When is it time to stop investing in a closed platform?

[Lilok]

Hi!
Im Max, and yes, i am a noobie,but im lurking this forum since the very first iphone.
Im just not a forum guy... English = not first language, so please bear my mistakes.

I´m experiencing a lot of hate towards the iphone here on mr, and i never got why thats the case because I always were a fan of apple and thought the iphone is just the non plus ultra when it comes to smartphones. Actually, I never had a reason to complain because eveything worked how it should.
But, even though i dont care enough about phones that i would partake in any kind of fangirl-blabla, I also never considered anything other than apple and iOS.
As I told you I'm not a forum guy (no social media either), but, as how people are, they only voice themself if somthing bothers them. Im guilty, I know.

In private, I always were raving about how fluid and polished iOS and the iphone in genereal is, compared to android or windows phone and in the past, it was totally true.
You couldnt get a better smartphone than the 5s. First i wasn't convined at the unibody design and that you couldnt replace akku, but in the end, unibody smartphones are the prettiest.

But as of late, since i upgraded to the seven (iOS 11), im pretty disapointed to be honest. I mean, there really are enough discussions here about bugs and glitches on iOS 11, and personally, I experience everyone of them.
I wouldnt have registered if I wouldnt feel that this is a huge problem for me. Also, since I'm experiencing soooo much GUI glitches , I'm remembering that this isn't new. It started with iOS7, but I just ignored it and thought that I can deal with it, since there isn't any serious competition.

I got a new gf as of late and her family is all android and windows and stuff. I dont know her family that much yet, but she has a huawei 9P and a 1400€ HP Windows Laptop (you can play literally every game on it) and a Samsung Tablet. Im using her phone quite a lot because i was intersted and never had the chance to REALLY try out a android phone longer than a few minutes and.... yes. I admit it:
The way android handles multitasking, notifications, control panel and customization is mindbogeling (in a positiv way) compared to the latest version of iphones. There are zero guis glitches and since I'm just using some core apps, I also don't have to deal with viruses and such...

My argument FOR the iphone always was the integration to apples laptops and, if you own one, smartwatches and such. But in the past weeks i learned that there is an alternative to everything.
Every google product already had a "kind of" handoff, because you always can switch the work on the very same project on pc and smartphone (docs, sheets, etc), because its just one cloud-thingy. Also, she gets every notification on her pc and her Samsung tablet. I dont know if its already baked in into android, or if you have to rely on 3rd party software, but she uses pushbullet for that service since years. I always thought thats an iphone-only thing.

And now, I just dont know what to do. I kind of regret that i didnt used other platforms in the past, since I'm also using windows, mac and linux, but I had such bad experiences with past Samsung phones that I couldnt take android seriously.
Now I'm looking at my high priced Iphone and have the same glitches I made fun of years ago about android. But, since phones arent that important to me, how could I know that Samsung ≠Android per se.

My question to the community:

I invested heavily in the apple eco-system. I have a huuuge ammount of music and films I purchased from itunes and a huuuge ammount of apps in the appstore. So I kinda really dont want to leave that eco system, but I'm really starting to get envious of the way (some) android phones handle basic tasks and I'm thinking to switch.

I mean, I still have Itunes on my mac, I get notifications to my mac via Pushbullet, I get a usable and accesable file system, i get a headphone jack...etc.

Since I really dont follow every rumor and news: Can you tell me wich way apple is going? I plan to upgrade next year, but I'm not sure if thats the right thing.
Do you see apple implementing features like "default app" or making the controlpanel and notification centre more useful next year?
I mean, there actually is text outside the bubbles. It just feels...alpha?
Android doesn't do that kind of things nowadays, even if its hard to believe.
And if not, do you think apple is planning something like that in at least two or three years.
Because if that isn't the case, i HAVE to stop investing in such an expensive eco-system.
With apple, I even have to purchase apps twice, one for iphone, one for ipad.

TLDR
So, do you think its time to say goodbye, before its to late, or do you think apple fixes it?
Im kinda afraid of tossing thousands of 'money' away to a platform i might not use anymore in a few month or years?!
What also itchs me is: I can play bucking old nes, snes and ps games on her phone. You can attach keyboard, mouse and controller. If you connect it to a tv, its such an enternaintemt system 0_o

Thanks for reading.

PS: I like this language...so few capital letters ^^

 

[Hastings101]

I think you should be patient before making any big decisions. OS releases are often buggy, Android is definitely no different in that regard. If you google about the latest Android release you'll finds all kinds of nightmare stories. Those bugs and ugly errors get fixed in time.

As for emulators for old games, default apps, etc. I don't see that happening any time soon. And Apple won't turn iPhones into media centers, they have specific products for specific things and that probably will never change. So I guess if those things are very important to you I would look into switching. Samsung is making a lot of progress towards that
--
And your English is fine, it's very brave to post something long in a non-native language haha. I certainly wouldn't be brave enough to go do it on a French forum

 

[5105973]

Welcome to the forum, Lilok.

Hastings 101 is correct in saying Android has bugs and problems, too, whenever there are updates or new versions of the OS. I also find getting good service and support to be challenging in the US. I’m not sure where you’re located, but here in the US the phone companies have so much power and influence that if they don’t support a certain brand of Android phone by carrying it in their stores, it’s likely the manufacturer won’t work as hard pushing out security updates and OS updates. That’s why I’m looking at Google Pixels. Those do get updates. I’m not sure what the customer service is like, though.

I am also really concerned and frustrated by how badly iOS 11 and its updated versions have messed up my iPhone and my iPad mini. I won’t put it on my IPad Pro.

It’s not just the bugs, there are some changes to the way things work that annoy me. I like some of the new features but overall I am upset that so many problems fail to get fixed in beta and get released to an unsuspecting public.

However, I don’t think I’d switch over to Android yet. I am very fond of my Apple Watch. iMessage is a necessity for me. I can’t really advise you want to do, but I certainly share your frustration with Apple and iOS 11.

 

[JaySoul]

I prefer to get apps or media that are not tied to any ecosystem if possible (platform-agnostic).

That way, if I want to go iOS or Android, it's not a problem.

 

[AustinIllini]

I prefer to get apps or media that are not tied to any ecosystem if possible (platform-agnostic).

That way, if I want to go iOS or Android, it's not a problem.

That's pretty much what lead me to all Google services. I use DropBox instead of drive, but I use Gmail, Google Calendar, Keep, Google Maps, the Google App, and Google Assistant.

They all have iPhone Apps in addition to Android ones.

 

[convergent]

I prefer to get apps or media that are not tied to any ecosystem if possible (platform-agnostic).

That way, if I want to go iOS or Android, it's not a problem.

This is good advice. To the OP, I think you should probably think about how much you've spent on things that will only work in the Apple ecosystem and then decide if you are willing to throw that away. Apple Music runs on Android fine, so at least for your music you are good if that is where the bulk of your money was spent. But movies... I think you can only watch them in the Apple environment. I have tried to not buy a lot in proprietary systems... but my family has difficulty waiting for movies to become rentable and so we have a small number we've bought. Not enough to keep me on Apple. We have an AppleTV... really the only Apple product I still use... so that gives us a portal to that content. I've spent more on Mac and iOS apps than movies... but again, not enough to keep me using something I don't want to use.

I am really enjoying the Note 8, but honestly after the "new car smell" wears off, and you get into your daily grind, they are all going to be similar. I was a bit bored with iOS, and not a fan of where Apple is going as a business. I wanted to claw out of the proprietary environment more as future protection and give myself more choices.

 

[5105973]

As far as I can tell, iPads are still considered by many to offer the best tablet experience, so maybe you can keep partly in the ecosystem by staying with iPads so that you don’t lose access to the media you’ve purchased. But from now on start transitioning to more neutral purchases that run on any platform.

 

[lowendlinux]

PS: I like this language...so few capital letters ^^

And the words are shorter and less ponderous too

German's a pain

 

[SigEp265]

I prefer to get apps or media that are not tied to any ecosystem if possible (platform-agnostic).

That way, if I want to go iOS or Android, it's not a problem.

Same. Sometimes I hate drm

 

[Lilok]

@Hastings101
Hmm, I could ask her if maybe I could switch phones with her for a week or so, just to see if it makes life easier or not.
And of course, I totally believe that .0 android also is a mess, but in direct comparison I can tell that i never used a phone this fast since years.

I know, first world problems, but it saddens me that something that run fluid once, is stuttering in literally any task now. Maybe I am spoiled from the past. We used to know that we can rely on apple QC (at least with the OS).
They shouldnt't release sloppy software in the first place. Thats what differentiated them from android manufactors. Now, it looks it doesnt matter anymore what you buy. I really hope this gets better.

Thanks for the compliment btw I read lots of englisch literature and watch movie in original audio, maybe this helps me beeing more confident with this language ^^

@GrumpyMom

Thanks for you 'welcome'
Im from Austria, near Germany and its funny because I feel that the iPhone is a dying brand where Im located. Most use android. You're right, google is trying to do something similar to apple now, but the lack of the headphone jack frustrates me too much.
Thats why I'm also thinking about going back to an SE. I didn't think it would bother me that much :/

Whats also funny is that I didn't know I care that much about responsiveness, but yeah, i love apps that open in an instant, screens that rotate without stuttering and an app-switcher above 10 fps. Like in iOS 6, for example.

Hopefully it will get better. I'm not planning to switch instantly, but I'll certainly start looking outside the box.


@JaySoul
Do you have an example?
I mean, I watch movies on Netflix and listen to music on Spotify, so I actually reached a point where I don't have to invest in apps anymore either

@lowendlinux

Hehe, i know what you mean, I really do ^^ But as a writer, I totally enjoy the german language and its possibilities
Lots of different tenses to play with
[doublepost=1507821816][/doublepost]

That's pretty much what lead me to all Google services. I use DropBox instead of drive, but I use Gmail, Google Calendar, Keep, Google Maps, the Google App, and Google Assistant.

Thats exactly what i mean! Who needs Handoff? It was there all along.

To the OP, I think you should probably think about how much you've spent on things that will only work in the Apple ecosystem and then decide if you are willing to throw that away.

Thats actually great advice, thanks! As I said, I'm using Sotify and Netflix already EVEN THOUGH I have lots of music and movies and music....kinda gets me thinking...maybe I already don't need it.
But its still sad somehow. I mean...its just sitting there :/

s far as I can tell, iPads are still considered by many to offer the best tablet experience, so maybe you can keep partly in the ecosystem by staying with iPads so that you don’t lose access to the media you’ve purchased.

Again, thats true. I also have my mac. I think im just a little puzzled right now cause everyone always tells me "its so hard to switch" and that it makes no sence since I'm locked etc.etc.

 

[koigirl]

I just switched. I am no technological genius. It was really pretty simple. I miss a few things but not much. I continue to use my iPad Pro and my Mac so I have feet in both worlds. I do love my new Note 8 and Gear S3. The switch wasn't near the ordeal I thought it would be and it feels nice to know I am now free to choose/use whichever device offers the most feature-wise and price-wise.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Hi!
Im Max, and yes, i am a noobie,but im lurking this forum since the very first iphone.
Im just not a forum guy... English = not first language, so please bear my mistakes.

I´m experiencing a lot of hate towards the iphone here on mr, and i never got why thats the case because I always were a fan of apple and thought the iphone is just the non plus ultra when it comes to smartphones. Actually, I never had a reason to complain because eveything worked how it should.
But, even though i dont care enough about phones that i would partake in any kind of fangirl-blabla, I also never considered anything other than apple and iOS.
As I told you I'm not a forum guy (no social media either), but, as how people are, they only voice themself if somthing bothers them. Im guilty, I know.

In private, I always were raving about how fluid and polished iOS and the iphone in genereal is, compared to android or windows phone and in the past, it was totally true.
You couldnt get a better smartphone than the 5s. First i wasn't convined at the unibody design and that you couldnt replace akku, but in the end, unibody smartphones are the prettiest.

But as of late, since i upgraded to the seven (iOS 11), im pretty disapointed to be honest. I mean, there really are enough discussions here about bugs and glitches on iOS 11, and personally, I experience everyone of them.
I wouldnt have registered if I wouldnt feel that this is a huge problem for me. Also, since I'm experiencing soooo much GUI glitches , I'm remembering that this isn't new. It started with iOS7, but I just ignored it and thought that I can deal with it, since there isn't any serious competition.

I got a new gf as of late and her family is all android and windows and stuff. I dont know her family that much yet, but she has a huawei 9P and a 1400€ HP Windows Laptop (you can play literally every game on it) and a Samsung Tablet. Im using her phone quite a lot because i was intersted and never had the chance to REALLY try out a android phone longer than a few minutes and.... yes. I admit it:
The way android handles multitasking, notifications, control panel and customization is mindbogeling (in a positiv way) compared to the latest version of iphones. There are zero guis glitches and since I'm just using some core apps, I also don't have to deal with viruses and such...

My argument FOR the iphone always was the integration to apples laptops and, if you own one, smartwatches and such. But in the past weeks i learned that there is an alternative to everything.
Every google product already had a "kind of" handoff, because you always can switch the work on the very same project on pc and smartphone (docs, sheets, etc), because its just one cloud-thingy. Also, she gets every notification on her pc and her Samsung tablet. I dont know if its already baked in into android, or if you have to rely on 3rd party software, but she uses pushbullet for that service since years. I always thought thats an iphone-only thing.

And now, I just dont know what to do. I kind of regret that i didnt used other platforms in the past, since I'm also using windows, mac and linux, but I had such bad experiences with past Samsung phones that I couldnt take android seriously.
Now I'm looking at my high priced Iphone and have the same glitches I made fun of years ago about android. But, since phones arent that important to me, how could I know that Samsung ≠Android per se.

My question to the community:

I invested heavily in the apple eco-system. I have a huuuge ammount of music and films I purchased from itunes and a huuuge ammount of apps in the appstore. So I kinda really dont want to leave that eco system, but I'm really starting to get envious of the way (some) android phones handle basic tasks and I'm thinking to switch.

I mean, I still have Itunes on my mac, I get notifications to my mac via Pushbullet, I get a usable and accesable file system, i get a headphone jack...etc.

Since I really dont follow every rumor and news: Can you tell me wich way apple is going? I plan to upgrade next year, but I'm not sure if thats the right thing.
Do you see apple implementing features like "default app" or making the controlpanel and notification centre more useful next year?
I mean, there actually is text outside the bubbles. It just feels...alpha?
Android doesn't do that kind of things nowadays, even if its hard to believe.
And if not, do you think apple is planning something like that in at least two or three years.
Because if that isn't the case, i HAVE to stop investing in such an expensive eco-system.
With apple, I even have to purchase apps twice, one for iphone, one for ipad.

TLDR
So, do you think its time to say goodbye, before its to late, or do you think apple fixes it?
Im kinda afraid of tossing thousands of 'money' away to a platform i might not use anymore in a few month or years?!
What also itchs me is: I can play bucking old nes, snes and ps games on her phone. You can attach keyboard, mouse and controller. If you connect it to a tv, its such an enternaintemt system 0_o

Thanks for reading.

PS: I like this language...so few capital letters ^^

Google did not release Android as a refined OS, Apple did. While Apple was able to maintain a near perfect refinement level for almost a decade, Google had to go through the hard knocks with Android. The same with Samsung and their TouchWiz software. Nowadays, Android OS and most manufacturer software is pretty much at the same level or better(arguably) in refinement.

But during that whole process, Google and manufacturers like Samsung have been introducing software and hardware changes that have changed the expectations of what many users want today. And it seems that Apple has recently been forced by the market to follow suit, while trying their hardest to avoid experiencing the hard knocks themselves. The more robust iOS becomes and the more complicated hardware they use, means the more issues Apple will have. Which for dedicated iOS users is a large contrast compared to the iOS of yesterday.

While Samsung is no stranger at dealing with over the top hardware, and Google pretty much fixed most of Android's noticeable cons. Apple is quickly finding themselves in new territory with competition.

I'm not saying Apple is doomed by any means. But I've seen this coming for years now. There is always a moment when a product that's tried and true has to morph into something that might need to be refined once more. Dedicated iOS users are not used to dealing with that cycle. Those of us that used Android for years know what that's like.

 

[timeconsumer]

Basically, I think you need to determine your requirements for phones and see what fits best into your lifestyle with the existing hardware that you have. But, generally speaking I would recommend supporting companies that offer cross-platform apps and supporting open standards such as USB-C. I hate that Apple is so closed and that's generally what pushes me away every time.

Right now, I am likely going to switch away from Apple and move to a Pixel. I tried last year but my Pixel had a lot of issues with it so I switched back to an iPhone. My Pixel had microphone issues, charging issues and some software issues that should be resolved I was just impatient to wait for those software fixes before moving back to an iPhone. This year, I'm hoping those issues I had have been fixed in the Pixel 2. I've actually spent more money on Android apps than I have on iOS apps and in a much shorter time frame. I feel like using an Android phone it has much much more capability and that iPhones don't. Not sure why but I do.

Of my portable devices that I currently own, most use USB-C to charge with the exception of my iPhone and Apple Watch. So it would be nice to have a phone that also uses USB-C so I don't have to have different cables. The no headphone port is also very annoying for me, but if I keep my iPhone 7 I have to use an adapter anyway and I actually am quite impressed by the Google Pixel buds, so I'd like to try those out and the case that comes with it uses a USB-C connection for charging.

 

[mi7chy]

Substitute phone with electric car. If all you need is a minimal experience stick with a golf cart (iOS). If you like versatility and smart features try Tesla (Pixel 2, Galaxy Note 8, etc.). Or, use both platforms like most of us here are doing.

 

[ozaz]

I'm repeating some of what others have said, but...

iTunes music purchases - you have access to iTunes music purchases via Apple Music app on Android and iTunes on Windows so I don't think you need to worry about losing access to these if you move away from iPhone or even Mac. I also thought iTunes music purchases are DRM free so could be transferred to any music player. Can someone confirm?

iTunes movie purchases - depends on whether its important for you to be able to watch your movie purchases on your phone. I personally never do this so would not let iTunes movie purchases dictate my choice of phone hardware. If I want to watch iTunes movies on the go I use my iPad or Windows laptop.

Going forward I'd suggest, as others already have, to use cross-platform apps and services as much as possible. Makes it very easy to switch operating systems whenever you feel like it.

 

[tbayrgs]

Anothet new tip to help with iTunes movie DRM. Disney Movies Anywhere has just expanded and become Movies Anywhere. For anyone not familiar with the service—you were previously able to link your various media accounts (Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu) to the service which allowed you to purchase a movie from one of them and have access on any of the others as well—no more lock in on a single service. This was previously only available for Disney owned properties (Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars) but now incorporates 5 more major studios (Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Comcast’s Universal Pictures and Time Warner’s Warner Bros. Entertainment). That leaves one major holdout — Viacom’s Paramount — as well as independent movie studios.

So now you don’t have to worry about only being to watch content on certain devices. Until now, the only digital content I’d purchase was from Disney (rip blu rays for anything else). This change really helps take down another ecosystem switching barrier.

 

[Wrathwitch]

Anothet new tip to help with iTunes movie DRM. Disney Movies Anywhere has just expanded and become Movies Anywhere. For anyone not familiar with the service—you were previously able to link your various media accounts (Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu) to the service which allowed you to purchase a movie from one of them and have access on any of the others as well—no more lock in on a single service. This was previously only available for Disney owned properties (Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars) but now incorporates 5 more major studios (Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Comcast’s Universal Pictures and Time Warner’s Warner Bros. Entertainment). That leaves one major holdout — Viacom’s Paramount — as well as independent movie studios.

So now you don’t have to worry about only being to watch content on certain devices. Until now, the only digital content I’d purchase was from Disney (rip blu rays for anything else). This change really helps take down another ecosystem switching barrier.

Damn! I hope the service expands to Canada.... It sounds really cool.

 

[apolloa]

I’ll chime in...

With Android, it’s a pretty mature OS, but it’s a bit separated, for instance with a Pixel you get the naked experience, it also means very fast performance and updates, but you don’t get as many features, the new Pixel 2 XL for instance has been reviewed as having a lower quality screen then the iPhone and Note 8, I am yet to see one personally though.

Then you have all the Android manufactures, they offer everything you could think off and at all levels, but then you don’t have the same updates all the time, so you may not get that security bug fix you want, Samsung are not the best with updates, but arguably make amongst the best hardware.

Now you also have apps that work fine, aren’t quite as smooth or optimised.

With Apple you get great app optimisation, quality usually, but they are expensive. You also get iMessage if you don’t use WhatsApp, and an easier to use interface.
You also get integration as you said of its devices.

It’s a tough choice, I like the Apple Watch and the iPad Pro, I own both, but I had a play it’s the Note 8 recently and it was stunning, I would consider it if it worked with the Apple Watch, I’m not sure it will fully though and theirs an example of that closed system.
But the price of the Note 8 has dropped already, the idea of the possibility in a few months of getting one for say £650 to £700 is sooooooooooo tempting..

But their does seem to have been a change at Apple over the last few years, iOS has got more and more buggy, their is no excuse for it when Apple design and own ALL the hardware it runs on, and they have ludicrous amounts of money for resources, programmers etc. It’s a very shoddy place to be.
Their computers have also suffered with no updates and price increases.

Their really are pros and cons with both, I’ve had both Android and iOS, Windows and Mac. These days I also look a bit more for value for money, and again that Note 8....

 

[tbayrgs]

Damn! I hope the service expands to Canada.... It sounds really cool.

It’s exactly how it should have been done from the start. Massive props to Disney for negotiating this service. And any movies that I bought (or were free promotions) somewhere other than iTunes—when I checked my library on the Apple TV, they’re able to be streamed in 4K if that version is available. I bought Spider-Man: Homecoming on iTunes and I’m able to watch it in 4K on Google Play Movies on my Nvidia Shield TV.

So, so happy about this. My wallet...not so much.

 

[Dodgeman]

Yeah, Apple. Anything worth having with them cost $$.
Plus I’m tired of being locked and tied into the Apple system.
Didn’t think the iPhone 8 was a substantial upgrade over the 7+, the X it’s coming but Im noting going to notice a huge difference my phone now has iOS 11.
Think it’s just about time for a change.

 

[pika2000]

I invested in Apple because of their support. No human made stuff can be perfect, and when they fail/break, I want good support where I need it, especially since Apple's warranty is international (where they have official presence).
None of the Android OEMs can or even willing to match that. They all are stuck in their traditional local regions only supporting local SKUs model, despite the world going global. It's even worse when they are trying to charge you Apple's prices for their products.

So when I buy an Android phone, I buy cheap phones like Xiaomi. If I'm paying $$$, I'll go with Apple. No point in giving $$$ to the likes of Samsung/Sony, etc.

 

[pat500000]

To long to read...so I'll sum it up: Apple's ecosystem can be broken if their QA is not intact.

 

[sracer]

Hi!


My question to the community:

I invested heavily in the apple eco-system. I have a huuuge ammount of music and films I purchased from itunes and a huuuge ammount of apps in the appstore. So I kinda really dont want to leave that eco system, but I'm really starting to get envious of the way (some) android phones handle basic tasks and I'm thinking to switch.

I mean, I still have Itunes on my mac, I get notifications to my mac via Pushbullet, I get a usable and accesable file system, i get a headphone jack...etc.

Since I really dont follow every rumor and news: Can you tell me wich way apple is going? I plan to upgrade next year, but I'm not sure if thats the right thing.
Do you see apple implementing features like "default app" or making the controlpanel and notification centre more useful next year?
I mean, there actually is text outside the bubbles. It just feels...alpha?
Android doesn't do that kind of things nowadays, even if its hard to believe.
And if not, do you think apple is planning something like that in at least two or three years.
Because if that isn't the case, i HAVE to stop investing in such an expensive eco-system.
With apple, I even have to purchase apps twice, one for iphone, one for ipad.

TLDR
So, do you think its time to say goodbye, before its to late, or do you think apple fixes it?
Im kinda afraid of tossing thousands of 'money' away to a platform i might not use anymore in a few month or years?!
What also itchs me is: I can play bucking old nes, snes and ps games on her phone. You can attach keyboard, mouse and controller. If you connect it to a tv, its such an enternaintemt system 0_o

Thanks for reading.

PS: I like this language...so few capital letters ^^

You're not alone, but the issue is highly personal and subjective so the best thing to do is to listen to our individual stories and paths and see what, if anything, "connects" with you and offer some perspectives and insights that you might find helpful.

I've been heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem (iOS and OSX/macOS) for about 10 years. Not blindly invested though... selectively picking and choosing devices and services as fits my particular needs. (for example: conventional wisdom is to purchase AppleCare for Apple products. I've never purchased AppleCare...and never needed it. I've saved a ton of money because of that decision)

I knew going in that Apple liked to limit options for customers and control the user experience. At the time, the restrictions made sense to me and seemed like a reasonable trade-off for having a consistent, solid, and stable experience. As they became more successful, they expanded the capabilities of their devices but wasn't done in a way that maintained that consistency and stability that initially drew me in.

Apple has reached a point where they are "too big to listen" to their customers and they engage in "gaslighting" in an attempt to convince me that I'm not seeing what I know I'm seeing. I don't say that with any animosity or ill will. It is what it is. Apple is doing what they believe that they need to do to continue to be successful and they are accountable to their stockholders.

But by the same token, I need to do what is right for me and my family. With the current state of Apple products, none of this latest generation of products are a match for my needs and wants. I'm having a blast with my iPhone SE, absolutely love it, but it will be my last iPhone (if there is nothing similar available when I need to replace it). I still need/want a headphone jack, small pocketable phone, and reasonable price. People can call me a neanderthal that is stuck in ancient times... and that's ok with me. That won't change what I need and want.

My 11" Macbook Air is the absolute best notebook I've ever owned. It's a great little road warrior that does everything that I throw at it. But it will be my last Apple notebook (if there is no Macbook Air available when I need to replace this one) for the reasons that first drew me to the MBA.

I can go on and on with my iPad Mini 4, 12.9" iPad Pro, and 21" iMac with similar reasons.

So what I'm doing now is preparing for a long-range wind-down. I've experimented with non-Apple hardware and with cross-platform software and services. Taking the hardest look at the things I rely on the most within the Apple sphere and determining what the alternatives will be. That exercise has been very fruitful and I'm confident that if (and increasingly looking like "when") the time comes, I'll be able to transition out with minimal expense and hassle.

 

[ozaz]

I can go on and on with my iPad Mini 4, 12.9" iPad Pro, and 21" iMac with similar reasons.

Out of curiosity, is it only a potential loss of headphone jack that would cause you to move away from iPad or something else?
I've gradually transitioned most of my tech away from Apple over the last 4 years or so.
But the iPad remains ever present for me even after trying several Android tablets.

 

[sracer]

Out of curiosity, is it only a potential loss of headphone jack that would cause you to move away from iPad or something else?
I've gradually transitioned most of my tech away from Apple over the last 4 years or so.
But the iPad remains ever present for me even after trying several Android tablets.

I wouldn't be AS bothered by the removal of the headphone jack on the iPad as I am with the iPhone. It would still be an annoyance, another straw, but not the final straw.

The iPad has always been highly restricted and limited in support of peripherals and interconnectivity. Lack of support for removable media, lack of support for USB peripherals, and so on were "acceptable" to me when the iPad was first released because of the high quality screen, the accuracy of multitouch, battery life, weight, and portability. I think my appreciation for that was heightened because I had a lot of experience with tablets in the 90's and early 2000's. The iPad was truly groundbreaking when it was released. That was then.

Since then, there have been alternatives that offer nearly as good of a solution in those areas but also provide for those things that are missing from the iPad. These alternatives don't match the iPad in terms of feature-for-feature quality, they're close enough but they also do those things that the iPad doesn't. So taken as a whole, they're winning out (for me). While that is going on, Apple is slowly edging forward at a glacial pace to add things that their competitors already do, but they're not doing it as well as they are. File Manager being a prime example.