I'll start by saying I am a simple guy. I work in tech all day and the last thing I want to do is mess with devices on my own time. Despite the commenters who consider iOS users simple-minded, unintelligent and iSheep, I choose iOS because it does just_work. When compared to others, the Apple ecosystem offers the least involved and best user experience out of the box.
However, like others, I have a wandering eye. A recent stroke of luck landed me a free N5 and I have been using it for the past 4 weeks. In a nutshell, I really, really, really like it. Will I switch permanently? I can't yet say. Especially with WWDC right around the corner.
I will share my comparisons;
Ecosystems - Apple vs. Google -- Like I said, I'm simple. I don't want to download 10 different applications and create a patchwork of tweaks to make something work. I much prefer a streamlined experience to the point that having extraneous or duplicated apps drives me nuts. All my devices are Apple. All my media is in some sort of Apple format. All my inner circle people are on iDevices. Truth is, it's a cozy place to be. I don't care if its Google, Microsoft or Apple. I want all my stuff under one banner. I just happen to think Apple has done a better job of creating harmony than the others (right now). Getting people to follow me somewhere else will be next to impossible and I will be doing this alone. That means extra steps.
What I use on iOS and my Android equivalent:
First things first, transition to cross-platform apps as much as possible while on iOS.
Contacts and Calendars -- Get the Android app Smoothsync. Works great and I haven't missed a thing.
Phone storage -- All my stuff is in the cloud. I don't need external SD cards or extra storage. For me, the N5, Moto X, HTC M8, are perfect.
Music -- I use iTunes Match and stream everything from there. I will do the same with Google Music. I am already a Slacker user so nothing lost. The one thing I find lacking is a good Podcast app. All of the recommendations I've seen on Android are fussy and not as polished. I am resorting to using Sticher but it sucks that my Podcast subscriptions will no longer be in sync.
Movies -- I use a Synology NAS and stream from that. Plex is a great runner up. I use Netflix for everything else.
Photos -- I currently use Photostream and the family subscribes to my shared streams. I think Flickr will be the best bet because there is a native AppleTV app that they can still subscribe to on their end.
Messaging -- iMessage on OSX has Jabber integration so I currently use that. I guess Hangouts will have to be the new platform but I still expect to miss some SMS messages this way.
Books -- this one sucks. I bought everything in iBooks. From here on out, I am only using Amazon and Kindle.
Everything else -- Did I emphasize cross-platform apps? I am making the transition from Notes to Evernote. For Todo, from Things App to Wunderlist. Etc. Etc.
The Holdouts -- FaceTime & Airplay. I hate Skype and not enough people in my circle are Google users for Hangouts to be the standard. This one will be tough. Since I am keeping the iPad and Mac, I'll probably stick with FaceTime.
Airplay is the big one. I have a Chromecast but it just isn't the same. Plus I have Airport WiFi routers around the house and frequently stream music to them. I can't see this being easily replaced without spending a lot of $$. The AppleTV is a cord-cutters dream because everyone from the grandparents to a 5yr old can figure out how to use it. Sending the same content to a Chromecst takes a ton of extra steps where the average user would just give up. Something like a Roku is just not as user friendly. The Amazon FireTV is maybe a possibility but still, with iCloud, I have my Podcasts, Music, Movies, Photos *and* App sharing all on one box and one interface.
The N5 is great. So much so that I thought I would sell it with my 5S and get a new M8 outright. However, it's really not as simple as just swapping your phone. I have a whole world tied to this device. Right now, I am feeling like it'ss not worth all the trouble. I will probably give up and stick with Apple. Which sucks.
However, like others, I have a wandering eye. A recent stroke of luck landed me a free N5 and I have been using it for the past 4 weeks. In a nutshell, I really, really, really like it. Will I switch permanently? I can't yet say. Especially with WWDC right around the corner.
I will share my comparisons;
Ecosystems - Apple vs. Google -- Like I said, I'm simple. I don't want to download 10 different applications and create a patchwork of tweaks to make something work. I much prefer a streamlined experience to the point that having extraneous or duplicated apps drives me nuts. All my devices are Apple. All my media is in some sort of Apple format. All my inner circle people are on iDevices. Truth is, it's a cozy place to be. I don't care if its Google, Microsoft or Apple. I want all my stuff under one banner. I just happen to think Apple has done a better job of creating harmony than the others (right now). Getting people to follow me somewhere else will be next to impossible and I will be doing this alone. That means extra steps.
What I use on iOS and my Android equivalent:
First things first, transition to cross-platform apps as much as possible while on iOS.
Contacts and Calendars -- Get the Android app Smoothsync. Works great and I haven't missed a thing.
Phone storage -- All my stuff is in the cloud. I don't need external SD cards or extra storage. For me, the N5, Moto X, HTC M8, are perfect.
Music -- I use iTunes Match and stream everything from there. I will do the same with Google Music. I am already a Slacker user so nothing lost. The one thing I find lacking is a good Podcast app. All of the recommendations I've seen on Android are fussy and not as polished. I am resorting to using Sticher but it sucks that my Podcast subscriptions will no longer be in sync.
Movies -- I use a Synology NAS and stream from that. Plex is a great runner up. I use Netflix for everything else.
Photos -- I currently use Photostream and the family subscribes to my shared streams. I think Flickr will be the best bet because there is a native AppleTV app that they can still subscribe to on their end.
Messaging -- iMessage on OSX has Jabber integration so I currently use that. I guess Hangouts will have to be the new platform but I still expect to miss some SMS messages this way.
Books -- this one sucks. I bought everything in iBooks. From here on out, I am only using Amazon and Kindle.
Everything else -- Did I emphasize cross-platform apps? I am making the transition from Notes to Evernote. For Todo, from Things App to Wunderlist. Etc. Etc.
The Holdouts -- FaceTime & Airplay. I hate Skype and not enough people in my circle are Google users for Hangouts to be the standard. This one will be tough. Since I am keeping the iPad and Mac, I'll probably stick with FaceTime.
Airplay is the big one. I have a Chromecast but it just isn't the same. Plus I have Airport WiFi routers around the house and frequently stream music to them. I can't see this being easily replaced without spending a lot of $$. The AppleTV is a cord-cutters dream because everyone from the grandparents to a 5yr old can figure out how to use it. Sending the same content to a Chromecst takes a ton of extra steps where the average user would just give up. Something like a Roku is just not as user friendly. The Amazon FireTV is maybe a possibility but still, with iCloud, I have my Podcasts, Music, Movies, Photos *and* App sharing all on one box and one interface.
The N5 is great. So much so that I thought I would sell it with my 5S and get a new M8 outright. However, it's really not as simple as just swapping your phone. I have a whole world tied to this device. Right now, I am feeling like it'ss not worth all the trouble. I will probably give up and stick with Apple. Which sucks.
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