Hi,
I am interested in Smalltalk development for an Android tablet. I do not have any practical experience with tablets themselves, so here are few maybe silly usability questions, but I just want to make the right choice buying a tablet. I have compiled a brief list of possible choices (in no way complete, just the models most frequently mentioned online) [1], just to have an idea about tablets hardware under $300. My goal is also to use tablets in stock condition, without rooting.
1. Are there any tablets known to block app sideloading or require any special app signing? Smalltalk VM port for Android is available [2] and it is 99% native code. I'll need to recompile it myself and load on the tablet probably multiple times.
2. Are tablets in stock condition generally usable with adb being USB-connected to a PC? I'd use this for loading my apps on a tablet instead of doing that over a network connection. E. g. Nook Color is usable, per [3], are any known as unusable?
3. Otherwise, if a tablet has an USB slave, would it always expose some of its storage as a mass storage device to a connected PC? Is loading apps from tablet's file system possible without any additional file manager app installed (like using file:// URLs in the browser)?
4. If a tablet has an USB host, will it work with an USB keyboard? With Smalltalk, some development can be done right on the tablet, so having a keyboard is a big plus. Any tablets known not to support USB keyboards even though there is an USB host?
5. If a tablet has HDMI output, and is connected to a HDMI-capable monitor, will the tablet screen always be seen on the monitor, or is this only for video playback? Again, in "development mode" monitor is a big plus.
6. I included Pandigital eReader in the list just because it can be bought in store (Bed Bath & Beyond in my area) and there is no need to deal with shipping, and returning is easier. Any implications of a tablet being an eReader (other than slower CPU) such as ability for Barnes&Noble to control it remotely, like in unfortunate stories with Amazon and Kindle?
7. My apps will not require any network connection themselves, and I would like to disable WiFi completely in some cases. Are there any tablets known to require WiFi for proper functioning?
8. In case I need a wired network connection, do tablets generally support ethernet-over-USB devices?
9. Does tablets firmware generally attempt to download any vendor's updates from the network if the latter is available? I'd like to be able to disable that, and to install any firmware updates only after thay are published and in some way reviewed.
Thanks for any ideas.
Dmitry.
------------
[1] Android Tablets
[2] squeak-android-vm - Project Hosting on Google Code
[3] NookColor USB ADB - nookDevs
I am interested in Smalltalk development for an Android tablet. I do not have any practical experience with tablets themselves, so here are few maybe silly usability questions, but I just want to make the right choice buying a tablet. I have compiled a brief list of possible choices (in no way complete, just the models most frequently mentioned online) [1], just to have an idea about tablets hardware under $300. My goal is also to use tablets in stock condition, without rooting.
1. Are there any tablets known to block app sideloading or require any special app signing? Smalltalk VM port for Android is available [2] and it is 99% native code. I'll need to recompile it myself and load on the tablet probably multiple times.
2. Are tablets in stock condition generally usable with adb being USB-connected to a PC? I'd use this for loading my apps on a tablet instead of doing that over a network connection. E. g. Nook Color is usable, per [3], are any known as unusable?
3. Otherwise, if a tablet has an USB slave, would it always expose some of its storage as a mass storage device to a connected PC? Is loading apps from tablet's file system possible without any additional file manager app installed (like using file:// URLs in the browser)?
4. If a tablet has an USB host, will it work with an USB keyboard? With Smalltalk, some development can be done right on the tablet, so having a keyboard is a big plus. Any tablets known not to support USB keyboards even though there is an USB host?
5. If a tablet has HDMI output, and is connected to a HDMI-capable monitor, will the tablet screen always be seen on the monitor, or is this only for video playback? Again, in "development mode" monitor is a big plus.
6. I included Pandigital eReader in the list just because it can be bought in store (Bed Bath & Beyond in my area) and there is no need to deal with shipping, and returning is easier. Any implications of a tablet being an eReader (other than slower CPU) such as ability for Barnes&Noble to control it remotely, like in unfortunate stories with Amazon and Kindle?
7. My apps will not require any network connection themselves, and I would like to disable WiFi completely in some cases. Are there any tablets known to require WiFi for proper functioning?
8. In case I need a wired network connection, do tablets generally support ethernet-over-USB devices?
9. Does tablets firmware generally attempt to download any vendor's updates from the network if the latter is available? I'd like to be able to disable that, and to install any firmware updates only after thay are published and in some way reviewed.
Thanks for any ideas.
Dmitry.
------------
[1] Android Tablets
[2] squeak-android-vm - Project Hosting on Google Code
[3] NookColor USB ADB - nookDevs
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