Why does Android feel so lacking? - Page 2 - maemo.org

Fuzzillogic | # 11 | 2013-01-05, 22:46 | Report

Originally Posted by

This is a big deal on mobile devices with limited memory and battery capacity

It certainly isn't anymore with today's multi-GiB devices. But even back then, was it? Symbian managed quite nicely with even less memory (and Epoch32 before).

Android might have been supporting multitasking since day 1, but to this day it feels as if that feature is meant for "very special" apps only, and the developers have to jump through hoops to achieve it.

I rarely use an Android device, but I too am constant wondering which app still is runing and which one have been killed. And usually it's the other way around than what I'd expected, with the browser redownloading pages AGAIN etc.

They've dumbed it down too much.

The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to Fuzzillogic For This Useful Post:
Daneel, Estel, khan.orak, mr_pingu, pycage, shanttu, Wikiwide

waldo | # 12 | 2013-01-05, 22:58 | Report

My old n8 multitasks much better and more reliable than my one x

n8 has 680 MHz single core and 256mb ram
One X has 1.5 GHz dual core and 1gb ram

This doesn't make sense

The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to waldo For This Useful Post:
Artyom, captainofiron, Daneel, Estel, nkirk, Wikiwide

qwazix | # 13 | 2013-01-05, 23:04 | Report

A big difference for me is the keyboard shortcuts and other things that work as leftovers from the desktop on our NIT's, which do not exist on android because it's made from scratch.
Ctrl+A works everywhere on maemo, ctrl+z works on Microb, copy + paste fully supported. The OS is file-centric so you have control, as every app saves and loads from disk.

I was trying to delete the inline quoted text from a gmail forward on android the other day, and I had to do it by keeping backspace pressed until it was all gone the other day, just to forward the attachment.

Slowly though it gains features and it's becoming more and more usable, it's just the story of pc's from the begining

The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to qwazix For This Useful Post:
Acidspunk, dylanemcgregor, handaxe, Wikiwide

Acidspunk | # 14 | 2013-01-05, 23:05 | Report

Well, I've been using an Xperia Mini Pro for about a month now and to be quite honest, it's getting harder for me to go back to my n900 each time. I keep it charged and still use it, but it just feels slow and clunky in comparison. Even the default browser on the mini pro was pretty impressive as it's a competitor to microB and I wasn't expecting it to be. Long story short, I didn't expect to like android as much, and I'm generally impressed with it. If only it had CuteTube

The Following User Says Thank You to Acidspunk For This Useful Post:
Wikiwide

mariusmssj | # 15 | 2013-01-05, 23:34 | Report

Originally Posted by waldo View Post

My old n8 multitasks much better and more reliable than my one x

n8 has 680 MHz single core and 256mb ram
One X has 1.5 GHz dual core and 1gb ram

This doesn't make sense

N8 uses that single core directly on native code.
Android runs on that shitty Dalvik virtual machine. I know I'm being harsh saying shitty it is impressive but it will NEVER EVER EVER be as quick or efficient as native code.

I am moving all my java android code to native C. The forums and Android SDK say that native C will not be faster in all cases, from what I seen the perforce went from 2fps to 19fps by moving only 30% code to native C.

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to mariusmssj For This Useful Post:
automagic68, mr_pingu, Wikiwide

waldo | # 16 | 2013-01-05, 23:37 | Report

Originally Posted by Acidspunk View Post

Well, I've been using an Xperia Mini Pro for about a month now and to be quite honest, it's getting harder for me to go back to my n900 each time. I keep it charged and still use it, but it just feels slow and clunky in comparison. Even the default browser on the mini pro was pretty impressive as it's a competitor to microB and I wasn't expecting it to be. Long story short, I didn't expect to like android as much, and I'm generally impressed with it. If only it had CuteTube

yeah but imagine the n900 on the specs of the mini.... The problem using the n900 today is the hardware is so outdated.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to waldo For This Useful Post:
bigears5000, Wikiwide

rcolistete | # 17 | 2013-01-05, 23:56 | Report

Originally Posted by Capt'n Corrupt View Post

This is not actually true. Android has supported activity based multi-tasking since API level 1, or the version before the first commercially released version of the OS. Some apps run completely as services (eg. VX Connectbox SSH) and only shut down on an explicit exit, which is analogous to the way it's handled on the linux desktop (for example).
http://developer.android.com/referen.../Activity.html

It is certainly more complex than process exclusive multi-tasking, but it also has the advantage of allowing the OS to determine how best to manage limited resources, and gives the app control based on a number of states. This is a big deal on mobile devices with limited memory and battery capacity. I also suspect would be very valuable addition on the desktop as well. It even simplifies user-management, as it is generally not required to actually exit out of apps. (I say 'generally' because some stubborn apps stay in memory and do not allow the OS to clean them up.)

And I agree that some apps do not cache well, or otherwise re-start when selected from the task manager. Of course, this is avoidable through better code, and the developer should be contacted.

Should I borrow my Psion Revo+ to you ? It has Psion EPOC 32 OS from 13 years ago, a full multi-tasking OS, where you could leave dozen of softwares open for months, with great battery life (some days), very stable.. I've used my Revo+ to edit and compile OPL softwares on-device (e.g., Smuggers), and it lasted 2 years without reboot, rock-solid.

Worse than the lack of real multitasking in Android, iOS, WP, etc, is the damage to the mentality and expectations of normal users.

The Following 14 Users Say Thank You to rcolistete For This Useful Post:
afaq, Artyom, Daneel, daperl, Estel, freemangordon, Hurrian, pichlo, pycage, reinob, Russe89, Venty, Wikiwide, zamorph

automagic68 | # 18 | 2013-01-06, 00:06 | Report

With Android all the apps are written in Java and the JVM that runs those apps only becomes efficient when when a task is repeated a very large number of times. Otherwise it will probably always be slow even if smartphone processors were to catch up in performance with desktop processors. So Android is kinda permanently crippled.

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to automagic68 For This Useful Post:
mr_pingu, Venty, Wikiwide

don_falcone | # 19 | 2013-01-06, 00:13 | Report

huh? How about the NDK?

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to don_falcone For This Useful Post:
Wikiwide

Arie | # 20 | 2013-01-06, 00:35 | Report

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this post!

I can't believe how painful my Android experience was. I used a nexus 4 for a few weeks and it drove me up a wall. Too damn complicated.

Then I went to the Note 2 and managed to crash it 20 times in 2 days. The note 2 was completely stock.

Android is way too complicated for me.

My friend that loves google tells me that android is better than iOS and just works, but god it was the worst week of my life. I prefer the Nokia Asha 311 to any android machine. I don't use bluestacks and if I can stay away from android I will at any cost.

It took me 10 or so clicks to save a contact and I used it for work. It was so bad I returned it in 2 weeks and currently use an Asha. Coming from android the Asha is a dream.

I wanted to write a post explaining why I dislike android, but can't really put it into words, its counter intuitive to me and I'm a Maemo/Harmattan guy at heart.

Just my humble 2 cents.

The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to Arie For This Useful Post:
Artyom, captainofiron, dylanemcgregor, khan.orak, Loepoes, optimaxxx, reinob, Wallace, Wikiwide