android sucks (uloops studio 'pro' review)

[UltraJv]

Lets hear it for polaris20 - single handedly fighting all talk of android across all threads, some kinda insecurity issues there lol

Not really. I just find it amusing how awesome Android is, yet in reality there's no perfect platform when I (and many others) can't do what we want to do on Android. Oh wait, I forgot; it's okay to bitch about how iOS doesn't do something, so therefore the "choice" of Android is so amazing. But when Android doesn't do something for me (and many others), that's not a valid point.

Sounds like Windows vs. Mac all over again.

Fact is that they are just toys, whatever platform we discuss. We arnt talking about full blown DAWs here. The real game here is selling you something that you never knew you wanted and boy has Apple got that sewn up. My money went on my DAW, why would I spend money on toys? Ive heard the songs produced with these toys and they aint worth worrying about - they are great fun though

[polaris20]

Lets hear it for polaris20 - single handedly fighting all talk of android across all threads, some kinda insecurity issues there lol

Not really. I just find it amusing how awesome Android is, yet in reality there's no perfect platform when I (and many others) can't do what we want to do on Android. Oh wait, I forgot; it's okay to bitch about how iOS doesn't do something, so therefore the "choice" of Android is so amazing. But when Android doesn't do something for me (and many others), that's not a valid point.

Sounds like Windows vs. Mac all over again.

Fact is that they are just toys, whatever platform we discuss. We arnt talking about full blown DAWs here. The real game here is selling you something that you never knew you wanted. My money went on my DAW, why would I spend money on toys? Ive heard the songs produced with these toys and they aint worth worrying about

Sure, they're toys in some ways. But I will say many of the tools I use for work (this is a work phone, after all) make my life a lot easier, and right now it's an iOS-only deal for those apps.

[Cordelia]

Both phones are great.

iPhones have fun apps to run.

A lot of the apps for Android suck for now. That's OK with me, because I don't want to try to turn my little phone into a studio.

As a phone, it's a great phone- calls are clear, never drop, easy to use, I like the OS a lot, makes perfect sense to me, I never needed a manual. It's easy to organize, stay in touch, get things done.

The apps installed on my HTC Incredible are excellent.

Google locates me wherever I am and I can follow Google maps to my destination while monitoring real-time traffic on the roads.

The microphone/speech to text translation is outstanding, blue tooth-no troubles, good internet connection, easy to surf, good widgets for weather and news and such.

I gave away my digital camera because the camera in the Incredible is so nice. It's not a big deal, it just takes great shots.

I can of course, download music from anywhere, but the connection to Amazon's mp3 collection is fast and easy, high quality mp3s. I can later drag and drop them into my computer.

There will be recording apps for Androids in a minute or two, so there is no use worrying now. We should be happy for the competition, everyone will benefit no matter which phone you choose.

Vive la difference!

[TristezaOrange]

Can I just conclude this thread and win the internet once and for all?

When Android first came out, it was "no way it's going to win any marketshare"

When it started gaining markershare it was "it's never going to reach the marketshare of the iPhone"

When it started having apps it was "wow, Android apps suck"

Then when Android surpassed iOS in marketshare and started having awesome apps it was "But iOS has better games"

Now Android is starting to get the PlayStation Suite and Tegra Zone, which will destroy that last claim.

NOW people say on music forums that Android has no music apps. Hmmm, I guess what's going to happen shortly.


As for the Netflix thing, it is not an inherent/artificial limitation of Android itself. When the app comes out, Android will have Netflix. Not that this matters to an international audience (we can't get netflix anywhere). I wonder when iOS will get widgets - oh, I know. When Steve-o says so.

I think that iOS/Android thing is more than a capabilities comparison. I think that for technologically-inclined people who use the two OSes it's more of a philosophical question. I know that iOS is very cool and polished and use it regularly. However, I will not buy products from a company that puts out smug commercials taking cheap shots at competitors and that has a dictator at the helm that tells customers that they are holding their phone wrong. I don't want my technology to be "magical" and "revolutionary" - I want it to be real, free of hyperbole and bullshit and with the minimum amount of artificial limitations there can be. Other people just want polished apps. So what?

[polaris20]

Can I just conclude this thread and win the internet once and for all?

When Android first came out, it was "no way it's going to win any marketshare"

Who said that? I thought Android would do well; clearly it has potential and is improving all the time.

When it started gaining markershare it was "it's never going to reach the marketshare of the iPhone"

When it started having apps it was "wow, Android apps suck"

Then when Android surpassed iOS in marketshare and started having awesome apps it was "But iOS has better games"

Now Android is starting to get the PlayStation Suite and Tegra Zone, which will destroy that last claim.

NOW people say on music forums that Android has no music apps. Hmmm, I guess what's going to happen shortly.

I think it was always a given that Android would surpass iOS devices, due to the fact that it's obviously available from multiple carriers and OEMs. If it didn't, I'd be concerned for the platform. Look at Windows Phone 7. It's gasping for air.

As for the Netflix thing, it is not an inherent/artificial limitation of Android itself. When the app comes out, Android will have Netflix. Not that this matters to an international audience (we can't get netflix anywhere). I wonder when iOS will get widgets - oh, I know. When Steve-o says so.

Of course it's artificial. The cause is irrelevant to the end user though. As for widgets, if that feature is that important to you, then buy the Android phone. I wouldn't think that that's a major selling point of the OS though. I can think of other things more favorable about it.

I think that iOS/Android thing is more than a capabilities comparison. I think that for technologically-inclined people who use the two OSes it's more of a philosophical question. I know that iOS is very cool and polished and use it regularly. However, I will not buy products from a company that puts out smug commercials taking cheap shots at competitors and that has a dictator at the helm that tells customers that they are holding their phone wrong. I don't want my technology to be "magical" and "revolutionary" - I want it to be real, free of hyperbole and bullshit and with the minimum amount of artificial limitations there can be. Other people just want polished apps. So what?

If you're going to approach it from a "companies who's marketing/business model/practices piss me off" strategy, you'll be Amish pretty quick. Then again, I'll never buy another Sony product, after how they've treated George Hotz.

Yes, you win the Internet. Have a nice evening.

[The Chase]

By the way, which camera is actually better than the iPhone's?

Samsung Galaxy S series.

I mean actual quality, not megapixel bragging rights.

An important aspect of digital cameras. If the optics aren't capable of focusing the light sharp enough to make the most of the digital sensor, the extra resolution is just adding noise.

When it comes to stills, I found the iphone only a little bit more grainy than the SGS. It's more the video where the iphone falls down with so much motion blur that filming a made it look like some shape-shifting alien, but filming even situations with the SGS come out sharper than the iphone's indoor video.

Hint: don't say Droid X

Okay.

And which one had a "better" screen? Note, I said "better", not bigger.

Galaxy S - AMOLED.

[IncarnateX]

NOW people say on music forums that Android has no music apps. Hmmm, I guess what's going to happen shortly.

There are music apps around for Android but the problem is that they are pretty crappy at present (like this thread suggests). They will hopefully get better soon, so we can get some innovative competition and synergies between iOS and Android developers.

However, I spoke to one of my friends who has a whole deal more knowledge of Android than I, and he said that beyond such things as latencies, the Android system has this "problem" that it is developed for many types of phones and therefore both big and small processors. Thus, making good and powerful Android music apps is not easy if they have to run on the lowest specs possible.

[TristezaOrange]

Thus, making good and powerful Android music apps is not easy if they have to run on the lowest specs possible.

Indeed. I think that the music apps should not be targeted towards the lowest common denominator. For the time being they should be made for powerful devices. I expect that pretty soon computing power won't be an issue because even lower-end devices will have pretty powerful processors.

[polaris20]

By the way, which camera is actually better than the iPhone's?

Samsung Galaxy S series.

I mean actual quality, not megapixel bragging rights.

An important aspect of digital cameras. If the optics aren't capable of focusing the light sharp enough to make the most of the digital sensor, the extra resolution is just adding noise.

When it comes to stills, I found the iphone only a little bit more grainy than the SGS. It's more the video where the iphone falls down with so much motion blur that filming a made it look like some shape-shifting alien, but filming even situations with the SGS come out sharper than the iphone's indoor video.

Hint: don't say Droid X

Okay.

And which one had a "better" screen? Note, I said "better", not bigger.

Galaxy S - AMOLED.

I disagree on both counts. As I've already said, my wife had the Galaxy S. I didn't find the camera to be any better, and the screen, besides being larger, was no sharper or clearer.

http://m.engadget.com/default/article.d ... postPage=1

Hmm, doesn't sound like Engadget sees a clear winner either.

What the Galaxy S did have a big problem with was crashing apps, a non-functional GPS, and extremely slow upgrade cycle.

So I don't think a SGS vs iPhone 4 is necessarily a downgrade in either direction, though if I were ever to try a GS again it most definitely would be the Nexus S, so I could actually get an OS upgrade before replacing the phone.

[NER]

Beta = not released yet. Not sure if you knew that. Do you have the beta? How does it run?

you said "any time soon." A Beta seems pretty soon.

I guess I'll have to settle with liveleak, HULU, ebaumsworld, newgrounds, digitaleclipse, and the rest of the flash-half of the internet until then for when it comes to pretending to enjoy watching videos on a phone. How stupid I was to switch; If only I could downgrade my screen, camera, storage, and entire operating system to get that darned netflix app!

...all of which run like garbage on android, and eat battery life. I've had flash disabled the entire time I've had my android, so much for that.

BTW specs are meaningless. Sure, my Droid X has an 8 mp camera. Does it better pics than the iPhone 4's 5 mp camera? No, it actually takes much worse pictures. It's because the iPhone has much better sensors in their camera when it comes to low light environments. But you see, there isn't a "number" to tell you that.

Also, the retina display is the best display on any mobile device: http://www.displaymate.com/iPhone_4_ShootOut.htm

Apple has been making OS's coupled to hardware since the beginning. That's how they make their money.
Google makes their money from advertisements...

[TristezaOrange]

Also, the retina display is the best display on any mobile device: http://www.displaymate.com/iPhone_4_ShootOut.htm

Damn, give us a break with the Retina Display. When Android had much better resolutions than the 3GS no one compared the iPhone screen with all the others. When the iPhone finally got a high-res display it was suddenly "retina display this" and "retina display that".

Let me ask you this: you say that the megapixel count of the camera doesn't count. I agree, I'll give you that. Sensors are much more important. Now for the question: why does the resolution of the iPhone 4 display matter more than the vividness of the Galaxy S's super AMOLED? It is essentially the same principle: yeah, the iPhone has higher resolution but the GS has superior screen tech re: color reproduction.

[dgkenney]

When Android first came out, it was "no way it's going to win any marketshare"

When it started gaining markershare it was "it's never going to reach the marketshare of the iPhone"

When it started having apps it was "wow, Android apps suck"

Then when Android surpassed iOS in marketshare and started having awesome apps it was "But iOS has better games"

Now Android is starting to get the PlayStation Suite and Tegra Zone, which will destroy that last claim.

NOW people say on music forums that Android has no music apps. Hmmm, I guess what's going to happen shortly.

Come on, dude. Don't hold us in suspense. What's the answer?

Dan

[TristezaOrange]

When Android first came out, it was "no way it's going to win any marketshare"

When it started gaining markershare it was "it's never going to reach the marketshare of the iPhone"

When it started having apps it was "wow, Android apps suck"

Then when Android surpassed iOS in marketshare and started having awesome apps it was "But iOS has better games"

Now Android is starting to get the PlayStation Suite and Tegra Zone, which will destroy that last claim.

NOW people say on music forums that Android has no music apps. Hmmm, I guess what's going to happen shortly.

Come on, dude. Don't hold us in suspense. What's the answer?

Dan

Rebecca Black is going to release an Android-exclusive music app and Android will become the envy of iOS musicians, that's what.

[polaris20]

Beta = not released yet. Not sure if you knew that. Do you have the beta? How does it run?

you said "any time soon." A Beta seems pretty soon.

I guess I'll have to settle with liveleak, HULU, ebaumsworld, newgrounds, digitaleclipse, and the rest of the flash-half of the internet until then for when it comes to pretending to enjoy watching videos on a phone. How stupid I was to switch; If only I could downgrade my screen, camera, storage, and entire operating system to get that darned netflix app!

...all of which run like garbage on android, and eat battery life. I've had flash disabled the entire time I've had my android, so much for that.

BTW specs are meaningless. Sure, my Droid X has an 8 mp camera. Does it better pics than the iPhone 4's 5 mp camera? No, it actually takes much worse pictures. It's because the iPhone has much better sensors in their camera when it comes to low light environments. But you see, there isn't a "number" to tell you that.

Also, the retina display is the best display on any mobile device: http://www.displaymate.com/iPhone_4_ShootOut.htm

Apple has been making OS's coupled to hardware since the beginning. That's how they make their money.
Google makes their money from advertisements...

There's a couple different things effecting camera quality in these phones, and it's the same thing as regular digital cameras. Before I got into IT, I worked for a camera chain, from '94 to 2001, then part-time until 2006. I basically saw the beginnings of digital cameras, which was really cool. The problem arose when manufacturers got into the "megapixel race", where they tried to stuff as much resolution onto the chips as possible, without increasing their size. This resulted in chromatic aberrations, noise, and lack of sharpness. Couple that with them throwing these chips in cameras with crappy optics, and well, you saw where that went.

Now the same thing's happening with phones' cameras. There's just no way with current technology that you can stuff 8mp on a chip that fits in a camera like that and NOT have a crappy image. Even 5mp is pushing it, IMO. That's why Samsung was wise to stick with 5mp, and the results are pretty decent. Though why they chose not to put an LED flash on all the cameras, I've not figured out. That severely hindered it's usefulness. Another factor (unless there's a smart phone I'm not aware of that outputs RAW) is how the phone's software processes the image to .jpg. If it doesn't do a good job of that, you'll end up with a crappy image there too.

Often the best camera you own is the one in your pocket all the time, and for many of us that's a smartphone.

As for the screen, AMOLED looks amazing on paper, and it is indeed a nice screen. Though to say it's definitively "better" than the retina display on the iPhone 4 is a bit of an exaggeration, I think. I'm not particularly disappointed with either.

Also, the retina display is the best display on any mobile device: http://www.displaymate.com/iPhone_4_ShootOut.htm

Damn, give us a break with the Retina Display. When Android had much better resolutions than the 3GS no one compared the iPhone screen with all the others. When the iPhone finally got a high-res display it was suddenly "retina display this" and "retina display that".

Let me ask you this: you say that the megapixel count of the camera doesn't count. I agree, I'll give you that. Sensors are much more important. Now for the question: why does the resolution of the iPhone 4 display matter more than the vividness of the Galaxy S's super AMOLED? It is essentially the same principle: yeah, the iPhone has higher resolution but the GS has superior screen tech re: color reproduction.

Well first of all, the only Android phone available when the 3Gs was out at first was the Motorola Droid, which followed the 3Gs (June 2009) in November of 2009. It's resolution was indeed higher (854x480 vs. 480x320), but having owned one and compared it directly to a 3Gs, I wouldn't say it's better or worse. I will say that the Droid's physical narrowness made the virtual keyboards significantly more difficult to use. The Nexus One came out with an AMOLED screen later, and people complained of it being washed out.

You're going on and on about how Android phones had higher resolutions than the iPhone did, which is true, but the period of time is really only 6-7 months. Not really a big deal. Everybody knows that Apple only comes out with an iPhone once a year. If you need to be on the bleeding edge RIGHT NOW, then Android is likely a better choice for you.

Now having compared an iPhone 4 to a Galaxy S, I don't really think one is significantly better than the other. If you really think AMOLED is so superior, I think you're giving in to the marketing hype. They're both nice screens.

[Benutzername]

As an IT guy, I solved this extraordinary problem with a $10 USB key. The rest of the apps I use for IT (Citrix, iSSH, iNet, Pocketcloud, Wifitrak) all work great. Your example is a non-issue.

I'm curious. Why are you carrying around a mobile phone if a 0.25$ piece of metal could solve this problem just as well?

I'm using a smartphone because I don't want to carry around dozens of different things for different jobs. And I'm using Android because I don't want to be arbitrarily restricted by a control freak who thinks that he knows much better than me what I want to use my phone for and what is dangerous for me and my device (pirated software, political statements, pictures of female breast warts etc).