Android over IOS

I don't raise this as a fan boi, I raise this a) out of curiosity, and b) because all the geeks I know use android over apple, and since this is a geeky forum, I anticipate that an android version would better serve the membership than an ipad version. (Or I'm hanging with the wrong crowd). Anyway, Devs want us to use the voting system to gauge what we want. If you want Android prioritised higher, upvote. If you'd use apple more, downvote. The following prolly belongs in another thread, but I'm happy to sacrifice the video and audio feeds for a mobile platform to allow me run an asynchronous game from my phone.

Quite the opposite for me, and I'm a windows developer. I use iPhone/iPad and I recommend it to everybody I know. In fact, I don't know anybody with an Android (I was the only person who even had an Android phone). I would advise against Android for the very simple reason that it is an inconsistent platform. There's too many hardware variants and firmware versions. Unlike iOS, you can't insist everybody upgrade because not every android has an upgrade available. This makes comprehensive configuration testing more costly and impractical. There's probably plenty of people who have Androids as there are iOS users. I recommend picking the first mobile platform to be the one you can do well, so you can get another success, then tackle the harder one.

Well JanX as much as i agree with you that they should probably hit the most stable of the two, the is quite an issue. In order for them to successfully beta test it with apple, they would need to utilze only people who have jail broken. This why they can release updates quickly. On android all they really need to do is post it in the market. I am not here to discount your statement, just pointing out a flaw with the mechanics.

The better consideration would be to make it web-capable to those platforms, that way the dev team doesn't have to start developing multiple platforms. But that would require solidly capable HTML5 browsers be available on them, and Apple is notorious for a lack of flash support.

My table has 2 ipad users, and 3 people using laptops. the remaining 2-3 are all paper. No one is on android for us. I'll second with Deightine said with regards to not having the devs put in multiple platform development.

I'm an iOS user and would like to see an app even if it doesn't have video capability at first as my iPad 1st gen doesn't even have a camera.

Totally for android here. Given that you can get a Nook Color for around $150 and turn it into an android tablet, there's a very low barrier to entry there.

Would definitely use an Android version. That seems to be what the phones I tend to like use, and it would mean not having to deal with the Apple middleman.

ios is an easier platform to develop for, but android can be easier to distribute and maintain. they're addressing alot of the hardware fragmentation issues in ICS but alot of the service providers are preventing the update from going out all at the same time. and of course you'd have to deal with the rumored new iphone and ipad sizes as well as the steep differences in their processing power. if you need an android tester i'd be more than happy to help. but just to keep all the platforms using the same version at the same time i'd put my vote in for an HTML5 version instead. it may not work on every android device and the approval process to release updates in the app store can take weeks. the chameleon app by teknision released a "hardware id" app to find out each device's resolution and cpu of all the people who had prepurchased the app via their kickstarter. that way they can make sure the first version is compatible with the people who are guaranteed to use it instead of just hoping for the best. and for HTML5 reference, <a href="http://browserquest.mozilla.org/" rel="nofollow">http://browserquest.mozilla.org/</a> works wonderfully on all my android and desktop devices. but releasing it in a container app would probably be better.

Android for me as well. I have a Galaxy pad and it is really handy.

I would love an iPad version of Roll20!

An iPad version is likely to be a hit with my players. But they can have my desk when they winch it from the smoking ruins of my house!

Well JanX as much as i agree with you that they should probably hit the most stable of the two, the is quite an issue. In order for them to successfully beta test it with apple, they would need to utilze only people who have jail broken. that's not entirely technically correct as I have been involved in beta testing iOS apps before. For normal iOS developers, Apple has a means of granting tester slots/keys that can install the app from a web page (not apple store). This means, when you volunteer to be a tester, you send in your iThing ID (gettable with a tool), and then the dev can let you access a URL on the dev's server to install the beta app. Pretty simple. And prevents testers from sharing the app to others.

iPad version would rock. my. socks. I wouldn't use an android version, I can only afford one tablet and I've already got the iPad.

I would love an Android version of Roll20, I play all of my games with my tablet.

Damn I was hoping for a mobile/iPad version sooner. I could see it being useful even at actual tables. O well I guess I'll be a slave to my pc until that day comes. Hopefully you guys are able to keep the two versions close in terms of content.

I'm an Android user, so of course if there were a standalone app I would love it to be on Android. However, I believe that right now, I could load Roll20 on my Acer Iconia as is, without a standalone app. I'm not sure how it would handle the video / voice chat, though, and it would probably be best to use headphones and an external mic with it. I was hoping that we could have a conversation like this without people automatically downvoting the comments that talk about alternative platforms (iOS vs ICS, etc), but it seems that's not the case.

Yeah, it's hard to see anything to object to or even disagree with about Janx's post of 19 June, five places above. It is purely informative, doesn't advocate anything.

I'd like to add my name to the list on those supporting an iPad version, for multiple reasons already stated. I figure the mor people that speak out in support, the better.

I'd like to add my name to the list on those supporting an iPad version, for multiple reasons already stated. I figure the mor people that speak out in support, the better. <a href="http://youtu.be/BAFTAhU12Do?t=51s" rel="nofollow">http://youtu.be/BAFTAhU12Do?t=51s</a> It's coming :)

I cast my vote for Android. I use an android as my daily driver and have a 7 and 10 inch tablet. However, a functional HTML5 version would be great.

If it would get out the door faster, it would be GREAT (IMO) if it had more limited functionality. less/no control over moving tokens/etc. The biggest for me would be at least reading/adding to chat section, even if the tabletop was static. Obviously having it be fully functional is vastly superior, but for iPhone/Android(phone) I could see it being more difficult due to screen size constraints.. I for instance though run asynchronous, so having players able to check in and talk/roll on their mobile device would be awesome! Oh also having it for push notifications for when someone else comments in the chat, so they can follow along even when they can't be actively on at the moment.

Honestly, doing this on a phone isn't a good idea. Even phones with gigantic screens are going to have vision issues, constantly scrolling all over the map. If there's one thing that almost no app can get smooth, regardless of platform, it's scrolling. I think they should just develop for tablets, specifically the big brand-name tablets (because more people have those than, say, the Akashi tablet). Develop an app that works for the Galaxy Tabs, Asus Transformers, Sony Tablets, and the Motorola tablets, and the iPad. I have both a Motorola Xoom and a Galaxy Tab 2, and I can tell you one thing: I can't stand companies that develop only for a single platform. Honestly, having the app working on even a few models of Android tablets would be better than only developing for iOS, and developing for only Android is just as bad, alienating large swathes of the tabletop community that use iPads. tl;dr: Developing for only one platform is a terrible practice and is implemented by companies because either they: 1. Don't have the budget to buy a couple tablets (an arguably tiny fraction of most companies' budgets) or 2. Don't understand (due to bias or whatever) that they cut off half of their mobile users by doing so If you're going to go mobile, go all the way. Don't do a half-job and say you're done. A lot of us would prefer that you just do something else with our sub fees, instead.

Not a big tech guy. Business I know. b4ux1t3 has it right from that perspective. If you have a niche, you need to seize it quickly, and thoroughly. Squash the bugs later. With the willing potential knowledge and personnel base that you have 'here', that is a lot of volunteer manpower. It also invests people in you project. One word 'ownership'.

Thx. I and, I suspect b4ux wonder why it went to the top of the Que. Maybe not. I need to research 'closing' threads. Thx again.

Ah, this thread just popped up when I searched for "Android roll20" on google. I probably should have checked the dates.

No worries. Bit of a learning curve here, and the site is still getting its legs.