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Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS
31–38 of 38 posts
Re: Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
I disagree with this. Software is mostly a product of API flexibility rather than the number of potential users. One thing that annoys me most about Windows is that I have to use a mouse to manage windows. There are tiling window managers, but none of them can hold a candle to Xmonad. Even though Linux has fewer users, it has better software. Same goes for Android -- fewer users and less monitization opportunities. B…
>I disagree with this. Software is mostly a product of API flexibility rather than the number of potential users. I'm filling out a job application that is a Word Document that absolutely vomits when read in OpenOffice. If there were fewer people using Word, they wouldn't be able to get away with that. There's a part of me that doesn't want to work in that sort of shop, but I'm only a year out of college, and if I ha…
You should try looking at many more linux and embedded shops. Many weren't hit that hard by the downturn. (But good luck finding a job wherever you seek).
Re: Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS
#33The date says June 3rd, but then the text says "the Android Marketplace has only just broken the 50,000 mark". That number is, like, so last month. http://www.androlib.com/appstats.aspx
Ordinarily a month-old fact would probably be fine, but things are moving a bit fast in the smartphone world these days. So in this case it leads to an error of 26%.
Re: Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS
#34Maybe the Android Marketplace is "better" than the App Store because anybody can put an app up there, but the apps certainly aren't better, not by a long shot.
I think it's really hard to call one store "better" than the other. I'm an App Store developer, but I can see advantages to both:
App Store: Far more apps (and thus a stronger platform, attracts more users, attracts more developers). The review process generally controls quality (ignoring taste, for example fart apps), in the sense of no virus or battery drainers or network abusers or completely unusable apps. This is a plus and I think it's severely under-appreciated.
Android: No review process means you can potentially get any kind of app. Alternative app stores (or you can download right from the web). Ever-improving number of apps in the store (it's lagging behind App Store but quickly catching up).
So it really depends on what you're after and what you value. I don't think it's really fair to for the article to call one store "better" than the other.
Re: Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS
#35Most of the author's complaints are completely valid. That said, a jailbroken iPhone can install software to mitigate a number of these issues. Not a sure-fire solution, of course - it's such a pain chasing after jailbreaks, and you never know if-and-when the magic update happens that'll stop jailbreaking forever. Still, for those curious... 1: Android can Run Multiple Apps at the Same Time "Backgrounder" will give y…
>"Inspell" gives you red squiggly misspelling highlighting and intuitive spelling correction. It's a fantastic addition. Honest question - does the Android have something like this?
Android supports what are called IMEs -- the OSK is essentially just another application type, which can be replaced by the user. Which is basically to say that if you can dream up a method of inputting text, Android can do it. You can find everything from what are essentially much improved versions of a "standard" OSK[1] to gesture based typing[2] to alternate IMEs for non-latin characters to almost anything else you could come up with.
So the short answer is "probably."
[1] http://www.smartkeyboardpro.com/ (this is what I use on my phone at the suggest of another HN commenter a couple of weeks ago).
Re: Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
I disagree with this. Software is mostly a product of API flexibility rather than the number of potential users. One thing that annoys me most about Windows is that I have to use a mouse to manage windows. There are tiling window managers, but none of them can hold a candle to Xmonad. Even though Linux has fewer users, it has better software. Same goes for Android -- fewer users and less monitization opportunities. B…
>I disagree with this. Software is mostly a product of API flexibility rather than the number of potential users. I'm filling out a job application that is a Word Document that absolutely vomits when read in OpenOffice. If there were fewer people using Word, they wouldn't be able to get away with that. There's a part of me that doesn't want to work in that sort of shop, but I'm only a year out of college, and if I ha…
As a programmer, you shouldn't be filling out Word documents. Get your recruiter to do it, or send an email to the company saying, "I wanted to apply for your job, but your Word document is unreadable on my machine."
There is a major shortage of competent programmers and industry is dying to get anyone with a clue. Use this to your advantage.
Re: Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS
#37Maybe the Android Marketplace is "better" than the App Store because anybody can put an app up there, but the apps certainly aren't better, not by a long shot.
I can participate as a seller in the Apple App store. I cannot in the Android Marketplace.
Unless and until Canada is a first-class country on the Android marketplace, I won't even look at developing for Android.
(Granted, I probably won't do much with it even after that, because I hate Java with a passion and don't want the nasty performance hit that alternative languages currently have on Dalvik, but that's a different argument.)
Re: Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most of the author's complaints are completely valid. That said, a jailbroken iPhone can install software to mitigate a number of these issues. Not a sure-fire solution, of course - it's such a pain chasing after jailbreaks, and you never know if-and-when the magic update happens that'll stop jailbreaking forever. You've just pointed out that the general purpose CPU in the iPhone can run other software. This isn't wh…
You've just pointed out that the general purpose CPU in the iPhone can run other software. Actually, the gist of my message was to point out specific bits of software to help folks who feel hindered by some of the limitations the article's author mentioned. I know they help me feel more comfortable using the iPhone. I didn't think I was being particularly subtle, but I guess I was mistaken. But then, your jailbroken…
I was not irked at all. The first part of my response was intended to be snarky, the second part was intended to be informative.