my iPhone to Droid experience

[DaveJustDave]

Here's the writeup if anyone cares to read it (its pretty long and exhaustive)

The DOS Guru: Thinking of Switching From iPhone to Droid? (think again)

Please let me know if i left anything out - I plan on modifying the comparison as time progresses.

In the end, I'm glad i went with the Droid, though there are times that I do look back.

 

[Mojo]

Good read, there are a few things that was incorrect. But not to the point that would sway your article. Main thing that sticks out is voice command on the Droid does allow you to open apps as well. But I have to say this is the most unbiased read on the two! Great job.

 

[mcapehart]

Good comparison. Just a suggestion...you could do like me and get an iPod Touch and have all the great things the iPhone does (except phone and GPS) and have your Droid.

 

[Schimm]

Good comparison. Just a suggestion...you could do like me and get an iPod Touch and have all the great things the iPhone does (except phone and GPS) and have your Droid.

Yup, that's what I do. 32 gig Touch for music mostly 'cause my 8 gig nano was running out of space. I do like the Touch but I prefer the Droid.

 

[vrrm]

@DaveJustDave That's a great comparison; thank you for taking the time to do it. I just transitioned from an iPhone 3GS also. I'm not an Apple fanboy, but I do find it better at a couple of things not mentioned in your blog...

Search - the iPhone has a better search function (similar to Spotlight on Macs). It will search contents in your Contacts, Calendar, Notes, etc. The Droid does not search the CONTENTS. Also, the Droid seems to only search two fields in Contacts (first name and last name).

Notes - the Droid does not sync Notes (from Outlook).

Password Changes for Gmail Account - if you change your Gmail password (using a PC), you will need to delete that account on the Droid. This also deletes all the contacts, calendar, etc. from the phone. A sync will then re-load that info back to the phone. There should be a better way to change your Gmail password on the Droid.

 

[ryema54]

Nicely done write up!!

 

[DaveJustDave]

Thanks for the positive feedback everyone! Yes, i am missing stuff and will definitely include some of your feedback back into the review. Hopefully some of the right people will read it and we'll see some features make their way into a future firmware update (more than likely wishful thinking).

Another main reason that i have to include in my review for switching is the development environment. For those who weren't raised on the Apple mothership, objective C is very foreign. I'm a software engineer, and after fumbling for a while i decided to give the Android SDK a try - which is based in Eclipse as you all know and infinitely more productive. I almost started crying when i could start using periods again for method invocations rather than the bizarre [] syntax.

Also, If you have time, please upvote my comparison on Digg Thinking of Switching From iPhone to Droid? (think again)

 

[johnflo88]

Here's the writeup if anyone cares to read it (its pretty long and exhaustive)

The DOS Guru: Thinking of Switching From iPhone to Droid? (think again)

Please let me know if i left anything out - I plan on modifying the comparison as time progresses.

In the end, I'm glad i went with the Droid, though there are times that I do look back.

I don't trust his writing and he is definitely biased, one has to read between the lines.He is a iphone fanboy through and through.You judge for yourself.That's my opinion of him. :icon_ devil:

 

[jsh1120]

Best comparison I've seen. Congratulations. I realize I'm in the minority: an aging boomer who believes the most important features of a smart phone are (a) its performance as, you know, a PHONE!; (b) a display I can read without fumbling for my glasses; (c) the capacity to sync with various business apps; (d) a physical keyboard my huge aging thumbs can manipulate; and (e) a workable GPS that eliminates the need to carry around still another device.

On those counts, especially the first, the DROID comes out ahead. Not by much, but by a significant enough margin to matter. And by sticking with VZW I was able to rid myself of a truly hated Windows Mobile device for several hundred $$$ less than by switching to the iPhone.

The comparison between the well regulated marketplace for the iPhone versus the anarchy of the Android apps is, I think, especially perceptive. As someone who began using Unix before most of the folks on this board were born, I see it as an old story of the tradeoff between open and proprietary environments. For a consumer each approach has its advantages and costs. I have to admit that my preference for the DROID is based at least in part on its family history and a predilection to cheer for the underdog and the small developer.

Compared to the iPhone my DROID is a bit clunky. The "Market" is more like a middle east bazaar than a mall. Its keyboard adds weight and its multitasking OS sometimes makes me think the phone is too busy with housekeeping to pay attention to me. Are those tradeoffs I'm happy to make? Yup.

 

[jk6959]

Good comparison - felt quite unbiased but even though I'm thinking of going from iPhone 3G to Droid / Milestone the review did seem to make the 3GS sound better even though you preferred the Droid.

I doubt any phone OS will ever be as smooth as the iPhone OS - where Apple have complete control over the phone software AND hardware they can quality control the whole user experience. This ends up putting lots of limits on the consumer, but also a very polished - intuitive experience that I believe is the best starters / newbie smartphone OS around.

I'm wary of moving to Android though - due to the already splintered OS, it seems that if nothing drastic is done then Android will just be another Windows Mobile down the line (but halfway between iPhone OS and WinMo OS in terms of features / usability). I'd like to have access to all the things Android could theoretically do, but without the worry that having an unpopular phone in UK would change from OS updates being a given to barely a privilege if you're lucky.

I'm no iPhone fan - but Google has had a year to show what it can do with Android and it's shown great potential - it's also got great hardware out there - but it just doesn't look like it can promise users the long-term support that limiting myself with Apple does.

 

[johnflo88]

Here's the writeup if anyone cares to read it (its pretty long and exhaustive)

The DOS Guru: Thinking of Switching From iPhone to Droid? (think again)

Please let me know if i left anything out - I plan on modifying the comparison as time progresses.

In the end, I'm glad i went with the Droid, though there are times that I do look back.

for heaven sake it's only a phone! there is life after iphone, you know? You're worse than an alcoholic. You're suffering from Iphone Amnestic Disorder.
There are quite a number of people(me included)in this community who switched to Droid from an iphone with no ill effects. In your case, it is very! Please grow up. Be a man,time to leave the nest.(you missed the games i know)
We switched because(I've 2 iphone 3Gs)we all have a choice now and the iphones have not, maybe will not evolved anymore beside changing the #s and letters to fool the "brain-washed" iphone suckers to buying the same phone without a word of complaint.
A 100,000 apps do not constitute a perfect phone not even close. The android will eventually catches up and what they've now is quite awesome.
I bought the iphone because it was the only game in town at the time (I think it pretty wore me out and got bored too after 3yrs) but now that the Droid, has something to offer and so much more. If the Droid has came out EXACT with the same functionality as the iphone,then I can see, we should ridicule it as another copycat and the iphone is still a better choice but, you can't denied that the Droid is an alternative and so much difference, which I hate to perseverate, about the functionality and capabilities.I think we should all know by now what the Droid can do and what the iphone can't. One is a glorified simple game phone and the new boy in town is an adult computer phone that can play games too.(only less than 7mths old)
Let's put it this way,the iphone is a like a first car that came out without air-con, no power- steering, no power-brake assist and just basic start and go. Obviously it would have better gas mileage and power.
Then the Droid came out with all the amenities that the Iphone lacking, would you not try it out? and of course, it will be slower(lagging, i would put it up for that inconvenience) not that much, and drained on the battery, not that much either.And the little small thing and maybe not much to some people(sour grapes) it means a lot to me, able to let me change the battery.Take the P-keyboard for instance,Droid even addressed that too, you do, and you can please everybody.The best part is Droid don't try to CONTROL you like the iphone does.They(iphone) don't believe in "customer come first" That the best way i can sum it up. Until iphone comes up with something better(after 3 yrs) is not good enough, and be just stringing the "brain-washed" iphone users(suckers) along and will continued doing so until they've the GUTS to speak out.
You switched because it is like when the iphone first came and you want to try something new with whatever phones you were using at that time.phew!!lol' It is same as the Droid. You don't look back and just go forward and enjoy the new challenges. Like I was told in canada, when they changed to Metric from Imperial you just use metric and not try to convert back to imperial.It will be redundant.
Either you switched or you don't. Simple as that and remember Iphone is an iphone and droid is a DRoid. One servant cannot serve two masters, either he likes one or other. (I chose the new and more to offer,)LOL'
So go and make up your mind (the Droid for me and no regrets) and enjoy.
Merry Christmas to all.
Thank you Motorola for giving me (Droid) the freedom of choice.:motdroidvert: Also something new to rekindle my boredom.:icon_ banana:

 

[jsh1120]

Here's the writeup if anyone cares to read it (its pretty long and exhaustive)

The DOS Guru: Thinking of Switching From iPhone to Droid? (think again)

Please let me know if i left anything out - I plan on modifying the comparison as time progresses.

In the end, I'm glad i went with the Droid, though there are times that I do look back.

for heaven sake it's only a phone! there is life after iphone, you know? You're worse than an alcoholic. You're suffering from Iphone Amnestic Disorder.
There are quite a number of people(me included)in this community who switched to Droid from an iphone with no ill effects. In your case, it is very! Please grow up. Be a man,time to leave the nest.(you missed the games i know)...

Time to chill out. The comparison was fair and balanced. And literate. More than can be said of the response.

 

[johnflo88]

Here's the writeup if anyone cares to read it (its pretty long and exhaustive)

The DOS Guru: Thinking of Switching From iPhone to Droid? (think again)

Please let me know if i left anything out - I plan on modifying the comparison as time progresses.

In the end, I'm glad i went with the Droid, though there are times that I do look back.

for heaven sake it's only a phone! there is life after iphone, you know? You're worse than an alcoholic. You're suffering from Iphone Amnestic Disorder.
There are quite a number of people(me included)in this community who switched to Droid from an iphone with no ill effects. In your case, it is very! Please grow up. Be a man,time to leave the nest.(you missed the games i know)...

Time to chill out. The comparison was fair and balanced. And literate. More than can be said of the response.

based on your iphone user opinion?

 

[jsh1120]

for heaven sake it's only a phone! there is life after iphone, you know? You're worse than an alcoholic. You're suffering from Iphone Amnestic Disorder.
There are quite a number of people(me included)in this community who switched to Droid from an iphone with no ill effects. In your case, it is very! Please grow up. Be a man,time to leave the nest.(you missed the games i know)...

Time to chill out. The comparison was fair and balanced. And literate. More than can be said of the response.

based on your iphone user opinion?

No. Based on your adolescent semi-literate response.

 

[crspang]

Time to chill out. The comparison was fair and balanced. And literate. More than can be said of the response.

based on your iphone user opinion?

No. Based on your adolescent semi-literate response.

Too funny lol