Choice is Beauty: Why I'm leaving Apple Mobile for Android
victusspiritus.com
victusspiritus.com
I'm an android user and definitely think Android is the better and more open choice, but this point is just as true on Android as it is on an iPhone. Getting root may be easier than jailbreaking; I've never jailbroken an iPhone, but the point is that even on Android hardware which you purchase directly (not subsidized by carriers), you're not the administrator on your own hardware.
I looked into getting root on the G1 - it appeared to be hugely more complicated than the pretty simple jailbreaking process, involving downgrading the OS to find a local root exploit. I didn't bother, it looked like far too much bother for too little reward.
Tethering is probably the 'killer app' for jailbreaking/rooting on both platforms for most people, but there's a lot more to be gained by jailbreaking your iPhone.
Having said that - I haven't bothered to re-jailbreak mine after the last few updates since I realised I never used the jailbroken features.
Although not having access to root annoys me in principle, I haven't needed root for anything, so I haven't bothere rooting the phone even though it's fairly trivial.
The badge on my iPhone's App Store icon that says '34' seems to suggest otherwise.
There is the remote app killswitch functionality, but Android has that as well.
Reminds me of the loss of functionality for the Amazon readers to auto-read files. It was done by Amazon and pushed to all hardware/software.
I don't think it's ever been used on either device, so it hasn't exactly been a burning issue yet; the stated purpose is only in the event of a highly malicious application.
There are advantages and disadvantages to either platform, but don't pretend Android is a panacea of freedom. My friend has a t-mo MyTouch and it STILL doesn't have Android 2.0 available. The carrier/manufacturer refuse to put in the effort to deploy it for his handset.
He's completely fucked and if he wants the new OS he has to buy a new phone.
If Apple forced people to buy a new phone to upgrade their OS (with all the benefits thereof) they'd file a class action lawsuit.
But as soon as it's Google/Carrier-Not-AT&T/manufacturer with them waving the "FREEDOM" flag next to a sign that says, "Don't be evil", they get a free pass.
Give me a break. This whole post was poorly written, sophomoric and not thought out at all. He's making a buying decision based on pure conjecture based upon the "FREEDOM" advertising Google has been doing.
Personally, as someone who is planning to begin deploying mobile apps soon, I'll be deploying to Apple.
You can keep your rose-colored glasses.
Utter foolishness.
I liken the Apple version of the net to AOL. It's a fully controlled interface with one corporate interest at heart. If Google's no better that doesn't mean I should be stuck with Apple.
What I want is a framework where I don't need approval to copy files to and from my device. That's it.
"This whole post was poorly written, sophomoric and not thought out at all." I challenge you to do better (I'm serious I get a lot out of well written conflicting views). I admit to being a very challenged writer. It takes hours of effort for me to write something that comes across as coherent, but it's good practice.
Me too, I dream of computers that are designed from the ground up to be accessible to the curious (in the vein of the PCs from the 80s).
I am however, extremely pragmatic.
>If what you say is true, than I'll have the same woes with Android. In that case it's a shame there's not really an open mobile hardware device out there.
OpenMoko. Too bad it sucked as a product.
>I liken the Apple version of the net to AOL. It's a fully controlled interface with one corporate interest at heart. If Google's no better that doesn't mean I should be stuck with Apple.
Ah, Google is better, but they're annoying in less visible ways. Apple doesn't control the net, their browsers support open standards several orders of magnitude better than everyone but Chrome.
>What I want is a framework where I don't need approval to copy files to and from my device. That's it.
You still need to pay money to get an API key for Android. As for copying files to and fro, I know nothing of that.
>"This whole post was poorly written, sophomoric and not thought out at all." I challenge you to do better (I'm serious I get a lot out of well written conflicting views).
I don't care enough about the subject. Ask me about something else. I'm only replying out of respect.
>I admit to being a very challenged writer. It takes hours of effort for me to write something that comes across as coherent, but it's good practice.
Writing is good, but don't make disingenuous posts that look past the faults of the alternative.
You can see an app example at http://imm.victusmedia.com It's leaner, our first draft was overloaded
Flash cloud?
Personalized ads based on user shared interest?
I guess I'm just saying: don't fetishize choice. Assign it a value like the one parameter among hundreds which it actually is.
Seriously though, it's great that we live at a point in time where it's possible to have a choice between two damn good mobile computing platforms.
As a developer and content producer though, I'm more focused on Apple than I am on Android because that audience has a demonstrated willingness to spend money on software.