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I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

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Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#391

Post by hrktb »

mrcwinn wrote: post #235

The argument seems to be that app developers aren't doing very well on the app store, and you're looking to the free and open web as the place where vast sums of money will be made? For the vast majority of these apps, I beg to differ. The web plays by the same rules as the app ecosystem: it's very expensive to monetize, unless of course you are creating value for someone who has money and minimal friction when payin…

This point is addressed in the article, the point is not to have web app perform as fast or better than native app. As long as they are fast enough it's ok.

I'll support this point: for so many services I'd be ok to trade off native performance for a smoother install process and independance from arbitrary rules. For instance amazon kindle app is severly limited by the app store rules while it has arguably no features that need to be native and does have almost no performance need (I wouldn't care if it took 250ms instead of 100ms to turn pages)

Same goes with apps like google keep or to do list apps. Whole categories of app would be better off as locally installed web apps, if only the OS had better support for them.

Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#392

Post by mercutio2 »

eranation wrote: post #250

I'm a Java guy, open source advocate, I love to have "power user" features and I was an android guy since android came out. I recently made a move to iOS (iPhone 6), and I'm not looking back. It has much less features, it's a walled garden and all, I have to learn a new language (or two) to be able to develop apps for it (And pay $100), but the reason I like it so much is that it simply works. Not just the software s…

For many years it wasn't possible to install self signed apps on iOS. But on recent iOS versions, you no longer have to pay $100 to install apps on your own personal iOS device, you just need a matching iCloud account to self-sign from Xcode.

Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#393

Post by glitch003 »

agentgt wrote: post #241

For me "Continuity" [1] (ie phone call on computer if I can't find my iphone) is the killer feature for why I stick with Apple. I know there are is something sort of like it for Android but someone showed it to me and it didn't really work. [1]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204681

if you're a project fi user (android only) this happens automatically through gmail. was a bit weird the first time my gmail rang :)

Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#394

Post by SquareWheel »

apocalyptic0n3 wrote: post #227
S_A_P wrote: post #202

Im not sure what it is about articles like these that bother me so much. Is this guy some hacker hero that I should know? I dont care what the platform is, and this is nothing to do with iOS vs Android. I really cannot stand this "why I quit x" type of blog post. Is there a reason this guys opinion matters more than anyone elses? I know I could just ignore articles like this, but it does happen to be staring me in th…

I don't think there's anything wrong with the article; it's a personal blog and switching mobile platforms is a pretty significant change for most people. I'd be more surprised if someone with a personal blog _didn't_ write about it. That said, I don't see why it hit the frontpage of HN. It doesn't seem to add anything of benefit discussion-wise or show anything new in my opionion

>That said, I don't see why it hit the frontpage of HN. It doesn't seem to add anything of benefit discussion-wise or show anything new in my opionion

I upvoted it because it showed me how exciting progressive webapps can be. I was somewhat aware of them before, but hadn't realized how close they were to native apps.

It's unfortunate about the title, because the comments devolved into arguing platform wars instead of discussing the ramifications of this new technology.

Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#395

Post by Macha »

babuskov wrote: post #305
xd1936 wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds like a list of uncommon issues. My company's Nexus 10 runs Lollipop really well... Maybe something went poorly with the OS update. Try a factory reset and see if those issues are still happening?

A short google search for "Nexus 10 sound" would show you that it isn't uncommon at all. See how many people commented in these threads: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/0CDPXvY... https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/nexu... http://androidforums.com/threads/nexus-10-volume-wont-work-p...

A search for "iPad Air sound" is equally negative: https://www.google.ie/search?sclient=tablet-gws&q=iPad+air+s...

Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#396

Post by philliphaydon »

taesu wrote: post #78
_kp6z wrote: post #70

I did the opposite and can't believe how much better my life had gotten because my iPhone is just a simple tool that I use for communications and don't think about it as a project. With Android, I always wanted to tweak silly things and run Cyanogenmod because the handset firmware was always so bad and vulnerable. On several occasions I'd bricked my phone requiring hours of recovery, or had transient failures of cell…

These things that you mentioned, you didn't really have to do. Buy a nexus, and it's as clean as it gets. What you're saying is that you left the freedom of your device to jail yourself into simple interface...? I do agree though, that those samsung/lg/etc phone have lots crapwares + carrier crapwares.

Has N6 and Note 4, just got iPhone 6s+ a month ago, can't believe I stayed with android so Long, the only thing I miss on iphone tho is the touch flow keyboard from windows phone, nothing on iphone and android comes close. :(

Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#397

Post by magicalist »

loudmax wrote: post #376
babuskov wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't buy a Nexus. I have and it's a huge disappointment. I had a perfect Nexus 10 device running KitKat. And then it keeps nagging to upgrade to Lollipop, so I did. Ever since that, it runs every application slow as hell. If you allow the battery to run out, prepare for pain. Once you fill up the battery and it restarts it will start "optimizing" all installed applications. I have about 80 applications and this take…

In 2010, I was considering getting into Android development, so I paid full price for an unlocked Nexus S when it came out (I think it was about $500). At about the same time, I bought an iPhone 4 for my wife. That Nexus S became slower after each upgrade until it was nearly unusable. The UI was so janky that making or receiving phone calls was difficult, and wasn't even worth considering using the browser. The iPhon…

> The iPhone 4 stayed just as good as the day we bought it and my wife didn't bother upgrading until the iPhone 6S.

This isn't a typical experience. There's a reason that iOS9 is only on 80% of "active devices": people hold off deliberately. There have been many iOS updates since iOS4 that have caused widespread criticism for their effects on older phones.

Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#398

Post by rufugee »

taesu wrote: post #78
_kp6z wrote: post #70

I did the opposite and can't believe how much better my life had gotten because my iPhone is just a simple tool that I use for communications and don't think about it as a project. With Android, I always wanted to tweak silly things and run Cyanogenmod because the handset firmware was always so bad and vulnerable. On several occasions I'd bricked my phone requiring hours of recovery, or had transient failures of cell…

These things that you mentioned, you didn't really have to do. Buy a nexus, and it's as clean as it gets. What you're saying is that you left the freedom of your device to jail yourself into simple interface...? I do agree though, that those samsung/lg/etc phone have lots crapwares + carrier crapwares.

You know...I used to think the way you do. But given that we're the product in the Android ecosystem, lately I'm wondering more and more if I've made a mistake. If the perms were better on Android...if Google's control and permissive misuse of Android were better, I might feel differently.

All that said, I don't trust Apple one bit ;-)

Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#399

Post by peterburkimsher »

jseliger wrote: post #111
itp wrote: post #7

Wow. I'm a long time Android user and probably pay more attention than most, and I had no idea web apps had gotten quite this nice. Currently the only web app / web shortcut I have installed is the HackerWeb app[0], which is nice but clearly not taking advantage of all of the functionality it could. I "installed" Flipkart Lite and the Voice Memos demo app to see the state of the world. Clearly it's possible to build…

Actually, let me piggyback on your comment and ask a usability question: Has anyone written an OS X app to make OS X play nicely with Android phones by syncing contacts, emails, calendars, and audio? I ask because Apple did something supremely annoying with an iTunes, OS X, or iOS update a while ago: Contacts and calendars no longer sync directly from OS X to iPhones and vice versa. This is monumentally annoying. iPh…

jseliger - Thank you for saying this! I can't use iCloud when I don't have internet access. This is usually when I'm travelling, which is also the time I most need to manage new contacts and calendars.

I'm still using iTunes 10.7 and iOS 6.1.3 on Mac OS 10.9 Mavericks. It required some framework hacking to make it work, but it's the only way to get offline USB sync and a (beautiful) Retina display.

Oh, and don't forget the ability to sync Safari Bookmarks. I used to be able to sync Notes too, but Apple broke that in 10.8 Mountain Lion.

If any company can offer an ecosystem comparable to Apple circa 2011, I'd be persuaded to switch. For now, I have to stick with my old iPhone 4S. Surprisingly, I haven't really missed out by not upgrading.

Re: I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS

#400

Post by jodrellblank »

smadge wrote: post #140
Swizec wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Cars also followed this pattern, come to think of it. I remember my dad complaining all through my youth about how the more modern that cars get, the less serviceable you are. That in new cars you need special computers just to tell them that yes, you did fix the problem and the car can stop complaining now. 10 years later ... man, if I have to even think about opening the bonnet and poking at something, I assume t…

An item that can't be maintained is an dark pattern. It is a sign of planned obsolescence. It is goes against the interests of the user. Items should be designed to have long lifetimes. This only doesn't happen because capitalism incentives manufacturers to sell consumers a new product as often as possible. There is no reason an item can't be user friendly, reliable, and maintainable.

An item that can't be maintained is a light pattern. It is a demonstration of confidence in good design and engineering; longevity for as long as an item is useful, but no longer.

It is in the interests of the user to do away with the costs and complexities of making something maintainable and the consequent obligation to do maintenance.

This only doesn't work well because once something reaches a reasonable 'end of life', there often is no identical or equal replacement. This generates in the user a wish that they could maintain their old device to prolong its use, to avoid having to choose and learn a new and different device which may not even have any improvements.

There is no reason an item can't be user friendly, reliable, and need no maintenance.

The majority of people don't even maintain their bodies, which are priceless and irreplacable - it does not make sense to say capitalism is failing because it's not meeting people's interest in doing maintenance, when people don't show any interest in doing maintenance (outside of a small subset who care about maintaining certain specific highly prized or expensive and necessary items).

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