#94 – October 25, 2021

 

Hello!

One of the long-standing traditions (a week) of this blog is that on Monday’s I grab the oldest photograph from my Candidates Folder and publish it. If, when the time comes I no longer want to publish that photograph, it gets deleted and I grab the next eldest, etc. Some may find the deleting aspect a bit harsh, but if it’s not good enough for the blog, it’s not good enough to hold on to.

Like most photographer couples, we have many, MANY, photographs of our child(ren) but very few of us together. And even if M has a towel turban on her hair, I still like the photo. It also reminds me I’m punching well above my weight level! She’s very intelligent, very compassionate, in times of non-lockdown, very driven, incredibly competitive, and pretty freakin’ hot, my wife.

This photograph (from exactly a calendar month ago) is allowed on the blog in that, although I didn’t trip the shutter, I did set up everything and give the remote shutter thingy to R to press. My wireless shutter release is still on its way from overseas. It should arrive before the next lockdown. Had I the wireless shutter, I could have taken the exact same image. And it’s my blog and I can do what I want. 

On to today’s discussion.

Daniel Bowen, a guy I’ve known in passing for a surprisingly long time (and you’ve seen him on TV as the public face of the Public Transport Users Association in news reports), recently wrote a post on his very long-lived and excellent blog called “Should I switch from Android to iPhone?” on his blog. As is the case of all his posts, it’s written well and even if the subject isn’t your jam, it makes for an interesting read.  

Daniel, here’s my response. And I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to address this more on the whole Apple/iPhone vs Windows/Android level as I’ve had this discussion more times than I can count on my combined appendages. 

It really comes down to this for me.

Android/Windows will let you do whatever you want. You can “open up” the device and tinker to your heart’s content and then it will do its best to keep operating for you. 99% of users are happy with how their systems/devices work and leave well enough alone, but for the 1% of geeks, nerds and those who like Star Trek, they get to happily tinker with their phones and computers until they are happy, or the Blue Screen of Death awaits them.

And bless them and their little Cheeto-stained pop-culture t-shirts. It does make them happy. And I, dear reader, am not want of mind to stop anyone being happy.

Now, on the other side of the geek-o-sphere is the camp to which, it will come of no surprise, I belong. Apple. All hail the mighty Steve and may he rest in peace.

The thing about Apple is, and I’d like you to sit up and pay attention here, is that they love control. They manufacture the vast majority of their components, including the processors that run most of their computers and devices. They design and code a lot of their software. 

And, it must be acknowledged, Apple is very opinionated as to how their hardware and software should be used. This is from where the great divide comes. And this is where your answer lies.

Apple controls everything from the hardware to the operating system. They have a way they like to see things done. Not being a fan of people tinkering with their innards, Apple will gently push you along your journey always smiling, but gently showing you the way.

Now, if the Apple way of doing things works for you, as it does for me, you will be in for a much smoother ride. As Apple controls everything from the processor to the operating system, your computer, watch, phone, headphones, and other shiny devices that just golly gosh make you smile will work.

Not saying that the Android/Windows team won’t provide a smooth ride, it’s just that they have a lot less cohesion on their side. 

One of my favourite things is the handoff feature. I’m sure Android has this and probably earlier, but I’ve never heard an Android user ever talk about the ability to “copy” text on your Android device and immediately be able to “paste” it using Cmd-V on your computer/tablet, etc. That feature has saved my bacon many a time when I need to whip up a quick presentation on why Ted Lasso is one of the greatest TV shows ever. The ability to be working on a document on your Mac and be able to pick up your iPad and carry on as you are forced to move away from your computer is wonderful.

I guess that the biggest selling point to me is that Apple has won the infrastructure game. out of the box, all of their devices in my experience just work perfectly together. It’s like a mysterious energy field created by Apple that binds the galaxy of products together. … While Apple can grant users powerful abilities, it also directs their actions. And it has a will of its own, which both scholars and mystics have spent millennia seeking to understand. Cue the John Williams music … now!

But, as is often the case, I digress. 

And I should have mentioned up front, I’ve used Android phones (typically Samsung) for years. They’ve always frustrated me to some level. I upgrade my phone every two years and I can not see myself moving away from the iPhone for the foreseeable future. Having said that, if something comes along from another camp that outdoes the iPhone’s cameras, operating system and infrastructure, I’ll certainly take a look. 

Daniel (and all you wonderful folks out there), if you are happy with the way Apple hardware and software do things, then you will love the iPhone. If you are not happy with the direction the engineers and developers have chosen, then stick with your long relationship with Android. 

This post was written at 2:30 in the AM. Thanks go to my wonderful subconscious who woke me up with a start immediately forcing the phrase “You haven’t written your blog post yet!” firmly into my brain.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading, I really appreciate your time and interest. Talk to you soon. Stay safe.

Richard

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