Android/iOS too bipartisanish?

[3001]

AFter lurking on these forums for a while, and then reading some things on here, I'm wondering if the philosophy between Android and iOS phanboys is too bipartisan.

What i mean by this is it seems the philosophy behind the iOS is to have a very *usable* phone, with just extreme importance on that and not much in terms of flexibility/customability.

With the android it appears that it's all about flexibility, customization, and the hardware, with not that much emphasis on usability?

Maybe I'm wrong? but iPhone users are too stupid, and dont take teh flexibility in effect. But often here i'll see CPU/GPU 15% better, instead of actual discussions on the usage of it. What's the use of technology it's not applied effectively. (although there is of course people applying things well). It doesn't seem like this is going to change with the open ended nature of the system, and continual race to beat out competition on hardware.

To me it seems both philosophies of both phones take things to extremes on either side? Or maybe it's just cuz i've been on here too much, and reading more about people comparing specs than phone usefulness. (sometimes imho features like a kickstand, or a camera button to me are infinitinitsmely more useful than 10% CPU upgrade) and the iPhone and Apple in general seems almost too focused on things of that nature such as designs, rather than the hardware itself?

Like i said i'm not saying anything definitive so dont bash me

just a curious observation

 

[lunatic59]

Maybe I'm wrong? but iPhone users are too stupid...

Yes, you are wrong.

This is a forum about a specific aspect of a piece of a particular technology. People will discuss the minutia ad infinitum because a.) they find it enjoyable and interesting; b.) they have a specific problem they are trying to solve or help others understand; or c.) they a financial interest in the Android ecosystem.

Apple's highly successful approach provides a managed and monitored albeit somewhat inflexible product that performs reliably specifically as designed.

Android provides a versatile OS that can be adapted across many levels of devices.

Nabisco makes a cookie that tastes great when dipped in milk.

Victoria's Secret makes lingerie that exposes ... mmmmm .... sorry I got distracted there for a minute, what was I saying?

 

[ari-free]

Usability is important but it has to come after a solid foundation. Build a flexible and robust architecture in first and then apply polish. But if you start with polish first, you will have a system that is hard to adapt later on

 

[Eugene]

Useability is fine on Android, sure there will always be user preferences that could be different but its very useable. Try Windows mobile and you will see what unuseable is like.

 

[srmccoy]

It's all preferential. We're all here because we own/enjoy/are curious about Android handsets. When someone chooses a particular brand or product, they tend to irrationally rationalize their decision and preference, if that makes sense. This means the Android folks talk about openness, hardware diversity and flexibility. iPhone owners argue aesthetics, hardware, etc.

You see the same thing when you look at video-game consoles. People will always argue why their preference is superior.

In the end, it really doesn't matter if Android is better than iOS devices or vice versa, all that really matters is what each individual feels is better for themselves. For example, I think that the HTC Incredible is a better device than the HTC EVO or Droid X, for various reasons. That doesn't mean that I am right or wrong, or that anyone will agree with me.

 

[takeshi]

To me it seems both philosophies of both phones take things to extremes on either side?

Seems like you're trying to mix apples and oranges to me.

I don't think the design philosophies are quite as extreme as the fanboys which are just another form of brand loyalty* that is very prevalent in our consumer-oriented society. Brand fixation isn't just a smartphone thing. It is, however, carried to ridiculous extremes with smartphones as the fanboys apparently define themselves heavily on the products that they use (reflected in the terrible quality of many attempts at discussions out there) and take product comparisons as some sort of pissing contest.

*Personally, I extend "brand loyalty" to not only mean products but to mean any sort of affiliation in our society, including political affiliation, sports team affiliation, religion, etc. Discourse on all these topics seems to have taken a serious nose dive of the sort you're talking about here. It seems to me that a lot of people have problems separating their own identities from the products and other groups that they belong to so any criticism of these things is taken as some sort of personal criticism or something along those lines.

Maybe I'm wrong? but iPhone users are too stupid

Perfect example right there. Name calling is a sure sign of a pointless thread.

Different people have different priorities. Just because someone doesn't agree with your concept of what is and isn't important doesn't make them stupid. Also, be careful with lumping such large groups of people together as if they're all identical to each other. Even within the Android and iPhone camps you have people whose interests and priorities can differ greatly.

Or maybe it's just cuz i've been on here too much, and reading more about people comparing specs than phone usefulness.

Specs are easy to compare since they're hard numbers (and geeks love numbers). However, people often forget that while the specs don't lie they also don't give you the whole picture. In other words, like you said, specs don't necessarily give you an idea of the actual experience. In the automotive world, we call people that only bother to compare specs "spec sheet racers". You can compare specs like horsepower, torque, etc but these numbers don't tell you what the car feels like when you drive it and that driving experience is what really matters to driving enthusiasts. It's very similar with smartphones.

It's easier to compare specs, in the same way that some guys feel the need to measure and compare a certain part of their anatomies, than to actually have a discussion on the real world impact of such specs.

Further, if you look around, everyone's looking for the "best" device as if there's one single device that everyone aspires to own. Most people assume that the best specs means the best device and that's not necessarily the case.

 

[Archphoto]

Takeshi hit the nail on the head. It comes down to what you like - Porsches or Ferraris.
They're both sports cars whose specs can be compared easily, but that is only part if the story. Like smartphones, you'll get people in both camps who'll say theirs is "better", but when it all comes down to tin tacks, it's what *you* prefer to drive.

I own a Porsche and love it - forget Ferraris, they just don't compare - for me. It's all personal choice and bagging an iPhone owner for his choice or an Android owner for theirs is pretty small minded.

To each his own - it would be a very, very boring world to live in if we all liked the same thing, after all we are individuals and our choices of cars, smartphones etc are just an extension of that difference.

 

[3001]

Fair enough I basically was saying I love some fewtures on the iphone and some on the Evo/Android that i feeel are overlooked on both sides


Android OS to me is nice but to me over steps its bounds and tries to do too much and makes it a bit buggy, iPhone on the other hand doesn't do enough but is stable ....

Just want the best of both worlds

 

[lunatic59]

Android OS to me is nice but to me over steps its bounds and tries to do too much and makes it a bit buggy, iPhone on the other hand doesn't do enough but is stable ....

Just curious, what do you find buggy about Android? Or, maybe, buggier than any other mobile OS?

If you'd like yet another gratuitous analogy, although a bit different than the tired old car analogy, iOS and Android are like bakeries. With Apple you are locked in the kitchen with only flour, eggs, milk and sugar. Android keeps the doors open and is right next to the grocery store. So, with Apple it's hard to mix any of those ingredients together and get something awful whereas Android gives you the ability to make a broccoli and spaghetti-o cupcake. Not that you should, but you can. Eat it at your own risk

Just want the best of both worlds

I rubbed the lamp but I am told I am out of wishes.