maemo.org - Talk - Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

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Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by legendemeritus (Post 361222)

its' battery will either be inept or twice the size of the device you just mocked up...

When I started I was programming mainframes that had less power than an iPhone, much less an N900, filled a good sized room, and required water cooling. Five years ago, a ultra lightweight notebook weighed six of seven pounds and had a battery that lasted a few hours.

I don't pretend that you could build my mock up today. But in two years I could see it as doable. Then again, I'm an optimist.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by attila77 (Post 361236)

Why on Earth would you want an x86 processor in a mobile device and then run Linux on it (Ubuntu of all things, which even has an ARM port) ?

Because I trust the x86 development map (and Intel especially) better than the ARM development map (and TI or any other manufacturer). Also I would probably need to dual boot Linux and Windows for some of my corporate apps. And finally because Ubuntu on ARM is at best a work in progress. I'd prefer relying on the main branch.

Ubuntu because I'm a n00b with no particular interest in programming and of the Linux distros I've tried, it's the easiest.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrojas (Post 361204)

While the processor in the N900 is the same as the Droid, the way Maemo is designed, you will multi-task better, faster, with more applications and without running out of memory.
Dunno about the cam recorder.
Do you know Firefox, that awesome browser? Its core powers the Maemo browser in the N900, AND you will also have Fennec (Firefox mobile edition) and hopefully Tear (which uses the same engine as Safari, Webkit).
Dunno about nav.
The touch screen of the N900 is so sensible people usually don't distinguish it from capacitive, and the user interface is designed so you don't need multi-touch to work.
More portrait is coming soon.
Dunno about Verizon.

In short, Maemo is way more akin to a desktop - and you will be using it longer than the Droid, in my opinion.

I agreed that i like the multi-task of N900 and the design of seeing everything on the desktop is pretty cool

I agreed that the firefox is pretty cool w/ extension (in fact, that is the browser i am using on my PC). And i do like the fact the the N900 browser display like real PC browser.

Agreed that the resistive touch on N900 is not that bad
And i think the camcorder of the N900 is better it seems. I seen the Roid video test and they don't seem to be great quality they they suggest.

I have no doubt the Nav of ROID is the killer app.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by romanianusa (Post 361245)

To be completely honest, I don't like using my mobile phones as GPS navigation devices, at least for my car. My 3 years old Garmin is good enough for that, off course, YMMV.

If I remember well, MicroB in the N900 (that is, the default N900 browser) also supports extensions, dunno about the type.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by v13 (Post 361124)

From what I've read about Android and from what I've seen in a friend's HTC Hero, Android practically does not multi-task:

Since Android's apps are in java, you only can run java apps. Now, according to an article I'd read about Android programming (I don't remember where, but have a look at the activity lifecycle here) and from what I've seen, Android freezes java applications when they are left in the background. The friend of mine also claimed that it swaps-out the application to free memory (but I can't understand how it can do that).

Also, how are you supposed to install a new media player in Android? Can a Java program practically play a hi-def video? From a test I performed the HTC Hero could not play a 720p video (as avi and mp4) I created, most probably because of missing codec. This video runs from mplayer under N800 (but very-very-very slow). Can you do that with Android? I don't believe that there will ever be any video-playing program written in Java to extend the video-playing functionality of Android.

As for the hardware specs: that's not an OS issue. However, since you mentioned them: I'm more-and-more pleased by the fact that N900 will have a resistive screen. Being able to use a stylus is a great advantage. It is *very* slow and uncomfortable to do some tasks with your finger. Just try to type a long URL using an iphone.

Hero uses the 7200 Qualcomm, which at the time of the Hero's development, was still illegal to use the integrated DSP or accelerated video functions in the device. The only 7200 series that will have active drivers is the Xperia 2 ($800??).

Only MP4 standard def video drivers are in the framework (1.6 anyway) and there is no audio EQ function. Both would beat the cpu to death trying to emulate it all through the byte code translator. No direct access to the hardware unless Android writes it in the OS and creates the drivers.

Android is constrained and works on many devices because of the byte code translation process. Apps are contained within the java app layer for operation, so no critical hardware conflicts.

This is why Apple games are better, because more hardware access is allowed, since only a few hardware iterations to program for. As a result, they can allow a little lower level access (but not much).

Summary:

Android = Leg blocks (In a very finite 150 meg or less space)
Maemo = Fractals (OK, perhaps that is a geometrical and mathematical exaggeration)

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Yes Android's maps is it's killer feature. Though it remains to be seen if they'll bring it to other platforms. Though I wonder, given a browser with geolocation abilities + Google Maps + fast enough hardware we can use the web interface for when your out and about for now. Not for GPS car navigation but more for, food near me. Or walking directions. So in that case you have partial functionality, heck even street view.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laughing Man (Post 361253)

Agreed on all fronts... I'm just wondering if there wont' be enough Maemo devices sold to get Google's time to work on it. Doesn't streetview utilize digital compasses on some platforms to do augmented reality? Maybe I'm wrong on that one, but if not, that'd be one thing I'd miss with the n900.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

keep an eye on tnkgrl's site. They now have both an n900 and the Droid to review. Hopefully a balanced-non-biased comparison of the two phones will happen soon...

http://tnkgrl.wordpress.com/2009/10/...ola-droid-time

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

I will give you one very good reason. Splintering. I am noticing more and more a fracturing of the android OS. What works on one device will not function on another because of some change that the manufacturer has made to the underlying OS. If this continues the android market is going to be full of "Runs only on" in the description.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveP1 (Post 361241)

Because I trust the x86 development map (and Intel especially) better than the ARM development map (and TI or any other manufacturer).

Oh you poor naïve, fellow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveP1 (Post 361241)

I'd prefer relying on the main branch.

At the expense of battery life, cost and reliability? Interesting.