Notion Ink Adam Eden Update Landing Monday, Gingerbread Wednesday

     Adam owners will finally be able to taste sweet Gingerbread on Monday Wednesday with the release of Eden 1.5. Aside from Gingerbread, the update is suppose to bring several UI enhancements that hopefully make the interface a little bit more user friendly. Also onboard are many news apps such as the long-awaited weather app and Dolphin Browser HD. Another update is slotted for Wednesday with an unspecified changelog. Keep hitting those update buttons people!
     I apologize for misinforming the lucky people that read this article. The Gingerbread update is landing Wednesday, and the Major update to Eden 1.5 is landing Monday. The new Eden will bring many new features including a new look, supposedly enhanced usability (I'm skeptical), and many new apps. Let's hope for the best, and keep hitting those update buttons tomorrow. I'll post a review for you as soon as I can.

Why I Kept My Adam

     The sound of crickets has been floating around here as of late. Everyone involved has gone silent. Many people have just up and left in the order of selling their Adams. I don't blame them. I'm getting tired of waiting for that fabled usability approving Gingerbread update too. That doesn't mean I'm going to sell my Adam to some unsuspecting patron. I have many good reasons to stay.

     The Adam is a great device when it comes to the hardware. The only things that bring it down are the thickness and the terrible screen. The camera could be considered a downfall as well, but I'll leave it be. The problem is in the software. It's terrible. Notion Ink hasn't update it to the (supposedly) more user friendly version yet. Many people have ditched the Adam because they got sick of waiting.
     
     I know the user experience can be good because mine runs Honeycomb. The alpha version isn't as smooth as I would like it to be, but it gives me hope. Hope that one day Google will release the source code on something to give power to the Adam. If I have to wait for Ice Cream Sandwich I will. I trust Notion Ink to give us the updates we deserve.

     Even if they completely ruin Honeycomb with the Eden overlay, I have ROMs to fall back on. Why do I still have my Adam? Software can be fixed. It was cheap. Tegra II. Trust in Notion Ink.

Dolphin Browser HD to Come Bundled with Adam

     Notion Ink is getting its fingers into many pies lately. They have announced today that they have made a deal with the makers of Dolphin Browser to include their phenomenal web browser in the upcoming update. Oddly, Dolphin Browser HD is completly incompatible with the Adam right now. It is even blocked on the Market (using Edenx). Better yet, the update has a timeline set for release in the "third week of this month". Around the same time, the Adam will be available for general sale.

Kindle on Adam!

     No, I haven't gone crazy with the exclamation points today. Rohan announced late last night (sometime around noon in India) that Notion Ink is collaborating with Amazon to bring the Kindle Books app on the Adam. This is likely to come in the next update. This is very exciting especially considering their isn't a pre-installed book app to enjoy your Pixel Qi with. The next question is the possible future inclusion of the Amazon Appstore on the Adam.

Completly Updated Eden Coming to Adam

     We have had light shed upon us this morning in the the latest Notion Ink blog post. The major update that was barely mentioned in the last post got a list of details to go with the images today. The details show that this really is a major update instead of a design change.

The biggest bullet of the list is the core OS. The Adam will get Gingerbread after all. The delay on Honeycomb made them change their minds most likely. Eden needed a lot of improvement and Honeycomb isn't available as grounds for such improvement. The kernel is also getting a nice revamp for you developers out there. To give you ROM developers a nod, the link for the kernel source was thrown up on the blog post at the very top.

Another amazing bullet point is the addition of an overclocked Tegra processor. This could be taken many ways as it is listed as "optimally overclocked". That could just mean that it isn't downclocked by Eden anymore.

Many software additions and changes will take place. Many such additions include chords for music, the weather app, books, and flash pre-installed (sorry, no genesis). Rohan makes mentioned of a completly different browser, which would be nice considering the Eden browser that I'm typing this post on is very half-baked. Take a gander at the full post here .

Engadget Reviews Notion Ink Adam

     All I can say is finally! We (or I at least) have been waiting for a professional review of the Adam since it came out. Since all orders were shipped a while back, it's hard to tell what took them so long. They had some interesting things to say about the tablet. Most of them were bad, but they were also true. They main target of the negativity was, of course, the software and the screen. What else did they say? Read on.

     The Adam only did good enough to deserve a lousy 3 out of 10 rating from the big shots. The software was called upon repeatedly for being slow and buggy. They even went as far as calling it "beta at best". Not a goos sign. They seemed particularly proud of their discovery of a way to make the browser crash on command (multiple taps on the tab wheel). The panels got a nice little overview as to how they worked and such. A small item they touched on was the lack of responsiveness from the capacitive digitizer. It was blamed on the screen protector, but as I found out the screen protector has nothing to do with the lack of touch sensitivity, it is just another one of the tablet's quirks. Oddly, no mention was made about the low wifi signal.

     Engadget did have a couple of good thing to say about Notion Ink's baby. The ports... lots and lots of ports to fill your nerdy heart with joy. It use a "unique" design and an awesome sun-readable display. That was about it on the good side.

     Like everyone that has an Adam knows, the viewing angles are awful, the camera is funky at best, and the software is just bad out of the box. Engadget just reaffirmed what we already knew, but it's nice to hear from the pros. You know Notion Ink didn't do terribly great with their first product when Engadget calls it a prototype running beta software. Get the full review here: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/27/notion-ink-adam-review/

Silence is Golden - Gold Holds No Value in the Notion Ink Community

    It's been a long time since we last spoke. Does that sound familiar? It should. That is how Rohan started a few of his blog posts back when the official Notion Ink blog started to show signs of dying. Now he needs to start off every post with that little phrase. What has happened to the "family"? Where has the constant knowledge gone?

     The journey started way back in April (last year) when the blog was officially opened. The promise of the ultimate Android tablet kept people flocking. The teasing and constant flow of information kept the people coming back for more. The Adam would have been a beast if it were released last summer. No competition could match it on the specs. And then came the delays.

   Delay one with some investor issues. It was suppose to arrive sometime around Thanksgiving. In the weeks counting up to Thanksgiving we got post after post describing one bit of information at a time about the Adam. Weekend Specials he called them. It gave would be buyers a particular date to look forward to for more information. We knew everything about the Adam aside from a few crucial details.

     Would the Adam come with the Android Market? Nobody knew. It took an interview with Android Police to find out, and that was after the pre-order had started. Another piece of the puzzle that was completely missing was a demonstration of the actual device. We had screenshots, renders, photos, prototype photos, but no videos or photos of the actual production Adam. We were expected to buy out of trust, and many of us did.

     After the backlash of concern about a pre-order for an unknown product Rohan took charge of the situation by giving the videos we wanted. We didn't just get a video of the Adam doing its thing, we got a video demonstration every day. Now we knew everything about the Adam and how to use it once it arrived. This device still hadn't shipped to anyone.

     In January, the videos stopped because it was the time of year for CES 2011. That was a disappointment. Notion Ink didn't have a booth for whatever reason, and nobody knew they were their. Slashgear and Engadget seemed to be the only media folks that gave them any type of coverage. Maybe because they were looking for Rohan? From Engadget and Slashgear the Adam got excellent "reviews". Strangely, we have yet to receive an actual review on the Adam from either blog even though they said it was coming.

    CES marked the beginning of the end for Notion Ink's blogging record. Shipping delays and bricked Adam's destroyed the company's reputation overnight. Many people were angry; many people cancelled their order. Some people didn't even get an Adam until March. The customers that had their orders pushed backed several months didn't like silence on the blog very much either. Emails to support didn't bring back anything either.

     We know Rohan has something to blog about. The last post gave a hint of the next major software update for the Adam. Can't he give us a little teaser every weekend about the update like he's done before? Is he afraid of making promises he can't keep? Just put a little disclaimer at the bottom saying details may vary. We don't like being kept in the dark.

The Future Looks Bright!

     Many moons ago Rohan mentioned a major update coming in the future for our beloved Adams. Today we see the first signs of the upgrade. While he doesn't into much detail about the software itself, he does provide four lovely screen shots of a completely revamped Eden UI. Along with a completely different style, the status bar seems to be making a come back. All of those apps we have been missing such as Weather, Books, and Eden (appears to be called chords in the preview) will be making an appearance as well.

The full post, found here, is entitled "Closer to the Blue". One can only guess that blue means Honeycomb. Major updates to Eden like this are enough to keep most of us happy until the big blue drops. We'll see if function lives up to form when the update drops "soon". We will be waiting eagerly.

The Wait For Honeycomb on Adam is Getting Ridiculous

     Full faith was resting on Notion Ink to give us an update to Honeycomb for our Adams. After the Adam was released many speculated that Honeycomb may never see the light of day from behind a Pixel Qi screen. Rohan has assured us multiple times that Notion Ink will do everything in their power to bring us the fabled Android for tablets. Now it looks as if the issue may be out of their hands.

     Google has decided to hold off on releasing the source code because it wasn't made for use on phones. This is old news, and can be fixed if Notion Ink becomes best friends with Google. There is a very slim chance of this happening, but one can hope. Now it appears that Nvidia won't be supporting the Adam's Harmony based internals for future updates. This is only rumor, but it is very worrisome. Will the Adam ever get Honeycomb? The world may never know for sure.

Week Two: No Weekend Special

     I thought there was new technology that needed to be talked about. Where are the promised updates Rohan? The people want answers. For those of you that may not know, Rohan (Notion Ink CEO) promised upcoming weekend special updates starting last Saturday. This is the kind of thing that causes distrust in the community.

Where Is Our Week-End Special From Rohan?

     It is 8:00 PM on Saturday, and I have yet to see anything from Notion Ink. This is just a simple blog post, but it is also one more promise not kept. This isn't good business. Sometimes, it's the small things that count. Now is one of those times. As far as I know, Rohan isn't in India at the moment. If you can't create a post don't keep silent.

Help an Adam Demographic

     A recent study says that only 20% of Adam owners have hacked their Adam's. Notion Ink Hack's Andy thinks otherwise, and has compiled a survey to prove it. This survey won't be at all fair since the majority of Notion Ink Hack readers have hacked their Adam's. Regardless of the fairness, here is the survey: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDZpbGxNR01wZV9yTEtfbzUwSkJ4eUE6MQ

Notion Ink (Rohan) Finally Updates the Public

      It has been nearly a month since the last post from the mysterious company. Most of our needy questions have been answered this time along with a few exciting things to keep the fun going. Rohan is going to start the weekend specials again for the few and far between blog posts to stop. More good news after the break.

     First and foremost, you can stop posting your infinite questions to the Notion Ink blog. THe official Notion Ink forum is coming in the next few days. Coming with the forums will be the ability to live chat with the support team. Let's hope the support team can take the strain that the anxious fans will undoubtedly put on the system.
     Rohan gave full details on the delays put on Adam deliveries, and assured us that every Adam has been shipped. The sleep/wake bug that has plagued so many Adam's was the fault of the manufacturer according to Rohan. To solve this issue, they will be using a different manufacturer from here on out.
     One of the more interesting points that was touched on was the Honeycomb issue. He addressed the issue of Honeycomb being closed by sending a special request to Google for the source. I would give it to them if I were Google, but sadly I am not. Let's hope they do get some kind of agreement with Google not just for Honeycomb, but for the Android Market as well.
The full blog post is here:http://notionink.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/breaking-the-silence/

No Honeycomb Source Code! What It Means to an Adam Owner.

     Google is getting a little more strict on their open sourcing as of recent. They will be holding off on the release of the Honeycomb source until further refinements are made. The refinements in question are to make Honeycomb more phone friendly to developers and hackers. The pot isn't all sour as large manufacturers will  get access to the code.

     Now the big question here is will Notion Ink qualify as a "large" company in order to receive the rights to the hive. Probably not, but we can hope. The update will probably take a lot longer than many had hoped. What we know for sure is that the small developers that give us ROMs won't be able to so for a while. This is really a bad ordeal for Adam owners.

A Look Into The Shapes and Naming Schemes That Are Notion Ink

     If Notion Ink was trying to create a theme for themselves, they have done it. All over the tablet and in the UI you can find many things that are very "Adam". Why is nobody talking about these subtle details? Are they too subtle to merit a mention? I don't think so. Join me as I try to unravel the secrets inside the lines.

     That shape you see there is the defining shape of Eden. It appears all over the tablet, and into the UI. All of the buttons, the headphone jack, and the power jack have a logo with this shape. Even the name Adam is spelled with the letters in the shape. I suppose the real question is does it have any meaning? Probably not, but it is in way too many places to not have a purpose.

     The blue squiggly line in the picture was an attempt at showing another design aspect of the Eden UI. Some of the Eden app icons have the color filled in with a sketched look. It resembles the look of a crayon/brush stroke or maybe an unfinished sketch. The unfinished look would contribute to the unfinished fell of Eden. The entire Eden UI has a paper and sketch fell to it. Are they trying to say that Eden is a work of art, or was one of the designer an art school grad?

     Probably the biggest point to be made is the naming scheme. It's fairly obvious that the names are all biblical. Not everything is milk and honey in the garden of eden though. On the NotionInk.com landing page you will see a promotional video. The music player that is shown in the video is playing an interesting selection entitled "Eden - The Beginning". Hopefully, for Notion Ink, Eden is just the beginning. If they can make it past the Adam, Eden will have been the beginning and not the end. Adam is the first creation. Let's hope this doesn't mean Notion Ink considers themselves a god. One thing that is still a mystery is the company name. What in blue blazes is a Notion Ink? Could it be that Rohan had a notion? But then where does the ink come into play? What does it mean!