Gingerbread - Yawn?

[icebike]

I'm going to come down squarely on the side of "people aren't seeing the importance of the under-the-hood" changes. NFC will literally change the way we check in to places, shop, spend money (note those aren't identical), and share information with others...it just won't be obvious for much of the next year.

Actually NFC and Voip/SIP are really the only things of interest.

I think you make far too much of the "under the hood" changes.

1. NFC? Ok this is cool.
2. Keyboard? NO Big deal. I don't know a single person using the stock keyboard.
3. Text Selection? Probably get sued by Apple. Nothing new there.
4. Sip calling? Quote: SIP and internet calling features on specific devices is determined by their manufacturers and associated carriers. So its going NOWHERE except on the Nexus.
5. Downloads management - Meh!

The more you look at this the more it should be 2.2.2. It doesn't warrant a whole point release.

 

[icebike]

My hope is they optimized Android for the Hummingbird. That way, any rom that goes to my Vibrant will run better. (in theory, of course)

What optimization do you think this requires?

Its the same instruction set. Its still and ARM processor. It still has only one core. And Gingerbread has to work an all android phones, so that means a custom compile for every platform.

Gingerbread itself can't be optimized for one processor over another. That's what compiler options are for.

 

[fritzy]

The more you look at this the more it should be 2.2.2. It doesn't warrant a whole point release.

You forget the new continuous garbage collection (garbage collection is a big deal in JVMs -- maybe this one uses reference counting). And I also thought that I read somewhere that Gingerbread is 3d accelerated now for all of the UI interaction, which should be a big performance improvement, as well as keeping the CPU closer to idle during UI use.

 

[pinch55]

I was thinking this update would be for tablets. Android needs to be competitive and that is the only way to achieve that goal.

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

I was thinking this update would be for tablets. Android needs to be competitive and that is the only way to achieve that goal.

Not with this update, unfortunately. Honeycomb is where we will see a lot of Tablet love.

 

[iDavey]

Well they changed that also and moved the major UI makeover into Honeycomb...which should be coming early 2011.

I'm most happy for the keyboard. Since 1.5 it's been HORROR with this keyboard, but now they've improved it. Hopefully used BlindType to it's fullest. Also copy/paste is finally usable without a trackball.

As far as behind the scenes, they've made memory management more efficient to lower usage. Also made power usage more efficient. Sped up rendering within browser. And tweaked the VM to allow apps to function better and faster.

These little things are what really makes these updates great...even though end users may not realize it.

 

[iDavey]

Actually NFC and Voip/SIP are really the only things of interest.

I think you make far too much of the "under the hood" changes.

1. NFC? Ok this is cool.
2. Keyboard? NO Big deal. I don't know a single person using the stock keyboard.
3. Text Selection? Probably get sued by Apple. Nothing new there.
4. Sip calling? Quote: SIP and internet calling features on specific devices is determined by their manufacturers and associated carriers. So its going NOWHERE except on the Nexus.
5. Downloads management - Meh!

The more you look at this the more it should be 2.2.2. It doesn't warrant a whole point release.

But the host of new API's, the replacement of the media framework, the additions to enhance gaming. That, to me, seems like it would be a great reason for a point release.

S/N: I still do use the stock keyboard Only because I was never satisfied with third party ones. So the enhancement of it makes me a very happy camper.

 

[latinfavio]

I think the improvements are really going to be seen with gaming, android is a little deficient in this area and can use this upgrade. That being said only the higher end phones with suitable hardware will see this difference, phones like the mytouch slide or cliq are just S.O.L. ...
Whatever phones come out early next year will have amazing games, the bar has been set a little higher with 2.3.

 

[igotsanevo4g]

How can you judge an update we havent even gotten yet.
I see no logic.

Its as if your judging a book by... not even its cover cause we havent had that, youre judging it by what some other person said about the book.

Anyways.. Did you not notice the linux kernel upgrades and all the other behind the scenes stuff, or did you just look at the main points of it and not the nerdy speak that relates to speed.

Just my two pennies.. . . .

 

[Smitty_82]

Also, I highly recommend reading this entire page:

Android 2.3 Platform Highlights | Android Developers

Great info, thanks for posting the link! As a former BB user like a lot of A/C users, I would much rather see frequent incremental updates. This just goes to improve Android in general. In the time I had my BB Storm, there was only one OS update, and that barely did anything. This will be the second (when Gingerbread is released for DX) in less than a year. The changes might not be as drastic as some would like or think are needed, but I like seeing the constant improvement. Now we just need a pure google phone on VZW...not holding my breath though

 

[dguidry12]

I totally agree..Altough I love Android I think that it is not offering much intuitiveness such as Windows7 and nothing near Webos..And before I get blasted here Webos has been the certified platinum OS out there in form of intuitiveness and something brand new..The fail was the horrendous hardware. Anyway I tired of the same old same old swipe left swipe right technology..I don't think google has much incentive to innovate because of the simplistic app launcher Iphone4...I just hope that the new Webos hardware is something great and under HP the marketing is also so that other OS developers can come with something close to Webos.

 

[bjones521]

No Gtalk love???? I thought GTalk was going to see an improvement. I thought we could finally see video chat from phone to computer. Maybe we could even send files using Gtalk.

 

[uberspeed]

I thought FroYo made big leaps in features with Adobe Flash as a poster child for the average consumer, the market Android needs to capture since it already has us geeks as supporters (speaking in broad terms). While we all want geeky bullet points (JIT!) I think where Android needs the most help is in the polish and UI. Apple has made a living of limited features but pretty delivery, time to take a page from their book, overdue imho. I thought gingerbread would be mostly much needed eye candy but it doesn't look that way thus far. :-/

 

[anon(120)]

I thought FroYo made big leaps in features with Adobe Flash as a poster child for the average consumer, the market Android needs to capture since it already has us geeks as supporters (speaking in broad terms). While we all want geeky bullet points (JIT!) I think where Android needs the most help is in the polish and UI. Apple has made a living of limited features but pretty delivery, time to take a page from their book, overdue imho. I thought gingerbread would be mostly much needed eye candy but it doesn't look that way thus far. :-/

Its UI will get there (though I have to admit, I'm rather satisfied with it {but MIUI ROM is unbelievably gorgeous}) . Android developers know who they're competing against. Framework and functionality first. Makeup and stuffed bra second. What do you guys want first? Function over form, or form over function? A mobile OS is nothing if it can't complete the same tasks as its competitors.

 

[Terp04]

I've been holding off on buying a G2 waiting for this and now I'm kind of kicking myself.

No 4G? I know Tmo's 4G isn't 4G, but it's still several times faster than their 3G.

No Video chat? It looks like there is a camera but I can't find any details about it. (This is not really that big a deal - not sure I'd ever use it anyway especially since my wife still wants a G2).

I know the G2 doesn't run stock android, but it's close so I'm hopeful updates will come relatively quick. Might wait a few days to see what they start talking about in terms of rolling out 2.3 but my G1 has been hacked to heck and back and I'm soo ready for a new phone...

 

[Joel S.]

A mobile OS is nothing if it can't complete the same tasks as its competitors.

As much as I'm inclined to agree, Apple has proved this wrong. The original iPhone lacked a number of features most smartphone users took for granted and it still sold really well. Of course, that's more due to Apple's marketing, and their ability to play on people's ignorance.

 

[uberspeed]

Its UI will get there (though I have to admit, I'm rather satisfied with it {but MIUI ROM is unbelievably gorgeous}) . Android developers know who they're competing against. Framework and functionality first. Makeup and stuffed bra second. What do you guys want first? Function over form, or form over function? A mobile OS is nothing if it can't complete the same tasks as its competitors.

I'm also of the mindset framework and functionality first (Infrastructure Architect by trade), that said the iphone proved that lipstick on a pig will get you far. They lacked even basic nuts and bolts features for years (ie MMS, copy/paste) but still grabbed marketshare. Android's undertaking is rough, come into a market playing catch up and expected to do it all plus dealing with the monsters that are carriers and accompanying contracts. I think they've done admirably but I do think the N1 could've been executed better in terms of carrier availability. Android knows they need help in the UI hence why they hired Matias Duarte away from webOS.

 

[thebizz]

Ok I am taking ancient my words on gingerbread the new keyboard is great supports mulritouch and very accurate. Maybe the small changes google is making really does a lot. I can't wait to see a full release of the os. Screw the lipstick give me the functionality

 

[BlackPrince310]

Gingerbread looks fine to me, I just expected more out of the Nexus S.

 

[potatoho]

I just updated to the latest SDK to check out 2.3.

Wow. They've done beat Android with the ugly stick.

Flat buttons. Black menus. Expanding list icons showing confusing directions. Missing dialog title icons. U-G-L-Y !

I'm not giving up beautiful Cyanogen Froyo for that thing.