This is for the Techies out there.
 

Can someone please tell me(without blinding me with science, and in simple terms) what exactly is Android?
And what is 3G Android....? Is it different from plain android?
Karma will be given to the person who can best explain it to me

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Android is the interface/main program/operating system that the phone uses.

3G Is the speed of the connection your phone receives.

Basically a phone's Internet is very very slow without it. Things are generally faster. I have uploaded a picture to photobucket and facebook in under 30 seconds with high reception on 3G where it took 5 mins(and often fails) on 1G

Also video calls are impossible ( to my knowledge ) without 3G

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Thankyou Restless.......in this instance I am talking about a Tablet, but I don't suppose it is much different from a phone....well, in the respect of the ability to connect to the internet.

These terms are bandied about willy-nilly and no-one ever seems to question what they mean/refer to.
So I thought I would show my ignorance and ask.:)

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Electronic devices always need their own "operating system" in order to function, even if they aren't capable of having additional features (apps) installed.

In the past, where you bought a phone to make calls and send texts, you had no real idea what operating system was running on your phone, because you didn't need to. That's exactly the same as (for example) a digital video recorder. Who cares what software it's running, as long as it works?

A phone is simply a small computer, so its operating system, processor speed, graphics ability, memory capacity are all factors you might look at when choosing a model - no different than the technical considerations when buying a computer. The operating system (typically ios on the apple products, windows mobile or android on the rest) will determine what type of programs can be run on the device and may be the deciding factor in which phone you choose, or if you're more concerned with style - it's the operating system that determines which apps are available to you.

Tablets such as the iPad are prime candidates for using operating systems originally destined for mobile phones because those systems are slimmed down, and optimised for low power consumption. That also means that if you're able bung a SIM into the tablet, it acquires the features of a phone. It's pointless having calls and texts - you'd just use a phone for that - but the mobile broadband capability is a useful addition to a tablet. "Android 3G" means that the version of Android shipped with the tablet is capable of communicating over the 3G mobile broadband network if the network and SIM are available.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Thank you for taking the time to explain so clearly.
It has helped me a lot.....and I would guess there are a few others who have learned something from this answer.
I have been looking at e-readers.......not necessarily the Kindle, but others that have more applications...and was baffled by the jargon.
I looked it up on google too but was just as confused when I finished...........it seems that many people assume we all know what these terms mean.
It is a lot clearer to me now

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

yes 3G referes mostly to mobile Internet(for us techies ive heard 4g is on its way).. It's the same for phone, mobile internet dongles, tablets or whatever

Though most tablets should have WIFI connection so it can connect to your router at home(and many other localised free wifi hotspots out and about) as well as a G connection

Android is also open sourced and based from linux operating system. This means i guess that anybody can make software/apps for it, if they have the know how, where with awful apple products you are limited to strict licensing blah blah

Margaret, I think it may be best if you don't fully understand capabilities of different tablets to post which ones you are looking at here and im sure a few of us will be happy to read reviews and specs and give you advice... Studio25, Entwisi etc will have good opinions on this

Im thinking about an android phone myself for November when my phone contract runs out, though i guess a new phone will be out by then, so I have been looking into them recentley, and i am guessing i will be going for the HTC HD Desire in november

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Thank you Restless, much appreciated.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Margaret,

Android = Windows on your PC, its responsible for taking your "human action" and translating it into "machine speak" that the physical hardware chips can do something with.

3G is one of many different connection standards used in telephony, there are slower ones ( GPRS, EDGE ) and faster ones HSDPA ( aka 3.5G ). There is a 4G standard out but no phones or telco's in the UK support this yet.

As mentioned, if you want an opinion on a device just post up the name and we'll do teh donkey work for you, as always there will be personal opinion in there but I'm sure from a couple of us you will get the jist of if its worth having or not.

I have an Android phone/tablet ( Dell Streak ) and its very good, so much so that I rarely fire up my main laptop anymore.

Ian

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Steady on, now. Just because I understand much of the jargon, it doesn't mean I actually have an opinion worth listening to...

:D


My first Android phone is on its way to me right now, in a UPS van from Preston. The original HTC Desire is now free on contract because it's a year old, and I don't need the latest/sexiest phone, so it was worth waiting. (When I first decided I should have a 3G phone, it was £30 a month plus £200 for the phone).

Just need a sucker mount for the windscreen which doesn't cover the lens so I can record the zigzag parking antics of the idiot parents on the school run...

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

My use of such a tablet would mainly be as an e-reader and music player.
I know the Kindle is currently very popular, but I am sure I have either been told or maybe have read somewhere that the Kindle only takes Amazonz own published stuff and PDF's....I know it plays music, but no colour display...this is only a drawback because I would use it with the children(they both like reading, but being young, want to see the story illustrated).
Colour would also be good for showing Ma pictures from my sister in Brisbane.

While I am not fully up to speed with technology, I am not bad and can usually work things out for myself......all my computer skills are self taught...trial and error(mainly error:)).
I wasn't thinking of spending a lot of money and have been looking at genereic tablets on Flea Bay.
Think I need to keep investigating...anyway the situation might be taken out of my hands ........I have a birthday coming up in a few weeks...himself might just go out and buy me the Kindle(I'm not holding my breath though).

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

There are some very cheap ( and quite nasty ) tablets out there at the moment, be very careful if you are thinking of buying one.

There is a new technology set(new version of Android, faster processors etc) coming through at the moment on tablets that will mean that a lot will be discounted soon so I'd hang on a few weeks to see how things settle

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Look into battery life as well because some are really poor. That's another good thing about kindle, battery lasts a long time.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Yes, thank you to you both......I have looked into battery life and noted the ones that are poor......I have also tried to find reviews for the tablets that I have looked at....even though I know that these should also be taken with a pinch of salt.
I rarely rush into buying things like this, and it will probably be a birthday purchase....in a couple of months.
Thank you for your input, it is very useful.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

@entwisi
I think Margaret didn't want to get too technical :D

@Sudio25
You're into Linux and prefer it to windows(from what I gather) that's enough for me :D

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Now then guys, you said you would cast your beady eyes over anything I spotted and would give me an opinion if it was worth a punt.
7" Google-Android Tablet PC, eBook Reader, Cam, WiFi/3G | eBay UK
What about this.........it fulfils my requirements, but is it worth buying.
I would very much value your views.

Entwisi.........I would love a dell streak, but cannot justify the cost.
If the lotto comes up then I would buy one in a flash:)

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

you can get it for less...

7" Google-Android Tablet PC, eBook Reader, Cam, WiFi/3G | eBay UK

its not a lot of money for what you get but its a very generic piece of kit so support will be a nightmare should you have any problems or queries, you certainly shouldn't expect any firmware updates.

I've looked for any background info and this company make many similar models with all sorts of differing specs. Its hard to find much real info so to me I'd ask teh following Questions of the seller

whats the maximum memory that can be used on this? ( look for answers of 16 Gig or higher)
is the display a capacitive(better in this case) or resistive(worse in this case) touchscreen?
has it full access to the Android market( what happens if an app need s telephony/3G access to run)?

If you are looking to use specific apps such as e-readers ( Kindle, kobo etc ), games, you mentioned the children ( Angry birds is superb, siobhan loves it and there are lots of educational games on android such as memory games, colouring games, etc) then ask specifically if it will run those apps. keep any emails as proof for sale of goods act.

If you do buy using the BIN price, pay directly by credit card(AVOID Paypal if at all possible) as anything over 100 pounds gives protection under the credit act

IN honesty, its cheap so dont expect Dell or samsung levels of support or buld quality but it doesn't look a bad deal

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Entwisi, I have looked at the things you suggested(and before you suggested them too...so I guess I am not that much of a numpty eh)...the memory is upgradeable to 32 gb via a Tf card, the screen is capacitive, rather than resistive.......and it is supposed to have full access to android apps. It also has Flash 10.1 which many of these small tablets do not support.
It says in the listing that it support the e-reader apps....and you know that on e-bay if the seller misrepresents then you can take action against them( I have done this in the past, successfully).......as for using my credit card.......I'm not sure about that.......Paypal do offer protection(again, I have tested this out, with the same successful case).

I would not expect Dell quality for this price........my theory in life is you gets what you pay for............Thank you for taking the time to give me the advice, it is, as always very much appreciated.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

can get a good look at the haipad in this video
YouTube - HaiPad Review (Android Tablet / Fake iPad)

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

not sure if this is actually the same model, looks a little different. But gives you an idea iguess

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Thanks for that Restless........I think the one I gave the link for is perhaps a different model, as it has a capacitive screen. Battery life is said to be 7 hours(it doesn't say whether this in standby mode...but I would suspect that it is)
To be fair,it isn't a lot of money and the guy on the video seems to constantly be comparing it to the iPad...if you haven't used an ipad then you have not got that comparison to make.
I am sure that something like this would be adequate for my requirements......and there are cheaper versions available(but from Taiwan - which I guess is where they all originate from).
Thank you again for your input......most helpful.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Yeah he does compare it a lot to the ipad. But I guess thats what they are trying to do with this particular model is to copy the ipad but have the android approach rather than mac.

this is the one you was looking at
YouTube - VIA8505 Chipset Android Tablet PC Review on Nwosupplier.com

Still the UI looks jerky and slow. I would recommend against buying one of these if you have little patience :)

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

you know its really hard to say for the price
7" ANDROID TABLET PC EPAD APAD WIFI CAM HDMI DUAL CORE | eBay UK

£100 Sounds good doesn't it? It appears that there are many different types of basically the same machine. Some say they have 800MHZ singlecore processor(like a pc from late 90's or so) and this one apparently has a dualcore processor, should be a lot better but i wouldn't trust these things as far as i could throw them. Look how many of these sellers have of these... "more than 10 available" I think you would have a headache buying one of these.

If an E-Reader is all you want, then go with the new Kindle. Everybody I know that has one loves them to bits.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

It would have been nice to see if they have recessed the tf card slot........that would worry me a bit because I would use for the children to read from, as well as using it as a book reader myself(which would be the main use)....you know what little meddlers children can be.

I am going to research as much as possible before I spend my dosh....but I think that I am probably not as....erm, picky(discerning), as the uses I have planned for this item are not perhaps as wide as you would want from and iPad( I wouldn't buy any Apple product.......I think they are rip off merchants and they pander to those who want show off their stgatus symbols...just my opinion, you understand)....and I am not bothered about it being a status thing......I just want something functional. I can wait...no hurry.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

I looked at that one too, but it doesn't support Flash 10.1.......so I consigned that to the 'no' pile. I am also unsure whether the touch screen is capacitive.

Kindle is fine for adult readers, but it doesn't inspire child readers, and I am trying to get my daughters two children into the reading habit....they are both interested in reading, but are at the stage where colourful illustrations are needed to stimulate their attention(5years and 7 years).

The other thing I find a bit of a drawback with Kindle is that it only accepts books bought on Amazon......or that is what I have been told.
So Amazon are onto a good thing. Sell the Kindle and you have a ready made market of readers for as long as they keep the Kindle.

So perhaps I am maybe more picky ( discerning) that I led you to believe. :)

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

I have a had a 6 year love-hate relationship with apple. As I listen to a lot of music and audiobooks via headphones, I was rather fond of my ipods. If you like listening to live concerts or those horrible dance albums and want the tracks to link together, ipod are the only walkmans out there that i know of that are capable of true gapless playback.

Gapless playback

''audible" audiobook support. ; good thing about this is that long audio files, such as 9hour files you can bookmark where you are. Also on ipod now when you drop large files onto it you can use itunes to change media type and choose audiobook = You can pick up CD audiobooks and convert them into long files and drop them in single files with the bookmark function. Ha nothing worse than an audiobook on a walkman and you turn it off and you have to find where you was and/or having it split up into 2000 parts

Though lots of walkmans support audible files and bookmarking, not many support bookmarking of mp3 files. Also for much the same reason as you not buying an apple product, I will never be a member of audible. They think they encrypt their product so tightly that it cant be converted. But paying for the digital download you should be entitled to convert how you want.

Cons

Battery life -10-15 hours on most of their hard drive base ipods(in my experience)

Battery Replacement - Ipods, Iphones... want to replace your battery? Forget it. They want £££ and you may and well you may as well buy a new player

No FLAC support on any of their products... Who wants to use Apple Lossless?? :s_sick:

Headphones Official apple headphones find themselves in the rubbish basket. They have awful sound and are so uncomfortable.

Sound quality overall sound quality is lower than other players such as sony and phillips... of course you need a decent pair of headphones

Flimsy socket for headphones. How many people have I heard of have their headphone socket bust on them? Damn Lately this happened to me. Apple want £90 to fix it My ipod classic cost me £160. Before that I had 5.5G Ipod and the Hard Drive failed after Warranty runs out

NINETY POUND. Screw you Apple :whack:

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

I have just checked out that APad again and it has a resistive screen......which is why it went in the 'no' pile too.
Honestly, I have looked at so many of the darn things.....I think the one I posted came the nearest for specs, and of course price.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

I haven't looked that much into kindles so im not sure about the kindle only accepting books from amazon, but that would put me off 100% And it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case. Like Audible. When my Ipod bust on me I got Phillips GoGear Muse. Awesome sound quality, Flac Support but no gapless and the audiobook function is locked out to Audible only :enough:


Yeah. Kindles seem bit hmm boring.... I wouldn't have one myself.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

YouTube - haipad V7 - 7 inch android talbet with VIA8650 processor

This is the vesrion I have looked at Restless....the UI doesn't look that bad to me......but what do I know :)

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Oh yeah looks a lot nicer now in that video. Still a bit jerky. Im just fussy. Its like the pc's in my house. My housemates pc is old and using it is infuriating after using my pc (quad core processor, 4gb memory etc) :D

oh I hadn't noticed the specs on the screen. Was for comparison only.

But price is good, and if it works like it should... should be a good buy.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

On the You tube thing it says it is a Samsung processor too.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

hmmmm on the ebay page it says the processor is made by VIA.

Got to admit if it is a good as it looks on the pics, i think its a good price.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

My mistake it is the M7 that has the Samsung processor...see, I told you i had looked at a lot of these machines :)

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

There are quite a few iPad copies floating about. I have an Advent Vega which costs £199.99 from Dixons, Currys and PC World.

ADVENT Vega Tablet PC - 512MB buy online | Currys

It supports flash player 10.2 which in turn lets you play you tube videos and access to full websites.

You can install the Amazon Kindle app which lets you read eBooks too.

It is based on Android 2.2 Froyo Operating system.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

Thanks for that Phil......just a bit over my budget I'm afraid....and I am not a fan of any of those retailers........they are keen to part you from your money but very poor if you have any problems.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

and it doesn't give the maximum for expansion using a tf/SD card.
It is 10.1 inches too......a bit big for small hands if the littlies use it for reading...though at that price I don't think they would be getting to touch it very much.
But many thanks for contributing to the discussion.(I don't want to sound ungrateful)

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

It will take upto a 32gb sd card.

Re: This is for the Techies out there.
 

ThanQ for that info.