[jrogers65]

I'm glad that ARM tablets are finally getting a decent operating system.

Android is a pain for productivity - only one visible window, applications are killed in the background when you want them to persist, switching windows is tedious if you have many applications open at the same time, various deficiencies in third party applications like waking the screen and draining your battery, a Google account is required to do basic things like download apps, it's not possible to download APK's from the market in case you want to perform offline installations, plugging in an external hard disk results in a crash and reboot too often, media sound volume is reduced whenever an email notification comes in. That last bug has been around for three years - http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=5012 - and this is a piece of commercial software, not someone's hobby OSS project!

Not to mention that it's based on GNU/Linux [EDIT: NOT GNU, just Linux] yet misses important features like a good package manager, X11 and alternative window managers. Things like Debian Kit For Android address some of these issues but it still feels like a compromise.

I understand that it was originally designed as a smartphone OS but it just doesn't scale well to tablets.

Another alternative which is looking extremely promising, even moreso than Ubuntu, in my opinion, is Plasma Active - http://plasma-active.org/

[freehunter]

>it's based on GNU/Linux yet misses important features

I don't like this misconception. Yes, it uses a Linux kernel, but it's not a Linux operating system. It's nothing like a Linux OS, like you mentioned. It's not even trying. I mean, my Roku box sitting in front of my TV is based on the Linux kernel as well, and it doesn't have a package manager, X11, or alternative window managers.

Based on the Linux kernel is completely different from a Linux OS. Android isn't trying to be Linux for smartphones. You're complaining that your car is a frame on wheels but it's too heavy for a horse to pull. They're designed for completely different purposes.

[jrogers65]

It seems I was mistaken about there being much GNU code in Android.

I'm complaining that the software which came with my hardware is not fit for purpose and does not make good use of the horsepower. It would have been easy to include the things I mentioned in Android and a niche market would have been catered for as a result. A different decision was made and some of the customers are unhappy. I'm well within my rights to complain about something I paid for.

[sp332]

Since you went to the trouble of putting "GNU" in front of "Linux" I think you should know that Android is not GNU/Linux. http://www.gnu.org/gnu//gnu-linux-faq.html#linuxsyswithoutgn...