Are Android tabs a viable alternative to Ipad 2?

[Faark Orff]

Anti-Apple bait acknowledged and taken.

Wrong mate.Seriously.

[crumhorn]

Anti-Apple

Are these related to anti-gravity?

[3dot...]

Android = less quality apps.. Apple definitly got a 5 year head start on this one...
it is a more robust system...full of potential.. but not there yet.. kinda like the m4l process..
(even touchOSC app doesn't have multitouch support in Android..)

so I'd give it another year at least before Android tablets are considered a worthy contender..
in the meantime get an ipad.. it's pretty solid.. and the apps available for it can't be beat by Android at this point in time..

[LoopStationZebra]

Even if there's a slew of music/instrument apps for Android, it's still incredibly limited by the fact that there's absolutely no equivalent of the iOS CoreMIDI for the Android OS.

The amount of interest shown by Google to dev such a platform is next to nil.

Any sort of MIDI options out there are cobbled together with bits of Javascript, voodoo, and God Knows what else.

Like the OS itself, it's all open source and highly unstable.

No amount of apps are going to make a difference unless there's some sort of stable MIDI going on... Without that CoreMIDI type component, you've basically got little more that nifty apps to fiddle with whilst taking a dump.

[bigbadotis]

Even if there's a slew of music/instrument apps for Android, it's still incredibly limited by the fact that there's absolutely no equivalent of the iOS CoreMIDI for the Android OS.

The amount of interest shown by Google to dev such a platform is next to nil.

Any sort of MIDI options out there are cobbled together with bits of Javascript, voodoo, and God Knows what else.

Like the OS itself, it's all open source and highly unstable.

No amount of apps are going to make a difference unless there's some sort of stable MIDI going on... Without that CoreMIDI type component, you've basically got little more that nifty apps to fiddle with whilst taking a dump.

Whoa. First, although a CoreMIDI replacement is not included with Android, there is definitely a viable library replacement available (http://www.humatic.de/htools/nmj/). Although the hardware MIDI option isn't there yet, the new arduino based hardware SDK is pretty exciting. Imagine just having a nice simple wire with an embedded micro-controller connecting your tablet to your computer instead of using some jitter-prone adhoc network (SO DUMB. None of us would be doing this if it wasn't for Apple's restrictions on development), or, even more ridiculous, going tablet -> midi interface -> cables -> midi interface -> computer.

I think the answer to the original question is simply: not yet. But Android could catch up and pass iOS for some technical matters related to music production. As for catching up in terms of apps... I think it's safe to say that's years away, if ever.

My two cents, as a developer who has been porting a OSC/MIDI app from iOS to Android...

[LoopStationZebra]

Even if there's a slew of music/instrument apps for Android, it's still incredibly limited by the fact that there's absolutely no equivalent of the iOS CoreMIDI for the Android OS.

The amount of interest shown by Google to dev such a platform is next to nil.

Any sort of MIDI options out there are cobbled together with bits of Javascript, voodoo, and God Knows what else.

Like the OS itself, it's all open source and highly unstable.

No amount of apps are going to make a difference unless there's some sort of stable MIDI going on... Without that CoreMIDI type component, you've basically got little more that nifty apps to fiddle with whilst taking a dump.

Whoa. First, although a CoreMIDI replacement is not included with Android, there is definitely a viable library replacement available (http://www.humatic.de/htools/nmj/). Although the hardware MIDI option isn
't there yet, the new arduino based hardware SDK is pretty exciting. Imagine just having a nice simple wire with an embedded micro-controller connecting your tablet to your computer instead of using some jitter-prone adhoc network (SO DUMB. None of us would be doing this if it wasn't for Apple's restrictions on development), or, even more ridiculous, going tablet -> midi interface -> cables -> midi interface -> computer.

I think the answer to the original question is simply: not yet. But Android could catch up and pass iOS for some technical matters related to music production. As for catching up in terms of apps... I think it's safe to say that's years away, if ever.

My two cents, as a developer who has been porting a OSC/MIDI app from iOS to Android...

Your skills as a dev are well known. I don't have any.

But I am a musician and iOS user who has seen endless hype and claims about MIDI I/O and sync, and know first hand that the promises and claims are only now just barely being realized and implemented on the iOS platform. So you'll excuse my enormous skepticism about a replacement library for Android.

When I see that Android MIDI is fully stable and flexible with I/O, can perfectly integrate external hardware, and can give me ROCK SOLID clock sync, I'll give a long hard look again at the platform. Until then, it's just blog after blog of 'wow, this really has potential and could be great.'

[skatr2]

I would have to agree with most people here, the IPad is the way to go for tablets. As it stands, they have cornered the market and its unlikely android will catch up in the immediate future (especially for Niche areas like music production requirements). I personally use a macbook for my setup, but am not a HUGE fan of some of apples practices in regards to their i-products, and therefore won't buy em. If you want to stick it to the man, just get a normal controller if you are in debate philosophically. To me the ipad brings nothing huge to the table aside from portability (and some flexibility since obviously you are only limited by the software developed). An APC with any number of templates and patches currently out there can provide just as much control over ableton IMO.

[The Carpet Cleaner]

Did I just read that my ipad2, that I hold dearly in my bed and in my toilet, is radioactive?
Where is your source of information?

[mistymani]

Android tabs are better than ipad2 and now more and more apps are coming and with their cost reduced android is a viable alternative to ipad2 for sure.....

[LoopStationZebra]

What I like best about Android is anytime you run up against an owner and criticize that WRETCHED user experience, they always come back with:

"yeah, but just wait until the NEXT version comes out. It's gonna ROCK."

lol.

True story, that.

[3dot...]

What I like best about Android is anytime you run up against an owner and criticize that WRETCHED user experience, they always come back with:

"yeah, but just wait until the NEXT version comes out. It's gonna ROCK."

lol.

True story, that.

fuck that...
I own an android phone (Samsung Galaxy)...(previously an iPhone owner)
and it mauls the iPhone 4 to death...

I'll agree on one thing ..
you've got to be a complete nerd for the Android to work smoothly..
(which I probably am to some degree...)
same as the PC..

[LoopStationZebra]

you've got to be a complete nerd for the Android to work smoothly..

/end thread.

[3dot...]

[beats me]

I don't have an opinion here.

[3dot...]

me neither...but its still great!!