What Android Fans Think of iPhone Users

PC World ^ | 11/7/11 | Mike Elgan

[InvisibleChurch]

"People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"

[kactus]

That quote fits the bill for me. “The iPhone is a smart phone for dumb users.” That’s why I have the iPhone....Tech-challenged! I really enjoy it and my grandbabies do, too. I have apps they enjoy!

[tacticalogic]

For Smartphones, it is pertinent as it affects the number of applications written for your device.

The number of applications written for the device is not pertinent to every discussion about smartphones. The idea that it must be pertinent to any discussion seems calculated to make sure the market share talking points get put out there.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Are you advocating that iPhone users are dumb?

Asserting?

Sorry. I couldn't resist... ;)

[Dr. Sivana]

The number of applications written for the device is not pertinent to every discussion about smartphones. The idea that it must be pertinent to any discussion seems calculated to make sure the market share talking points get put out there.

You will notice that my earlier answers did not touch on marketshare at all. Actually, both iOS and Android have more than enough marketshare to ensure that there will be plenty of apps for each. There is a threshold where you have to be concerned about future viability of the product. If your smartphone doesn't have many apps, it isn't very smart. Even if you need nothing but the basics, teh customer base that keeps the platform alive usually does. That said, is I can my mitts on one of those HP WebOS tablets for $99, I will certainly buy it because I can afford it. Unfortunately, it costs HP more than $99 to make them, so I will have to be content with whatever Apps come with it.

My personal preference for iOS for smartphones is that Apple has provided a uniformity across product lines (IPad, iPod, iPhone) that makes life easier for developers, and makes the end user experience more reliable. That is despite the fact that I would prefer direct access to something resembling a file system.

There's plenty of room for both, and I think Jobs was wrong in maintaining that Android is a complete rip-off of iOS.

[tacticalogic]

I have some in-house developers here who will fart in your general direction at the suggestion that Apple is making life easier for developers.

After working with the approval process at Apple, they say they'll likely avoid developing anything for that platform. ever again.

[whd23]

Can you touch type on an iPhone screen? I'm a touch typist and don't need to look at the physical keyboard when I type, and when I'm pressing 'shift' I know it's engaged because my pinkie is pressing down.

Really, to justify the poorly implemented iPhone on screen keyboard by comparing it to a physical keyboard is pretty desperate.

[whd23]

I don't know what you consider half-baked on the Xoom, but no matter. I'm not suggesting that the Xoom or an Android device is better than an iPhone or iOS device.

I was simply pointing out that for all the Apple fanboy claims of the wonderful and intuitive Apple 'experience' that they have made a glaring error in their on-screen keyboard implementation. My wife's iPhone 4S has been my first hands-on experience with an iPhone and I've been underwhelmed by the experience; especially considering it's a 5th generation device.