Google's long-awaited Android 3.1 update is slowly rolling out over-the-air to the Motorola Xoom, the first of the Honeycomb-based tablets to get the update. The non-3G Xoom on my desk finally got its update, and I got a chance to finally get some up-close time with the OS.
The update is a feast for the eyes, literally, since it corrects one major issue--the image rendering snafu in the Gallery app--and provides the flexibility of resizable widgets. However, in spite of the many niceties integrated into the front face of Android 3.1, I'd consider this update just a baby step towards fixing a wider swath of rough spots in Android Honeycomb.
Fixed: Image Rendering
Interestingly enough, the Android 3.1 developer revision notes don't appear to specify anything about fixing the image rendering problem. It's a problem I've written about multiple times before, simply because it was so confounding and unexpected to find in such a basic, core app. And because, frankly, Android 2.2-based tablets had no issues; who'd have expected Google to mess up something it was already getting right?
Of course, I had another reason for noticing the issue--and wanting it fixed. As a photographer, I can foresee a world in which a tablet can be a handy and unobtrusive tool in the field for spot-checking exposures and sharpness. Mind you, this can only be done if the image is being rendered properly--and the Gallery app struggled to do just that pre-3.1 update.
Read more: http://www.pcworld.com/article/228325/handson_with_googles_android_31_update.html
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