Technology PWNED!

Ah, I remember these days! Thank Heaven they are over!!!

Why I Dropped My iPod Like a Hot Rock

I remember all my iPods. I loved them. I've had a 2nd, 4th and 5th gen iPod classic as well as several iPod nano/minis. In all cases I loved them more than I hated them. The actual hardware was well designed and beautiful. The UI was annoying at times, but functional. I listened to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. But when I realized that greener pastures were availible I dropped that iPod like a lava hot rock. The reason for this warp speed drop is simply summed up into one word... iTunes!
What initially started as an awesome program that acted as a jukebox, music store, and sync interface has ballooned into the biggest joke of the retail/tech world. It is bloatware in the cyber-flesh. The fact that so many Apple products require iTunes in order to sync, reset, and so forth is a testiment to how one company can be so full of itself that it fails to see when it's star innovation is now crapware. And iTunes was innovation in its time. It was a unifying idea that caught on, but that time as past. Now is the time of the cloud, the app, the web browser. I think of my current setup for music, audiobooks, and podcasts, and I shudder at the thought of having to re-install iTunes if I were to move back to an Apple product. The mere removal of that program alleviated such a large load off of my laptop & desktop's system. Compairing syncing, uploading files to my smart devices, backing up info, and much more anything more than basic "click & drag" like function is just way too much. So dear iPod, I didn't abandon you because of anything you yourself did. No, I abandoned you because you medlesome parent iTunes just kept getting between us. Know I have found another in Android. As I once listened to you, I know listen to her more because I do not have interuptions like that of you parent iTunes. Can't you see this is for the best? I hope we can still be friends!

Dear Apple, Regarding iOS 6

I have heard you were saying your operating system is the "most advanced" mobile operating system, but I think you are mistaken. Let's go over the things added by iOS 6 and how they are old news for your top competitor, Android.

1) Facebook Integration

Well, you see, this particular functionality is available for Android. While currently the latest version of Android is 4.0, the most popular version in use is Android 2.3. Guess what guys, this feature and many others have been available since 2.0. So that nice little explanation about how iOS is better because it's not "fragmented" is negated. So in your Facebook Apple!

2) A new share screen.

See above. Nothing new here. In fact, the integration for the app or network of your choice is phenomenal.

3) Spotlight tweak, find apps easier because they can get hard to find on those different home screens

Well, with Android you can set any app to any home screen that you want. Rather than being dictated to by the all mighty Apple as to where you're app icons are, you can organize them as you wish. Add to that the fact that you can add widgets to you home screens and this iOS update is a huge snore fest! By the way, for those who are not aware of what a widget is. It is something that delivers information without the user needing to open up an application. Examples of these are weather, calender and reminders.

4) Reminders improvement

All of the features added with this update are already available through Android or through free applications such as Tasker or on(X). These apps also add automation, geofencing and more to Android without any problems.

5) Call rejection options. Reject with text message

These are called quick responses in Android. This has been available since Android 2.2.

6) New Siri functionality

You know. Siri is probably the only thing that really impresses me from iOS 5 or 6. It has improved. But the thing is that Siri is one of those things that I look at and think, "I'd use it a few times and forget about it." It's all shiny, no function for me. Here is why. The voice recognition function in Android kicks some serious but. A friend and I had a quick draw on dictating a text. My 1 1/2 year old Samsung Epic 4G against is iPhone 4S. I won. Each. And. Every. Time. In noisy environments. In quiet environments. Why do I need the voice recognition to talk back to me. I'm not Raj from the Big Bang Theory. I don't need to be deluded into thinking my phone is a person.

7) Cloud Tabs

The ability to open bookmarks from your computer on your phone... Wow! I wish someone else has thought of that! (Sarcasm) Seriously. OLD NEWS! You can do this with Chrome for Android, Firefox for Android, Dolphin and the default browser on Android.

8) Game Center Update

The ability to share your score with Game Center. Meh. I don't want to share my scores. Even if I did, most Android games have that ability built in. SNORE!

9) Photo Stream

Share photos through iCloud... Yah, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box.net and more. These guys have had this feature for a long time. I can share photos publicly or send personal links easily. Also, my Google Plus account auto backs up my pictures to a private folder which I can then make public at will.

10) Facetime on 3G

 Yah, I can do that with Skype, Tango, Ustream and ooVoo all have had this option available for a while. Oh, and these options aren't limit to just Apple products. You can communicate with anyone. These apps named are free and cross platform. I've been able to do this with my old Epic 4G since I've had it. That phone game running Android 2.1 and has since been updated to Android 2.3.3.

I am sure I missed some stuff, but I suppose my point is made. Android is currently the most advanced mobile OS that is currently on the market. This may not always be the case, but...

Clarification

Now don't get me wrong Apple (and Apple fans). I'm happy to see that you've added these functionalities so your users have a better experience, but please don't go acting like these things weren't "borrowed" from Android. Me personally, I love Android, but I am happy there are other options in the market. Competition makes the market better for consumers. But that's the sad thing Apple. You are using the courts around the world to try and kill competition. This pisses me off. Stick to innovation. You use to be good at it. If you can't keep up with the competition then do what RIM is doing, go away. But if you can delude yourself into think that the end user is better off with just iPhones in the market, you need to put down that weed you've been smoking and get clean.

Sincerely,

Not Impressed


P.S.

This youtube review, Wicked4u2c does a great break down on Android for you to see how these feature are really old news for Android. This reviewer is amazing. I suggest you follow him.