Tag: iTunes Store

The New Phone Revisited Again

I like the Android Market and Amazon’s Appstore (something free every day). Compared to Apple’s iTunes Store the Android Market is very much like the Wild West!

Over the past few weeks I’ve been writing about my Samsung Galaxy S2 phone. Bucking the trend I moved from Apple to Android. So far I’m pretty happy, but there are shortcomings.

Though the iPhone virtual keyboard was sometimes tough to wrangle the Android keyboard on this Samsung is worse! I’ve tried nearly everything and am still unhappy. Granted, my phone isn’t ever going to be a major writing tool, but it is used for emails and notes all the time.

This is a major fail. Android users I’ll take any suggestions.

As mentioned earlier I’ve started playing Words with Friends&#185. The Android app from Zynga seems a giant battery/CPU drain. This is true as long as this app is on-screen, even if the screen has timed out and gone black.

Words with Friends has run through 150mb of data so far. For what? Is nothing cached? I’m missing something here. That sounds like an awful lot of up and downloading. Glad to be grandfathered with unlimited data, but still!

I like the Android Market and Amazon’s Appstore (something free every day). Compared to Apple’s iTunes Store the Android Market is very much like the Wild West! Anyone can put an app in no matter what’s in it!

You won’t find reviews like this for the iPhone as I did for an Android app tonight.

DO NOT UPDATE!!! Read everyone’s comments first. Lies in the description & changelog, Dangerous permission change!! Why is it suddenly asking for full network access. There is nothing in the change log which mentions that. This is called ‘bait and switch’ and is a classic conman tactic. There is a changelog for this sort of stuff, by hiding the changes the devs have shown themselves to be untrustworthy.

On the other hand there are a lot of clever apps that Apple would never allow.

There are strategies to keep from being burned with just a minimum of caution. I’m trying my best.

I am still thrilled I got this phone. Nothing’s perfect.

&#185 – Please don’t ask. I’m overloaded already with friends, colleagues and relatives. I like the game, but need a life!

The IPad’s Not For Me

On virtually every other computer the software you use is a decision left solely to the user. Not on the iPad.

Tomorrow is iPad Saturday. I did not order one. I will not rush out and buy one. Though the concept of tablet computing seems very appealing, Apple’s modus operandi is stifling and backwards.

First the good news. I’ve grown more used to typing on my iPhone. A virtual keyboard isn’t as much of a problem as it once was (though it is decidedly nowhere near as good as a full tactile keyboard). With that in mind the idea of having a ‘slab’ of computer in my lap seems logical.

And, of course, the iPad is beautiful. Apple has perfected beauty in computing. They have no equal. There aren’t even pretenders!

My problem is I know what a computer can do (as do you). The iPad does not live up to modern expectation.

It cannot multitask. It cannot run any programs but those you download (usually purchase–but not always) from the iTunes Store–only the iTunes store. It has no camera. It is not a cellphone. Its battery isn’t replaceable.

When users clamored for Adobe Flash to be included on the iPhone, Apple said no. Too much battery strain. Too buggy and prone to crashing. Maybe, but that should be my choice. With the iPad “my choice” doesn’t exist unless it’s “their choice” first.

There are many who believe Apple doesn’t want Flash because it will allow downloadable apps to freely compete with those from the iTunes Store. That’s what I believe. That’s sad.

On virtually every other computer the software you use is a decision left solely to you. Not on the iPad. Because owners are dependent on the iTunes Store every installation has to be approved by them before it’s even considered by you! Apps have to be more than good. They have to be good and good for Apple.

Do I want a tablet computer? Yes. It seems a logical step.

I am willing to put up with a lot of these shortcoming on my iPhone because it’s main utility is being a phone. Right or wrong I am used to less choice with phones than with general computing devices.

It won’t be long before Asus or Dell or some other smart computer company releases their own tablet computer. Maybe it won’t be quite as pretty as the iPad, but it will be a lot more versatile. That’s when I’ll be ready to buy.