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0 pointsillumin814y ago0 comments

The iOS decision was more correct because it has proven itself in the marketplace. Consumers overwhelmingly demand touch interfaces on their smartphones and tablets, as opposed to stylus, trackball, or any other that has come before it.

Android started as a platform trying to out-Blackberry RIM. When the iPhone was released in 2007 they switched to a model of trying to out-do iOS.

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ajross14y ago

"Proven itself" how, exactly? Last I checked Android devices were outselling iOS. Now, there's room for argument here about what the proper design is for a mobile OS. But if you're going to support your platform flamage with statements like "Consumers overwhelmingly demand" you need to synchronize the argument with the facts.

parfe14y ago

Total devices in the field. At Apple's iPhone 4S launch event on October 4th, CEO Tim Cook said that the company had sold 250 million iOS devices to date--including iPhones, iPod Touches, iPads, and (I assume) current-generation Apple TVs. Shortly thereafter, Google CEO Larry Page said that 190 million Android devices had been "activated." (Google talks about units in terms of activations, not sales.) http://news.cnet.com/8301-33200_3-57323943-290/ios-vs-androi... Dated Nov 14, 2011.

ajross14y ago

So very near equivalence in sales (which look even closer if you take into account the fact that iOS has been on the market about 30% longer than Android) is an argument for consumers "overwhelmingly demanding" the tighter animation scheduling of iOS?

I'd say if anything this argues for a total absence of correlation with user experience, no?

randomdata14y ago

"Last I checked Android devices were outselling iOS."

Source? There have been many reports of Android phones outselling the iPhone, but I am not familiar with the ones about Android devices outselling iOS devices (iPod touch, iPad, etc.)

untog14y ago

Probably because that would be incredibly difficult to calculate. There isn't really an Android equivalent of an iPod, for a start. Do we include Nook and Kindle Fire devices in the figures? Because that would affect things.

At least cellphones is a more like-for-like comparison.

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reidmain14y ago

"Proven itself" can mean that iOS grosses more than Android. Last I checked iOS users spend more on apps/services than their Android counterparts.

bad_user14y ago

If that's because Android's interface is laggy, then why do people keep buying Androids?

IMHO, iOS users spend more on apps because iTunes is better than Android's Marketplace - this may have been a deliberate decision by Google nonetheless. Did you know that I am not allowed to sell Android apps in the Marketplace because my country is still not approved for registering a Google Merchant account? That's right, it's almost 2012 and while I can sell apps on iTunes, I can't on Android's Marketplace. However I have no problem integrating AdMob in those apps. So it's like Google wants ad-supported instead of paid apps, which considering their main business model it isn't that shocking.

However, you can't say that Android and its UI is not a success.

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interlagos14y ago

That wasn't at all the focus of the comment that I replied to. I get that you're on this "keyboard/trackball" thing (sidenote -- did you know that Android devices still come out with keyboards and trackballs?), however the difference between the two platforms is largely simple architectural differences having nothing to do with form factor.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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ajross14y ago

parfe14y ago

ajross14y ago

I'd say if anything this argues for a total absence of correlation with user experience, no?

randomdata14y ago

"Last I checked Android devices were outselling iOS."

Source? There have been many reports of Android phones outselling the iPhone, but I am not familiar with the ones about Android devices outselling iOS devices (iPod touch, iPad, etc.)

untog14y ago

At least cellphones is a more like-for-like comparison.

1 more reply

reidmain14y ago

"Proven itself" can mean that iOS grosses more than Android. Last I checked iOS users spend more on apps/services than their Android counterparts.

bad_user14y ago

If that's because Android's interface is laggy, then why do people keep buying Androids?

However, you can't say that Android and its UI is not a success.

2 more replies

interlagos14y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse