Alan Shutko
Explorer
FWIW, the iPad 1 has no problems with iOS 5 (beyond the usual set of bugs in the beta).
the tablet war is heating up
- Thread starter falcarrion
- Start date
Alan Shutko
Explorer
I think it depends a lot on how much you buy into the platform.
If you're a Mac user who syncs everything with Address Book, iCal, Safari, iTunes, etc you might not switch. If you use the Google apps for everything, it's a lot easier to switch.
One interesting blog is from a guy who switched to Android so he could see for himself what the differences are. My Dinner With Android
yeah, my 3g dang near cratered when iOS4 came out. It was pretty bad.
Even now, the missus complains about her 3gs getting slow, but she's up for an upgrade and is just waiting for the 5 to come out and a the right deal to show up (like the trade-in I got from radioshack on my 3g for a 4).
[MENTION=17379]alan[/MENTION], I'l have to read that article. that concept is one of the many reasons I got an Android for my work phone. To better inform my opinion when folks ask me tech questions and "what's better".
something I'm pondering, is how much does system mastery, and feature usage plays into favoritism for iOS vs. Android?
Obviously I'm going to prefer what I know and use.
But in reading that blog Alan linked to, the guy is mentioning stuff that has not come up for me. Apps I don't use or even heard of.
I don't twitter. I like the email app on iThing for getting my gmail just fine. I use Google Sync so my contacts, etc are linked to my gmail online and my iThings (thus iCloud doing that for me would actually not be useful).
I use Safari for my basic web browsing (mainly reading google news' sci/tech column),
I use facebook and Tapatalk for Enworld.
I use the Maps app on my iPhone for navigation (though I hate that it doesn't auto-scroll and it goes to sleep if you don't touch it).
Thats about it. On my Android, I check my work email, make calls. I rarely use the browser, unless an email has a link or an attachment (then I use the default thing that reads word docs, etc).
I under-utilize my android, partly because its a work device, so I don't like putting my personal stuff on it, if I ever had to turn it in. Also because I don't NEED to put that stuff on, when my other pocket holds my iPhone.
And I struggle with contact management on Android, because its hard getting to the add to existing contact vs. add a new contact interface. It's also a pain looking up a person, as there's no scroll-o-dex on the side to pick a letter. That's a case of system mastery, I haven't so I'm not comfortable.
Because the Android store is so open, I'm wary of software from it. I don't trust that nobody vets this stuff, so I'm taking a risk installing it on my device.
So, does most of the stuff tech folks harp about on these platforms really matter? Does the average user (your mom?) run into these things as problems or even considerations?
Obviously I'm going to prefer what I know and use.
But in reading that blog Alan linked to, the guy is mentioning stuff that has not come up for me. Apps I don't use or even heard of.
I don't twitter. I like the email app on iThing for getting my gmail just fine. I use Google Sync so my contacts, etc are linked to my gmail online and my iThings (thus iCloud doing that for me would actually not be useful).
I use Safari for my basic web browsing (mainly reading google news' sci/tech column),
I use facebook and Tapatalk for Enworld.
I use the Maps app on my iPhone for navigation (though I hate that it doesn't auto-scroll and it goes to sleep if you don't touch it).
Thats about it. On my Android, I check my work email, make calls. I rarely use the browser, unless an email has a link or an attachment (then I use the default thing that reads word docs, etc).
I under-utilize my android, partly because its a work device, so I don't like putting my personal stuff on it, if I ever had to turn it in. Also because I don't NEED to put that stuff on, when my other pocket holds my iPhone.
And I struggle with contact management on Android, because its hard getting to the add to existing contact vs. add a new contact interface. It's also a pain looking up a person, as there's no scroll-o-dex on the side to pick a letter. That's a case of system mastery, I haven't so I'm not comfortable.
Because the Android store is so open, I'm wary of software from it. I don't trust that nobody vets this stuff, so I'm taking a risk installing it on my device.
So, does most of the stuff tech folks harp about on these platforms really matter? Does the average user (your mom?) run into these things as problems or even considerations?
Relique du Madde
Adventurer
I think it's more a question of being too LAZY to learn how to use the system. ("What iHaveToThink?") But even then some things are simple if you just think about it.
For instance your contact management issue.
You don't have a "scroll-o-dex" YET when you press the menu button you can enter into the search screen which gives you a search box.
Say you type in "T" the results will bring you every contact which has a "T" at the beginning of the word. (This may seem like a fail, however its searching through each contact name field and nicknamfor words that start with a T).
I agree that adding a contact on an android to existing contact is a pain since that that dialog only seems to appear when you get a message or something from someone new. This tends to force you into linking contacts which is essentially the same thing BUT allows you to separate things later (since it saves each contact profile under one profile). Generally if I have the time I like going into Google and manually edit my contact list, which unfortunately you can't do from the gmail app for some unknown reason.
Fast Learner
First Post
One man's "lazy" is another man's "shouldn't have to waste time figuring it out".
Pretty much. Sure I'm lazy. Because I already figured out one system, and the other system isn't the same so all my expectations are off, which makes it harder to read the mind of the developer.
That stupid Menu button tricks me all the time, because that's where the "stuff" is that I'm ultimately struggling with getting the app to do because it wasn't on screen.
Now the back/return button, I find myself trying to phantom click that on my iPhone now...
I'm just glad the buttons are physical buttons on my DroidX. A friend came over with his android thing, that had a smooth touch sensitive buttons. There's absolutely no way to hit the right button without looking at it (I suppose thru habit you can guess well), but with out physical features, you lose the home row effect of being able to easily control it blind. It's the same reason touch screen keyboards suck compared to physical ones.
I was watching a documentary about Macintosh on Netflix the other night. The Mac user made a point about how he felt that Windows masters got something out of being able to spout technical jargon, which would then make normal users feel dumb. That's System Mastery at work, and the psychological effect that one gets from having mastered something, over those who haven't. (granted, I get lost looking at the latest Mac's UI and trying to switch applications).
I read an article today claiming that the new MacOS is not nearly as usable as snow leopard, and may be Apple's "Vista". Of course, it's early, and possibly not too late for that situation to be reversed.
Banshee
My mother has a 3rd gen iPod Touch.....is it likely it can be safely upgraded to iOS 4? The use of 3 is limiting her from using several apps, but I've been hesitant to upgrade her.
Banshee
Alan Shutko
Explorer
The 3rd Gen iPod Touch is equivalent to the iPhone 3GS and should be fine on both iOS 4 and 5.
