27 replies to this topic

[Bologna]

I reach for today’s paper to be greeted by one of the most amusing attacks at our OS of choice.
Apparently, it seems as though our smartphones are too complicated for some. Please try to understand for a second that the first word in the compound word that has become a household staple is “smart”.
No ladies and gentleman, this is NOT that Nokia 3310 that we remember so well. Even though I can think of only one reason to go back to a phone whose main form of entertainment was that dreaded monochromatic snake game.
Battery life.
Yes as glorious as it was I think we can all agree on WHY it had such wonderful battery life. Simply because all it was capable of doing was performing the most basic of phone functions.
Fast forward to 2012, is that all that you demand from a device that you carry around everywhere you go?
Yeah. I didn’t think so.

True enough, Android burst onto the scene almost overnight into a heavily dominated industry with nothing more than the name of the great search engine to stand on. Because of this, update after update has been released with the aim of making the platform more competitive with the heavyweights of mobile computing at the time.

And alas, now there are only two left that are even worth mentioning today. Android and Apple.

In comparison to that other unmentioned company, the complications for some comes from the frequency of the updates. This is a number one selling point for me personally as I always want my device to have the latest and greatest and to top it all off, the wonderful DEVs in this community and many others take that one step further by customizing the OS to suit real world situations and not just the control group’s idea of a real world experience.

I notice that the complaints are solely based on the fact that the updates may at times break other things that might have functioned perfectly before the update was pushed to the device.
Really? Is Android the only bit of technology that suffers from this syndrome?

In my experience whenever something was broken by an OTA, it has almost immediately been fixed by a patch, rom, or app from the Play store. What about the suggested alternatives?

Memes are still popping up daily lampooning the epic failure of fruitcake maps.

I’m sorry but Windowsphone is not even on my radar and RIM is just asleep at the wheel. Which I’ve personally felt they were years before it was “officially” announced.

So my question is this people,
Will a misplaced bit of code stop you from enjoying your latest tech tool or would you do like me and look for the solution that’s only a few clicks away if thats what you really want?
Geez, what kind of tech bloggers are these guys anyway?

[BytecodeMe]

Geez, what kind of tech bloggers are these guys anyway?

Stupid ones. Long live Android!

[snives]

I'm always extremely confused by the 'too complicated' statements. Nobody ever has an example of what they found difficult. Nobody ever can even give any kind of explanation beyond, 'that's what someone else told me'. Pretty much, I think the reality is that between people working in stores and bloggers enough people have been told it is complicated, that people now ASSUME it is complicated and never give it a try. My favorite was having somebody playing around on my phone, asking when the new iPhone had the interface updated to be cleaner, then telling them it wasn't an iPhone. All of a sudden they couldn't play around anymore because it somehow magically became more difficult to use.

I couldn't care less what company makes the device I use. I care only about battery life, simplicity of use, and feature set (in that order). As a result I currently have no alternatives but Android due primarily to the battery life, and the fact it is much easier to use as it can and will do about anything you could want without needing to fight with it. Rooting/crackflashing are nice perks, but knowing that I would be 100% required to jailbreak or pay for developer status for an iOS device to even have use of what I consider to be basic necessity features leads down to a dark path that becomes extremely complicated quickly. I can't place any judgement on WP8 yet as I haven't had a chance to play with it, but I have high hopes that they keep their system open enough that it is actually more useful than it is cumbersome. More than anything I want to see a market that has real competition where products and the engineers designing them are competing rather marketing teams and attorneys.

[fishaholic]

That's because only SMART PEOPLE choose android haha. My wife is an iPhone fan and says mines too complicated too. Some people like it simple lol

[johnthehillbilly]

Well with me being an iPhone owner, your statement is invalid. First let me say, just because I use an iPhone now, does NOT make me a fanboy. I still dev for Android and always will. Also, now that I own one, I can clearly see on both sides of the fence and see the actual pro's and con's of both OS platforms. Secondly, the Apple Maps thing. It's old news, and its fixed now, so there goes that.

Third, iPhones are not for dumb people.

Fourth, when jailbroken, it can do ALMOST everything a rooted Android phone can do.

Fifth, I've only owned 1 Android phone that had better battery life than my iPhone 4 and that was the Maxx. No other phone lasted longer.

Again, let me stress, I am absolutely NOT a fanboy. However, now that I own one and use it as my primary device, I can now see that a lot of the stuff said about iOS is just fuel for the fire to keep the Android vs. Apple fight going.

Proposal:

How about instead of fighting about who is the best, Android worries about Android, and Apple worries about Apple. They're both extremely great Operating Systems that are put on extremely great devices. In a perfect world, both sides would be able to co-exist and learn and grow from each other. Not fight like little kids over who is the favorite, but this is not a perfect world that we live in so the fighting continues.

you said it..... in a perfect world the two "A's" would come together and dominate the phone market....

[fishaholic]

Who's being a kid? Just take a joke man jeezzz... Apple is simple to learn and operate. Average Joe can. Learn iPhone in 10 minutes where android takes some getting used to.

Life's to short to take so seriously bdh just a simple joke

[Nanniepoo]

I think anyone who grew up in the age of computers will have no issue with whatever OS they choose. However what seems logical to us isn't the same for others. I used to help out on Moto's forums before coming here....and some people, I swear, if it had a touchscreen it was too complicated for them. Or they did not adapt to change well, such as cut and paste changing from GB to ICS. Apple is slow to change, so I can see the argument about updates there.

I've taken over recommending phones for pretty much everyone I know. My gf and her mom got the BB Storm a little after we started dating, and when it came time for a new phone, I recommended the T-bolt, as that's what I would've gotten at the time. While they never really had any issues that most people seemed to have with that phone, her mom really really struggled with the UI change, and I gave a word of caution that my recommendation is mainly for my gf, might be too complicated for her mom, and seems that it is proving to be. But I don't know if that would change with another OS, because her issue is "I don't know how this icon wound up on my homescreen" and then you have to show her how to delete it, etc. And now her mom wants to buy her 70-something dad a tablet in hopes it will inspire him to get a smart phone, when he barely ever carries a cell phone with him as it is. Just different generations find some things very intuitive, and others don't. Can you see some of the kids growing up now a days changing their own oil? They wouldn't even know where to start (minus the fact that some new cars don't even have dip sticks anymore, you get my point).

On the flip side, I actually found an iPod Touch "complicated" to use (and this was prior to me having an Android), just because the layout was very non-intuitive to me. Basically on any phone, even dumb flip phones, the "controls" are near the bottom of the screen (or below it), but then in iOS the back button is always in the top left corner, and the menu for settings, etc I could never seem to find. Just the whole layout seemed very illogical to me.

I'm going to stop now because my train of thought has completely derailed and exploding in a chicken farm.

[Dave12308]

Well with me being an iPhone owner, your statement is invalid. First let me say, just because I use an iPhone now, does NOT make me a fanboy. I still dev for Android and always will. Also, now that I own one, I can clearly see on both sides of the fence and see the actual pro's and con's of both OS platforms. Secondly, the Apple Maps thing. It's old news, and its fixed now, so there goes that. Third, iPhones are not for dumb people. Fourth, when jailbroken, it can do ALMOST everything a rooted Android phone can do. Fifth, I've only owned 1 Android phone that had better battery life than my iPhone 4 and that was the Maxx. No other phone lasted longer. Again, let me stress, I am absolutely NOT a fanboy. However, now that I own one and use it as my primary device, I can now see that a lot of the stuff said about iOS is just fuel for the fire to keep the Android vs. Apple fight going. Proposal: How about instead of fighting about who is the best, Android worries about Android, and Apple worries about Apple. They're both extremely great Operating Systems that are put on extremely great devices. In a perfect world, both sides would be able to co-exist and learn and grow from each other. Not fight like little kids over who is the favorite, but this is not a perfect world that we live in so the fighting continues.

I have to say, this is an EXCELLENT post. When you boil right down to it, both OSes are more similar than they are different. Both are a UNIX-like OS for mobile platforms designed to be lightweight. The biggest difference between iOS and Android lies in what an Android user would call the launcher. Although they are DIFFERENT, one cannot really state with any authority that one is superior to the other.

As for iOS not being for dumb people - AMEN! Actually, if you are they type to jump in without reading, and forget to back up your shsh blobs, you can get "stuck" worse than an Android user.

[Dave12308]

Who's being a kid? Just take a joke man jeezzz... Apple is simple to learn and operate. Average Joe can. Learn iPhone in 10 minutes where android takes some getting used to. Life's to short to take so seriously bdh just a simple joke

Not really, anyone out there who has used a PC in the last 15 years would be able to learn Android just by picking the device up. It has a desktop, icons, and an "app drawer" which is akin to a "start menu". It might take awhile to get to the "power user" point, but one would not feel lost on the average Android phone.

[johnthehillbilly]

Android (or iOS) is only as complicated as the user's abilities..... to some, they are all just way to complicated... but then there are those of us who can essentially turn it inside out in a matter of hours...... so it basically boils down to willingness to learn and how adept the user is with technology

sent from my DROID RAZR tapadriving ...

[Bologna]

Secondly, the Apple Maps thing. It's old news, and its fixed now, so there goes that.

Actually this was just posted 2 hours ago.
My first time reading about it was Saturday though I believe.

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or CNN from yesterday

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And I quote:


"So 50 percent of the people are safe and 50 percent of the people aren't," Clemence said with a chuckle. "So they sort of half-fixed it."
With temperatures this week expected to soar in the region, Clemence said it's critical that the directions are corrected quickly.
"It's a pretty serious problem," Clemence said. "There's a fair amount of responsibility on Apple to get this fixed."

So yeah. There's still that.

[johnthehillbilly]

.... this time it was apple.... and its easy to bash apple for this SNAFU... but this could just as easily happen to us android users as well.... bottom line.... dont place 100% of your faith on gps.....

sent from my DROID RAZR tapadriving ...

[Bologna]

That's one way to look at it, until you realize that Apple itself removed the alternative (google maps) that had been working flawlessly ever since the iphone's entrance into the mobile market.
To me it seems like a slap in the face that went horribly wrong.

This war is not just between us the consumers.

[fishaholic]

Actually this was just posted 2 hours ago.
My first time reading about it was Saturday though I believe.

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or CNN from yesterday

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And I quote:


"So 50 percent of the people are safe and 50 percent of the people aren't," Clemence said with a chuckle. "So they sort of half-fixed it."
With temperatures this week expected to soar in the region, Clemence said it's critical that the directions are corrected quickly.
"It's a pretty serious problem," Clemence said. "There's a fair amount of responsibility on Apple to get this fixed."

So yeah. There's still that.

Yea I can say that yesterday my wife's iPhone wasn't working with the maps and since she updated to ios6 or whatever it is she lost her contacts, battery life took a drastic dive and some great apps no longer work :/

[tailland]

I reach for today’s paper to be greeted by one of the most amusing attacks at our OS of choice.
Apparently, it seems as though our smartphones are too complicated for some.

Well I love Android but I would say almost exactly the same things as this author seems to have said.

Yes, Android IS complicated
The user experience heavily depends on the OS release version and the manufacturer's own add-ons/setups for his specific phone model.
And the bad thing is: There are MANY MANY MANY variations of these combinations out there.
And the worst thing is: Most phones cannot "just" be updated to a new version, owners will in most cases either have to wait a LONG time before they get (even security related) updates, IF they get any at all.

So, having the intention to buy an "Android phone" tells you nothing about what you're about to get and how it will serve you even in the nearest future.

For stationary PCs, the seperation of Hardware and OS was a move of liberation for the people, a point in time when people could really start using PCs as they wanted.
Smartphones, including Android, just haven't arrived at this point. Yet ?

But Android is even more complicated
As if the above wasn't already enough, the fun just starts when you try to make your new phone really fit your needs...

Even if you're lucky and you have an up-to-date Android version running, that doesn't mean that you can actually configure it the way you need it to be.
Even WITH manufacturer add-ons, the level of customisation on Android phones is remarkably low.
And stuff you don't need - well, if it's pre-installed, bad luck for you - your phone will not let you decide whether you want to uninstall bloatware or not.

The circle closes
IF YOU REALLY want to make your phone fit your needs, you will have to go a few extra miles.

- First, you will have to root your device and equip it with an "alien" OS, risking not only your prospects of future service by your phone manufacturer, but the life of the device as well.. "brick, anyone?"
- Second, you will spend hours and hours, searching the Google Play Market for free/costly applications that can better your user experience.
- And due to the phone manufacturer's (bad) habits, these little tools are not necessarily guaranteed to work on your device.

And while all of the above might be a breeze for tech-savvy people, even enjoyable, it surely isn't anything like that for people who aren't such playful geeks.
All in all ... Android is far from being a really "user friendly" OS and the phone manufacturer's have a big role in this...

These days, I'm looking around for a smartphone for my mother (57) and although she's no dummy, I wouldn't even consider buying her an Android phone for a second - too complicated.

Battery life
I always wondered, still do, how people can be satisfied with a device that is so energy inefficient that it needs to be charged on a daily basis.
If you say that these devices can do such more than the "normal" phones of the last generations, and therefor don't last as long - you're correct - but you're still missing the point.

I don't want to change my daily routines and habits to accomodate a particular device's needs- In other words: When spending hundreds of (Dollars/Euros), I expect to receive a device that does what I want it to do without me bothering about it - and not the other way around.

Again, this is not an exclusive to Android phones, but smartphones in general.
In a few years from now, the phones we own today, will be seen as what they truly are: Unreliable and user unfriendly garbage, unfit to serve people in all possible situations.

[BleedsOandB]

Fourth, when jailbroken, it can do ALMOST everything a rooted Android phone can do.

The issues with 6.0 and 6.0.1 so far have me worried that this is not going to be a viable option long term

I used to be an iPhone owner (almost 4 years, actually) myself and just recently got back into the foray with an iPad thinking it would be np to jailbreak it since there was never an issue in the past. Hopefully something is found or an update is introduced with a hole here pretty soon.

And alas, now there are only two left that are even worth mentioning today. Android and Apple.

In comparison to that other unmentioned company,

OP, I couldn't help but chuckle at these lines. You used the word "mentioning", mentioned Apple by name, and then referred to them as "that other unmentioned company" (I only mention this because I assume you're writing as a hobby and would like to get better).

[Bologna]

lol at that.
actually the name of the company (apple) was edited in after posting by my editor-in-chief.
originally they were referred to as "the fruitcake company " as referenced by the term fruitcake maps a little further down in the article.
What can I say? I have fun with it but I have to abide by rules here as well.