issue60:mon_opinion
Différences
Ci-dessous, les différences entre deux révisions de la page.
Les deux révisions précédentesRévision précédenteProchaine révision | Révision précédenteDernière révisionLes deux révisions suivantes | ||
issue60:mon_opinion [2012/05/03 06:01] – fredphil91 | issue60:mon_opinion [2012/06/14 09:17] – starsheep | ||
---|---|---|---|
Ligne 1: | Ligne 1: | ||
- | Canonical has announced plans to have Ubuntu 14.x ready for tablets and smartphones by 2014 but could that be too late? Are tablets a fad - much like PDAs and assorted mini electronics from the recent past? | + | **Canonical has announced plans to have Ubuntu 14.x ready for tablets and smartphones by 2014 but could that be too late? Are tablets a fad - much like PDAs and assorted mini electronics from the recent past? |
First, let me define tablet for the purposes of this discussion. I'm going to omit the iPad since it uses the Apple iOS in lieu of Android. I'm also going to ignore tablets based on Windows 7 since that's a full OS and not a truncated version of something else (plus I know of just one tablet that actually runs it, and that's the Acer Iconia W500 that comes with a detachable keyboard making it a netbook minus the screen hinges). | First, let me define tablet for the purposes of this discussion. I'm going to omit the iPad since it uses the Apple iOS in lieu of Android. I'm also going to ignore tablets based on Windows 7 since that's a full OS and not a truncated version of something else (plus I know of just one tablet that actually runs it, and that's the Acer Iconia W500 that comes with a detachable keyboard making it a netbook minus the screen hinges). | ||
Ligne 5: | Ligne 5: | ||
That pretty much leaves the Android based devices, most of which sport 1:1 netbook specs (1GHz processor mated to 1GB RAM). | That pretty much leaves the Android based devices, most of which sport 1:1 netbook specs (1GHz processor mated to 1GB RAM). | ||
- | So do tablets look like a fad to me? | + | So do tablets look like a fad to me?** |
- | First you have the issue of inconsistency, | + | Canonical vient d' |
+ | |||
+ | Tout d' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ce qui nous laisse les appareils sous Android, dont la plupart ont les caractéristiques 1:1 d'un netbook (un processeur à 1 GHz avec 1 Go de RAM). | ||
+ | |||
+ | Bon, est-ce que je crois que les tablettes ne sont qu'une mode passagère ? | ||
+ | |||
+ | **First you have the issue of inconsistency, | ||
• Care to guess what version a particular tablet carries? Doesn' | • Care to guess what version a particular tablet carries? Doesn' | ||
Ligne 13: | Ligne 21: | ||
• Peripheral acceptance. Some come with USB connections and card readers, some don't. Better look before you buy, and don't assume that USB can be used to transfer files to your tablet. Some do, some don't. | • Peripheral acceptance. Some come with USB connections and card readers, some don't. Better look before you buy, and don't assume that USB can be used to transfer files to your tablet. Some do, some don't. | ||
- | • Wherefore art thou app store? Does your tablet of choice come with the Google Android app store or does it come with the one from outer Mongolia? Good question, and something you're not going to find out until opening the box. Buy a Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire, and you may soon discover that both use proprietary app stores charging more than Android' | + | • Wherefore art thou app store? Does your tablet of choice come with the Google Android app store or does it come with the one from outer Mongolia? Good question, and something you're not going to find out until opening the box. Buy a Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire, and you may soon discover that both use proprietary app stores charging more than Android' |
+ | |||
+ | D' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Voudriez-vous deviner quelle version est installée sur une tablette spécifique ? Peu importe son prix ou sa taille, il y a de fortes chances que ni le vendeur, ni le magasin qui la propose n'en ait la moindre idée. Il est possible de trouver une tablette qui coûte très cher sous 2.3 Gingerbread, | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Les périphériques acceptés. Certaines sont livrées avec des ports USB et un lecteur de cartes, d' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Où diable es-tu, ô « app store » ? Est-ce que la tablette que vous convoitez vient avec l'app store de Google Android ou avec une boutique se trouvant en Mongolie extérieure ? C'est une chose que vous ne découvrirez qu'à l' | ||
- | • On the topic of app stores, it may be best to state at this point that apps are not programs, they are wannabes. An app that can open Word documents and do minor edits cannot be considered a full word processor. What office suites I've seen and used through various stores are pale comparisons to even LibreOffice (which hopes to have a tablet offering sometime this year). | + | **• On the topic of app stores, it may be best to state at this point that apps are not programs, they are wannabes. An app that can open Word documents and do minor edits cannot be considered a full word processor. What office suites I've seen and used through various stores are pale comparisons to even LibreOffice (which hopes to have a tablet offering sometime this year). |
• Pricing. I have a netbook with the specs mentioned earlier - although it does have a 250GB HDD. I'll send it to you for $500 if you're interested. Too high? Then, why would you consider a tablet with the same basic specs plus a minuscule flash drive (usually 10GB or less) a great deal at the same price? Think about it. Even the Fire and Nook Tablet, at $200 to $250, are priced in netbook territory, yet pack puny flash drives (and the Nook reduces their version to 1GB with the other 8GB reserved for Nook apps or books). | • Pricing. I have a netbook with the specs mentioned earlier - although it does have a 250GB HDD. I'll send it to you for $500 if you're interested. Too high? Then, why would you consider a tablet with the same basic specs plus a minuscule flash drive (usually 10GB or less) a great deal at the same price? Think about it. Even the Fire and Nook Tablet, at $200 to $250, are priced in netbook territory, yet pack puny flash drives (and the Nook reduces their version to 1GB with the other 8GB reserved for Nook apps or books). | ||
- | • All the configuration allowance of a cinder block brick. Come to think of it, I can at least paint the brick, but doing anything with a tablet is forbidden. Want more RAM? Buy a computer. Battery weak? Few allow for a change by the user. Want to swap Ubuntu for the OS? Check around and you'll discover most of these are locked tighter than Fort Knox. On reflection, tablets are consistent in this area. Oops, wrong category. | + | • All the configuration allowance of a cinder block brick. Come to think of it, I can at least paint the brick, but doing anything with a tablet is forbidden. Want more RAM? Buy a computer. Battery weak? Few allow for a change by the user. Want to swap Ubuntu for the OS? Check around and you'll discover most of these are locked tighter than Fort Knox. On reflection, tablets are consistent in this area. Oops, wrong category.** |
- | • How about screen resolution and similar considerations? | + | * Au sujet des app stores, il vaudrait sans doute mieux dire tout de suite que des applis ne sont pas des programmes, ce sont des aspirants. On ne peut pas considérer une appli qui peut ouvrir des documents Word et y faire des modifs mineures comme un traitement de texte complet. Les suites bureautiques que j'ai vues et utilisées grâce à divers « stores » souffrent de la comparaison avec LibreOffice (qui espère proposer une version tablette en cours d' |
+ | |||
+ | * Les prix. J'ai un netbook avec les caractéristiques mentionnées plus tôt, mais avec un disque dur de 250 Go. Je vous l' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Toute la possibilité de personnalisation d'un parpaing. Maintenant que j'y pense, je peux au moins peindre le parpaing, mais il est interdit de faire quoi que ce soit avec une tablette. Vous voulez davantage de RAM ? Achetez un ordinateur. La batterie faiblit ? Très peu acceptent un échange de batteries fait par l' | ||
+ | |||
+ | **• How about screen resolution and similar considerations? | ||
• Then you have the posers such as the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire. Are they tablets or not? More not than anything else, these are essentially e-readers pimped with browsers and with limited function otherwise. Don't believe me? Buy one and see how much flexibility you have. | • Then you have the posers such as the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire. Are they tablets or not? More not than anything else, these are essentially e-readers pimped with browsers and with limited function otherwise. Don't believe me? Buy one and see how much flexibility you have. | ||
Ligne 27: | Ligne 49: | ||
And these problems are just the tip. As with any new software or technology, there are initial teething problems, but Android has shown an ugly side mainly because Google released the source code to everybody - without any guidelines. | And these problems are just the tip. As with any new software or technology, there are initial teething problems, but Android has shown an ugly side mainly because Google released the source code to everybody - without any guidelines. | ||
- | Oh, and did I mention that Android has really never gotten over the fact they started as a smartphone OS? Most of the apps you'll see were designed as smartphone time killers while waiting for a plane or bus. | + | Oh, and did I mention that Android has really never gotten over the fact they started as a smartphone OS? Most of the apps you'll see were designed as smartphone time killers while waiting for a plane or bus.** |
+ | |||
+ | * Quid de la résolution de l' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Puis il y a les frimeurs comme la tablette Nook et Kindle Fire. Sont-elles des tablettes ou pas ? Plutôt non qu' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Et ces problèmes ne sont que la partie émergée de l' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ah, et est-ce que je vous ai dit qu' | ||
- | Think I'm being overly critical? Being retired, I have an ample amount of time on my hands and routinely visit local retail stores. As such, I've gotten to know the clerks in various electronics sections and was mildly shocked to discover that Android tablets sold during the Black Friday specials had a return rate after the holidays of almost 50%. That's right, nearly half of the tablets sold were returned with the vast majority being sent back for not performing to customer expectations. | + | **Think I'm being overly critical? Being retired, I have an ample amount of time on my hands and routinely visit local retail stores. As such, I've gotten to know the clerks in various electronics sections and was mildly shocked to discover that Android tablets sold during the Black Friday specials had a return rate after the holidays of almost 50%. That's right, nearly half of the tablets sold were returned with the vast majority being sent back for not performing to customer expectations. |
Meanwhile, the debate rages on. Will tablets progress far enough in the evolutionary chain to survive or will they go the way of previous but now doomed techno-wizardry? | Meanwhile, the debate rages on. Will tablets progress far enough in the evolutionary chain to survive or will they go the way of previous but now doomed techno-wizardry? | ||
Ligne 35: | Ligne 65: | ||
Maybe the answer will come sooner than we know. Microsoft is set to release Windows 8 in the last quarter of 2012, and it’s quite obvious it’s designed for the tablet crowd. | Maybe the answer will come sooner than we know. Microsoft is set to release Windows 8 in the last quarter of 2012, and it’s quite obvious it’s designed for the tablet crowd. | ||
- | For those that haven' | + | For those that haven' |
- | But 8 has its own share of problems: | + | Vous trouvez que je suis trop critique ? En tant que retraité, j'ai beaucoup de temps et me rends souvent dans les magasins du coin. Ainsi, j'ai appris à connaître les vendeurs dans diverses sections d' |
+ | |||
+ | Entre temps, le débat continue à faire rage. Les tablettes évolueront-elles assez pour survivre ou vont-elles prendre le chemin d' | ||
+ | |||
+ | La réponse pourrait arriver assez rapidement, plus tôt qu'on ne le pense. Microsoft doit publier Windows 8 au dernier trimestre de 2012 et il est on ne peut plus évident qu'il a été conçu pour les propriétaires de tablettes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Pour ceux qui n'ont pas encore essayé les versions de test gratuites, il s'agit en fait du système d' | ||
+ | |||
+ | **But 8 has its own share of problems: | ||
• It swallows about 12GB of HDD space once installed. Considering the average Android tablet I've reviewed has around 10GB, you can see the space issue. Problem is, cranking up the flash drive space also means dishing out some serious $ since SSD prices still haven' | • It swallows about 12GB of HDD space once installed. Considering the average Android tablet I've reviewed has around 10GB, you can see the space issue. Problem is, cranking up the flash drive space also means dishing out some serious $ since SSD prices still haven' | ||
Ligne 43: | Ligne 81: | ||
• Efficiency is still an issue. Windows 8 is a facade pasted over Windows 7, so resource usage is still a tick heavy. On my 2.2GHz notebook running 8GB RAM, it routinely swallowed 20% at idle. With tablets packing just 1GB RAM on average, you can see the potential for sluggish performance (which is why many netbooks come with 7 Starter since it dispenses with the excess baggage that eats RAM). | • Efficiency is still an issue. Windows 8 is a facade pasted over Windows 7, so resource usage is still a tick heavy. On my 2.2GHz notebook running 8GB RAM, it routinely swallowed 20% at idle. With tablets packing just 1GB RAM on average, you can see the potential for sluggish performance (which is why many netbooks come with 7 Starter since it dispenses with the excess baggage that eats RAM). | ||
- | • Software compatibility is questionable. At this time, 8 runs apps while 7 runs programs. As a result, you have OS schizophrenia where the desktops flip back and forth depending upon what's open (app or program). | + | • Software compatibility is questionable. At this time, 8 runs apps while 7 runs programs. As a result, you have OS schizophrenia where the desktops flip back and forth depending upon what's open (app or program).** |
- | All of this tells me you're not going to find 8 residing on your cheaper tablets. In fact, the current Acer Iconia with Windows 7 runs about $550, and has just 2GB RAM mated to a 1GHz dual core AMD C-50 processor and 32GB SSD. Meanwhile the Compaq CQ-57 laptop with the same base specs plus a 250GB HDD and keyboard, runs just $250. Not only that, but the Compaq' | + | Mais 8 a ses propres problèmes : |
+ | |||
+ | * Il prend environ 12 Go d' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Les performances restent un sujet de préoccupation. Windows 8 est une façade collée par-dessus Windows 7 et l' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * La compatibilité des logiciels est contestable. Actuellement, | ||
+ | |||
+ | **All of this tells me you're not going to find 8 residing on your cheaper tablets. In fact, the current Acer Iconia with Windows 7 runs about $550, and has just 2GB RAM mated to a 1GHz dual core AMD C-50 processor and 32GB SSD. Meanwhile the Compaq CQ-57 laptop with the same base specs plus a 250GB HDD and keyboard, runs just $250. Not only that, but the Compaq' | ||
Sure, it packs a pound or so more than the Acer tablet, but I also get the extra weight of $300 plus tax in my pocket. | Sure, it packs a pound or so more than the Acer tablet, but I also get the extra weight of $300 plus tax in my pocket. | ||
- | Now we're back to Canonical and their decision to make Ubuntu a tablet OS with limited flexibility. Is this going to be a wise decision? | + | Now we're back to Canonical and their decision to make Ubuntu a tablet OS with limited flexibility. Is this going to be a wise decision?** |
+ | |||
+ | Tout cela me dit que vous ne trouverez pas 8 sur les tablettes bas de gamme. En fait, l' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Bien entendu, il est plus lourd d'une livre, plus ou moins, que la tablette Acer, mais, dans ma poche, j'ai également le poids supplémentaire de 300 $ plus les taxes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ce qui nous ramène à Canonical et à leur décision de faire d' | ||
- | To be truthful, Ubuntu is a secondary OS for most users who have suddenly discovered their original OS has bought the farm. Others, like me, are in the minority by using Ubuntu as their main OS (and blowing off Windows even on a new PC). Other than this, Ubuntu hasn't exactly knocked the socks off the mainstream computing public. Care to remember the Dell debacle in which Ubuntu was offered as a primary OS in lieu of Windows? I know of absolutely nobody who bought one of these, nor have I seen any for sale on the secondary market. | + | **To be truthful, Ubuntu is a secondary OS for most users who have suddenly discovered their original OS has bought the farm. Others, like me, are in the minority by using Ubuntu as their main OS (and blowing off Windows even on a new PC). Other than this, Ubuntu hasn't exactly knocked the socks off the mainstream computing public. Care to remember the Dell debacle in which Ubuntu was offered as a primary OS in lieu of Windows? I know of absolutely nobody who bought one of these, nor have I seen any for sale on the secondary market. |
But Canonical' | But Canonical' | ||
- | Why? Ubuntu has gone to offering Unity as the one and only desktop option, although users have the option of adding another, like Xfce, Gnome, Cinnamon, Enlightenment, | + | Why? Ubuntu has gone to offering Unity as the one and only desktop option, although users have the option of adding another, like Xfce, Gnome, Cinnamon, Enlightenment, |
- | Unity may be great for tablets in which program options are limited, but it has severe shortcomings when used on computers with a lot of programs. When I tested Unity - with openArtist packing over 1,000 programs - I was mildly amused while the Applications area suffered a stroke attempting to load icons and headings for all these programs. And that was on a full computer, not some tablet. | + | En fait, Ubuntu est un système d' |
+ | |||
+ | Toutefois, la décision de Canonical d' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Pourquoi ? Ubuntu a choisi de ne proposer qu' | ||
+ | |||
+ | **Unity may be great for tablets in which program options are limited, but it has severe shortcomings when used on computers with a lot of programs. When I tested Unity - with openArtist packing over 1,000 programs - I was mildly amused while the Applications area suffered a stroke attempting to load icons and headings for all these programs. And that was on a full computer, not some tablet. | ||
Meanwhile the once faithful are flocking to other camps. | Meanwhile the once faithful are flocking to other camps. | ||
- | Pardon the pun, but I haven' | + | Pardon the pun, but I haven' |
+ | |||
+ | Peut-être qu' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Pendant ce temps, les anciens inconditionnels quittent le navire pour affluer vers d' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Je n'ai pas vu autant de discorde depuis la sortie de Windows Vista ; pour un truc qui s' | ||
- | Then you have the issue of Canonical' | + | **Then you have the issue of Canonical' |
Meanwhile Linux Mint (and others) just include the drivers and codecs right from the start. | Meanwhile Linux Mint (and others) just include the drivers and codecs right from the start. | ||
Ligne 69: | Ligne 133: | ||
But Canonical is going full steam into the tablet arena, and even recently introduced a smartphone app that can run Ubuntu, albeit a reduced version that must be run on an attached monitor via a dock (be realistic – smartphone screens barely run Android let alone Ubuntu). | But Canonical is going full steam into the tablet arena, and even recently introduced a smartphone app that can run Ubuntu, albeit a reduced version that must be run on an attached monitor via a dock (be realistic – smartphone screens barely run Android let alone Ubuntu). | ||
- | And the Distrowatch numbers just keep fading. | + | And the Distrowatch numbers just keep fading.** |
- | I've seen this happen before when developers have failed to seek customer guidance. Remember the Lindows/ | + | Puis il y a la question de la politique de Canonical de ne pas inclure des codecs et des pilotes propriétaires, |
+ | |||
+ | Pendant ce temps, vous trouverez les pilotes et les codecs déjà présents chez Linux Mint (et d' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mais Canonical se dirige à pleine vapeur vers l' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Et les notes de Distrowatch baissent, baissent, baissent. | ||
+ | |||
+ | **I've seen this happen before when developers have failed to seek customer guidance. Remember the Lindows/ | ||
In Canonical' | In Canonical' | ||
- | It's up to Canonical at this point to choose their path wisely, and I haven' | + | It's up to Canonical at this point to choose their path wisely, and I haven' |
+ | J'ai déjà vu cela avant, quand les développeurs ne demandent pas leur avis aux clients. Vous vous souvenez du fiasco Lindows/ | ||
+ | Au bénéfice de Canonical, il y a cependant un point secondaire dont peu de monde n'est au courant. Ubuntu est incroyablement populaire dans les pays européens où les smartphones sont très nettement plus vendus que les ordinateurs, | ||
- | A Google search for the newest version of Gnome' | + | C'est maintenant à Canonical de choisir sa route avec sagesse et je n'en ai pas beaucoup vu récemment. L' |
+ | |||
+ | **A Google search for the newest version of Gnome' | ||
The old way: | The old way: | ||
- | Here I am back in 2010. The first thing I need to do is open up the article that I am writing. I move my mouse up to the places menu, scroll down until I see my documents folder, double click on my articles folder, double click on a_case_for_gnome_3.odt. Now, I want to verify that Gnome 3 came out in 2011. My memory' | + | Here I am back in 2010. The first thing I need to do is open up the article that I am writing. I move my mouse up to the places menu, scroll down until I see my documents folder, double click on my articles folder, double click on a_case_for_gnome_3.odt. Now, I want to verify that Gnome 3 came out in 2011. My memory' |
+ | |||
+ | Les résultats d'une recherche sur Google pour la toute dernière version de l' | ||
+ | |||
+ | La vieille méthode : | ||
+ | Me voici de retour en 2010. Tout d' | ||
- | Wait, I just remembered that I was expecting an email. Back to the trackpad, Applications > Internet > Thunderbird. Hmm, Larry hasn't emailed me back yet, so I'll just send him a reminder. Back to the keyboard. Once I've finished, I'll start working on that article. Back to the trackpad, and then back to the keyboard again. | + | **Wait, I just remembered that I was expecting an email. Back to the trackpad, Applications > Internet > Thunderbird. Hmm, Larry hasn't emailed me back yet, so I'll just send him a reminder. Back to the keyboard. Once I've finished, I'll start working on that article. Back to the trackpad, and then back to the keyboard again. |
I wonder if Larry is online for a chat. Back to the trackpad. Sure enough, he's online. Back to the keyboard. He wants me to email him “Document X.” Back to the trackpad. | I wonder if Larry is online for a chat. Back to the trackpad. Sure enough, he's online. Back to the keyboard. He wants me to email him “Document X.” Back to the trackpad. | ||
Ligne 93: | Ligne 174: | ||
Super > a case for... > Enter. | Super > a case for... > Enter. | ||
Super > larry > Enter. | Super > larry > Enter. | ||
- | Super > thu... > Enter. | + | Super > thu... > Enter.** |
- | What would have taken a considerable amount of effort in Gnome 2.x took a few keystrokes in Gnome 3. Switching back and forth between the article and Larry' | + | Une seconde, je viens de me rappeler que j' |
+ | |||
+ | Je me demande si Larry ne serait pas en ligne pour tchater. De retour au pavé tactile. Oui, il est en ligne. De retour au clavier. Il veut que je lui envoie « Document X » par mail. De retour au pavé tactile. | ||
+ | |||
+ | La nouvelle méthode : | ||
+ | |||
+ | Désormais, l' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Touche Super (Windows) > a case for... > Entrée. | ||
+ | Super > larry > Entrée. | ||
+ | Super > thu... > Entrée. | ||
+ | |||
+ | **What would have taken a considerable amount of effort in Gnome 2.x took a few keystrokes in Gnome 3. Switching back and forth between the article and Larry' | ||
I guess the case that I'm trying to make is this: If you love the keyboard (and I'm guessing you do, otherwise you wouldn' | I guess the case that I'm trying to make is this: If you love the keyboard (and I'm guessing you do, otherwise you wouldn' | ||
- | Not sure whether you're a keyboard connoisseur or not? Here's a test. When you use a menu item in an application, | + | Not sure whether you're a keyboard connoisseur or not? Here's a test. When you use a menu item in an application, |
+ | |||
+ | Ce qui aurait nécessité beaucoup d' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Je pense que ce que j' | ||
+ | Pas sûr pour le clavier ? Voici un test. Quand vous vous servez d'un élément dans le menu d'une application, |
issue60/mon_opinion.txt · Dernière modification : 2012/06/14 09:56 de albinoz