DEC 12, 2013: SPECIAL WORKSHOP ON ANDROID TABLETS

AN ANDROID MOBILE DEVICE IS IN YOUR FUTURE!
DISCUSSION AND HANDS-ON DEMONSTRATIONS OF 5 ANDROID TABLETS

AGENDA:

THE MARKET:

• The Android OS (a derivative of Linux) powers 81% of 3Q2013 smartphones (share is increasing). Android sales are approaching 1 billion annually. Apple is struggling. Microsoft is far behind. (see "REFERENCES")
• Similarly, the Android OS powers the vast majority of 3Q2013 tablets.
• Ten PC makers hit hard by tablet craze
• Death of the Desktop (blog)

ANDROID BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

• Google Strategy: unified appearance to all Google services; my observations
• Android "forked" from Linux (then merged, 3/2012, with Linux 3.3)
• Amazon "forked" Android, with Kindle
• Google controls Android; yet Google has displaced much of core Android
• It can be said that Google "forked" Android, with Nexus 7 in 2012
• 2014: Nokia forked Android - for 2014 low-end smarphone (before Microsoft forces Windows Mobile OS)
  

ANDROID DEVICES TO BE DEMONSTRATED: (all with touch-sensitive screens)

Dozens of manufacturers; numerous reviews

comparison table of 5 Android wifi-only tablets

Irulu 10.1 inch Android 4.0 $135 ("Tmart" comparisons of other 10 inch tablets)
Nexus 7 (Google) manufactured by Asus $229
Kindle Fire HDX (Amazon) $229; Kindle Fire HDX top features
RCA Android 4.1 "made in China" $69
Kocaso Android 4.0 "made in China" $59

CONCLUSIONS FROM TABLET EVALUATION:

Support declines rapidly (in this order):

• Google tablets
• Amazon Kindle tablets
• Numerous others (not supported at all?)

All are acceptable for my remote access needs

The best "feeling" (user interface)- are supplied by Amazon Kindle and Google Nexus, but the price increase is significant

REFERENCES:

Beginners Guide to Android
Android explanation (from Wikipedia.org)

What is an Android fork?
Motorola (Amazon) proposes open-source hardware to complement open-source software in future Smartphones
Google releases "KitKat" Android 4.4 upgrade - to be applied to all Nexus pads and smartphones (not compatible with Amazon Android "fork"?)
Malware against Android devices
Android location-finding apps
Galaxy 3 10.1 Reasons to buy
Wearable devices (low power), made possible by Android 4.4 (KitKat)

MARKET SHARE::
1. Android takes 81% of 261 million smartphone shipments, 3Q2013:
2. Android leader in 48 million tablet shipments, 3Q2013
3. Reasons to switch from iPhone to Android:
4. The world's top android tablets: