I'm typing these words to you on the monstrosity you see above, the Chinese Google Nexus 7,
the dual core A10 processors and a Mali 400 GPU wielding, Ainol Novo 7 Aurora II.
That was a mouthful!
This thing handles anything I throw at it with ease.
1280x720 resolution, 1 Gb. of Ram, and a tab under settings that lets you vary the processor speed up to 1.5 ghz (comes pre-rooted).
I'm really starting to question Apples' continued supremacy in the mobile platform market with the advent of high end, slick, and much more adaptable Android devices.
USB, micro SD, & HDMI ports.
Ability to run a full unity desktop version of Ubuntu 11.
Of course I'm on a custom ROM.
Cost? $125. Shipped.
At first, I wasn't very fond of Android. My experience with the OS was on low end cell phones, with little ram or the ability to transfer apps to an external SD. Apple never had this problem due to manufacturing the hardware the OS is installed on, maintaining hardware standards and of course the ease of mainly single button operation.
My main argument against getting a tablet was that it could not do what my computer could do. With Android 4.X on quality hardware, this is no longer valid.
So how is iOS going to stay relevant? I barely even touch my iPhone now. Google Play is quicly catching up to the variety of the APP store, and actually exceeds it in variety, if not number, of Apps.
Sure, you can jailbreak, and I have on all my iDevices, but the basic hardware costs hundreds of dollars more, for similar internal components and specs, on a locked down system with expensive proprietary accessories for things like A/V out or reading an external SD card.
iOS is Slick, and the original. I wouldn't be holding a tablet, or one this nice more likely, if Apple didn't blaze a trail and open a new digital market with the iPhone and iPod touch.
Let's face it though, Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs, and Apple has, historically, floundered without it's co-founder. Can it continue to innovate (faster & better than Google)?
Don't get me wrong, I still think Macintosh is the only operating system to run on a pc or laptop. Pc's and laptops are going the way of the flip phone though.
I just picked up an Acer 15" from around 2009, Intel dual core, for $75 from a Unique thrift store. It's running OSX 10.5 Leopard right now.
The big machines still have their place though. Photoshop touch is no where near as powerfull as Lightroom or CS5. iMovie and the various Android equivalents cannot replace Final Cut Pro or Premiere. I haven't even run across a mobile equivalent for Motion or After Effects.
Hint to Apple: if you were busier making something truly revolutionary, like you used to with the mouse, or iPhone.... Or like Google Goggles or Leap Motion... Maybe you wouldn't be fighting worldwide patent battles, and instead be pouring all that Legal $ into Research and development, while your competitors try to scramble and catch up and push out a similar, quality equivalent.
When it comes to iOS, they have.
You should take it as a compliment.
One thing's for sure, competition is great for us!
Next post, my home made remote shutter switch for my Canon SX40 HS running Chdk. With video!
As above so below good people
Peace
051R15
