Honeycomb is a whole different beast from the Google Android we've come to know. While
previous versions of Google's mobile operating system were built for smartphones, Honeycomb -
also known as Android 3.0 - is the first to be designed specifically for tablet PCs. And
seeing it in action, it certainly shows.
Motorola's recently launched Xoom is the first in a series of tablets that'll run the
Honeycomb OS. The Motorola Xoom has made plenty of headlines for its high-end specs: The
tablet boasts a dual-core 1-GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. It has 32GB of internal storage,
plus the option for additional storage via an integrated MicroSD slot. And all of that is
housed beneath a beautiful (if slightly glare-prone) 10.1-in display.
But the truth is, while the Xoom's hardware is impressive, it's the software that's the much
bigger story. I took a long look at Honeycomb to see how it compares to earlier versions of
Android and to its popular competitor, Apple iOS for the Apple iPad.
Google Android Honeycomb
Google Android 3.0 'Honeycomb': The home screen advantage
When you power up an Android Honeycomb tablet like the Xoom, you'll find yourself on one of
the device's five available home screens. These home screens and the functionality they
provide are among the most significant advantages Honeycomb offers over competing tablet
platforms.
Where the iPad's operating system is basically a blown-up version of what you get on the
iPhone - static rows of square-shaped icons - Honeycomb includes several features that take
full advantage of the tablet's ample screen real estate.
Among the most useful features are the widgets, which are effectively live, functioning apps
that run right on your home screen. You can have a widget for your email, for example, that
allows you to view and even scroll through your inbox. Other widgets let you browse your
calendar, flick through news stories or see the current weather for your area, without ever
opening a thing.
The idea of widgets, of course, isn't new to Honeycomb; as any Android smartphone user knows,
widgets have long been a part of Google's mobile operating system. With Honeycomb, however,
widgets have become more interactive than ever - you can now scroll, flick and interact
within the widgets themselves. And given the large screen size of a tablet, their potential
becomes far more significant.
On a single screen of the Xoom, for example, I'm able to simultaneously see my inbox, my
upcoming appointments and my local weather forecast. I also have scrollable access to all of
my Chrome bookmarks, synced continuously from my PC. I'd imagine that after growing
accustomed to this kind of advanced-usage scenario, many users would be reluctant to return
to the static environment a platform like Apple's iOS provides.
Honeycomb, like past Android versions, also affords you the freedom to use your home screen
space as you see fit; you can drop any combination of widgets and app shortcuts where you
like. The actual method for customizing is quite different in Honeycomb than in previous
Android releases; while it may be an adjustment for Android phone users, it strikes me as a
far more intuitive approach.
On an Android smartphone, adding a widget requires you to either long-press your home screen
or tap your phone's "menu" button to find the command. Adding app shortcuts and changing
wallpapers are separate processes.
In Honeycomb, on the other hand, you simply tap a "plus" icon at the top-right corner of the
display to enter an all-in-one home screen customization tool. There, you find thumbnails for
your five home screens, along with lists of every widget, app shortcut and wallpaper on your
tablet. You can touch any item to select it and drag it onto a home screen. Then, on the home
screen itself, you can touch and hold any item to move it around or eliminate it altogether.
Is it simple enough that a 2-year-old could figure it out? Not necessarily. But this is a
tablet, not a toy - and what you lose in foolproof simplicity is a trade-off for what you
gain in powerful functionality.
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