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Anyone else completely underwhelmed by the Android experience?

I’ve got a blackberry, the wife’s got an iphone and the kids have the scroll. Well they haven’t had it much because I’ve been fixing things non stop since I bought it a couple of weeks ago.

My experience so far has been - set up, download apps, freeze, tech support, reset, set up, download apps, freeze, tech support, forum support, reset, set up, root, side load, zip, mount, dismount etc etc etc, in other words a complete nightmare.

I really want to support android as I heard all these good things about it, but as I’ve looked through various forums for help it seems no matter what device you have, everyone has had problems with android.

I’m no apple follower, but my wife’s iphone has not had a single technical issue since purchase a year ago, my son (9) downloads music and games free and paid and they all work perfectly. I’ve never been asked to sort anything out, so if she has had a technical issue that means she sorted it herself – which is saying something!

Latest issue – downloaded a paid game “dungeons and defenders”, it downloaded and installed OK, but needs to download content before opening (why don’t they tell you these things before they take your money).

Try downloading content - get message not enough space on SD card, so now I’m stuck – back to the same problem solving process tech support>forum support>join forum> etc etc etc. I’m knackered. At first solving the issues was quite fun and challenging now I’m completely hacked off with it.

I think this android thingy needs a serious overhaul.

My experience has been somewhat different, I got introduced to Android through the HTC Desire, which has been fantastic (it did have to go back for repair at one point, but that was hardware failure). I came from the iPhone 3G (which was also fantastic, but I wanted something I could code for without having to buy further Apple hardware).

I bought the Scroll as a tinkering device. Didn't expect much from it at the price, but i've been pleasantly surprised. I've still hacked around with it (that was part of the reason for buying one), but overall its been good. There have been a couple of glitches, but I worked around them ok.

Android itself is not the problem, although it is always undergoing revision, and there are things that need to be improved. The main problems seem to stem from how the hardware manufacturer implements it.

Fxiddy: Android is just the same as any other operating system.... buggy.

If your wife's iPhone hasnt had any issues then you are lucky my friend.

People expect way too much of todays technology. They have to have the latest gadgets and dont like it when it doesnt do what they expect it to. Roguelj has got the right idea. The Scroll is a tinkering device, for 150 quid that is all you should expect. It has, on some forums, been compared to a cheap iPad. Fact is, the iPad software has a lot more problems than the scroll yet its three times the price. There are a lot worse "clones" out there...

On a daily basis, I have to repair iPhones, and i'm in a constant battle with Apple tech support to get answers to simple technical issues - sometimes it takes a week to be authorised to change a part under warranty.
I, personally, cannot fault SO tech support. If I email them I get a response and they look into it within 4 hours. It is just the same with Nokia support, a 4 hour response with a same day fix in 99% of cases ( and they are a lot bigger company).

Roguelj sums it up perfectly in his last paragraph " Android itself is not the problem, although it is always undergoing revision, and there are things that need to be improved. The main problems seem to stem from how the hardware manufacturer implements it".

At the end of the day, the scroll is a relatively simple device, Storage Options are doing what they can to fix bugs.

I agree with roguelj. Most of the problems with android devices are generally to do with hardware rather than the OS itself. The scroll is not perfect by any means, and will never be as slick as the iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, but it is also less than a third of the price of either of these devices (i.e. cheaper hardware). As slick as they (iPad/Tab) are, there is no way in hell that I would way 5-600 GBP for a device that can't even replace my laptop in storage capacity or functionality, whereas I am willing to pay 150-200.

What devices like the Scroll do is bridge that price gap, while forcing the prices of more expensive and slicker devices down. The tablet market is still very immature, I think the potential of these devices has only just been scratched. The scroll for me is a stop gap while the market matures and prices fall.

I've used android under smaller formats (Nexus One) and also for iOS as I develop software for both platforms. For the money the scroll costs it's a wonderful use of the (yes buggy) Android platform. the 3D compatibility is great and the fact I can output stereo 3D in 1080 to compatible displays and run 3D stereo apps in realtime for something that cost ~150 quid is fantastic, as I would have been expecting to have to go with the Galaxy tab to do that.
There are some benefits to me in the scroll being less of a behemoth in that if I can streamline my apps to run on this then the likes of the Galaxy etc will breeze through with their massive specs.
Also due to the cost I won't be bothered if it blows up in a haze of silicon and copper dust when I start hacking things onto the hardware "to see if it works"

I agree with much of your comments, I don't have any issue with storage options or the scroll, I think it's a great introductory device for the price and works completely fine unlike the other two tablets I had which were hopeless. The only problems I have are when i'm doing something that needs the android market or install third party apps. I'm not an IT person but all manufacturers seem to be able to make devices that work with microsoft, so they have proven know how. It seems android is too difficult for manufacturers to get their thinking heads around, so i think if anyones to blame its android and not the manufacturers.

I accept your points.....

Android is a relatively new system, I am no expert on it by any means, but I know that it will have bugs just like any other system.

I think the issue here is that if they want the system to be adopted fully they needs to iron out bugs pdq and the relevant tablet suppliers need to produce hardware capable of using it and be upgradeable....

EDIT: Dyslexic fingers.....

Im happy with it, its only running a tablet, a bit of fun, something to mess around with, watch a few videos on, check emails on etc

Im not running it as my main primary OS on my main PC which I expect to perform perfectly, so yea, if it has a few faults, they dont bother me really

so i think if anyones to blame its android and not the manufacturers.

Maybe, but I don't think it can be that black and white. In my opinion (and it is just that, remember ), HTC did a fantastic job of implementing Android onto the Desire. It runs a hell of a lot slicker than it does on my Scroll. Same OS, different manufacturer.

The reason the market is so shitty on the scroll is that it's a hack job really... if you were using something with the proper paid market the experience would be much better.
The reason your experience has not been great consistently is you are using much products in comparison.

130 for the scroll 500 for the iphone isn't really a fair comparison of androids useability.

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