Supamaorifulla said:
Although the database of usable, FREE applications is bigger on Android because of its more open source policy. And also we haven’t seen Android shut any apps down like Apple has because of the same principles. This will eventually (and I’ll definitely concede that it’s not the case atm) mean that the Android app store will cane the Apple one- especially given the wildly increasing number of devices activating all the time.
I dunno - there are literally tens of thousands of free apps on the Apple store. I've been able to find a free app to do anything I've ever wanted to do, with the single exception of Remote Desktop - which I wasn't actually that fussed about doing from a tiny touch screen anyway. Sure, in a lot of cases, I've gone ahead and upgraded to paid versions of those apps, but there is two reasons for that: 1) the paid version had some extra feature I wanted, or 2) I've been impressed enough with the app that I'm happy to throw the developer a few dollars for their trouble.
Also, I don't disgree that it's a bit stink for Apple to have shut down a few of the apps it has - but I understand Apples reasoning. Also bear in mind we're talking about a tiny handful of apps turned down for Apples ideological reasons.
Supamaorifulla said:
However that’s not really what I meant. I just mean that an Android device is *generally* much more customisable and ‘open’ for anyone who cares about that sort of thing. Probably not important to your average user, but something I appreciate, and is definitely important to many of my tech savvy friends. There are the obvious exceptions as I said like Sony-Ericsson, Motorola & LG that have some gay brand ethic that won’t let them see beyond their own brand principles to allow them to embrace the fully customisable attitude, and remind me somewhat of Apple.
I agree that Android is far more open and customisable. However, in practise that's largely ideological. As you say, to the run of the mill user it means nothing, but I find that in practise, even those geeks that highly prize the open aspect actually don't take fuck all advantage of that.
Supamaorifulla said:
On these HTC devices in particular, though, Android is running fairly pure (and the latest versions (2.0 and up) running on the Legend and Desire in particular are smooth as hell because of their superior hardware), with the Sense UI over the top, and allows a bit more of an individual experience. You can run multiple home screens, which can all be customised with any shortcuts, widgets and layout you want. I suppose the widgets themselves are more or less the standard things – Facebook, Twitter app, weather, address book, calendar etc, but with the different home pages running it means you can use these things, in effect, all at once. Not something you can do with an iPhone in my experience? (could be wrong there). Generally using the home button will let you see whatever home pages you’ve set up in a tile type menu too.
Basically yes, you're wrong. Within the framework of "app icons laid out in a grid style", you can customise the iOS homescreen layout to your particular needs. Easily just as much as Android. If you wanted the primary home screen to only have Phone/SMS/Mail/Calendar apps on it, you can. All your other apps are a swipe away to the right. You can stick apps in folders, whatever. iOS's system of notifications (the little red badge with a number in it on say the SMS app telling you you have X new messages) works really well for showing you what app needs attention, alongwith pop up notifications. All customisable.
Supamaorifulla said:
For me it just seems like you’re using something that is ‘yours’ as opposed to using something dictated to you by Apple. I guess if you’re a Mac geek or you have the right hook ups you can jail break your phone and you have a bit more free access to decent apps etc, but I don’t that’s a true layman’s comparison. The openness of Android allows these manufacturers to add their own touches to the OS and gives you more options than what you’re ever likely to get with an Apple phone. There is also a huge ‘open source’ community making inputs to the various different versions of the OS, because every release of the software is accessible to those who want to access it – legally and free.
Again, very irrelevant to the average lay person.
Supamaorifulla said:
On another note, being a PC user and a fairly heavy user of google stuff (gmail, calendar, buzz, docs & RSS reader) – Android’s ability to integrate my online life is way more epic. In particular if I happen to change or upgrade devices it is pretty much as simple as inputting my password and hitting enter, and I’m ready to go on any consequent devices.
Because I have a Google Apps account (which anyone can get for free, minus the charge for a domain name), all I need to enter is my login and password, and the server m.google.com and bang, iOS syncs automatically between my Google Mail, Calendar and Contacts into the native apps. Standard Google account access is about as trivial.
Of course I can't say Android wont always have an advantage here in terms of access to the new stuff Google rolls out, because they will, but it doesn't matter because iOS can do it anyway.
![[quote]](http://static.biggie.co.nz/img/dis/message_quote.png "Quote message"){kind=small}
so need a new phone. Been looking through pricing plans, my god, I've heard everyone talk about how ripped off we get in NZ but didn't realise how bad it was! For what I pay now to Voda NZ, I could be getting unlimited calls / texts / Video calling / MMS and 2GB of data as well as subsidy on the handset. Mental.
