[Andrex]

hell naw... why clutter real Android talk with this meta-discussion?

Where the hell is Coppy's Smartphone Wars OT? Lol.

[Copernicus]

Where the hell is Coppy's Smartphone Wars OT? Lol.

Its being held up by beuracracy.

I can see why certain people avoid posting anything sensical in these threads Blinded by the lights

You must have me on ignore.

[scorcho]

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't.

It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

[Andrex]

Needs more skeumorphism I guess

[You Are Viewtiful]

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't. It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

:lol outstanding

[Cipherr]

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't. It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

[malyce]

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't. It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

but goat milk has more nutrients :/

[markot]

Android does what it does well but it just lacks, well, a soul. It isn't beautiful to look at at an OS level. It just lacks that artistic flavor that makes a OS fun to use at a pure OS level. It is something Apple has had in iOS and Mac OSX, and Microsoft now has with Metro/Windows 8. It is just kind of there, it does what it does well but not remarkable. Which is kind of odd because a lot of Google's desktop based UI for their services has a really unique minimalistic look to them. Chrome OS especially.

I disagree. I like the android style.

[this_guy]

Android is whatever you make of it thanks to the ability to customize nearly every aspect. That's the beauty of it.

The only people that complain about fragmentation are non android users. Android isn't like iOs where if you dont have the latest version of the os your app won't work. If you have android 2.2 or higher you can use the majority of the apps on the android market. On the iPhone side having the latest version of iOs doesn't necessarily mean you get all the features - look at Siri. Siri was the big feature of iPs 5.0, but iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS don't get that feature despite getting iOs 5.0. Isn't not getting features is what fragmentation is all about? Now with iOs 6.0 coming soon, the most notable feature is the new maps that apple is using. On the android side, google maps is updated separately from the os, so even if you have a lowly android 2.2 phone you'll still be getting new features and functionality.

As far as lag goes, the iPhone home screen is pretty much equivalent to the app drawer on an android phone. I havent seen much lag on any android phone in the app drawer.

I prefer android for my phone, but I'm currently rocking the new iPad for my tablet.

[opticalmace]

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't. It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

[BertramCooper]

The whole idea that Android lacks a "soul" (aside from being inherently absurd) misses one gigantic point.

Android is yours to do with what you will. If you think your Android device lacks a soul, you can give it one by customizing it to suit your needs.

[Chinpoko_Master]

It's going to be interesting to see where Android goes in the tablet market after the Nexus 7. It seems like Google and Asus raised the bar quite a bit.

[Andrex]

It's going to be interesting to see where Android goes in the tablet market after the Nexus 7. It seems like Google and Asus raised the bar quite a bit.

Indeed. Very excited to see where it goes. I think the Nexus 7 is the OG Motorola Droid of the Android tablets. Things should take off from here, it may be a bit before we see the results in terms of optimized tablet apps, but the snowball has officially started rolling down the hill.

[BocoDragon]

What an odd thread.

"surprised to see Burger King is still flourishing?"

[kinggroin]

What an odd thread. "surprised to see Burger King is still flourishing?"

What fast food chain would ios be?


Wait wait....don't answer that yet. Why not make it a thread?

[xJavonta]

Why would you make this thread? People are going to flame you.

Yes, Android is fragmented, but 4.x.x is looking to fix that fragmentation. The performance in 4.x.x is phenomenal and the overall experience is just pure heaven.

Also "Android tablets still suck a bag of shit though" What? Have you used a Nexus 7?


That said, I'm gonna be buying an iPhone 4 or 4S when the new iPhone drops. I need better battery life than the shit my Nexus S 4G is giving me. I get half a day out of this damn thing with normal usage which is unacceptable.

[BocoDragon]

What fast food chain would ios be? Wait wait....don't answer that yet. Why not make it a thread?

I'm thinking McDonald's. Formerly the definite number 1, but now challenged by the likes of Starbucks and Subway (I dunno this analogy is starting to fall apart :P)

[reKon]

Lol stock jelly bean is running shit right now. Since I am one of the elite, I get to enjoy the pleasures of jellybean. Haters can fall back; Best Galaxy > everything

[Unknown Soldier]

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't. It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

[The Faceless Master]

The whole idea that Android lacks a "soul" (aside from being inherently absurd) misses one gigantic point. Android is yours to do with what you will. If you think your Android device lacks a soul, you can give it one by customizing it to suit your needs.

reminds me of a reply i made in the GNX thread

[KevinRo]

Not everyone is middle class and can afford apple products.

At some of my server sites I check the dhcp console and see nothing but:

android
android
android
android
android
android
iphone

[Futureman]

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't. It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

pre ICS, not anymore. Google is pulling away as the best mobile OS.

[Davidion]

pre ICS, not anymore. Google is pulling away as the best mobile OS.

Nah brah, read my lips, U.M.A.M.I.

[-COOLIO-]

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't. It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

kinda

power to you

edit: i shoulda finished reading the post

well done

[345triangle]

Love Android, especially on my Tablet. I can't freaking stand my wife's Ipad/Iphone. I never understand the hate for android tablet stuff either. Mine runs everything I put on it, the OS never crashes or hangs, it is quick and responsive, it looks great, is very customizable, battery lasts forever. I could go on. What is the problem others are having? Oh, running ICS on an original transformer. I use it every day for about 4-6 hours a day minimum for work, games, movies, surfing, music, etc.

android tablet apps are absolutely terrible, at least if you're using a 10-inch model. the entire reason the ipad is successful is the proliferation of amazing software that completely changes the device, and there's none of that on android. i use an android phone and a nexus 7 and wouldn't have it any other way, but i'm at a loss to imagine what i'd actually do with a full-size android tablet. view lots of gmail messages at the same time?

[Andrex]

android tablet apps are absolutely terrible, at least if you're using a 10-inch model. the entire reason the ipad is successful is the proliferation of amazing software that completely changes the device, and there's none of that on android. i use an android phone and a nexus 7 and wouldn't have it any other way, but i'm at a loss to imagine what i'd actually do with a full-size android tablet. view lots of gmail messages at the same time?

COMICS

Although they're already pretty great on an N7.

[El_Chino]

The reason why I love the Android OS is because it continues to since the G1 days compare to the iPhone Apple OS where it's had minor changes but still manages to be almost identical to the Original iPhone back in 2007 I believe?

[buhdeh]

Lol funny. I just switched from a 4S to an S3

[RoadHazard]

95% of people posting in this thread have never used an Android phone with stock Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean.

(Android did look and feel pretty rough before, but the leap from Gingerbread (via Honeycomb) to ICS was just outstanding, and JB made it even better. Android is a very nice-looking and -feeling OS nowadays.)

[Dynamite Shikoku]

95% of people posting in this thread have never used an Android phone with stock Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean. (Android did look and feel pretty rough before, but the leap from Gingerbread (via Honeycomb) to ICS was just outstanding, and JB made it even better. Android is a very nice-looking and -feeling OS nowadays.)

Show us your math

[Zaptruder]

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't. It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

[RoadHazard]

Show us your math

It's too complex to be understood by a mere human being.

[345triangle]

95% of people posting in this thread have never used an Android phone with stock Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean. (Android did look and feel pretty rough before, but the leap from Gingerbread (via Honeycomb) to ICS was just outstanding, and JB made it even better. Android is a very nice-looking and -feeling OS nowadays.)

this is very true. i wasn't really into android much until late last year, but ICS was a quantum leap.

COMICS Although they're already pretty great on an N7.

that's a good call, i think 7 inches is too small for comics really. same goes for magazines.

but beyond that? the best stuff on ipad makes it pretty much irrelevant what OS it runs. i guess you could set up an amazingly information-dense homescreen to turn an android tablet into the mother of all desk clocks, but beyond that i don't really see the benefit. tablets are all about apps at this point, and android isn't there.

this is all without mentioning the fact that the new ipad crushes any android tablet hardware-wise. hopefully we'll see a solid and inexpensive 10-inch nexus that'll spark interest the way that the 7 has.

[GatorBait]

I was THIS CLOSE to picking up an iPhone 5 in a month or two - the fact that iOS was rolling out free GPS navigation had me very strongly considering Apple for my next phone. For a few reasons, I came to the eventual conclusion that going with the iPhone 5 would have been a hasty decision and that it would be best to give Apple a chance to iterate iOS one more time while I kept an eye on a how a handful of key features I regularly rely on improve/evolve.

That being said, I ended up picking up a "pure Google" Galaxy Nexus (no contract, in case I want to switch to the iPhone in a year) a couple weeks ago. I was previously using an HTC Droid Incredible that was running Android 2.2 (though it also had an HTC Sense "skin" on it from the manufacturer - which I sought out because it smoothed a lot of Android 2.X's rough edges). For all those saying Android is aesthetically unpleasing: you really should get your hands on a phone with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Android is really starting to look "grown up" and like a mature operating system aesthetically. Bringing on the designer from Palm has had very noticeable effects. There are certain aspects of the OS where I just find myself staring at it and thinking: this looks so smooth, so CLEAN!

And not only do the aesthetics look multitudes better than the 2.X iterations, but I have been marveling at how functional many OS aspects are now - there are shortcuts and swiping all over the place. It makes navigating around a real joy (more so than many iOS apps, in fact!).

Anyway, I have been going a little off tangent there... Am I surprised Android is still around? Of course not.

First of all, Android allows a great deal of choice - for both manufacturers and customers. Customers end up getting the choice of a multitude of phone types, price points, wireless providers, and OS aesthetics/features (to a certain degree because of manufacturer "skins"). There will always be a market for that.

Second, believe it or not, there are a lot of features in Android that are actually done better than their comparable features in iOS. Shocking, I know!

As for fragmentation, Google has been implementing tools to help manufacturers/carriers streamline the OS update process, but as long as Android allows for manufacturers/carriers to tweak the OS and places control of pushing OS updates in their hands, this "problem" is going to always exist to a degree. I put the word "problem" in quotes because it is the open-source freedom inherent in Android (a positive) that also allows OEMs and carriers to exert a level of control over it (a negative). Unfortunately, Google can only do so much; once the phone is bought and paid for, Google and the carrier's interests in providing updates don't fully align. However, with Google now offering the direct purchase of hardware (with likely more to come), there are sure to be even more options in the future for customers who want the "pure Android" experience with timely updates.

[freenudemacusers]

but goat milk has more nutrients :/

But it tastes awful.

Fitting I suppose.

[Alphahawk]

Android outnumber iPhones due in a large part to the fact that the OS isn't tied to a single piece of hardware. Heck, you can even buy pay-as-you go Android phones now. If you want an iphone you're stuck with a contract and a limited number of carriers.

[teh_pwn]

What an odd thread. "surprised to see Burger King is still flourishing?"

I think people have this personal attachment to which smart phone OS they use because they use the device to define themselves. Personally I find it crazy.

[Elfforkusu]

re: the OP, I can only assume this is yet another tongue-in-cheek phone wars thread. So, uh, yes, I'm shocked. Stunned, even. I'm not surprised, it was always going to happen. Windows VS Mac the first time. Linux VS every other type of unix in the server market. Open wins.

My problem with Android OS is that it lacks a certain spirit, or joie de vivre in use. Nothing tickles the eyes, the ears, or the heart in use. Is it wrong to feel emotional over Apple's grid of icons? To love Microsoft's devotion to flat shaded boxes that slide to and fro? No. No it isn't. It's this unquantifiable essence, this umami - one I can neither define nor articulate properly because it's a trivial, illusionary point - that illustrates why Google sucks goats.

[Gray Man]

I suspect in a couple of years android might catch up to Windows and Apple design wise.

[santouras]

Android does what it does well but it just lacks, well, a soul. It isn't beautiful to look at at an OS level. It just lacks that artistic flavor that makes a OS fun to use at a pure OS level. It is something Apple has had in iOS and Mac OSX, and Microsoft now has with Metro/Windows 8. It is just kind of there, it does what it does well but not remarkable. Which is kind of odd because a lot of Google's desktop based UI for their services has a really unique minimalistic look to them. Chrome OS especially.

I would agree with you up until ICS. ICS and JB are really great looking OS'

[teh_pwn]

I suspect in a couple of years android might catch up to Windows and Apple design wise.

Android is a modified Linux kernel, so with enough resources and money it could do just about anything.

[Tribes of Trusty]

I tried both iOS and Android and for me Android is far superior to iOS. I can do whatever I want with it, modify it, tweak it, have the root access, etc, etc, without resorting to jailbreak or whatever. It helps that my phone is a SGS2, which is an awesome smartphone.


I still miss all those iOS apps and games though (Dodonpachi and Espgaluda II aren't available outside of Korea :( and there's no Chaos Rings for now )

[DarkFlow]

What fast food chain would ios be? Wait wait....don't answer that yet. Why not make it a thread?

In n out. Good food but a limited menu that makes you feel smug for eating it. Android is jack in the box. Always open, can order anything when you want, how you want.

[BPRD]

i have a windows phone... it was free at the microsoft store I like it

[Mooreberg]

Not surprised. Having a range of devices to choose from is great if you are not somebody who just sticks with a particular product line out of habit.

[Emily Chu]

Where the hell is Coppy's Smartphone Wars OT? Lol.

you know what I think the Smartphone wars have replaced gaming console wars for me (PC included)

much much much much more entertaining and constantly updated hardware and software to the point in which it never really feels stale.

I know where my loyalties are, with Android
because it lets me decide everything that goes in or out of my tablet/phone in modular based system UI and functions/apps.

That being said like it or not, lump it or not, shit on it or not, one big differentiating factor is the ability to run flash content and that to me was the overall tipping point to make me gravitate towards android, had a ipod touch 2G before my first touch based device, (got it as a gift) but I was sadden that I simply could not run flash, fast foward a year or two and I got a Droid X with flash, and endless customization I could never go back.

and now I have a Galaxy Nexus customized and fine tuned to exactly the way I like it couldn't even think about getting a wp7-8 or an iPhone, had extensive time with both and both piss me the fuck off compared to android.

so thats that....

about the food analogy

Android - is a book of recipes, it can be as extravagant or simplistic as you want it, your way, your rules, hell make it your own restaurant or fast food burger joint, or a nice home cooked meal, but it feels like you own the place.

iOS - is a fancy meal, at a fancy high priced stucked up resturant, there way, there food, you don't order, they order for you, completely automated either eat it or get out and they yell at you for eating it wrong....

[freenudemacusers]

i have a windows phone... it was free at the microsoft store I like it

You need to at least directly insult or backhandedly compliment another platform when you post in these threads.

[saltywalrus]

Android - is a book of recipes, it can be as extravagant or simplistic as you want it, your way, your rules, hell make it your own restaurant or fast food burger joint, or a nice home cooked meal, but it feels like you own the place. iOS - is a fancy meal, at a fancy high priced stucked up resturant, there way, there food, you don't order, they order for you, completely automated either eat it or get out and they yell at you for eating it wrong....

Windows Phone is warmed over leftovers.

[ChanHuk]

No flash support = fuck you Android.

Otherwise iOS suits me perfectly without flash support. I don't care for widgets, multicolored tweaks, fuck that. The only customizations I have are simple JB tweaks. Custom roms sound like a pain in the ass to me. As I get older, I care less about putting time into modifying things and rather use the device.

[CoffeeJanitor]

no