"Dear Android Vendors...."

[Frisco]

"... if you want to sell more phones, make better phones than your competition."

Android: Too Much of a Good Thing? | Linux Journal

Okay.

 

[johnnysanderstvtech]

I agree all the phones are starting look the same :O

 

[adi19956]

Hear hear

 

[Guamguy]

Is the problem looking too much of the same (people hark about the need for standardization) or the problem looking because they all look too different (interface fragmentation).

People, make up your minds.

 

[adi19956]

all I want is standardisation of software unless the overlaying software is actually good and for a use like Sense is, although I don't use it. instead of competing in software, they should try to compete in hardware and design alone, that way we'll move things along quicker

 

[takeshi]

There are only so many ways to configure full touchscreen devices. What exactly are people expecting?

instead of competing in software, they should try to compete in hardware and design alone, that way we'll move things along quicker

Good luck convincing the OHA otherwise. That's just not the intent behind Android.

 

[adi19956]

sorry, I did say unless the overlaying software is actually good I meant get rid of annoying software that no one likes like why do I need to have Vodafone's online music shop on my phone next to the skip button on my music player? I don't.

 

[dan330]

hardware... you are sort of limited in differentiating yourself form others.
look/design... like takeshi said... there is only so much you can do.

Support... is what can make your phone stand out. Better UI over Android... general public market mass has no real idea.. they just want individuality and ease of use. Make something good (Sense) and SUPPORT it!!! Any Manufacture that can say.. "XYZ phone will be fully support for the next 2 yrs with all updates and maintained" will win. (oh.. and actually have a track record that they can do it and will do it... ***snickers @ samsung***)

 

[adi19956]

does the average user care about what OS version they're on?

 

[EarlyMon]

We don't know, do we?

Interestingly, we were shopping at a Radio Shack, the rep mentioned the Epic had 2.2 - he was upset to be wrong, so I asked him if it was a big deal. He assured me it is the number one question he heard on the higher end phones. RS's point of purchase displays list the rev number first.

Android is growing dramatically, and with that comes awareness. People are smart enough to know which Windows they run and that it's important.

If the idea that the masses don't care about Android revisions isn't already false, then I predict it soon will be.

A year ago today the tech blogs and press were questioning Android itself.

Today, the reports seem to more about versions and whether handsets are running the latest.

Consumers in general might not know everything about Android, but they're not stupid.

 

[davidnmegan6907]

We don't know, do we?

Interestingly, we were shopping at a Radio Shack, the rep mentioned the Epic had 2.2 - he was upset to be wrong, so I asked him if it was a big deal. He assured me it is the number one question he heard on the higher end phones. RS's point of purchase displays list the rev number first.

Android is growing dramatically, and with that comes awareness. People are smart enough to know which Windows they run and that it's important.

If the idea that the masses don't care about Android revisions isn't already false, then I predict it soon will be.

A year ago today the tech blogs and press were questioning Android itself.

Today, the reports seem to more about versions and whether handsets are running the latest.

Consumers in general might not know everything about Android, but they're not stupid.

I think the last line pretty much says it all. The average user may not have much of an idea of what gingerbread is or what changes there exactly are to it, but they do look at it as john doe down the street has 2.3 and I have 2.1. So john doe's must be better I need that. So yes I see that it does make a difference with the average user. Not the actual uses just the appeal.

 

[alostpacket]

I think 2.2 was mostly a big deal because of the JIT compiling. This helps devs and users alike. From a dev standpoint a lot of what I do with the SDK only really requires 2.0, but 2.2 means less crashes/more memory/more happy users in the market making comments.

 

[EarlyMon]

In the same way that users have been taught this simple concept on their desk / laptops: updates are good.

Much of the web still uses Flash. Not just for videos; first time someone sees that only working on 2.2 they're convinced.

And JIT made a huge difference on my phone for my needs.

 

[adi19956]

all right then, I'll give examples.
I know quite a few people with Android phones, don't talk to most of them about their phones (who cares about your phone right?)
Well the ones I have spoken to about their phones either only bought them because I advised them too or did because they look cool and are touch screens and run apps. They have no idea what Android is or its versions (with the exception of some )
My friend with an HTC Desire asked me how I got my screen to do that thing it does in Gingerbread when it turns off, I told him I had Gingerbread running. He said, and I quote, "what the f**k is Gingerbread?"
He doesn't care what version he has, he just wants that cool animation.
Certainly almost no girls having Android don't care and quite a few guys don't either.

Oh and I didn't say it before, I'm not friends with thick people either, quite the opposite

 

[adi19956]

these cheaper Android handsets are turning many people around from using feature phones, thus, "it's just a phone" with a few extra things, that's what I was getting at.
I don't think phones are quite comparable to computers, people just don't use them for as many heavy duty things.
and for what it's worth, I know people who don't care if they still have Vista, they'll only care when they're buying

 

[bbrosen]

all I want is standardisation of software unless the overlaying software is actually good and for a use like Sense is, although I don't use it. instead of competing in software, they should try to compete in hardware and design alone, that way we'll move things along quicker

cannot have software standardization if hardware is not standard...not all features of an android release work on all handsets due to hardware limitations, add in all the bloatware by carriers and ui's by handset makers, well, it's a jungle out there.

 

[adi19956]

cannot have software standardization if hardware is not standard...not all features of an android release work on all handsets due to hardware limitations, add in all the bloatware by carriers and ui's by handset makers, well, it's a jungle out there.

good point :/

 

[snapper.fishes]

Just thought of something. Why does this fragmentation problem not appear on PC? There are literally infinite number of possible combinations for computer hardware, yet no one ever complains about fragmentation.

 

[reinbeau]

Just thought of something. Why does this fragmentation problem not appear on PC? There are literally infinite number of possible combinations for computer hardware, yet no one ever complains about fragmentation.

Good point. There's plenty of PCs sold with lots of 'crapware' on them.

But thinking about it, are the PC manufacturers busy trying to deny abilities built into the PC (I'm thinking tethering, installing other software, etc)?

 

[Guamguy]

Just thought of something. Why does this fragmentation problem not appear on PC? There are literally infinite number of possible combinations for computer hardware, yet no one ever complains about fragmentation.

Fragmentation becomes a bad word because some iPhone fanbois wants to make it an issue. The truth is, its not really an issue.

We may also consider let's say, how come all the dashboards of Toyotas and Lexus cars are all different? How come the dashboard of the Toyota Corolla and the Camry are not the same. And they're not the same with the Prius, not the same with the Yaris, not the same with Venza, not the same with Vios.

Heck, Toyota is suffering from fragmentation. Toyota cars are a mess. There is no consistency and uniformity.

I check Honda too. The Civic doesn't have the same interface layout as the Accord. The Accord does not have the same layout as the CRV. Fragmentation! Fragmentation!

I only know how to drive a Toyota Corolla. I get very confused if I switch to a Honda Civic or even a Toyota Camry because I cannot tolerate such alternations in the Interface. Look, all the buttons and the dials are different in these cars. Fragmentation, fragmentation!

 

[dan330]

desktops do have fragmentation... 95, XT, vista, etc.... they even have Professional, media, and server versions... so many more versions.

why is it not a problem? you have IT departments, professional repair services. Software is written for the versions and drivers for each version.

upgrades are years in between.

this is really not a good comparison.. they are different worlds.

 

[EarlyMon]

And you have tons of people that can't configure their PCs well, give up good hardware and re-buy to get performance, and who find themselves vendor-screwed when they want to upgrade. They also find there's a hidden price on entry hardware.

I dunno, I think it's a good comparison.

Android has an IT group - it's Android Forums. And only a fraction get access to it.

Very much the same, more I think about it.

 

[dan330]

not at all...

Desktops are so more flexable in hardware changes.
Laptops are closer to phone; as they are mostly stuck at external specs. but you can change mem or storage.

when you upgrade the software on either....
you expect to pay $ for them. Nothing is upgraded for free!
(linux and open source is not part of this.. because the "general" public will not use that)
updates are free.. but upgrades are not free.

so... if you dont want to spend $$; you are happy to sit at the version you are on.. OS and Applications.

on your phone... you want software upgrades and updates.. for free on everything! you want it NOW... you want it simple... you want the phone to do upgrade itself... you want it to load via the web... you want you want you want.

it is not the same!...
it is the same industry and type of tech.... that is about it!

 

[EarlyMon]

The percentage of people swapping laptop components is minuscule, I'll bet. Or desktops - they buy new.

It's product youth. Which is better, Dell or Gateway? I remember those days.

I remember people finding they couldn't upgrade some junkbox because of vendor lock-in.

And I remember a general rule: if the minor rev only changes, it's not a new version. Had Google decided to call it SP2 instead of 2.2 you might change your mind. A lot of IT depts I know refused to even consider XP fully there until that SP2. And that was free.

 

[dan330]

I dont know what SP2 is...

SP2 was free?.. as an update for XP; which you had to purchase?
or
SP2 was Win XP .. free full Windows full OS? You can load on an empty harddrive PC?