Still, I always thought I would remain faithful to Apple. But Apple, with an endless stream of only incrementally innovative products characterized by an uncapitalized "i", kept on treating me as "i" and not an "I". When I look back at how it took several generations of iPhones to provide "text forwarding" or "copy and paste" functions, it became clear to me that Apple's business plan was built on keeping me an "i". I was the mistress on the side, kept at bay with tantalizing promises that never quite pushed through. Enough is enough. I deserve better.
The tablet device of choice for many consumers is the Apple iPad, an engineering marvel that boasts a dazzling combination of form and function. Yet, to quote Robert Frost out of context, "the woods are lovely, dark and deep", but "I have promises to keep". Surely there must be a tablet device that would both meet my professional needs without succumbing to the seductive siren song of the Apple App Store?
Enter the Huawei Ideos Tablet s7. Here's a picture with my workhorse MacBook for comparison.
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| An awkward meeting? |
Many tech reviews spend an inordinate amount of time either gushing over or reviling the aesthetics of the device before hunkering down to a fairly comprehensive analysis of the relevant technological aspects that allow the device to do what it does. (If you want a fairly comprehensive review of the Ideos s7 that doesn't smack of technological pretension, go here.)
I'm afraid I am not too knowledgeable about the technological architecture of the tablet to provide much useful insight into what makes it tick. But I do know what I need.
Let me tell you about what I need. I need a secondary device that would allow me to check email, do some minor word processing, and share files with. Thus, despite the many persistently charming efforts of many manufacturers peddling tablets, this means really one thing. I just need a mobile device that could connect to the Cloud.
Right out of the box, you can use the Ideos s7 to do all these things. And if you've ever been annoyed at the Lord of the Rings "one button to rule them all, and in darkness bind them" approach that Apple has adopted in practically all their gadgets, you'll love the user interface of the Ideos s7. You have a home screen. You can choose "Web", "Entertainment", "Communications" and "Favorites". And just in case you make a mistake, you can always tap the "back" icon.
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| It stands on its own. |
The Ideos s7 is an Android device, which means instead of dealing with the strict proprietary rules and regulations that govern the App Store, you may download applications from the Google Android Market and less "official" sources. You can get Dropbox for file sharing, Evernote for note taking and archiving ideas, and other useful apps that won't cost you an arm and a leg. While Android apps may lack the polish of many Apple App Store apps, many of them are just as useful. Also, many of the most useful apps are free.
It's only been a couple of days since I got out from under Apple's lovely polished heel. There's a whole new world out there, and a whole new experience for me to be alternately charmed and infuriated by. But I'm taking it one step at a time. To once again quote out of context, in this case Tom Cochrane,
"Life is a Huawei, I wanna ride it
All night long
If you're going my way, I wanna drive it
All night long".
Enjoy!
4 comments:
John-D,
Coool.
I also read the tech review and I think its a great gadget for the price. Hands down I would take this S7 over the IPad. You know I also bought a generic Android tablet a couple months ago (the cheap one you find at 168). It doesn't have GSM and Bluetooth, but it's good enough for eBooks, internet surfing, and MP3 playback, just right for me (and the price). My 5-year old plays games on it occasionally, and the device is still alive. Maybe you should also let your kids play with your Ideos S7, thereby its sturdiness can be tested. Just tell them they can't play with it like a frisbee :-)
@Willy: The price sealed the deal for me. But your purchase sounds like an even bigger bargain! My son's been itching to play with the s7. I think I'll let him try it out. :)
After a year and a half with an iPhone I switched to a Blackberry last month, mostly due to my brother and sister-in-law giving it to me for Christmas. But I had be thinking of changing my phone by then. I realized the iPhone is a great games and music device...not so good as a phone. :D
I still want an iPad eventually (for videos and ebooks, expecially when I travel.) But now I'm willing to wait, for either a new version to come out that's lighter and slightly smaller, or a new device I find that I end up liking more.
I will always be an Apple fan but I don't want to be a mindless fanatic. :D
-Alexis
@Alexis: The iPhone is a fantastic multimedia device. It's not a great phone though. Apple produces very good products. But there's a whole line of comparably good products that I'd like to try out. :)
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