Do you understand what a customer wants? A customer doesn't want choice.
I use Missing Sync to load music from iTunes to my Android phone without problems. It's even automatic... (And you can sync movies, photos, contacts, calendars, notes, etc... As simple as clicking a button). For books, Aldiko is great and you can buy books from the app, but there are other apps you can use with no trouble too, and you won't get books removed because they have controversial topics, nudity or sex
I disagree... Anyone may want to use their phone's internet connection from another device at some point. They can't on iPhone. Anyone may want to view flash videos or read websites with Flash content. They can't on iPhone. Add to an arbitrary censoring process which removes any kind of nudity (sexual or not) or apps with swear words, duplicate functionality, emulators etc... (You can't even get an alternative web browser if it's not based on Apple's code).
Limited choice matters to everyone, geek or not.
If the Tweetdeck guys are in bed with Eric Schmidt (and there's a mental picture we could all do without) then I think I need a new Twitter client.
This is true only from consumer's short term interest perspective. For a developer it's not necessarily a good thing. The Apple centralized approach is quite convenient for small-sized developers who can therefore focus on designing and improving their product instead of spending attention, time and energy on the distribution. So at the end of the day, the end-user benefits from it by having quality Apps.Not sure I got Steve's comment here though about multiple app stores -- don't we like having multiple places to shop for the same thing if those places are competing in prices?
Apple does the same thing.
When I had my 3GS i did not want to upgrade from 3.0 firmware. But it got to the point where all the new apps required I run 3.1 or no app.
Now you're gonna have people with 3G iPhones that will not be able to run 4.xx and up software. So it's fragmented as well.
That's quite absurd for an argument. First, 3G iPhones run iOS 4 (and even 2G if I'm not mistaken), granted some heavier apps might be sluggish but that's not an "OS fragmentation" issue, that's because of the hardware tech specs, issue that you will have with ANY device over time.
But most importantly, Apple doesn't anymore sell 2G or 3G iPhones while the new Android phones that are currently available on the market are running different versions of the OS with, on top of that, the phone maker and the carrier's customization. That sounds very unprofessional. Imagine that PC makers bundle the Windows version they want in new computers; hell that's not how it works. They bundle Windows 7 but afterward if the user wants to downgrade to Vista or XP it's their decision. Like your decision not to upgrade your iPhone from 3.0 - let me guess, because your device is JB, I'm sure. It's your right to choose so, but in such case the fragmentation is of your own making.
Best comment of the whole thread.
Much respect to you.
The problem is that Missing Sync is not going to be reliable. It's 3rd party and Apple has no obligation to make sure it works every time Apple updates something with iTunes. On top of that, I am willing to bet that it's not even remotely as nice as iTunes. It probably looks and functions in an archiac manner and is probably buggy. How does renting movies and buying songs work on it? Does it work just like iTunes. Will Apple's system recognize and work with Missing Sync legitimately?
Just remember, there is a price to pay for openness. Look at Linux. Sure you can get whatever you desire and configure whatevery you want to your hearts desire....but there is no integration, there is no focus, there is no overseeing authority that is looking at the entire system and experience from a users point of view. Each software is an independent entity that does things it's own way. On top of that you often have to download source code and compile things. You have to know how to work a unix command line. You need to know about packages, configuration, networking. How do you envision a non-technical person getting along with Linux? Case in point: Linux is godsend for techies who like to sit in their basement all weekend tinkering. Linux is absolutely horrible for 95% of the rest of the population!
I am a software developer and a techie. I use Linux all day long at work and it's really a pain in the a$$ sometimes. It's actually less stable, buggier and slower than my mac. I need to update kernel modules to get screen spanning working. It doesn't properly support a new Broadcom card in my Dell at work. The list goes on and on. I love coming home to my mac.
As I said there is a price to pay for openness. There are pros and cons to both sides. For 95% of people, the mac and iphone are better just because it all just works and integrates and is a user experience based philosophy from the hardware down to every software component which requires control to enforce it.
I'm still having trouble figuring out what is so "open" about Android.
Well, all Missing Sync does is read playlist information and copy the files. I only have to interact with iTunes so the user experience is the same... I create playlists with the music I want and they get copied over to my Android phone automatically.
I guess Apple could change the playlist format but so far they haven't done so. Anyway, in Android I can just copy the files directly and as the iTunes library is conveniently ordered by Artists and Albums that wouldn't be much of an inconvenience anyway...
As for movies, over here you can't buy or rent movies from iTunes, so I can't really comment on that. Are they bought in some kind of encrypted format? But anyway, I've just installed vPlayer, a new app that reads (almost?) any video format and it works very well. As the Android phone gives you access to the files on its sd card when you connect it to the computer you can just copy whatever files you want directly from the computer. I've copied a bunch of kids shows I recorded from eyetv for my sons and they display perfectly...
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Time to shut up Mr. Jobs.
Last I checked, Apple is not shipping phones _today_ that will not run the latest OS.
Not shipping phones, but they're shipping the iPad which will not currently run the latest iOS, which is creating fragmentation.
Certainly the most savvy Android users know how to avoid those devices, but the uneducated out there may be disappointed when they try to upgrade to what their buddy has.
T;FTFY.Don't buy a phone (or even a computer) expecting to receive upgrades forever. That only works for a couple of years for Apples, it doesn't work for Androids.
T;FTFY.
The problem is that Missing Sync is not going to be reliable. It's 3rd party and Apple has no obligation to make sure it works every time Apple updates something with iTunes.
On top of that, I am willing to bet that it's not even remotely as nice as iTunes. It probably looks and functions in an archiac manner and is probably buggy.
I have no idea what you mean by that.T;FTFY.Don't buy a phone (or even a computer) expecting to receive upgrades forever. That only works for a couple of years for Apples, it doesn't work for Androids.
Can you put it in English, French or Spanish - please?