Apple ports Android to the iPhone!

[JWis]

It will undoubtedly work very well. Apple products generally work very well. But it will work well because the multitasking by third party apps is intentionally very limited. In fact, unlike the virtually unlimited multitasking on the Android platform, the Apple approach is to leave the O/S in charge of running specific applications in a multitasking environment. In contrast, the Android o/s lets applications take over and limits itself to managing memory demands.

This is an understandable "compromise" design that largely eliminates many of the issues associated with memory management, unpredictable performance, etc. Likewise it completely eliminates the need for "task killers" since there is no way for individual applications or a combination of applications to drag down performance or drain the battery. The control the O/S exerts and the limited extent of multitasking assures that.

Of course, all designs are "compromises" and the Apple approach has disadvantages. First, of course, it severely limits the combination of individual apps that can run simultaneously. Apple has determined, for example, that a user might want to listen to music while texting but other combinations, say playing a game while taking notes, makes no sense and would not be allowed.

Second, it leaves Apple in full control of particular applications' functionality. You'll likely see that only iTunes can play music in a multitasking environment even if other music players are allowed on the system.

Smart marketing and a good consumer device. Not what most folks on this board would want but the approach will appeal tremendously to the mass consumer market.

I agree that what Apple implements will work VERY well, but the limits placed on it irk me. I don't like the iron clad fist Apple governs the iPhone with. Just me however.... to each their own.

Ah, but along with the drawbacks of the iron fist are definite benefits. Just roam around in this forum looking at the issues people are having. 90% of those are not directly related to the OS itself, but rather to tweaks, mods, apps, widgets or something the user has done to their device that is now kicking up the law of unintended consequences.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my Droid and Android. I also love my iPods and Macs. They are different philosophies, sometimes for different kinds of people. I guess the one thing I would say is the folks who jailbreak their iPhones could probably save themselves some hassle by just going Android and calling it a day. But if my Mom were to ask me what phone to get, all things being equal, I would probably suggest an iPhone-easier for her (she'll enjoy in and not break things) and easier for me (less tech support). jsh1120 puts it very well-any kind of technology or engineering is a matter of making compromises. It is up to the consumer to understand the compromises, and resulting features, to choose the device or technology that is right for them.

For the life of me, I don't understand why people take these things personally. I use Macs. If somebody asks why, I explain why it's better for me not why it's better for them, or launch into some kind of anti-Windows rant. I don't understand comments like "I hate iPhones and the people who use them"- I would suspect that the reason for these sentiments is that these people have had that exact attitude foisted upon them by "the other side". Technology does not define a person, and there are perfectly valid reasons for choosing one over another.

Look at it this way-even if you hate the iPhone's technology and user experience, this is great news for everybody here. Just as the iPhone pushed development of Android, Android has now pushed development of the iPhone. This competition is the very thing that breeds innovation and is what is going to give us our next amazing feature (I don't know, maybe hands-free calling? Oh, wait...)

QFT i dont think it could be put any better

 

[darreno1]

Ah, but along with the drawbacks of the iron fist are definite benefits. Just roam around in this forum looking at the issues people are having. 90% of those are not directly related to the OS itself, but rather to tweaks, mods, apps, widgets or something the user has done to their device that is now kicking up the law of unintended consequences.

Just roam around the Apple forums and you'll find tons of issues as well. An 'iron fist' as you put it doesn't guarantee trouble free operation. I do get your point about tweaking and the possible consequences but I'll be the first to say the roms I've used have been extremely stable - just as stable as stock. Of course there can be unforeseen consequences but they usually arise out of negligence and ignorance.

My iPhone 3g was probably the most unreliable phone I've every owned. Luckily it worked well enough for me to sell it for a good price. And it was never jailbroken!

 

[EbE404]

Ah, but along with the drawbacks of the iron fist are definite benefits. Just roam around in this forum looking at the issues people are having. 90% of those are not directly related to the OS itself, but rather to tweaks, mods, apps, widgets or something the user has done to their device that is now kicking up the law of unintended consequences.

Just roam around the Apple forums and you'll find tons of issues as well. An 'iron fist' as you put it doesn't guarantee trouble free operation. I do get your point about tweaking and the possible consequences but I'll be the first to say the roms I've used have been extremely stable - just as stable as stock. Of course there can be unforeseen consequences but they usually arise out of negligence and ignorance.

My iPhone 3g was probably the most unreliable phone I've every owned. Luckily it worked well enough for me to sell it for a good price. And it was never jailbroken!

Oh, I agree with your point about the iPhone. No software or system is free of bugs. iPhones certainly have their issues. But, there is more uniformity of the system, so problems are generally a bit easier to diagnose and separate pilot error from a systemic bug. That in turn makes it easier for the developers of both the OS and the apps to create patches and fixes.

And to your point about negligence and ignorance, I mostly agree with that. With Android, it's easy to get yourself into trouble if you tinker in the wrong place or do the wrong things. It might be misuse of a task killer, mucking about in the wrong section of the system files, installing too many widgets, etc. The problem is you need to either have the knowledge or the drive to learn to make sure you do things correctly and safely. Apple makes it safe-Android makes it free. Those things are going to appeal to different people.

The issue (some would call it a problem, folks like you and I call it a feature) is that there are so few real limitations, it's very easy for people to take uninformed actions and do things they don't know how to undo.

It's like that old saying-take two people with some rope and give them both more-one will climb a mountain, one will hang themselves.

 

[darreno1]

^^I see where you're going but you're assuming as many do, that Android users in general tend to be the geeky, tinkerer type. But there are many users who will not tinker and have absolutely no issues. The people I see on a daily basis using their G1s, Droids, etc are not tinkerers. These people wouldn't know a rom from a hole in the ground.

The users on Android that apply mods / themes etc are the same users on iPhone OS that will jailbreak so your last analogy can apply to both platforms.

 

[EbE404]

Hmm, well, I think there are a few different categories of Android users.

• The geeks/hackers (me)
• The folks who wanted an iPhone, but wouldn't or couldn't go AT&T (interestingly, also me)
• Users who wanted a great phone and didn't really care what the OS was
• People who did care about the OS, but hate Apple and MS and saw Android as the next big thing

Not trying to pigeonhole anybody, I'm certain there are many other reasons people have bought Android phones, but when I talk to people, these are the themes that come up most commonly.

Interestingly, right before I got your post, I came across this article (about the iPad, but it's relevant):

Attention Geeks: The iPad Is Not a Threat - AppleMatters

Check out the last section with the Dive into Mark quote. It speaks right to your last point-people who are going to tweak are going to tweak-there's nothing you can do about that (and that's generally a good thing). The only difference is informed vs. uninformed hacking and tweaking, how the consequences are handled if something goes wrong, and whether you do this because you want to or because you (think you) have to.

I'll use the misused task killer analogy again. How many times have we all heard "So and so told me I needed this to keep my phone from slowing down, so I stopped every process I could find, and now it's slower than ever!"

We're both really saying the same thing here, I think, but it's a good discussion.