Relax, Android Honeycomb is only a beta build

This weekend the first wave of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 reviews were released. Despite an overwhelming appreciation for the hardware, build quality and design, the slate carved out ho-hum scores due to its OS, Android Honeycomb.

As a firm believer in software?s ability to wield better performance from existing hardware I?m perplexed by the Honeycomb situation. Developers are not flocking in droves like I?d expected and in three months we have just a handful of Honeycomb-optimized apps.

The progress is quite unsettling when compared to the original iPad which added nearly 5,000 iPad-specific titles to the App Store in its first 30 days. If apps alone were the measurement of success, Honeycomb would be on the brink of failure. Thankfully that?s not the case, not by a long shot.

It?s not possible to compare Honeycomb to the transition from iOS on the iPhone to iPad. Apple transplanted its OS to a larger screen with only minor adjustments to the UI. Meanwhile, Google built Honeycomb from the ground up as a tablet OS. In time the paths of Gingerbread and Honeycomb will meet with the launch of Ice Cream Sandwich.

The important takeaway for Honeycomb is the browser, email client and multi-tasking are quite refined for a new software build. Google has proven its commitment to the OS by releasing an Android 3.1 update less than two months after the Motorola Xoom launched. A second update, Android 3.2, is scheduled for later this year.

There?s no arguing the slow acceptance of Honeycomb by app developers. Maybe they?re waiting for Ice Cream Sandwich so they can develop with the one-and-done approach. Or maybe they want to see a minimum number of Android tablet owners on the market ready and willing to buy their apps. Whatever the case may be I can promise you that without wide-scale support of the platform through early adopters, Android innovation will come to a grinding halt.

The good news is that apps will come, albeit slower that expected. As a mobile OS, Honeycomb is in a far better position than Android 1.0 was after three months. The best way to approach Honeycomb is to take a deep breath and evaluate the OS for what it is ? a fresh build. In that regard the strides are remarkable. With or without apps, Android Honeycomb packs a strong foundation and the bloodline for success.

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