Honeycomb has the chops to compete head-to-head with Apple's iOS. Here are six notable ways in which Google's interface team has improved Android.
Android has always frustrated me. I've tracked Google's mobile operating system ever since its debut on the T-Mobile G1, and time and again I've seen new versions fall short of overhauling the interface into a clean, user-friendly experience that can compete with--and push--Apple's iOS.
Until now: With Android 3.0 (aka Honeycomb), Google has stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park.
In using Honeycomb on the Motorola Xoom tablet, I found myself routinely enjoying, not cursing, the experience. That's quite the contrast to how I react to my Samsung Galaxy S phone running Android 2.1--using that feels downright painful in comparison with using my Apple iPhone 4.
When it comes to interface design, I value a clean, organized style, with efficient navigation. That means making minimal taps, and not having to move my fingers back and forth across the whole screen to accomplish simple tasks. I was a harsh critic of the early Android, the unfinished operating system--it was the OS that went only so far, not far enough to see an entire action through, or to carry the polish to the next level.
But Android 3.0 is more than up to the task. Honeycomb is the first polished-interface product I've seen out of Google, and the first one that doesn't feel like an in-progress beta at launch. In some cases, it's the small details--like being able to tap anywhere on the screen to dismiss a menu window--that make Android 3.0 infinitely more usable.
Here are six things about Honeycomb that I've come to appreciate as I've spent time with the Motorola Xoom. Some of these items address grievances that I've long held with Froyo; others are just plain neat additions that bring the operating system to life. Read more...
Source: PC World
No comments:
Post a Comment