iPad Mini's display is surprisingly good. I have an iPad 3 and the Mini's resolution isn't bothering me. iPad at home, Mini for the road and work - tablet bliss.
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iPad Mini's display is surprisingly good. I have an iPad 3 and the Mini's resolution isn't bothering me. iPad at home, Mini for the road and work - tablet bliss.
Google have a bunch of great web based apps and services tied together with a single log-in. Android and Chrome OS are 2 OS's that give native access to these apps and services, but they are also available via Windows, OS X, iOS, etc, and they use a lot of open standards, which makes their ecosystem very open. However, this allows Google to collect huge amounts of data about all of us, and allows targeting advertising, for which Google can charge a premium. This is Google's core business. The Apple web-based services are not as good as Google's, but unfortunately are the only native apps that Apple allows on iOS. This is one of iOS's biggest flaws.
Apple's media ecosystem, based around iTunes, is excellent, but it is almost completely closed. This encourages people to buy additional Apple hardware to expand their personal ecosystem. Apple's hardware is excellent, and they can charge premium prices and their margins are huge. This is Apple's core business. Google's media ecosystem is disjointed, fragmented, and they have little control. Their open policy has allowed other companies, like Amazon, to open their own app stores. There are various GoogleTV manufacturers and options, but availability is limited and the adoption has been negligible. Average customers are confused by the choice and don't understand how to make the components from various manufacturers work together.
I could go on, but based on the above (my opinion), using Apple products allows me access to the best of the Google web services, and offers a great way to access my music and video files from any of my devices. I have yet to see an Adroid-based set-up that offers the same versatility.
stixx
Well-Known Member
Since we are talking about ecosystems, what about the Microsoft ecosystem? XBox, Windows, Windows Phone, Surface, Outlook.com, Office + Office 360, Skype, Skydrive, Bing, Bing Maps, developer support second to none, IE10 which is actually pretty good. This is a real ecosystem with great potential if Microsoft and just get their act together properly.
Maverick Jester
The Special One
But as BeVonk mentioned earlier- Google's ecosystem can be used within other, more closed ecosystems suchs as Blackberry and iOS. That Google don't have the same media capabilities (yet) I think is besides the point of what they want to achieve in the short term.
cerebus was right- Google operate on a "we will get there eventually" sort of mindset. Must work for them in some intangible way.
Exactly my point: I can use Google's ecosystem with my iOS devices, and enjoy Apple's great media ecosystem. If I were to go the Android route, I would have native access to the same Google apps, but not the same media access.
Apple's hardware is great, and the ecosystem is well thought out. Items like the Nexus Q worry me - I often feel like Google will put products out there, and see what sticks. That's OK with free software, but not so great with expensive hardware. Similarly, the Google TV. I wouldn't make the investment, because I have no idea whether Google will continue to support it in the future.
Maverick Jester
The Special One
I agree with you there. But I see that as being Google's aim- that it doesn't matter the hardware you use, you are now tied into their ecosystem. You are free to move to iOS / Blackberry / Windows 8 (to an extent) but the core of your ecosystem is tied to Google.
cerebus
Honorary Master
But then what is the point of Android? Google's ecosystem works brilliantly without needing an OS to be tied to. Except that Android gives them the opportunity to hopefully leverage their services in a stronger way. But by some estimates they make less money on Android than on iOS.
My feeling is that Google released Android to offer a cheap (free) smartphone OS, tied in with their apps, to ensure that the Google apps are used on as many smartphones as possible, and thus enable them to collect data from as many people as possible. The value of that data to Google is huge!
All Android is to Google is a hedge against the otherwise dominate player in the smartphone market cutting Google out of the loop with regards to advertising and their supporting services.
Maverick Jester
The Special One
I agree with this. If it works, it works. If not, the core of their ecosystem does not suffer.
cerebus
Honorary Master
So Android is a hedge against being cut out of the market on services. It barely makes any money for Google despite being unimaginably successful in sales. It is constantly being undermined by the self-interestedness of its hardware partners. And it's winning.
All I tried to get across is that Google do have an ecosystem and that it is incorrect to state that they do not have one. It's just different from that of Apple. IMO it is also a successful ecosystem, but in a different way. Just like in nature where the term originated.
Google have their own goals and is not a copy of Apple, or trying to become one like MS. Google's ecosystem is open to leverage benefits across the board ... to harvest everywhere. Google is almost like a river running through all ecosystems (feeding and taking).
I believe Google has the right vision/approach. They are making tons of money this way ... and not like Apple and MS make their money. In my mind it is foolishness to underestimate what Google's ecosystem is doing/achieving.
BTW, the full Play Store is awesome. Pity we don't have it yet. Google is slowly but surely getting the back-end in place.
Google have their own goals and is not a copy of Apple, or trying to become one like MS. Google's ecosystem is open to leverage benefits across the board ... to harvest everywhere. Google is almost like a river running through all ecosystems (feeding and taking).
I believe Google has the right vision/approach. They are making tons of money this way ... and not like Apple and MS make their money. In my mind it is foolishness to underestimate what Google's ecosystem is doing/achieving.
BTW, the full Play Store is awesome. Pity we don't have it yet. Google is slowly but surely getting the back-end in place.
cerebus
Honorary Master
I can't disagree with anything you're saying here. The interconnectedness of Google services in an Android phone is a big selling point for me. It's still a far cry from this polarized, ludicrously simplified 'Apple/Android is winning' picture we keep hearing.
In the end we all love our gadgets. I go with whatever works best for me ... and that has resulted in a mixed-bag of devices. I have in my house:
iPad 1
iPad 2
iPad 4
iPad Mini
SGT10.1
SGT 7" Plus
HTC Flyer
SGT Note 10.1
SGS 1
SGS 2
SG Y Pro
iPhone 4
Note 1
Note 2
Asus T300 tablet.
I use what works best and see the strengths and weaknesses of all.
If however I was told to leave all the above behind except for one phone and one tablet I will take the Note 2 and SGT Note 10.1 (both Android).
cerebus
Honorary Master
Just...why???? Does your whole family use all of that? Don't you know there are Gumtree recipients just waiting to buy your unused electronics?
Maverick Jester
The Special One
Fully agree with you.
cerebus
Honorary Master
Equally the arguments against.
Maverick Jester
The Special One
This is true. I think a better comparison would be Google with Microsoft. And in a way, with Google pulling support for their services on WP8 left and right, it shows who they see as the threat to their goal.
cerebus
Honorary Master
You could be right if Google's view is that Microsoft's selling point is services that they want to provide in a competing way; whereas they can actually coexist inside Apple's products in quite a healthy way to their bottom line.