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Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

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Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#91

Post by anigbrowl »

revaaron wrote: post #56
symesc wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My switch was an interesting one. My hopes and expectations for Android on the N1 were about here (holds hand 12 inches off of desk). After two days with it I honestly had a headache. It just didn't work the way I thought it would, after having spent the better part of 3 years on iPod Touch and iPhone. Maybe the headache was my brain creating new neural pathways? Regardless, my opinion was here (hand 6 inches off of…

I'd only used an iPhone for 6 months, but the experience was positive enough that I'm still in the headache phase with the N1. Largely over hardware problems that will likely never be solved until a later revision: battery life, AMOLED screen being unreadable in direct sunlight, the camera can take 1-4 seconds before snapping a photo, dust under the screen, low-end multitouch sensor, and flaky touch sensing (often th…

headache phase

I heard the same thing from several other people about the N1. I ended up buying it anyway - I really needed a smartphone, and I'd never been quite willing to go for the iPhone, mainly because of what my friends told me about their monthly bills (I like to prepay on a fixed-rate plan and not have to think about it).

So I was pleasantly surprised to find how easy everything was, apparently because it was all new for me. battery life was the only thing that upset me at first, but after juggling setting a bit I'm happy with that. Haven't had a problem with the other things, other than the flaky touch sensing - I'm pretty sure this is a software problem, because when I run into it (once ever 2-3 days) I've gotten into the habit of sleeping and waking the phone with the top button, which seems to fix it.

The poster above is right about it being a little 'scruffy' in terms of not having a completely smooth user experience...but like him, I'm OK with that because I like having a pocket computer rather than an appliance. It reminds me of the home computer v. game console debate in the 80s, actually, with Android as in the role of MSX.

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#92

Post by ismarc »

DrSprout wrote: post #89
ergo98 wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I believe this has something to do with the fact that it's just scraping Outlook Web Access, not actually connecting with Exchange It communicates with Exchange Web Services, just like every other Exchange integrating smartphone product. It isn't "scraping Outlook". >And I use it for this sort of thing frequently. I've never, ever touched it. >Most services pull down battery life considerably. Sure. How, exactly, ha…

I have, generally speaking, three services up: - GTalk - Android Keyboard . - BatteryLife With these services up, my Droid loses maybe 40% of its battery life in a day (with minimal usage.) While I sleep, it rarely consumes more than 10%. The counterexamples have been when I've left the Pandora Service running, as well as the Email Sync service. So, I test it by enabling the service, changing nothing else about my us…

There's 4 different interfaces that use the same OWA URL but function completely differently. There's the web based email that people typically think of when someone says "OWA". There's WebDAV, which uses HTTP or form based authentication (to pick up the proper cookies) and then uses special URLs and WebDAV HTTP verbs to perform actions relative to retrieving/sending mail, listings, calendar, etc (this is in the process of being deprecated I believe). There's Web Services, which is (if I remember correctly) a SOAP API that provides the same functionality as WebDAV (and some additional functionality) which has become the preferred method as of Exchange 2007. There's ActiveSync, which uses WBXML formatted message passing (it's more complicated, but more robust than WebDAV and Web Services). If you're using k9mail to talk to an Exchange server, it uses WebDAV. If you're using the "Work Email" app, it will use ActiveSync, Web Services and WebDAV, depending on which is enabled. If you're using TouchDown, it will use whichever of the three you select.

Frequently in configurations, WebDAV access, Web Services access and ActiveSync are all enabled when OWA is enabled for the Exchange server. It is only in rare conditions when you will see OWA enabled and not one of the three.

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#93

Post by jsz0 »

dave1619 wrote: post #4

Android is definitely picking up pace. I just hope Apple releases an iPhone for Verizon. I think that will give the iPhone a boost. Apple should also release an iPhone Nano, a smaller version of the iPhone. Maybe also have colors.

I think if Apple ever does an iPhone Nano it will be more of an extension of the current iPod Nano than a smaller version of the iPhone. It would be difficult to scale the iPhone UI/apps down to a physically smaller screen without usability problems. I imagine they would only go this route if iPod sales really plummeted due to convergence of media players in phones. It might be a compelling device though with an iPhone-ish UI and some simplified widget style applications.

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#94

Post by jamesbritt »

Retric wrote: post #73
jamesbritt wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right. People own a variety of computers. Different models of Dell, HP, sony, apple., etc.

Also known as: Windows, Windows, Windows, or OS X.

Or Intel, Intel, Intel ...

You can pick the abstraction level to suit the argument.

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#95

Post by lutorm »

revaaron wrote: post #75
krschultz wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The install base of the iPhone still dwarfs Android, this is unit sales for one quarter. The iPhone has been out for a while longer than Android. But if this quarter a sign of things to come, what platform do you want to be selling apps on long term?

I'd have to agree with slyn- both. I think it's most likely I'd be selling apps for Android in the long term, if only because I don't have to live by 3.3.1... I wouldn't be surprised if a divide not unlike Mac vs PC software developed- traditionally, Mac users were a smaller group but more willing to pay for overall better software.

I just looked at the Android SDK for the first time the other day, and it seemed to indicate that you must write your apps in Java? That seems even more restrictive than 3.3.1 to me. Or did I miss something?

Re: Android-based Smartphones Outpaced Apple's iPhone in Q1 2010

#96

Post by lutorm »

theBobMcCormick wrote: post #87
lutorm wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My N1 arrives tomorrow so I have no first-hand experience, but I assume you can access gmail through IMAP on the phone like you can on any other mail client if you don't want to use the Gmail app?

Yup. You sure can. I'm not sure why you'd want to, IMHO the Gmail app is nicer.

I'm with you, I was just responding to the person who said that the "lack of integrated email app" was a drawback.
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