Is Google the new Apple ?

[Scott99]

Bear with me and hear me out ladies and gents. I've been thinking about what I mean by the title of my thread, and I'll explain. back in the day, in the 1980's-early 2000's Apple made cool products, products only the rebellious kind of tech people would buy. The computers Apple made weren't the mainstream type of computers you saw in the PC world, they were different, not bogged down with Microsoft bloatwear, didn't look like everyone else's computer, and seemed revolutionary as opposed to the same old boring thing known as a PC. Everyone seemed to have a PC, like sheep, while the rebellious kind of tech geeeks, marched to a beat of a different drummer, furiously passionate about their Mac's. BUT, PCs outnumbered Macs 10-1. Apple's insignia could have easily been a Pirate's flag instead of an Apple, Apple was Captain Jack Sparrow to the PC's British Navy.

Flash forward to the present. Whenever people think of tablets, the iPad is the first tablet that comes to mind, everyone has one like sheep, though an amazing product, it's also bogged down by the overly harsh and unopened OS. Google comes out with the Android OS and several Android products (Phones & Tablets). The rebellious Tech Geeks seem to love the more open Android OS as opposed to the Apple iOS. The Nexus 7 comes out, a rebellious slap to Apple's face, this is truly what seems like an Apple product. Sleek, COOL, and outnumbered 10-1

See what I mean, Google seems like a cooler company technology wise and product wise, though the iPad seems like the simple product non rebellious Tech Geeks flock to. It seems like the old days of Macs vs PCs, with the Nexus 7 starring as the Mac and the iPad as the PC.

[birdastrompgman]

You've made some good points.  I'm spending as much time learning about the N7 as I did learning the TRS-80 and IBM PCs in the '70s and '80s, and find it just as exciting.  Of course, the majority of N7 owners now, as well as the majority of Apple owners in the '80s, aren't/weren't hackers.

[JayJ]

I can see what your getting at, personally I wouldn't touch an A**le product but that's my personal opinion.
Personally I think Android is a good starting point for hacking, I would never have hacked anything until I got into Android and I certainly wouldn't of dreamt 3 years ago when I got my first Android phone that I would know what I do now about Android as limited as my knowledge is.

[radiocycle]

Very good Scott, I'm right with ya.  At this point in time I wouldn't own any I device; they are antithetical to the idea of the world wide web with their closed architecture.  Any closed system that won't let you 'peek under the hood' discourages experimentation and innovation for the sake of profit.  It wasn't always that way with Apple...

radio

[ibm650]

Yes
Google took off the microsd slot
Google charged the Apple rate of 8gb for $50
Google has not opened the rom on the Motorola phones it now owns

[Scott99]

I can see what your getting at, personally I wouldn't touch an A**le product but that's my personal opinion.
Personally I think Android is a good starting point for hacking, I would never have hacked anything until I got into Android and I certainly wouldn't of dreamt 3 years ago when I got my first Android phone that I would know what I do now about Android as limited as my knowledge is.

Don't get me wrong, I still love my iPhone. I've had the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, and I plan on getting the iPhone 5 when it comes out. I'm an Apple fan, though the iPhone and the 2nd generation iPod are the only Apple products I've ever owned. It just sucks that sometimes Apple is so close minded when it comes to things. The iPhone has always been a great product, BUT, Apple has always held back in adding things to it that phones had even years before there was an iPhone. First iphone in 2007 had a camera, but you couldn't take video, hell, my flip phone from 2004 could take video. They finally allowed video apps so you could take videos a year later. That's just one of several complaints I have about Apple.

BUT, in 5 years, the iPhone has eveolved into a phone that I'm very happy with, and it does basically everything I need it to, just like my Nexus 7. I am an Apple fan, but I've become an Android fan as well.

[fxsarge]

Yes
Google took off the microsd slot
Google charged the Apple rate of 8gb for $50
Google has not opened the rom on the Motorola phones it now owns

Lol that's because they don't want you to brick your phone. Just root it.

And how is 8gb for 50 dollars unfair? Everyone wants something for nothing its ridiculous

[Tiny]

See what I mean, Google seems like a cooler company technology wise and product wise, though the iPad seems like the simple product non rebellious Tech Geeks flock to. It seems like the old days of Macs vs PCs, with the Nexus 7 starring as the Mac and the iPad as the PC.

I have to disagree.  Google's real business is selling advertisements.  Everything they make or do is to enable them to sell more advertising.  The N7 is a fine machine that was sold at a very low price.  Remind you of the Amazon Kindle?  Google isn't making a profit selling the N7.  They're making money targeting ads at the users.

[JayJ]

Where are the adverts then?

Okay so a few apps, usually free ones have ads it I don't see any others?

[fxsarge]

Where are the adverts then?

Okay so a few apps, usually free ones have ads it I don't see any others?

The play store is one big ad

[JayJ]

Really?

Advertising apps for Android, not really Googles usual advertising and I'm sure doesn't make the revenue that Googles usual advertising makes?

[fxsarge]

Really?

Advertising apps for Android, not really Googles usual advertising and I'm sure doesn't make the revenue that Googles usual advertising makes?

Google makes money all over the place. The reason why the sold the N7 so close to cost was to get more people using the play store and downloading music, movies, and apps. They send all kinds of sale ads and have various featured apps to try and get you to buy them. Its all marketing and advertising Google is just very diverse.

[JayJ]

Yeah I agree they make money from Play but I don't see ads as such......oh yeah I'm rooted and use AdFree....lol

[radiocycle]

Yeah I agree they make money from Play but I don't see ads as such......oh yeah I'm rooted and use AdFree....lol

How do you like AdFree Jay?  Does it let you run the free apps that are ad supported?? How does it change the behavior of your browser (Chrome?)?

radio

[JayJ]

AdFree basically blocks ads on the browser and in app, some apps have a small area where the ad should be but others like Angry Birds show no signs of where ads would have been. Have a look on GP.

AdFree on Google Play