Apple ports Android to the iPhone!

Edmvr6 said:
These guys over here sweating and praising the new iphone OS should go ahead and get one.... so annoying... This is a DROID forum!
Click to expand...

Not sweating or praising. Just making fun of iDroid 4.0, that's all. It took Apple 2+ years to catch up to 2008. I for one found the "Me too" conference very entertaining and comical.
 
Notable new features for users ("tentpoles" are in bold):
  • Multitasking. I'm interested to see how well it works, and to what extent they allow it.
  • Spell check (like on the iPad).
  • Bluetooth keyboard support (again, on the iPad).
  • User-defined wallpaper (a jailbreak favorite). Sad it took this long for such a basic feature even my dumb phones had.
  • Tap to focus when recording video, just like with photos, and a 5x digital zoom for the camera. I am a little jealous.
  • Playlist creation and nested playlists. Basic... should've been there from day one, esp. for a phone based off an iPod.
  • App folders for sorting apps! You can even put an app folder in the dock. I've lost count how many apps we have to do this :)
  • Enhanced Mail! You can have a merged inbox view, switch between inboxes quickly, and sync to more than one Exchange account. There's also threaded messaging (at last!) and in-app attachment viewing. Threaded messaging... "Hey thanks for coming to the party..."
  • iBooks, just like on iPad, only smaller. You can wirelessly sync books between platforms, a la Kindle.
  • Enterprise features, including remote device management and wireless app distribution.
  • Game Center. It's like Xbox Live, but for iPhone games. Includes achievements, leaderboards, and match making. It will be available as a "developer preview," and out for consumers later this year.

Developers are getting plenty of new tricks too:
  • New SDK, available today.
  • 1,500 new APIs.
  • Background audio (think Pandora). About time iPhone.
  • Background VoIP (think Skype).
  • Background location data, both with live GPS for backgrounded turn-by-turn, and cell tower-based for lower power draw. Still aGPS, not true GPS so meh....
  • Local notifications. Like push notifications, but sends a notification straight from the app without needing a push notification server, perfect for an alarm, for instance. Wasn't aware the iPhone needed a push server for notifications.....
  • Fast app switching. Saves the state of an app and resumes it from where you left off, without dwelling in memory. Late to the party again...
  • iAd. Apple says it's for keeping "free apps free." The ads keep you in the app, while also taking over the screen and adding interactivity -- using HTML 5 for video -- up to simple gaming in-ad. Apple will offer a 60 / 40 split on revenue, and users can even buy apps straight from an ad. HTML 5 may be the future, but it's a long way off.... not having FLASH will come back to bite Apple when it finally does hit the mobile market.
  • In-app SMS.
  • Map overlays. I didn't know you couldn't do layers before....
  • Quick look for previewing documents.
  • Photo Library access.
  • Calendar access.
  • Full access to the camera.
  • Video playback and capture.
  • Date and address "data detectors."
  • Automated testing and performance / power analysis (the same tools Apple uses).
Update: Here's a big "lose some" -- only the iPhone 3GS and 3rd generation (late 2009) iPod touch will support multitasking. The iPhone 3G and below won't -- Steve says the hardware doesn't support it. Sad face.

Sorry... I just don't like the iPhone and the people who own them :icon_ devil:
 
Last edited:
DaveJustDave said:
My iphone toting coworkers were amazed when I showed them how I could hold down my "home" button and up comes a box that shows all my open applications!
Click to expand...

lol thanks, I didnt even know about that.. wondered why they always popped up sometimes ..
 
Martin030908 said:
iPirate said:
Martin030908 said:
  • Tap to focus when recording video, just like with photos, and a 5x digital zoom for the camera. I am a little jealous.
Click to expand...

tap to focus or 5x digital zoom?
Click to expand...
Zoom for video... unless I've sorely missed the boat and we can :icon_eek:
Click to expand...
it is only digital though, so when you zoom the quality will be reduced

my 5-6 year old smart phone has it and when I zoom in 5x the video looks like large colored squares lol
 
many of the features people were jailbreaking their phones to get. Apple is going to do what they do. I do not have an iphone anymore so I am not following their every move anymore. I refuse to pay 499 for an ipad when I can get a small netbook with a keyboard, usb storage, that has flash, and the ability for me to use the same data from my computer all for under 300 bucks. I can put the rest of the 199 plus tax and cost of accessories in my pocket.
 
Martin030908 said:
Notable new features for users ("tentpoles" are in bold):
  • Multitasking. I'm interested to see how well it works, and to what extent they allow it.
Click to expand...

It will undoubtedly work very well. Apple products generally work very well. But it will work well because the multitasking by third party apps is intentionally very limited. In fact, unlike the virtually unlimited multitasking on the Android platform, the Apple approach is to leave the O/S in charge of running specific applications in a multitasking environment. In contrast, the Android o/s lets applications take over and limits itself to managing memory demands.

This is an understandable "compromise" design that largely eliminates many of the issues associated with memory management, unpredictable performance, etc. Likewise it completely eliminates the need for "task killers" since there is no way for individual applications or a combination of applications to drag down performance or drain the battery. The control the O/S exerts and the limited extent of multitasking assures that.

Of course, all designs are "compromises" and the Apple approach has disadvantages. First, of course, it severely limits the combination of individual apps that can run simultaneously. Apple has determined, for example, that a user might want to listen to music while texting but other combinations, say playing a game while taking notes, makes no sense and would not be allowed.

Second, it leaves Apple in full control of particular applications' functionality. You'll likely see that only iTunes can play music in a multitasking environment even if other music players are allowed on the system.

Smart marketing and a good consumer device. Not what most folks on this board would want but the approach will appeal tremendously to the mass consumer market.
 
jsh1120 said:
Martin030908 said:
Notable new features for users ("tentpoles" are in bold):
  • Multitasking. I'm interested to see how well it works, and to what extent they allow it.
Click to expand...

It will undoubtedly work very well. Apple products generally work very well. But it will work well because the multitasking by third party apps is intentionally very limited. In fact, unlike the virtually unlimited multitasking on the Android platform, the Apple approach is to leave the O/S in charge of running specific applications in a multitasking environment. In contrast, the Android o/s lets applications take over and limits itself to managing memory demands.

This is an understandable "compromise" design that largely eliminates many of the issues associated with memory management, unpredictable performance, etc. Likewise it completely eliminates the need for "task killers" since there is no way for individual applications or a combination of applications to drag down performance or drain the battery. The control the O/S exerts and the limited extent of multitasking assures that.

Of course, all designs are "compromises" and the Apple approach has disadvantages. First, of course, it severely limits the combination of individual apps that can run simultaneously. Apple has determined, for example, that a user might want to listen to music while texting but other combinations, say playing a game while taking notes, makes no sense and would not be allowed.

Second, it leaves Apple in full control of particular applications' functionality. You'll likely see that only iTunes can play music in a multitasking environment even if other music players are allowed on the system.

Smart marketing and a good consumer device. Not what most folks on this board would want but the approach will appeal tremendously to the mass consumer market.
Click to expand...
I agree that what Apple implements will work VERY well, but the limits placed on it irk me. I don't like the iron clad fist Apple governs the iPhone with. Just me however.... to each their own.
 
lol i like how the author of the article was so excited about the ability to have a user defined wallpaper in the new OS. So sad.

Have never owned and will never own an apple product but ppl need to quit all the bashing, people on here are starting to sound like an Android cult. One thing i hate about Apple is their fanboys and would hate to have other people feel the same about this forum.
 
eliassami5 said:
lol i like how the author of the article was so excited about the ability to have a user defined wallpaper in the new OS. So sad.

Have never owned and will never own an apple product but ppl need to quit all the bashing, people on here are starting to sound like an Android cult. One thing i hate about Apple is their fanboys and would hate to have other people feel the same about this forum.
Click to expand...
There is a lil bias here for the Droid, but it's to be expected. :)

But yes, you're right, two wrongs don't make a right.
 
Martin030908 said:
jsh1120 said:
Martin030908 said:
Notable new features for users ("tentpoles" are in bold):
  • Multitasking. I'm interested to see how well it works, and to what extent they allow it.
Click to expand...

It will undoubtedly work very well. Apple products generally work very well. But it will work well because the multitasking by third party apps is intentionally very limited. In fact, unlike the virtually unlimited multitasking on the Android platform, the Apple approach is to leave the O/S in charge of running specific applications in a multitasking environment. In contrast, the Android o/s lets applications take over and limits itself to managing memory demands.

This is an understandable "compromise" design that largely eliminates many of the issues associated with memory management, unpredictable performance, etc. Likewise it completely eliminates the need for "task killers" since there is no way for individual applications or a combination of applications to drag down performance or drain the battery. The control the O/S exerts and the limited extent of multitasking assures that.

Of course, all designs are "compromises" and the Apple approach has disadvantages. First, of course, it severely limits the combination of individual apps that can run simultaneously. Apple has determined, for example, that a user might want to listen to music while texting but other combinations, say playing a game while taking notes, makes no sense and would not be allowed.

Second, it leaves Apple in full control of particular applications' functionality. You'll likely see that only iTunes can play music in a multitasking environment even if other music players are allowed on the system.

Smart marketing and a good consumer device. Not what most folks on this board would want but the approach will appeal tremendously to the mass consumer market.
Click to expand...
I agree that what Apple implements will work VERY well, but the limits placed on it irk me. I don't like the iron clad fist Apple governs the iPhone with. Just me however.... to each their own.
Click to expand...

Ah, but along with the drawbacks of the iron fist are definite benefits. Just roam around in this forum looking at the issues people are having. 90% of those are not directly related to the OS itself, but rather to tweaks, mods, apps, widgets or something the user has done to their device that is now kicking up the law of unintended consequences.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my Droid and Android. I also love my iPods and Macs. They are different philosophies, sometimes for different kinds of people. I guess the one thing I would say is the folks who jailbreak their iPhones could probably save themselves some hassle by just going Android and calling it a day. But if my Mom were to ask me what phone to get, all things being equal, I would probably suggest an iPhone-easier for her (she'll enjoy in and not break things) and easier for me (less tech support). jsh1120 puts it very well-any kind of technology or engineering is a matter of making compromises. It is up to the consumer to understand the compromises, and resulting features, to choose the device or technology that is right for them.

For the life of me, I don't understand why people take these things personally. I use Macs. If somebody asks why, I explain why it's better for me not why it's better for them, or launch into some kind of anti-Windows rant. I don't understand comments like "I hate iPhones and the people who use them"- I would suspect that the reason for these sentiments is that these people have had that exact attitude foisted upon them by "the other side". Technology does not define a person, and there are perfectly valid reasons for choosing one over another.

Look at it this way-even if you hate the iPhone's technology and user experience, this is great news for everybody here. Just as the iPhone pushed development of Android, Android has now pushed development of the iPhone. This competition is the very thing that breeds innovation and is what is going to give us our next amazing feature (I don't know, maybe hands-free calling? Oh, wait...)
 
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