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Android People just DON'T GET IT, I love my iPhone but we are STUCK

dontwalkhand

dontwalkhand

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 5, 2007
6,579
3,252
Phoenix, AZ
It is amazing how easy it is for someone to say "they're switching to Android" or even if they say "switch from your iPhone to Android"...but lets see the true cost of doing this for someone like me:

I just purchased a new thermostat by the Radio Thermostat Corporation of America from Home Depot for $99. The main reason I got this was the ability to control my thermostat from my iPhone.

A couple months ago, I came across a device called the Kiwi for my car, which is an OBD-II code reader for the iPhone. I bought this at Fry's Electronics for $159 at the time + the cost of the accompanying iOS app for $49

Another reason is that the iPhone actually SYNCS WITH THE MAC but I have yet to see an Android phone sync with anything at all other than Google's own web services. So I guess I can count the Macs as another "accessory" to support my usage of an iPhone...Thousands of $

I also got an iSimple installed into my car, which obviously only will work with the iPod or iPhone. Most cars today are sold with iPod connectors. Cars that have only a USB in, Android will not integrate with the car, and one will still have to use the phone itself to change songs, rather than simple steering wheel controls or large buttons on the dash. So lets also add the car as an accessory to support the usage of an iPhone ;) $20,000-$?? Depending on how much you spend on cars

Also don't forget the various amounts of Apps I've spent money on (and unlike the first few items I've posted, this applies to every iOS user here :)). I've spent about $100-$200 in apps, mainly GPS navigation apps, business apps, and car tools (you can tell I am a car guy).

I also plan on getting a Z-Wave system installed into my house, which will offer even deeper iPhone integration of my house than just the thermostat, but thats down the road when I get more extra cash.

So as a person who made this much investment into the platform, would it make sense to leave right now? Of course it isn't, which is why I am buying the iPhone 4S, and I do not regret my decision to get the 4S or any other Apple phones in the future, though some Android phones have tempted me in the past, but I got over it within a few days (which would probably mean that I would've had buyer's remorse within a few days of purchasing an Android) :).

Now off to the real reason for this post, is a question...is anyone else in the same boat?
 
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There are worse platforms to get stuck on ;).

I myself am interested in home automation, and basically everything I've been looking out has an iPhone app to control it all. I have not yet invested in that sort of stuff yet though. I am going to be making some iOS/Mac software though, and porting is a heck of a lot easier between the two since it's mostly the same APIs. My iPhone 4S purchase is a "business decision" :p.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

User experience, total integration with my other Apple products, simplicity & seamless 3rd party integration along with the countless $$ spent on movies, music & apps keeps me from jumping ship.

Of course, I have no desire to do so!

From a hardware perspective, we are at a point where specs are making minor differences to the overall user experience. The real gains are from OS integration.
 
mrxak said:
There are worse platforms to get stuck on ;).

I myself am interested in home automation, and basically everything I've been looking out has an iPhone app to control it all. I have not yet invested in that sort of stuff yet though. I am going to be making some iOS/Mac software though, and porting is a heck of a lot easier between the two since it's mostly the same APIs. My iPhone 4S purchase is a "business decision" :p.
Click to expand...

We are in the process of renovating a house before move in, and you can surely bet the second that I have enough cash, the Z-Wave system is being purchased :). I am not complaining that I am stuck on this platform, my iPhone is a device I actually enjoy using ;)
 
dontwalkhand said:
We are in the process of renovating a house before move in, and you can surely bet the second that I have enough cash, the Z-Wave system is being purchased :). I am not complaining that I am stuck on this platform, my iPhone is a device I actually enjoy using ;)
Click to expand...

I would be interested to hear why you chose Z-Wave over some of the alternatives. As I said, it's something I'm interested in doing at some point.
 
mrxak said:
I would be interested to hear why you chose Z-Wave over some of the alternatives. As I said, it's something I'm interested in doing at some point.
Click to expand...

Price and interoperability with some of the stuff I already own or plan on owning (We plan on getting an ADT home security system installed, and their systems work best with Z-Wave). Some of the equipment I managed to snag quite cheaply off of eBay (a magnetic strike door lock, a lamp module or two) But mainly price compared to other systems such as Control 4.

I was originally thinking about X-10, but I've read the reviews, and apparently there is a slight bit of unreliability with their products.
 
Never knew about that Kiwi product for the car. Thanks!


I think it comes down to stability and expectation. The 30 connector and 3.5 in size of the iPhone/iPod Touch means accessories don't have to keep changing to accommodate too many form factors.

Right now Android's biggest strength (a plethora of options) is also its biggest weakness.
 
nuckinfutz said:
I think it comes down to stability and expectation. The 30 connector and 3.5 in size of the iPhone/iPod Touch means accessories don't have to keep changing to accommodate too many form factors.
Click to expand...

http://www.plxkiwi.com/kiwiwifi/hardware.html

Here is the product, you may actually be able to find it locally for a lot cheaper, last time I've checked at Fry's it was only $129 (compared to what I originally purchased it at).
 
Over many years, I've learned / decided not to get locked in with too many things that the manufacturer locks to a single device. I do understand that others don't mind it, though.

I buy accessory items like wifi remote hubs that work with multiple OS's. I like Slingboxes because they also work with more than one device. I use Google for sync'ing mail, contact and calendar because they work across all devices.

In the future, I'm looking for more DLNA integration for media display and transfers, since that's OS independent as well.
 
I do want to see more more device interaction with iOS.

I've got a Withings scale that has an iOS/Android client and I love it and I think the next big thing will be Bluetooth fitness accessories that wirelessly link to computers and update.

Another danger is creating false expectations. It's true that iPhone users will pay more for apps. Once you create a market where you're pushing free but add supported apps it harms vendors that have highly vertical products like Kiwi. Sure games are going to be poplar but you have to have both free content and good ole capitalist paid apps.
 
sabesh said:
Why stick to one platform? I use iPhone, Android & Blackberry concurrently :) But then, I'm a certified gadget freak.
Click to expand...

I couldn't imagine having 3 devices to manage. I use google for a lot of things, so that would to alleviate the burden, but three different cables, car adapters, 3 of the same apps, etc. In fact, when the iPhone came out that was a huge plus, I has q PHONE and a IPOD in my pocket, instead of 2 devices.

I am in the same boat as the OP. It's not that my life has iOS intertwined with it, the WORLD does. Everyone caters to iOS over android. I go to the gym, each cardio machine has an iPod connector. Same with my car (VW), school, bank, etc.

I also like how apple is more of a closed system then android. When I had a android device, it was cool, but i didn't like the app store or the extra hoops I had to jump through to get it to work just the way I wanted it to. I spend all day fixing the outcomes of people's bad choices and decisions, I really don't want to go home and fiddle around with anything. I just want it to work.

Android has TONS of potential, but I feel that some of the things that feel they need to do will cause a huge backlash from the customers and the existing developers. The problem with android is they gave everyone EVERYTHING, they could want, but now some things weren't such a smart idea to make available and when you go to take them away, people aren't happy. If you have 100 things you can implement, release the 50 most perfected items, then slowly release the next 50.
 
I don't really consider myself stuck. I prefer the IOS. I prefer Macs. I prefer products that work seamlessly well together.

I prefer not to have google data mining me.
 
Walter Bell said:
I couldn't imagine having 3 devices to manage.<snip>
Click to expand...

I don't "manage" them, I just enjoy them :) Android is every bit as good as my iPhone. I never feel lacking when I sport my Android. I do feel it a bit when I carry my iPhone though as it lacks Android's killer feature: The ability share from any app to another app. For example, I can share a web page, RSS article or gallery pic to Read It Later, Google+, Facebook, Dropbox, Instapaper, Posterous or any other app I choose to. With iPhone, it's developer/app dependent. The only iPhone app that can come close to sharing to many relevant apps is "Reeder", that's about it.

iOS 5 has introduced sharing to Twitter, but that just doesn't cut it for me. I switch to iPhone when I get bored of Android and vice versa. Keeps things fun! However, Blackberry is the worst. But it's the easiest to use and type on. Cheers.
 
Choosing a closed system (like Mac and iOS) as a platform to get locked in is a rather bad choice. The options will always be very limited. Just an example - the number of USB 3.0 external drives and enclosures on the market is probably greater than the number of all iOS/Mac specific gadgets combined. One can see how due to its openness Android starts getting into car entertainment centers and navigation systems. Obviously this is impossible with iOS. And there is absolutely zero chance that Apple will start manufacturing these types of devices. I often see Mac owners complaining that this type of printer/scanner/whatever does not support OS/X. This amuses me. Was not it your decision to go with a closed and rather obscure technical platform in a first place? There are consequences. Some of them are good, many - not so good.
 
lilo777 said:
Choosing a closed system (like Mac and iOS) as a platform to get locked in is a rather bad choice. The options will always be very limited. Just an example - the number of USB 3.0 external drives and enclosures on the market is probably greater than the number of all iOS/Mac specific gadgets combined. One can see how due to its openness Android starts getting into car entertainment centers and navigation systems. Obviously this is impossible with iOS. And there is absolutely zero chance that Apple will start manufacturing these types of devices. I often see Mac owners complaining that this type of printer/scanner/whatever does not support OS/X. This amuses me. Was not it your decision to go with a closed and rather obscure technical platform in a first place? There are consequences. Some of them are good, many - not so good.
Click to expand...
The great thing about opinions is: everyone's entitled to one. I think Apple has proven itself to be a good company with a good product. You think that's a bad idea. My opinion, your opinion. Clearly you've decided the google product is better. I could tell you why I disagree, but meh, it's not like anyone actually convinces anyone of anything on the interwebs. Enjoy your google device.
 
kdarling said:
Over many years, I've learned / decided not to get locked in with too many things that the manufacturer locks to a single device. I do understand that others don't mind it, though.

I buy accessory items like wifi remote hubs that work with multiple OS's. I like Slingboxes because they also work with more than one device. I use Google for sync'ing mail, contact and calendar because they work across all devices.

In the future, I'm looking for more DLNA integration for media display and transfers, since that's OS independent as well.
Click to expand...

I am a lot like you in that factor. I try not to get to locked into a single manufacture. Apple being a big one to avoid because they never play nice with one one.

One big reason I will never get movies from iTunes is it only works with Apple stuff and I can not stream it to my TV unless I use an Apple TV.
DLNA the more I get into it the more I like it and look into it.
 
kdarling said:
Over many years, I've learned / decided not to get locked in with too many things that the manufacturer locks to a single device. I do understand that others don't mind it, though.

I buy accessory items like wifi remote hubs that work with multiple OS's. I like Slingboxes because they also work with more than one device. I use Google for sync'ing mail, contact and calendar because they work across all devices.

In the future, I'm looking for more DLNA integration for media display and transfers, since that's OS independent as well.
Click to expand...

Same reason I use a lot of Google services. Not because they are the best (not all the time), but because I won't be tied to one platform.
 
kdarling said:
Over many years, I've learned / decided not to get locked in with too many things that the manufacturer locks to a single device. I do understand that others don't mind it, though.

I buy accessory items like wifi remote hubs that work with multiple OS's. I like Slingboxes because they also work with more than one device. I use Google for sync'ing mail, contact and calendar because they work across all devices.

In the future, I'm looking for more DLNA integration for media display and transfers, since that's OS independent as well.
Click to expand...

This is sage advice.

I switched to the Mac in 2002 and spent thousands on their goods and third party equipment.

When Windows 7 came out, I started migrating back to the Windows platform. I could no longer justify the cost of Apple hardware. I doubt I ever will again. [iPods, iPads and iPhones, excluded.]

I have always loved OSX and have a lot of Hackintosh experience but Apple will be more 20% than 80% for me... where as it used to be the other way around.

Regarding phones, I had high hopes for the next iPhone... Now, like a few others, I am waiting to see what the Nexus Prime and ICS can offer.

I'm not a fan of Android but if Windows can lure me back [Windows 7], then I'm sure Google/Android can too.

In the future, try to keep your eggs in 2+ baskets ;)

Learn from your mistakes... or repeat them :)
 
I get it, and I don't need to categorize my house and car as accessories to my phone.

My phone is a phone, with the ability to do a ton of other things, but I will not design my life around it.
 
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