Android Lollipop on Tablets
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I read this interesting article about running Lollipop on tablets and the step backwards the UI has taken since KitKat.
The Nexus 10, Lollipop, and the problem with big Android tablets
When it comes to tablets, Google doesn't even follow its own design guidelines.
TLDR:
A lot of the Android UI has been changed from a tablet optimised experience to what is essentially the phone UI on a big screen, which results in vast amounts of whitespace on screen.This is in direct contravention of Google's own UI developer guidelines for Android (see the guideline screenshots in the article).
Google's apps themselves are a mixed bag, ranging from "pretty great actually" to "as bad as anything third-parties are doing." The worst offenders are the apps like Hangouts and Contacts, which plunk smallish buttons down into a vast sea of whitespace.
Read Google's developer guidelines for developing Android tablet user interfaces and then look at these screenshots—Google is breaking tons of its own rules.
Here's an example:
The system settings screen in KitKat
The systems settings screen in Lollipop
Isn't that much better now? Look at all that lovely whitespace, and with the new colour scheme, it literally is whitespace. You can now enjoy searing your retinas with a blazing bright white screen.
@codlnghorror said:
If the screen doesn't leave you with visual artifacts on your eyeballs, you're doing it wrong!™
Filed under: Woooo, change for the sake of change!
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Here's an example:
The system settings screen in
KitKatIceCream Sandwich
Which relies on a certain pixel density to enable "tablet view". Plenty of Android tablets now use a big enough density that they don't use "tablet view" even under KitKat - the Nexus 7, or example, doesn't by default.
Nexus 7 Settings on KitKat:
It's no less of a WTF but it's not new for Lollipop.
EDIT- Also FTFY.
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TRWTF is guessing screen size based on pixel density
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<insert comment about how Apple doesn't get this wrong>
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They are helped by their much more limited selection of screen sizes
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Nexus 7 Settings on KitKat:
That can't be KitKat because the WiFi and Battery indicators are blue instead of KitKat white (unless you're running a custom ROM). I am talking about Vanilla Android.
I'll have to check on my Nexus 7 tonight but I'm pretty sure the menus aren't that sucky on it. I'll upload a screencap when I get chance.
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TRWTF is guessing screen size based on pixel density
Yup.I've updated my Nexus 7 to Lollipop, so got the screenshot from Google. You're right though, it's not KitKat.
That's how I remember mine looking though.This, however, is:
Either way, it's still a WTF that so much screen space is wasted.
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I still don't get tablets. I can't think of anything that I do that isn't simple enough to do on a phone, or much, much better on my large laptop.
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I still don't get tablets. I can't think of anything that I do that isn't simple enough to do on a phone, or much, much better on my large laptop.
I'm actually finding myself needing one at times. I have to walk around, poke stuff and see what the server does when I do on occasion. Laptop is a bit unwieldy for that, phone is a pain to type commands on if I need to. So wouldn't mind one, but I'd probably just leave it at work and take it with me when needed.
And, before someone suggests it, I refuse to buy a 5'' monster of a phone. I prefer something that fits in my pocket. Bloody hell, the original Gameboy is more portable than some of those beasts.
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And, before someone suggests it, I refuse to buy a 5'' monster of a phone. I prefer something that fits in my pocket. Bloody hell, the original Gameboy is more portable than some of those beasts.
That's probably part of it, I'm a big guy, so few phones do not fit in my jeans.
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fascinating reading...
have a like for that link.
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That's probably part of it, I'm a big guy, so few phones do not fit in my jeans.
I blame clothing manufacturers as well. I prefer wearing jeans, but most of what I can find is freaking tight and lacks proper deep pockets. Sigh...
At least I can find jeans that are not either torn or bleached for a decent price again. For a few years it was either designer brands charging an arm and a leg for a pair of jeans, or that freaking "worn" look. And by worn I mean they dropped some bleach on them and took scissors to the knees.
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Yeah, I'm not a fan of any of those, I used to wear mostly khakis until a year or so ago.
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yeah. if you want that distressed jeans look just give them to a bulldog for a day or so.
if they havent disolved completely they'll have a more authentic distressed look after you wash all the slobber off.
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I used to wear mostly khakis until a year or so ago.
still do. that way i can get dressed before i finish waking up and be reasonably sure i'll look atleast 80% as fashion conscious as my coworkers, most of the time anyway...
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, I refuse to buy a 5'' monster of a phone.
As someone with a 5.7" screen , I find the idea that you think 5" is a monster.
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That's probably part of it, I'm a big guy, so few phones do not fit in my jeans.
The Galaxy Note phones will fit in a shirt pocket. I'm always worried it will fall out, but it never has.
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As someone with a 5.7" screen , I find the idea that you think 5" is a monster.
You accidentally the sentence.
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I bought a Dell Venue 8 Pro ~6mo ago, and haven't regretted it, except that Synaptics made the digitizer instead of Wacom. Similar things should be cheaper now.
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As someone with a 5.7" screen
I find the idea that you think 5" is a monster
Don't lose it now.
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You accidentally the sentence.
Can you guess the sentiment I was trying to express? My word of choice would've been "hilarious."
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That's probably part of it, I'm a big guy, so few phones do not fit in my jeans.
I can get a lot of stuff in the various pockets of these bad boys:
The picture doesn't do justice to the pockets within pockets that actually exist here.
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I still don't get tablets. I can't think of anything that I do that isn't simple enough to do on a phone, or much, much better on my large laptop.
I find phones frustratingly small to use, they're OK but I find tablets much more comfortable for general browsing. It's liberating not to need to fire up the desktop PC for a proper browsing session.
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What's with the turn-up? Is it an attempt by the manufacturer to make them look cool?
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I assume they're trying to show a lining or something. The real pants aren't like that.
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That makes a lot of sense.
Having one pant leg turned up did used to be a fashion thing though... I remember LL Cool J used to do it.
Filed under: is he not cool any more?
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Funny, Android 5.0 is installing on my Nexus 10 LITERALLY RIGHT NOW.
It's impressive how much this device and big Android tablets in general are ignored. I tried to search for accessories online and on every single website it was "Nexus 10 keyboard" "Oh yes let me show you these Nexus 7 keyboards". It only appears 8th on the google suggestions after typing "nexus". Etc.
I like big screens. Literally the bigger the better. You can see more things in them. I admit the point about Android failing at multitasking is a good one. Let's see if I can get some other OS running on that thing some day.
I bought it because it was apparently Google's flagship competitor to the iPad, and with the iPad being popular, surely this had to be the bestest most polished tablet ever. Yet it still has random reboots! And random camera and wifi problems, and overheats like a bitch. At least they fixed the screen blinking.
And I just plain don't understand the developers not adapting their apps for Android tablet. They already have tablet interfaces for iOS and sometimes even Windows RT, but not for Android? Shouldn't it take minimal developer effort to implement at this point? Can't Facebook afford the week of developer time it would take to improve their product? Doesn't Android have a big enough tablet market share? WTF?
Android 5.0 is optimising application 110 of 165. Damn this takes forever.
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why-womens-pockets-are-useless
*insert the obvious joke here*
I like big screens. Literally the bigger the better.
As long as the battery capacity is adjusted accordingly. Those screens eat it like crazy.
They already have tablet interfaces for iOS and sometimes even Windows RT, but not for Android?
Windows is .NET, Android is Java. And iOS... fuck if I know, still ObjC?
Ain't that easy, I suppose.
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And I just plain don't understand the developers not adapting their apps for Android tablet. They already have tablet interfaces for iOS and sometimes even Windows RT, but not for Android?
AHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHA ahem AHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHA
You are an incredibly funny person. As someone who uses WP8 and a Dell Venue 8 Pro, I can tell you with no chance of being wrong that you are not the neglected one. I'd be happy if neglect was the only problem. As soon as Win8 came out, Valve changed their protocols a few times and only released the API for Android and iOS. Google refuses to allow any official apps to deal with their stuff if they can avoid it. You want anything Google on Windows Phone? Cool, use IE.
And yet the hardware I deal with day by day is apparently far superior, by your description of the problems you're having. I mean, at the very least having a Bay Trail processor lets me install desktop apps if I have serious issues.
If I ever ditch this tablet, it will be for one with a Wacom digitizer.
Windows is .NET, Android is Java. And iOS... fuck if I know, still ObjC?
Probably also Swift or whatever. And negative one on .NET for Windows, because the Windows Runtime is a slightly different animal. But all three can be developed for with Xamarin without too much difficulty.
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Android 5.0 is optimising application 110 of 165. Damn this takes forever
Lollipop is ART by default I believe, so it will be redoing everything from Dalvik
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It's impressive how much this device and big Android tablets in general are ignored. I tried to search for accessories online and on every single website it was "Nexus 10 keyboard" "Oh yes let me show you these Nexus 7 keyboards". It only appears 8th on the google suggestions after typing "nexus". Etc.
I bought it because it was apparently Google's flagship competitor to the iPad
I looked at the Nexus 10, last year but decided to wait for the launch of the Nexus 7. I would have bought the 10 but it was fairly old and they hadn't done a refresh of it. That's probably why it seems to get ignored, Google have a thing about forgetting about older tech and leaving it to die.
I'm interested in the Nexus 9, but it'll depend on how expensive it is. I might wait until they give it a refresh next year (if they do). I've got more important things to spend my money on at the moment.
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Android 5.0 is optimising application 110 of 165. Damn this takes forever.
Lollipop is ART by default I believe, so it will be redoing everything from Dalvik
For anyone that doesn't know, ART uses ahead of time compilation instead of the just in time compilation that Davilk uses, so all of your apps need compiling once when they're installed (instead of each time you launch them).
This means your upgrade is going to take a bit longer because it's got to compile all of your apps, but it'll be much more of a benefit in the long run. It'll mean quicker app startup and less battery usage.
It includes other improvements such as an improved GC and other things, but the ahead of time compilation is the big improvement.
Why women’s pockets are useless: A history
