Honeycomb will be The First Shot Fired Along Apple’s Bow

Android 3.0 aka Honeycomb means that Google is now officially at war with Apple. The lines are drawn. The pages selected. This will get nasty, but there need not be a clear winner for consumers to win.

Apple iPad stood alone in 2010, while Google was about to finish Android for slate form factor. If this were a race, would IPAD be
miles ahead, while Android was still
pack carbs. But it's not a race. It's a fictitious war, and while Google may be a bit behind in both market share and consumer awareness, it is never too late to introduce a new, larger platform as Android 3.0.

But how can the future Honeycomb devices - Motorola Xoom and LG G-Slate - stand strong against rather than the current IPAD, but the upcoming second generation?

Will Android beat iPad in terms of hardware? Sure. The iPad dev cycle lasts one year, while there will be hundreds of Android Tabs in the next few months. Too bad the hardware is irrelevant to this kind of platform war. All will use similar processors and similar memory technologies. Screenshots will not be much different among these entities, however much people like Pixel Qi wants to change.

IPAD Ruled the 2010th Not a single tablet could stand up to its feature set or general appeal. Only Samsung Galaxy Losses sold in significant numbers, but it is still not clear how many they sold in the first place. To be fair, was the current release Android never really intended to slate form factor, but manufacturers like Dell and Samsung pressed on, determined to put something up against the rebellious iPad. Both hit the market with an anticlimactic thud and spotted Android name.

2011 will be different. Android 3.0 is a decent tablet OS, designed from the outset to be a tablet interface. Things are going to get interesting from here.

Former Android tablets were sold at hardware specs alone. It was like computer Mad libs: "Oh, nice, the [tablet name] built on [mobile platform] and comes with a [size in inches]-inch screen." The iPad be sold on capabilities thanks to Apple's vertical ecosystem. "Oh, nice, you can play [game app] will use [productivity app] or enjoy content from [streaming app]." The two ideas - the specs vs apps argument - will converge.

Honeycomb change this and bring Android tablet for almost the same level as the IPAD with a robust backup in feature set. Everything from completely redesigned UI with live multitasking mulitple tool bars and a host of new apps are different from IOS. It is by far the most dramatic update since launch Android platform and in many ways, it looks and acts totally different than anything currently on the market.

While Android Market got a new set whitewash. The new web version packs features that enable developers to better promote and describe their wares just like iTunes. Web version even allows users to buy apps online, which will then automatically download to your phone or tablet.

As the tablets will take popularity crown from IPAD? Well, it's hard to say.

Look at Motorola Xoom. It rocks a 10.1-inch 16:10 screen, a 3G modem that is later upgraded to 4G, a 5MP camera and a fantastic house. LG G-Slate is more of the same except the sports 3D cameras and a 2 Tegra platform, which is able to support 1080p capture and playback. But none of this should matter in the long run.

These are pricey tablets and tablet for Android to be a hit like the iPad, the volitilty normally associated with Android needs to subside, and the tablets should just work as advertised. Looking forward to future hardware profiles are fine, but to build a platform around what's currently available install confidence. When people buy IPAD or iPhone really, the functions that the device is built around a power functions working as it should. Android's trademark, "Wait till next version, it is when it gets an Apple killer."

The iPad 2 will undoubtedly right some of the original's mistakes. There are said to be an SD card slot, a larger and therefore functional speaker, and maybe even a thinner bezel.

The second generation of Android tablets are solving the many problems with the software suite: built-tablet apps, improved user interaction and a code base designed for tablet hardware platforms.

Again, none of this really matters. Android vs. IOS is a stupid fight, fought only on fan sites and forums. Google and Apple are working constantly to bring the best they can to consumers. Both look at each other's products and compare competitors against their own work. Sometimes features make it to the other products. Sometimes they do not, but they're both being phenomenal products, regardless of who shoots where.

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