tablet optimized version???

[Chiptrac]

I scored around 50 games last summer using an Acer Iconia 500 with no issues. I suspect the program works on most Android tablets. It fills the entire screen with sharp graphics. The big deal with landscape mode (which is not currently available on the Android version) is if you use polarized sunglasses you cannot see the screen when holding the tablet in portrait orientation. The other option I am waiting for is a high contrast setting. They are both critical on sunny summer days so you don't have to chase shadows just to be able to read your screen.

One quick comment on the "Superior" ipads. One hot day this past summer a parent on the other team was using an ipad to score the game. After a few innings I noticed she was no longer scoring the game. Come to find out her ipad overheated while my "inferior" Acer Iconia kept chugging along the entire game without any problems. Go figure.

[OhioTex]

Nice to hear the positive user experence with iscore baseball..the thrive and iconia

[PhilB]

All three of these devices are not the full 10" tablets (and therefore will not have the extra iScore items on the screen that the iPad has, and the updated Android version will have), but they make great scoring devices, and are great devices in general.

FTM,

Can you please expand on this statement? What is it about the 7" displays that will prevent the tablet version of the Android app from working on them? Is it entirely resolution dependant, or can the app somehow query the tablet to find that it has a 7" display and thus will not allow for the "full" tablet experience?

Will a 7" tablet with high enough resolution be able to run the full tablet version of iSBb?

Thanks,
-phil

[FTMSupport]

It is based on resolution. If you have a 7" that is 1024x768 or greater, then it is likely the updates for tablets will be useful. We are not planning to make the 1024x600 resolution tablets any different however. The current functionality works great at that resolution and there is not enough extra space to add all the extra functionality.

[PhilB]

It is based on resolution. If you have a 7" that is 1024x768 or greater, then it is likely the updates for tablets will be useful. We are not planning to make the 1024x600 resolution tablets any different however. The current functionality works great at that resolution and there is not enough extra space to add all the extra functionality.

Thank you. So a 1280x800 7" tablet will be able to run the tablet optimized version, then.

[FTMSupport]

Yes, 1280 x 800 should be fine (that would match the 10.1" Xoom tablet). What model of device to you have? If it is one of the major brands, we may have one that we can test on. If it is an off brand, we may be able to emulate it.

[OhioTex]

for thsoe reading along. i do not believe this implies any new announcement by FTM on if/when an android tablet optimized version is coming out./

[PhilB]

Yes, 1280 x 800 should be fine (that would match the 10.1" Xoom tablet). What model of device to you have? If it is one of the major brands, we may have one that we can test on. If it is an off brand, we may be able to emulate it.

I don't have the device yet, but some of the announcements from CES indicate there may be some good 7" tablets coming out soon. iSBb is my primary reason for looking at a tablet, so I'm looking to be frugal with the purchase. ASUS previewed a $249 7" 1280x800 tablet that hopefully come out by 3Q. A little late for the baseball season, but given it's specs I might just wait for it.

[mbartschi]

Just wanted to +1 this request. I love the product as it is, but I will love it more when it is tablet-optimized.

I understand that iPads represent a large majority of market share and so I can't fault you for prioritizing that platform. Also, the phone-based version does work fine on my 10.1" with sharp graphics. However, it wastes a lot of screen real estate and is missing some of the great new tablet features.

To add to the "reasons to choose Android over iPad" you mentioned earlier...I would point out that while your price argument was originally valid, since the holiday shopping season, it is now possible to save significant money over iPads even with brand names. Yes, the greater number of manufacturers fragments the market, but it also adds competition and eventually brings prices down. I got a Lenovo K1 32GB for about $300 with keyboard dock included recently. Its hardware specifications are on par with most other major brands. An iPad 2 with the same memory would have cost me twice that and not included a keyboard.

Also, I would propose a third reason why some people choose Android over iPad - it does allow greater customization and fits better for "power users" of technology. I do not hate Apple - I simply prefer the Android approach. Apple products are designed with the average, most common consumer in mind. They are great if you just want it to work out of the box with most of the decisions made for you, and you don't care to tweak it very much. Android products target the user who wants more control over their product, and that's where I fall.

[FTMSupport]

As we have mentioned, a tablet optimized update for Android will be available this spring season. We do not have a date, but development is well under way.