Android vs Apple

[sixfyv]

Is anyone out there using an Android phone?

I am supposed to get the iPhone4s shortly (currently runnin 3Gs), but i am second guessing myself now. Everything I hear is that Android is better and is taking over.

A few questions:
- how do you get music on an Android? I assume it has a music player.
- can i send my music from itunes over to an android device?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Yoda]

I have iphone 4s and love it. For me it's the central iTunes program that has my apps and music that I can easily sync between all my apple products. Now that the cloud allows me to download music or an app in iTunes, and have it automatically update my other devices is great and easy.

1 program for all devices.

 

[italian_stallion21]

I myself will stay iPhone, but I have a buddy who swears by Android, and it looks like it can do everything (and more!) aparently. The main thing to him is processing power, and I guess Android phones shite all over iPhones when it comes to that.

 

[girth]

Not an expert in this area but recently i have spoken to several young punks from my work and the Android is the present and future!

 

[Regs]

There is an android app I think that will sync itunes onto an android phone.

I have an android-based tablet that is pretty slick, I do like the OS on it and some of the features on the upcoming update to it are miles ahead of iOS5.

I do like the camera and video abilities in my iPhone 4s though... not sure what specs android phones on the market today have in that area.

 

[knvb]

The missus just upgraded to Anndroid and it's on fire! No tech crap to report, because, frankly, Im clueless when it come to that stuff... but it's uber sexy.

... the phone I mean

 

[Balsa]

A friend of mine is in the Tech industry and he is all about the Android. He laughs when I mention the Iphones. Other than that I got nothing for you sixfyv.

 

[johnnybluenose]

sixfyv, if you struggle with techy stuff the Android is less likely "for you" as i feel that the BB and Iphone software is more intuitive...however since Google is open source, and thus you don't have to pay the licensing fees for the SW, the hardware will always shite all over the Iphone and BB hardware with better screens, processors, etc... but they take a LOT of getting used to imho. However if you are fairly savvy at things-tech, the Andriod is absolutely the way to go, imho (caveat being if you have to use it for enterprize I know it can work and does fine, but many IT Depts I've come across are hesitant to allow them on)

 

[trece verde]

If you are of a technological bent, then an Android phone would appeal to you. I've had a Blackberry, an iPhone and now an Android phone; each had its strengths.

To try to answer some of the questions raised:

1. most phones of any type have some kind of built-in music player, even the Blackberry. Personally I have not worried about iTunes with my Android, because I wasn't really using it previously to manage music; I've always used WinAmp instead. Yes I have a WinAmp player on my Android, and it is able to sync playlists with my home system.
2. iCloud looks great if you have a Mac computer, or Windows 7 on a PC. If you don't, then not so great.
3. phone manufacturers will continue to play leapfrog with processing power and add-in gadgets. The one biggest advantage the Android community has now over the iPhone is that there is more than one hardware developer building Android phones, so this will push hardware development a bit faster. If Apple was ever to license their technology to other manufacturers, there wouldn't be any platform competition.
4. re tech specs: my 'last year's model" Android phone has a built-in 8 M pixel camera with a flash, so I'd say in that regard it compares favourably with iPhones. What's different: less built-in memory; relying on MicroSD cards to store your data.
5. didn't struggle with the transition from iPhone to Android as much as going from Blackberry to iPhone (talking about the interface and applications). Most Android apps are accessed the same way as iPhone ones, and the tap/swipe/drag interface is essentially the same, so I'd say the platforms are equally intuitive, and anyone transitioning from a Blackberry will be frustrated by either.
6. The operating system on an Android is open source; the applications are not. Many are ports from iPhone apps, so yes, you can play Angry Birds on either.
7. Androids got Flash.
8. iPhones are more stable.
9. both Androids and iPhones eat batteries.
10. As JBN's IT department, he's talking through his hat again. Most IT types haven't had to deal with Android phones in a corporate environment only because the technology is newer and nobody's had time to set a single phone type as a standard platform.

 

[knvb]

I was going to say that... I just chose not to.

 

[trece verde]

Any time.

Knut.

 

[johnnybluenose]

not that I need defending, I said it does and can work fine, but MY (actual) IT Dept only just added Android as an option, and many of my IT Admin buddies state that they won't or haven't yet allowed Android on yet, as they feel the neophytes will struggle with the Phone, thus tying up their much needed coffee and iRC chat time with how-to's and troubleshooting.

~alwaystalkingthroughmyhat

 

[sixfyv]

Thanks for the input.

I consider myself fairly tech-savvy, so I am definitely not afraid of the technology.

I am more concerned about how convenient and useful the platform is. My iPhone is with arms reach 24/7 as I use it for work email/phone… for surfing the web when the wife wants to watch survivor… for playing music in my car, at home, pre- and post-game for soccer, warmup and intermission tunes at the kids hockey games… for connecting to apple TV for youtube, picture slideshows, etc.

I don’t want to give up the features of the iphone for a more powerful or “better” phone that I won’t use as much.

And I absolutely, positively, don’t want to have more than one device (say Android plus iPod).

Decisions, decisions….

 

[johnnybluenose]

It sounds like you're already an apple guy (apple TV, existing iPhone, iTunes, etc) Why change?

 

[bulljive]

It was Steve Jobs dying wish to destroy Android as they "stole" his ideas. Since I'm quite confident Steve Jobs is god I wouldn't go near that devil machine.

 

[sixfyv]

It sounds like you're already an apple guy (apple TV, existing iPhone, iTunes, etc) Why change?

I used to be a Commodore64 guy, too.

 

[nocents]

It was Steve Jobs dying wish to destroy Android as they "stole" his ideas. Since I'm quite confident Steve Jobs is god I wouldn't go near that devil machine.

Certainly one of issues I have with Apple is that re-branding and marketing an idea does not make it their idea. They constantly try to patent non-original ideas instead of their individual processes. As an iPhone and Macbook pro owner, I'm not impressed nor am I a fan.

 

[Yoda]

Certainly one of issues I have with Apple is that re-branding and marketing an idea does not make it their idea. They constantly try to patent non-original ideas instead of their individual processes. As an iPhone and Macbook pro owner, I'm not impressed nor am I a fan.

I may regret asking this. But what ideas are we talking about? The Cell phone?

 

[nocents]

The easy ones are:

- The rectangular computer
- The app store
- Scrolling through pictures
- Loading start-up applications
- Selection and playback of voice mail

 

[trece verde]

"The rectangular computer"

Seriously?