Apple proprietary

[HarryT]

boswd, you can arrange your icons on an iPhone or an iPad exactly as you wish. Just press down on any one of them until they start to "wobble", and then drag them around - either within a screen, or between screens - as you wish.

I'm afraid that, with respect, I still have to disagree with your assertion that "You can't do any of this with Apple mobile products." That statement is simply not true.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by HarryT

boswd, you can arrange your icons on an iPhone or an iPad exactly as you wish. Just press down on any one of them until they start to "wobble", and then drag them around - either within a screen, or between screens - as you wish.

I'm afraid that, with respect, I still have to disagree with your assertion that "You can't do any of this with Apple mobile products." That statement is simply not true.

Harry I think it's one of those where you just have to see the difference, each home page on an Android is unique to itself. It's behaves much more like a desktop home page. Think of it like having seven computers around you and each home page on each indvidual screen is arranged perfectly to how you like them

and this include running widgets and live widets that are resizeable and you can arranage them anyway you want. Widgets, shortcuts, apps, folders

With the iPhone is more like a running page of tiles, yes you can move them but again it's really a long running page of tiles. How many pages you get is dependant on how many apps you have.

on my Droid X i have a set 7 number of hompages whether there is anything on them or not. and each page looks uniques in of itself. with iPhone and iPad, every page looks the same same rows, same columns, same style of of tiled apps. There is really nothing distinguishing between any of the pages.

It really isn't in the same ball park in terms of customization. It's work arounds. And I'm not say that as Android > Apple. It's just really the truth.

[snipenekkid]

bos:

As maybe the last person on the planet who has not handled an Android device, do the virtual screens slide in a 360-degree fashion rather than the iOS right to left then back left to right? Meaning the iOS screens under iOS 4.x move first to the right and from the primary "home" screen you can't move to the last page by swiping to the right, moving backwards. I did not mind the iOS way of letting me organize things, it was just a matter of adjusting but I did mind the need to go through all screens to get to the last one rather than a faster bidirectional rotation.

Heck I would have LOVED to see the ability to show all the screens at once then pic the one I want. Of course that really is no different than using only one screen, creating some folders with folders in them. That is actually what I did having the apps I never wanted to see on the 2nd virtual page. I tried to keep it all relative to the main screen which works OK, not ideal but I got used to is rather faster than I expected.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

bos:

As maybe the last person on the planet who has not handled an Android device, do the virtual screens slide in a 360-degree fashion rather than the iOS right to left then back left to right? Meaning the iOS screens under iOS 4.x move first to the right and from the primary "home" screen you can't move to the last page by swiping to the right, moving backwards. I did not mind the iOS way of letting me organize things, it was just a matter of adjusting but I did mind the need to go through all screens to get to the last one rather than a faster bidirectional rotation.

Heck I would have LOVED to see the ability to show all the screens at once then pic the one I want. Of course that really is no different than using only one screen, creating some folders with folders in them. That is actually what I did having the apps I never wanted to see on the 2nd virtual page. I tried to keep it all relative to the main screen which works OK, not ideal but I got used to is rather faster than I expected.

basically how android home screens work is you get a center home page and then you have three to the right and three to the left. What's different than iOS as I stated before, each home page is set whether there is anything on them or not and you give each page it's own indvidual theme, ie My Folder page, My Media Page, my morning commute page, My Favorite's contact page, etc etc .

HTC( the maker of the EVO and the Droid Incredible) has a user interface you would like its called Sense UI and that has your central home page that shows all your different pages at once and you tap the one you want to go to. It's one of if not THE best UI's. I like Moto's, as well. on the bottom you you have a speed scroll through home pages, you run your finger and you get a haptic vibration as you fly through your home pages. It's pretty cool. Also one of the best touches of Android OS is the ability to set up widgets, this can really give each home page its own unique theme and look.

[snipenekkid]

thanks bos!!

So many devices and soooooo little time. I wish reviews did exactly what the recent posts between you and Harry have done, get info out there about each OS and their pluses and minuses.

I love the idea od the haptic UI. I looked into coding web pages with that idea back around 2000ish and it sounded GREAT but the prob was there were no mainstream devices to exploit the interface, then it was targeted for low-vision folks but boy did it look like a really wide open area of development for everyone. Back then it involved a mouse with a, gawds, vibrator built-in and each object on the screen could trigger a specific vibration, sound and/or visual effect. It was really neat and honestly the overhead coding wise was minimal given the increased accessibility as well as a whole new way to look at an app. Still nobody really has ever done much with it in other than gaming apps. Maybe when we get some true flexible screens and can add the ability to cause a vibration or just a slight deformation of the area on the screen over an object then even touch devices will really get interesting. but I am waaay ahead of things with that part.

Thanks a bunch for the info as well as the tip on the Sense UI as it really does sound very interesting! Funny how it's so natural for people to point and push rather than type but we have become so encumbered by the visual UI needing a mouse that it's no longer just a matter of bolting on a new set of behaviors over the exiting mouse behaviors. To be honest it's amazing to me when a company goes that extra step to get it right rather than right now. But hey, a company has to keep afloat or there's not much chance to complete the original vision.

I'm also really interested in the QNX based OS from Blackberry as I cut my teeth as an IT Director and head of development on that OS back in 1992-1995 before starting my own company. But QNX was just flat amazing running 7 (or was it 8) virtual screens on a diskless 286 (booted from an EEPROM on the NIC, burned our own) with all of 256KB. But heck, I even got Win 3 over Netware to run on those same workstations...not THAT was a neat trick but I did have to bump the RAM to a full 1MB for the RAM Disk. But it did work and was actually snappy since we only ran pfs-Write, a menu system and a few custom apps for the chem lab to log results in real-time. Opps that was the long version of QNX is cool.

[boswd]

your welcome Snipenekkid Wow it sounds like you really now your guts of the OS, ever thought of beign an app developer? Good luck to you and yes soo many devices soo little time, only sooo much a spouse will let you buy Good luck to you

also here is a pretty good youtube video on Droid Incredible Sense UI and for the Droid X

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cSBzo8J_uk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mnvo...eature=related

[snipenekkid]

oh, coolness!! running off to watch the vid...nice, thanks! I'm traveling right now so I have a very CRAPPY Motel-Hell web connection and it's gonna take 20-mins just to buffer enough of the video at just 360p to watch it. And I am paying $3/day for this service but, dang a guy can't camp out at Starbucks ALL DAY EVERY DAY, right? Actually this SB is really cool and right across the street and I have done so several times, spent 9hrs there one day and they simply would not let me pay for even my coffee refills and later my iced tea refills. so I left them a nice tip in the jar. And this is one of the busiest stores in California, in a mud puddle of a town to boot. Heck, i have pics of three gals on horseback going through the drive-through window. Yeah, it's that sized town!


"Horsies" Getting a Starbucks Fix (it's pretty funny to see)
Whole album here on MR:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/album.php?albumid=588

[Lemurion]

Apple devices are great - as are Android.

The problem I find with Apple is that they use a process-oriented metaphor and I have an object oriented mind. That is to say everything works around opening a program, then choosing a file to work with - and my mind works better with selecting a file and then choosing a program to use on it.

If you think the way Apple's research appears to indicate most of their customers do, the devices are fantastic. If not, they can be frustrating.

[murraypaul]

One way to approximate the object approach is to store your files either locally in GoodReader or in one of the cloud apps, then select the file and Open In... the app of your choice. This is of limited use though, as it will create a new copy of the file in the receiving app, so you can't share and update one file between multiple apps.

[susan_cassidy]

My biggest problem with iTunes is that it is more difficult than most devices to move files back and forth. Cut and paste into the specific section for an app does not work on Windows as I would expect. Sometimes you can only drag from another window, which is not as easy when you have 2 large windows open.

I would prefer a straight file system, perhaps with folders for the different apps, instead of everything being "hidden" on the iPad/iPod Touch.

[Lemurion]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

My biggest problem with iTunes is that it is more difficult than most devices to move files back and forth. Cut and paste into the specific section for an app does not work on Windows as I would expect. Sometimes you can only drag from another window, which is not as easy when you have 2 large windows open.

I would prefer a straight file system, perhaps with folders for the different apps, instead of everything being "hidden" on the iPad/iPod Touch.

My biggest problem with iTunes is that you have to use it to transfer content rather than a standard file manager.

[Mondegreen]

Originally Posted by boswd

Now for what Tamara DOESN'T want you know


1. Standard mirco usb cord means basically you can use any micro usb, if you lose one, want extras or leave one somewhere else you can use any micro usb charge or connection.

<snip>

Now for what boswd doesn't want you know...

The (proprietary) iPod dock connector means that I can take any iPod built since 2003, or any iPhone, and plug it into my home or car stereo, and be simultaneously charging and enjoying my personal music instantly with line-level output (no messing with headphone volume or tolerating the extra distortion associated therewith). You just couldn't get that functionality through a standard micro USB cord. You have your definition of convenience, and I have mine.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by Mondegreen

Now for what boswd doesn't want you know...

The iPod dock connector means that I can take any iPod built since 2003, or any iPhone, and plug it into my home or car stereo, and be simultaneously charging and enjoying my personal music instantly. You just couldn't get that functionality through a standard micro USB cord. You have your definition of convenience, and I have mine.

NEW FLASH you can only use Apple products on Apple products. micro usb I can use it on my nook, my wifes blackberry, my sansa clip, my Droid X. versatility.

If I leave my charger behind and I'm at my friends house and even if he doesn't own a Droid X I coudl still use his micro UBS to charge or to transfer data

open vs closed You have your idea of freedom and I have mine

[Mondegreen]

Originally Posted by boswd

NEW FLASH you can only use Apple products on Apple products. micro usb I can use it on my nook, my wifes blackberry, my sansa clip, my Droid X. versatility.

If I leave my charger behind and I'm at my friends house and even if he doesn't own a Droid X I coudl still use his micro UBS to charge or to transfer data

open vs closed You have your idea of freedom and I have mine

Yep. I'm free to remember to bring my cord with me.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by HarryT

boswd, you can arrange your icons on an iPhone or an iPad exactly as you wish. Just press down on any one of them until they start to "wobble", and then drag them around - either within a screen, or between screens - as you wish.

I'm afraid that, with respect, I still have to disagree with your assertion that "You can't do any of this with Apple mobile products." That statement is simply not true.

He's just not talking about moving app icons he's referring to being able to place widgets(mini apps), shortcuts to apps(like apple), shortcuts to contacts to name a few. The android desktop is as configurable as a PC/Unix desktop. But on top of that you can also change your launcher app, this is like changing the Explorer.exe on windows or your windows manager on UNIX.

After knowing your personality over the years on this board I honestly believe that once you try Android you will find Apple lacking luster. Android gives you control and ease.

My wife, who is by no means a techie, fines the Android UI easier to use than her iPad, she complains about how much harder the iPad is to navigate.

Here is a video that shows the type of customization you can do with the level of customization on Android on your home screens. (note the video is the reviewers customized look of widgets, mine is much different).

One feature that I find just very useful is google voice. My latest voice mail is transcribed and displayed in a widget so I don't have to call in to listen to my latest voice mail