I'm an apple guy

DRM free mpa audio tracks will play on the native Android music player.

I think it comes down to what you are looking for. I do not believe there is a better Tablet then the iPad right now. On the phone side I think it depends on the features you are looking for. Do you need faster download times? Then LTE maybe of interest. Do you need Flash? Then  Android Tablet/Phone maybe of interest (although there is a new browser for the iPad that supports flash). I don't think Apple is going anywhere they have been planning for this for awhile. While I'm disappointed in some of the quality issues with Lion I still think it is a good OS. If I where buying a new computer right now I would buy another Macbook. I just bought the iPhone 4S and it was a big improvement from my 3GS. My biggest surprise was SIRI! I thought it was a gimmick but it is the coolest feature on a phone ever! Finally voice control that works! 

Anyway put together a list of all the features you want or need then find the device that is the closest match.

My biggest negative to Android is as a person that works for a company that writes apps. It is getting too expensive to write apps for Android. Too many different non-compatible phone versions out there. Every company is using different hardware. This is what did in other phone OS's. In fact we are thinking about only releasing Apple and maybe Windows (if it takes off) apps in the future. Right now we are spending way too many cycles and money testing on every Android phone because no two work the same. 

If you are planning on watching a lot of movies and TV on your tablet, the 10.1" Android tablets have larger viewable areas and pixel densities than the iPad2.  The iPad2 has 33.9 square inches of viewable area for 16:9 video while the 10.1" Android tablets have 41.26 sq inches viewable, or 22% larger.  Part of that is because the Android tablets are wider, and the 1.6AR of the 1280 X 800 screens are more video friendly (losing 10% of the picture to letterboxing)  than the 1.33AR iPad screens (which lose 25%).

Also, most video formats don't need to be converted to work on Android tablets.  There is a free app called MX Video Player that will play any format I've thrown at it (including the HD .mov files that wouldn't play natively on my Galaxy Tab).  The iPad is very finicky about the video format you can play, and unless you were lucky enough to snag VLC before it was pulled, you're going to end up converting all of your video to work on the iPad.

And if you don't want to even go through the hassle of copying the files over, you can stream video from shared folders to the Tegra2 based Android tablets.  

Since this functionality is very important to me (it is, in fact, a deal breaker without it) I could never see myself with an iPad. 

iPhone apps won't run on an Android (or Windows or RIM) phone. Likewise computer software: OS X software won't run under Windows, unless it's a dual-license purchase as with some professional suites.

My opinion is simple: especially if you're a Mac user, the iPhone seems easily the best choice. Strong desktop integration and the most mature system. If I were a Windows user, I'd have to give it some thought, since I've heard nothing good about iTunes on Windows and I don't know how strong the iPhone integration is with WIndows.

Beyond that, here are some scattered, biased  thoughts on why someone might choose one phone over the other.  :)

Blackberry

* Your name is MattCR

Windows Phone 7

* Love its design aesthetic

* Love Microsoft

* Betting on its future

* Hate Apple

* Listened to a phone store salesman

Android

* Google manages your life (Gmail, Google Docs, Calendar) and want optimal integration

* Windows user (I've heard nothing good about iTunes on Windows)

* Need Windows Remote Desktop Access to those configurations that don't work on iPhones

* Love to configurate your devices exactly how you want it

* Need lots of storage, even if it's manually managed to some degree

* Believe in "open"

* 45 yrs old, wear reading glasses, and a bigger screen is better than higher res screen

* Shop on specs

* Your "tech support" uses Android

* Want full multi-tasking

* Hate Apple

iPhone

* Use a Mac

* Want the easiest to use, most mature system

* Want the phone most likely to be sold with current OS and to be supported in two years with software updates

* Good eyesight and want the sharpest screen

* Apps

Hahahahaha   :) 

Ok, let me give my overview:

Blackberry:

Really, since they've had 2 outages this year, Blackberry is on my "ER" list.   Blackberry's best benefits are: 

* Only phone you can get current models with hardware disabled cameras (some sites may require this)

* Very nice Keyboard

* functionality WAY the hell behind..

Choose this if:

* Can't live without physical keyboard

* email is your #1, #2, #3-#8 App.

Windows Phone 7:

* Uniform design and setup means that apps are universal and guaranteed to run.

* Interface is fluid & very fast, as fast as an iPhone, and functionally very easy to deal with.

* Very quick to easily look at phone and grasp common tasks.

* XBox live integration is pretty slick

* Fantastic integration with Microsoft Exchange if you use that.. hands down, best in the bunch.

Chose this if:

* You believe it will make a dent in the marketplace.

* You have an XBOX and want mobile to direct game, or believe it will grow

* Hate Apple, but like easy to understand interface

Android:

* Most customizable OS (by far), which is either great for you, or it can be a frustrating experience as device to device can be major differences

* Handles mixed media and multiple formats better then any other phone

* More options as far as sizes, performance and cost then any other option

* Available with models that feature keyboard, touch screen, etc.

* Swype is actually very effective

* Third party app base is better then MS, not quite as good as apple.. but some apps could only happen here.

Choose this if:

* You hate Microsoft and Apple.

* You like complete customization options and find adventure in modifying your phone to exactly suit you.

* You need 3rd party apps that might violate Apple's policy, but who cares, get them here through sideloading.

* You want a really BIG phone with a decent resolution

Apple:

* Uniform design and setup means that apps are universal and guaranteed to run.

* interface is fluid & very fast, along with WP7, the fastest in the bunch (and not close)

* broad support from app developers and content providers

* If you play games, a better game base then almost anywhere else.

Choose this if:

* You own an Apple, you might as well.. fool not to.

* You like going with a proven, established product

* You're OK with frequent hardware upgrades or drooling over new versions

* Want a uniform interface, and your only other option is MS, and you hate them

* You will not be in a rough environment, as the iPhone is definitely THE fragile.

Realistically, right now, if I were chosing, the battleground would be between WP7 and iPhone.  I currently carry an iPhone and a Blackberry.  My iPhone handles one set of phone #s, all my apps, etc. and my blackberry is where some critical mail goes through and so I can carry it onto certain jobsites.  If I were to replace one, right now it would be my Torch.   I would probably replace with a WP7.   The reason is because while Exchange support works on iPhone, and far better in IOS5, there are still some levels of functionality I can't get at that I can do pretty fluidly on WP7 (here, I'm referring to GAL as instant contacts, calendars and resourcing).  

But if you're carrying an iPhone, it's hard to say it's compelling to migrate to Android unless you want a big screen and you like the tweaking aspect.   Every android I've played with has come across as though it's an "unfinished" product. I hear more people grouse about it then anything else "I can't figure out" "why does your phone have X and mine doesn't"  .. the beauty of WP7/Iphone is that if phone X has it, pretty much everyone does.  Sure, there are some extra apps they give you and design differences, but you rarely find "my phone won't run X!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattCR 

Hahahahaha   :) 

 

[...]

Apple:

[...]

* You're OK with frequent hardware upgrades or drooling over new versions

 

;)

Does this belong under "Android"? Apple is good for those that, like me, enjoy a simple choice with low risk of feeling obsolete the next week. 

No, I meant to say "software" my bad.  ;)

Get the Blackberry if: Messaging is the core of your existence.  The HW keyboards are absolutely the best in the biz, and there are lots of people who can touch-type on them.  If you need to write paragraphs of info and not just a quick LOL, BB is the platform for you.  However...

It does nothing else.  Or more accurately, it does nothing else well.  The screens are small, the software store is a joke, and outside of reading a message, everything in the creaky OS requires lots of menu navigation.  Oddly enough, even though BB market share is eroding at an alarming pace and is firmly the number three smartphone, I swear I see more Blackberry devices in the wild than any other platform, and by a mile.

Get Android if: You want a mini-computer in your hands that's customized to the hilt.  There are so many excellent apps that let you go beyond the OS itself -- I currently have Widgetlocker that allows me to view my current email at a glance, jump to my browser, open to my camera, and control my music and podcast programs, all without unlocking my phone.  My home screen is customized with an app called Circle Launcher that allows me to have something like 160 apps or speed dials accessible with one tap.  I use Wavelauncher to access up 120 apps or speed dials with a gesture or two, even from the lock screen.  I can access incredible amounts of information with a bare minimum of physical interaction (I even have an LED notification light that tells me if I even need to turn the screen on).  The various form factors that are available are just gravy.  Turn by turn navigation is a killer app.  Multiple keyboards, some with eerily accurate predictive powers like Swiftkey X, are available.  Widgets are great.  However...

If you're not hanging out in the internet to learn about these programs and tweaks, you're at the mercy of the manufacturer's skin.  They dictate your user experience from unlock screen to email client.  If you have no interest in souping up your phone, you're just going to get the basics (email, internet, music player, texting, games), and depending on the skin, your experience may range from good to frustrating.  Also, the hardware is so varied that there is no perfect phone -- one model has a better camera.  The other has a nicer screen.  Yet another has the best call quality.  Some eat more battery than others.  And many models are exclusive to their respective carriers.  Couple that with the increases in hardware tech that happen quarterly in the Android ecosystem, it is very easy to suffer from phone envy and buyer's remorse.  

Get the iPhone if: You only need the basics and want the best possible, albeit limited, user experience.  The interface is slick and easy to use, and if you already use iTunes for your iPod or iPad and you don't hate it, then the learning curve is even lower.  However...

Despite the high pixel density, a 3.5" is puny compared to the 4.3"+ screens you can get on Android, which makes it less than ideal for watching video and impacts user experience for presbyopic forty-somethings and beyond.  And many desktop-like functions, such as downloading files from the internet, playing video files without converting them, sharing dropbox files, and direct wifi file transfers are unavailable on a stock iPhone.  Do these functions matter for most people?  Perhaps not.

WP7? I have never seen a WP7 phone in the wild, don't know anyone who's owned one, and frankly, I have zero interest in one.  From everything I've read, it has the poorest multi-tasking implementation and the least exciting hardware this side of the Blackberry.  It seems like a nice daily driver if you're used to the Blackberry, but WP7 has no killer app or feature -- it has nothing compelling about it.  And 3rd party apps tend to load slowly.  Even though most of the models are free with contract after languishing on the shelves for a couple of months, they still can't make a dent in the market.  We'll see how the Nokia models do -- however, they have zero brand loyalty in the States, and because of the hardware restrictions imposed by Microsoft, the only real difference in experience will be screen size, camera, and design (come on Nokia, a 3.7" screen?  Soooo 2009).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanson 

 

Get the iPhone if: You only need the basics and want the best possible, albeit limited, user experience.  The interface is slick and easy to use, and if you already use iTunes for your iPod or iPad and you don't hate it, then the learning curve is even lower. 

I dispute the choice of "basics". :) Customization is basic. There isn't the customization of circle launchers or lock screens that provide full email access. But capabilities are sophisticated with the app store. Perhaps it's a matter of purpose. I'm not trying to run my business from my iPhone. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanson 

And many desktop-like functions, such as downloading files from the internet, playing video files without converting them, sharing dropbox files, and direct wifi file transfers are unavailable on a stock iPhone.

What does that mean? (What files does one download from the internet? What video files do you watch that need conversion?)

Some podcasts have mp3 files that you have to download from the website.  Correction -- I have to download from the website. Or there's a picture I want to grab.  Or a webmail attachment.  I do these on my computer no sweat and can do the same on Android.

I have a library of DVR'd tv shows that I converted to to xvid .avi and H.264 .mkv files.  I can either copy them to my phone directly over wifi or stream them straight to my phone from a network share. At no point do I have to transcode them because my phone will only display a certain codec at a certain resolution and bitrate. Either natively or with a free app, my phone can play almost any file.

If I want a song from my library on my phone, I can copy it over wifi from a network share.  If I'm out of the house, I can remote in, copy the mp3 to dropbox, and then download it to my phone.

Will most users need this functionality?  Probably not.  Do I use them?  All the time.

And while the iPhone has some apps that can do complex things, the OS itself is just an app drawer and a very basic one at that.

BTW, I installed Wavelauncher for an Evo owner at work.  I was showing them how to set it up and realized that their eyes were glazing over.  I don't know if this user will ever use it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanson 

Some podcasts have mp3 files that you can download.  Correction -- I can download. Or there's a picture I want to grab.  Or a webmail attachment.  I do these on my computer no sweat and can do the same on Android.

Perhaps you've got a level of finesse implied because...

* I can listen to MP3's from webpages. (Just did a quick test on my iPhone)

* I can save images from websites on the iPhone.

* I can download email attachments from Mail into my iPhone (PDFs and images I do all the time. I can't say about arbitrary files)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanson 

If I want a song from my library on my phone, I can copy it over wifi from a network share.  If I'm out of the house, I can remote in, copy the mp3 to dropbox, and then download it to my phone.

On my LAN, I can wifi sync my music to my phone. (though I have my whole library on it, so it's moot for me). Maybe what I do is more cumbersome. I don't know about remote access, I'll give you that. It might be possible via Apple's remote connect thingy; and itunes Connect ($25) will do effectively this, but it will cost money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanson 

I have a library of DVR'd tv shows that I converted to to xvid .avi and H.264 .mkv files.  I can either copy them to my phone directly over wifi or stream them straight to my phone from a network share. At no point do I have to transcode them because my phone will only display a certain codec at a certain resolution and bitrate.

Ok. I rip DVDs for iPod / iPhone use, so it's a non-issue. And I've not had need to watch Tivo shows on my iOS devices so far, so can't comment. I can see how you'd want that flexibility.

You just download the TiVo shows with toaster and import into iTunes and done. Sync over wifi or with a cable. There are several "Cloud" drop sites out there to pickup and drop off files of all types. There are apps out there to do almost everything you mentioned. The fact you change the gui I guess that is personal preference and if that is something you want to do could your Android is perfect. 

As far as the screen size goes I'm pretty happy with Apples solution and I'm old and can see it just fine. Heck 3 years ago this was a monster screen. I don't want to carry a 4.5-5" phone I think it is crazy. 

I all comes down to want you want. I want a reliable experience so I go with Apple never had one issue. Android you get all kinds of side effects. They sell more Androids then and other smart phone right now. So some people must really like them.

On Windows phones I have seen and played with lots of them. Living in the heart of MS land and they gave every employee one. My kids both have windows phones we got free with the laptops we bought for them. They are pretty nice phones and are easy for them to use. 

I use HD Homerun to record .ts files to my HDD. I edit out the commercials and convert the file to avi or mkv files in HD resolutions. I don't want or need to transcode them to watch them on my phone.  It's a waste of my time to re-encode these at lower resolutions not to mention the ability to stream them from my file server, which doesn't even require transferring the file to my device.

Instead of streaming mp3 files, I'd rather download them and listen to them offline. That requires the ability to download them from the internet.

You just said you convert them which is transcoding them. I don't even spend that long Toaster grabs the file on ports it the an HD itunes compatible file (m4v). Drop them into I tunes watch. I don't edit them because I just delete them after I watch it anyway. I simple process click the files I want in the interface and done. 

I praise Android for the easy to change it into what ever you want.... I hate Android because they are a pain in the @#$% to develop for as no two are the same. 

I transcode once for my archives.  I don't want to transcode them again into a different format for my phone.

I don't know if you have kids, but they will watch the same episode endlessly.  And if they are, I definitely don't want the commercials.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanson 

Instead of streaming mp3 files, I'd rather download them and listen to them offline. That requires the ability to download them from the internet.

Ah, I see. I can play it from the website, but I can't add it to the music app. In 18 months of use, I've never tried to get an MP3 online with my iPhone. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanson 

I transcode once for my archives.  I don't want to transcode them again into a different format for my phone.

 

I don't know if you have kids, but they will watch the same episode endlessly.  And if they are, I definitely don't want the commercials.

Kids use my iPad or watch them on their computer and iTunes is everywhere using home sharing. It is not an issue convert once play on all my platforms. My kids are past that point of watching the shows 42 times, once or twice is normally good.

I was reading my stock news today and saw this from one of the analysts:

This has been my biggest issue with Droid as well. It is getting harder and harder to write a universal app. This to me could be the limiting factor. Where Apples is the fact it is one hardware platform at least until next year where we may see additional options.

I think this misses the point though; the argument is one I also agree with.. but the Kindle Fire is kind of outside of that.  It's not a matter of a different size/etc.  Since it only links with their store and downloads their apps, I'm of the feeling you're going to see quite a few "Kindle Fire Exclusive" / "Amazon Store Exclusive" apps.. ie, they may run on any Android, but they were designed from the get go with the Fire in mind.  Remember, as of today, just counting pre-orders (release day today) Amazon has sold more Kindle Fire then any other Android tablet.. and almost all other Android tablets combined.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmiller68 

I was reading my stock news today and saw this from one of the analysts:

 

 

 

This has been my biggest issue with Droid as well. It is getting harder and harder to write a universal app. This to me could be the limiting factor. Where Apples is the fact it is one hardware platform at least until next year where we may see additional options.

It's nice to see that the analyst has absolutely no idea what he's talking about.

I didn't know my Android devices were so virus ridden.  How did this story slip by, oh.... EVERYONE ELSE?

It also appears that the analyst doesn't understand the difference between physical screen size and resolution.

This will sound snooty, but I think if you want to understand technology and the major tech players, one shouldn't read stock-market analysts :) The independent bloggers seem much better..

DaveF - Yes, I'm a tech guy so yes I read bloggers as well as lots of other things. Just because he doesn't get all the points exactly right doesn't mean he or she doesn't get that the problems do exist.

Hanson - There have been several malware apps that have affected Droid. Just because you haven't been caught yet doesn't mean that they are not out there.

Here is a great tech article written on the subject if you would like a little light reading.

http://www.sans.org/reading_room/whitepapers/pda/reverse-engineering-malware-android_33769

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmiller68 

DaveF - Yes, I'm a tech guy so yes I read bloggers as well as lots of other things. Just because he doesn't get all the points exactly right doesn't mean he or she doesn't get that the problems do exist.

The blogger's comments were like a movie based on a true story -- there's a kernel of fact in there, but the hysteria and exaggeration of the scope of the problem makes it misinformation.  Is there a full blown malware epidemic on Android right now as the writer claims?  The answer is no. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmiller68 

Hanson - There have been several malware apps that have affected Droid. Just because you haven't been caught yet doesn't mean that they are not out there.

There are malware apps out there, but most of them affect users in China and Russia.  The only full blown incident in North America was DroidDream.  Did that start an avalanche of other malware apps?  No.

The actual numbers of people affected by malware on the Android platform is quite small.  The number in North America is even smaller.  Most people don't use 3rd party app stores other than maybe Amazon, so the only real way for malware to gain traction is to distribute via the Android Market.  

The other issue is that when you start small, a increase that's still small can be presented as 76% INCREASE IN MALWARE ATTACKS!  That looks more threatening that it really is, which if you're a security software firm like McAfee and looking to sell something, might be considered marketing.

The two malware apps that I'm aware of for Andriod where both found in mainstream "stores". 

Hey, as this has turned into another your full of s#$% my device is bullet-proof conversation so I won't continue. As with before I'm just trying to give information if no one wants it I'll stop posting it. I thought this was a site to share experiences and information. Every time I do so it becomes a flame war. So I will just move on from you so called experts. Go back to just posting the movies I watch and video games I play at least no one comments on that.