Rant: Absolutely unacceptable that the 3.1 update doesn't fix lag

[dietrichmd#AC]

I notice the lag on my Xoom, but while its annoying, its not a deal breaker...yet. Coming from the palm pre (prior to android), ive learned to be patient with oem updates (flash on the pre anyone?). Having said that, i can see where this can bother some, and I too anxiously await the fix.

 

[eyecon82]

I notice the lag on my Xoom, but while its annoying, its not a deal breaker...yet. Coming from the palm pre (prior to android), ive learned to be patient with oem updates (flash on the pre anyone?). Having said that, i can see where this can bother some, and I too anxiously await the fix.

I hear you..its annoying, but not enough to make me return it.....


My hopes are that Google will see this thread and listen to its consumers

 

[dietrichmd#AC]

oh, im running wifi version, just in case anyone cares

 

[shanshor]

First, price... I don't care. I didn't find it to be excessive for all the features and benefits it offers. I bought three of them! Got one for my wife and child. My wife loves it and my kid does all his homework on it. Pulls down his worksheets from the Infinite Campus portal for his school, modifies the docs, e-mails them back or brings in hard copies the next day (if it's something that needed printing). It's money well spent, IMHO.

Well, congratulations on showing the first actual example of "lag" I've seen. I never use the device on it's side or upside down, so this never is an issue for me, but if they offer those aspects, one would hope they would provide the same scroll in all aspects. I still find it inconsequential for my usage, obviously since I never noticed it.

I think "stutter" is a better descriptor, because the screen doesn't actually "lag", it's just not as smooth as in the standard orientation.

I tried ALL MY GAMES. None of them change orientation when started. Some I can play upside down, but the game doesn't re-orientate. So I'd like you to provide an example of a game that slows to 30 fps. One single game will do to make your point.

Surprisingly, I can't find any difference at all using e-mail or a reading application. I did notice it while scrolling in the browser, but again, I don't browse that way. Sites are much better seen in portrait mode. (Let's not even get into the lack of Flash on iPad... talk about arrogance and refusal to fix something!)

So what does all this add up to? Nothing. We're talking about mice nuts here. I never even noticed this stuff before. And how does this impact the superior performance Android provides to me for my enterprise usage?

When competing devices (read iPad) can accept an attached document, modify that document, then e-mail out the modfied document...

When competing devices can read and write documents, spreadsheets and presentations to a USB key....

When competing devices can show me a familiar file system, in which I can drill down into a user defined tiered folder system (like my desktop) to organize and launch files....

And I could go on, but I'd start listing things that are less important. Let's just start with what I've listed. Although I must say several of the Google apps have had a hugely positive impact on my efficiency.

So, while I applaud you for finding a stutter that is essentially a meaningless issue to the vast majority of us, why don't you address the glaring inadequacies that "the other device" has?

I was an Apple guy since the very first iPhone. I owned the first three. They were the only game in town. But now Android is simply better. Even with this grievous stutter when using the device upside down. ;-) The iPad remains a great multimedia toy. But if you need/want something to replace a notebook... something you can go into a meeting with and know you have a useful tool to share files, present on an overhead, do unrestricted e-mailing (modifying attachements and all), share documents with a USB key for security's sake... something that is truly a useful tool in the enterprise world, one has to buy a grown up's device. For that application, the enterprise application, iPad falls woefully short.

And getting back to the reorientation thing. It's programmed that way. It's not hardware lag. It's intentional software lag. I actually prefer it to the screen flipping around. I'm often on a plane and put the unit down or lean it over while getting something. I like that I can recover my position and have my eyes immediately focus on where I was, rather than watch the screen flip around and then look. That being said, I think it's an inconsequential difference as well.

In summary, we can find example after example after example of what an Android platform can do that you can't find on an Apple device. The best the Apple fans can do is complain about some inconsequential artifact that you only see while it's upside down. Puh-leeze.

In the end, it is all preference. For you, it seems, Android is your fit. It does offer very powerful features, such as the file management as you mentioned.

However, can you honestly say that the majority of tablet owners are taking these into meetings? Could you actually be as comfortable with a tablet as a PC when typing a paper or creating a spreadsheet? I don't believe so, IMO. For those that do NEED these features, Android is great. However, for the multimedia crowd, the iPad is a better choice.

I have an iPad and not a Xoom for this reason. I don't use mine for 'work.' I DO care if the UI lags when I use it. That's why I haven't picked up an Android phone yet. I am fully aware of the great capabilities, but can't get past the fact that the whole UI lags. Whether or not the lag is intentional is not the issue. The issue is that it is perceptible. And I find it disturbing that people here are okay with 50% framerates when used in 75% of the orientations. The UI says something about the experience as a whole, too.

And with the orientation issue, I think that the screen-flip animation is very utilitarian. I find it helpful to be able to 'watch' the UI elements relocate themselves. It gives you a great perspective to the UI. When the Android UI simply changes, I find myself lost for a moment, and have to again gain perspective into the app.

Modern smartphone platforms are extremely powerful, yet Android is behind in terms of polish. Even today's Blackberry OS seems to have more polish.

Just so you know, I'm not a complete iOS fanboy. I don't have an iPhone. I'm rocking a Pre Plus. I hate iOS's implementation of multitasking and notifications. I hope that HP turns things around, because webOS is the best phone OS out there today, IMO.

 

[eyecon82]

Turn off javascripting/flash in your browser settings and you'll have no lag. Just like the ipad. On the other hand if you open up a few tabs in an ipad aftermarket browser you'll have lag galore. BTW one thing I notice about the apple customers is that they'll defend the brand to their dying breath. Even the lack of flash.....and we android people tend to whine like mad.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

I just thought about doing this, but couldn't get myself to actually change the setting. The whole point of HC over iOS is the fact that it can handle Flash....If i turned it off...i'd basically be back to an ipad

Fact remains that we shouldn't have to turn off features in order to make this a smooth experience

 

[ckelly33]

Mine only lags when I use the cool CNN widgets. Once I removed those, I had no more lag. None on 3.0 or 3.1. I liked the widgets but not enough to deal with that issue. I haven't tried again with 3.1 maybe its fixed...?

 

[burwil]

So then we agree its not a Xoom problem.....its probably more of a processor problem. I use Dolphin when I want scripting tuned off and the default with it on (easier than to switch settings all the time.) Go to some newspaper sites with tons of ads and you'll see the browser grind to a halt. Its a nice problem to have. The ipad people don't have a choice. In the end we all have two very different choices. I have ipad 1 and have barely used it since I got the xoom. Great apps but I see it as a fancy android app drawer and technologically inferior. It is so polished in part because the OS is asked to do so little in comparison to android.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

 

[eyecon82]

Mine only lags when I use the cool CNN widgets. Once I removed those, I had no more lag. None on 3.0 or 3.1. I liked the widgets but not enough to deal with that issue. I haven't tried again with 3.1 maybe its fixed...?

yea...a lot of the lag has to do with the scrollable widgets.....it runs much smoother without it...I removed my scrollable widgets and it runs a lot smoother....

i was really happy about scrollable widgets, but will have to hold off its use for now

 

[andxoomy]

I just keep my scrollable widgets on a screen other than the main screen. I saw an improvement in performance and i think it's because the widgets only load when I swipe over to that screen. Also,I don't run live wallpaper anymore.

 

[rlbrooks]

Great comments everyone. All have good points. The web text input lag is my biggest frustration. I haven't noticed the stutter in the home screen at different orientations, but I run a pretty vanilla wall. I love the Xoom. My biggest worry is how Moto is creating more fragmentation with the device by establishing a have and have not between 3G and wifi only.

 

[jlschulz]

It shows as a lag to you, never has to me. you want an ipad, buy one and quit complaining. The only thing they didn't do with the update that they should have is to give us a working sdcard. I'm tired of loading and unloading stuff and really tired uf their not at least giving us some type of update on the card reader status.

 

[eyecon82]

It shows as a lag to you, never has to me. you want an ipad, buy one and quit complaining. .

gotta live drive-by posters :-\ ......if you have actually read the thread you would have already known I purchased an Ipad2 first

 

[burwil]

I have an iPad and not a Xoom for this reason. I don't use mine for 'work.' I DO care if the UI lags when I use it. That's why I haven't picked up an Android phone yet. I am fully aware of the great capabilities, but can't get past the fact that the whole UI lags. Whether or not the lag is intentional is not the issue. The issue is that it is perceptible. And I find it disturbing that people here are okay with 50% framerates when used in 75% of the orientations. The UI says something about the experience as a whole, too.
.

I agree to a certain point. I get carried away like I suppose many of us when I get widget crazy and overload my phone. The thing lags and I have to tell myself, STOP! But really the DroidX is fast and doesn't lag when you make judicious use of widgets. And they can be of great help. I can scan my screen, get alot of useful info without launching apps.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Rdillz]

Love my Xoom! The so-called lag comments come from people who thinks it should move like an ipad. which doesn't display nearly the type of graphical ability or functionality! On the Xoom, we have a holographic home screen interface people! Complete with wallpaper scrolling, 3D Widgets, live feeds, etc. Plus it lives with 20 or more processes running. Its not supposed to move like an ipad, which is a phone OS BTW, it's home screen is an app drawer. It will never move the same because its not the same. I think its amazing what Google has done with Android in such a short time. 3.1 improved overall smoothness and it will continue to get better as others have said.

We've seen this movie already with the smartphones. I pre-ordered the G1. Some fellow early adopters panicked back then too and jumped ship because it didn't move like an iPhone. Now Android rules that market. So just relax and enjoy the ride. We got 3.1 rolled out to us the same day it was announced! I thought that was awesome. The new quick controls have redefined web browser for me. An amazing innovation. What about adjustments in color, positioning, and text. We need more threads discussing the good things about 3.1 instead of rants.

 

[b0ricua]

You guys should totally try rooting! My Xoom is running at a screaming 1.6ghz on both cores and I have SD card support.

Woot!

If you're interested check the Hacks forum or PM me

 

[onsightit]

Not a troll. I never noticed any lag until the 3.1 update. Browsing is especially laggy now.

Please lock, obvious troll... I have played with it for 20 minutes WHILE syncing music which used to make it lag like... CRAZY. I haven't tried the orientation thing, but when I used to make it portrait, never lagged for me.

Browser is finally good and the system never lags like you two claim. Enjoying this update very much, the first update that Google did NOT screw up.

Sent from my HTC Dream

 

[eyecon82]

I agree to a certain point. I get carried away like I suppose many of us when I get widget crazy and overload my phone. The thing lags and I have to tell myself, STOP! But really the DroidX is fast and doesn't lag when you make judicious use of widgets. And they can be of great help. I can scan my screen, get alot of useful info without launching apps.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

i think that's what my issue is...I go widget crazy...I have all 7 screens filled with widgets on my EVO......and it works flawlessly..i wish xoom would do that too...just gotta have patience I guess

 

[Liberati0n]

Troll test: Eyecon, get a picture of your profile on a Xoom screen.

 

[eyecon82]

Troll test: Eyecon, get a picture of your profile on a Xoom screen.

Not sure what you are asking me to do? picture of my profile on a xoom screen?

Go look under some bridges if you want to find a troll

 

[Liberati0n]

Not sure what you are asking me to do? picture of my profile on a xoom screen?

Go look under some bridges if you want to find a troll

Lets see you claim to have a Evo and a Xoom but you can't do this simple thing?