Okay... let's just say that we give you that one... the Fire doesn't contribute to Android fragmentation.
... but what does it do to Android tablet sales?
I'd say that anyone trying to sell any other Android tablet this holiday season, at least in the US, might as well pack up their tent and go home.
QFT. If the Kindle Fire sells as well as it is expected, Android tablet vendors (possibly excluding B&N with the Nook) will be negatively affected. However, in absolute numbers, the lost iPad sales may be significantly higher due to its dominant market share.
Never said they left iOS...I said they've used iOS...I've never had an iPhone before I bought an Android phone. But I've used them.
" But I've used them."
Just what does that mean?
What have you used an iPhone for?
How long did you use it?
When? What Model Phone? What version of iOS?
Did you set up the iPhone with your personal information so you could make and receive phone calls, texts, emails, chats, video chats, etc.?
How many things did you buy from the app store or the music store?
Did you use AirPrint? AirPlay?
Did you use Siri? Long enough for Siri to recognize your voice and contacts, relationships, nicknames?
Did you ever try iTunes match -- where all your music purchases and your entire music collection is available instantly? (14,000 plus songs for our household)
How many apps did you run? Which ones?
Did you use it through a full discharge/recharge cycle to assess its usability?
Did you use it through an OS update cycle?
How long did you have to wait for the latest OS release to be available that was applicable to your model iPhone.
How long did the OS install take?
How many times did you need to back-install a prior OS release?
How many carrier-installed apps did you find that you would like to remove?
How many manufacturer-installed apps did you find that you would like to remove?
Did you JailBreak the iPhone so it was as flexible as your rooted Android phone?
How many JailBreak apps did you install?
How many apps did you write and install?
Unless you've done most of the things -- you've not really used an iPhone.
"Let me borrow a jacket"... is not the same as "Walk a mile in my shoes"!
1) It's a $200 eReader with some tablet-esque capabilities. The price point to functionality ratio is great, but it's not a great tablet. Apple set that bar, no one else has come close to reaching it.
2) Why does every competitor to Apple get these thanks-for-participating qualifiers like "It's pretty good for a first attempt" or "It's pretty good for $200." Apple didn't get that with their $500 iPad. In fact quite the opposite was said about the usefulness, and longevity of the device that didn't follow in the footsteps of 3 decades of failed tablet designs.
3) Kindle Fire OS is a fork, that means it's not fragmenting Android because it's not part of the Android OS ecosystem. What Kindle Fire is a fragmentation of the entire tablet market. It's yet another OS that developers have to deal with for the market as a whole if they want to push their apps. Kindle Fire OS is more like a distant cousin that wouldn't even be a match as a liver donor when Android gets cirrhosis for drinking it self to the bottom of the OEM bottle.
4) Kindle Fires are going to be a hit this season, but they won't take a hit on iPad sales. No one hems and haws about a products that are 2.5x the different in price. What the Kindle Fire (and Nook Color) may do is give consumers who would have not spent $500 or more on a tablet the taste of how a tablet can be useful, so after they get the Fisher Price version they very well may want to get a real tablet for their next purchase. This means Amazon needs to get a proper 10" tablet for next year or risk losing in the long term.
Instead of asking a bunch of questions, why don't you specify the exact time needed for a person to form an educated opinion about a device. Something in the lines of "received 100 calls on iPhone", "installed 20 apps on iPad", "set up 10 calendar appointments through Siri".
2) Why does every competitor to Apple get these thanks-for-participating qualifiers like "It's pretty good for a first attempt" or "It's pretty good for $200." Apple didn't get that with their $500 iPad. In fact quite the opposite was said about the usefulness, and longevity of the device that didn't follow in the footsteps of 3 decades of failed tablet designs.
You just answered your own question. For $500, people expect significantly more. Just look at all Android tablets that flopped when introduced at around $600...
QFT. If the Kindle Fire sells as well as it is expected, Android tablet vendors (possibly excluding B&N with the Nook) will be negatively affected. However, in absolute numbers, the lost iPad sales may be significantly higher due to its dominant market share.
No doubt it will cut into iPad sales. My guess is that Fire sales (no pun intended) will diminish dramatically come January... not that the iPad won't also slow at this time but iPad has the chance to again increase sales with an increase in features and/or ability with the iPad 3. If the Fire can extend its features and/or ability then it too may see increased sales in the future but, imo, after Christmas it will be a slow year for the Fire.
As far as the Nook is concerned... I wouldn't want to be in B & N's shoes right now. It seems to me that the customer group that would buy the Nook aren't looking beyond basic features and therefore the Fire, being cheaper (and much better advertised), would be their first choice.
That I've spent an extensive time with an iPhone and currently own an iPad and have a full feel of how polished iOS is and how functional and how smooth the entire experience is.
Quote:
What have you used an iPhone for?
Calls, web browsing, games, notes, text messages, instant messaging, music, videos
Quote:
How long did you use it?
Combined? I can't really quantify that as I've used them sporadically when my phone (ironically) died or I left it at home. I'll say over the course of 4 years about 2 weeks worth of usage.
Quote:
When? What Model Phone? What version of iOS?
In 2007 when my friend (her name is Lauren) got one I couldn't keep my hands off of it for hours...it was the new hotness, a sight unseen before. I was serious amazed.
Throughout the year I'd get many other opportunities to use one and would've probably bought one (the 3G) but at that point in time shit decided to amass together and slam headfirst into the fan so I was stuck using my WM6.1 phone a bit longer.
The 3G added apps, which were AWESOME and I would use Lauren's and other friends phones whenever we were lazily chilling or my lackluster T-mobile Dash was just lame.
(insert Android - 10/21/2008)
3GS came out...faster phone overall, fun to use. At this point I was mainly using people's iPhones for Games and music as in late 08 Android could hardly be called a competitor.
The 4...beautiful. Same usage really..Games, Apps, Internet, Notes, Music...not much else. (u know, normal usage for smartphones despite how capable they REALLY are)
And the 4S I've played around with and was thus amazed by Siri.
Did you set up the iPhone with your personal information so you could make and receive phone calls, texts, emails, chats, video chats, etc.?
Quote:
How many things did you buy from the app store or the music store?
Few games for the iPad.
Quote:
Did you use AirPrint? AirPlay?
Nah but those are fantastic features.
Quote:
Did you use Siri? Long enough for Siri to recognize your voice and contacts, relationships, nicknames?
Again, never owned an iPhone (and my iPad has an old OS still) but I will always be impressed by Siri, I don't need to be sold on it as I am already sold on it. Voice Actions on my Android are ridiculous....but being that I have a speech impediment speaking to my phone isn't really something I care to concentrate on so I can be understood, I do that enough with actual human interaction)
Quote:
Did you ever try iTunes match -- where all your music purchases and your entire music collection is available instantly? (14,000 plus songs for our household)
I own 24 songs. I don't care about this feature.
Quote:
How many apps did you run? Which ones?
Really? Over the course of 4 years I've run many many many apps...most forgotten. The ones that I use often are Facebook, Yelp, Angry Birds, etc. I mostly use my iPad for emails and web browsing...games and videos sometimes.
Quote:
Did you use it through a full discharge/recharge cycle to assess its usability?
Not writing a review...this doesn't matter to me.
Quote:
Did you use it through an OS update cycle?
Before and after, but never during.
Quote:
How many manufacturer-installed apps did you find that you would like to remove?
Cute...Zero.
Quote:
How long did you have to wait for the latest OS release to be available that was applicable to your model iPhone.
How long did the OS install take?
How many times did you need to back-install a prior OS release?
Did you JailBreak the iPhone so it was as flexible as your rooted Android phone?
How many JailBreak apps did you install?
How many apps did you write and install?
Unless you've done most of the things -- you've not really used an iPhone.
Never owned my own iPhone...I figured that was quite clear.
Quote:
"Let me borrow a jacket"... is not the same as "Walk a mile in my shoes"!
Yea but "Hey can I borrow your car to go a block to pick something up." Is not the same as "Hey we have to drive across country so I'll drive your car half way."
You can get a decent feel for the car there, pros and cons, and little nuances without actually owning the car and tuning it up and adding a spoiler kit to it or changing the tire.
Look at the figures. The overwhelming majority of iPhone users stick with iPhones. IIRC, the percentage who leave the iPhone to switch to Android is in the single digits.
So if less than 10% of iPhone users switch to Android and Android phones outsell iPhones by a significant margins, how does that work out? Obviously, the majority if Android users are NOT coming from iPhones.
Furthermore, it doesn't take to long to realize that a large fraction of Android fans (certainly on sites like this) absolutely refuse to have anything to do with Apple products for 'religious' reasons.
Sure, they may have seen their neighbor's cousin's sister-in-law's iPhone for 10 seconds and think that makes them an expert, but in reality, most of them have not.
Instead of asking a bunch of questions, why don't you specify the exact time needed for a person to form an educated opinion about a device. Something in the lines of "received 100 calls on iPhone", "installed 20 apps on iPad", "set up 10 calendar appointments through Siri".
That way, we can all be on the same page.
Yea that would be nice.
According to his questionnaire I'd have had to own the device for 2 years 5 months 1.3 weeks 10 days 4 hours 3 minutes and 29 seconds in order to have a solid opinion on whether or not I like the iPhone -_-
You just answered your own question. For $500, people expect significantly more. Just look at all Android tablets that flopped when introduced at around $600...
You mean all those Android-based tablets that were deemed "Great for a first try", "An iPad killer", "The first fully functional tablet" yet costing more than the iPad? Yeah, that worked out so well for them. Why don't Apple products get these passes?
The customer reviews on Amazon are overwhelmingly positive, with a clear majority giving the Kindle Fire 5 stars. The most valued critical review still gives it 3 out of 5 stars. It seems that Amazon did it right, despite the modest HW specs.
Customer reviews have become a way of marketing. I am always quite sceptical of customer reviews as I believe mostly users with a gripe bother writing. Whenever there is a long structured customer review I assume it is paid for. There are sites where you put it related jobs to tender and many of those are customer review, or blog comment related.
You men all those Android-based tablets that were deemed "Great for a first try", "An iPad killer", "The first fully functional tablet". Yeah, that worked out so well for them.
Instead of asking a bunch of questions, why don't you specify the exact time needed for a person to form an educated opinion about a device. Something in the lines of "received 100 calls on iPhone", "installed 20 apps on iPad", "set up 10 calendar appointments through Siri".
That way, we can all be on the same page.
I don't think the numbers are as important as the activities embodied by the questions...
Obviously, my point was to demonstrate that playing with a smart phone at a demo counter, or borrowing a friends smart phone to make a call or play a game -- is quite different than buying a phone, installing "yourself" on the device and making it your own over a period of time.
I've used (driven) A Roll-Royce, Aston-Martin, Austin-Healey, several Jaguars, several Mercedes-Benz... but I never owned any of them.
They were nice, but I don't feel qualified to evaluate (praise or berate) them -- I just don't have the standing... the experience.
However, I did own an MG TD 1953. I am fully qualified to explain:
-- how much fun it is to spend 10 minutes putting the top up during a rainstorm
-- setting the tappet adjustments over and over and over until they are just right
-- setting the carburetors by sound, listening through a vacuum cleaner hose
-- the satisfying feeling when you got a hand wave from another poor soul driving an early sports car
I haven't used an Android phone -- there is nothing there that interests me.
But I don't go to to Android-centric forums and try to convince them that my decision, an iPhone/iPad, is better than theirs.
Saying the Kindle Fire contributes to Android fragmentation is like saying OSX is fragmenting Unix.
I hope that the management team doesn't believe their marketing speak. Apple should be very concerned. The reality is that it doesn't matter what OS Fire runs, it is the marketing ability of the company behind it that matters.
Again, never owned an iPhone (and my iPad has an old OS still) but I will always be impressed by Siri, I don't need to be sold on it as I am already sold on it. Voice Actions on my Android are ridiculous....but being that I have a speech impediment speaking to my phone isn't really something I care to concentrate on so I can be understood, I do that enough with actual human interaction)
Serious question here:
My 13-year-old grandson had an undetected hearing defect when he was young (a blockage that was corrected by inserting tubes in both ears).
Because of this he couldn't properly hear others speak.
He is OK now, but tends to speak in a rapid monotone, running the words together, with no emphasis or pauses.
When he's excited, you can barely understand him. His friends make fun of him!
The speech therapists say they've done all they can...
When we group read, aloud, we make him speak slowly, pause, emphasize... tell us a story. This works very well... but it hasn't become a habit.
When I got the iPhone 4S he was all over Siri...
Hmm... I wonder if Siri could be used for voice therapy...
-- it forces you to enunciate
-- it recognizes pauses and context
-- it reinforces what you say by repeating it
-- it is useful
-- it is always available
-- it is habit forming
-- it appears to be almost human
I am hoping that Apple makes Siri available on non-phone iDevices, then opens up the APIs to 3rd-party programmers.
I'd love to write a customizable drill-and-practice Siri speech app for my grandson.
We are considering buying him an iPhone 4S (contract or unlocked) for Christmas.
This will be of some use -- but not as far-reaching as ifthe Siri APIs were available.
As someone with a speech impediment and who is familiar with Siri -- would you mind giving me your opinions on this?
I suspect that one big difference between the Android world and the iOS world is that iOS users expect their phones to work! I don't want a hackable phone as it is a critical device for me. To toy around with I have a number of computers running both Mac OS/X and Linux.
I suspect the comedy hour is really a chance to watch Android users explains how they mucked up their phone and can't communicate with anybody. Frankly if Apple came out with a phone that was as open as the Android platform I wouldn't buy it. For me phones need to be as reliable as a crow bar.
Interestingly I find iOS to be far more frustrating on iPad. There more flexibility would greatly enhance the device. If any one competing platform ever got traction in the market place I'd be tempted to switch. This is especially the case if the unit has accessible USB ports.
In any event a different perspective. Not all iOS devices are the same, it is frustrating that we have to live with the same restrictions across all devices. "It just works" is a valuable selling point though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AbsoluteDesignz
Comedy hour on AI?
Most Android users have used iOS. A lot have iPads (and even consider it the only tablet worth owning - like I do)
I've seen hundreds of comments from people here who have not used Android at all. And considering the religious like following Apple has most will never try Android.
People do not like the same things. I do wish Android was as smooth an experience as iOS. It isn't. However I do not like iOS. I do not want a 3.5 inch screen. I do not want an app launcher for a homescreen. I want and enjoy tinkering and control. I like the pseudo open nature of Android and the community always pushing the envelope.
Even then I don't agree nor like everything about Android. I do not like the lack of at least an app icon template. I do not like the overwhelming number of poor quality apps (luckily the apps I use are high quality)
When I pick up an iPhone I know how to use it. It is okay IMO. But too small. And too limiting (which is why I can't Eben enjoy WP7 as it is so boring despite the fact that I think the UI is the best out there)
I do wish Google would exercise more control of Android. But they don't or won't and I can live with that.
There are specific reasons I don't use iOS (or Mac OSX at home) little things I don't like.
Fandroids overall are a hell of a lot more open minded than iPhanboys.
We tend not to worship Google. You can go to any Android blog then any Apple blog and compare the glorification/complaint ratio of articles on each. Android blogs say a lot more and criticise a lot more. They desire control. We don't need to be coddled and ushered into an age of whitewashed simplicity.
I like that the twitter integration you now have is native on android by simply installing an app. I like being able to completely swap out almost every stock app at my discretion. I can share almost anything through almost any app that adds a line of code. These are freedoms you will never enjoy. My device is mine. Android screenshot threads vs iOS screenshot threads are utterly hilarious. That alone should show you some of why people choose Android. It's not some ignorance of iOS. Who the hell is ignorant of iOS? It is not a hatred of Apple. A lot of the CM team USE macs to make Cyanogenmods.
So what is it? Choice. Freedom. Ownership.
The kindle is not a second rate iPad. It is a kindle. A portal into Amazon's ecosystem. A content streaming device. An e-reader. Not even a competitor to the iPad. No one who wants an iPad would be swayed into getting a kindle. Most who want a kindle could be swayed into getting an iPad. The iPad is scores more useful than a Kindle Fire.
But not everyone needs an iPad or is heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem nor do they wish to be.
Your walled garden is beautiful and landscaped to perfection. Sure.
Comments
Saying the Kindle Fire contributes to Android fragmentation is like saying OSX is fragmenting Unix.
Silly. OSX is based on UNIX but no one is selling it to consumers.
The Kindle is a fork of Android which is being sold to consumers.
No one is expecting all UNIX system to work together or be able to share the same AppStore and stores for media consumption.
On the other hand, consumer would expect all Android devices to share the same AppStores and stores for media consumption.
The Kindle divides Android and brings with it a WALLED GARDEN for it's AppStore.
Saying the Kindle Fire contributes to Android fragmentation is like saying OSX is fragmenting Unix.
Okay... let's just say that we give you that one... the Fire doesn't contribute to Android fragmentation.
... but what does it do to Android tablet sales?
I'd say that anyone trying to sell any other Android tablet this holiday season, at least in the US, might as well pack up their tent and go home.
Okay... let's just say that we give you that one... the Fire doesn't contribute to Android fragmentation.
... but what does it do to Android tablet sales?
I'd say that anyone trying to sell any other Android tablet this holiday season, at least in the US, might as well pack up their tent and go home.
My guess is that the Nook Tablet will also sell very well. It costs $50 more, but is much more capable.
Okay... let's just say that we give you that one... the Fire doesn't contribute to Android fragmentation.
... but what does it do to Android tablet sales?
I'd say that anyone trying to sell any other Android tablet this holiday season, at least in the US, might as well pack up their tent and go home.
QFT. If the Kindle Fire sells as well as it is expected, Android tablet vendors (possibly excluding B&N with the Nook) will be negatively affected. However, in absolute numbers, the lost iPad sales may be significantly higher due to its dominant market share.
Never said they left iOS...I said they've used iOS...I've never had an iPhone before I bought an Android phone. But I've used them.
" But I've used them."
Just what does that mean?
What have you used an iPhone for?
How long did you use it?
When? What Model Phone? What version of iOS?
Did you set up the iPhone with your personal information so you could make and receive phone calls, texts, emails, chats, video chats, etc.?
How many things did you buy from the app store or the music store?
Did you use AirPrint? AirPlay?
Did you use Siri? Long enough for Siri to recognize your voice and contacts, relationships, nicknames?
Did you ever try iTunes match -- where all your music purchases and your entire music collection is available instantly? (14,000 plus songs for our household)
How many apps did you run? Which ones?
Did you use it through a full discharge/recharge cycle to assess its usability?
Did you use it through an OS update cycle?
How long did you have to wait for the latest OS release to be available that was applicable to your model iPhone.
How long did the OS install take?
How many times did you need to back-install a prior OS release?
How many carrier-installed apps did you find that you would like to remove?
How many manufacturer-installed apps did you find that you would like to remove?
Did you JailBreak the iPhone so it was as flexible as your rooted Android phone?
How many JailBreak apps did you install?
How many apps did you write and install?
Unless you've done most of the things -- you've not really used an iPhone.
"Let me borrow a jacket"... is not the same as "Walk a mile in my shoes"!
2) Why does every competitor to Apple get these thanks-for-participating qualifiers like "It's pretty good for a first attempt" or "It's pretty good for $200." Apple didn't get that with their $500 iPad. In fact quite the opposite was said about the usefulness, and longevity of the device that didn't follow in the footsteps of 3 decades of failed tablet designs.
3) Kindle Fire OS is a fork, that means it's not fragmenting Android because it's not part of the Android OS ecosystem. What Kindle Fire is a fragmentation of the entire tablet market. It's yet another OS that developers have to deal with for the market as a whole if they want to push their apps. Kindle Fire OS is more like a distant cousin that wouldn't even be a match as a liver donor when Android gets cirrhosis for drinking it self to the bottom of the OEM bottle.
4) Kindle Fires are going to be a hit this season, but they won't take a hit on iPad sales. No one hems and haws about a products that are 2.5x the different in price. What the Kindle Fire (and Nook Color) may do is give consumers who would have not spent $500 or more on a tablet the taste of how a tablet can be useful, so after they get the Fisher Price version they very well may want to get a real tablet for their next purchase. This means Amazon needs to get a proper 10" tablet for next year or risk losing in the long term.
" But I've used them."
Just what does that mean?
Instead of asking a bunch of questions, why don't you specify the exact time needed for a person to form an educated opinion about a device. Something in the lines of "received 100 calls on iPhone", "installed 20 apps on iPad", "set up 10 calendar appointments through Siri".
That way, we can all be on the same page.
2) Why does every competitor to Apple get these thanks-for-participating qualifiers like "It's pretty good for a first attempt" or "It's pretty good for $200." Apple didn't get that with their $500 iPad. In fact quite the opposite was said about the usefulness, and longevity of the device that didn't follow in the footsteps of 3 decades of failed tablet designs.
You just answered your own question. For $500, people expect significantly more. Just look at all Android tablets that flopped when introduced at around $600...
QFT. If the Kindle Fire sells as well as it is expected, Android tablet vendors (possibly excluding B&N with the Nook) will be negatively affected. However, in absolute numbers, the lost iPad sales may be significantly higher due to its dominant market share.
No doubt it will cut into iPad sales. My guess is that Fire sales (no pun intended) will diminish dramatically come January... not that the iPad won't also slow at this time but iPad has the chance to again increase sales with an increase in features and/or ability with the iPad 3. If the Fire can extend its features and/or ability then it too may see increased sales in the future but, imo, after Christmas it will be a slow year for the Fire.
As far as the Nook is concerned... I wouldn't want to be in B & N's shoes right now. It seems to me that the customer group that would buy the Nook aren't looking beyond basic features and therefore the Fire, being cheaper (and much better advertised), would be their first choice.
" But I've used them."
Just what does that mean?
That I've spent an extensive time with an iPhone and currently own an iPad and have a full feel of how polished iOS is and how functional and how smooth the entire experience is.
What have you used an iPhone for?
Calls, web browsing, games, notes, text messages, instant messaging, music, videos
How long did you use it?
Combined? I can't really quantify that as I've used them sporadically when my phone (ironically) died or I left it at home. I'll say over the course of 4 years about 2 weeks worth of usage.
When? What Model Phone? What version of iOS?
In 2007 when my friend (her name is Lauren) got one I couldn't keep my hands off of it for hours...it was the new hotness, a sight unseen before. I was serious amazed.
Throughout the year I'd get many other opportunities to use one and would've probably bought one (the 3G) but at that point in time shit decided to amass together and slam headfirst into the fan so I was stuck using my WM6.1 phone a bit longer.
The 3G added apps, which were AWESOME and I would use Lauren's and other friends phones whenever we were lazily chilling or my lackluster T-mobile Dash was just lame.
(insert Android - 10/21/2008)
3GS came out...faster phone overall, fun to use. At this point I was mainly using people's iPhones for Games and music as in late 08 Android could hardly be called a competitor.
The 4...beautiful. Same usage really..Games, Apps, Internet, Notes, Music...not much else. (u know, normal usage for smartphones despite how capable they REALLY are)
And the 4S I've played around with and was thus amazed by Siri.
Did you set up the iPhone with your personal information so you could make and receive phone calls, texts, emails, chats, video chats, etc.?
How many things did you buy from the app store or the music store?
Few games for the iPad.
Did you use AirPrint? AirPlay?
Nah but those are fantastic features.
Did you use Siri? Long enough for Siri to recognize your voice and contacts, relationships, nicknames?
Again, never owned an iPhone (and my iPad has an old OS still) but I will always be impressed by Siri, I don't need to be sold on it as I am already sold on it. Voice Actions on my Android are ridiculous....but being that I have a speech impediment speaking to my phone isn't really something I care to concentrate on so I can be understood, I do that enough with actual human interaction)
Did you ever try iTunes match -- where all your music purchases and your entire music collection is available instantly? (14,000 plus songs for our household)
I own 24 songs. I don't care about this feature.
How many apps did you run? Which ones?
Really? Over the course of 4 years I've run many many many apps...most forgotten. The ones that I use often are Facebook, Yelp, Angry Birds, etc. I mostly use my iPad for emails and web browsing...games and videos sometimes.
Did you use it through a full discharge/recharge cycle to assess its usability?
Not writing a review...this doesn't matter to me.
Did you use it through an OS update cycle?
Before and after, but never during.
How many manufacturer-installed apps did you find that you would like to remove?
Cute...Zero.
How long did you have to wait for the latest OS release to be available that was applicable to your model iPhone.
How long did the OS install take?
How many times did you need to back-install a prior OS release?
Did you JailBreak the iPhone so it was as flexible as your rooted Android phone?
How many JailBreak apps did you install?
How many apps did you write and install?
Unless you've done most of the things -- you've not really used an iPhone.
Never owned my own iPhone...I figured that was quite clear.
"Let me borrow a jacket"... is not the same as "Walk a mile in my shoes"!
Yea but "Hey can I borrow your car to go a block to pick something up." Is not the same as "Hey we have to drive across country so I'll drive your car half way."
You can get a decent feel for the car there, pros and cons, and little nuances without actually owning the car and tuning it up and adding a spoiler kit to it or changing the tire.
This is absolute nonsense.
Look at the figures. The overwhelming majority of iPhone users stick with iPhones. IIRC, the percentage who leave the iPhone to switch to Android is in the single digits.
So if less than 10% of iPhone users switch to Android and Android phones outsell iPhones by a significant margins, how does that work out? Obviously, the majority if Android users are NOT coming from iPhones.
Furthermore, it doesn't take to long to realize that a large fraction of Android fans (certainly on sites like this) absolutely refuse to have anything to do with Apple products for 'religious' reasons.
Sure, they may have seen their neighbor's cousin's sister-in-law's iPhone for 10 seconds and think that makes them an expert, but in reality, most of them have not.
Is the iPhone now the only device that runs iOS?
Instead of asking a bunch of questions, why don't you specify the exact time needed for a person to form an educated opinion about a device. Something in the lines of "received 100 calls on iPhone", "installed 20 apps on iPad", "set up 10 calendar appointments through Siri".
That way, we can all be on the same page.
Yea that would be nice.
According to his questionnaire I'd have had to own the device for 2 years 5 months 1.3 weeks 10 days 4 hours 3 minutes and 29 seconds in order to have a solid opinion on whether or not I like the iPhone -_-
You just answered your own question. For $500, people expect significantly more. Just look at all Android tablets that flopped when introduced at around $600...
You mean all those Android-based tablets that were deemed "Great for a first try", "An iPad killer", "The first fully functional tablet" yet costing more than the iPad? Yeah, that worked out so well for them. Why don't Apple products get these passes?
The customer reviews on Amazon are overwhelmingly positive, with a clear majority giving the Kindle Fire 5 stars. The most valued critical review still gives it 3 out of 5 stars. It seems that Amazon did it right, despite the modest HW specs.
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Color-M...owViewpoints=1
Customer reviews have become a way of marketing. I am always quite sceptical of customer reviews as I believe mostly users with a gripe bother writing. Whenever there is a long structured customer review I assume it is paid for. There are sites where you put it related jobs to tender and many of those are customer review, or blog comment related.
You men all those Android-based tablets that were deemed "Great for a first try", "An iPad killer", "The first fully functional tablet". Yeah, that worked out so well for them.
It didn't. But none of them cost $200, either.
Instead of asking a bunch of questions, why don't you specify the exact time needed for a person to form an educated opinion about a device. Something in the lines of "received 100 calls on iPhone", "installed 20 apps on iPad", "set up 10 calendar appointments through Siri".
That way, we can all be on the same page.
I don't think the numbers are as important as the activities embodied by the questions...
Obviously, my point was to demonstrate that playing with a smart phone at a demo counter, or borrowing a friends smart phone to make a call or play a game -- is quite different than buying a phone, installing "yourself" on the device and making it your own over a period of time.
I've used (driven) A Roll-Royce, Aston-Martin, Austin-Healey, several Jaguars, several Mercedes-Benz... but I never owned any of them.
They were nice, but I don't feel qualified to evaluate (praise or berate) them -- I just don't have the standing... the experience.
However, I did own an MG TD 1953. I am fully qualified to explain:
-- how much fun it is to spend 10 minutes putting the top up during a rainstorm
-- setting the tappet adjustments over and over and over until they are just right
-- setting the carburetors by sound, listening through a vacuum cleaner hose
-- the satisfying feeling when you got a hand wave from another poor soul driving an early sports car
I haven't used an Android phone -- there is nothing there that interests me.
But I don't go to to Android-centric forums and try to convince them that my decision, an iPhone/iPad, is better than theirs.
However, I did own an MG TD 1953. I am fully qualified to explain:
-- how much fun it is to spend 10 minutes putting the top up during a rainstorm
-- setting the tappet adjustments over and over and over until they are just right
-- setting the carburetors by sound, listening through a vacuum cleaner hose
-- the satisfying feeling when you got a hand wave from another poor soul driving an early sports car
Off topic - but NICE! (did you ever use a screwdriver as a stethoscope? good way to find out which tappet is out)
Saying the Kindle Fire contributes to Android fragmentation is like saying OSX is fragmenting Unix.
I hope that the management team doesn't believe their marketing speak. Apple should be very concerned. The reality is that it doesn't matter what OS Fire runs, it is the marketing ability of the company behind it that matters.
Again, never owned an iPhone (and my iPad has an old OS still) but I will always be impressed by Siri, I don't need to be sold on it as I am already sold on it. Voice Actions on my Android are ridiculous....but being that I have a speech impediment speaking to my phone isn't really something I care to concentrate on so I can be understood, I do that enough with actual human interaction)
Serious question here:
My 13-year-old grandson had an undetected hearing defect when he was young (a blockage that was corrected by inserting tubes in both ears).
Because of this he couldn't properly hear others speak.
He is OK now, but tends to speak in a rapid monotone, running the words together, with no emphasis or pauses.
When he's excited, you can barely understand him. His friends make fun of him!
The speech therapists say they've done all they can...
When we group read, aloud, we make him speak slowly, pause, emphasize... tell us a story. This works very well... but it hasn't become a habit.
When I got the iPhone 4S he was all over Siri...
Hmm... I wonder if Siri could be used for voice therapy...
-- it forces you to enunciate
-- it recognizes pauses and context
-- it reinforces what you say by repeating it
-- it is useful
-- it is always available
-- it is habit forming
-- it appears to be almost human
I am hoping that Apple makes Siri available on non-phone iDevices, then opens up the APIs to 3rd-party programmers.
I'd love to write a customizable drill-and-practice Siri speech app for my grandson.
We are considering buying him an iPhone 4S (contract or unlocked) for Christmas.
This will be of some use -- but not as far-reaching as ifthe Siri APIs were available.
As someone with a speech impediment and who is familiar with Siri -- would you mind giving me your opinions on this?
I suspect the comedy hour is really a chance to watch Android users explains how they mucked up their phone and can't communicate with anybody. Frankly if Apple came out with a phone that was as open as the Android platform I wouldn't buy it. For me phones need to be as reliable as a crow bar.
Interestingly I find iOS to be far more frustrating on iPad. There more flexibility would greatly enhance the device. If any one competing platform ever got traction in the market place I'd be tempted to switch. This is especially the case if the unit has accessible USB ports.
In any event a different perspective. Not all iOS devices are the same, it is frustrating that we have to live with the same restrictions across all devices. "It just works" is a valuable selling point though.
Comedy hour on AI?
Most Android users have used iOS. A lot have iPads (and even consider it the only tablet worth owning - like I do)
I've seen hundreds of comments from people here who have not used Android at all. And considering the religious like following Apple has most will never try Android.
People do not like the same things. I do wish Android was as smooth an experience as iOS. It isn't. However I do not like iOS. I do not want a 3.5 inch screen. I do not want an app launcher for a homescreen. I want and enjoy tinkering and control. I like the pseudo open nature of Android and the community always pushing the envelope.
Even then I don't agree nor like everything about Android. I do not like the lack of at least an app icon template. I do not like the overwhelming number of poor quality apps (luckily the apps I use are high quality)
When I pick up an iPhone I know how to use it. It is okay IMO. But too small. And too limiting (which is why I can't Eben enjoy WP7 as it is so boring despite the fact that I think the UI is the best out there)
I do wish Google would exercise more control of Android. But they don't or won't and I can live with that.
There are specific reasons I don't use iOS (or Mac OSX at home) little things I don't like.
Fandroids overall are a hell of a lot more open minded than iPhanboys.
We tend not to worship Google. You can go to any Android blog then any Apple blog and compare the glorification/complaint ratio of articles on each. Android blogs say a lot more and criticise a lot more. They desire control. We don't need to be coddled and ushered into an age of whitewashed simplicity.
I like that the twitter integration you now have is native on android by simply installing an app. I like being able to completely swap out almost every stock app at my discretion. I can share almost anything through almost any app that adds a line of code. These are freedoms you will never enjoy. My device is mine. Android screenshot threads vs iOS screenshot threads are utterly hilarious. That alone should show you some of why people choose Android. It's not some ignorance of iOS. Who the hell is ignorant of iOS? It is not a hatred of Apple. A lot of the CM team USE macs to make Cyanogenmods.
So what is it? Choice. Freedom. Ownership.
The kindle is not a second rate iPad. It is a kindle. A portal into Amazon's ecosystem. A content streaming device. An e-reader. Not even a competitor to the iPad. No one who wants an iPad would be swayed into getting a kindle. Most who want a kindle could be swayed into getting an iPad. The iPad is scores more useful than a Kindle Fire.
But not everyone needs an iPad or is heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem nor do they wish to be.
Your walled garden is beautiful and landscaped to perfection. Sure.
I like my world just fine.