東西 | dongxi

Before I’m instantly discounted as an Apple hater, let me preface things by saying that I’ve been a huge fan of my iPod Touch. For a while, I actually used my iPod Touch as my “computer” for my trips to New York. I was rather vocal about my love for my iPod Touch as I used it to check my emails, watch my videos, take notes, and chat online. I used it very much the way the iPad is used now.

I’m 100% sure that if the iPhone had been on Sprint, I would’ve jumped on as an iPhone user. It didn’t and since I enjoyed Sprint (and definitely wanted to avoid AT&T), I never jumped on the Apple bandwagon and eventually ended up with Android with the HTC Evo. I liked my Palm Pre but I’m loving Android, especially as my second-gen iPod Touch continues to outdate itself. I find Android as the antithesis of Apple – openness, customization – I can tweak my phone to work exactly the way I want it. I can change my SMS program so I can get instant popups (which I can answer directly on) whenever I get a text. I can upload movies/videos on any computer via a standard USB. I have one-touch widgets on my homescreen to turn on/off settings such as Bluetooth, brightness, airplane mode, and WiFi (It takes three steps to do that on iOS). You get the picture.

So why would I want to consider iOS again? For me, it’s mostly games and the third-party app support. Sure, I got Angry Birds for free on Android, but I’m still waiting on a dozen other games that have yet to be ported. I’m still amazed on how I can get a solid version of Super Street Fighter 4 on my iPod Touch. I find myself turning to my iPod all the time, playing a quick game of Civ, SF4, SimCity, Madden, Solitare, or UNO. New games come in all the time and I have no qualms spending money buying them. There’s no doubt that when it comes to gaming, Apple blows Android out of the water. I’m also a big fan of the multimedia support as well – the iPod interface is great. It’s easy to use. I’m one of those guys who actually goes through the pain of labeling everything track allowing me to find music through genre, artist, album, or any other field – iTunes and iPod allows me to navigate without issue. For some reason the tags get jumbled up on Android. While Android’s got basic functionality covered, when it comes to entertainment (which makes up a huge portion of my time), Apple takes the cake.

Sounds easy enough then. So what’s the problem? Well the one thing that’s becoming an increasingly big concern is the way Apple screws its own consumers (quite literally in one case). Yeah, the Genius Bar and customer support is great and on a day-to-day basis, Apple seems to be there for its users, but when I take a step back and look its overall policies, there’s a very different picture. Led by Steve Jobs, Apple built this whole “I’m better than you” culture. It’s certainly a feeling I get from many of their most “passionate” of fans. And yet, it’s that same attitude that’s thrown right back at them when Steve Jobs tells iPhone 4 owners that they’re holding the phone wrong. Rather than address the issue at hand, Apple shifts the blame over. We’ve seen it with the iPad lock/mute switch controversy (finally addressed in iOS 4.3 with Apple returning the option to users) as well. The latest story comes from the “screws” that Apple secretly replaces with proprietary ones, which only Apple can unscrew. It’s a blow for consumers who may want the option of getting their devices fixed at a third party vendor.

Ultimately, that’s the problem for me; Apple believes that they know best, over their consumers. They remove options whenever possible and lock users to a pricey, highly controlled path of forced upgrade and proprietary items. During CES this year, some of my iPhone friends had to carry giant battery packs to recharge their phones. All I had to do was swap the battery – an idea that Apple is looking to remove in nearly all their products. While I can transfer files via any USB cable on any computer with my phone, Apple products require you use their cable on one specific computer (when it comes to syncing or upgrading). As much as some may argue about Android fragmentation, Apple’s iOS 4.0 “upgrade” made my iPod Touch so difficult (and buggy) to use that I made sure my parents iPhone 3G was not upgraded. Apple hasn’t done too much to support older-gen devices; you’re moreorless forced to upgrade. So where is this Apple love so many people talk about?

And so I’m stuck with the decision, should I get the new iPad (2) when it comes out, supposedly in Q2? I’m sure the iPad 2 will be an amazing experience; the things Apple does, they tend to do well. It’ll continue to receive the full support of third party developers with plenty of games, apps, and programs to choose from. I’ve already invested so much in iOS as well. It’s a very tempting proposition. But as I start thinking about the lack of widgets, the dated app-only menu/UI, the lack of customization, and most importantly, the questionable care from Apple, I’m taken aback to be 50/50 in my decision. Then again, it’s still a long ways to April; who knows what stories tomorrow will bring.

Tags: Android, apple, evo, fanboys, htc evo, ios, ipad, ipod touch, steve jobs