ElasticNinja
Android Expert
A lot of Spanish Regions seem to be doing this, unfortunately I'm not sure that much other European governments are. I'd love to how much European governments spend on Windows every year, must be hundreds of millions.
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2012 - year of Linux!
- Thread starter robomo
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A lot of Spanish Regions seem to be doing this, unfortunately I'm not sure that much other European governments are. I'd love to how much European governments spend on Windows every year, must be hundreds of millions.
A.Nonymous
Extreme Android User
I don't disagree with any of that necessarily. It's just that if you factor in Android, then MS is probably not even close. Android runs all kinds of devices from e-readers to phones to refrigerators. There are like 700k activations a day. But I think doing that is like Apple cooking the numbers by tossing iPads in with their desktop numbers.
I used to have to shlep two laptops around and reduced that to one thanks to virtual machinery.
And since getting my Evo in June 2010 (not my first Android - that one) and later my dual core 3D, I've had less and less occasion to drag a laptop around at all.
More than the simple e-appliance that my feature phone or first Android was, I not only get email and web, I get streaming media and fun games, I get a fully-featured and comprehensive photo editor (and a video editor if I so choose, but it's a CPU hog), I get full Microsoft office documents editing capability (whose compatibility has been more than good enough for me), a portable wireless network monitor, full videochat capabilities, an ebook reader, wifi printing - and plus it can make phone calls.
Given that I use my phone now in over half the cases where I once HAD to rely on my laptop, I don't think it's cooking the numbers at all to include Android. Or for Apple to include iPads by the same logic. And when MS unifies their desktops and mobiles under Win8, I don't think that adding them in will be cooking the numbers either.
Ask anyone how useful they'd find their desktop without the internet. Mobile superphones are fast becoming the internet access point of choice for many.
So - Android, not Linux-based, but rather, simply Linux, and because I no longer have to carry a Mac, Win, or *nix laptop at all times because of it - Android counts in my book.
Personal computing is changing.
No longer are you restricted to using a stripped down business machine running a home edition of a real OS or a Mac as your primary home user choices for the Linux-afraid or Linux for the more savvy.
Now you can do personal computing on a truly personal device.
An iPhone is great smartphone.
An Android is a mini-laptop, thanks to it being Linux.
baillou2
Well-Known Member
As with a great many of my comments here, yes.
Boat Browser ftw!
(If you know my typing habits as well as I do, you can see SwiftKey X's predictions at work.
)PS - Because I didn't feel like mucking about with Flickr this morning, the post with the screen shot came from my desktop - stupid web software not letting me upload pictures from my phone yet.
baillou2
Well-Known Member
As with a great many of my comments here, yes.
Boat Browser ftw!
(If you know my typing habits as well as I do, you can see SwiftKey X's predictions at work.
PS - Because I didn't feel like mucking about with Flickr this morning, the post with the screen shot came from my desktop - stupid web software not letting me upload pictures from my phone yet.
Well done. I'm impressed. I could never type that much without a physical keyboard.
Speech to text for the win courtesy of flex T9 on this post.
baillou2
Well-Known Member
I never use speech to text though I should. I feel awkward, like I'm talking to my toaster.
Boat browser is awesome. Just downloaded it. I really like it.
A.Nonymous
Extreme Android User
I must have a difficult to understand voice. Every time I try speech to text it gets every 3rd or 4th word wrong and I have to go back and redo it so I spend as much time as if I had just typed it out. I have the same experience whether I'm using it on the phone or on a desktop with a program like Dragon. I suspect I mumble and don't realize it. Real people are either able to compensate without any problems or they just smile and nod and pretend they know what I'm saying when they really don't.
Flex T9 uses Dragon, but SwiftKey X doesn't. Instead it presents 3 guesses of what it thinks it heard.
Both serve me well, and I recommend a wired headset with a good microphone, or holding the phone in front of your face, communicator-style, for best results.
Best luck, it can take practice but yields worthwhile results if you stick to it.
Both serve me well, and I recommend a wired headset with a good microphone, or holding the phone in front of your face, communicator-style, for best results.
Best luck, it can take practice but yields worthwhile results if you stick to it.
Probably like many of us, you don't speak in the standard American/VOA/CNN style English. Voice recognition rarely works properly for me as well, except when it's a very limited vocabulary.
baillou2
Well-Known Member
That raises an interesting question: are there different versions of voice recognition for different regional/national accents?
I'll have to try google voice searching something in my best cockney... ha
ElasticNinja
Android Expert
I'd imagine different accents are a huge problem. Even in Ireland, different areas have very different accents, and migrants from other parts of the Union have dissimilar accents too.
For authentic cockney it's recommended that one take lessons at the "Dick Van Dyke School of Cockney English".
Even in China, I've noticed that many Chinese students will speak English with different regional dialects, like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou. They all pronounce English with their own distinct ways and dialects. Especially eastern China...Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai, they'll often sound "er" as "aaa", e.g. teachaaa!
linuxrich
Well-Known Member
I too would like to know how much public money (My taxes!!!) go to Redmond every year. Especially considering there are European companies (Canonical, SuSE.) that could provide a very competitive deal I'm sure!
On the subject of others who have seen the light, there's Munich and the French Gendarmerie.
mrqs
Android Expert
so you're saying that it's ok to count android devices and ipads and win8@mobile when it comes out (not that any of us have any knowledge of its future capabilities), but not ok to count iphones and wp7 devices?
i get that one might want to draw a line somewhere, but drawing the line between the ipad and iphone seems pretty weird, given that they're pretty much the same device running the same os
I don't have experience with Win7 phones, I only know that analysts recently said that they have shipped between 800k and 2 million units. If you find my oversight unfair, by all means, add the Windows phones in today. Rather than bashing the Windows phone, I thought it was fair to set expectations on the next generation. So, sure, I may have been mistaken.
As for the iPhone, I am biased by personal experience. I work with and around a number of iPhone users. I've asked them all how often their phones could replace their laptops and my question was met with derision. Many of those same individuals find the iPad a suitable laptop substitute, however. I have asked if it was size and have been met with descriptions of iPad apps. Even though they may both run the same OS, they do require apps specific for each. If your experience indicates that my anecdotal info is off base and that iPhones do indeed serve as a laptop, I am all ears, and wouldn't argue if you want to toss those in as well.
In any case, I have read that Windows 8 will be the same fundamental OS on desktops and mobiles, and we know Android counts as Linux. But iOS is not OS X in a fundamental way, so I thought tossing in the iPad was a nod to functionality. If anyone wants to add the two together arbitrarily, then that's comparing OSes to a brand.
That's where I was coming from.
As for the iPhone, I am biased by personal experience. I work with and around a number of iPhone users. I've asked them all how often their phones could replace their laptops and my question was met with derision. Many of those same individuals find the iPad a suitable laptop substitute, however. I have asked if it was size and have been met with descriptions of iPad apps. Even though they may both run the same OS, they do require apps specific for each. If your experience indicates that my anecdotal info is off base and that iPhones do indeed serve as a laptop, I am all ears, and wouldn't argue if you want to toss those in as well.
In any case, I have read that Windows 8 will be the same fundamental OS on desktops and mobiles, and we know Android counts as Linux. But iOS is not OS X in a fundamental way, so I thought tossing in the iPad was a nod to functionality. If anyone wants to add the two together arbitrarily, then that's comparing OSes to a brand.
That's where I was coming from.
zuben el genub
Extreme Android User
I think Windows will have to go some for the domination they seek. A lot of the eastern world seemed to be Symbian. Maybe Nokia was the only maker who had phones that were simple and durable. Most of the complaints I saw in Nokia fora were about newer services like Facebook. Not basic operation. I'm not sure that windows could or would make a phone for this type of user.
Nokia is apparently keeping Symbian under the name Bella.
Rim had to lessen security for the AE. AE couldn't snoop.
With the ability to pay for everything via cell phone, I'm expecting the cyber criminals to ratchet up against all systems and more toward MS and Apple since they also have computers. There will be those users who won't use pay by cell, but will do banking on the PC. Android will be attacked, but the Linux on the PC is different. Hope it stays that way.
Nokia is apparently keeping Symbian under the name Bella.
Rim had to lessen security for the AE. AE couldn't snoop.
With the ability to pay for everything via cell phone, I'm expecting the cyber criminals to ratchet up against all systems and more toward MS and Apple since they also have computers. There will be those users who won't use pay by cell, but will do banking on the PC. Android will be attacked, but the Linux on the PC is different. Hope it stays that way.
With the insane permissions granted every day by unsavvy Android users for things like live wallpaper, I think Android may be a soft target for many.
I know, user's fault, etc etc, but it is what it is.
I know, user's fault, etc etc, but it is what it is.
mrqs
Android Expert
what people do with their laptops varies like hell and hence it's completely user specific whether or not a certain phone (or tablet) can replace it
a lot of people just use their computer for surfing, e-mail and maybe media - all of which can just as easily be done by any modern smartphone
working with text documents is also very common, but again, there's not really a big difference between android, ios, wp7 or any other modern smartphone platform (screen size and keyboard options are the biggest problem)
on the other hand, if you do heavy video editing or gaming, there is no replacing a pc (yet, anyway)
obviously i don't have any statistics or anything and am just speculating, but if i had to guess, i'd say most people would fall in to the former category, that could actually replace their pc with any modern smartphone (or tablet) at least for most of the things they do
a lot of people just use their computer for surfing, e-mail and maybe media - all of which can just as easily be done by any modern smartphone
working with text documents is also very common, but again, there's not really a big difference between android, ios, wp7 or any other modern smartphone platform (screen size and keyboard options are the biggest problem)
on the other hand, if you do heavy video editing or gaming, there is no replacing a pc (yet, anyway)
obviously i don't have any statistics or anything and am just speculating, but if i had to guess, i'd say most people would fall in to the former category, that could actually replace their pc with any modern smartphone (or tablet) at least for most of the things they do
A.Nonymous
Extreme Android User
There's far more involved in switching to Linux than just cost. You have to figure out if your apps will run (some won't), whether those apps that run will be supported (many won't) and factor in re-training lots and lots of users in a different way of doing things. Your business will possibly grind to a halt for up to a month while all the kinks shake out. Or you can stay with Windows like you currently are and lose a couple of days at most with an upgrade.
So is your criteria that the device be a capable laptop replacement? Just curious.
My criteria was that Android is Linux and so it ought count in the total Linux numbers.
Your replies said that Android was only Linux-based and ought be relegated to appliance status.
My rebuttal was to prove that on smartphones and tablets, it is indeed a full Linux, and by illustration with the example that anything that can replace a laptop for many uses ought not be classified with appliances.
No need to get turned around in following my point.
PS to mrqs - Fine by me, add those numbers into others' totals. But Android is Linux, belongs in the Linux totals, my entire point and premise.
Your replies said that Android was only Linux-based and ought be relegated to appliance status.
My rebuttal was to prove that on smartphones and tablets, it is indeed a full Linux, and by illustration with the example that anything that can replace a laptop for many uses ought not be classified with appliances.
No need to get turned around in following my point.
PS to mrqs - Fine by me, add those numbers into others' totals. But Android is Linux, belongs in the Linux totals, my entire point and premise.
A.Nonymous
Extreme Android User
By that logic, Android and iOS both are huge competitors with Windows except that they really aren't. At least no more than a motorcycle is a competitor with an automobile.
