iPad

[Doseone]

If I want IOS as my operating system there are 2 devices I can get it on. An Iphone and an Ipad. That's it. Take it or leave it. Don't get me wrong, they are undoubtedly excellent products, but want a smaller screen on your tablet, tough. Don't want to pay £500 for your new phone, tough.

If I choose Android as my operating system I can choose how much I want to pay, what my device looks like, what size I want it to be, how I want it to look, who the manufacturer is etc etc - but I appreciate that for many people these things are not important. It's all down to personal choice.

The good thing for us as consumers is that we have a choice between Android devices and Apple devices. Horses for courses and hopefully they will keep each other on their toes and both keep delivering excellent products.

 

[PaulSB]

Well I dont have any problem with having to go after any software updates on any of my android devices, when they are available I simply get a notification that the update is ready to install then it installs ............. no big drama no problem it is no more complicated then that. I think you are getting confused with the people who like to root their phones any choose what version of android to install today just like there are people who like to jailbreak there iPhones.

I very much agree with all of your post but just wanted to quote this bit. I'm sure I am confusing standard Android devices with those who chose to "root" there phones. I don't really know what "root" is but have the impression it involves stripping out the software in some way and then reloading a lot of other stuff I don't understand!! The impression I have gained, rightly or wrongly, is all Android phones require this, or some other form of mucking about with, to make them work properly. If I'm wrong I'm happy to be corrected.

I think the whole question of marketing and perception of these very high tech gadgets, which we just put in our pockets, is interesting. My wife wanted a Kindle at Christmas, I suggested I get the iPad. She said "no" all my friends have Kindle, it works and does exactly what I want - I haven't heard a murmur about it since the box was opened. Result! In much the same way many people are very happy with the iPhone.

Now I'm no Apple lovie. Several people have told me I should have a Mac at home and if I asked for one at work my directors would immediately say "yes." However my understanding is Macs are very expensive, may limit the software I can use, work slightly differently and may limit my abilit to communicate effectively with my customers. Result, don't buy a Mac even if it is a better machine because of the doubts.

iPad - looks like fun but I have no great urge to buy one.

Ultimately for the bog standard consumer simple, easy use of very complex technology is what they require. This, in my view, is where Apple have been so successful with the iPad / iPhone and at the same time have persuaded people to pay a very significant premium. Quite brilliant, in my book, in business terms.....even if others see it as a rip off!

 

[Doseone]

I don't really know what "root" is but have the impression it involves stripping out the software in some way and then reloading a lot of other stuff I don't understand!! The impression I have gained, rightly or wrongly, is all Android phones require this, or some other form of mucking about with, to make them work properly. If I'm wrong I'm happy to be corrected.

No - Android phones don't require this at all. They just work, in the same way an Iphone, or a Kindle, just work.

However, because Android is open source it attracts people who like to open the bonnet and start tinkering in a way that you can't with IOS. So what you find is that people are able to root their devices and run custom ROMS for example to have the latest software before it is officially released. That's not for me, I don't have the ability and would be worried about voiding my warrantee

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I very much agree with all of your post but just wanted to quote this bit. I'm sure I am confusing standard Android devices with those who chose to "root" there phones. I don't really know what "root" is but have the impression it involves stripping out the software in some way and then reloading a lot of other stuff I don't understand!! The impression I have gained, rightly or wrongly, is all Android phones require this, or some other form of mucking about with, to make them work properly. If I'm wrong I'm happy to be corrected.

Basically when the manufacturers release the phones they all put their own 'Front End' on the phone, for instance if you compare an HTC phone with a Samsung phone you will notice that the interface look different even if they may both have the same version of Anroid on them that is because they have both opted to write different looking interfaces to brand them to fit in with whatever image they are trying to portray at the time. If you Root your phone you can strip off all the manufacturers interface and additonal software and just have a bare version of Android then you can customize it anyway you like, or even install a version that someone else has branded to conform to a 'Look' your are after.

I think the whole question of marketing and perception of these very high tech gadgets, which we just put in our pockets, is interesting. My wife wanted a Kindle at Christmas, I suggested I get the iPad. She said "no" all my friends have Kindle, it works and does exactly what I want - I haven't heard a murmur about it since the box was opened. Result! In much the same way many people are very happy with the iPhone.

I have a kindle and I love it, I particularly like the way the battery lasts a month and this is one reason I would use it over a tablet. The problem with reading books on a tablet is that it has a backlight so the battery wont last very long, with the kindle it uses e-ink and only uses battery power to change the display not to actually display what is on the screen so the end result is the battery lasts a long time, and of course it is very light to hold for long periods of time.

Now I'm no Apple lovie. Several people have told me I should have a Mac at home and if I asked for one at work my directors would immediately say "yes." However my understanding is Macs are very expensive, may limit the software I can use, work slightly differently and may limit my abilit to communicate effectively with my customers. Result, don't buy a Mac even if it is a better machine because of the doubts.

The compatabilty issue can be a problem and you will find that some progams simply wont run on a mac without the expense of install virtual pc software so it can run windows, which is kind of pointless as you may as well just get a PC for half to price if you are going to do that. The main problem for me is the way they portray them as superior machines that are so much better than PC's and you should get one now, well if they are so superior why did Apple switch from the Motorola platform over to the same achitecture and the PC . So when I am asked by my customers for advice on this issue I explain all the pros and cons on both sides and let them make up their own mind without just shoving one or other down their throat like some shops seem to do.

iPad - looks like fun but I have no great urge to buy one.

Ultimately for the bog standard consumer simple, easy use of very complex technology is what they require. This, in my view, is where Apple have been so successful with the iPad / iPhone and at the same time have persuaded people to pay a very significant premium. Quite brilliant, in my book, in business terms.....even if others see it as a rip off!

I must admit I cant argue with the business model. If someone had come up to me and said I am thinking of bringing out a product that as it ships can surf the internet and do email etc but if you want to add any extra functionality you will have to spend more money on extra Apps but it will cost the same amount of money as a laptop that will already do most of those things out of the box I would have told them they were crazy

 

[phil_hg_uk]

This is a top tip - thanks!

I saw these MIFI devices advertised today and i thougt what a good idea for wifi tablets, then I thought hang on a minute if you have an android smart phone you can just turn on WiFi hotspot and tether the tablet to the phone.

 

[ufkacbln]

Click on settings, scroll down and click on About tablet, you then should see an option to search for firmware upgrades.
It was easy and painless, you just need it plugged in charging before you start with a good wifi signal.

hope this helps Sean

Whereas an IPad would have given a message saying "Update available" and then on acceptance seamlessly downloaded it

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Whereas an IPad would have given a message saying "Update available" and then on acceptance seamlessly downloaded it

That will be just like my Android Phone and Tablet that both have auto-update enabled.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

After the disaster with Android 2.3.3 and wifi on the Desire, I would never automatically accept an upgrade. I do a lot of research first - HTC phones are great, but the support if things go wrong can be dire.

I think you can still accept or reject it once it downloads it I turned it on so it will tell me when the ics upgrades are available, but I see your point.

 

[The Brewer]

Whereas an IPad would have given a message saying "Update available" and then on acceptance seamlessly downloaded it

Yep like others have said it will in form you, just I was impatient.

Would'nt call all my apple updates seemless though

 

[ufkacbln]

I was only being sarcastic!

I bought an IPad because my wife is familiar with the programs upon it and this was easier. She then stole it , and I had to replace it. At that time no other tablet came close.

I did however choose Android for my phone as the options were more robust, weatherproof and smaller. I do however find that I prefer IOS to the Android when it comes to routine use.

 

[PBancroft]

I was only being sarcastic!

I bought an IPad because my wife is familiar with the programs upon it and this was easier. She then stole it , and I had to replace it. At that time no other tablet came close.

I did however choose Android for my phone as the options were more robust, weatherproof and smaller. I do however find that I prefer IOS to the Android when it comes to routine use.

Having now played with a couple of iPads, I must say that I am very tempted. I don't use my phone as a phone all that often, so I'm giving consideration to getting rid and just using a 3G iPad.

I am normally pretty much a Google fanboi, to the point of being one of the few that owns one of these (and I think its a decent, very much overlooked piece of kit). I have an Android phone (HTC Desire) but I'm slowly starting to fall out with it. There are certain things which it just doesn't do well enough. By default, you can't set up an HTTP proxy for WiFi connections, for example, and I'm not overly impressed with its compatibility with Exchange (I've lost count of the number of times it believes my credentials are invalid, or will simply refuse to sync my account).

Yes, some of the problems it has can be overcome by installing apps, or in the case of the proxy issue, rooting the phone and installing apps, but that really shouldn't be necessary. Google are working on some of these issues, but there are still problems which are outstanding, and they will never be fixed on all devices as they don't all support the newer firmware.

And I think there is a lot to be said for having a walled garden OS where everything just is, and the apps only build on top of that. I think Apple got it right with iOS, and Microsoft have cottoned on with Phone 7 (though I'm dubious about their approach with Windows 8). I think Google have missed a trick with being too open, in that they've ended up with an OS which is slightly unstable because too much is free to do what it wants with it.

 

[ColinJ]

By default, you can't set up an HTTP proxy for WiFi connections

I did do a quick Google, but I'm still none the wiser. What does that actually mean and why do you need to do it?

 

[col]

Is it possible to put your sd card into an ipad and use it as you do your phone? Even taking calls?

 

[PBancroft]

I did do a quick Google, but I'm still none the wiser. What does that actually mean and why do you need to do it?

An example: Many corporations will have corporate wireless hotspots. However, in order to make sure people abide by their internet policy (and don't open themselves up to all sorts of abuse) they will get users to go through their proxy server, which among other things will make sure the user gets a level of filtering mandated by the organisation. Users need to point their device to the proxy server, before the network would allow you to talk to it, or to the Internet (even after authenticating) and this can be done in several different ways.

On Android, until recently, you just couldn't do it. Newer firmware releases can, but its a half-assed attempt at best.

 

[ColinJ]

An example: Many corporations will have corporate wireless hotspots. However, in order to make sure people abide by their internet policy (and don't open themselves up to all sorts of abuse) they will get users to go through their proxy server, which among other things will make sure the user gets a level of filtering mandated by the organisation. Users need to point their device to the proxy server, before the network would allow you to talk to it, or to the Internet (even after authenticating) and this can be done in several different ways.

On Android, until recently, you just couldn't do it. Newer firmware releases can, but its a half-assed attempt at best.

Oh, thanks. That does sound like a bit of an oversight!

Is it possible to put your sd card into an ipad and use it as you do your phone? Even taking calls?

Did you mean an SD card for transferring data, or a SIM card for making calls or both?