provide anything that Android hasn't done before.
Re vetvito: Android has better Exchange support than WP7!
Android's Exchange support is now 100%. WP7's Exchange support lacks lots of features, such as GAL.
crow26 said:
Android wins hands down.
Apart from XBox gaming, WP7 offers absolutely nothing that Android can not do. And Android does everything better.
Android provides a much better user experience, because you can get things done much more quickly.
This is because there are no limitations that require complex workarounds and because you can customize Android much easier to get the information you want and do the things you want to do faster.
WP7 is limited and does not provide anything that Android hasn't done before.
Re vetvito: Android has better Exchange support than WP7!
Android's Exchange support is now 100%. WP7's Exchange support lacks lots of features, such as GAL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can android pin anything to its start screen?? like fav songs, artist, albums, games, the list goes onnnn wp7 can pin pretty much anything and as far as "you can get things done much more quickly" i would think the home screen would be the simplest and fastest so not sure where you are getting you facts...
rruffman said:
can android pin anything to its start screen?? like fav songs, artist, albums, games, the list goes onnnn wp7 can pin pretty much anything and as far as "you can get things done much more quickly" i would think the home screen would be the simplest and fastest so not sure where you are getting you facts...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but I'm pretty sure there'll be an app for it if it's actually a feature anyone wants.
Personally, I don't see the usefulness of having individual songs pinned to the homescreen, but that doesn't mean anything. Android is very customizable and it doesn't matter at all what I'd want (or what Google would want for that matter) because someone can just make it happen.
Depending on the app you use to play music, you can pin a playlist to the home screen which I could see being useful (not for me, but for others).
Games you can definitely pin to the homescreen though.
This is basically the same as Windows 7 being able to pin apps to the Task Bar. This is something that is pretty useful for me (for the apps I use all the time), but most people I know absolutely hate it.
But, if it's something people want, an app can be made. Can an app make your phone multitask?
tjhart85 said:
No, but I'm pretty sure there'll be an app for it if it's actually a feature anyone wants.
Personally, I don't see the usefulness of having individual songs pinned to the homescreen, but that doesn't mean anything. Android is very customizable and it doesn't matter at all what I'd want (or what Google would want for that matter) because someone can just make it happen.
Depending on the app you use to play music, you can pin a playlist to the home screen which I could see being useful (not for me, but for others).
Games you can definitely pin to the homescreen though.
This is basically the same as Windows 7 being able to pin apps to the Task Bar. This is something that is pretty useful for me (for the apps I use all the time), but most people I know absolutely hate it.
But, if it's something people want, an app can be made. Can an app make your phone multitask?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
here we go with the multi task again... the fact is no need for app or someone to make one in wp7 you can pin "ANYTHING" to the start screen. next on to the so called "multi task" yes you can run some services in the background on android but apps are also killed in addroid as well only they have access to certain services to kepp things seem to be running..
WP7:
1. App is running in the forderground
2. App is frozen in the RAM and only some threads are still running
3. App is frozen in the Flash memory and only some threads are still running
4. App is not running
Andriod
1. App is running in the foreground
2. App is frozen in the RAM and only some threads are still running
3. Just a portion of an app is running in the background as a service, the main app is deflated and residing in memory, or has been killed, leaving only the service.
4. App is not running, but is still in Memory in a deflated state until RAM runs out.
5. App is killed and not residing in memory. It may leave call to the OS to revive it periodically when conditions are met.
and no an app cannot be made for wp7.. but when this is updated to allow 3rd party apps to access these services then what will you say??? you sure cant get an app to help the andriod slugish interface to work better or an app to correct the fragmentation in androids os.. keep trying though..
Biges said:
Hi!
I'm a fan of resistive touchscreens, therefore I currently to stay with WM (or I could switch to Symbian).
Would I be open to switching to a capacitive-based phone, I'd probably go for Android. Now WP7 is out and I'm curious, what does it actually offer over Android phones? A different user interface and support for M$ games (for that I have my PC), so why, in your opinion, should s user interested basically in a phone/organizer/messages/e-book reader switch to WP7 instead of another system?
I don't intend this as a clash topic like "which system is better", I'm just curious.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I share your sentiments. Resistive is much better...............
I also think constantly what is the way to go.
For me a massive turn on in WP7 is consistent, simple, modern UI experience
the whole OS seems great and modern, with no fragmentation or too much eyecandy.
BUT there are cruical lacks which makes - at launch - WP7 crippled.
Android in reverse is kind of complete with functionality.
I observe how Microsoft will react and what will plan.
Definitely - I can't live without beeing able to choose whatever attachement I want in email
for instance.
So for me obesrvation, and decision to be made once these WP7 devices will come to Poland.
I have been a HEAVY Android user and promoter over the past year, I have had just about any device under the sun I could get my hands on for T-Mobile(and some unlocked european ones as well)
But honestly, I will be banishing Android to backup phone status once the HD7 comes out.
The entire OS just seems like it's still in the beta phase. The UI is extremely inconsistent across apps. You have one app that looks great, and another that looks like a 5 year old stitched it together with crayon.
Fragmentation is a huge problem with Android, Microsoft knew about this problem, hell it killed off Windows Mobile because of it. Between all the different hardware specs, and UI changes it's a nightmare to keep everything on the same version let alone run efficiently. Since Google will never remove the ability to change to core experience, each Android phone will be vastly different when changing OEMs, what works on an HTC device won't work on a Samsung. What works on a Samsung won't work on a Motorola, etc.
The hardware fragmentation is also a huge killer for android. They can't optimize the OS for specific hardware when you have to support low tiered devices as well. Not to mention the fact it is run inside a Virtual Machine, so you take a performance hit there.
Software updates are the main thing that has been turning me off from Android, both as a developer, and a user. You write an application for one version of Android, but 60% of phones don't have that version(froyo), so you start removing things or tweaking things trying to get it to work on lower hardware, and you end up with a mess. Not to mention OS updates don't come out for every device. We STILL have people stuck on Android 1.5, and they are still at the mercy of the OEM or the carrier. Custom UIs and OEM changes have been ****ing up the OS updates for a long time. I remember back when I had the Hero how long I had to wait to get 2.x, meanwhile the Droid was just launched, the Nexus One was annoucned, it was horrible when all these new apps come out that support the latest OS and you are stuck on an older version.
Sure while the customizability of android is great, some of you Android zealots have to stop and ask yourself, is too much customization a bad thing?
take a look at the iPhone(don't flame me here, is just an example ) the iPhone 3G, which released before the G1 is capable of running the LATEST version of iOS. It wasn't left behind because of some OEM changes, or because of older hardware. Apple knows that people are still in a contract with it, so they continue to support it for atleast 2 years. Sure while it may not have all the features of it's bigger brothers(3GS and 4) that is because it is limited by it's hardware and not because of semantics because Apple wants to push it's latest phone.
Honestly I'm sick of all these Android zealots bashing Windows Phone 7 because it's missing feature x, or feature y. All WP7 devices will be updated in a timely manner and on a regular basis. Hell MS even stated that Copy and Paste which couldn't make it into the launch build will be released with the OSes first update in the Spring. Not to mention the fact that rumor has it the same update will bring multi tasking as well. IF MS is as good with their WP7 updates as they are with their Xbox 360 or prior zune updates, then I have no doubts in my mind they will easily overtake Android in terms of features and usability(I think they already did the former already )
I'm glad MS chose to set a strict set of hardware requirements, as this allows us as a consumer to experience WP7 in the way it was intended, not how the OEM thought it should be. This allows EVERY device to get new OS updates, as well as makes things less likely to go wrong during an update.
With a set platform to develop for, not to mention MS created drivers, the WP7 experience will be extremely smooth, and something Android fanboys can only dream of.
Why is it my extremely powerful phone(Galaxy S) still has lag when entering and exiting menus and applications, even with lag fixes and custom ROMs? When the OS is made for a generic set of hardware you get a sub standard experience(just look at the HD2), but when the OS is created around a specific set of hardware, you get what is called "synergy"
Also to the person who said Android can do things faster than WP7, let's compare a simple task like taking a picture while something is happening and you want to get it on photo or video...
Android:
Take phone out of pocket
Press unlock key
Swipe to unlock or press menu
Navigate to home screen(if not already there)
Find Camera application(hope it's on your home screen)/ Or press camera button(if phone is equipped)
Take Photo(if the moment isn't over by now )
WP7:
Take phone out of pocket
Hold Camera button
Take Photo
Guess which one I and most users would want....
Sorry for my dissertation on that, but I've just become enraged by all these Android zealots who feel threatened by Microsoft's new OS. If you aren't interested in WP7 and feel like defending Android, go to the Android boards, not here.
chaoscentral said:
I have been a HEAVY Android user and promoter over the past year, I have had just about any device under the sun I could get my hands on for T-Mobile(and some unlocked european ones as well)
But honestly, I will be banishing Android to backup phone status once the HD7 comes out.
The entire OS just seems like it's still in the beta phase. The UI is extremely inconsistent across apps. You have one app that looks great, and another that looks like a 5 year old stitched it together with crayon.
Fragmentation is a huge problem with Android, Microsoft knew about this problem, hell it killed off Windows Mobile because of it. Between all the different hardware specs, and UI changes it's a nightmare to keep everything on the same version let alone run efficiently. Since Google will never remove the ability to change to core experience, each Android phone will be vastly different when changing OEMs, what works on an HTC device won't work on a Samsung. What works on a Samsung won't work on a Motorola, etc.
The hardware fragmentation is also a huge killer for android. They can't optimize the OS for specific hardware when you have to support low tiered devices as well. Not to mention the fact it is run inside a Virtual Machine, so you take a performance hit there.
Software updates are the main thing that has been turning me off from Android, both as a developer, and a user. You write an application for one version of Android, but 60% of phones don't have that version(froyo), so you start removing things or tweaking things trying to get it to work on lower hardware, and you end up with a mess. Not to mention OS updates don't come out for every device. We STILL have people stuck on Android 1.5, and they are still at the mercy of the OEM or the carrier. Custom UIs and OEM changes have been ****ing up the OS updates for a long time. I remember back when I had the Hero how long I had to wait to get 2.x, meanwhile the Droid was just launched, the Nexus One was annoucned, it was horrible when all these new apps come out that support the latest OS and you are stuck on an older version.
Sure while the customizability of android is great, some of you Android zealots have to stop and ask yourself, is too much customization a bad thing?
take a look at the iPhone(don't flame me here, is just an example ) the iPhone 3G, which released before the G1 is capable of running the LATEST version of iOS. It wasn't left behind because of some OEM changes, or because of older hardware. Apple knows that people are still in a contract with it, so they continue to support it for atleast 2 years. Sure while it may not have all the features of it's bigger brothers(3GS and 4) that is because it is limited by it's hardware and not because of semantics because Apple wants to push it's latest phone.
Honestly I'm sick of all these Android zealots bashing Windows Phone 7 because it's missing feature x, or feature y. All WP7 devices will be updated in a timely manner and on a regular basis. Hell MS even stated that Copy and Paste which couldn't make it into the launch build will be released with the OSes first update in the Spring. Not to mention the fact that rumor has it the same update will bring multi tasking as well. IF MS is as good with their WP7 updates as they are with their Xbox 360 or prior zune updates, then I have no doubts in my mind they will easily overtake Android in terms of features and usability(I think they already did the former already )
I'm glad MS chose to set a strict set of hardware requirements, as this allows us as a consumer to experience WP7 in the way it was intended, not how the OEM thought it should be. This allows EVERY device to get new OS updates, as well as makes things less likely to go wrong during an update.
With a set platform to develop for, not to mention MS created drivers, the WP7 experience will be extremely smooth, and something Android fanboys can only dream of.
Why is it my extremely powerful phone(Galaxy S) still has lag when entering and exiting menus and applications, even with lag fixes and custom ROMs? When the OS is made for a generic set of hardware you get a sub standard experience(just look at the HD2), but when the OS is created around a specific set of hardware, you get what is called "synergy"
Also to the person who said Android can do things faster than WP7, let's compare a simple task like taking a picture while something is happening and you want to get it on photo or video...
Android:
Take phone out of pocket
Press unlock key
Swipe to unlock or press menu
Navigate to home screen(if not already there)
Find Camera application(hope it's on your home screen)/ Or press camera button(if phone is equipped)
Take Photo(if the moment isn't over by now )
WP7:
Take phone out of pocket
Hold Camera button
Take Photo
Guess which one I and most users would want....
Sorry for my dissertation on that, but I've just become enraged by all these Android zealots who feel threatened by Microsoft's new OS. If you aren't interested in WP7 and feel like defending Android, go to the Android boards, not here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice Read!!! you really tell it like it is. I personaly never owned an andriod but i have had friends and you are correct about the apps i tried to install wifi teather on my friends phone and ALL of the apps i could never set the encrypton and 2 out of 3 didnt even work!!! so i can understans where you are comming from..
I too stated for all the droid fanboys to post their comments in the android boards...
chaoscentral said:
I have been a HEAVY Android user and promoter over the past year, I have had just about any device under the sun I could get my hands on for T-Mobile(and some unlocked european ones as well)
But honestly, I will be banishing Android to backup phone status once the HD7 comes out.
The entire OS just seems like it's still in the beta phase. The UI is extremely inconsistent across apps. You have one app that looks great, and another that looks like a 5 year old stitched it together with crayon.
Fragmentation is a huge problem with Android, Microsoft knew about this problem, hell it killed off Windows Mobile because of it. Between all the different hardware specs, and UI changes it's a nightmare to keep everything on the same version let alone run efficiently. Since Google will never remove the ability to change to core experience, each Android phone will be vastly different when changing OEMs, what works on an HTC device won't work on a Samsung. What works on a Samsung won't work on a Motorola, etc.
The hardware fragmentation is also a huge killer for android. They can't optimize the OS for specific hardware when you have to support low tiered devices as well. Not to mention the fact it is run inside a Virtual Machine, so you take a performance hit there.
Software updates are the main thing that has been turning me off from Android, both as a developer, and a user. You write an application for one version of Android, but 60% of phones don't have that version(froyo), so you start removing things or tweaking things trying to get it to work on lower hardware, and you end up with a mess. Not to mention OS updates don't come out for every device. We STILL have people stuck on Android 1.5, and they are still at the mercy of the OEM or the carrier. Custom UIs and OEM changes have been ****ing up the OS updates for a long time. I remember back when I had the Hero how long I had to wait to get 2.x, meanwhile the Droid was just launched, the Nexus One was annoucned, it was horrible when all these new apps come out that support the latest OS and you are stuck on an older version.
Sure while the customizability of android is great, some of you Android zealots have to stop and ask yourself, is too much customization a bad thing?
take a look at the iPhone(don't flame me here, is just an example ) the iPhone 3G, which released before the G1 is capable of running the LATEST version of iOS. It wasn't left behind because of some OEM changes, or because of older hardware. Apple knows that people are still in a contract with it, so they continue to support it for atleast 2 years. Sure while it may not have all the features of it's bigger brothers(3GS and 4) that is because it is limited by it's hardware and not because of semantics because Apple wants to push it's latest phone.
Honestly I'm sick of all these Android zealots bashing Windows Phone 7 because it's missing feature x, or feature y. All WP7 devices will be updated in a timely manner and on a regular basis. Hell MS even stated that Copy and Paste which couldn't make it into the launch build will be released with the OSes first update in the Spring. Not to mention the fact that rumor has it the same update will bring multi tasking as well. IF MS is as good with their WP7 updates as they are with their Xbox 360 or prior zune updates, then I have no doubts in my mind they will easily overtake Android in terms of features and usability(I think they already did the former already )
I'm glad MS chose to set a strict set of hardware requirements, as this allows us as a consumer to experience WP7 in the way it was intended, not how the OEM thought it should be. This allows EVERY device to get new OS updates, as well as makes things less likely to go wrong during an update.
With a set platform to develop for, not to mention MS created drivers, the WP7 experience will be extremely smooth, and something Android fanboys can only dream of.
Why is it my extremely powerful phone(Galaxy S) still has lag when entering and exiting menus and applications, even with lag fixes and custom ROMs? When the OS is made for a generic set of hardware you get a sub standard experience(just look at the HD2), but when the OS is created around a specific set of hardware, you get what is called "synergy"
Also to the person who said Android can do things faster than WP7, let's compare a simple task like taking a picture while something is happening and you want to get it on photo or video...
Android:
Take phone out of pocket
Press unlock key
Swipe to unlock or press menu
Navigate to home screen(if not already there)
Find Camera application(hope it's on your home screen)/ Or press camera button(if phone is equipped)
Take Photo(if the moment isn't over by now )
WP7:
Take phone out of pocket
Hold Camera button
Take Photo
Guess which one I and most users would want....
Sorry for my dissertation on that, but I've just become enraged by all these Android zealots who feel threatened by Microsoft's new OS. If you aren't interested in WP7 and feel like defending Android, go to the Android boards, not here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK - taking photo is faster with WP7. And what about copying music to your phone? Is Zune Syncing faster than drag-and-drop? And what if I want to copy something from a friend's computer? Installing Zune just to do that? It's the "Apple aproach" that's just a deal breaker for me. I never believed that MS will drop so low. Telling people what thay are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do (a change of the UI is absolutely forbidden by MS) is just the thing that turned me off the iPhone and made me stick with WM (android was in the very early stages back then). I can't understand why so many people here didn't like the iPhone and are now exited about the WP7?!? I did't miss application consistency with WM, why on earth will this be so important with WP? And you think that OS fragmentation is just an Android flaw? Well guess what - it's WP7 1.0 now. Do you honestly think that all the manufacturers will offer ROM upgrades when they are released from MS? Like the Touch HD ever got WM6.5 officialy?
And for the last part of your post - it's been 3 days since MS released the WP7 and already some people are trying to say what others should do or not... you catch up pretty quick.
tkolev said:
Do you honestly think that all the manufacturers will offer ROM upgrades when they are released from MS? Like the Touch HD ever got WM6.5 officialy?
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that is the nice thing of wp7 , microsoft is dealing with the updates , you don't have to wait for the OEM'S to get your updates .
If you use a lot of MS services, especially some mail/file exchange service, like outlook,
wp7 should be nice to you.
but I am an android guy
------------------------
No, I am not a X Man, I am a XDA Man
ceesheim said:
that is the nice thing of wp7 , microsoft is dealing with the updates , you don't have to wait for the OEM'S to get your updates .
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They could probably handle patches, but I seriously doubt that they will handle ROM upgrades. You will still be dependant on your OEM to make a ROM specific for your device. And knowing HTC's policy that's something not very likely to happen.
tkolev said:
They could probably handle patches, but I seriously doubt that they will handle ROM upgrades. You will still be dependant on your OEM to make a ROM specific for your device. And knowing HTC's policy that's something not very likely to happen.
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I think there isn't any nead to update the whole rom , you can update almosed everything in the rom.
I think it will be the same as wm6.5 , the option was there but never used .
Here is a link of how it works on wm6.*
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=520009
chaoscentral said:
I have been a HEAVY Android user and promoter over the past year, I have had just about any device under the sun I could get my hands on for T-Mobile(and some unlocked european ones as well)
But honestly, I will be banishing Android to backup phone status once the HD7 comes out.
The entire OS just seems like it's still in the beta phase. The UI is extremely inconsistent across apps. You have one app that looks great, and another that looks like a 5 year old stitched it together with crayon.
* Some more text*
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This is exactly the impression I've got from Android, and is the reason that I'll go to WP7 instead of an Android option.
Jailbroken WP7 would be the best!
Guys its just the ui that matters.. Android offers everything that wp7 is now beginning to offer. Only problem with android is the ui which is unable to display the information to the user the way wp7 does.. But I guess if wp7 has a better ui then android will put on a fight with gingerbread. Only problem with android is that all of us ain't using a nexus hence the experience will be different to all of us. And software updates in android are a joke when it comes to the consumer end... Still waiting for froyo.... May end up buying wp7 because of the experience
Just love that ui... Makes android look old and fragmented.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
ceesheim said:
I think there isn't any nead to update the whole rom , you can update almosed everything in the rom.
I think it will be the same as wm6.5 , the option was there but never used .
Here is a link of how it works on wm6.*
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=520009
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Click to collapse
I still find it hard to believe that MS will update the hardware-related parts of the ROM. Now it's easy - there is one processor, one resolution, etc. but these are the minimum specs the phones must meet. I guess will have to wait a couple of years to see what's going to happen. My feeling is that the update system will never be as efficient as Apple's and will have all of it's drawbacks. In the end WP will be as fragmented as Android and as closed as iOS. I hope I'm wrong!

[Q] Copyright-clean Android?

Is there an Android build for the HTC Touch Pro 2 that has no copyright problems? I downloaded the FRX06 build, but system.ext2 contained some of the apks that Google doesn't allow to be distributed without their permission, e.g., Gmail, Maps and Market. I know I can delete the apks, but (a) I feel bad even downloading something that contains unlicensed copyrighted materials; and (b) I worry whether there are additional unlicensed copyrighted files like various libraries.
I can't answer your question and sorry to go OT, but are you the ar pruss of palm fame?
fortunz said:
I can't answer your question and sorry to go OT, but are you the ar pruss of palm fame?
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Yes, that's me. My Palm TX is aging, and I am considering Android as a development platform. (iOS is not an option--I don't want to develop for a closed device, plus I don't have a Mac.) Specifically, I am thinking of making a decent mid-to-high-end astronomy app--there is nothing in the Android world that is as powerful as the best PalmOS astronomy apps. But before I spend money to buy an Android device, I'd like to try out Android and hence am thinking of booting my wife's HTC Touch Pro 2 into Android. I'm kind of afraid of what a no-stylus interface is like.
Glad to have you around, I used to see your name cropping up everywhere in the old days. As I recall, nvbackup was never topped as THE backup utility to use on garnet.
I'm no dev, but I've been trying out Android on my TP2 as well while waiting for a tilting screen slider to come with android. Really only heard about the closed apk contraversy recently. I suppose there could be a cleaner build somewhere. If no one drops in here, you might have more luck finding out what you need in the android dev sub forum or in the xdandroid chat: http://xdandroid.com/wiki/Chat

Questions about dual boot win8 and android on w700p

Is there any significant difference between going this route and using the emulator?
Will I be able to use all the apps and games I have on my galaxy S and S4 with either or both method?
Anything else I should be aware of I didn't think of to ask?
Thanks
Sigh... questions rightly belong in General, not D&H. Also, this (dual-booting with Android) has been asked, and discussed, a *lot* already.
GoodDayToDie said:
Sigh... questions rightly belong in General, not D&H. Also, this (dual-booting with Android) has been asked, and discussed, a *lot* already.
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Click to collapse
Sorry this appeared to be the spot to ask since it is related to the subject of this section which contains the guide to doing the dual booting. And sorry I did not find the answers to my questions in searching otherwise I wouldn't have needed to post. I don't frequent the forums here enough to have known this topic has been beaten to death. Perhaps if you could please point me to relevant thread(s) that answer these questions or me. Thanks.
StoneRyno said:
Sorry this appeared to be the spot to ask since it is related to the subject of this section which contains the guide to doing the dual booting. And sorry I did not find the answers to my questions in searching otherwise I wouldn't have needed to post. I don't frequent the forums here enough to have known this topic has been beaten to death. Perhaps if you could please point me to relevant thread(s) that answer these questions or me. Thanks.
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Click to collapse
Both of your questions have been answered in the android dual boot thread but I shall answer them again here.
There is a difference between dual boot and emulator. The emulator (I say *the*, there are a few) compatibility is poor at best and performance can only be described as absolutely abysmal.
Dual boot is running natively, it isn't fully hardware accelerated video but the performance of the w700p is so far above that a regular android tablet in the first place that this doesn't matter, its no biggy. But it is running on x86 whereas android is usually for ARM. Drivers for x86 builds are usually poor, although the w700p is pretty well off in that regard (I think bluetooth and GPS are missing, double check the original thread), on the w700p is pretty usable anyway. The google services framework and play store are not open source software though so custom android ROM's (including android-ia) cannot include them, these need sideloading from your device, again check the thread as details for how to do this are in there. After this you can use the play store fine, but some apps will not appear in the store and some may not work at all. Because the device is unrecognised, some apps which are limited to appearing for certain devices (which is one hell of alot) will not appear. Android apps are usually platform independent but some performance critical tasks can be done in a platform dependent way, a few popular 3d games do this, some apps doing this have both ARM and x86 versions of the app but most don't bother because x86 android devices are rare, as such they cannot run.
Also, keep in mind, that just because an app doesn't show up in google play, doesn't mean it will not run on your tablet. If you can't find it in Google play, back it up from your phone (using something like ESFile explorer to backup), transfer to your tablet, and try it. Some still won't function, or only partially function, but lots work fine.
I use Android on my W700, dualbooting, and spend almost no time at all in windows.
SixSixSevenSeven said:
Both of your questions have been answered in the android dual boot thread but I shall answer them again here.
There is a difference between dual boot and emulator. The emulator (I say *the*, there are a few) compatibility is poor at best and performance can only be described as absolutely abysmal.
Dual boot is running natively, it isn't fully hardware accelerated video but the performance of the w700p is so far above that a regular android tablet in the first place that this doesn't matter, its no biggy. But it is running on x86 whereas android is usually for ARM. Drivers for x86 builds are usually poor, although the w700p is pretty well off in that regard (I think bluetooth and GPS are missing, double check the original thread), on the w700p is pretty usable anyway. The google services framework and play store are not open source software though so custom android ROM's (including android-ia) cannot include them, these need sideloading from your device, again check the thread as details for how to do this are in there. After this you can use the play store fine, but some apps will not appear in the store and some may not work at all. Because the device is unrecognised, some apps which are limited to appearing for certain devices (which is one hell of alot) will not appear. Android apps are usually platform independent but some performance critical tasks can be done in a platform dependent way, a few popular 3d games do this, some apps doing this have both ARM and x86 versions of the app but most don't bother because x86 android devices are rare, as such they cannot run.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Windows 9 On RT

Hi,
Like you know, windows will release a beta of w9 in somes days, and they said that they'll do an hybrid system for all platform. Did you think there'll be an emulator or anything different to run somes x86 app like a "computer" ?
We have awaiting fo a while a jailbreak for 8.1, but if w9 give us the opportunity to run x86 programs it'll be better, hope they'll release this soons to take a look.
What do you think about this?
Regards
No, only metro apps will be universal, not x86 ones
mod edit
On topic. I can't see why Microsoft would give us the ability to run apps outside of the Metro sandbox. Although I am surprised that they don't try and entice the open source community into contributing to the store. We all know that they'd love to see more quality apps on there.
Hello my friends @andTab Even if "somebody" would give you the jailbreak for RT 8.1, I bet you won't be really happy with that:
Ofc it would give some great possibilities, but its not like you can run many x86-programs on JB RT, because you can only emulate it and the performance is,....
[how to say it nice],..... not optimal xD
you can hardly play games like "Heroes of Might and Magic 3" but that is the maximum. As I understand you that wouldn't be enough (plz correct me if im wrong)
But for users loving to play around and start i.e. JDownloader with a loadingtime of ~5min; or those, using a lot of pure .NET 4 programs it would be really cool.
[But most of them are happy enough with a jailbroken RT].
Why am I writing this?
I just wanted to ask you politely, if you could edit your post, because it sounds really offensive.
BUT I also wanted to be cooperative, and give you some informations...
Ontopic:
I think the hope, that ms would be nice to us, is gone...
I strongly suggest you, to dual-boot WinRT8.0-JB & WinRT8.1 !!!
joke:[until somebody tell us how to "open the bootloader" and boot for example a linux-distro. (perhaps via soldering a hardware-flasher and reflash that damn thing )]
Cheers
Blade
I removed the majority of the unnecessary and negative comments. Lets try to keep the rest of this thread on track now please.
It will be Windows 10
1 windows will work on all the devices, laptop, phone, and TAB!!!!
9 or 10, I don't have a lot of hope right now for Windows on ARM... I keep hearing rumors that unlike x86 Windows 10, the ARM version (Windows RT) is going to be "combined with windows phone" whatever that means, and loose the desktop. Sounds like a dumb-ed down phone OS to me... and nothing like what I'd want on my Surface RT, and definitely not what I'd hoped for which was basically an ARM version of the full-blown Windows 10 OS, with and unlocked dekstop, windowed store apps, etc.
But, since Microsoft hasn't actually demoed the ARM version of Threshold I guess we don't know anything for sure.
@mark manning Can you move this to General please. It should not be in DEV/Hacking
wcomhelp said:
@mark manning Can you move this to General please. It should not be in DEV/Hacking
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