Ever since the iPad 2 was released everyone has been watching the Android market to see Google will retaliate.
Google have answered the challenge with their new Android operating system Honeycomb 3. Developed specifically for tablets it is now the default operating system shipped on most new tablets.
There is a lot of new technology in Honeycomb including the new holographic user interface which takes advantage of the power of the CPU and the extra screen real estate of a full sized tablet.
Honeycomb continues where the mobile phone Android OS left off with enhanced multitasking, rich notifications, home screen customization, Widgets, and more. But Honeycomb transforms the user interface with a vibrant 3D experience and deeper interactivity, making them feel they are in familiar territory but even better than before.
As the new OS becomes more commonplace more applications will be created to specifically take advantage of the extra media potential and powerful graphics capabilities.
Two new bars are available. One is the “Systems” bar and the other is the “Action” bar. The “systems bar” is always present along the bottom of the screen. You will always be aware of incoming mail as the system bar will be present even while you are running an application.
The “Action bar” presents itself when you are running an application. The “action bar” will give you navigation options, general options and will be a key point on the screen for accessing app information.
As with all android systems there is a choice of five custom home screens that give the users access to all the content of Honeycomb. Home screens use a grid placement system that lets users put widgets, icons, shortcuts and wallpapers wherever they need and want.
The Android keyboard has been enhanced as well. New keys have been added for more efficient text input as well as the keys being reshaped and positioned for improved typing. Touching and holding keys brings up special characters and a button in the system bar allows for switching between text/voice input.
There are new connectivity options that greatly enhance the usability and convenience of Honeycomb. Built-in support for cameras and MP3 lets users instantly sync media files with a USB-connected camera or desktop computer, without needing to mount a USB hard drive. Users can also connect full keyboards over either USB or Bluetooth.
Included in Honeycomb is a brand new browser. The new browser has features that lets users navigate and organize their workflow more efficiently. An ‘incognito’ mode allows for anonymous browsing and instead of windows the browser now features tabs.
Email browsing and organizing is now a more efficient operation with a two-paned email client. The app lets users select one or more messages, then select an action from the Action bar, such as moving them to a folder or deleting them. Users can sync attachments for later viewing and keep track of email using a home screen Widget.
The Camera application has been redesigned to take advantage of a larger screen for quick access to exposure, focus, flash, zoom, front-facing camera, and more. Honeycomb also supports time-lapse video recording giving users new and exciting ways to create videos. The Gallery application has also been updated so users can see their photos in full screen mode with easy access to other photos in their collection.
Google Honeycomb now gives people a choice. Not only is there now an option other than the iPad but we are also seeing a wide variety of Android tablets coming into the market place that have a different appeal to different users. Smaller and more portable or larger and more powerful the option is yours when you are choosing from the Android range of tablets.
This article has been written by the author, Alex Blaken. Should you require any more Operating System please visit his Google Honeycomb resources!
