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Why I Hate Android

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Re: Why I Hate Android

#191

Post by cstejerean »

e28eta wrote: post #63
cstejerean wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's starting to work in the US as well. You can now buy a full price unlocked iPhone directly from Apple and prepaid plans are starting to get better.

I was really excited about buying an unlocked iPhone 4S. And then I read this: The unlocked iPhone will not work with CDMA carriers such as Verizon Wireless or Sprint. [1] Until an unlocked phone means I can switch between the major US carriers, it doesn't mean anything for me. I don't travel internationally, and when I do I'll hopefully be able to jailbreak and unlock. [1] http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_…

Don't count on jailbreak and unlock. Jailbreaking is easy, but unlocking a phone with a new baseband will prove quite challenging.

Re: Why I Hate Android

#192

Post by kevinh »

cbs wrote: post #189
kevinh wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with the Android devices that I've used* is that they just feel cheap. When scrolling does not occur smoothly, that's a serious UX issue. *I haven't had the opportunity to use ICS yet.

When scrolling does not occur smoothly, that's a serious UX issue. For certain definitions of serious, where serious means "the most serious issue in a list containing completely inconsequential items", yes. Its a pet issue for people exaggerate or look over as needed to support their already held beliefs. I use both ios and android every day, of all the legitimate gripes there exist about android, the scroll stutter…

You put a touch device which doesn't scroll properly - halting, not properly moving with the finger - in someone's hands, and they'll say it just doesn't feel right. That's a serious UX problem.

Re: Why I Hate Android

#194

Post by mgkimsal »

CrazedGeek wrote: post #166
mgkimsal wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd love that in the US. Here, you can get a phone unlocked (in most cases) for a higher fee, but the plan rates don't change. You can get an iphone for $800, unlocked, but it will still only work on AT&T in the US, and you still pay $50+/month. Or you can get one for $200 if you commit to $50/month for 2 years. No monthly price diff. :/

That's not strictly true -- T-Mobile US does offer a discounted plan if you bring your own phone.

Upvoted - didn't know that. Is it significantly different?

Re: Why I Hate Android

#195

Post by felixfurtak »

apress wrote: post #151
felixfurtak wrote: post #103

can you really not purchase a pay as you go SIM card in the US? I've successfully bought these in many countries around the world (UK, Australia, New Zealand, pretty much anywhere in Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, etc.) When visiting a foreign country I usually buy a local SIM as a matter of course in order to avoid excessive roaming charges. Surely this is also possible in the USA?

You most certainly can buy a pay-as-you-go SIM in the US. See http://amzn.to/wKySJq for example. The issue is complicated here however by the CDMA/GSM split, incompatible signal bands used by different carriers and not-truly-unlocked unlocked phones. Something like a million people in the US bought full-priced, unlocked iPhones to use on the lower cost T-Mobile netowkr but they don't get 3G bands. See http://blog.t-m…

Sounds like the US cell phone carriers need a bit more regulation to me, together with a bit more sharing of frequency allocation. I really don't think this is the fault of Android. For example, in the UK I think pretty much all 3G carriers run within a common 2100MHz band.

Re: Why I Hate Android

#196

Post by gergles »

p3rs3us wrote: post #122
fceccon wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I just tried to download a 34MB game over 3G and this was the result http://cl.ly/3W3M1g2q1J0B3T2K143d

You got to be kidding me! :O Really you can't download anything over 20mb! I can run a torrent and download anything i like on my android!

You can run a torrent client if you want, but some of the Android Market apps are flagged as Wi-Fi download only - the switch may be carrier specific, but see https://market.android.com/details?id=com.escapistgames.star... - this app will only download over Wi-Fi on my Nexus S (ICS, AT&T)

Re: Why I Hate Android

#197

Post by gergles »

betterth wrote: post #157
seqastian wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He also makes the point that Apple is a retail store where you are the customer and Google is building a advertising platform where you are the number in a spreadsheet of a guy who sells ad space.

It's a fair point. Android isn't free. Sooner or later people will realize that they're the product. Google is building/has an amazing database of your life, your browsing habits, your app habits, your emails, your calendar, all of it hooked up to your phone when you first turn it on. They make literally billions helping advertisers find you. Apple makes billions selling hardware. Honestly, I prefer the demon I know.…

If you don't like what Google is doing with Android, install a custom ROM. You can recompile it and strip out any code that you don't approve of.

Try doing that on your iPhone.

Re: Why I Hate Android

#198

Post by mcantelon »

betterth wrote: post #158
mcantelon wrote: post #153

Funny that Seigler neglects to mention what Apple did in the great net neutrality fight: nothing.

You can't let someone down if you don't build them up. Google fought for years on net neutrality. And they caved completely on it to make Android popular. Apple didn't help but they didn't say they would. You're welcome to criticize Apple's inaction but that's very different than spending years promising to the world and fighting for a cause, only to do a total 180 and sell out what you claimed were your core values…

I judge companies more by what they do than what they say. Yes Google said things that let folks down: absolutely. But Apple is actually doing things that poison the technological ecosystem: its zealous patent-wielding and its changing people $99/year to develop software for their own hardware. So in the realm of technology, who to hate more seems an easy choice. Seigler's focus is pretty narrow.

That being said, Google may end up being a greater historic villain given where it has positions itself in terms of access to our personal information and its legal obligation to divulge that to the state.

Re: Why I Hate Android

#199

Post by fauigerzigerk »

Tyrannosaurs wrote: post #163
fauigerzigerk wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can see where you're coming from, but meta discussions about the use of metaphors aren't going help. As I see it, you have obscured my actual point by starting a debate about the wording. Apple's narrow minded content restrictions are a real and serious limitation of what I can do professionally as a developer. Carriers overcharging for some services is not, so the choice is very clear to me and it's the choice bet…

I disagree. If people are using unhelpful metaphors it's worth pulling them up on. As I say, it's not specifically you (and I perpetuated the metaphor too so am similarly guilty). In terms of obscuring your point, what I'm saying is that I don't understand your point precisely because you've compared prison to two things neither of which, to me at least, are remotely like prison. I do agree with you that I don't thin…

I think you do understand my point better than you care to admit. Here's me, there's my customer and smack in the middle is Apple in a position to veto everything I sell to my customers and kick me off the platform whenever they want without even owing me an explanation.

Depending on this kind of all powerful middleman is not just "a small number of restrictions on one very specific element of your life". The element of my life we're talking about is my professional and financial existence. Or rather it would be if I built my startup on top of iOS or a similar platform like Facebook.

The impact of this kind of dependency on small software companies can hardly be overstated.

Re: Why I Hate Android

#200

Post by reidmain »

andrewpi wrote: post #188
reidmain wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why won't they be able to afford an iPhone? Are you are implying that they can afford an Android phone because they will be $0 if you sign a contract? iPhones have this option nowadays as well. What makes an Android phone easier to get a hold of compared to a iPhone? Both phones are $500+ if you get them standalone.

Actually one can get off-contract Android phones for as cheap as $99, or maybe even cheaper. They aren't top of the line devices, but they work. The only time an iPhone is that cheap is with a carrier subsidy.

ah OK if we're talking about phones that don't compare to the iPhone then yeah Android has a lot of options.

You referenced Nexus S with ICS so I thought we were comparing that to the iPhone.

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