The latest symptom of the disease was the announcement that Nvidia will not provide video drivers for the first generation of Android tablets using the Harmony based Tegra 2 chips. This decision has effectively put several devices, most notably, the Viewsonic gTablet , ViewPad7, Advent Vega, Toshiba Folio 100, and Notion Ink Adam on the fast track to EOL. What is unbelievable is that these devices are still in production and being sold to the public.
Let's be upfront here, none of those devices are ipad killers; in fact they all are very imperfect creatures; but they all have impressive internals. More importantly with the correct ROM, these devices absolutely can compete with what exists currently. They are all perfectly capable first generation android tablets, once you work on them. Of course you shouldn't have to work on them and that is a failure of the manufacturers. More on that later.
Why is this important?
The first generation of tablets are running Froyo (Android 2.2), however because their hardware is still very good, they can also run Gingerbread and most likely Honeycomb when it's released.
In fact there are Gingerbread ROMs for many of these devices already. The problem is that in order for video hardware acceleration to function, the ROMs need access to the Nvidia video drivers. Without those, only software video acceleration is possible, which cause higher res video quality issues, such as stuttering, freezing, out of synch, etc; as well as issues with games.
Nvidia has stated that they will no longer be providing drivers for their Harmony Tegra2 chips. This decision effectively freezes any Harmony based tablet at Froyo. Despite their ability to use later versions of Android, such as Gingerbread.
The Nvidia flap started because of this post: Mar 16 2011 at 12:07 AM #1
It took about a month for people to realize what this meant. Once the fires started to burn, we receive what on first blush looks like a nice bit of corporate double speak:NVIDIA is only supporting the Ventana platform for android releases going forward. At the moment we have released Froyo and Gingerbread OS images for Ventana and will release Honeycomb after Google has done so.
UPDATE 12 APRIL 2011:The next day we received more clarification:
Sorry folks looks like I caused a bit of confusion. Since this is a developer forum my comments were targeted at Tegra Honeycomb developers and for this we’d like to focus on Ventana. For shipping or production products, customers should contact the device makers directly for OS support plans. They are responsible for the OS shipping on their device.
In relation to our linux kernel git repository, NVIDIA will continue to provide full open-source support for all of our kernel components and will push more of that upstream over time.
Mar 16 2011 at 12:07 AM #1
UPDATE 13 APRIL 2011
A lot has been read into a very short post about a Tegra development kit. I'd like to clear up a few points.
First, nothing changes in what we’re delivering to the open source community or customers. NVIDIA will continue to post the Tegra kernel to kernel.org and publish our Android code to our public git servers. Additionally, we will continue to make our BSP (codecs, GPU driver etc) available to all our hardware partners. We will continue to do this and nothing about these processes has changed.
For our partners' Android devices, NVIDIA provides support until the hardware partner chooses to no longer support the device. So, for instance, NVIDIA will support the Xoom on all versions of Android Motorola requests until Motorola ceases to support the Xoom. The same goes for ViewSonic with the G-Tablet, Notion Ink with the Adam, Acer with the Iconia, LG with the Optimus 2X and so on.
In relation to my original reply, that was a response to a specific question about a Tegra 250 Development Kit. Given the confusion, we will work with owners of Tegra 250 Development Kits individually to determine their needs. The term "Harmony" is an internal codename for the Tegra 250 Development Kit. It is not a tablet reference design. Each shipping tablet is a custom design with varying hardware components and requires a custom OS image from the OEM who made the tablet.
Finally, while we cannot support or give out third party peripheral drivers or provide the Android 3.0 source before Google does, we do want to explore whether we can assist the open source ROM makers. We will be reaching out to them today.My cynical nature tells me that this is one of those cases where plausible deniablity is assured. "We wanted to give you the drivers, but ViewSonic hasn't requested them.." Assuming that Nvidia isn't just passing the buck in order to take the heat off themselves, where does that leave us? It leaves us stuck having to rely on companies that have already proven themselves unable to keep their servers online, are we to believe they can update their OS? Not after the hot, steaming mess that was TapNTap....
So what?
I know what you're thinking, technology is always moving forward and becomes obsolete and vendors often fail, that's the nature of the beast. That is perfectly valid position, however allow me to expand on that thought a bit.
The tablets are still being sold to thousands of unsuspecting endusers who have no idea that they are purchasing dead ended/crippled devices. I myself purchased a Gtab over a month ago and over 10,000 were purchased during several Woot events and many people are just receiving them.
What do they receive? A device that is running one of the worst designed android ROMs there is. There's a reason why this device and others like it were returned at staggering rates, when they were first introduced.
The good news is that ViewSonic realized how horrible their software was and upgraded it. The bad news is that their OTA server has been offline for nearly a week. Which means thousands of users are either returning their crippled devices or tearing their hair out trying to function with it. It is unacceptable that people are receiving their devices in this state with no 'official' method to update the software.
Is Google Right?
The issues with Nvidia and VeiwSonic illustrate that Google has a valid point about the risk to their brand, when devices are released in such poor condition or with tepid support. However I submit that Google's method of trying to control their fragmentation is akin to using a scatter-gun to kill a fly; more on that later.
Of course it doesn't have to be this way, ViewSonic could create a simple webpage with a link to download the update; so far they haven't managed to do even that. What is sad is that the unpaid, hobbyist devs at XDA, have managed to do just that. What does it say about a company, when average people without millions of dollars of resources are able to do, what you cannot?
I know, buyer beware...
That is another valid position to hold. However how can the average enduser know that the only official method to upgrade their ROM to something that is usable is offline and has been for close to a week now? I personally enjoy my Gtab, but there is no way I would have kept it if I was limited to the stock ROM that came with it; unfortunately thousands of people currently are.
Fortunately I was able to change it for a usable ROM at XDA. However I certainly don't expect the average user to do that and I certainly don't expect XDA to function as technical support for ViewSonic.
Unfortunately ViewSonic's support consists of pointing the end user to XDA for a ROM and then telling them that using an unauthorized ROM voids their warranty. Hobson's choice anyone?
Educate Yourself.
Yes various unofficial methods to upgrade do exist. However there is one thing we must always remember about the average enduser, they never touch their devices. They don't root them, they don't unlock them and they certainly don't change ROMs; nor should they have to. It is the responsibility of the vendor to provide a good user experience out of the box...stock. If they can't do that, that is a failure on their part, not the endusers.
Expecting the average user do to what we do, is not realistic. They rely on the vendors to provide support and when the vendors fail to do so, it is the responsibility of the informed minority to support the greater uninformed masses.
So let's see. The current generation of first adopters are having their devices EOLed before they even open their boxes and the manufacturers are unable to provide even basic support. The most important thing a company can do is set the tone for its first encounter with their customers. What tone is Google setting with Android? A very tone deaf one I would say.
How is this Google's fault?
This is how I see it: Google is rightly concerned that there are so many substandard devices running Android. That concern is affecting companies in a couple of ways. Imagine you're 1st or 2nd tier company and you have an 'unauthorized' device running a poorly coded version of android, what do you do?
- Do you invest resources to correct it and therefor create the image that you are a responsible company and worthy of consumer confidence and trust...even though Google won't support it? or....
- Dump your devices into the 'job lot' resellers, while reducing support of the product to the bare minimum and focus your resources towards, 'approved' Android hardware ..i.e. Honeycomb?
ViewSonic is in many ways the poster child of what occurs with fragmentation. I don't expect some unknown brand from China to obey the rules, but I do expect a company like ViewSonic to. Their continuing failures do more damage to the Android brand, then they do to themselves.
Despite Android's popularity it is still a weak brand. For every Xoom and we all know the Xoom is under-performing right? There's a dozen devices like the MID M80003W. When people buy these devices and realize that they have purchased an inferior product, they don't blame the manufacturer; they blame Android.
"But Everyman, doesn't that support Google's decision to control their Android brand?"
Yes, but the question is how to best maintain the brand? According to Eweek, the Xoom has sold 100, 000 units since Feb. This is with all the commercials, the support of Google and Motorola. The ViewSonic G Tablet sold over 10,000 units in one day. I'll say it again, 10,000 units in one day. This is without the support of major marketing and quite frankly handicapped with a lot of not so great reviews.
If you're Google and you want to keep your Android brand strong, what do you do? Do you focus all your support on a product that has only sold 100,000 units in three months or do you also toss a little support in the direction of the first generations that clearly can sell? Devices that due to their price point and their demographics, have a more lasting first impression and an direct effect on your sales going forward?
These devices are still being sold, at the time of this writing Amazon has them for $299. Do you really believe the people who are just receiving their devices with little to no manufacturer support are going to buy another Android based product?
The first generation of mid-range Tablets are the primary means of contact many users will have with an Android based device. It is crucial that it is a successful one. The way things are, it will be anything but and will quite frankly lead to people walking away from the platform.
I don't blame them, the truth is despite my satisfaction with my GTab device, if I knew what I know now, I wouldn't have brought one or any Android product; nor would I recommend one.
The reason isn't because the device is disappointing (you do have to tweak it, but that's ViewSonic's fault), the reason is because the manufacturing support is simply lacking. The trio of Google, ViewSonic and Nvidia have managed to kill a device that is for intensive purposes; unkillable. I mean you can't brick this thing.
If Nvidia won't support their own chips in devices less than a year old, why should I trust them to support them in the Xoom or the next batch of devices a year from now? Yeah, yeah, I know, they'll provide drivers when the vendors request them.....
If ViewSonic isn't able to support their devices, why would I trust them when they release their next generation of devices or any other company for that matter?
If you look at the history of Android, you will see that it is littered with the remains of devices abandoned or crippled by their manufactures. I understand Google is trying to exert more control and I can understand the difficulty with the fly by night manufactures, however Nvidia, ViewSonic and the others are not unknown entities. Google should be able to influence them in order to protect the Android brand. If they can't, then Google should not pretend to be trying to reign in fragmentation, because clearly they can't do it.
If they can't, why would any consumer risk an Android purchase, when there are viable alternatives from Apple and Microsoft, who are able to exert control over the products that bear their brands?
How the first adopters are treated, will set the standard that Android will be held to going forward. If Google allows the first generation of Android tabs to be tossed away as so much disposable junk, then they have told the market that Android itself is disposable. That it, like that products it supports, is only good for a year at a time and that is no way to create a brand that will last.
Google and especially their manufacturers need to realize that they're not selling disposable phones anymore.
