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Steve Wozniak: Android will be the dominant smartphone platform
- Thread starter maflynn
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Android phones offer more choice for users to customize without having to jailbreak. You are actually the ruler of your home screen and can set up multiple screens marking whichever one you wish as the default. You can add widgets that are quite useful such as a quick contact, that's like taking that favorite and putting it right on your home screen.
I don't know that you get "more" features, but you are more in control of your own phone using Android than you are when you use iOS. That's for sure.
I don't know that you get "more" features, but you are more in control of your own phone using Android than you are when you use iOS. That's for sure.
Steve Wozniak says Andriod will become dominant platform
Thoughts?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/steve-wozniak-android-will-be-the-dominant-smartphone-platform/
Thoughts?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/steve-wozniak-android-will-be-the-dominant-smartphone-platform/
If he'd said this a year ago it would've been news.
Now he's just repeating what everyone else has already predicted.
Now he's just repeating what everyone else has already predicted.
Not surprised. They are cheaper, more customisable and more open. I do, however, think that could be the possible downfall of the device, as it is only a matter of time before virus's start emerging for mobile devices.
Also... I do actually think that the WP7, is a very good contender. We'll just have to wait and see...
Also... I do actually think that the WP7, is a very good contender. We'll just have to wait and see...
Since anyone can make an Android and they're on every carrier, I'd say he's right.
Of course Android will be the dominant platform. Pretty hard not to be when you have 10 or more companies making products around the platform. I'm still not convinced that Google won't do something to screw it up.
As for choice, get real people, aside of the types of people who frequent tech boards, consumers couldn't care less about that nor are they probably even aware of it. I'd point to the surveys showing very high percentages of people who never even d/l apps.
As for choice, get real people, aside of the types of people who frequent tech boards, consumers couldn't care less about that nor are they probably even aware of it. I'd point to the surveys showing very high percentages of people who never even d/l apps.
But honestly, who cares if Android dominates? I like iPhone. I like iOS. Therefore, I will continue to buy iPhones. Same thing with Macs. Not the most popular, but I like Mac OS X. So, I buy Macs.
I understand the sentiment, but there is a correlation between market success and the development of a product line. The better a product does in the market the more a company is apt to spend on its future development.
I repeat the above statement again. The correlation exists to an extent. Years ago Mac's weren't very popular but the company still invested in future development and a small group (compared to the general PC populous) still used them and they are still here and still being developed.
I agree with with the previous poster. I prefer the iPhone, I like iOS, and I like Macs therefore I use them. I tried the Android system and I didn't like it both from a user standpoint and a developer standpoint. My wife who is Tech illiterate also preferred the iOS platform over the Android.
We're not going to jump on the flavor of the month because someone said "this is the way of the future" we use products we like and watch movies we like regardless of reviews.
Choice! That which empowers the consumer.
However, it would be quite disingenuous to claim that the Mac hasn't struggled in some areas of 3rd party support (most notably in the gaming arena and business software) because of lack of penetration. In a sense, the growth of the platform has helped and you can see as the platform gets more and more popular, game companies are taking notice and business software is also trickling in.
So if Android does end up dominating and iOS gets relegated to a niche (like what happened to Mac vs PC), we could see the same scenario repeat itself whereas Android gets all the cool toys first and iOS gets them later or not at all.
That is quite true. Most people don't care about megahertz this or gigabyte that. They just want it to be easy to use, reliable, do the task quickly and do the few things they need it to do. Which for most people is text message, answer calls and e-mail (being able to open the attachments). Some those may have some uses for the calendar, a small amount of web surfing.
Look around you on a bus. All makes/models of cellphones are there. Some people like physical keyboards, some like the BB scroll wheel, some like big screen, small screens, etc..
Choice is important to many people, hence why the cellphone ecosystem is so large and diverse and why companies bother to even carry more than 1 model. Otherwise, if as you say most people didn't care, you'd only ever see 1 model and carriers wouldn't bother carrying more than 1 model. The fact is there is consumer demand for choice, and it is broader than the tech blogs/forums.
Some of you guys are making very logical and correct points. I do agree that market share plays apart in the overall health of the platform, but I really don't see those who are already on iPhone/iOS switching to Android unless Apple royally screws up something or Android really does provide something that is user-friendly. I expect Android/iOS will be a nice 1-2 punch at the top of the market for years to come.
Of course consumers want choices in what to buy. I was responding to Jessica's comment about choice and customizing phones. By and large, people outside of tech forums don't care about that.
Next time quote the post you are responding to if you don't want confusion, but I still agree with Jessica.
Consumers care how to arrange their own phone/computers/whatever. If they didn't, all the desktops in the world would look the same, with the default icons/wallpaper/menu arrangement. The fact is, personalizing your stuff is something a lot of consumers do care about. Be it with stickers, patches or by changing stuff around, adding/removing information, etc...
Really this whole "only tech nerds care about that stuff" is just an argument I read on here to try to justify Apple's often very limited choices in the matter. At large, people do like this kind of attention to their gadgets.
There are a number of android based phones that offer different screen sizes, colors, keyboard and/or on screen keyboards and shapes. There are more choices other than 16 or 32.
It would take a lot for me to move from iOS/iPhone to an Android device. Like one other poster stated, unless Android leaps iOS in ease of use/stability, then I won't be going anywhere too soon.
Although the product/circumstances are different, the principle is similar to the old Linux vs. Windows debate that happened years back. All the techno-nuts/nerds were boasting how much better Linux was, it was open, it's 64 bit, etc. and that it would take over the desktop. Never happened...not saying that's the same situation here. Obviously Android is doing well, and people are buying devices running Android. But those using something they already like will be hard pressed to jump ship just because it's "Android" or "Open"...
Although the product/circumstances are different, the principle is similar to the old Linux vs. Windows debate that happened years back. All the techno-nuts/nerds were boasting how much better Linux was, it was open, it's 64 bit, etc. and that it would take over the desktop. Never happened...not saying that's the same situation here. Obviously Android is doing well, and people are buying devices running Android. But those using something they already like will be hard pressed to jump ship just because it's "Android" or "Open"...
If the next version of the OS doesn't offer lock screen customization and widgets, I won't be renewing my bid in the iOS platform. My 3GS is my first and will be my last if Apple persists with their outdated UI.
This. I've never understood anyone who claims the average user does not wish to customise their tech products.