Gingerbread update -- What's the big deal?

[random64]

Having found Froyo to be a very useful update, I was curious what to expect for Gingerbread, so I looked up the Top 10 (according to one ZDNET blogger) Features of Gingerbread:  http://www.zdnet.com/blog/burnette/top-10-features-in-android-23-gingerbread/2143

 They're broken down between top 5 user features and top 5 developer features.  Below are the top 5 user feature [with my comments].  I'm just curious why folks are in such a lather over Gingerbread -- what am I missing out on? 

 New on-screen keyboard. The standard keyboard has been greatly improved in Android 2.3, with faster input and more intuitive typing. Even cut-and-paste got a makeover. [IMHO the HTC Sense KB on TB is very good -- perhaps this feature is needed on other Android phones]

1. Streamlined user interface. New color schemes and various UI changes and polish make Android more consistent and simpler to use. [Yawn].
2. Application and power management. Android 2.3 provides better insight into what is running in the background, how much memory and CPU time it is using, and even lets you kill misbehaving apps. Yes, after months of telling us we don’t need a task killer, they give us a task killer. Enjoy your chuckle, iPhone fans. [I'm pretty happy with the Apps manager in 2.2, but I don't run tons of Apps].
3. SIP Internet calling. Voice over IP is integrated directly into Android 2.3. Unfortunately you’ll have to get a SIP account from a third party, and the ability might be curtailed on some carriers. [I can see this as very useful for some TB owners -- but really, how many of you use VOIP?]
4. Download management. All your downloads from your browser, email, and other apps, can now be viewed and controlled from one place. [Thus far, I haven't had any issues with download mgmt.  I use the "OI File Manager" app, but perhaps the few apps I use which download stuff happen to be in the "well behaved" category -- e.g. let me know where they're downloading?"]

[PJNC284 · Accepted solution]

Some of those are just features of pure Gingerbread, not necessarily what we'll see in the carrier versions.  The keyboard and UI depends on the manufacturer/skin and you likely won't see native voip integration.  Most of what we'll get are just under the hood tweaks that most probably won't even notice

[AZSALUKI]

it's not that big of a deal to me (or i would've got it by now). it's not nearly as critcal as froyo was (flash, etc). what bothers me though, is that it can and has been done. and now verizon is capable of pushing it to other devices.....older ones and newer ones....so why not us? i'm not going to throw fits or gripe about it, but since you brought it up, my opinion is that they plastered ads all over the place when they launched this device....and then just sort of gave up on it (took forever for anyone to offer cases for extended batteries, a BAD update, i'm still not sure if they ever got the dock that they had advertised and then pulled from their site??? etc, etc). i'm happy with my tbolt and have been fine with froyo, but GB is being pushed to other devices so there's really no reason we shouldn't have it soon.

[Karuk]

Gingerbread isn't the issue. 

An update to fix a jacked up phone is. People are just using the Gingerbread update as a good time to fix the issues and give us the update to the next OS.

Once big thing we are missing.........NETFLIX!!!!

[AZSALUKI]

---

Karuk wrote:

Gingerbread isn't the issue. 

An update to fix a jacked up phone is. People are just using the Gingerbread update as a good time to fix the issues and give us the update to the next OS.

Once big thing we are missing.........NETFLIX!!!!

---

reboot fix tonight (let's hope):

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/07/08/htc-thunderbolt-update-starts-tonight-fixes-reboot-issues-is-no...

[Ambushbug]

For me the big deal is the under the hood improvements, it seems to make the HTC Sense much smoother. Also Netflix has said they will not be releasing a Netflix app for the device until it's on Gingerbread and the leaked Skype app only works with Gingerbread, both of those are apps I've been waiting for.

[AZSALUKI]

---

Ambushbug wrote:

For me the big deal is the under the hood improvements, it seems to make the HTC Sense much smoother. Also Netflix has said they will not be releasing a Netflix app for the device until it's on Gingerbread and the leaked Skype app only works with Gingerbread, both of those are apps I've been waiting for.

---

I've had a leaked version of skype that works flawlessly for 2 months. There is one over at xda and you don't need gingerbread.

[Ambushbug]

Thanks for the info, I will have to try to find it! Haven't bothered looking, had heard it quit working.

[Ozob]

How did this get solved? We don't have a Gingerbread update like we were promised. Is the solution that no one should care one way or the other?

Nice solution Verizon.

[Ann154]

The OP (original poster) choose a post as the solution. Plain and Simple.