yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
Yeah.... no

, its got a LCD screen not a super amoled and a 1.2 Ghz CPU, dual cameras, so I don't see a lot to be impressed with. But, it does function as a universal TV remote. And its really thin.

Hardware includes a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU

1GB of memory; the Android Honeycomb 3.2 operating system; a 1024-pixel by 600-pixel, 7-inch LCD color display; a 3-megapixel back camera with LED flash and HD (720p) video recording; and a 2MP front camera.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] lrs421:
Ahh, didn't relaize it was LCD. The HTC is still the hardware king amongst the 7 inch tabs.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
HTC just posted this statement on their Facebook. Hummm I'm a cynic, so I will try not to laugh too much at this carefully worded,,,,, , ok you can read it for yourself.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

(HTC)

Since Google unveiled Ice Cream Sandwich earlier this week, HTC has been looking closely at the new OS’s features and functionality to determine our upgrade plans. We’re a recognized industry leader in providing fast and consistent upgrades to our Android devices (see what Engadget had to say about our upgrades: http://engt.co/qMb9nQ), and Ice Cream Sandwich will be no different.

Upgrades require a careful balance of hardware and software to ensure the best possible performance and usability, so please stay tuned as we assess our product portfolio. Our goal is to upgrade as many HTC devices as possible and we’ll be sharing details on specific devices and timing in the coming weeks!

Thanks!
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] theomni:
hmmm...apologies if this question has already been asked, but does the Flyer have the hardware specs for ICS?

If ICS is coming out in 3-4 months and HTC does decide to upgrade, just add another 3-4 months on top of that for HTC to release their update. So I guess we will get it at the latest April 2012?
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
Flyer meets the spec. except for NFC, but that is not required. I would say April earliest and I am still betting a shot of tequila that Cyanogen will beat HTC with a ICS CM9 by a couple of months.

Motorola has announced that the Xoom will get a ICS update, but no time frame given.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] WhiteCyclone:
Compared to Flyer, Xoom should get the upgrade quite quickly since it is a vanilla HC device.

They did say most devices running GB should be able to be upgraded to ICS, so it's probably just a matter of whether HTC is willing to put effort into doing something that doesn't generate any revenue for them.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
Very true and since Google now owns Motorola the Xoom is a no brainer.

And I keep pointing out that HTC doesn't make money upgrading software not to criticize HTC but to help people realize that upgrades are not a given, they are a business decision.

Also remember that HTC sells about 18 million phones per year. Total sells of the Flyer / View are less than 500 thousand .
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] manpete:
I beg to differ.

HTC has announced the upgrade before the tablet was available in order to stimulate sales. The Flyer was pricey from the start and it still is. I personally bought the Flyer because of the Honeycomb upgrade, in which they promised telephone support and full bluetooth.

So, they have made money with the upgrade, even before the upgrade existed. They should keep up with their promises.

Not bringing the upgrade will definitely make them lose money. I am responsible for the purchase of mobile devices in my company and I am already turning my head towards other, more reliable, brands. Meanwhile we are not buying HTC devices anymore.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
I certainly understand your feelings from a consumers standpoint and i really hope they deliver on their promise since I own and love the Flyer too, but I have had HTC devices since the start (Eris and Hero). HTC promised the Eris would get Froyo, then 2 months later decided no, it was end of life for the Eris and Hero. The Eris was exactly 5 months old at that point.

I worked in software management at General Electric and sometimes you have to make hard decisions on priorities because you don;t have unlimited time , money and resources and in the end you have to make a profit. I have no insight into HTC's resources and priorities, but if putting out a Flyer update bumps up against getting their next new phone done on time, which do you think they will choose? Clearly if they had unlimited resources and good will, they would have finished the HC update already. I hope they have the resources and desire to deliver, but they are certainly under no obligation to do so.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] TidBit:
I do understand people.being anxious to get Honeycomb. Please take it from me, I had HC and HTC SENSE and Gingerbread together is way better than HC.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] Farsquidge:
Everyone still needs to understand that ICS is a cross-platform OS workable on any GB capable device!

That means HTC only have to produce ONE device rendition (with a Sense overlay if required) and they can issue this as a device wide update.

Look at the big picture... No old device device cost implications...! ;)
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] cnewsgrp:
No its not. Its more stable

at this time

that's it. Its not a tablet OS. I have installed HC leak and its better than GB. If given a choice between stable GB and HC its a no brainer.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
Android OS does not stand alone...

Yeah..... NO.

Stop thinking that Google makes a complete working OS ROM that works out of the box on every ANdroid device out there, That's not the case and not the intention. Google's release out of the box works on ZERO devices, not a single one, because it's only part of the overall solution.

When Google releases any Android version they have only completed the operating system primitive functions, the core OS, that piece is hardware independent, but cannot function by itself and needed a lot of device unique software to support it.

There are still 3 or 4 keys pieces that are device specific for every different phone, tablet or mechanical dog that will run the OS.

1. Device drivers that match actual hardware to the OS. i.e. cameras, Graphics accelerations, wifi chip , etc.

2. The Linux kernel built for the specific device. This interfaces the low level device functions to the OS and device drivers. This controls things like CPU frequency and battery usage.

3. Vendor Custom APIs and GUI for example HTC Sense or Samsung Touchwiz

4. Vendor custom apps. like Notes and the browser for HTC Flyer

and

5. If its a phone or has phone functions, carrier specific functions and features

At a minimum, items 1 and 2 must be done for every different device or nothing works. What works for an HTC Incredible will not work for a HTC Flyer. What works for a Tegra processor (Xoom, Samsung, etc.) will not work on a Qualcomm processor (Flyer).

HTC has to produce all those new pieces for every device family. Then that's not all. Then they have to build a deployment package (RUU) which will include new bootloader and recovery software specific to that device. Then all that has to be tested and deployed in 15 to 25 different languages and several model variants for US, Europe , Asia, etc.

and then,,,, if it's sold by a cell carrier, it has to go through carrier specific testing and debug and another round of fix and retest before the update is released by for example Orange or Sprint.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] degaia:
As long as its hyped enough, ppl will continue to purchase over price gear. Apple is a perfect example.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
A true statement, but HTC does not have the brand recognition or marketing clout that Apple has. Also they don't make money from software or services sales so they have to make a profit on hardware which means they cannot offset hardware cost with other sales making HTC less competitive in pricing.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] kcchen:
Let's play a new game... every time tequila is mentioned, bottoms up. That may be the only way we get any since Cyanogenmod isn't developing anything for the Flyer.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] ICHAPMAN:
That's a difficult one to answer. However, there are three angles:

1) The position that you correctly point out

2) The internal HTC expected life-span of the Flyer. To date the've release no details of a replacement, and even the JetStream isn't widely available. Therefore a business decision has to be made as to whether upgrading the Flyer would make money. If no replacement is on the cards, then without the upgrade they potentially kill Flyer sells all by themselves. When making a tablet purchase are people going to go with the device running an OS that is two revisions out of date and wasn't designed for tablet use, or one that is by-now running HC and ICS.

Even those without any Android knowledge, will have some vibe from friends, reviews, shop personnel etc that a HC should now be the minium for a tablet.

3) Doesn't Google now an agreement with the manufactuers, such as HTC that they WILL provide a minimum of 18 months worth of upgrades to devices. Now I would assume that without this agreement there are various get-out clauses, such as hardware limitations.

Different people, different viewpoints. I updated my Flyer to the HC leak (ie with HTC Sense). I found the device far better, especially given the implementation of the Pen. I regret havng had to go back to GB due to bugs in HTC's implementation which prevented me from using some IBM software on the device with HC (at least IBM said it was a HTC issue). So, for me, HC far better, but GB more stable - but we have to remember that the HC leak was never designed to be used outside of HTC development.

Isn't this the Android issue at the moment, and partily why Google have had to come to this 18month agreement. Again look at it this way, do you want a phone/tablet running Android that potentially will never be upgraded, or one from Apple that within reason will keep on being updated for the life-span of your contract. Sure, there are features in the Apple upgrades that are limited to the new handsets, but my 3GS has now gone from iOS3 -> iOS5.

HTC (and probably other manufactuers) need to look and address this. Less is more...don't keep throwing handsets onto the market every couple of weeks/months - this surely only increases your internal developement and support costs. Instead release powerful, feature pack handsets - like Apple - which you then look to support for a 24 month+ period (24 month I pick on based on UK mobile contracts).

Another point - make the hardware compatible, like Apple. This again surely reduces your development costs, as you can develop one update for many devices.

For those that have read this and come to the conclusion "Apple fan" - you'd be wrong. I have a iPhone 3GS and a Blackberry for work purposes. My personal devices at HTC Android - Desire HD and Flyer - and I'm much prefer being able to do what I want with the devices, rather than what Apple decised for me.

Iain
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
You words are spot on. This is the age old issue. Hardware advances come at 3 to 6 month intervals while software being harder to build and release updates at a 9 to 12 months cycle (i'm talking about major feature sets, not bug fixes). So the software that takes advantage of newer hardware never catches up before the next new thing in hardware hits the market. It's been this way for 30 years and I don't see it changing. Apple controls both HW and SW plus they have a near near religious customer base, so they can limit new hardware feature introduction in order to maintain a consistent level of software across their products.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] Ryno_666:
I often feel the flyer was a "test the water device" for HTC, first of its kind etc.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
It appears to me that HTC may be exiting the tablet market. They might never deliver on the promised Android update from Gingerbread to Honeycomb for the Flyer / View and the Jetstream is not competitively priced. Additionally no announcements or marketing in place for the holiday sales push coming up would appear to leave HTC in a bad position.

Gives me post traumatic flash backs to my old HTC Hero.

but, thanks to Cyanogen (not HTC) the old Hero runs Gingerbread
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] AidenM:
Wait, are you guys sure Cyanogen is not gonna dev for this device? It could become the Nook Color all over again.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
No one is sure one way or the other. It's just opinion. There is currently no CM7 (Gingerbread) project for the Flyer, but there's no reason that a developer could not take the project on and shepherd it into CM9. All it takes is one strong developer that knows the device well to lead the effort.

Cyanogen is quite about CM9 until Google actually releases ICS source code. CM8 never happened because no HC source code.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] AidenM:
I've been reading your other posts, and you seem highly educated in updates and life spans and stuff like that :)
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] skiptodd:
FlyHoney vs FlyHigh rom

anyone know the diffs / adv / dis adv??
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] chiman:
Just received this message from HTC via FB:

No new info at the moment, but we're working on it. Thank you for asking.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] kkinder:
Seems strange that the leak looked so close, but we're still waiting.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] 13lizzard:
I just saw this message from HTCUSA on twitter:

"We are committed to updating Flyer to Honeycomb; however, we don’t have a specific date to share at this time."

I would prefer ICS on my flyer over HC but i hope we see one of these updates this year.

links:twitter.com/#!/search/from%3AHTCUSA%20flyer

twitter.com/#!/HTCUSA/status/129293967761223682
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] lrs421:
Nice to have an official response from HTC. Looks like they haven't forgotten about us.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] TidBit:
Great catch. Thanks for sharing.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] silverwind:
Yeah me too... better skip HC to ICS :cool:
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] goofy584:
HTC support

I've got yesterday the following mail from HTC support:

Thank you for contacting us,

In regards to your enquiry kindly be informed that HTC Flyer will receive Android 3.0, however, the expected date is not yet announced , please keep an eye on our website or our official Facebook page for any latest updates.

No ICS :confused:

I think I will wait for a Lenovo, Samsung .... :(
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] dstrauss:
I just have to believe that with HC "killed" by the ICS buzz/release, why continue to invest resources on HC when you could develop across both phones and tablets with ICS. Surely the work they ahve already done has to make going to ICS easier than the jump from GB to HC?
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] sliderocket22:
This is great to hear. I just got a Flyer yesterday because I love the size and HTC Sense and didn't feel like spending $850 on a Jetstream. After poking around the forums last.night.I became worried my Flyer wasn't going to be updated past GB and thought about bringing it back. Great find!
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] TidBit:
I saw this on HTC Twitter page: 1 hour ago (2PM eastern time 10/27)
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
There is a HC 3.2.1 leak update coming. No details yet on what improvements have been made. Paul is working on the install at this time.

http://android.modaco.com/page/news/_/android/htc-flyer-honeycomb-leak-gets-an-update-r42

I am officially changing my opinion of if we will get a final official OTA release form HTC in the future, from totally cynical to hopefully optimistic.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] dstrauss:
Looking at Paul's comment about this "leak" is the difficulty (involved process) of installation. Could it be that the real holdup is how to make this puppy user installable? Just think about it: I went from iOS 3.x to 4.0 and 4.3 to 5.0 by just telling iTunes to go ahead (it did the backups; it did the install and the restore). I just don't see this going so easy in Androidville.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] 13lizzard:
It is just a leaked update, not the official one, that's why it's difficult to install. Once HTC releases the update OTA, the installation process will be automatically.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] lrs421:
Yeah, I'm moving towards optimism as well.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] vj092887:
Is it possible for someone to make a video of the install procedure when they do it. That would be real helpful.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] dstrauss:
I'm not quite that lame - I understand it will be automated. But by the looks of the often difficult "updates" of the 2.X.X updates, what's to say the jump to HC or ICS will be easy?
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] lrs421:
It will be a simple ota. As a former dell streak owner installing the leaks was a pita, the official update was an ota that only took a couple of minutes.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] lawguy:
I hope that the OTA update will not cause problems for people like me who already upgraded to the leaked Honeycomb.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] marygladys:
See that was my assumption...it would be a major pain to push HC to all of us. There are so many versions of the Flyer as well...was somewhat excited about the possibility of Ice Cream! Sounds like that may be easier. Who knows......
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] WhiteCyclone:
I think the hardware is definitely able to support ICS, but the focus now should be on getting HC onto the Flyer. Honestly, other than keeping up to date, I haven't seen enough in ICS to convince me that it is a must to upgrade from HC.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
One of the problems is that each different model requires a different install package from HTC and each of those have to be tested prior to release. So it's not like HTC will drop everyone an OTA all at the same time. If the device is tied to a cell carrier, like Sprint or Vodofone then the carrier will want their own test and fix cycle too. So you will see one package hit like Sprint first then weeks or months later some others. Of course once a final release of any model ships the developers will be able to repackage it for some other models. Some are easier than others.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] lrs421:
Especially for tablets. ICS doesn't do much more than honeycomb as far as tablets go. I definitely want ICS on my Bionic, on my tablet however, meh.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] GrandAdmiral:
You would think they would push the updates to those not under any carrier first since there would be no need for review.

Seriously how hard can it be? HTC doesn't have a slew of tablet lines and most of those are variations of each other. Or am I wrong?

Sent from GrandAdmiral's phone using Tapatalk.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] kego:
I think OTA update will sure cause problems for all of us who updated tı HC. When my Flyer was at GB 2.3.4 with s-off and root, I recieved an OTA and ran by mistake. It disturbed the stability of the device.

Now I'm at HC 3.2.1 (3.41) and I guess we have to roll back to recieve OTA HC update.

Of course we assume HTC will publish an official update :D
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] lrs421:
I'm curious to see how this is going to work as well. This is one of the reasons I haven't flashed this device yet. I'm certain It's going to be an ota based on HTC's track record and I'm also certain you'll need to be on a stock ROM to successfully flash the ota. With that said, if Paul has received two leaks it's reasonable to assume that he will get the official release as well.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
I'm not too worried about OTA because if they release a final, it will be one model at a time dribbling out and the RUUs won't work with different models. But once one is out there, the developers will break it down and create custom installs for other models faster than HTC will push other models out. So all I care about is that HTC delivers or leaks a final with all issues fixed. At the rate they are going so far, that could be next year unless they pick up the pace.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] Kudzus:
I'm done

I have given up.

Yesterday I boxed up my two Flyers and placed them in the care of my attorney (I have one on staff)

It is our position that they committed fraud and practiced false advertising by stating they would upgrade the Flyer to Honeycomb. HTC’s illegal advertising practices significantly influenced my decision to purchase the Flyer (I wanted a 7" inch that ran Honeycomb).

This AM he is sending a letter demanding a full refund and filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

They have 14 days to reply, if not, we will petition the Federal Court Atlanta District for relief.

I have owned my company for 46 years and have never made a misleading statement to a customer. This is not how I do things and I will not have it done to me.

Edit ... Sorry for the rant
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
I applaud your action. The cell companies and the hardware vendors practice false advertising and bait and switch constantly and get away with it. Problem is , the agencies that are supposed to protect consumers against these illegal activities are complacent in their dealing with these entities so the practice is rampant and individuals have no recourse to levy penalties against it.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] Kudzus:
It’s sad that it came to this.

If they would just state that they can’t/won’t support the flyer and release what they do have (RUUs, honeycomb builds) so the Devs would have something to work with.

I would have been satisfied.

I understand that we so called geeks that like to customize their gadgets are in the minority.

What they don’t understand is that we geeks have a lot of influence on other buyers.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] exiledfathom:
If the HTC rep I spoke to at a Sprint event is correct then the Honeycomb update is going for internal finalization within a week and should be released not too long after. He was showing a View 4G with a near finished Honeycomb install on it. It was still a little rough around the edges but was confident that the release is nearing release soon.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] DigitalMD:
I hate to point this out, but back in April, HTC reps were so confident that HC would come within a few weeks, that they posted it on the official HTC twitter account.

Clearly the beta is pretty close, but it's also a beta for some 3G version, probably Europe. HTC is extremely unlikely to release a world wide update all at once and we all know that the cell provider has to do their own testing which can take weeks or months before they release an OTA.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] mcord11758:
I have to be honest, I just picked up the Flyer from Best Buy less than a week ago. Not having used an HTC device before I have been taking my time getting familiar with how to root/flash/s off/RUU/ etc. I like the device and all but being stuck in a sittuation where no RUU exist for the US Best Buy version and the uncertain nature of the update promisses I am likely to not flash my device at all, and may just return it when the 30 days comes to pass.

I guess I am to blame for not reading more prior to purchase but the lack of the stock software and risk that no official update is in the cards makes this feel like a mistake
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] Brutal-Force:
It kills me when people buy a product because of what it should be. This device is awesome.

When I bought my EVO 1.5 years ago, I kind of thought it would be outdated within a year. It is still going strong and probably will not be gotten rid of for at least another 1.5 years. This is the longest I was on one cellphone without looking at any new ones.

I hope I can say the same for the Flyer, but I am pretty sure its here to stay. I have sold two netbooks because they just weren't "Portable", finally something that is which is not a cellphone.
[HTC Flyer, EVO View 4G] TidBit:
I completely agree. I brought this not knowing about the HC update. I think the GB OS is great.