Google’s Honeycomb OS went head-to-head with Apple’s “Daily News” for release parties, showing off the details of its interface for both users and developers in its Motorola Xoom press event. The battle continued in Superbowl commercials, where Google’s tablet commercials were unafraid of directly attacking the single tablet option of the iPad. As the battle for features continue, the details of Honeycomb are spreading, and both base level users and analysts are chiming in on what it will mean.
The features being discussed range greatly. Some reports take a look at the app store released at the same time as the Honeycomb press event, while others focus more on the features. There are plenty of details to focus on, ranging from the improved navigation to the higher software efficiency to the better overall hardware specs for Honeycomb-run tablets. The development future of Honeycomb seems bright with WebGL graphics built into the platform, allowing for beautifully rendered 3D images — for games, educational apps, and more.
Other groups still find out a single new detail or extra and show it off with great pride, as with the showcase of the boot-up screen for Honeycomb displayed by Tech Crunch. Admittedly attractive, this minor element in the Honeycomb OS managed to get an entire report and in-depth examination (comparing it to other Android OS boot-ups, discussed Google’s Nexus X symbol, etc.).
Undoubtedly, there is excitement about the Honeycomb OS, but is it enough to actually combat the iPad’s dominance in the tablet market? While nothing is certain, the general consensus is that Google’s newest OS will give the company an edge. Ryan Faas of IT World spoke the general line appropriately when he said that Honeycomb was “iterative of, but also unique and ahead of, Apple’s iPad.”
