Sources at the The New York Times have revealed that Google has asked hardware manufacturers to delay the launch of any new Google TV based devices so that Google can buy time to improve the software. With the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas just a few weeks away, it was anticipated that several major television manufacturers including LG, Sharp, and Toshiba were going to announce new Google TV enabled televisions. Google’s request to delay Google TV devices at CES comes as a considerable blow to the platform that has already been poorly received by journalists, and blocked by major networks and studios.
The move also puts Logitech and Sony in an awkward position as they have already spent millions on developing Google TV hardware that is already on the market, as well as millions on advertising campaigns. Google is simply in uncharted territory when it comes to consumer electronics, and it is beginning to show. Worse yet, Google is now mishandling their partnerships with major manufacturers, and having to admit to releasing an incomplete product.
Many of the issues that plague Google TV are likely rooted in the Android operating system that Google TV is based on. Android as a mobile phone operating system already suffers from overall instability, inconsistent user-interfaces, and poor multitasking capabilities. Although newer versions of Android are expected to address these issues, Google TV as it stands today is based on an older more unstable version of Android, and is potentially why they are struggling to fix and address all of the software problems with Google TV.
Only time will tell if Google is able to address the problems with Google TV appropriately, and until they do it looks like we will not be seeing any new Google TV hardware. Today is a sad day for Google TV.
3 Responses to Google Asks Manufacturers to Delay All Future Google TV Devices
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“Android as a mobile phone operating system already suffers from overall instability, inconsistent user-interfaces, and poor multitasking capabilities.”
I must say that although everyone is allowed an opinion, one should do more research before posting said opinion.
1. Unstable? How so? I’ve been using Android devices since the G1 was first released. All the phones have been stable, with the occasional SW crash (caused by the third party software downloaded), and a OS crash twice (both times was on the G1 when android was first released). I even use and try out custom roms, and this instability you’re speaking of just isn’t there. If you want to talk about a unstable phone os, talk wm6.1 and below.
2. Inconsistent user interfaces? That’s like saying that all Chevy S10′s are inconsistent because they have different paint colors. Maybe you’re not understanding the purpose of Android in the first place. It’s an Open OS, and was made specifically to allow any type of customization a consumer or carrier would like. By the way, what does inconsistant user interfaces have to do with GoogleTV? a carrier frontend like HTC Sense or MotoBlur has no impact on Android devices without it, so why would it “add to the cause” as you state.
2. Poor multitasking capabilities? Android right now is one of the only phones out there with true multitasking capabilities. Iphone didn’t impliment multitasking until IOS4, and even then it’s not true multitasking. Android multitasking allows multiple applications to be run at once, and when memory is needed, the least used app at the time that is running is put into a quasi “ghost” mode, where you can go back to it, but it’s not taking up memory. how is this a poor capability?
I can definitely agree that Google TV can use some help in making it better, but IMHO the best help it could get right now would be from the content providers like ABC/CBS/Etc.. by unblocking Google TV access.
You have to ask yourself a question, can you honestly say that GoogleTV would be in such a bad perspective right now if none of the networks blocked it?
1. I have used multiple Android devices over the years, as well as iOS devices and Android is more unstable than iOS. While some of the instability does have to do with 3rd party apps (something that doesn’t happen as much on iOS since the apps are tested before being allowed on the App Store), almost every Android user I know has to run a 3rd party app killer to save battery life, and to ensure proper performance of their phone. This is simply unacceptable for a shipping consumer product to have to use a 3rd party app to make the phone function properly.
I have also spent considerable time using a Google TV and I can tell you it suffers from many issues that are Android issues, not just Google TV issues. My Google TV has crashed several times. The insatiability, and beta-like nature of Android, even 2.3 is not an opinion, it is a reality for all Android devices. Even Google knows this, which is why they freaked out when Samsung introduced the Galaxy Tab running Android. It is also why Google is developing Chrome OS. They know Android is not ready for all the things they are trying to do with it.
2. Android 2.2 has THREE different interfaces for selecting text, and different manufacturers skin, and run unnecessary GUIs. Even the default 2.3 GUI now has a stupid 3D rotation element that takes up an entire row of icons for no apparent reason other then to look cool (it really doesn’t look cool, it’s useless). The dialog boxes are completely inconsistent across even Google’s own apps. Android’s user interfaces are extremely inconsistent compared to iOS.
3. Again, every Android user I know has to use a process killer to save battery life, and ensure proper performance of their Android phones. Inexperienced users can so bogged down by random processes their phones become unusable. This is not proper multitasking, this is a half-baked implementation. iOS 4 properly manages system resources so that you rarely even need to quit apps, or even think about killing processes. Apple uses Push notifications for it’s notification systems rather then bogging down the OS with unnecessary processes like Android does.
I already mentioned the networks and studios blocking Google TV, and while it is a huge issue, the software-side of Google TV is simply awful. Even using YouTube on a Google TV is an unpleasant experience. There’s no apps for e-mail, Facebook, or even the weather. Google TV basically just lets you slowly load some web pages with rendering issues on many of them (that aren’t present in normal Chrome), post on Twitter, listen to Pandora, and watch Netflix. Even streaming content to it from a computer is a pain. Even had the networks not blocked Google TV, the device would still be hindered. Don’t even get me started on why Google went with Intel’s Atom platform over Arm.
I have one issue with what you’re saying here. You mention using an app killer but every single seasoned Android user I know, myself and even Google says NOT to use an app killer. I used an app killer when I first got my EVO and while I had a pseudo-impression my phone was speeding up and it was saving me battery life, it was actually doing the opposite. The problem with an app killer is Android and your launcher is just gonna have to restart a ton of processes your “killer” just shut down, using much more power than if you had just let it do its own thing. As far as a phone bogging down, if you’re on Froyo and its doing that, its time to restart your phone. And if that doesn’t work then thank your hardware manufacturer for screwing you over with a crap processor. Android is just like PCs. You get what you pay for.