Adios Android... for a short while.. I hope

Forums › Android › Adios Android... for a short while.. I hope

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aim

247 posts

Master Geek

#370916 22-Aug-2010 10:00

I, personally, am not fussed about a decent GPS navigation app. It's not a deal breaker for me. I don't do enough out of town travelling to warrant it.

What I do want is uncomplicated GUI, something familiar... familiarity goes a long way on devices like these. With the ability to change it, if I want to. Have android as something stock, something uniform and standard. And have the USER customise it how they want, not the OEM. The user should have the freedom, not the OEM :)

vinnieg

2260 posts

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#370940 22-Aug-2010 10:49

Linuxluver:
Linuxluver: Good luck.

I didnt like my first answer. It would have been better to not answer at all when people do these 'swan dive' posts. I know better.

Haha, yeah, I never usually reply to these posts either, because it sounds like the person who started it is either looking for someone to bite back with something negative or looking for sympathy.

That said, Kilack has at least given it a good go and if he wants to go from geek over to the other darker side where everything is walled that's fine :)

In the end it's just a phone and as long as it makes phone calls while I'm writing something down with my right hand, holding it in my left....oh wait

I suggest if prob going for the 3GS if you are going the iPhone basket, the 4 is still flawed, or wait for the 2nd gen to come along when they resolve most of them

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

ronw

1222 posts

Uber Geek

#370947 22-Aug-2010 11:09

Not sure what is your problem with gps. I have just bought a HTC Desire and gps works fine

Nokia 7 Plus
Nexus 6P 32Gb
Nexus 6 Phone
Nexus 5 Phone
Nexus 7 2013 Tablet
Samsung TAB A 8"
Samsung TAB A 10"

& many Windows laptops, Desktops etc

jjnz1

1363 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#370950 22-Aug-2010 11:14

@Kilack, how much do you want for your Nexus One and Galaxy S? I suppose there going cheap cause they're crap?

I would be willing to do you a favour and take them off your hands

aim

247 posts

Master Geek

#370976 22-Aug-2010 11:55

Haha now this man has initiative XD :D

caldazar

459 posts

Ultimate Geek

#370981 22-Aug-2010 12:05

Hey Kilack,

A good post, I'm from the other side of the camp - having recently switched from an iPhone 3G to a Samsung Galaxy S. I've included my impressions on Android below.

Firstly - everyone has different needs and so both devices do things well. Both platforms have their faults too. I'm not aligned with iOS in any way, I can pick faults there too. Here goes:

In my opinion, the iPhone _currently_ is the better platform for the masses. After using the iPhone for a while and now switching to Android, I felt some real early disappointment with the switch.

Impression # 1:
The UI on Android is really poor in many ways. Google doesn't spend the time or hire the right expertise to get the UI up to scratch in many areas.

A couple of quick examples...
- keyboards (none are as accurate for touch typing.. I don't know why but it's a problem)
- gmail (wtf? I have to scroll to the end of an email to reply? big mistake.)
- browser (it's using the same webkit engine... but the UI of the browser is disappointing - tap to zoom for example)
- select text / cut and paste is a nightmare for me

Impression # 2:
The Android market sucks. You want developers to sell apps? How can it be done when Google hasn't opened up the Android market like Apple has?

More examples...
- multi currency??? wtf? I won't buy an app until this gets fixed.
- search is not very good. sometimes to find an app, you really need to know the name of it.

Impression # 3:

To really get the most out of Android, you need to spend time on forums, trawling XDA, testing roms.. I mean it's great for a hobby but many people just want the phone, with a good internet browser, a good app store and an easy way to upgrade the software on the phone.

As much as I hate iTunes, the application really helps non-techies. I can't imagine many of my non-techie friends being happy with Android as it is currently - especially if I got them to switch from an iPhone. I think that's a problem. The manufacturers are not good supporters of their own products. They never will be as they are hardware companies that don't really understand software.

Don't take offence from this post. It may seem like I am bashing Android but these are legitimate complaints.

I do like my Samsung Galaxy S and I will be keeping it as I feel it will be a great phone in the long term. Hardware wise, it is beautiful. The speed will be optimised, the GPS will get fixed and the community will grow over time. It's only been out a couple of months, so it is really early days.

Google has done many things right too. Android's notification system is way better than iOS. The Google Calendar and Gmail contacts integration is amazing too. Google need to look at what they've done well and try and now bring the rest up to scratch.

As a developer though, I will probably pick up an iPhone 4 soon and focus my attention there to begin with. Sorry but Google at least needs to fix the multicurrency issue on the market. They need to really open up the support for developers.

I posted on twitter the other day. I wish I could take the good from Android and merge it with the iPhone to make a new evil breed of smartphone.

If you made it this far... congratulations. I tried to keep it short!

nakedmolerat

4629 posts

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#370982 22-Aug-2010 12:06

i am keen too. offer for galaxy s?

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

aim

247 posts

Master Geek

#370983 22-Aug-2010 12:09

He just said he was keeping the galaxy S... :P

Kilack

527 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#370992 22-Aug-2010 12:53

caldazar: Hey Kilack,

A good post, I'm from the other side of the camp - having recently switched from an iPhone 3G to a Samsung Galaxy S. I've included my impressions on Android below.

Firstly - everyone has different needs and so both devices do things well. Both platforms have their faults too. I'm not aligned with iOS in any way, I can pick faults there too. Here goes:

In my opinion, the iPhone _currently_ is the better platform for the masses. After using the iPhone for a while and now switching to Android, I felt some real early disappointment with the switch.

Impression # 1:
The UI on Android is really poor in many ways. Google doesn't spend the time or hire the right expertise to get the UI up to scratch in many areas.

A couple of quick examples...
- keyboards (none are as accurate for touch typing.. I don't know why but it's a problem)
- gmail (wtf? I have to scroll to the end of an email to reply? big mistake.)
- browser (it's using the same webkit engine... but the UI of the browser is disappointing - tap to zoom for example)
- select text / cut and paste is a nightmare for me

Impression # 2:
The Android market sucks. You want developers to sell apps? How can it be done when Google hasn't opened up the Android market like Apple has?

More examples...
- multi currency??? wtf? I won't buy an app until this gets fixed.
- search is not very good. sometimes to find an app, you really need to know the name of it.

Impression # 3:

To really get the most out of Android, you need to spend time on forums, trawling XDA, testing roms.. I mean it's great for a hobby but many people just want the phone, with a good internet browser, a good app store and an easy way to upgrade the software on the phone.

As much as I hate iTunes, the application really helps non-techies. I can't imagine many of my non-techie friends being happy with Android as it is currently - especially if I got them to switch from an iPhone. I think that's a problem. The manufacturers are not good supporters of their own products. They never will be as they are hardware companies that don't really understand software.

Don't take offence from this post. It may seem like I am bashing Android but these are legitimate complaints.

I do like my Samsung Galaxy S and I will be keeping it as I feel it will be a great phone in the long term. Hardware wise, it is beautiful. The speed will be optimised, the GPS will get fixed and the community will grow over time. It's only been out a couple of months, so it is really early days.

Google has done many things right too. Android's notification system is way better than iOS. The Google Calendar and Gmail contacts integration is amazing too. Google need to look at what they've done well and try and now bring the rest up to scratch.

As a developer though, I will probably pick up an iPhone 4 soon and focus my attention there to begin with. Sorry but Google at least needs to fix the multicurrency issue on the market. They need to really open up the support for developers.

I posted on twitter the other day. I wish I could take the good from Android and merge it with the iPhone to make a new evil breed of smartphone.

If you made it this far... congratulations. I tried to keep it short!

Yeah valid points, I forgot about the market as I didnt really use it because it isn't the nicest unless as you say - you know exactly what you are looking for.
I use appbrain or androidlib... appbrain is great in that it can send the apps straight to your phone..
I also forgot that lots of countries don't have access to the market. Probably google should simply buy out appbrain and use that, would be a better starting point for lots of new users .

Notifications are done really well on android, the system on ios is pretty terrible, popups basically :) and when you get HTC phones with coloured trackballs etc notifications get even better. Some things android and the handset makers for it do very well.

Being tied to itunes is horrid, its crazy not being able to simply copy an app over to the sdcard etc..
and yeah no sdcards on iphone?? meh..

See they all have their issues. As you say would be awesome to take the best of both and combine them...

aim

247 posts

Master Geek

#370994 22-Aug-2010 12:57

aim: He just said he was keeping the galaxy S... :P

Silly me, I thought that was one of Kilack's posts.

Kilack

527 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#370997 22-Aug-2010 13:03

ronw: Not sure what is your problem with gps. I have just bought a HTC Desire and gps works fine

Yeah GPS works lovely on htc desire.

My issues with GPS are..
1) it doesn't work nicely on the galaxy s.
2) The GPS navigation apps for android just aren't up to standard. Most of the big names are simply missing on the android market. (navigon, tomtom etc, igo (only works on very old and low res android devices))

Copilot seems to be the best on android but it has a pretty serious flaw in its NZ maps.

hazza87

352 posts

Ultimate Geek

#371295 23-Aug-2010 00:01

To respond to a few of Caldazar's issues a reasonable number of these have been fixed by google and the most of the others seem to have fairly simple solutions.

1. Gmail issue fixed in lasted google apps package reply etc now follow your scrolling in a message.
2. Market now comes up with sensible suggestions when you start typing (for example when i type sms it now comes up with handcent sms as the top of a list of suggestions)
3. Browser, i agree the stock one isnt great but there are plenty of better ones on the market (from post 2 above browser will come up with dolphin browser hd which i sugest you try)
4. UI problems - well try adw launcher or launcher pro - and if you say well it should be like that to start with, well maybe it should (lots of talk about this for gingerbread) but really isn't that the point and the beauty of android - you can change anything you don't like.
5. copy and paste also improved in newest gmail but i wouldnt know i never use it.

Linuxluver

5828 posts

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#371382 23-Aug-2010 10:23

Best reason to not buy an iPhone: They cost too much.

The $1500 - $1650 asked for this iPhone 4 is OTT.

That would almost buy me two excellent Android phones that can do more than the iPhone.

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