We admit, we were pretty stoked when we first saw the
Acer Aspire One AOD250 running Android in dual-boot mode. What could possibly be bad about it? Fast start-up, Google apps... other good things that aren't coming to mind at the moment... what could go wrong? Turns out, just about everything. See, the Aspire One AOD250 has an unfortunate lack of Google blessing, so that means no Gmail, which is really Android's killer app, and no Marketplace either -- so no opportunity to track down a different killer app. You can use your Google account for hooking up with Gcal, Gtalk and Google Contacts, but your Gmail account gets set up as a webmail shortcut to the included Firefox app -- which does an alright, slightly hacked-on job of augmenting the standard Android browser, including support for Flash. Unfortunately, with connection woes over WiFi and Ethernet (as seen on the video), there wasn't much redeemable even there, and perhaps the best news about the device is that it can be fully booted to XP at any time by clicking on the corner of Android's home screen. We still think there's promise for Android on a netbook, but it's going to need some serious TLC (also, Gmail) before it's ready for prime time. Check out our video impressions after the break.
posted Oct 29th 2009 12:23PM
so...the best thing about android is gmail???
A thousand times yes.
i don't believe you had anything to say and just wanted to plug your silly blog.
The best thing about Android (even though there are APK packages) is the market, followed by the Google apps (YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, etc) imho.
You can outdo Acer by getting an Android Live CD and installing it on something even bigger than a netbook.
http://code.google.com/p/live-android/
The catch is that Google won't assist anyone in making Android usable on networks as they totally geared it towards smartphone duty. ChromeOS is what they're setting up for netbooks, so you'll have to look towards that for Google netbook OSes.
I think Google is open for Android to be used anywhere vendors want to use it.
Acer probably had the same issue as Archos in handling high screen resolutions, with early Android releases, and had to customize it, to make it work. This customization likely limited the apps that would run on it.
With Android 2.0, this issue should be resolved, so Acer probably just needs to do an update, to get back into the Android mainstream. Ideally, the update would enable support for the Android Market.
I think I can wait for Chrome OS...
This. +1
is allready in beta, so got get it. Its just a basic small linux installation with Gnome and Chrome as browser. So really its nothing that hasn't been done before
Google Chrome OS will kill Google Android on MIDs, Smartbooks, Netbooks
Whoa, Clak... You're a Goog now?!
Is anyone really surprised about the fact that Android sucks on a netbook?
This is why Google had the foresight to begin making Chrome OS. Andriod wasn't designed for MID's and netbooks. I'm almost certain it will be some sort of Linux variant but simplified and entirely user friendly.
I see no desire to install android on my laptop. Maybe it's just ne.
i wonder what Chrome OS on a phone would be like (read: n900 and maemo).
Seriously guys, that background music? You're kidding right? Here's my vote: its pretty awful. I know why you want it, to make it seem like you have higher production values or something. But ugh. Lower volume, different music, or something.
I don't think it's that awful, but while we're at it: some Bit Shifter tunes would be nice :-)
How do you turn it off???
This article kind of shows the lack of knowledge or information based around Android as a whole. This is *ACER'S* fault, they chose not to pay licensing or whatever is required to have those goog apps already on the device to begin with. This is what Android is about, giving the person using it the choice they want; this time Acer made a bad one.
wait you need to pay for those normally free apps? so much for open source.
you don't as a user, but developers etc have to pay some sort of licensing fees etc for these apps. that's why you see phones that have the 'with Google' apps included on the phones, some Rogers phones and others like that forfeited their choice for that, and fortunately you can still download most of those apps from the market is how I understand it. I could be wrong about that stuff though.
Yes, gmail is great and wonderful. At our Institute for Hyper-Physics and Animagraphics Studies, we routinely reject any resume whose candidate has a Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com email address, but, Google Voice on Android is an application as wonderful as Android gmail.
The idea of an instant on OS is very appealing. Given the problems Paul Miller points out in the video, and given other more wonderful Acer products, it seems that they did not test this device out enough and get user opinions before bringing it to market.
So how do you wead out some of the looser that use gmail? or is everyone that use gmail smart enough?
Yeah...instant on OS is welcomed, but not required...I hardly ever turn off my machine.....so what's your point again....
Why do you need Android on a netbook, when you can get anything on it already - Windows, MacOS or Linux? Or the only goal was to get Gmail and it did not work? This is silly. Can you install iPhone OS on Acer Aspire One? This could be more interesting.
This laptop will only be $150 on black friday at office max (or was it depot)? Thought I would share.
Are you serious? $150 bucks? It is more than COPs for this netbook!
Is that solid info? $150 for the Acer??
Is is at Office Max or Depot??
I heard maybe $200 at Staples...
Someone should test it with a newer x86 android port such as this one: http://www.android-x86.org/
This is an easy fix, you get this , and push the apk files. If it has root, it should be easy to get these apps on board
I'm positive I run the "google expierence" apps on it and other things
Just need to dump the rom and find the parts they added in , then add those into a normal mod'd android rom
Well, I really don't understand why not having Gmail makes this "useless" it is a quick boot into a usable browsing experience. If all I want to do is check out some daily tech news, I can turn this on and almost instantly be greeted by Android in a usable form, where I can launch Firefox and do my morning browsing. I will also be able to check the weather, facebook, and my twitter feeds with desktop widgets. I will then be able to easily shutdown my netbook to save power as I move on to my daily rounds (I do IT work for Chiropractors, and physical therapist) where I can then boot into full xp mode if I need some more powerful tools.
Now, I wouldn't go out and buy one of these, bc netbooks are simply too weak & sluggish for my field. BUT if I needed to use it, the above scenario would be exactly how I would use it. So calling this useless is rather ignorant IMHO, bc it is far from useless, and there are MANY ppl out there who have no clue what Gmail is, or how it is different from other webmail services, and these same ppl want to quickly power on a PC and be at a usable desktop where they can quickly launch a browser and check facebook, twitter, and other mainstream websites.
This hands on, has been a complete FAIL, and is VERY misleading IMHO.
-Isaac
you can do all that on most high end smartphones and very comfortably too. it is also more portable than a smartbook running android. android was written for ones not notebooks. why pay even 100 for a device that can only surf when a smartphone can do it just as well and at more convenience.
hmm.. I am guessing Google wants peple to use ChromeOS for stuff like this?
Call me old fashion but couldn't you just go to gmail.com?
That what this netbook does, and that's why it's no fun.
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