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I'm sick to death of Android

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Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#111

Post by gnaffle »

gcb wrote: post #92
ugh wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn’t matter. They don’t care. It’s not the reason why they support old hardware. That’s a bullshit argument.

my bet is that they locked themselves in because of some contract with corporation (trying to beat RIM at some time) or government. And those contracts are still giving them money, otherwise they wouldn't think twice about breaking it. All apple actions can be directly translated to immediate profit goal.

That must be why Apple is still providing cheap OS upgrades for my four year old Mac. Or maybe they're smart enough to realize that I might not buy their products again if they were obsoleted as soon as possible?

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#112

Post by ZeroGravitas »

fpgeek wrote: post #65
ugh wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn’t matter. They don’t care. It’s not the reason why they support old hardware. That’s a bullshit argument.

I think the biggest reason Apple still supports old hardware is they're still selling it (see: iPhone 3GS and now iPad 2). That being said, it is interesting how Apple's support of old hardware is the dual of Google's. Google does a bad job of getting OS updates to older hardware, but they do an impressively good job of supporting their applications on older hardware and OSes. Outside of the deliberate exception of t…

And note that while older Apple devices nearly all get the new version number, sometimes that's about all they get in the way of features from the upgrade.

I understand why Android geeks are desperate to have the very latest OS version running on their device (as a weird point of OCD-geek pride). I have no idea why Apple fans should care so much about what version number Android phones have when Google is near constantly updating the software that runs of them. Seems to run counter to their stance on the features vs. specs debate on hardware, where user experience is more important than the number attached to something.

"Normal people" on the other hand, clearly don't give a damn, if they are even aware of this "issue", and have no reason to.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#113

Post by fpgeek »

dagw wrote: post #103
gcb wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i like hardware keyboards. the ONLY one you can buy today is from motorola locked to verizon... great device option i have. when i first bought my dreadful nexus one, the only newly launched keyboard option i had was the backflip! a brick was faster. it was already announced to be relegated to 1.5 forever, and 1.6 was launched before it was out. or something like that. older keyboard availables, G1, too slow, no supp…

There's also the SE Xperia Pro, and there at least used to be the HTC Desire Z, but I don't know if they've discontinued that phone or not.

There's also the myTouch 4G Slide (T-Mobile US) and the Samsung Captivate Glide (AT&T). Both work internationally though neither are sold outside the US (and Canada for the Captivate Glide), AFAIK.

The Desire Z is still sold though it is getting harder to find (e.g. retailers like expansys don't seem to have it any more). On the other hand, T-Mobile also recently had a surprise revival sale (now over, I believe) on its twin (the G2).

There are also a fair number of lower-end QWERTY devices (both Blackberry-style and sliders), but there is absolutely room for a high-end QWERTY "hero". Personally, I'm rooting for an HTC One Z (with a T-Mobile G3 twin?), but we'll see.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#114

Post by fpgeek »

bigiain wrote: post #109
Osiris wrote: post #7

The main benefit of Android, in my opinion, is the large selection of hardware. I like hardware keyboards, for example, and so I at least have some choice if I want it (unlike Apple). However, that diversity in hardware is also the biggest problem with the platform. Handset manufacturers seem to look at a device as a "sell and forget" sort of item. They make it, sell it, and then move on to the next project. It's too…

"Apple, on the other hand, actually has a significant revenue stream from existing hardware … " FWIW, Apple don't exactly have an unblemished record in treating owners of existing iPhones properly, as anyone who suffered through the first few iOS upgrades on iPhone3G's after the 3GS came out. For a while even Apple native apps like Messages (the SMS app) were all but unusable on a fully updated 3G… Having said that,…

Samsung (and other manufacturers) should really pull the trick it used in the UK with the SGS2 more often: Telling the world when the update was delivered to the carriers and letting them sit on the hot seat instead.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#115

Post by inoop »

dagw wrote: post #106
inoop wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what about WP7? Both as a user and as a developer I was completely frustrated with Android, so I went out and got myself a Lumia 800. Here in Europe you pay about $525 for this device (off contract), and the 710 and 610 are about $330 and $260 respectively. An HTC radar goes for $380.

As another Android user looking for other options, I'd love to hear your opinion of WP7. Especially on how you're finding the selection and quality of the available apps.

It all depends on what you're using your device for. Personally I'm missing internet tethering (update coming soon, apparently) and Spotify, which exists but is so buggy I removed it and downgraded my account. I'm not too happy with the calendar app but I've been too lazy to look for a replacement. You're tied into Bing for search which I don't appreciate. File transfers over bluetooth are not supported, not sure if anyone still does this.

On the other hand, the UI is silky smooth, not at all like the Galaxy Nexus I have lying around here for development. I guess it's just a personal thing, but I really can't live with the UI lag and jitter on Android. You don't have a ton of options to play around with, but the features that are there just work without hassle.

Things like email, messaging, facebook all work great. The browser is nice and responsive too. You get Office for free so you can open Word documents on the go, and Nokia Drive 2.0 gives you free navigation with free offline maps. It works well here in the Netherlands and is a big plus for me. Skype is available as a beta which is still rough around the edges, but it's nice to be able to call my mom over Wi-Fi without wasting minutes.

So I guess it's a bit of a mixed bag. For me the positives greatly outweigh the negatives, so I'm a happy camper. Maybe you should just go play with one at a store and see if it's for you.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#116

Post by Tomis »

anonymoushn wrote: post #98
Tomis wrote: post #93

If you're sick of Android usage you should try Android development, that would really make your day. In any case, if you're looking for an open platform try a Symbian or MeeGo. The Nokia N9 is one of the best smartphones ever made and, if you can get it, you will have a real user experience. Also, if you're a mobile developer who is not into BDSM you will be happy to hear that you don't have to write your programs in…

The N9 is easily worse than every other phone I have used and every phone anyone I know has used. I feel very silly for paying for it. Can you introduce me to someone who shares your opinion of it and does not have one yet?

What's wrong with your N9?

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#117

Post by [deleted] »

anonymoushn wrote: post #98
Tomis wrote: post #93

If you're sick of Android usage you should try Android development, that would really make your day. In any case, if you're looking for an open platform try a Symbian or MeeGo. The Nokia N9 is one of the best smartphones ever made and, if you can get it, you will have a real user experience. Also, if you're a mobile developer who is not into BDSM you will be happy to hear that you don't have to write your programs in…

The N9 is easily worse than every other phone I have used and every phone anyone I know has used. I feel very silly for paying for it. Can you introduce me to someone who shares your opinion of it and does not have one yet?

[deleted]

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#118

Post by kalleboo »

frio wrote: post #84
nextparadigms wrote: post #17

One other thing, if Android/Google execs read this: for the love of God go ahead and admit that there is a need for tablet apps . It's the first step in solving the problem - admitting you have a problem. As long as you have the attitude that phone apps work "just as well" on tablets, developers will have the exact same attitude and will not care as much. It also "helps" that you don't really want to emphasize tablet…

I strongly agree. I've been averse to owning a tablet for a while; generally, I prefer to have a laptop: if I want to do work on it, I can. I've recently tried a different approach: use the laptop (/tablet, now) for all my entertainment needs, and my desktop for work (in order to encourage myself to do more/better work on my desktop). So, to facilitate that, I grabbed a cheap HP TouchPad, and flashed the (admittedly…

They actually have a compatibility package[1] to let apps use the new tablet layout classes on Android versions back to 1.6. Developers have no excuse.

[1] http://developer.android.com/sdk/compatibility-library.html

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#119

Post by Tichy »

Sick to death because he can't update to a new version of an operating system??

I know this psychological feeling of wanting the latest craze, but the reality is probably that the old versions of Android work just fine. We have somehow been trained to crave new OS versions, but that is nothing to commit suicide over.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#120

Post by creamyhorror »

rbarooah wrote: post #108
creamyhorror wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate my iPhone 3GS, because after my PC died I couldn't sync it any more without losing my media, couldn't update the OS because I had jailbroken it (never installed pirated apps either), and because the battery life is horrible on 3G - it heats up, drops a few percentage points in a few minutes, and I often have to power off the phone. I told myself I was running off to Android where I wouldn't have to deal with a…

How much of your bad experience was caused by 'Apple' and how much was because you jailbroke your device?

Most Apple, I guess? The jailbreaking prevented OS updates, but the inability to sync and battery life were most likely due to the device itself.

In the first place, I want to be able to install programs from wherever I like (which was why I needed to jailbreak - to install an important app which had no official iOS release at the time), so having to jailbreak for that capability is still a drawback (or 'failing') of Apple/iOS relative to my requirements.

I hope the Nexus won't get in the way of my needs - I don't want to have to wrangle with anything when an OS update is issued, even if I root my phone. And I also don't want 0 updates. Does any phone fit my use case?

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