General Android software questions

[unsub]

I’m a bit confused and was wondering if I could get a couple of answers here regarding cheap-ish Android tablets. I’m a little new so be gentle. I’ve looked at the FAQ’s and I don’t think these have been asked.

1. If I get a tablet with 2.2 on it, is it the exact same 2.2 across all tablets? Is there a generic 2.2? Are there patches created for the 2.2 line? Given the flood of weird brand cheap tablets is it safe to assume they all use the same hardware? Just off the shelf components?

2. Will I eventually be able to upgrade to 2.3? Does this look like it’s in the cards for most tablets? What about 3.0

3. I’m currently looking at the Coby MID7024 and it seems to be a very popular choice. Do I stand a better chance of hacks and future upgradeability if I go with a tablets that’s popular with the community, or am I at the will of Coby to support this thing?

4. Why do many tablets not come with the Android store?

 

[pbrauer]

I’m a bit confused and was wondering if I could get a couple of answers here regarding cheap-ish Android tablets. I’m a little new so by gentle. I’ve looked at the FAQ’s and I don’t think these have been asked.

1. If I get a tablet with 2.2 on it, is it the exact same 2.2 across all tablets? Is there a generic 2.2? Are there patches created for the 2.2 line? Given the flood of weird brand cheap tablets is it safe to assume they all use the same hardware? Just off the shelf components?

2. Will I eventually be able to upgrade to 2.3? Does this look like it’s in the cards for most tablets? What about 3.0

3. I’m currently looking at the Coby MID7024 and it seems to be a very popular choice. Do I stand a better chance of hacks and future upgradeability if I go with a tablets that’s popular with the community, or am I at the will of Coby to support this thing?

4. Why do many tablets not come with the Android store?

1. Easy answer is no. There are differences based on the chip that the device is running on. Different chips mean different instruction sets, patches etc. Overall they are close but Vendor support, etc., play a major factor

2. Depends. See answer 1. Due to the differences in chips, your upgrade path is not necessarily clear, some chips just are not going to be able to make the transition and be upgraded beyond where they are.

3. Absolutely. While the vendor support is important (especially in sharing source code) Android is supposed to be an Open Source project (that is where the acronym AOSP comes from). The more users, the more engaged the user community, the greater chance you will find devs that are building mods, hacking the OS, and keeping it current.

4. This is related to the way Android set up the market initially. The initial versions required that the device be able to connect via GSM or CDMA, this is changing, but the vendors have to be certified for access. There are hacks that get done for a lot of tablets, and there are also alternative markets out there. It is not quite as locked down as the "other" store..

hope this helps!

 

[unsub]

Thank you very much for answering that so thoroughly. I'm really looking forward to my tablet.

 

[pbrauer]

That is what we are here for (I hope).

Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0b5.1.1 using Android Tablet Forum

 

[jtshop]

I’m a bit confused and was wondering if I could get a couple of answers here regarding cheap-ish Android tablets. I’m a little new so be gentle. I’ve looked at the FAQ’s and I don’t think these have been asked.

1. If I get a tablet with 2.2 on it, is it the exact same 2.2 across all tablets? Is there a generic 2.2? Are there patches created for the 2.2 line? Given the flood of weird brand cheap tablets is it safe to assume they all use the same hardware? Just off the shelf components?
android 2.2 is not all the same , so google release android 3.0 . some device has special designed ui and they have different way to play flash video.
2. Will I eventually be able to upgrade to 2.3? Does this look like it’s in the cards for most tablets? What about 3.0
most device in the market can't upgrade to android 3.0 , some can upgrade to android 2.3
3. I’m currently looking at the Coby MID7024 and it seems to be a very popular choice. Do I stand a better chance of hacks and future upgradeability if I go with a tablets that’s popular with the community, or am I at the will of Coby to support this thing?

4. Why do many tablets not come with the Android store?

android market is a paid service , android is free to use , but if you want to add android market and gmail , you need pay for it , so some device doesn;t have these