Haseman on Mobile

I have to shake my head and sigh when I read posts like this one over at gizmodo:

It’s Tuesday and the Apple Store is down — but only for North America at the moment. So hold tight, start sifting through the latest Apple rumors and check back with us at 0830 New York time when all (or nothing) will be revealed.

Their store goes down for a few minutes and the tech blogs spin into wild speculations.  Apple’s PR is second to none.  This is literally insane.

Aperture 1 is not listed as ‘unsupported software’ on Apple’s List

Yet when I launch Aperture OS X infuriatingly alerts me that Aperture cannot be opened with this version of the operating system.

Worse, all my photos are locked up in Apertures photo library system, so switching to an alternative is impossible without finding some migration tool.

This is incompetency that boarders on evil.  I cannot get to my photos without giving Apple an additional 100$  Alternatively, I could spend a few hours downgrading my system just to get my photos out of it.  Or I could toss off a frustrated post and get on with my day.

Arg.

Designer’s are starting to fill the holes in Android’s UI.
More Please!

Analyzing why the iPhone is so widely accepted and Android is not is, in fact, rather simple.  The difference boils down to control.

Apple applies dictatorial control over the software, hardware, and even what applications are allowed to run on the phone.  While, on one hand, this is really frustrating for developers, it is, on the other hand, consistent and simple for users.

Google, on the other hand, hands massive control to both hardware manufacturers and 3rd party software developers.  In return, they get poor hardware integration (expressed in slow user feedback, unresponsive touch screens, and hideous battery life) Further, their app store is a mess of incomplete, crashing, unhelpful applications. (In all fairness, however, Android is actually improving)

This is going to come as a shock to some of you, but the internet at large is very different from the mobile phone industry.  So, Google, sharpen your pencils and take this one down: What works for the internet will not work for Android.

Apple has caused huge amounts of strife for their developers.  Much ink has been spilled in anger and frustration over their policies, but, and this is important, the developers eventually come back.  The iPhone is where the users are.  Where there are users, there is the potential to make money.

So, Google, it might be time for a new montra where Android is concerned.  “Don’t be evil, except when it benefits those who buy and use our phones.”