I haven't read this much BS in ages on the FOG.

- Pushing the cost of storage on the customer? The difference between a 16gb iPad2 and a 32 GB iPad2 in the States is $50, here in Europe it's even €100. A 16 GB SD card can be had for $/€18. No who's pushing the cost of storage on the customer?

- Android device marketing sneaky? iPad2 lacks both an SD and a USB slot, 2 widely accepted industry standards to make devices compatible and interoperable. While Android devices give you accessibility, possibilities and an open structure, while Apple gives it to you the Kim Jung-Il way.



Yup, this is what it's all about with Apple. Closing off possibilities to protect their markets. Understandable from their point of view. But I'm completely baffled why consumers let them get away with it, just to look cool and trendy.

Apple has realised that the majority want to use the devices not do tech support. For me the possibilities that have been closed (viruses, data theft, random crashes, and battery eating resource hungry Flash) are not important. If you like playing in the device don't get Apple if you like using it then Apple is an easy obvious and good choice.

Why have their been tablets for 11 years that almost no body bought? Then Apple sells more in 3 months than everybody else in 10 years?  Yes I know, we all want to look cool and trendy. No most people want stuff that works. They don't want to work at stuff.

You're missing the point. It's not about a functional "like-for-like" comparison, it's about manufacturing and selling. Apple iPhone owners are, statistically, larger consumers of media/bandwidth than Android users, hence the larger base memory. Based on those margins, you think Android manufacturers are just being the "nice guy"? They would love to have you pay an extra $100, but apparently consumers are only willing to pay big money for Apple phones, not Android phones.



Misleading at best. Apple does connect to USB via a cable, and the apple connector is reasonably widely accepted. I can't figure out how to search for android-only docks vs. iphone docs on Amazon, but I'd venture there's a lot more iphone docks than android docks, so the connector is pretty widely accepted.

You claim Apple is the "Kim Jung-Il" way, but there are quite a few happy iPhone users out there that don't seem to be nearly as limited as your hyperbole would imply:



Also, Android's "open structure" is leading to fragmentation that is problematic for developers. Apple has paid out over $2B in royalties, as of April 2011 (couldn't find a newer stat quickly), and I'd be shocked if even with their broader install base the aggregate royalties for Android app developers is anywhere near that.



Or "Closing off possibilities" = simplifying the user experience. Who doesn't know how to use an iPhone/iPad?

And maybe consumers "let them get away with it" because it provides value that you don't necessarily realize. Is Audi/BMW/Mercedes/Land Rover/etc. pulling one over on consumers the same way because you can buy a Kia for $8k or an A8/750Li/S550/Range Rover/etc. for $80-120k? Closed, or not totally open, systems have their advantages. Just because *YOU* don't realize the added value at the same level as other people doesn't mean they're getting ripped off.

With viruses I was mostly referring to OSX, With battery life there is no mobile device that gets decent life running flash and even Adobe has conceded that it can't get Flash to work on mobile and it is now end of life.

WOW! I'm amazing how this thread has turned.

I have an iPad and an iPad 2 - I love them both. To me the value of the iPads (and the iPhones) is the the Appstore & iTunes ... and now that Apple is finally sorting out the MobileMe concept in the form of iCloud ... the Apple user will have a more pervasive experience across iPhone, iPad and Mac ... to me this works and I'm happy to pay the money that Apple charges.

If you're not happy with Apple products - just don't buy them. To complain about a "lack" of an on board SD card reader - well, you're obviously not a significant demographic in their target user base - sorry! ... The number of times I've wanted a dedicated on board SD card reader is zero - so I'm happy with the product. Maybe this'll change with iPad3 ... maybe digital cameras will provide Bluetooth sync, we'll see.

I want better audio input capability - but I'm probably one in a thousand, so I'm not holding my breath!

These style of devices will get cheaper and you'll swap them more frequently - hopefully the disposal method will be kind to the environment (there must be a lot of mobile phones buried somewhere on this planet!)

Anyway guys - let's keep it friendly eh? Apple is a business and it's run to make a profit - yes, a huge profit ... which means it must be doing something that someone likes.

BTW - I have several Android devices too ... not a fan. My spend, my woe.

Kev.

Repairing, rebuilding and riding motor cycles used to be a hobby of mine. Now I have a Honda, pay someone else to service it, and just ride it.

Programming running and modifying my computer ( a triple boot 6502, Z80, and 80186 running BBC Basic CPM and DRdos) used to be a hobby of mine.  When forced to use a Mac 20 years ago (a FatMac AFAICR) I hated it, because I haven't given up the hobby of playing with the machine and modifying the program's.

Now I have moved on with my hobbies and just want the computer to work so I have happly used Macs for the last 18 years computers are not my hobby I just want them to work. Though Mac sustems maintaince is an occasional paying job, it is paid work.

I haven't bothered with virus protection in all that time (and I don't practice safe computing).  Are there viruses on my computers?  Probably yes. Do they bother me or infect my OS? No. Because they are all for windows machines or they are phishing attacks.

I am very aware of what is happening in the computer security world which now includes phones and tablets. I see no need to run security SW on my Apple hardware now or in the near future.

Apple systems are, in general, for people who don't want to bother with how the systems work. They just want them to work

I have apple machines not a computing hobby I've moved on.  Woodwork, designing our new house and diving are my hobbies and are fun and my machines assist my hobbies and my main work of teaching.

YMMV You may want a hobby and the other platforms provide that opportunity, often whether you want it or not. Unless your company has locked down your computer.  

Snigger ...

My last thirty years have been IT - the last 10 have had an enterprise mobility focus. It's amazing how the conflict between corporate and personal device capabilities have grown to be both different, then ultimately similar. I'd be giving away the game if I said where I thought things were ultimately going - but I will say that the human interface is key and you will probably be caught of guard with tech capabilities over the next 18 months.