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Tell Me About Tablets

245

Posts

  • DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    cpugeek13 wrote: »
    I know that the iOS has thousands of apps, but don't you have to pay money for most of them? I took a look at the android market and saw very few (if any) that you have to buy. I know theres a lot fewer apps, but isn't cost a major selling point for Android? Also, I heard that you can't view or edit any MS office docs on the ipad, true? A friend of mine told me that most popular apps on the iOS are also available on android, is that right?

    Most iPad apps cost money (about 2/3rd of what's available), though some may have lighter or ad-supported versions that are free. There are a lot of paid apps on the Android marketplace (more than half are free/ad-supported), but I read an interesting report about how paid apps are tanking there.

    Out of the box the iPad can view docx, xls, and xlsx (I haven't tried any other types of office files). However you cannot edit any of them without installing apps. There are 3rd party apps, but if I wanted to edit any of those kinds of documents on an iPad I'd just shell out for Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for iPad as I know those will be quality apps.

    I don't think that you could say that most of the top apps on iOS are also available on Android, however I think that there are analogous apps between platforms, be they free/paid or high/low ranked. The only stand out ports I can think of are Angry Birds and Documents To Go (I'm not sure which platform this was initially released on) though this is not something I really follow.

    Djeet on
  • CarbonFireCarbonFire See you in the countryRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I think one of the biggest reasons iOS paid apps do so well is that you can use iTunes cards for purchases. Right now you pretty much HAVE to use a credit card to buy stuff from the Android Marketplace. There are alternatives of course, buying from the Amazon App Store using Amazon gift cards (hey, choice!), but it's not as convenient as having everything easily available in the native Marketplace.

    When Google gets carrier billing sorted out, that will certainly help things, but it still doesn't bring them up to parity with how Apple does it. Until you can go buy a Google / Android Card from a brick and mortar store that you can use directly on the Android Marketplace to purchase apps, iOS will continue to dominate the paid-app space.

    @Djeet: Android gets many of the big name iOS apps these days (usually a couple months later, though that gap has been getting shorter). This is especially true with games, but productivity and other apps are making their way over as well. That said, iPad apps have been pretty slow to make their way over to Honeycomb, mostly due to the relatively low install base for Android Tablets (which will change as they become more price competitive and feature rich). It took a while for Android phones to grow the necessary install base to make porting iPhone apps over a worthy business venture, and it will probably take just as long for Android Tablets to gain similar acceptance from iPad app developers. I imagine this fall/winter we'll be seeing some pretty competitive pricing on Android Tablets that should help grow that market considerably.

    Also that report points out that since Google's Marketplace isn't curated in the same way Apple's is, there's less churn for the top paid apps. Google uses historic sales data to decide which apps get top billing, so assuming those apps stay popular, its a little more difficult for other paid apps to get exposure. It's not even necessarily that people aren't buying apps on Android (though the volume is almost certainly lower given the reasons I posted above), it's that iOS users are spreading the wealth a bit more due to the hand-curated nature of the Apple App Store. It's something else Google certainly needs to address, though I have little doubt things will get better as their Marketplace matures.

    CarbonFire on
    Steam: CarbonFire MWO, PSN, Origin: Carb0nFire
  • MonoxideMonoxide Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2011
    I think one of the biggest reasons iOS paid apps do so well is that you can use iTunes cards for purchases. Right now you pretty much HAVE to use a credit card to buy stuff from the Android Marketplace. There are alternatives of course, buying from the Amazon App Store using Amazon gift cards (hey, choice!), but it's not as convenient as having everything easily available in the native Marketplace.

    When Google gets carrier billing sorted out, that will certainly help things, but it still doesn't bring them up to parity with how Apple does it. Until you can go buy a Google / Android Card from a brick and mortar store that you can use directly on the Android Marketplace to purchase apps, iOS will continue to dominate the paid-app space.

    i honestly don't think this matters very much at all

    Monoxide on
  • CarbonFireCarbonFire See you in the countryRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Monoxide wrote: »
    I think one of the biggest reasons iOS paid apps do so well is that you can use iTunes cards for purchases. Right now you pretty much HAVE to use a credit card to buy stuff from the Android Marketplace. There are alternatives of course, buying from the Amazon App Store using Amazon gift cards (hey, choice!), but it's not as convenient as having everything easily available in the native Marketplace.

    When Google gets carrier billing sorted out, that will certainly help things, but it still doesn't bring them up to parity with how Apple does it. Until you can go buy a Google / Android Card from a brick and mortar store that you can use directly on the Android Marketplace to purchase apps, iOS will continue to dominate the paid-app space.

    i honestly don't think this matters very much at all

    I have to imagine for the legions of iPod Touch owners (who obviously skew younger and are less likely to have access to a credit card) it does make a difference. Android really doesn't even exist in that market yet, and yet those iPods are just as likely to drive sales of paid apps like games.

    CarbonFire on
    Steam: CarbonFire MWO, PSN, Origin: Carb0nFire
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    No. I don't think it matter at all.

    Anyone who is too young to have a bank account probably is appeased enough by the gajillion free games for the device.

    iTunes gift cards, as far as I am aware, are traditionally used for music/album purchases.

    Jasconius on
  • Steel AngelSteel Angel Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    CarbonFire wrote: »
    Monoxide wrote: »
    I think one of the biggest reasons iOS paid apps do so well is that you can use iTunes cards for purchases. Right now you pretty much HAVE to use a credit card to buy stuff from the Android Marketplace. There are alternatives of course, buying from the Amazon App Store using Amazon gift cards (hey, choice!), but it's not as convenient as having everything easily available in the native Marketplace.

    When Google gets carrier billing sorted out, that will certainly help things, but it still doesn't bring them up to parity with how Apple does it. Until you can go buy a Google / Android Card from a brick and mortar store that you can use directly on the Android Marketplace to purchase apps, iOS will continue to dominate the paid-app space.

    i honestly don't think this matters very much at all

    I have to imagine for the legions of iPod Touch owners (who obviously skew younger and are less likely to have access to a credit card) it does make a difference. Android really doesn't even exist in that market yet, and yet those iPods are just as likely to drive sales of paid apps like games.

    Do not underestimate the popularity of the Touch among teenagers whose parents aren't willing to shell out for an iPhone and data plan. Last I checked, a third of the teenagers at my church had one and that was about a year ago.

    Steel Angel on
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  • captainkcaptaink TexasRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    My twitter password just does not want to work between my computer and tablet.

    captaink on
  • MonoxideMonoxide Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2011
    Hulu Plus was released today for Android devices. Six of them, and zero tablets are supported.

    I also found today that no Honeycomb devices are supported whatsoever by Netflix, and Netflix will fail to install (or work properly) on rooted devices, and does not currently support anything using a Tegra 2.

    Why is anyone who uses Android putting up with this, exactly? I'm kind of blown away here because these are huge, enormous draws on the iPad. I was under the impression that Netflix had been available for Android for months, but I had no idea that it only worked on certain, selected phones and zero tablets. Seems like an enormous missed opportunity.

    Monoxide on
  • DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    There must be technical/manfacturer/carrier hurdles preventing the hulu plus app from being supported on more devices since many more than 6 devices can run 2.2 (minimum Android OS version requirement). Hopefully the Ice Cream Sandwich update will address issues like this, but fragmentation in Android has been a long discussed issue.

    Dislike of Apple, preference for an open platform, and cost of apps and development seems to drive most Android users I know to Android.

    Djeet on
  • KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Well, it involves running an specific version of flash but you can view Hulu on Android tablets. Don't even have to spring for Hulu Plus either.

    Kyougu on
  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Monoxide wrote: »
    Hulu Plus was released today for Android devices. Six of them, and zero tablets are supported.

    I also found today that no Honeycomb devices are supported whatsoever by Netflix, and Netflix will fail to install (or work properly) on rooted devices, and does not currently support anything using a Tegra 2.

    Why is anyone who uses Android putting up with this, exactly? I'm kind of blown away here because these are huge, enormous draws on the iPad. I was under the impression that Netflix had been available for Android for months, but I had no idea that it only worked on certain, selected phones and zero tablets. Seems like an enormous missed opportunity.

    Netflix relies on hardware DRM supplied by the CPU/GPU on specific devices. it does tend to work on more devices than their officially supported list, and it works absolutely fine on my CM7, not-anywhere-near-close-to-stock evo 4g, but there's about a 0% chance that the DRM capabilities they use on samsung hummingbird chipsets and the assorted snapdragon phones it's available for is implemented in a fashion compatible with tegra 2

    Dehumanized on
  • MonoxideMonoxide Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2011
    From Netflix's blog:
    We are eager to launch on these devices and are disappointed that we haven’t been able to do so already. The hurdle has been the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android. The same security issues that have led to piracy concerns on the Android platform have made it difficult for us to secure a common Digital Rights Management (DRM) system on these devices.

    [...]

    Although we don’t have a common platform security mechanism and DRM, we are able to work with individual handset manufacturers to add content protection to their devices. Unfortunately, this is a much slower approach and leads to a fragmented experience on Android, in which some handsets will have access to Netflix and others won’t.

    They chose hardware DRM because of a failing of the platform's security model. This isn't a Netflix/Hulu issue, this is an Android problem. If Google wants to compete in the tablet space, a market driven by digital content consumption, they'll need to offer a cohesive security solution. Until they do, the platform and its users will suffer.

    Monoxide on
  • captainkcaptaink TexasRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I finally played Dungeon Defenders. Still seems like something that would work better on a PC.

    captaink on
  • taliosfalcontaliosfalcon Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Monoxide wrote: »
    From Netflix's blog:
    We are eager to launch on these devices and are disappointed that we haven’t been able to do so already. The hurdle has been the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android. The same security issues that have led to piracy concerns on the Android platform have made it difficult for us to secure a common Digital Rights Management (DRM) system on these devices.

    [...]

    Although we don’t have a common platform security mechanism and DRM, we are able to work with individual handset manufacturers to add content protection to their devices. Unfortunately, this is a much slower approach and leads to a fragmented experience on Android, in which some handsets will have access to Netflix and others won’t.

    They chose hardware DRM because of a failing of the platform's security model. This isn't a Netflix/Hulu issue, this is an Android problem. If Google wants to compete in the tablet space, a market driven by digital content consumption, they'll need to offer a cohesive security solution. Until they do, the platform and its users will suffer.

    That seems like kind of a silly argument considering how trivial it is to record netflix movies on a desktop computer. I mean if people want to steal netflix movies they aren't going to be doing it on a tablet at reduced resolution and storage space when they can set their computer up to do it in two minutes.

    taliosfalcon on
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  • AbracadanielAbracadaniel Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    :[

    :[

    Abracadaniel on
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Monoxide wrote: »
    From Netflix's blog:
    We are eager to launch on these devices and are disappointed that we haven’t been able to do so already. The hurdle has been the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android. The same security issues that have led to piracy concerns on the Android platform have made it difficult for us to secure a common Digital Rights Management (DRM) system on these devices.

    [...]

    Although we don’t have a common platform security mechanism and DRM, we are able to work with individual handset manufacturers to add content protection to their devices. Unfortunately, this is a much slower approach and leads to a fragmented experience on Android, in which some handsets will have access to Netflix and others won’t.

    They chose hardware DRM because of a failing of the platform's security model. This isn't a Netflix/Hulu issue, this is an Android problem. If Google wants to compete in the tablet space, a market driven by digital content consumption, they'll need to offer a cohesive security solution. Until they do, the platform and its users will suffer.

    That seems like kind of a silly argument considering how trivial it is to record netflix movies on a desktop computer. I mean if people want to steal netflix movies they aren't going to be doing it on a tablet at reduced resolution and storage space when they can set their computer up to do it in two minutes.

    I am guessing that the contracts with which Netflix obtains the rights to distribute movies has very specific language about this written by movie studio lawyers who barely understand how a wrist watch works. In media retail in particular, logic has never really been the primary objective. Take for example how retailers like Best Buy would refuse to carry PC games that did not have easily-defeatable CD-in-tray requirements.

    The people write these agreements without any real knowledge of the actual problems they face. All they know is that "DRM" is a good thing, and by golly, Netflix should have it if they want to distribute our dad-gum movin pictures. So Netflix is obligated to provide a certain baseline level of protection which is easily circumvented by anyone with a functioning neocortex.


    Regardless, this is yet another great opportunity to bash Android for being totally abject and miserable in every way possible.

    I hear MP3 playback is in the pipeline for 2015!

    Jasconius on
  • AbracadanielAbracadaniel Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    i liked my response better

    Abracadaniel on
  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Djeet wrote: »
    Dislike of Apple, preference for an open platform

    Pretty much this right here. I owned an Ipod Touch for a while and finally got fed up with how Apple products operate and gave the damn thing away (it was replaced with a Sansa Clip+ flashed with Rockbox if that gives you any sort of indication of what sort of user I am). I'd really like to get my hands on a tablet but all this talk of how crippled the Android powered tablets are app wise has me kinda skittish. Bleh, I think I'll just have to sit back and wait for the Android side of all of this to mature a bit more.

    TOGSolid on
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  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Djeet wrote: »
    If you're not an enthusiast/developer (meaning you just want something that works for media consumption, general internet use, maybe has a few built-in whizbangs, and aren't into heavy customization of the UI) then you'll probably be happiest with an iPad

    It is these kind of statements to bother me.

    I am both an enthusiast AND a developer, and I have no interest in Android.

    I don't understand what leads people to believe that because someone programs computers, they must by definition crave a phone that.... what... is open source?

    Do you understand how few people who write mobile applications actually take advantage of the fact that a platform is open source? More people take advantage of the fact that there is no approval process, and that number is still far less than 5%.

    I do understand that there are linux crypto-hackers out there who do want Androids because they can program them to milk a cow, that is fine. I get that. But the conclusion that because Android is open source, developers will like it, is a bad one.

    The only developers who crave android one are the ones who have known Java and its toolsets for over a decade and are comfortable sorting through the inane horseshit that is Android development.

    Jasconius on
  • SeptusSeptus Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Woah, he said if you are not an enthusiast/developer, an iPad might be best. That does not address whether certain enthusiasts/developers might also enjoy an iPad.

    Septus on
    PSN: Kurahoshi1
  • AbracadanielAbracadaniel Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I think it's just that Jasc has heard that argument/justification for Android a lot

    Abracadaniel on
  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I think what bugs me most about the tablet scene is that your choices are: Get hosed by a currently crippled platform or get hosed by Apple. Bleh, shit sucks yo.

    TOGSolid on
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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I absolutely hate Apple desktop/laptop interfaces and love their gadgets/iOS devices.

    Disliking a company's business practices and a product they make doesn't mean it isn't the best option currently available.

    You can probably find a discounted iPad 1 around. Although I love my iPad 2 to pieces, I think an iPad 1 is probably a better option than most new Android/other tablets out there and it's much cheaper than the new Apple offering. That's my opinion.

    joshofalltrades on
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I think the tablet scene is bad because the companies that would be apt to throw down on tablet computing know that this is actually not that big of a market... so they have the B-team on it.

    There was some blogger who said something like "there is no tablet market, there is an iPad market"... was not far from the truth though he kind of had the wrong idea in mind.

    I don't really think tablets are that big a deal and I don't think they will ever be as popular as phones or PC's. The behemoth companies aren't going to blow through a billion dollars of RnD to perfect something that is only going to sell a few million units. That's not their game.

    There are no fantastic competing tablets because you've got people like Microsoft who seem to have intently waited on other companies to make plenty of mistakes *cough* playbook *cough* before even dipping a toe in the water.

    I have high hopes for the HP tablet(s) once they come out. I think HP and WebOS will be a big deal.

    Jasconius on
  • CarbonFireCarbonFire See you in the countryRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Jasconius wrote: »
    I have high hopes for the HP tablet(s) once they come out. I think HP and WebOS will be a big deal.

    Then people will realize that there are still no apps for it, and go back to the iPad.

    But hey, at least it will probably have email integration! (lol blackberry)

    CarbonFire on
    Steam: CarbonFire MWO, PSN, Origin: Carb0nFire
  • ZiggymonZiggymon Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    CarbonFire wrote: »
    Jasconius wrote: »
    I have high hopes for the HP tablet(s) once they come out. I think HP and WebOS will be a big deal.

    Then people will realize that there are still no apps for it, and go back to the iPad.

    But hey, at least it will probably have email integration! (lol blackberry)

    I had high hopes on the Meego tablet....

    ...Damn you Nokia!!!


    Managed to have a go on the Playbook, and the OS is quite snappy and I do like the build quality. Its a shame then that the tablet is not that much bigger than the high end smartphones out now, has horrid wifi connectivity, costs as much the larger more complete tablets and practically requires you to own a blackberry to get its basic functions going.

    Ziggymon on
  • taliosfalcontaliosfalcon Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Jasconius wrote: »
    I have high hopes for the HP tablet(s) once they come out. I think HP and WebOS will be a big deal.

    Eh the HP tablet is already behind everything else specwise before its launched (18 bit screen lolwut?) and at 100$ more than higher specced android counterparts I cant' see it taking off, the majority of people want apple, the minority want the best bang for their buck, the touchpad appeals to neither of these markets

    taliosfalcon on
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  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Disliking a company's business practices and a product they make doesn't mean it isn't the best option currently available.
    To quote Doug Stanhope: Yeah, but that's like being the prettiest Denny's waitress.

    iOS would be vaguely okish if it wasn't for the fact that if you want to transfer anything from your desktop to an iOS device you're still bound by that horrible piece of shitty mcshittershit dickshit program iTunes (which is a rant for an entirely different thread). Even ignoring that I don't really care for how controlled and tightly wound iOS feels. I want to use my stuff the way I want, not the way that cockwaffle Steve Jobs wants.

    I think my best bet is to just completely forget about the whole tablet thing all together, between my shiny new smartphone and the e-reader I was given for free I've basically got all my bases covered in an albeit kinda clunky way, but oh well.

    TOGSolid on
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  • Big Red TieBig Red Tie beautiful clydesdale style feet too hot to trotRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    iTunes is fine deal w it

    Big Red Tie on
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    Beasteh wrote: »
    *おなら*
  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    iTunes is fine deal w it

    Your amazing essay on the merits and advantages of iTunes is incredible! Never before has this forum seen such linguistic prowess used to such astounding effect!

    I dare say that you may have crafted the greatest post this board will ever see. Nay, you have shook the heavens themselves.

    TOGSolid on
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  • porcporc Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Is it not actually possible to move anything to an iPad without using iTunes? It doesn't really bother me too much with my iPod nano but I could certainly see that being annoying for some people.

    This does raise another point though; that an iPad would be bad choice for anyone not using Windows/ Mac OSX, but I'd imagine someone using Linux etc would be less likely to buy an iPad anyway.

    porc on
  • MonoxideMonoxide Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2011
    porc wrote: »
    Is it not actually possible to move anything to an iPad without using iTunes? It doesn't really bother me too much with my iPod nano but I could certainly see that being annoying for some people.

    This does raise another point though; that an iPad would be bad choice for anyone not using Windows/ Mac OSX, but I'd imagine someone using Linux etc would be less likely to buy an iPad anyway.

    It's definitely very possible to do so. Nearly all decent third party apps support DropBox or something similar, and many who don't directly support it are registered as a file handler for their filetype. For example, a .docx file opened from an email on the iPad will have an 'open in' contextual menu that allows you to open it in Pages, DocumentsToGo, DropBox, etc. A CBR in DropBox will open into ComicZeal.

    Just because the only official OS supported way to bring files onto the device is via iTunes doesn't mean that's how anyone actually does so. The only types of files I manage through iTunes are music and movies, and that's only on the rare occasion (vacations, really) when I know I'll be without wifi for long enough that I can't just use AirVideo to stream video from my desktop and AudioGalaxy (or even iTunes home sharing) to stream music. Barely any media content is actually stored on-device for me because there's really little good reason to do so.

    Monoxide on
  • AzioAzio Registered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Jasconius wrote: »
    The only developers who crave android one are the ones who have known Java and its toolsets for over a decade and are comfortable sorting through the inane horseshit that is Android development.
    Hey, objective-c is pretty awful too

    Azio on
  • MonoxideMonoxide Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2011
    I don't know, I've done development for both and found the APIs in iOS are mostly easier to work with. Objective-C's syntax is pretty awful for any developer without a Cocoa background, but once you learn the difference it makes a lot of sense, especially since 2.0's decision to finally embrace dot-syntax.

    Though, as a full-time .NET developer who prefers Python for personal projects, neither are ideal.

    Monoxide on
  • SenshiSenshi BALLING OUT OF CONTROL WavefrontRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I absolutely hate Apple desktop/laptop interfaces and love their gadgets/iOS devices.

    Disliking a company's business practices and a product they make doesn't mean it isn't the best option currently available.

    You can probably find a discounted iPad 1 around. Although I love my iPad 2 to pieces, I think an iPad 1 is probably a better option than most new Android/other tablets out there and it's much cheaper than the new Apple offering. That's my opinion.

    oh my god so much this

    I hate Microsoft with a burning passion that rivals that of the sun, but I made damn sure to buy an XBox 360 controller for my computer because it is a good product.

    I'll admit that I'm a bit of an Applefag, but the whole "waaaah I hate steve jobs" argument for not getting an iPad is a ridiculous one. Disregarding the fact that yes, I would probably suck his dick if given the opportunity, the iPad is a stellar product that does what it's intended to do very well. Also, with iOS 5 (releases Fall this year), the need for a desktop computer of any kind to sync with is removed. You'll probably have to use iTunes to get your music over to it in any case. I don't have a problem with iTunes, but I rather like the way it organizes music. The arguments people give me for disliking it have never made very much sense, but then I've never used iTunes on Windows. I can only imagine it's a pretty shitty experience, much like using any Microsoft product on OS X (until recently, anyway—Office is actually getting better with every iteration).

    If you ask me, get an iPad. I don't find the lack of Flash crippling (au contraire, I rather like that it's gone because it's a shitty format), and the multitude of apps on the App Store fill many—if not all—of my various needs. In all honesty, however, the state of affairs as I see it right now is that the selection of chat apps in general for the iPad is a little sparse, but there's a fantastic GTalk/AIM app for iPhone/iPod touch called Verbs that is currently being, well, ported for lack of a better word to the iPad.

    Senshi on
  • MonoxideMonoxide Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2011
    I don't have a problem with iTunes, but I rather like the way it organizes music. The arguments people give me for disliking it have never made very much sense, but then I've never used iTunes on Windows. I can only imagine it's a pretty shitty experience, much like using any Microsoft product on OS X (until recently, anyway—Office is actually getting better with every iteration).

    I do use iTunes on Windows and I've found it to be the best and most reliable software for managing large libraries. It's not the best music player out there, because if all you need to do is play MP3s that you're organizing manually, there's a lot of overhead in iTunes you don't need. But if you have 150GB of music and don't feel like dicking around with filenames and manually updating ID3 tags and artwork all the time, iTunes does a pretty excellent job. The only decent competitor with a similar featureset for managing your library is MediaMonkey, but I wasn't a fan of the UI, and it had some serious stability issues last time I gave it a shot.

    Monoxide on
  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Senshi wrote: »
    I've never used iTunes on Windows.
    It's...not good, especially when it's compared to the VASTLY superior options available on Windows.
    does what it's intended to do very well
    And that's the problem.

    To be clear: I don't hate on Apple products just because I hate Steve Jobs or Apple itself, I hate on Apple products because of how they function. How I like to use my devices does not align with how Steve Jobs thinks I should use my devices which means that to me, Apple products are purely excercises in getting frustrated.
    The only decent competitor with a similar featureset for managing your library is MediaMonkey, but I wasn't a fan of the UI, and it had some serious stability issues last time I gave it a shot.
    My MediaMonkey experience has been stellar. When was the last time you tried to use it?

    I'm not sure what's not to like about the UI. It's fairly customizable and has a full fledged folder tree option (something that itunes does not have) and all of the typical search by ID3 tag stuff any good library manager should have.


    If anything, Media Monkey vs iTunes really highlights the whole "Apple enthusiast vs Apple hater" issue. I love Media Monkey because it does what I want, how I tell it to as opposed to iTunes which attempts to take control away from you with Borg like efficiency and expects you to work within its confines. If that works for you well...good for you I guess. I need more power than an Apple product can deliver though.

    TOGSolid on
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  • SenshiSenshi BALLING OUT OF CONTROL WavefrontRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I'd like to know what your folder tree looks like, because that seems to be the sticking point

    Senshi on
  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    Senshi wrote: »
    I'd like to know what your folder tree looks like, because that seems to be the sticking point

    You'll have to give me a bit to get a screenshot of it. Do be warned: As of a few days ago my current music collection was sitting at 225 GB of content. There is no way in hell I'm gonna fit it all into one shot.

    To describe it briefly, it's basically a tree of the actual folder locations on my media drive that allows you to move/rename/copy/etc. all you want within it. It basically behaves just like a folder tree in the windows UI I do not use sorting by genre/artist/etc. mostly just because my collection is so massive that sorting via actual drive location is a helluva lot easier.

    This pic I found on the web shows the default layout of Media Monkey. That location tab is what I'm talking about and it is godtier.
    MediaMonkey_x2qy.jpg


    The tree isn't the main sticking point though, but it is one of my multitude of issues with iTunes.

    TOGSolid on
    wWuzwvJ.png
  • SenshiSenshi BALLING OUT OF CONTROL WavefrontRegistered User regular
    edited June 2011
    I meant more in terms of how do you keep it organized, not an actual picture of it

    Senshi on
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