Pandroid?

[second exodous]

I hope Android doesn't become standard on the Pandora, it would be nice to play with, but it's too proprietary for me. Check out this link, Maemo probably won't make it either, fun to play with but not necessary.

Lets just stick to a generic Linux, because you can never go wrong with vanilla ice cream.

 

[som99]

Myself I do not see any reason at all why anyone should waste alot of time porting android to the Pandora, what is the point? Its not in any way better then Linux in my eyes and who would want to port games/emulators for it? Also all the drivers who would want to make them

//som99

 

[Tuxedomask29]

Myself I do not see any reason at all why anyone should waste alot of time porting android to the Pandora, what is the point? Its not in any way better then Linux in my eyes and who would want to port games/emulators for it? Also all the drivers who would want to make them

//som99

That's the problem, it's not your eyes their looking through. I personally just want an OS that works but I can see the benefits of slick looking OS that's easy to use and can give you extra bragging rights of look how cool my pandora is. I'm going to stick with the OS that is the most compatible with the software that gets generated here but I do hope that Android does get ported at some point because their does seem to be some good demand for it.

 

[som99]

That's the problem, it's not your eyes their looking through. I personally just want an OS that works but I can see the benefits of slick looking OS that's easy to use and can give you extra bragging rights of look how cool my pandora is. I'm going to stick with the OS that is the most compatible with the software that gets generated here but I do hope that Android does get ported at some point because their does seem to be some good demand for it.

But then again linux has ALOT more open source software and its loads easier for people to port to pandora with linux then adroid, the pandora aint a phone, its not all about how "cute" the OS locks, YES the android has alot of apps but Linux got alot more to get ported.

The android is alot limited in webbrowsing, how about not having full JVM support? Who want to browse the web without full java? Alot of things are "handheld " with android, you wont get nearly as good
experiance out of the pandora using android then linux. Also noone will soon port any kind of JVM soon.

WHY would anyone want to make pandora a Cell phone/Smart phone? I got a smart phone, why would I want another smart phone without the ability text and call from?

//som99

 

[bzar]

Using android on a pandora would not serve any useful purpose in my opinion. I'm quite sure there are more open source desktop applications than there are android applications. I used to be excited about android, but it kinda died when I heard about all the restrictions (programming language, root access, etc). I'm a lot more interested in maemo now.

 

[Windy]

I read this morning that Android Marketplace has over 10,000 apps - Some may be of interest to some Pandora owners.

I would not like Android to be the main OS, but given the above, it may be fun to be able to load it and run some of the above apps

I am assuming the Android Marketplace apps would run on Pandora Android, - but please advise?

 

[skeezix]

Matchbox has not been a candidate for 6mo or more, and those pics are probably from a year or more back.

Someone can work on an Android port if they like; it shoudl be doable, but is some work. Android 2 is not yet released btw.

Close thread, and please no more daily "can we run android" threads? Use search

jeff

 

[Alec]

Just read this: http://laforge.gnumonks.org/weblog/2009/11/04/

Seems like Android is not so great under the surface.

Here's the PDF presentation

tl;dr a lot of standard stuff is replaced by inferior implementations and a lot of things are hardcoded, which would probably lead to a lot of frustration for anyone trying to do something with it.

 

[neonfish]

Just read this: http://laforge.gnumonks.org/weblog/2009/11/04/

Seems like Android is not so great under the surface.

Here's the PDF presentation

Awesome links, thanks.

 

[Tensuke]

I read this morning that Android Marketplace has over 10,000 apps - Some may be of interest to some Pandora owners.

I would not like Android to be the main OS, but given the above, it may be fun to be able to load it and run some of the above apps

I am assuming the Android Marketplace apps would run on Pandora Android, - but please advise?

Many would work, yes, but there are many apps that really on 3G, GPS, Accelerometer, Camera, etc. that the Pandora doesn't have by default.

 

[second exodous]

Why do these Android threads get soo long? When deciding on a OS to use on an open handheld you need to look at what developers think of the OS's in question. From what I read Android is actually restricted in what you can do and in the source code. It's Linux, but it's closer to a proprietary OS.

It's also been said a million times that it is possible to run Android apps in Linux, so we won't need Android. Also, a lot of the people that want it on the Pandora don't have it in their phone, you really need to go get a phone with it to know what it is or and if you really want to ask someone to put it on the Pandora for you.

I can just see it getting on the Pandora and no one using it, just sticking to a Linux distro because 90% of the apps were designed for a phone and 99% of Pandora users use an open Linux distro.

The thread should talk about specific apps that you think would work well on the Pandora, not just 'we want Android'.

 

[cobaltage]

I'm no programmer, but the real problem with the basic idea is that while Android is open source and free, the "Google Experience" apps are not open source. That includes the Android Marketplace as well as full Google integration. So the majority of these Android devices coming out don't have access to the Android Marketplace. I think most people would agree that the absence of the Marketplace takes a lot of the perceived value of Android out of the picture.

That said, there is a reason Android is being used as much as it is, which is that it includes a UI optimized for small screens, it can accommodate a range of screen dimensions and resolutions up to 800x480 (unlike Windows Mobile, etc.), it contains a number of standard functions involving internet access, media playback, etc., and it's free. So, if you look at the dual-screen e-book reader(s) using Android or the Archos 5 Android Tablet, those manufacturers don't have to start from the ground up but can use Android and modify for device-specific purposes (e-reader, internet browser, multimedia playback, text notes, calculator, et al.). But, no Marketplace. But on the plus side for those manufacturers, Archos, for example, can stop working on its probably terrible UI and just advertise that it uses Android.

So, the main attraction of Android other than the Marketplace is the optimized UI (such as it is). Working on the Pandora as if it were a Linux computer is intimidating. Fortunately, the Pandora developers are well aware of the need for an optimized UI.

IMO, it would be great if Android could be an instant-on OS for the Pandora, allowing internet browsing, PDA like functions with Google synchronization, Google maps (localization works surprisingly and frighteningly well without GPS), and multimedia playback. That package with a touch optimized UI would be a great secondary OS. However, it wouldn't be instant-on.

Actually, it seems to me that the Pandora is in a good position to drive the development of an open-source handheld touchscreen software community. I can't wait to see what they're working on firsthand.

Just my two cents. Android is a pretty fascinating entity, which is why we discuss it so much probably. The fact that it's coming from one phone and moving up to 50 devices in the next year is interesting. No other mobile OS has achieved that degree of growth in the recent past.

 

[second exodous]

I agree with you on 'up to 50 devices in the next year', but that could blow up in Google's face. Do you really want the Pandora to be 'just another Android device'? I remember when Microsoft was pushing it self into every handheld market also, and the devices weren't even called by their name, just 'that other (phone/pda/whatever) Microsoft device'. The device wasn't known for it's own merits, just that it ran a small Microsoft OS. Everyone remembered the bad devices and not the good ones so people started to steer clear of those devices.

As for exposure, the Pandora won't get any running Android, as you put it the market is going to be flooded with Android. You'll be competing with every other Android device, you'll be clumped in with the rest of the pile. It won't be Pandora anymore but it will be 'The Android device with a keyboard' or something like that.

Still, the thing that worries me the most of jumping on the Android bandwagon is what developers are saying, it's very limited to what you can do and what you can share of what you do with others. Lets just use a community OS that isn't controlled by a mega corporation. If that doesn't work out then try Android.

 

[cobaltage]

The reality is that Google makes money from sponsored ads and acquires users from offering useful services, which in turn help them target their ads. So the fact that their own mobile browser is on all those devices benefits Google more than anything else, it seems.

EDIT.
This was just posted on Gizmodo and sums up pretty much everything about Android.
http://gizmodo.com/5397215/giz-explains-android-and-how-it-will-take-over-the-world

 

[valhalla]

I read this morning that Android Marketplace has over 10,000 apps - Some may be of interest to some Pandora owners.

I would not like Android to be the main OS, but given the above, it may be fun to be able to load it and run some of the above apps

I am assuming the Android Marketplace apps would run on Pandora Android, - but please advise?

AFAIK gettings Marketplace apps requires the use of one of the applications that Google didn't release as open source, and doesn't allow to distribute outside approved phones.

Many apps will probably be available from other sources, and those will probably work on pandora android, as long as they don't require hardware that is not available.