Discussion on:

Which is the superior mobile OS: iOS, Android, or Windows 8?

I have to agree with all that you say, but the advantage of iOS I believe that its in the dedicated hardware that they run. Its much easier to adjust a piece of software in a specific device that build software to work on almost any kind of device, screen, etc. Android has to satisfy everyone??? with no background, and this is the problem of W8, they have a background too big to forget and they have to innovate at same time. A much more difficult task to achieve.

The tight hardware ecosystem of Apple gives them a huge advantage in stability, in app design that is more consistent and pleasant to work with. I often say that Apple is a coloring book that forces everyone involved to color within the lines. Consumers who want content consumption seem to really respond to the hassle free experience this brings. But content creation in an environment that has strict lines that can't be avoided can be frustrating. It is a double edged sword.

Hands down.
You'll see soon.

Not to burst your bubble, but reviews and reports so far really don't support your enthusiasm though at the same time I haven't heard any real criticism of the upgrade, either. Then again, just because a platform is the most popular doesn't necessarily mean it's the best--nor does being the least popular make it the worst. We'll just have to wait and see, though I've made my own projections below.

... you haven't been looking.
Bloggers and "analysts" were universally dismissive of Blackberry's chances for over a year, until some details of the OS came out, and reporting of BB's huge global introduction effort started, and have been pretty universally positive since.
I have both Android and Playbook devices, and like both, but the BB OS is (imho) already smoother and easier to operate.
And don't fret, I don't have a bubble.

And the last discussion I had about Blackberry was when Jason Perlow of ZDNet and I discussed an appropriate term for what direction they were headed in and I suggested that we say that Blackberry is getting "Palmed".

Other than that, I haven't heard much positive buzz on any leading industry outlets, and I tend to follow them.

Most of them prior to December are predicting the imminent death of the company. Most of them post 2012-11 are positive.
Given the number of "experts" counting RIM out during the year past, I can certainly understand your lack of interest compared to the "big 2 1/2", but most self-proclaimed analysts seem to gloss over the 80 million subscriber base and the $2 billion + cash position.
I suspect that anybody with a bit of intelligence and a little research could probably out-analyse the self-proclaimed analysts and out-expert the self-proclaimed experts.

It is kind of like National Enquirer analysis. I don't want anyone to remember my prediction about iPad market share. I want EVERYONE to remember my prediction about the inevitability of Android tablet market share during the period when it was floundering.

I threw out one saying Webtop 3.0 could turn Motorola around a couple days before Google/Motorola announced it had been discontinued, but it didn't publish until a couple of days AFTER. That was embarrassing. But - I stand by the position that Webtop 3.0 showed that the concept had promise and I think we'll see a lot of the engineering work its way into Android multi-format devices. It just won't be called Motorola Webtop. Either way, though... you can't win 'em all.

As for Rim... they're in a bad place. Here is hoping they can turn it around.

I'm going to agree that RIM did continue to see sales growth all the way up to roughly June '11--to a maximum reportedly of 78 million according to a Dow Jones article I just read. However, that report also stated that RIM's growth "flatlined" while its market share plummeted--meaning that they were seeing almost no new sales while everybody else (no specific mention of Microsoft) were riding the exploding market.

Now, obviously this means that RIM's Blackberry has managed to retain its established customers. The bad side of this is that RIM hasn't been able to impress any new customers. This also means that it's very likely the Blackberry OS 10 is a serious make-or-break issue for them and that they need to not only encourage upgrades from their established base but also generate new sales from previous non-owners. Worse, because of Blackberry's already abysmal reputation on usability, they're going to be fighting that reputation in their effort to generate those sales. It's not going to be enough that they can say they're "better", they've got to demonstrate it in a spectacular manner that visibly blows away any competition. I hate to say this but there is enough skepticism out there that any claims will be doubted and tested to the point of destruction. Blackberry may manage to retain its current base, but it is doubtful--at least for now--that the release of 10 will create any massive shift in market presence.

I understood that a HUGE segment of their market is in the Middle East - the UAE states in particular. People in strict theocratic nations seem to LOVE their Blackberries, for some reason. Maybe it has to do with the level of enterprise security? I recall there was a specific reason, I just don't remember what it was.

That was awhile ago, so this may have changed.

But stranger things are possible. If they bring it, they can get back in the game. Every other time they've tried since the original iPhone, they've come up far too short.

The Stock Market is thinking the same thing. RIM's Share Price has jumped with the expectoration that Blackberry 10 is going to be the answer to all.

Col

- based on QNX - specifically designed as a low-resource real-time OS, unlike the competition
- huge opening app store
- successful wooing of developers, great API's
- smooth & superior UI
- real multitasking
- new workflow paradigm
- huge effort to maintain/grow user base, esp. business

Of course, it could be designed by God and still fail in the fickle marketplace (in which case the company is toast), but all things being equal, they should make a huge difference in the market.
They are not trying to offer a simple alternative to existing platforms, they are trying to be the next step in portable device evolution.
I hope they are successful. We'll see.
btw - I have no stock, but admit I would like to see a Canadian company succeed, despite the last year of denigration by the financial and IT press, which often kills off companies prematurely.

And it would be nice to be able to not count an additional competitor out yet.

Truth is, Intel and Microsoft are suffering from a lack of positive press, too - so Rim isn't alone in facing the potential fate you claim - they're just arguably in the worst shape of the 3 examples here.

http://mobile.theverge.com/2013/1/21/3899052/rim-may-sell-hardware-division-after-blackberry-10-launch

Why start comparing the best mobile OS when another is just coming out? If Apple was set to release a new OS shortly, you can be sure that this topic would have been held back until the release.

Are you suggesting that it was premature to compare iOS, Android and Windows 8 because the Blackberry 10 is about to be released, and saying that we wouldn't have done a compare like this if iOS was just about to release a new version of their platform?

The difference there is that one would be Apple releasing an iOS upgrade, and the other is RIM releasing a Blackberry-OS upgrade.

Isn't quite the same thing. One has significant anticipation and high expectations across a huge segment of the population. The other does not.

On someone else to cover it:

http://www.techvibes.com/blog/what-makes-blackberry-distinct-from-ios-and-android-2012-11-22

Here is what I get from the article.

RIM is going in a totally different direction than Android and iOS with Blackberry 10. They're copying Microsoft Windows Phone 8, instead and trying to get away from the "app-centric" approach to mobile devices.

I'm not sure how that can go much better for RIM than it has gone for Microsoft.

Berry 10 is the talk of the town here, I suppose that doesn't matter in the US though. Everyone around here is holding out on new phones until 10 is released now, which is a VERY highly anticipated OS.

As there are still more Berry's in Canada than iPhones (especially for enterprise use where iPhone falls flat on its face), it is a completely fair question.

I imagine like Nokia in Finland, RIM may enjoy a higher degree of interest in Canada than it does in most other places.

I have acknowledged a couple of times that there are a few regions in the world where Blackberry remains unusually popular. My focus was on a global average reader, though - not specific geographic regions.

What type of vehicle is best on vacation? Sports car, SUV or Motorcycle? In the long run, you have to use what works for you. It is important that we have access to information (such as this) to make our decisions. Thanks.

Not perfect - but if we're looking at it this way, SUVs are so remarkably popular because they can do so much. They're decent daily commuters (even if they're not the most efficient), they're good family haulers, they're good for outdoor activities, they're good for towing and for utility jobs, they're good in all kinds of weathers. They can be a pain to drive because they're not the most maneuverable or easy to park, and they're expensive.

Sounds a *lot* like Windows 8 to me. A lot of compromise in a jack-of-all trades, master of none scenario.

Android would be a passenger car, and iOS a fancy exotic marquee with only a few different models that are all sexy, sleek, a kick-in-the-pants to operate, expensive, and very limited.

SUV's are becoming a dinosaur these days. CAR manufacturers are introducing Crossovers now, not SUV's, though many people still refer to them as SUV's.

SUV's are generally designed as body on frame vehicles, such as an OLDER Ford Explorer where the SUV body was stuck onto a Ford Ranger Pick up frame. It handles like a truck, not a car and guzzles gas as it weighs more. BUT...it truly stands up to the test of time like a pick up would, such as rumbling down pot hole filled logging roads.

A crossover is generally a unibody style vehicle. Just like modern cars, there is no separate frame, like the newer Ford Explorers. It's a unibody build where panels are joined together to build a rigid vehicle without a conventional frame under it. It will have independent, soft riding suspension, just like a car, focused to be a pavement princess and not for off roading, though they add these stupid dials inside to control differential action as if it was an off-road/4WD vehicle, which they are not.

Crossovers are not as solid as SUV's, they are NOT designed to be rumbled through pol hole filled logging roads. They are built of lightweight car components, not truck components ,usually have low profile tires and wimpy but flashy looking rims.

Crossovers are daily commuters, SUV's are daily commuters too, IF you don't mind driving a light truck for daily commutes. I have a daily commuter SUV and it rides like a truck but handles like a car, which was the aim of the SUV to begin with.

I see IOS as a crossover, it LOOKS like a robust business device but really it's just a toy for consumers who want to look like they have a full featured smart phone. It handles like a crossover too, designed to appeal to consumers, not business users (4X4 aficionados).

Everyone who supports iPone talks about the ease of social networking, smooth scrolling through music files (crappy versions of music files anyway), smooth web surfing, huge app store where you can download 100 versions of solitaire or 50 really low quality CRM apps etc. etc.

Blackberry users, for example, will boast the tactile keyboard, security, multitasking etc. BB owners will focus on the business tools, smaller yet more useful app store and enterprise features, which Apple has never been keen to address with their strictly consumer driven market.

9 out of 10 SUV buyers really prefer the "crossover" because they don't drive down bumpy log-filled roads or tow 8500 pound trailers or do other extreme jobs with their SUV 99 times out of 100 they're in it.

So the Crossover is relevant - the SUV becomes a specialty use niche vehicle.

You've kind of inadvertently just made a case against the odds of Blackberry really catching enough of the market to be a viable contender. Most users, including professionals in enterprise environments, have a heavy-duty truck... their desktop or corporate PC. Their peripheral device is a light-duty multi-purpose vehicle. A crossover. Which explains the popularity of Android, maybe.

Ever driven past the end of your street?

You are clearly speaking of the US smartphone industry alone.
Blackberry catching enough of the market to be a viable contender? It's the market leader in Canada, has been forever, despite Apples predictions. Sure they lost market share but they still sit on top for having units in the most Canadian hands.

Well said with the light duty comment, that's why iPhone don't fit in Enterprise applications that require actual carpet to concrete performance. Enterprise devices here as not trend driven but driven on performance, security, network integration, multitasking etc. All the features that Berry boasts and iToys fall miserably short of. I've even seen more Win Mobile devices used by Enterprises here than iOS.

However, certain aspects of this analysis are somewhat misleading; just because some platforms are considered "content consumers" doesn't mean they aren't regularly used as "content creators." The reverse can also be true.

iOS is popularly considered by most commenters on these tech boards as a content-consumption-only platform, yet professional artists, photographers and writers use their iPads in the field and often nearly exclusively under highly mobile circumstances. This is as much due to the fact of the high number of professional applications available--including Photoshop for iPad--as it is due to the iPad's ready synchronization to OS X applications that don't require manual triggering.

Android is to a larger extent going the exact opposite direction as the single largest selling Android tablet on the market appears to be the Amazon Kindle Fire, which is almost exclusively a content consumption device despite the content creation abilities of other tablets like the ASUS Transformer series. When you add to this the new Transformer introduced by ASUS at CES that mates the tablet screen to a Windows-loaded keyboard unit and you have to somewhat wonder if ASUS isn't going to turn that tablet portion into an RT tablet before it reaches the consumer.

That brings us to the Windows8 devices. The author is completely correct that the full Win8 version will be the best for most enterprise users where the full Windows capability may be necessary. However, history has already proven that a full Windows platform tablet is a market failure as these have been available on the open market for over a decade now. A hybrid system similar to Asus' with an RT tablet head mating to a full Windows8 base would give the lightweight, easily-used mobile display capabilities that the iPad currently provides to enterprises while keeping a very close and convenient integration to the rest of the office Windows environment while docked.

In fact, the ONLY advantage Android has over the other two platforms is its close tie to the smartphone market, which will probably shift more towards the WP8/9 platform as it proves itself to the user and developers.

My projections? (Here we are, DColbert) It will take the WinRT/WP8 about 18 months to see any significant growth, but should then rise to at least 40% of the overall market. Android will subsequently fall to a similar number or lower--most likely becoming the favorite OS for embedded systems rather than a standalone device OS. iOS will probably settle in comfortably at about 25%-30% of the overall market as a standalone device--assuming it doesn't re-merge back into OS X itself probably with the release of 10.10 (or maybe it will be called OS XI (11).

It is rare that we agree... so I've found something to disagree with you about - a little bit...

"iOS is popularly considered by most commenters on these tech boards as a content-consumption-only platform, yet professional artists, photographers and writers use their iPads in the field and often nearly exclusively under highly mobile circumstances. This is as much due to the fact of the high number of professional applications available--including Photoshop for iPad--as it is due to the iPad's ready synchronization to OS X applications that don't require manual triggering."

I'd say that iOS is constantly promoted as a content creation and delivery device by a lot of Technology Bloggers. I roll my eyes and bite my tongue every time Bill Detwiler pulls out his iPad at the TR-Live event to give a power-point presentation, and ZDNet's James Kendrick drives me NUTS with his constant blogs about how he can't settle for anything less than his iPad for his remote mobile content-creation goals. I can name a handful of other bloggers who are incredibly bullish about iOS as well, but I'll keep that card up my sleeve for now. Too many bloggers wear rose-tinted glassed with their iOS device opinions and it misleads consumers into thinking that the device will satisfy them in ways it probably won't. No offense to either of the writers I'm calling out here - the device does work well for them I am certain. But there are *better* choices for anyone (especially typical users) with a focus on those particular tasks. They just don't have an Apple logo on them.

As for your examples, I acknowledged that there are some niches where Apple does have a lead in productivity goals at the moment. They're the same kind of leads where Mac originally had a lead on Microsoft. Eventually, the open-platform alternatives (and I'm including Microsoft here because Microsoft has always supported the open-hardware platform) caught up and matched or exceeded Macintosh in most cases, as well as offering all the other superiority that they had all along. This was almost the end of Apple last time. We'll see how well they weather it when it happens with this generation of personal computing. I didn't list every example where iOS has carved out a strong niche - but if you happen to be in one of those fields where iOS has the lead currently, you probably already know it, and I don't begrudge anyone who decides to go with iOS based on those criteria. But they're all *niches*. Overall, iOS is a consumer content consumption device. The fact that the Kindle Fire is the most successful Android tablet just shows the huge consumer demand for exactly THAT kind of device (and that a powerful but less expensive alternative to Apple has a lot of market share to claim). Other Android tablets with a more productivity oriented focus have enjoyed a halo effect from the Kindle and the Nexus 7, the ASUS TF line in particular - and many of those are more powerful and more flexible devices with a goal of delivering a productivity/consumption hybrid.

But those are all trivial little differences of opinion influenced one way or the other by our personal biases. I agree with your overall assessment, and I think the fact that I am *very* interested in Windows 8 *and* RT devices right now points to the threat that Android faces at the moment. Microsoft is more of a threat to Google than to Apple as things sit today, and as we see them build momentum, understanding and enthusiasm, your projections may be spot on.

In either case, +1 to you, sir.

In fact, considering devices like the ASUS Transformer, Android is currently the better fit for bloggers because of its ready supply of usually snap-on keyboards. The types of content professionals I'm more concerned with are in the visual arts more than the textual ones. Of course, that said I'm a writer who uses the iPad any time I'm not home at my desktop and I simply carry a Bluetooth keyboard in my bag for text entry beyond a few lines. Since I write almost exclusively in Pages for Mac and iOS, the synchronization between the two is automatic, letting me worry less about which version of the file is more recent and concentrate more on maintaining story flow.

I guess my point here is that people who really make money at their craft (and honestly I don't so it becomes more a hobby) don't blog much about their experiences UNLESS they're paid to blog about it. When they do blog, it's more about their works than about the tools they use. It's kind of like the joke about the photographer at a dinner party. The hostess comes up to him and says, "You take such lovely pictures. You must have a really great camera." To which he replies, "Thank you. You've made a delicious dinner; you must have a really expensive stove."

Ok, it's not really funny, but it makes my point.

Amateur, semi-pro, pro.

Amateurs maintain a blog on wordpress or blogger.com and a few friends and family might visit their blog, but we're talking under 1000 hits a year at the outside.

Semi pro might get paid by some outlets, and might have a blog that generates a decent amount of hits per month - but they've got a day job and they don't do it for a living.

Pros are doing this as a full time career.

Fair definitions?

The pros are absolutely "content professionals".

With that said, I have a bias and preference to the ASUS Transformer and it is for the reasons you outline. But... you've described the circular nature of my blogging pretty well, "I want devices that allow me to write about what devices are best suited to allowing me to write about how easy they make it for me to write." It is a key driver for me in a mobile device.

It isn't just writing, but a lot of it centers around the various things involved with that. I need powerful social media tools, it is nice if it can do a passable job at image and video manipulation and publication. A BIG thing that disappoints me with iOS and Android is the ability to easily cut a hyperlink URL and post it as a link in a document. Placing images and formating can also be a hassle in mobile OS platforms. Sophisticated document creation is one of the tasks where I'll write the document mobile and then modify it and polish it on a desktop later - which *is* a pain.

And I think that the old parable of the cook and their tools assumes that a great chef can make a great meal as long as they have a fire, a pan, and ingredients. That is probably true. I imagine a great blogger could write a masterpiece on their phone. But they probably *prefer* professional grade tools, just like a chef.

But there is bound to be disagreement among different cooks over which tools are the best for their trade.

... and publishers recommend I write comic books. Ah well. I enjoy what I do and have my fans in that area, so I'm happy. Meanwhile, I try to be a voice of reason on blog forums.

Are you intentionally covering up the fact that there are two versions of Windows 8? Pro and RT have very little in common. Pro indeed can do everything a PC should do, provided you do not need top processing power, and top graphics acceleration, and lots of disk space. External drives solve the disk space problem nicely. I wonder if Microsoft releases docking stations that will allow to add processing and graphics power, or even built in "SETI in Home" features into the OS.

Windows RT can do only the most basic tasks and run a few desktop apps of Microsoft's choosing. Currently I do not see any nontrivial apps in the App Store and I do not see how such apps can be created. Thus, apps wise Windows RT will always lag behind Android and iOS, it is not only younger, it is the hardest platform to go beyond "Hello, World".

Actually, the differences between RT and Pro are overblown right now.

For another article I am writing, I buzzed down to Best Buy and played with a Surface Pro 64GB for about half an hour. My first exposure to an RT Surface tablet was that the TR Live event in October, and I really didn't know how to navigate the OS or get the most from the platform, and I was underwhelemed.

But after several months playing with Windows 8 Pro, suddenly I can get around RT like a champ.

In this case, I wanted to confirm first hand a few things.

Mostly that, like Pro, RT can have two Modern-UI apps running split screen on the Start Screen while having multiple Classic apps open in the destkop.

Of course, it can. I was able to load PowerPoint, Excel and Word, plus the destkop Windows RT IE 10 and Windows Explorer, plus the Moder-UI weather app *and* Modern-UI IE 10 all at once. It was easy to flip back and forth between all of them.

All of the gestures and shortcuts I already knew worked faithfully in RT.

I've got news for Android and iOS users - this is MORE powerful multitasking than *either* of those platforms offer - multi-tasking far more like what you would experience on a full blown desktop OS. Corporate power users would be much better served by Wndows RT than by iOS or Android, once they got the hang of operating the new platform. Cutting and pasting from one app to another in Android is a chore. It is a simple process in Win 8, Pro or RT. That is just *one* example.

Now, don't misunderstand me - I'm not denying that RT is crippled compared to a full Windows 8 Pro system. IE 10 Classic can't load flash or any other plug-ins that I am aware of, you can't run real Windows IA apps. It is a low power, low heat, long battery life, instant on, solid state ARM device. If you're a professional in a Windows environment and you've got Windows on your desktop and you connect to Windows back-office systems and Windows front-end apps and you want a portable ARM device for the benefits that ARM brings, the RT is a no-brainer. The decision then comes down to if you want your ARM device to be primarily an extension of your professional life, or a personal BYOD device mostly for leisure and content-consumption that can do a LITTLE work here and there.

Depending on your answers, you've got 3 choices. If you're strongly focused on a Windows professional experience, then RT is your best bet. If you're strongly focused on a consumer experience, then iOS might work out better for you. If you're on the fence, right in the middle, you should give Android a look. They've all got their strengths and weaknesses, as I illustrate above.

But here is the thing, your argument above cherry-picks the argument. Windows RT can only do the most basic tasks and run a few desktop apps of Microsoft's chosing in comparison to Windows 8 Pro. Compared to Android and iOS, Windows RT is miles beyond what they're capable of if you're looking for these features. You literally compared Windows RT to Windows Pro and based on the fact that Windows RT is more limtied than Pro, concluded that it will "always lag behind Android and iOS".

"Because the BMW 1 series is just a repackaged Mini, and not an M3, it will always be inferior to the VW Bug and the Fiat 500."

See how that doesn't work? Maybe a crippled 1 series bimmer is still superior to a VW or Fiat. (This isn't necessarily the case, of course - just an example).

I think releasing RT first was a strategic mistake that confused consumers. I think they should have held off until Windows 8 Pro got a foot-hold and then released Windows RT as a device that compliments a Win8Pro Intel machine.

RT is now the victim of a lot of FUD, a lot of misinformation, a lot of misunderstanding - and may suffer a "Vista effect" due to bad press and word-of-mouth.

That would be too bad, because for the right kind of user, RT is clearly superior to Android and iOS.

I OWN A W8 PRO 64 BIT PC (UPGRADED ALIENWARE ALX AUROURA AREA 51 AND ADDED TOUCH SCREEN) , WP8 , AND A DELL LATITUDE 10 WITH W8 PRO 32 BIT...YES YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, AND IT ALL WORKS SEAMLESSLY AND FLAWLESS....YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ANYTHING ....JUST ABOUT WHAT I WANT AS FAR AS WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION TO PUT IN THEM...IT IS NICE TO HAVE 3 DEVICES THAT SYNC WITHOUT CONCERNS AND THE UI IS INTUITIVE...LOVE IT...SWITCHED FROM ANDROID DEVICES AND NEVER HAVE LOOKED BACK...BEST DECISION

Turn off your caps lock and type like everyone else.

You do support my contention that the integration between WP8/RT and Windows 8 is why Android is in trouble, though.

well, its a habit when filling drop cards out ....found it is easier for EU to read and easier for using acronyms instead of having to hit caps lock or shift all the time. I leave the caps lock on; saves time filling drop cards and badges out after systems are fixed...sorry...but I do stand by the W8 ecosystem..seamless integration and flawless function once you learn the ends and outs of W8 and W8(RT)

The best decision you ever made was to switch from Android to Windows8?

I'd keep that clear of an employers eyes, unless choosing an OS is the focus of your job.

You should try finding a keyboard that allows you to turn off caps lock too, they are pretty cheap these days and allow you to type without shouting like a kiddie defending his favorite wrestler.

insults , and innuendo's is much more mature than typing in caps lock....;)
THANKS FOR THE TIPS...

I have found every IT consultant, tech...etc...etc... are not aware of the Dell latitude 10 and when I show up to work on their systems they are intrigued and I am asked to demonstrate...their first question is : is that an Ipad, or android tablet?.... of course the masses are mindless sheep and have been brainwashed to think nothing else exists outside of Apple devices and Android . when I show them how smooth and quick the Latitude 10 runs W8 pro 32 bit, they seem to understand their Ipad and android tablets are limited devices in comparison...most often they immediately go to their PC and pull up the dell specs....granted the Latitude 10 can be proved upon but still out performs Ipad and android.

I am not promoting the device...but it is a solid product...The point behind the Latitude 10 is, most people are not aware of the potential of this ecosystem W8, WP8 , and W8 (RT)....I read article after article about how some are just down right dishonest and prejudice against Microsoft. They seem to disparage them by saying how W8 killed my machine, or the ever so popular lack of apps, or W8 is useless for PC users ....etc...etc. Here are my thoughts on where Microsoft is going with this ecosystem and it wasn't a half hearted effort to gain market share in the Mobile world...I actually think the PC side is an attempt to tie all things W8 together. meaning You own a WP8 , then what device would you buy if you were read for a PC upgrade...You as a consumer are already familiar with the Metro UI... and by logic would purchase W8 PRO PC... use the same analogy with a Surface Tablet W8 (RT) or if you have a W8 Pro PC .... I think Microsoft learned the hard way with Windows Phone 6 and 6.5..(terrible OS) and with WP7 (7.5).....They realize the only way to overcome their lack of clout in the mobile world was to push the EU both business and residential into having no choice. Meaning: you have a 3 tiered ecosystem which is spread out over a broad spectrum appealing to those who already own 1 type of device. Microsoft knowing when you purchase a new PC you will be offered/pushed into the newest and latest OS.....reaching people who may not be to familiar with WP8, or W8 (RT). Over time you as the consumer will eventually use it because gradually al other OS's will be phased out. Microsoft basically burned their bridges and went all in, and I think others have gotten a rude awakening...realizing Microsoft is not pulling any punches and have a major advantage which is most businesses and residential run some sort of Microsoft based system......In my opinion it is inevitable Microsoft will gain in all three, Tablet, Phone and PC...Who else has the ability to reach so many EU's ...no one....Plus take into account Mtro UI is substantially different from IOS and Android.....they had their chance but decided to stay with what they were comfortable with "STATIC UI.......

What so many people are complaining about with Windows 8 is the changes. They're so set in their old-Windows ways that they don't want to accept any changes--especially if it makes the OS more Mac-like. However, with Windows 8 Microsoft has leapfrogged Apple in a very real way; not just by making touch dominant, but by bringing even closer integration between the mobile and desktop OSes with an eye towards merging them once mobile devices have the power and endurance to finish replacing the laptop for portable computing. But don't expect them to sacrifice the new UI when they do, but that's part of what makes Windows easier to use when mobile.

So while you have done well with your Dell, it's not the only one. Check out HP, Toshiba and some of the others; you might find one of them that's closer to "perfect" for your needs.

I'm not anti-Tablet and I'm not necessarily an Apple fanatic, though I admit I've found Apple to offer the best product for my overall needs with software and reliability. My complaints with other OSes and hardware brands has been mostly due to the poor quality on average of those "less expensive" brands that require regular maintenance. I can't tell you how upsetting it is when you lose an entire work day to cleaning up the OS after 6 to 9 months of everyday use or having a power supply die for no apparent reason every 12 months or so (I've never had one survive longer than about 18 months and I always bought more power supply than the machine needed according to specs. Apple just holds up better for my work habits. Windows' greatest problems have been due to poor hardware, though that doesn't absolve it of its own weaknesses and vulnerabilities over the years. Android, on the other hand, suffered from poor code and poor hardware. Worse, Samsung even now is producing Android products that use 2.3 (think Galaxy Player) which only hurts their overall quality for the product name as people will expect the same OS as their Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note. Other brands are still shipping with older versions of Android as well, which is one reason why the Android environment as a whole is so fragmented.

I went with Dell for 2 reasons their warranty, accidental coverage, and the fact the latitude 10 was offered with two removable batteries 2-30/4-60 whr.

I went with android phones over IPhone for one major reason, more choice in types of phones....I think I'OS is smoother but really didn't care for either Android, Blackberry, or I'OS....I wanted and have been waiting for someone to bring to the table something which could tie all things mobile, business, social networking, gaming, music, and video. I knew if I was to get what I am looking for, it would have to come from Microsoft. Two reasons why I put all my eggs in one basket concerning the perfect Mobile OS. How long has android and I'OS been around (?) ....and yet neither one has done anything close to one platform . one is to restrictive (proprietary) = I'OS....the other is to liberal (to open, unstructured, cumbersome)= android....I as an IT (geek) field engineer like the concept of Android, which is open to more of the individuals interpretation. That is great if you are a teenager but for a business IT... you know, good and well, it could mean and will mean, a lot of corrupted Data...and an IT nightmare come true. ***(keep in mind this is all under the umbrella of tying all devices together under one OS [ecosystem]...PC...Phone....Tablets) *** The second reason none of the 3 Mobile OS'S Blackberry, I'OS, Android cannot do what Microsoft can: They do not have the will, and or the resources, to take on such an ambitious endeavor. Personally, ( in my opinion) ..I think it is why Mac PC OS x is the way it is ....a lazy mans OS....yes I said it, Apple did not want the headaches which come with making their OS more open as Microsoft has...(Think about it) I find Mac a cumbersome limited lazy OS compared to Microsoft....yes Microsoft has more problems , more issues, but only because they dare to actually make their OS more versatile and useful in the practical use of everyday life. Simply put: Blackberry, Apple, and Android do not have the ability to do, and or, create a one size fits all ecosystem and they do not have the ambition or drive to even try.... In my opinion they do just enough to stay viable and that is it.....Where Microsoft has tackled what the others have seen as to much of a headache and it is no surprise they are the dominant (Preferred) Ecosystem both in business and in home users.

In conclusion Microsoft is where my hopes and wants will be met for an all inclusive ecosystem which will make my life as efficient as it can possibly be when using a Phone, Tablet, and a PC......

did you try a pro tablet they are not out yet? not even to developer's

You know, part of the problem is knowing what to call things in Microsoft's brave new world. I'm having a lot of difficulty deciding what to call things myself.

Not sure if your question was aimed at Michael or aimed at me, so...

For my part, I use "Windows 8 Pro" from time to time not to refer to the device, but as shorthand for "An IA32/64 device running Windows 8 for Intel".

Which may be confusing, but I never said I wasn't a little confused on proper Windows 8 terminology at this point. Microsoft hasn't exactly made it easy to know what they want you to call things, so far.

mr.bloger.. realy .real easy windows 8 , windows 8 pro, windows rt, windows rt tablet ,and last but not least is the windows pro tablet. How hard is that

I think the issue might not be the terminology I used, though.

Yours Realy,
Mr. Blogger

and kepp up the good work. it just that it can become a little confusing. peace dude

The Surface is the name of the tablet; Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro are the names of the OSes on those specific tablets. So when speaking of a Surface RT, obviously you're speaking of the Atom-processor tablet with Windows RT on it (a mouthful when you're trying to stay within a word count) and the Surface Pro becomes obvious as (at least for now) an x86-processor tablet running Windows 8.

The Surface RT is an ARM based tablet with Windows RT, the Surface Pro is an Intel based processor with Windows 8 Pro on it... but there are Atom based tablets and they generally run Windows 8 PRO, actually. To be honest, I think all of the Atom based tablets are defacto NON-RT tablets, as RT *is* the Windows for ARM variant. Make sense?

It is ALL very confusing. That is a big part of the problem for Microsoft right now.

But yeah, for me, it was all a question of how much detail I wanted to go into explaining the various configurations of Windows 8 and hardware platforms. It would have been a whole article in itself and honestly, that has been done all over the place already.

that you got me strate on windows. the next time i turn my work in to microsoft developers meeting. Ha ha

My wife went to some Microsoft training last year down in North Carolina where she saw Windows used on a Toshiba tablet, so I do know that Windows 8 will run on ARM. The fact that a Surface RT tablet has been jailbroken and the full Windows 8 resides already on that tablet only with the desktop disabled clearly says Windows 8 can also run on Atom--albeit under the Surface RT's hardware specs it doesn't do all that well. In essence, Surface is Surface with two different grades of hardware designed for two different purposes. On the other hand, Windows RT is just the "Modern UI" interface portion of the full Windows 8 (not necessarily Windows 8 Pro) which doesn't need the same hardware capacity as the desktop.

ARM Architecture Vs x86 processor

W8 (RT)
1.ARM Architecture devices are slow compared to x86 architecture .
2.ARM Architecture are not capable of heavy graphics adapters .
3.64 Bit ARM Architecture are not developed yet .
4.Low cost chips .
5.Low power consumption .
6.More secure ARM Architecture than x86 architecture .


W8 Pro 32 bit 64 bit OS
x86 Architecture Advantages


1.x86 architecture are fast as compared to ARM Architecture .
2.x86 architecture are capable of heavy graphics handling .
3.both 32 as well as 64 bit are available.

Windows 8 exists in a Windows 8 and a Windows 8 Pro mode.

Windows 8 is like XP Home.

Windows 8 Pro is like XP Pro. Able to join domains, etc.

I've tended to refer to Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro when I meant either version of Windows 8 for Intel.

DELL LATTITUDE 10 was available for pre-order on the same day W8 and W8 RT were released. I ordered mine that same day, although Dell did not get it out to me until 01/09/2013. I ordered mine with docking station, all cables, both batteries 30 WHR and 60 WHR, Wacom pen, and portable ODD (opticle drive) and ordered a Kensington 10" carrying case w/Bluetooth keyboard on amazon......base price $649 everything ordered just under $1200, best investment I ever made....I spend in ink, and paper $easily $120 a month...for Dell badges and IBM, Sony, Lexmark..etc...etc..I use my tablet along with Microsoft office 2013 by turning all documents into digital and email them directly to the EU at completion of call... the Latitude 10 works flawless and will pay for itself within a few months because I no longer user paper or ink....everything is digitally signed and emailed out within Latitude 10 Tablet. combine the Tablet with W8 pro 64 bit PC and WP8 (RT) Nokia 920 and I have no issues or problems from one device to the next looking up docs, PDF, Excel, Word...etc...etc..no matter what device I use it is seamless networking at it's peak...try doing that with android or and apple product....W8, WP8(RT) W8(RT) all you do is log into your Windows, Microsoft , Live ID... and you are set and always linked..

.

2 cell 30whr after being all day working 12 hour day and not shutting it down and getting up next morning battery still shows over 50% charge ..4 cell 60 whr shows 65% to 70% charge switched over to 60 whr after first week of use .... 2 days without charge and being used to just close calls out, sending drop cards , badges over email...charge drops to 10% ...that's leaving it on for two days and system sleeps while not in use....so, I would say pretty good battery life ...I bought a 200 watt inverter which allows me to plug right in with the standard charger but I am finding out that was an unnecessary purchase...but might prove needed as the battery will degrade over time as they all do.

I apologize for my ignorance ...but after investigating why certain post were not showing up after refreshing I discovered to my surprise (ignorance) that, if you select all posts instead of a quantity your post magically appear but seem to be out of logical order.. still trying to get use to this format on here...again my apologies....

is frowned upon here, and it was removed: I'll just say ,I Have the Dell Pro Tablet and it has been available to order on line since 10/25/2012...but took Dell until 01/09/2013 to deliver it to my door step....let me say this....why anyone outside of price would settle for an android tablet or Ipad (W8 same cost if not cheaper than Ipad) is beyond logical reasoning...both android and Ipad are a compromise now that I know how well each W8 device works between each other...What ever type of tablet you decide to go with whether it be W8 (RT) limited function or W8 Pro Tablet 32 bit OS ... fully functional as a PC OS...it is definitely several steps up and beyond any android tablet or Ipad.....but again there will be those who will look at you and say : I don't like the Metro UI or the Start button is missing or it is eye candy no back bone to the OS..and you look at them with a smile and say you have a point...while under your breathe you are thinking : you either never tried it, or you hold some sort of prejudice against Microsoft and are full of it. think about these responses logically....: what is about a static UI and both really have not changed much over the years. The two (android and IOS ) are more alike each other than WP8 or W8 OS'S. Their excuses show a shallow thought process and doesn't even merit a response other than,"I see your point"...you can't argue with ignorance...

But if you place a URL in them the system itself very well may remove the post as it is considered as Spam.

The Nasty Spammers have been hitting the site quite hard over the past few days well harder than normal. Some Links get Black Listed and when the system finds then they get deleted.

To get around that you can Insert a space between the Domain Name and the .whatever which is what I do a lot of the time or you can delete the http header so instead of HTTP://www. whatever it just reads the www.whatever.

So an example is

http://www.techrepublic .com/forum/discussions/102-401053?tag=nl.rCOMBINED&s_cid=rCOMBINED
remember to remove the space from between techrepublic and the .com for a working link.

Or you could post it as

www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401053?tag=nl.rCOMBINED&s_cid=rCOMBINED

Col

I *did* touch on the differences between RT and Pro and called RT *crippled* in the article. Where did you come up with the idea that I was intentionally *hiding* a fact a bluntly confronted? I didn't spend 500 words revisiting the differences that everyone should know by now - but I certianly didn't try to pass it off as if there were no difference between the two.

For what it is worth - I agree, the Modern-UI app market is more of a "trivial app" or "leisure app" market. But that isn't really any different than Android or iOS. Remember when the iOS/Android arguments were all about, "It is about the apps"? And, to a certain extent at that time, it was true. Android reached momentum, and now it isn't all about the apps. That realization gave birth to the rebuttal, "Android doesn't need 5000 fart apps" - which was *also* true.

The point is, the MS app store will grow and mature. Android will always lag behind iOS on apps. At some point, that doesn't matter as much. You know, once Twitter came to Android, I found out it didn't matter that it was iOS exclusive. They could have kept it - I would have been fine.

I'd point out that this is how Microsoft *came ouf of the corner*... swinging like Mike Tyson and beating the competition to the canvas in some important ways. Android came out of the gate eating paste and sniffing daisies, not getting serious until they teamed with Verizon and Motorola for the Droid 1.

Now it just depends on how many consumers *get* it with what Microsoft is doing, and how many people value that. I don't honestly KNOW those details - I don't think *anyone* does. But I think Microsoft has a strong position and opportunity. I think a lot is going to depend on Microsoft being able to communicate that to users, to price competitively.

I doubt it will make a tremendous difference in the next 18 months. I think the Haswell chips and dropping prices on IvyBridge along with natural upgrade cycles and OEM license bundles will begin to change the Win32 environment, and like every other Win release, slowly this new approach will gain steam. It might be 3 to 5 years out before we see a change, and maybe Microsoft will give up before they get that far - or maybe it will move to slow and they'll abandon it. There is no doubt going Microsoft at this point is a risk.

I am so in agreement with your points.

Android is getting multitasking and this alone puts it into different league. So far I have discovered exactly one (1) nice Modern UI app - Manga Reader. It is logical fullscreen, does not require lots of settings, and still does useful things like buffering and search. The other apps? The App Store app perfectly reveals some Modern UI problems - inconvenient navigation, hard to compare 2 similar apps, eirther shows empty space or takes refuge in the browser. The Weather app is useful, but why do I see min/max forecasts from several sources and only one hourly forecast? Next to Hello World, but ads are there. Nice move, Microsoft, you forgot I have already payed for the OS? Skype does not have enough settings to make the camera work...

Modern UI cannot scale, thus App Store cannot mature. Yearly upgrades may fix that in several years, maybe.

Let us call things by the names - RT tablet is a niche machine for Office nerds (alternatively, a grave of unused hardware power), iOS tablet is a MAC accessory, and Android tablet is an expansive toy on a quest of becoming a cheap computer. Pro is a modest computer that makes purchase of a tablet unnecessary.

Pro is Windows 7 SP2 plus RT. We know Windows 7 alone failed on slates dramatically. Is Pro doomed to be a success? I guess Microsoft is making yet another mistake positioning Pro as a tablet. Pro can take nearly all nettop, laptop, and ultrabook market and considerable part of desktop upgrades while preventing lots of tablet purchases, but to do this it should be distanced from RT and tablets in general as much as possible. Maybe not even discussed in one article with iOS and Android.

And while I won't argue that Windows' "Modern UI" currently lacks apps, I'm going to also point out that every other UI started with a relatively low number of apps. I know some are claiming that Blackberry 10 will "launch with the highest number of apps than any other OS", but BB-10 is not an "all-new" OS and that even its core QNX started somewhere with zero apps.

I personally believe your definitions of the different systems--RT, iOS, Android--are overly simplistic; overlooking some of their primary purposes for existing. WinRT and iOS are very similar to each other as they are extensions of their parent OS--meant for easy use in the hands where most people really don't need the power of the desktop OS. Android, due to its independence from any desktop OS (including Linux) is more of a netbook OS with tablet capability--demonstrated by the most popular Android "tablet" is the ASUS Transformer; little more than a netbook with a removable keyboard. I'm not saying it's bad, but its poor showing in the actual tablet market *except* as a media-consumption-only device like the Kindle Fire shows that it lacks that critical infrastructure that made the iPad such a success and could lose big time to WinRT for exactly that reason--over time.

Windows 8 is essentially, as you say, Windows 7 plus RT--though I am happy to see that Microsoft did eliminate a lot of old, legacy code that brought its overhead down almost 50% as well as its footprint on the hard drive. By everything I've seen in testing it myself and read online, Win8 is fully functional and notably faster on hardware even dating back to '07's "Vista Ready" machines. Now, without actually trying it, I wonder how well Win8 would run on those Netbooks that came out between '07 and '09--when the iPad shut them down?

QNX was developed for real-time embedded applications and as such, never had 'apps' and was not a consumer product. It is similar to using the Linux kernel for Android. BB10 was developed from the gro.und up.

had windows 8 running befor you ever heard of it .

n/t

I agree Apple makes great products for the general consumer but that is not me. I started out with punch cards on a IBM mainframe. My first computer was a Wang. I gave up on Windows mobile when I found I could get better Android apps to connect to my desktop and Sharepoint sites than with Windows moble apps. I just got a Samsung Note 2 and it is the best phone to date plus as a small tablet, it works great for connecting to Sharepoint, client networks, and cloud based databases. I see no compelling reason to use Window mobile at all and do not see it gaining much market share.

I have Windows 8 Pro but have not fully implemented it. We are in a test phase prior to full implementation and so far, we like it. My next laptop/tablet will probably be an ultra book from Lenovo, Samsung, or Asus.

I believe DColbert can attest that I've stated before that WindowsRT and Windows Phone have to battle the old WinMob's reputation. You've just stated that you won't use Windows RT and yet you're perfectly happy so far with Windows 8--which includes RT in the form of its "Modern" interface. Just because the apps you want or think you need aren't available yet doesn't mean they won't be. Wouldn't it be nice to leave that heavy laptop behind when you go to a meeting or a 'business lunch' and still have all your presentations and other talking points available? RT IS windows--proven by the fact that a jailbroken Surface RT has the full version of Windows underneath--capable even of running legacy apps, albeit not that well due to performance constraints. You're letting WinMob's reputation color your objective analysis of the tablet.

It is telling that you're an IT shop entering the testing phase of Windows 8 for deployment and you *like* it. That has been my experience with IT professionals, too, including my own engineers. The ones who are afraid of it haven't tried it yet or tried it during developer release and between early experiences and bad press, they're afraid of it now. The WinMo effect and the Win Vista effect have made IT pros highly skeptical of new Windows platforms and that is slowing adoption at this point. People like us who are trying it and like it show that this trend is likely to reverse eventually. In that sense, we're kind of the canaries in the coalmine and the evengelists for Windows 8. We're jumping in and yelling back to the cowards on the beach, "Jump in, the water is FINE..." and... it is.

I also agree that RT got off on a bad foot. Vupline is right about the reasons why eventually RT may make more sense to you than Android. In particular, even now, once you really get a command of Windows 8 Pro, you'll find it aggravating that your Android devices don't work the same way when they could (if not for patents, anyhow. ) You'll also realize that RT is not as powerful as Windows 8 Pro, but in many ways more powerful than Android. That is, you can have all the RT classic interface apps running and have all your modern-UI apps running too. Not LESS, but actually MORE, than the other mobile platforms can do. I don't want to display a bias toward RT... at this point, I'm hanging onto my TF300 and not positive I want to lock into Redmond's ecosystem across the board. But I *see* the strategy and the justification and reason *why* it would make sense. I see how I could benefit from having a single homogenous platform solution using Win 8 and RT.

Vulpine is right about app growth, too. As (if) things catch on and gain momentum, the apps will come. They did for Android, they are with Android tablets. The "lack of apps" argument only matters if no one shows up and the device dies (WebOS). The users come first, then the apps come. Now, there is no guarantee that RT *will* catch on. That is the card that hasn't been played yet. But I'm pretty sure it will get laid on the table before Microsoft folds.

when they choose to be. They were newcomers to the OS world. Apple and CP/M pre-dated DOS. Microsoft was a newcomer to the office productivity (word processing/spreadsheet) world. They were a newcomer to the browser world. Banyan and Novell owned the networking/server world.

I believe, having lived/worked in computers since the late 70's, that Microsoft will own a major portion of the smartphone and tablet world. I have a Windows Phone 8 Nokia phone, a Windows 8 Enterprise touchscreen tablet (Acer Iconia Tab W500), and am playing with Windows Server 2012. It's all about the ecosystem. Apple does not have anything for the enterprise. Google does not have anything for the enterprise. Microsoft is it. All my co-workers at my various client offices, both private enterprise and government, have Windows PC's at home. Microsoft is it. They will eventually own the market in smartphones and tablets. It will probably take them 3 - 5 years to get there.

Excellent article, Donovan.

Thanks - Mark in Ohio

when they do gain the intitiative you suggest it will be a sad day in my honest opinion.

I wonder why all bloggers refer to W8 as an SUV. To me, when you are driving a vehicle that looks, sounds and performs as the majority of vehicles on the road do, a more accurately portrayed analogy would be a minivan. Nothing exciting here. Move on.

People call anything bigger than a Honda Civic an SUV these days. There are actually fewer SUV's on the road today than there was 10 years ago, because they are all making CROSSOVERS now, despite everyone calling them SUV's still. They are cars made to LOOK like off road vehicles. They are essentially people movers, which are exactly what you say MINIVANS, not SUV's by a long shot!.

Jacked-up station wagons. At least one insurance company has already renamed the class to "Sport Utility Wagon" rather than "SUV".

You are bang on. A Ford Ranger is listed as a pickup. My Explorer, which is just a higher end body stuck on the IDENTICAL chassis, is called a wagon by ICBC (our insurance company). I had them classify it as a truck for me and registered it at over 5100lbs because I carry and tow. That way I don't have to do the annual AirCare tests either.

A POVs (personally operated vehicles) where I live have to have pollution checks until they can officially be classified as antiques--even pickup trucks. I have a 1990 F-150 that, with luck just passed its pollution check for the last time. Going to do my best to get an antique tag on it before it comes due for the next one in two years. Not that it risks failing (thing had remarkably low numbers for its age) but simply the fact that it's a true survivor.

Most Windows 8 RT/store apps still have a way to go to be as mature as their iOS counterparts. Having used it regularly on a tablet for 8+ months the mail and IE apps are not full-featured and often a source of frustration, even printing a pdf the way I wanted required a visit to the desktop app. They'll probably get there eventually but in the meantime at least I can flip to desktop mode to get those features I know and love.

I like the W8 whole charms context-sensitive thing and can see that being more popular once people get their heads round it. Tricky thing is I would still recommend iOS to the man in the street, but give W8 time.

As you say, these mobile OSes all do the essentials well enough, like hot drinks it just comes down to which you prefer (or are used to), coffee, tea or hot chocolate?

Thank you for a reasoned response to the question, "which is the superior mobile OS?" The only thing I would add is to ask the person, "what ecosystem are you currently in?" If a person is in the apple ecosystem already (iphone and mac) then he will most benefit from purchasing an ipad and the same, I think, goes for current Android users and Windows users. A person with a DROID razor may not enjoy an ipad as much because syncing data, apps and such will be cumbersome.

Anyway, good article

Weighting in at 10gigs, a third of the size of a 32gb tablet is used by the OS.
iOS and Android weight in at about 100megs. 0.1 gigs

So is Windows 8 100 times better? Because its a 100 times bigger...

In my visit to Best Buy, one of the things I checked out on the Samsung Atom based Win 8 Pro device, the Surface RT 64gb and 32GB was the free drive space on C:

For exactly this reason. The 32GB Surface RT had 2.5GB free on the sales floor.

And I've argued that it is silly to buy an iPad Mini 16gb at their entry price when you can get a Nexus 7 with 32gb of memory and an unlocked mobile radio for $300.

So subjective value is becoming a differentiator in this market on multiple different levels.

Is the iOS experience so premium it is worth paying more for less than the competition? Is it just a commodity value proposition, or is there something more tangible there? Do these same arguments apply to Windows 7 devices?

If the Windows device is more productive, efficient, and enjoyable to use, maybe it is WORTH paying a premium and having an OS that takes 100 times the space.

You can user the Pro device as your sole computing machine.

But I think I'd rather buy one of those 150 dollar net books that if I drop it or it gets stolen, I don't care.

In fact, that was one of the reasons for the old tablet failure of Windows--you had to have a huge hard drive in it just to hold the OS and a few programs.

I just checked my old XP machine. Its a fairly mature machine, it has been running and accumulating garbage since 2003. The windows folder is 7.8GB on disk, 7.1gb size total.
I check some of my XP VM's, a fresh install of XP seems to equal about 2.5gigs before updates.
Windows 2000 was about 2 gigs, 98 was about 500mb, win95 was 130mb. I don't know what winME was.
My matured win7 machine is 21.8gb.
Damn Microsoft, what the hell did you do?
My Win7 VM is 7 gigs, but that's pretty empty.

In short, I don't think any Windows OS has actually reached 20 gigs at install. But it looks like after all the frameworks and such are installed, it does exceed 20gb. That's extremely excessive. And 10 years ago, having 2 gigs of flash memory used by the OS would have been very expensive.

But a minor correction, the tablets of 10 years ago did not need 20gb for the OS. But your point that Windows has always been way to big is correct. MS will never learn from their mistakes. If they would just make Windows modular so that those needed backwards compatibility could have it, and those that don't can leave it off their system, windows would be much more successful on tablets.

What the author misses is the fact that a convergence of sorts is taking place between smartphones & tablets - "phablets" if you will. In that game, iOS is far superior to both Androids & Windows. Most Android users have different versions of the OS on their phones and tablets and the user experience across these platforms is in-consistent. Even more so if the hardware comes from two different manufacturers i.e. there is both hardware & OS fragmentation. And from the point of view of enterprise support, trying to cater to the needs of large numbers of users with different versions of Android and on varying form factors - phones & tablets - will be a cost driver and an upgrade hell. A nightmare in short.

According to Google's own statistics, 54% of users are still stuck on Gingerbread (Android 2,3, released in 2010) and only 2,7% are on the latest Android version 4.1 - a.k.a. JellyBean. To this complexity, one needs to add in the confusion that will result due to different firmware and operator skins that sit atop the OS. Few enterprise IT shops will be able to develop cost-effective support models for this chaotic situation. Google has now attempted to stem this fragmentation by changes to the legalese in the for using the SDK - but I doubt that will have any immediate impact. Other than driving heavyweights like Samsung to OSes like Tizen.

This situation is not the same as the DOS vs MacOs battles of the early 80s. Microsoft retained full control over the software releases and the APIs such that there was no "forking" of the OS. Hence, hardware variations had minimal to no impact for the end user or the IT support shop.

That is not the case now, the combination of hardware & software fragmentation for Android will result in difficult to support IT assets and poorer quality apps. A situation the tightly integrated iOS avoids.

Another aspect to the iOS vs Android vs Windows debate is the issue of assset depreciation. Writing again from an enterprise perspective, I wonder what the useful life of smartphones and tablets are - particularly when they can no more be upgraded or repaired. Seen from this perspective and the fact that even the oldest iPhones are capable of running the latest iOS, I would argue that an enterprise could at the very least expect an useful economic life of 2 years from an iOS device and say a salvage value of 0. For an Android device, the difficulties in upgrading would mean that it would have to be depreciated over 1 year and will have a salvage value of 0. Hence, over a 5 year period, emabrking on the Android platform will mean greater outlays than on the iOS.

On an iPhone 1?

I think your statement has gone off the tracks.

"the fact that even the oldest iPhones are capable of running the latest iOS,"

The oldest iPhone safely capable of running iOS 6 is the iPhone 3GS; the iPhone 3 pretty much capped out on 5 and I'm not sure even the original iPhone could handle 4 very well. That said, the iPhone 4 I use is having no trouble with iOS 6 and may do pretty well with 7. So I will agree with the intent of your argument--probably offering between 4 and 5 years of usable life with the iPhone vs a likely maximum of 3 years with even the current round of Android devices.

Is superficial. It isn't real accurate to compare the support or availability for iOS upgrades to Android. I mean, don't get me wrong, it is a tangible issue that is worth discussing in a review of the merits of the two different platforms - but it doesn't align very neatly.

With Apple you've got a single manufacturer with a very small number of devices, a single model at a time (sometimes with some overlap with the previous generation, at MOST), and tremendous clout across a number of different industries and a willingness to really stay in the fight, even if it is financially uncomfortable, to get things their way or have them not be at all.

With Android you've got more than half a dozen major manufacturers, multiple models per manufacturers, many of them overlapping, a huge range of device quality and price points and hardware capabilities, each making their own custom modifications to a base OS provided by a traditionally hands-off platform developer, and then delivered through carriers who are notorious for controlling and manipulating the market to their benefit and treating their customers and handset manufacturers like second class citizens if they can get away with it.

It is a problem, and it HAS been a worse problem in the past than it seems to be headed in the future. But the REALITY of the situation is the people who complain the LOUDEST about this issue are almost inevitably those who own the *competition's* product. Most Android users don't know and don't care on Froyo vs. ICS vs. JB. It is like the difference between a 1st generation Escalade, a 2nd generation and a current generation. Only a very small group of people who REALLY care can tell them apart. To everyone else, they look like giant Cadillac SUVs - all the same and basically capable of more or less the same tasks.

And I'll tell you what... most iOS users I've encountered, they're the same way. They don't care and won't upgrade their OS until something MAKES them upgrade. This issue only matters to us propeller heads... and the bigger propeller head, the more likely they're on machines that either offer quick manufacturer upgrades to the latest, or they've rolled their own ROMs anyhow.

It becomes a real non-issue. It matters to people who it matters to, and they're the people who can get around it, and it doesn't matter to people who can't, and they don't care.

This should be mandatory reading for other ZDNet and Techrepublic bloggers.

I largely agree with your analysis of these three platforms in that iOS is a great consumption device. It does have a stable OS and beautiful hardware, though I wouldn't say the hardware is cutting edge. Proprietary connectors, 4:3 screen ratios and STILL no mini HDMI out puts it behind the curve in terms of hardware. That may not be a deal breaker for the majority of users out there, but for public speaking of any kind, from the classroom to the board room, these are serious hold backs.

Android does everything iOS can do, and then some, though not with the same level of elegance. I agree with that, and that people can forgive a little less spit and polish when they get a similar product for half the price (or less) with generally available and usable ports. No beef with your Android analysis as long as you're talking Nexus-level devices. The readers based on Android are not the do-everything tablets you describe, but offer a true consumption niche that does quite well when compared with that purpose on an iOS device for a lot less. Will it do everything an iPad will? No. But if you just want content consumption they can offer better screens for reading at very reasonable prices.

Windows 8 Pro tablets are everything you say except complicated. I've been using Windows 8 Pro on a desktop for 3 months and do not miss Windows 7. It is so much easier than other versions of Windows once you learn how to get around. It may not be as intuitive as iOS, but its hardly a complicated monster.

I was confused at first because you mention Windows RT in the intro, but when you discuss Windows 8 its clearly the Pro version you describe. RT is a new OS, and yes it isn't as capable as Pro -- yet. It will eventually become the new Windows. It has distinct advantages such as no registry (like most other modern OSes) and a very light footprint. iOS and Android have a three-year head start on RT, so give RT a little more time and I believe it will offer so much more than the others.

But why mention Windows at all if you don't mention the other key new player in this space: Ubuntu. With an OS that scales nicely from consumer devices like phones and tablets to hard core corporate devices like desktops and servers -- on the same kernel -- it has every bit as much a chance of upsetting the dominance of Apple and Google as Windows does.

Or better yet, we're talking about NFL here, not Arena or Canadian League football.

The artist who plays at the cafe is a pro-level musician, so is Dave Matthews. It isn't fair to compare them.

In the election, the press focuses on Obama and Romney, not Gary Johnson.

And a lot of times it isn't the quality, skill, talent or capability. It is the amount of money BEHIND the player pushing the media blitzes that make the public aware. That is the case here, too. Ubuntu cannot compete with the advertising budgets of Google, Apple and Microsoft, so it would be amazing if they could get 5% of the market share. Gary Johnson couldn't swing that much mind-share, for example.

These 3 platforms are a present threat to one another. They're the clear contenders. Ubuntu is interesting, they're doing cool things, I like the platform - but it didn't fit in this conversation any more than WebOS or Blackberry. That may all change in the next year or two. I'd welcome that change, if it happens.

And I'm also not a regular Ubuntu user at this point - so I wouldn't do it justice, anyhow. I'll leave that to our resident Linux expert, Jack Wallen. He'll do a much better job of it than I ever could.

As for Windows vs. RT, yeah, that was a minefield and awkward to navigate clearly in the space I had. I had to address it, but that could be a stand-alone discussion itself if I removed Apple and Android from this piece.

As for the difficulty factor - I *love* Windows 8 - but I had to read up and learn about the gestures and mouse-alternatives. I didn't have to do this with Android or iOS. I sat down and played around and quickly figured out, "this is how I do THIS..."

But I also quickly found, "That is it, you can't do much more." Especially with iOS. Microsoft's approach is, "Man, I've seen this done, how do you do it?" and then once you figure it out you start going, "I wonder if I can do... *this*..." and you *can*! Higher learning curve, more reward.

That is my take, anyhow.

Android = complicated unstructured and at some point gets to be more hassle than it's worth.....
Iphone= easy to use smooth but very limited in what can be done and wil eventually be surpassed....;)
W8,WP8, RT = best of both : the ability to do so much more but with better structuring. Yes the learning curve is there but at the same time the reward of taking the time to overcome that learning curve is limitless and if given the proper time to mature will become (as long as MS doesn't get to far ahead of themselves) the product of choice which EU's both, residential and business has been waiting for...
explanation of comment ..to put into context: (as long as MS doesn't get to far ahead of themselves): Meaning: as long as they provide a slow controlled improvements and do not repeat what they did with VISTA...(we all know they jumped off the rails with VISTA ) they (MS) has a chance to do what we were all hoping someone would , and that is give us a one size fits all OS, no more patch work devices to haggle with..

I'm going to essentially agree with all your postings yesterday about your Dell tablet with Windows 8--Microsoft has managed to merge mobility and the desktop first, though not necessarily best in the long run. Of course, your Dell is not the first tablet to run a full version of Windows 8--Microsoft was using Toshiba tablets at their North Carolina education center long before the Surface tabs were released. However, the question still arises as to whether legacy apps without any direct touch design can be effective in the long run. After all, Windows Touch has been a failure for over ten years because the developers were too conservative or too lazy to adapt to the touch environment. Even now, the vast majority of Windows users argue that "mouse and keyboard is the 'best' input method". With that mindset and the obviously tiny text on your Dell's display when in desktop mode, I hate to say that at least for now it will remain a niche product--a "fad" as it were. This will change, don't get me wrong, but will the change come before, or after Apple has managed its merger? It's obvious by simply looking at iOS/OS X that Apple has been striving for this merger for several years and intends to make it a smoother, more intuitive transition for their users where as far as Windows users are concerned, this is a drastic change between Win7/Win8 despite the fact that Microsoft has been trying to guide users to touch for more than 10 years.

I did mention that I agree with the essence of your statements. However, I do have to disagree with some of the specifics. As I've already said here, Windows 8 as it stands isn't really tablet-friendly once you get out of the "Modern" interface. A good portion of that is the simple fact that even with a stylus you just can't be as accurate as you'd like working at the default resolution. iOS was built around this fact and even with the higher PPI and 'resolution' of its Retina displays, the default text size remains fairly legible across all applications. That's only a quibble, I know. My overall point is that iOS and Android--for as much as I dislike the latter--are simply not built to be a desktop/laptop replacement and were never intended to serve the same purposes. In my opinion, even trying to put a full desktop on a tablet-sized device is doomed to failure unless the apps themselves can adjust to the actual display size rather than just the resolution of the display. If you want a full desktop on a 'tablet', then your tablet needs to be a minimum of 13" and even a 15" tablet would be hard to use for any length of time--not because of the weight, but because desktop font sizes would still be a strain on the eyes. On the other hand, at that size you really could do anything--including docking it when you have access to a table or desk.

Mobility and desktop capabilities need to be significantly different; Windows 8 demonstrates this fact with its Modern/Desktop pages. When you're walking down the street, you need large, easy to touch icons that don't distract you from your environment. Modern is perfect for that purpose. When you're at a table/desk, the Desktop is acceptable because you're more able to focus on your device. Two different situations, two different uses; same device.

Yes, I know I'm rambling. I only hope you see that while Windows 8 does the best at serving two different purposes, neither the hardware manufacturers nor the users seem to understand this yet.

Hi!

I did go through the article and have been using Android for about 2 years now with the Galaxy S and Galaxy S III, and I can't comment on this article based on my limited to nil experience on the other two platforms.

I'll try and get myself or wait till someone gifts me the other two devices so that I can experiment on them and then will give my analysis as the one that I get from this article would be inclined to the thoughts of the author.

Some things just have to be experienced to be known...

Devesh Prabhu

This was a good even handed evaluation of what is out there. Should be interesting how this progresses.

I think Android will take over the general mobile areas, due to its ability to run on the latest and greatest hardware, people have a choice, and is not limited to a single company with 3 mobile products.
Windows will become a major force especially in more serious applications and business ventures. (Pro version not RT), primarily because of available software that will soon be adapted or rewritten to suit, but also because it can integrate seemlessly with desktops and current data.
IOS is loosing its appeal due to its restrictions and limited hardware. (The novelty is wearing off!) Apple have lost the "wow" factor!
My Prediction is 2013 will be year of Android and 2014 will be Windows (pro SP1)

If we discuss about android, If you like flexibility, freedom and like to customize your phone, Android is the one for you. Also, it has a phone for nearly every budget. However, apps can be of low quality sometimes, but that's changing gradually. This is the only OS that offers true multitasking, ie, apps can run uninterrupted in the background. iOS for those that like beautifully designed apps and a phone that works seamlessly, but doesn't allow you much freedom in terms of customizing and sharing, go for this. It is also the only OS that guarantees you an update for at least 2 generations ahead of the one which was in your device at the time of purchase. However, the UI is getting dated and lags functionality when compared to Android.
and last but not least, Windows Phone - If you like a beautiful, bold new UI and love to try new stuff, then you can go for this one. However, the number of available apps is quite less when compared to iOS and Android.
Read more at :-
gm.kochar.com

I like what I've seen so far on the inaugural video's. The OS will be able to use Android driver and it also helps that I am an Ubuntu desktop user.

I wonder where Ubuntu Linux fits in this mix. I'm sure linux distros are adapting their flavors of linux to run on the ARM and other mobile processors. I just wonder how well they are making the transition. Have they done well enough to risk over-writing the OS that came installed in eprom on the tablet?

Probably will be interested in what *nix brings to the game. This really ties into ecosystem lock-in. As FOSS users, you really don't *have* lock-in, but you probably have emotional investment in *nix platforms that will drive a certain amount of adoption. I think Ubuntu in particular has made it clear they see the change coming and they want to remain an active player there. Which is *good*.

On the other hand, I don't see the *nix distros actually making any radical change to the traditional division of market share through these changes. The *nix distros will inevitably remain a small niche player and a perpetual thorn in the side and gnawing concern for the incumbents.

Even if they really nail it, they have a logistics problem with getting the word out. If that changed somehow and Ubuntu was able to afford millions or billions of dollars in advertising revenue for main-stream, prime-time advertising like Google, Apple, Microsoft and Intel are investing in - then things could change.

I think I'm an awesome blogger who should have hundreds of thousands of dedicated readers who constantly demand more content from me. I'm *certain* it is that I don't have the same kind of visibility, not a lack of talent or credibility, that prevents me from having the kind of following the A-list, top-tier tech bloggers have. I'm the Ubuntu of technology bloggers, under appreciated except by a minority of readers with exquisitely demanding tastes.

and having used linux on an early tablet, I can attest that its not fun running most linux applications with touch on an 8" screen (with a pen in my case). Running Ubuntu on a phone would be pretty useless with current linux applications.
I think that Ubuntu is realizing that it won't be long before we have enough power in our pockets to run desktop applications, using the appropriate desktop peripherals. We aren't there yet, but I think it is an inevitable result of convergence.
When it does happen, Ubuntu will be ready, and perhaps have an advantage over other players by getting into the game now. Ubuntu will either have to learn to live with one of the existing phone app infrastructures for use in phone/teblet mode, or encourage development of apps appropriate to a phone or tablet.

It seems to me that it shouldn't be all that hard for Ubuntu to 'hijack' Android apps in their phone effort. The advantage to Ubuntu is that it comes into the game with a huge app library ready to use. The disadvantage is that except for those actually in the tech industry, nobody's even heard of Ubuntu or Linux as such.

If Ubuntu mobile can demonstrate itself as more stable and easier to use than Android, it could take a huge bite out of Android's market and really bring Ubuntu to the forefront as a desktop OS as well. If they're well integrated, Linux may finally make it as a third desktop option.

... as being easier to use that straight Android, but "hijacking" Android is exactly what I mean. The appeal will not be that Android is easier to use, but that you can plug your machine into a desktop peripherals setup and 'automatically' run a full Ubuntu desktop from your phone, accessing the same data as your Android apps access.
This calls for full integration of Android into Ubuntu at some point (meaning launching Android apps from the Ubuntu UI and accessing the same data). This indeed could be perceived as "easier to use" by those who like the Ubuntu UI, but I think "integrated" is the more important factor.
By the way, after 2 years using Android on my Nook Color (still on 2.3 but playing with 4.2) I have found very few instability or ease-of-use issues, beyond what one would expect from a nascent OS on an unsupported system. I think the reported lag and instability problems are more related to selecting bottom-end phones and expecting top-end performance (as in "I got my free Android phone from the grocery store, and find it laggy. Android sucks!).

The problem is that there is no standard interface for Android phones. iOS really has an opportunity here with their custom bidirection interface that hundreds of third party manufacturers already support with aftermarket peripherals.

Motorola was onto a good thing with their integrated HDMI/Mini USB with a standard orientation and Webtop.

I keep waiting for Google to drop the other shoe and announce that the Webtop features are now integrated in all base Android builds and work with a standardized reference design I/O port that is required for in order to be a Google certified device with access to Google Play.

It would tick the manufacturers and wireless carriers off because they wouldn't be guaranteed gouge of $120 in peripheral purchases with the upgrade of each new phone if a standard interface were designed. No more, "New phone, throw away your old dock, chargers, GPS mounts and buy all new ones" - universal accessories would travel from phone to phone. But Android would get tremendous lock-in and would be able to fully leverage the "phone as a desktop PC alternative" holy grail.

Frankly, without this, I don't see how Ubuntu really has a shot. They'll have to run on a custom phone, with custom peripherals, which means they'll have to team with a handset manufacturer, and they won't have enough pull to keep the handset manufacturer from playing the "new every two upgrade your phone and accessories" game.

And unless they make it completely consumer friendly, they're only going to get people who are already Linux users (and don't have something against Ubuntu, and want a Smart Phone to replace their PCs).

How much of a 2% segment of the market can that be? In that case, how scared should Google, Microsoft, or Apple be of a Linux phone coming from behind to steal the show?

Ubuntu's advantage will be exactly that--the integration between mobile and desktop that Android simply doesn't have. It should be possible to pull Android apps into Ubuntu easily enough--though as an iOS/OS X user I don't have the requisite knowledge.

I also agree with you that Android's biggest problem today is the cheap hardware it's forced to run on. When a manufacturer tries to flood the market with low-priced products to grab as many sales as possible, you simply have to question the quality of that hardware. Granted, the versions of Android before 2.0 were buggy as anything, but now that Google is up to 4.0+ the OS itself has stabilized greatly according to nearly every review I read. On the other hand, not all hardware has improved to the same level. Samsung, for all that it now produces some of the best Android hardware with the Galaxy series, also produces some of the worst with its other Android lines according to many reviews Meanwhile, still according to reviews, HTC garners the best average reviews across all its lines, though not as highly rated as Samsung's Galaxy. Were Samsung smart, they would dump their cheaper lines, but they want to own the entire gamut of the smartphone market so they will continue to put out cheap--as well as quality--hardware.

I admit that I haven't tried windows 8, but I have briefly played around with the iPad, and we had purchased one at work to see if it was compatible with any of our systems only to find it out wasn't. I have an android tablet, and while I can do a few things related to work on it, I cannot do some of the most critical tasks. So, as I get ready to leave on a trip an hour from now, I'm lugging my laptop (why did I have to buy such a huge laptop?).

I will keep my android phone close by, though. It's been invaluable this past month while I've been taking emergency trips to unfamiliar places. I can get lost in a 10 x 10 room with one door and a map, so the navigation features of the phone have saved my bacon quite a few times this past month.

After trying to use Android for maybe 2 years, and dealing with my Wife's iPad, I retired the Android machine, re-rooted it, returned it to factory and will give it to one of the kids.

I am very pleased with my current device, an Acer W510 with the keyboard. I updated the OS to Win 8 Pro, have Office 2010 Professional, and even successfully installed my 3D CAD software. Between the 64 Gb on the SSD and an additional 64 Gb Micro SD, I have ample storage and system which is, frankly, faster than I expected. With the keyboard attached, it is easy to use and the extra battery has kept me from coming anywhere near to the end of battery life after a full day.

With the keyboard detached, the tablet itself is light and I think easier to hold than the iPad.

Yes, there was some brain damage getting it set up. There was some very strange WiFi connectivity issues that had to be worked through. And, yes, there are the constant stream of updates. This may be enough to eliminate a lot of the iPad crowd, but then they don't have a tablet which can technically replace a full featured laptop on an extended business trip.

Add my Windows Phone, my Win 7 desk at work, and my Win 8 laptop at home and I actually have a very nice system that syncs beautifully across the board.

I am certain something else better will come along in time, but it is a heck of a system at a not too outrageous price.

I'm really interested,

... theres no platform thats truly superior to the others in this roundup. They all have benefits and compromises, so you need to select the platform that appeals the most to you. Depending on your needs and tastes.

Personally, I have bought and used iPad and gave it away to my son, got a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, use it and gave it away to my daughter. Now on Fujitsu Q702 and using it till now as it serve my purpose but with only one big compromise, that is the battery life, which I can live with...

I come from a Windows Phone 7.5/8 and a Windows 8 Enterprise tablet perspective and agree with your article. Consume/watch = iOS. Immersive = W8. In between, with many quality variations, = Android.

Mark Cooper
crazy Ohio driver

Thanks for the article. I cannot wonder though where some of this information comes from. You state that iOS is a less capable platform for creating content, but I'm wondering how the others are more capable, especially for students and teachers who need to create rich-media using tools like movie editing tools, podcasting tools, presentations, spreadsheets and such. The iPad has both the more traditional Office-like tools like Office HD, DocumentsToGo and such, which offer some options, but also the more focused and rich Pages, Numbers and Keynote, and not ignoring iMovie, Pinnacle Studio, GarageBand and the rest of the very capable audio, video and explanation-creating software. Tools like iStopMotion and Animation Studio and so many more which offer all sorts of creativity to create some pretty amazing documents.

Sure, maybe not quite tied to the business world, but I find it very difficult to create this level of document on other platforms. It sure is not perfect, but I find it would at least require some sort of support of your claims, I'd be very happy to learn more.

There are lots of unsupported claims which seem like they are obvious, but which others contradict. Is Android really taking over the tablet market in user-base or is it simply distribution before sales? Who can check this? And from what some are saying, obviously Apple themselves, but still, most of the Fortune 500 companies are using the iPhone or iOS in some sort of measure if I'm not mistaken.

Thanks for supporting your claims so we can make better informed decisions and thanks for the article, it does try to paint a global fair picture.

"I'd rather cannibalize sales from myself. If I don't do it, somebody else will."

It appears his policy is still working.

"You state that iOS is a less capable platform for creating content, but I'm wondering how the others are more capable, especially for students and teachers"

article quote - Sure, there are exceptions. Some niche industries, most notable the medical and music industries, embrace the iPad and drive a lot of app designs. Ultimately, I think that a more powerful and flexible mobile OS platform will become equal to or exceed iOS even in those fields but for now, Apple enjoys a lead.

"Sure, maybe not quite tied to the business world, but I find it very difficult to create this level of document on other platforms."

Article quote - With many of the features (and liabilities) of a true mobile OS, Google has tried to walk a line in offering the same kind of intuitive, light-weight mobile experience as iOS but with the power and flexibility of a traditional Windows desktop OS. Theyve done a pretty good job at this, which is reflected in the popularity of this platform.

...Android has become less of a consumer appliance and more of a power users playground. While that may sound good to a lot of potential users, it means that Android is not as stable, predictable, or well designed as iOS.

And...

Windows 8 is a complex platform in all its myriad forms. Windows delivers much of the mobile OS platform nearly as well as the previously mentioned platforms, but it retains a distinct focus on corporate business productivity as its primary role. Even the ARM-based Windows RT is aimed at users who are strongly invested in Microsofts business platforms.

"Is Android really taking over the tablet market in user-base or is it simply distribution before sales? Who can check this? And from what some are saying, obviously Apple themselves, but still, most of the Fortune 500 companies are using the iPhone or iOS in some sort of measure if I'm not mistaken."

Now come on - Maybe in early to mid 2012 the argument, "this is just distribution channel sales, but how many Android tablets are actually being *bought*," was a valid question. There is no doubt now that Android is ahead in global handset sales and catching up and on course to surpass Apple sales in tablets sometime in 2013 as well. If that doesn't happen, it will be because of Windows 8, not because iPads are going to rally. Apple is cutting demand for supplies for the iPad, iPhone and iPad mini. I'm not interested in a lot of supporting links to justify my claims that almost everyone has already read, anyhow. The fact is that with this kind of data, it is always interpreted subjectively according to individual preferences and biases, anyhow.

Corporations are using Apple because they were way out ahead of the game and they were the only game in town for awhile, and they adopted early. That enterprise lock-in may be a good thing for Apple in the long run. But they face significant competition now, and long-term lock-in isn't the only criteria that keeps enterprises with one platform or another, or we would all be arguing on CP/M machines and using WordStar to type documents on Lantastic networks.

iOS, as it stands today, is less well suited for content creation in the broadest range of environments. Can we cherry pick models where Apple has a superior platform? Absolutely. But for broad suitability, they're trailing in a 3 horse race.

"Article quote - With many of the features (and liabilities) of a true mobile OS, Google has tried to walk a line in offering the same kind of intuitive, light-weight mobile experience as iOS but with the power and flexibility of a traditional Windows desktop OS. Theyve done a pretty good job at this, which is reflected in the popularity of this platform."

Your quoting this point emphasized something that was said by the CEO of KAYAK about how their web analytics show iOS hitting their site 3x as much as Android--specifically mentioning that most Android buyers honestly don't understand what they're using. Personal observation in my admittedly small region known as the Northeast Corridor has made me believe the ONLY reason Android has ever sold in large numbers is simply due to price. For almost four years now, when you saw an Android commercial on TV--no matter the network--about 75% of them were pushing some form of deep discount--usually either a TwoFer or half-price sale. Over the holiday shopping season, even Samsung's acclaimed Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note were included in those pricing schemes--whereas Apple itself didn't budge though admittedly Walmart* did offer the 8-gig model iPhone 5 for $127. Of course, $127 is still 2.5 times the $49 price tag on the Galaxy S3. But that's only one observation.
Another observation shows that in some sales locations where the iPhone is sold beside Android, and honestly in contradiction to the KAYAK CEO's statement, people will go in and ask for an iPhone and get steered away to an android on the argument that, "It's just like the iPhone, only cheaper." I personally know of about seven cases locally that were given that argument while in another case a woman came home and brandished her new Motorola with the excited claim of, "Look! I got an iPhone!"

Keep in mind that I'm not arguing whether Android is better or worse than iOS here, I'm only pointing out that a high proportion of Android users--perhaps as many as half of them--don't really know what they have and when it doesn't work the way they expect it to or becomes for whatever reason too difficult to use (remember, that half isn't the tech savvy half) they fall back on using it simply as a cell phone--ignoring almost all of its other capabilities.

This is not really a shining position for android itself. Since 3.0 Android has been a much more stable OS. 4.0 and higher are improving it even more. But based on web usage alone, evidence demonstrates that it is not nearly as user friendly as it should be, though the Kayak CEO does mention that Android web hits are slowly increasing.

The web-traffic of Android devices can be attributed to any of a number of reasons (and has been) - but also isn't heard much anymore, because it is no longer the case. Around the time of the release of the Nexus 7 - those stats changed.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rsaT9NSE0MX-xwJjJsofKtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

This week Macintosh OS has made an unusually strong showing on my personal blog, with 11% of the traffic, matching Android, and handily beating the ~3% share of traffic that iPad, iPod and the iPhone contribute combined.

Android traffic to websites has increased significantly. So, to address the first point - it is true that at one point Android wasn't causing a lot of web traffic - and I still haven't seen a good explanation. I personally think Android Browser wasn't very good and Chrome Mobile for Android is much better (and hardware is powerful enough to make it pleasant now). I didn't used to surf much on Android, but Chrome changed that for me - so that is fairly anecdotal.

But - if half the Android users don't know what they're doing - 95% of iOS users don't. I can't count the number of times I've been in a discussion with someone and mentioned Android GPS as something the iPhone can't match and had them respond, "Oh, I've got GPS..." and then show me Maps to prove it.

Cheap stupid folks buy Android discount handsets. Spendy stupid folks buy iPhones.

Seriously. Even the Apple people who KNOW what they're doing like their Apple phones because it gets out of their way and they don't have to think about anything. Come on, Vulpine. That is a pretty shallow argument. I may exaggerate the 95% figure up above - but the shallow high school girl who would be as well served with a feature-phone as a smart-phone - she wouldn't be caught dead at the football game with an Android phone. Those are for nerds and math champs. She has an iPhone. That _is_ the iPhone market.

Whereas I tend to run into ubernerds all the time. It is like they can sense that I am a member of the pack. Whenever I get into conversations with a guy and I'm thinking, "this dude is in the deep end of the geek pool," he has an Android device. When I meet IT guys professionally and they pull out Apple devices, their tech-credibility instantly goes down a notch with me. iOS IT guys are generally professional and driven and smart - but they don't have the kind of passion for technology that Android IT guys have.

And I'm not really saying one is better or worse than the other, either. They're different. One is better for some things and one is better for others.

Just in different ways. I've been saying people shouldn't rely on gadgets as "perfect navigators" (in other words, don't be dumb) while you've been saying "people are dumb" to not be aware of their environment.

Heh. We agree!

LOL... Is simply no replacement for a true integrated turn-by-turn GPS application. Comparing Maps to Google Naviagtion is like comparing edit to Word.

Kayak's figures ARE outdated. Just because he discussed them less than a week ago doesn't mean they're accurate. I posted the link to Picasa because it had metrics showing iOS making barely a dent and Android second by only a few points to OS X for hits to my personal blog. It is no secret among people who monitor website metrics that Android's share of traffic is on the increase while iOS's share is declining. I think that is more than a correlary relationship.

While I will admit I have not used "Google Navigation" I have used Maps--both the old and the new--as a direct replacement for a standalone GPS. To be bluntly honest, unless you're a pilot or a boater where you don't have to follow specific roads, GPS is essentially useless for anything but mapping your current location as you drive; something that Maps does very well. What I have discovered is that GPS routing directions don't necessarily follow the best or even the most logical driving directions. Not even Google Earth, from which Google Navigation is derived, is all that good at plotting the best route even for short runs, much less for trips measuring hundreds of miles. How do I know? Experience. I might also note that at least some of those 'errors' are intentional--just as errors in different publishers' paper road maps are intentional--to avoid copyright infringement.

I might suggest the same thing about the web metrics to your own personal blog; honestly, I didn't know you had one but even if I did, I'd be hitting it from my iMac unless I'm traveling--at which point I'd be visiting with my iPad. I am quite certain that most of your personal web hits are more due to having a techie-based following, not a consumer-based one. You will note that I have acknowledged that even the KAYAK article did report growing Android hits, which personally I will attribute to the marked improvements in both Android itself with versions 4.x as well as the more superior Galaxy series from Samsung finally giving the OS the quality hardware it needs to perform properly. The problem is that the Galaxy series is still less than half of Samsung's overall smartphone production as they try to cater to all consumer levels.

"While I will admit I have not used "Google Navigation" I have used Maps--both the old and the new..."

We can stop right there. I've used both. Maps could not compare to an actual turn-by-turn GPS navigation solution until the latest revision. Google Navigation makes your device operate just like a stand-alone, purpose dedicated navigation device. A TomTom or a Garmin or any of those solutions that cost from $75-$500. The Maps navigation was not a competitive solution to actual turn-by-turn vehicle navigation for the first *five* generations of iOS. Listen, these apps were available on the Apple Market for around $75 and people actually paid that, because they're that much better. I can't believe there are iOS users out there who still don't actually GET this. You buy an Android, you've always gotten a free turn-by-turn genuine GPS device in the bargain. You buy an iPhone, you settled for Maps (which gives you DIRECTIONS, not *navigation*) or you paid another $75+ for genuine navigation.

Android has always had Google MAPS, too. We very rarely used that, because we had a real turn by turn nav GPS solution built in. Maps are lame for most purposes. Nav is awesome. Like cut and paste, it is about TIME... and the things you had to go through to get there and how long you had to wait.

I'd agree with you, my viewers are probably more technical. But metrics don't lie. When the industry was saying that Android wasn't surfing, my metrics supported that. When they said that Android WAS hitting, my metrics changed to reflect the same kind of growth everyone ELSE was seeing. My blog attracts as many if not more readers interested in metaphysics, fringe science and politics as it does technical readers. There is no reason to think they're likely to disproportionately be Android readers. But once again, you can't decide on your argument against Android. Is it successful because it is CHEAP, or is it successful because it attracts more technically savvy users? The truth is, (and you know this), both of those are part of the reason for Android's popularity, but they are not the only reasons. My metrics, like everyone else's, suggest that Android users are now using browsers to surf more frequently. With the number of powerful Android devices out there, this only makes sense. Android has, and will continue to increase their market share, in all likelihood, and Apple will continue to either maintain or see theirs shrink. Windows 8 is the biggest threat to that at the moment... but I don't think we'll see any effect from that for a while, at least.

I far prefer 'Directions' that tell me what to look for and shows me where I am than 'Navigation' that can have me turning onto railroad tracks where there isn't a road. I'm sure you've read at least as many reports about too trusting drivers getting killed because they turned when the navigator told them to instead of using common sense.

Also, as I pointed out above, their routing algorithms are questionable at best--and honestly I don't care which brand you name--even Apple's. A driver who pre-plans their route is more likely to have fewer problems, though admittedly the navigator can help you find a place you've never visited before--as long as you don't trust it too implicitly. Again, even my own GPS experiences have shown them more as a driver's aid, not something to bet your life on. You might remember reading about the lady in Europe whose GPS was set to guide her to the 'local' airport sent her 900 kilometers out of her way--through four different countries. Worse, she didn't even realize that what should have been a one-hour drive forced her to stop to refill her tank. People are getting too lazy and too trusting of their gadgets to know when it sends them in the wrong direction.

So really, is my argument invalid? Are you so willing to trust a device to take you where you want to go by the most efficient route? If you ask me, road navigators still have a long way to go before they're that trustworthy.

As for Android, why can't it be both? I don't argue that tech-focused users like it, but I also know that several corporate IT people I'm personally familiar with switched from Android to iPhone due to its reliability and ease of use. I also know that other people who were once Blackberry owners and chose Android because it was less expensive than Apple switched to iPhone once their contract expired. One--only one--IT person I know switched from the iPhone to Android.

The problem is, your anecdotal evidence and personal preference isn't in step with the rest of society. Turn-By-Turn GPS is what society wildly prefers. I've used it to get me safely all the way from North East Ohio to...

New Jersey, Canada, Florida and Montana. (And lots of destinations inbetween. Maryland, DC, points all over Pennsylvania and New York, and others).

Pretty much to all the furthest corners of America. Plot that out on a map. And I'm not exaggerating. I've driven all of those miles in the last 5 years, frequently with a 30 foot travel trailer dragging behind my vehicle. Coast to Coast and top to bottom, using only GPS units. I've never even ended up on a roadway that I had to back up on because of a low overpass or weak bridge. I've never ended up on a snowed in logging road as a blizzard snowed me in.

Your argument is invalid.

I'd argue that your sample is not large enough to draw a conclusion, on the last paragraph - and that numbers indicate that this is not typical.

When you don't have a cell signal your Map Viewer doesn't work.

I saw this early December when the wifes daughter was getting married. I offered to set the GPS in the car to the destination but I was overruled because one of the passengers had their Apple Phone and had the destination programed into it. They took off and promptly drove into a Cell Phone Black Spot and with no signal no directions or any idea of where it was that they where.

As the driver didn't know where it was that they where going other than it was the Historical Village and no one in the car knew exactly where it was that they where going things got more than a little stressed.

The In car GPS worked though no one in it knew how to set it to get them where they wanted to go.

I should also point out that all GPS units specifically tell the people who bother to read the Destruction Books that they are a Guide Only and you should look at the roads before following the given directions. If you blindly follow the directions you are likely to end up being charged with Neglect Driving and I should say Quite Rightly as the Car GPS's are not Military Spec Devices and are only accurate to a couple of hundred meters not millimeters.

Col

The problem is, the vast majority of users don't read the disclaimer and take its instructions literally.

BTW, even without a cell signal, the directions should have still been available so they could have just used it as a paper map. Sounds to me like they don't know how to use one of those, either.

Maps (and I don't mean the app) used to be a hobby of mine. I loved to get topographical maps and use them to visualize the scenery around a location. In fact, before Google Earth, I used those same maps to help me create gaming scenarios and later locations in my stories. As a result, I probably know more about maps than about 70%-80% of those who now use GPS.

Don C.: If I might suggest, try using that same GPS to navigate to some of your local addresses, anywhere between 0 to 25 miles away and compare those routes to those you typically use. Are they the same? Are they more or less efficient? Would they get you to the correct door if you didn't know where you were going? I've used Magellan and Garmin and while they were both great for guiding you long distances over decent highways, they were less than ideal for almost every other use--I still had to search within the radius of about 2 blocks when the device told me I was at the door; especially if the place I was looking for was in one of two shopping centers across the street from each other. Apple's current Maps is significantly more accurate even than Google Earth for putting the pin on the 'house' and not just in the middle of the road.

I really just wanted to say that.

I moved from Sacramento to the suburbs of North East Ohio over 5 years ago. There are lots of rellocated people where I live now - and car-mounted and dealer installed GPS units are very common to see here.

GPS very rarely takes the same route I would have taken now that I know the roads - but it *gets* me there, and that is good enough when I am in strange area that I do not know.

It isn't perfect, I've had an occasional hassle, but the point remains that most people use GPS units, their popularity is only growing, and its inclusion is an important aspect of a modern smart phone. That is why Apple finally included it.

As for the "out of cell" issue - that is fairly uncommon to encounter. As I said, I drove from California all the way to Ohio navigating solely by GPS (of course, that is pretty much a straight shot on I-80 across the entire country). I've also driven back to Montana from Ohio, driving through the Rockies, Yellowstone, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakoda, and Idaho. On the Verizon network, which is very sparse in that part of the country. The only time I had any problems with signal was in Wise River off Interstate 15. Look it up on a map. A remote area, for sure.

On the East Coast, I've never encountered an out-of-signal area long enough to really cause a problem. There isn't enough wilderness out here to make it a real issue.

There are locales in mountainous country where even straight GPS is inaccessible at times. Big cities also are culprits--especially in the skyscraper-laden 'downtown' areas. Interestingly, even cell has difficulties in those city areas, though it has improved enormously. All those 'dropped call' arguments against Apple so many years ago? Well, if you really paid attention, even the older flip-phones had problems there.

The point is that we as a society are becoming far too dependent on our technology--to the point that some simply take what their device tells them as gospel. It is not poppycock when people are killed because they followed the directions of their devices too closely. This has been happening for years and will continue to happen until we either lose all technology entirely or it becomes much more aware of the situation around itself.

Google's self-driven cars themselves do not rely solely on GPS, but use cameras and massive computers (compared to our typical home computer) to analyze and guide themselves. What few collisions they have been involved in have been the fault--in every case--of the other driver either not paying attention to their driving or doing something stupid. While I am not a fan of completely autonomous cars, I do believe they could--when properly networked--eliminate a lot of traffic problems.

I've driven between New York/New Jersey through Pennsylvania multiple occasions, as well as down to Hershey and through Harrisburg on my way to Baltimore and D.C.

GPS has gotten me there with no problem. I've also driven through Western Virginia down I-77 on my way to Florida, GPS assisted the entire way.

You understand that the things you guys out here think of "mountain ranges" aren't much more than foothills, right?

Honestly, I *do* have more trouble in big cities with large skyscrapers, and with standalone GPS units (I always carry one on long trips as a backup to the phone) more frequently than with Cell Phone models. Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Chicago all are problematic. Generally that amounts to trying to have me take a turn the wrong way down a one way street, not updating until I'm past my turn, or thinking I'm a street over from where I am.

That is where being a good driver used to making quick decisions in large-city traffic is indispensable. Neither GPS nor a paper map can fix that problem, if you suffer from it.

But even in those 'hills', when you drop into one of those valleys--especially when you're riding the side of one of those 'hills', you still lose enough satellite signals to make the navigator's accuracy fall dramatically. Out in the Rockies the problem is much more noticeable unless you stay on the freeway.

As such, you've verified my point that if you're not aware of your surroundings yourself, that GPS or the phone will get you into trouble and has been doing so for almost 10 years now. I also pointed out that the iPhone, even before the so-called Maps debacle (to get back to the initial point) is no worse than a standalone GPS and to a great extent notably better because it does have the ability to use cell towers as well as GPS for faster and even more accurate positioning. GPS' greatest advantage is in marking a location regardless of terrain features--it was designed for "eagles"--line-of-sight navigating for aircraft, ships and ordinance (missiles, bombs and gunnery) more than ground vehicles constrained to travel on roads and trails that may or may not be marked on maps.

People who can only handle iOS devices shouldn't be trusted with GPS systems to navigate from point A to point B. There is far too much personal responsibility involved for the typical iOS user.

You got me.

I grew up using maps--the paper kind. Things like GPS didn't exist and I was around for the introduction of GPS into the military. I do understand its advantages.

My point has always been that people have become too dependent on GPS and have forgotten how to think for themselves. This is proven almost daily by people getting lost despite having a GPS in their car. Maybe you'll remember the family that was guided by a GPS onto a road in Colorado a few years back during a blizzard. Not all of them made it back out.

GPS is a tool, as is Google's Earth and Map apps and Apple's Maps app. A tool is only as good as its user and a good user understands the limitations of the tool. I would much rather use a paper map to plan my route myself and use a GPS to ensure I follow that route than to rely on the device to do it all. Unfortunately, not all mapping apps give you that ability and those that do make it much more complicated than it should be.

Having moved from the West to the East, I think this is less a problem with GPS than a problem with people who don't realize that there are very dangerous parts of the world, even right within the borders of the United States.

This is no different than the family that gets off I-5 in Compton or Crenshaw to go to the bathroom and finds themselves turning their mini-van down a road full of chain-link fences and pit-bulls wandering free in the streets.

Almost always these families are tourists vacationing from the Mid-West or East Coast. They're not locals or natives.

Locals know not to drive down an un-plowed logging road during a blizzard in the Rockies or Sierras. They know what a logging road looks like.

I got off of the highway in North Jacksonville Florida on a trip down to Orlando a couple of years back. As I was filling up, I became aware of my surroundings, and hurried everyone back into the car and took off with less than a half of a tank to drive several more stops south to a safer gas station.

This is about personal awareness. GPS can't help you with that, and neither can a paper map. Blaming these issues on GPS is silly. People are the problem, not the technology they're using to get from point A to point B.

It is about personal awareness. I blame the GPS devices not because of what they are, but because they have made their users too dependent on its accuracy--or lack thereof. A GPS can take you anywhere you want to go--as long as the user remembers common sense and doesn't expect the GPS to know every one-way road or dirt track that may or may not be suitable for the vehicle they're driving. In many ways, I think the On-Star and similar two-way radio systems (Jeremy Clarkson showed an excellent demo of the Lexus system in a recent Top Gear episode on BBC America) where the live person on the other end of the link is aware of the vehicle's type and capabilities. Still, even there the operator could miscue--leaving the driver stranded unless that driver remains aware of the environment around the car.

With a Jeep Wrangler, I may be able to handle such a miscue but my older pickup truck might not. As long as users forget that a GPS is NOT all-knowing, we will continue to see catastrophic mistakes until the vehicle itself takes driving out of their hands.

or any other guidance system is any inherently better than GPS for preventing a dumb user from making a mistake.

Driving into a lake, down a one way street, onto terrain that your vehicle can't handle, or any other mistake...

That isn't the fault of GPS.

That is the fault of the moron behind the wheel.

..from 1 piece of (arguable) data.
How about this - Android users are more into apps than iOS users, instead of trying to browse the 'net on an inadequate device (or will you argue that browsing is better on tablets than on desktops?). So really all those site hits simply prove that iOS users are less tech savvy than Android users, and use tools that are inappropriate for the job.

Everybody I know who has owned an Android device loved it when they first purchased it, only to hate it before the first year was out. I will grant that the majority of the issues were due to crap hardware; something of which even Samsung is guilty with nearly every smartphone BUT the Galaxy series. Others have fought bugs, instability and outright choppy performance of the pre-4.0 versions of Android. I'll grant all of this.

My point is that with the exception of the photo site that Donovan so politely offered (which is hardly a techie site) more than one web analytics group reported that actual purchases made online with mobile devices were dominated by Apple's iOS devices--effectively smothered with a huge ratio of iOS over Android in nearly every case. ZDNet, TR, PCWorld and others all carried at least one article to that extent during the holiday series.

This implies that iOS users truly do use their devices as communications devices--not 'toy computers'. I will acknowledge that the CEO of KAYAK did note that the Android numbers were improving and I expect that's due to the improvements in Android 4.0+ and the Galaxy-series hardware that sold for a mere $49 (for the Galaxy S3) over the holidays vs Apple's $199 iPhone 5 for nearly everyone but select Walmart* stores (not at either of the ones I visited during the season.)

Yes, I am willing to make conjectures and DColbert knows from experience that mine are fairly accurate. However, my conjectures are based less on emotion and more on observation of historical events with each product type. I have already made my projection concerning iOS, Android and Windows RT/8 and where they'll be in two years. Unless Android makes some significant changes (and I don't necessarily mean in features) it WILL lose its current dominance and will at best run in approximate parity with the other two. It will take WinRT that long to rise to parity--as did Android when it first came out. iOS' market will remain relatively steady though will continue to see some sales growth until the market itself plateaus.

Is that isn't metrics for a photo-site. It is metrics for a technology blog.

And I've seen the trends. If I go back far enough, iOS is more prevelant, Android hardly registers. That has switched. And I've seen it on a number of other sites where I review metrics... healthcare sites that I can't share here. Unique hits by Android devices are increasing. Unique hits by iOS devices are decreasing.

...since my observations contradict yours completely, including those about Android quality since I don't know anyone who has had the issues of which you speak.
we'll just have to see - although I can't claim any bloggers as prognostication fans.
You certainly can claim the highest volume output of any responder, though!

Seems to have a particular axe to grind with Android. I originally thought he had just drunk to deeply at the Fountain at the Temple of Steve Jobs - but his open mind toward Windows 8 speaks against that. In fact, his arguments against Anrdroid and in support of Windows 8 makes his view on Android make a little more sense. Many of the liabilities he points out for Android do actually exist. The question is how much of a problem those issues are. He seems to see them as significant. I think a summary of his opinion would be that iOS is the perfect mobile OS, Windows is a great touch-screen traditional OS, and Android is a compromise in the middle that suffers the worst aspects of both. That seems to be a "glass half full/empty" judgment call.

I think in some cases he repeats what he has heard about Android without first hand knowledge - but there is a lot of FUD out there and I blame technology bloggers for a lot of that. Android malware has gotten a ton of attention and in my experience seems rare and easy to avoid. Don't install fart-apps from unknown developers. Stability and battery time have improved tremendously. Web traffic from Android clients is increasing, more devices are moving to ICS and JB. On the flip side, I think he sees iOS through rose colored glasses. I think unless you stay well within Apple's walled garden things begin to go badly with iOS quickly. Don't install aftermarket iTunes library managers/organizers - they can trigger failed iOS updates. Many iOS users don't even bother with iOS updates anyhow - so that kind of undermines the argument that platform fracturing is that big of an issue to users. If their apps work and they're not going to get some significant new feature in the OS itself, users don't like to upgrade their OS.

The vast majority of my arguments against Android are through direct observation of Android users. Too many of those Android users where I live loved it when they first purchased it--citing most of all it's significantly lower price for all that it gave them the same perceived capabilities of iOS. However, in more than three years of watching these people I have only seen one iPhone user switch to Android while more than 70% of the Android users switched to iOS. Admittedly I'm working with a relatively small grouping as compared to regional or national numbers, but if it's happening here, I find it likely it's happening elsewhere. To be blunt, Samsung's Galaxy S3 is the first Android phone to really offer the quality hardware Android needed. No, that doesn't mean I'll switch but it's more because I don't see the Galaxy and Android offering enough difference to encourage a switch; Let's just say it's not superior enough.

I do have arguments against Windows 8, too; the same arguments I made against putting a full version of Windows on tablets 4 years ago when so many zealots claimed the iPad would fail and insisted they needed a full desktop environment. In short, once you get past that 'Modern' UI, the OS is still not touch-centric. While I acknowledge that a stylus does offer a more accurate 'mark' on a tablet screen, I agree with Steve Jobs that a stylus shouldn't be necessary simply to make the OS work. I also disagree that a mouse should even be necessary any more as pointing with your finger is far more intuitive and efficient than squiggling the mouse to find the pointer before dragging it to the place you want to click. I've seen how at least one of my clients has taken to touching the screen of her all-in-one Toshiba desktop to launch applications and files rather than hunting for the pointer in Windows 7.

That said, WP8/RT offer the same advantages to the Windows user that iOS offers to the OS X user--much more ready integration and synchronization; automatic rather than triggered. This isn't to say Android *can't* do these things, but the user has to configure them in Android. Consumers want the functionality to be automatic--they don't have time to waste trying to make things work the way they feel it should.

I won't deny some of my opinions are affected by postings on other tech blogs--but the ones I pay attention to are the reviews of hardware and software that don't show an obvious bias toward any given platform; I've seen strongly conflicting reviews even from the same publishers' bloggers whose prejudices are well known. Rose colored glasses? No. Realistic viewpoint based on a non-technical users' needs? Yes. My clients are not technical and I have to base my service and recommendations on what best meets their needs. I have already recommended Windows 8 to the client I mentioned above and will shortly recommend a new PC with Windows 8 to her husband, to whom I had previously recommended an iMac as he had an existing need for both Windows and OS X several years ago. The iMac's biggest advantage to him now is the huge screen at 24" as his eyesight is failing. If I could find a reasonably-priced large-screen Windows all-in-one for him and convince him he no longer needs OS X (the latter shouldn't be too difficult) she would more readily accept the upgrade to Windows 8 herself.

Apple's "walled garden"? To tell you the truth, I appreciate it. While I acknowledge that Android has significantly improved, iOS is still more secure. No malware attack has worked against non-jailbroken iOS devices yet where Android even now falls short of enterprise security needs. I think Google took too long to fix the problem as I am already reading reports of Windows 8 devices at work in boardrooms that Android has failed to penetrate. As I've said before, Android--more than iOS--needs to fear WP8/RT. Microsoft has seen that the walled garden works and I believe WP8/RT will grow in the same way Android grew--from a tiny seed to mighty tree in about 2-3 years. Android, unfortunately, is a pine tree--fast growing but easily cut down. I think Win8/RT will be more like an oak--growing more slowly but living longer.

Android continues to grow, though. If 3 out of 4 Android users were going to Apple when they were up to renew and 1 out of 8 Apple users was going to Android - that would reflect in the numbers, and it just isn't there.

I see more and more Apple users breaking ranks and defecting to Android, and far fewer jumping to iOS. The initial, "we're not locked into AT&T" bandwagon has settled.

Now granted, I see numbers that indicate that in polls, Apple users are more loyal and people considering their first smart-phone indicate a strong preference for Apple. I've seen those numbers too.

I always wonder why that is never reflected in the actual numbers.

Didn't the Galaxy SIII recently become... hold on...

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s3-is-worlds-best-selling-smartphone-1111067

There we go. Point is, that argues AGAINST your theory that Android numbers are inflated *solely* by low-end disposable Android sales.

As for Microsoft's approach - having a mobile with a point-and-click desktop that is not touch-centric seemed a strange choice to me, too. But the truth is, it is a BETTER approach for a certain kind of computing task than touch... or for certain ASPECTS of computing tasks.

Scrolling a document quickly up and down? Touch is better.

Highlighting text and cutting and pasting to insert in another document? Mouse and pointer.

Solely having a desktop interface prevents you from having access to mobile, touch-centric features. Solely having a mobile touch-centric interface limits your productivity. Why *not* have both?

Right now, in Windows 8... I tend to spend most of my time on the desktop. But it is quite possible that as the Windows 8 modern-UI market evolves, I'll find myself spending more time in Modern apps.

I think it is too early to know for sure how that plays out. I don't disagree with your observation, I just see alternative scenarios that are just as likely.

I'm not going to deny more people buy Android phones than iOS; that's not yet true of tablets--which still comes into play with the overall article discussion. Price still plays a major role in that argument though, as the average price of Android phones is half that of the iPhone with the exception--for a while--of the Galaxy S3 which used to sell for the same price but dropped to only $49 each over the holiday quarter. As far as the third quarter was concerned, even the article you linked pointed out that the iPhone 5 was released during that quarter (only barely--on the last week of the quarter) which means the iPhone's sales were traditionally down in anticipation of the new model's release. At nearly 48 million iPhones sold over the holiday (4th) quarter vs only 14.5 sold the previous quarter, it's easy to see how the Galaxy sold more than the iPhone for that one quarter. Do you know what the Galaxy S3's numbers were over the holiday quarter? I admit I don't, but I find it likely their numbers were roughly equal or the iPhone somewhat higher despite the Galaxy's much lower price.

AT&T and Verizon both separate iPhone numbers from Android (though not by brand for the Android's that I've noticed) and on average between those two carriers the iPhone tends to run at about half of all smartphones sold--plus or minus only a couple million each during an active quarter like the holidays. Of course, that is only the US market for those numbers. I can't speak for overseas and I know quite well there is prejudice against Apple's sales practices in the European Union which has slowed but definitely not stopped Apple's sales.

On Windows 8, I don't believe we're in total disagreement; as you say, we need to see how it plays out. I personally believe that the desktop--or Pro version of Windows will fail on tablets as it has this entire past decade. On the other hand, by allowing the optional stylus the mouse is effectively eliminated as almost all mouse functions can be performed on screen with reasonable accuracy, especially if you're using a 15" or larger screen on a laptop/desktop machine. RT is great for mobility and still offers superior integration with the desktop as compared to any current Android iteration in my opinion.

I think the problem with statistics, and I've proven this before with Linux, OS X and Windows, is that there is no consistent, reliable and easy to check way to confirm all the numbers. It is very difficult to get the numbers on a level playing field, and so you're left making some qualified guesses on either side.

Here is what I think is readily apparent. Android is growing. Android has a lot of good will. Android has lots of forward momentum, Android has lots of flexibility. This kind of model in technology has always traditionally been a key component to success in the long haul as devices change from luxuries to commodities.

Apple has never sold as commodity products - and this hurts them when their industries change from luxury items to commodity items. It happened with 8 bit, it happened with 16/32 bit, and it'll probably eventually happen with mobile computing. Really, it already is, and I think almost everyone knows that. The company is large, stale, not as innovative, making mistakes, slower to react, and losing consumer good will at an alarming rate. At one point Windows Mobile dominated the mobile device OS market. Even Palm was putting Windows Mobile on the Treo as opposed to PalmOS. Within a matter of months, Apple destroyed their market viability in mobile, and caused a significant cooling in their entire core business. Things can change rapidly in these industries.

Samsung is supposed to be the most dominant smartphone builder globally at the moment. I believe that. They've replaced Apple as #1. Android handsets outnumber Apple handsets. That has been the case for awhile. Android tablets inevitably are gaining and are almost certain to exceed iPad tablet numbers next year, as I predicted months ago. The trend in that regard is clear. That doesn't mean all of your points are wrong. Sure, there are a lot of cheap and off brand Android devices in those numbers. Sure, customer satisfaction isn't as great (it has never been as great for Windows PCs as for OS X machines, either, but OS X has less than 20% of the market and Microsoft has just under 80% and that is a OS X HIGH and a Windows LOW), but that doesn't really matter with the numbers we're talking about.

Android is on track to be the "Windows" of mobile platforms, in multiple senses of that thought. iOS looks to be declining into the role of the Macintosh of the mobile platforms.

What you've got to wonder is where Microsoft fits in there. Sony once felt very secure as the king of console gaming. Microsoft is a determined competitor.

Android is the new Windows--with all that implies. Apple I'm sure was perfectly aware that Android would eventually surpass them in numbers of units sold. I'm also sure that doesn't really bother them unless sales fall to the point that they start losing profits. As yet, we haven't seen any significant reduction in iOS device sales except for the traditional backing down in anticipation of the next newer model. Interestingly, we didn't see that backing down for the iPad when the mini/gen 4 models came out because the gen-4 was simply not anticipated. As a result, we might--only might--see out-of-cycle upgrades that don't stick to any kind of schedule. On the other hand, I also don't expect to see them reverting to the 'new model every quarter' schedule they had before Jobs' return because that didn't give buyers any confidence that they'd be getting the best available since the next newer model was just three months down the road. Apple's scheduled upgrades let you know it wouldn't be replaced as soon as you bought it.

Apple isn't trying to be a commodity manufacturer. Sure, they took advantage of being the first to commoditize the smart phone and took the advantage of being the first to commoditize the slate-type tablet, but where the other companies profit on huge sales numbers at low margins, Apple focuses on a more balanced margin over market that still has them making more profit than all the Android OEMs combined. As such, Apple is more the Mercedes to Android's Toyota; they don't sell as many but make more money. They're different, and each may be innovative in their own way, but some will choose to buy the Mercedes over the Toyota because of that difference.

Still, I'm curious about facts, not opinions. My context is education though, not business. So things may be different there. Students of all ages have access to tools which offer more flexibility to create movies, presentations, explanations, digital stories, electronic books, animations, stop motion, combine photos and videos, music, science reports in less time, using more engaging tools. I guess you would consider education a niche. The context is quite different then. I'd say in this context, things are improving on Android and one could argue Windows 8, especially Pro, being a complete OS offers more here. For a price. And evidently more targeted at business.
But simply stating that "There is no doubt now that Android is ahead in global handset sales and catching up and on course to surpass Apple sales in tablets sometime in 2013 as well." might be true, but I'd like to see the figures which support this. Right now, it just seems like opinion concerning tablets. It is obvious for phones, although there are also a whole categories of phones using Android that are barely smartphones and not "chosen" in the same sense.
But your article is an opinion piece and does not claim to be anything else.
The fact that the iPad is better suited or not for content creation has nothing to do with wether or not it is the #1 or #4 platform and I wouldn't care. But claiming that others are better at creating content doesn't answer the question: "How?" What kind of content are you talking about? Excel Spreadsheets or more rich-content like movies, animation or music? For education these are not Niche needs. For business, well, that's not my specialty and if all business people want to create are simple Presentations and Spreadsheets or Gantt charts.

Thanks for interacting.

Ok. Thanks for clarifying what you were after. I can provide that.

Yes - I would consider the sort of use models you're talking about as niche oriented segments and that was why I quoted the disclaimers where I gave iOS credit for those niches in the piece. I felt like you were claiming I was saying something when I had really already said in the original article exactly the points you were trying to make.

For what you ARE after - those are based on facts:

http://www.technologytell.com/gadgets/105973/android-tablet-sales/

http://www.webpronews.com/android-tablet-beats-ipad-sales-in-japan-2013-01

I just googled because I knew these stories were out there, and linked to the first examples I found - so please don't respond about the credibility of the sites - these are widely distributed stories that were picked up by ZDNet, Gizmodo, Engadget, PC Magazine, Andriod Authority, The Verge, and countless other credible outlets.

It isn't opinion. In April 2012 When I wrote:

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tablets/apple-will-eventually-lose-tablet-dominance/1110?tag=content;siu-container

It wasn't really opinion. It was *inevitable*. I didn't ever consider it a bet, I considered it a sure thing. Lots of people thought I was risking my credibility when I wrote that. I never had any doubt that this would come to pass (barring some sort of complete catastrophic event against Android or for Apple).

I mean, in as much as the data I link to is an analyst opinion - sure , it is opinion based. But the analyst opinion is based on expertise and research of numbers, trends, growth, and historical activity, which is really what I am doing here. It is informed, educated opinion supported by data.

It happened with handsets, we know it. When people predicted it with handsets, Apple pundits dismissed it as unlikely. We know that. It is happening now with tablets, and Apple pundits are dismissing it as unlikely.

I mean, we'll know by the middle of 2013 if this is going to be the year - but I think if we were making odds on this, you're getting the long odds on this track.

To me, this isn't a "Will this be the year of Linux on the desktop" argument. This is a "2011 was the year of Android for Smartphones, will 2013 be the year of Android Tablets?" discussion. There is a precedent, and all the factors that applied in the first case apply in the second case and the numbers show it is on track to happen *again*.

One of these contains factual data at least. Thanks for that. I'm wondering about content creation though. We've found many more tools which allow richer content to be created, wether it is for consumers, educators, students or professionnals.

What makes Android better suited for content creation? Where are the good tools to do this? The tools which support creation of productivity documents, like Office HD and such on Android, are also available on iOS, and then, there is more variety of such creation tools on iOS from what we can see.

Has anyone actually done a comparison of content-creation that is not just a statement that one is better than the other? Lists of document types or even workflow advantages?

Having access to a file system in itself doesn't make it better, it makes it harder for some even if it is desired by the more technically-savvy.

Sure, sending data from one app to another in iOS is either more complicated or limited in some situations, but not always and who has done a comparison of how this happens on both platforms?

Surely, since you claim that Android is better at content creation as well as indicate you do not understand why other bloggers claim iOS is a content-creation tool, you must have something to support this?

It would certainly be useful.

I was able to find this article, but it only discussions the iOS is better for content creation viewpoint (on an Android-based site too), and then, it focuses on video mostly:

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/08/08/editorial-hey-google-whatever-happened-to-movie-studio-or-its-time-to-start-caring-about-content-creation-again/

As your argument keeps eroding, you keep changing the focus. That is the sign of a fighter that is up against the ropes.

The reason that Android is better than iOS for productivity and content creation is in part the same reason that Linux, OS X or Windows are better than *Android* for content creation - and unhindered access to the file system is *absolutely* part of that. But so is an OS that is purpose designed to *allow* instead of to *impede* those kind of tasks. You can make excuses about this all day long - but when it comes time to really buckle down and create a complex document - I turn to a PC. I may start it on my Android, but the final version gets polish and finish on a real computer. My daughter prefers to use her Nexus 7 to using her real PC for writing stories. She is 11. By the time she is in college, I hope her content creation is a little more sophisticated.

iOS is purpose built to be a content consumption device. This is why there are so many weird, kludgy solutions like "web server file transfer" apps and "wireless hard drives" for the iPad. All of the content creation was really reverse engineered into the platform *after the fact*, either by Apple or more frequently by third party solution providers trying to get around silly obstacles that Apple designed into the device.

Now - if you want to spend your time buying expensive solutions that work-around built in limitations of your platform to try and be productive as a content creator, if you want to spend your time fighting with trying to bring more flexibility to a system that is designed to LIMIT those kinds of roles - then you can knock yourself out with iOS.

But if you want things to work the way you expect them to without dancing through silly hoops and hassling with a manufacturer who is constantly telling you, "you can't do it that way"... then you'll want to look elsewhere.

You're talking about movie editing and music editing and graphic design and lots of neat content creation niches. How many of those niches has iOS replaced Linux, OS X, Unix and Windows in among working professionals? We don't need to look this up. The answer is *none of them*. Pros still use real PCs.

And Android is closer to the experience of a real PC for content creation than iOS is. But even *it* falls short, as I point out in the article. It falls short, and iOS has always been behind Android's lead, in that regard.

Part of the problem, from an outside perspective, is that Apple loyalists *want* these kind of features and they go to a lot of extra effort in time, expense and just literally "jumping through hoops" to achieve somethign that "works"... and then, panting and out of breath with empty pocket-books they turn with a smile and say, "See... You can do ANYTHING on an iOS device you can on an Android..."

Well... I guess so. But - there was a lot easier way to get to that point. Just buy a TF300 or TF700 and the dock and forget about all those other hassles. And... it would have been cheaper all around.

Some people like to buy something that isn't designed to do something and then put a lot of aftermarket effort into making it do that. Other people just go straight for the stock option that is designed to do what the goal is. If you're buying an iOS device and you *want* to do content creation... you're going to put a lot more effort into getting there. There are stock options that are better designed to deliver that goal.

An iPad modified to do content creation is the same as a Honda CRX modded to beat a BMW M3. It isn't going to be as reliable, as safe, as comfortable, as dependable or simply as nice. iPad content creators are like tablet hot-rodders or ricers. Always trying to make some grocery getter into a race car.

I will acknowledge that iOS doesn't permit direct file access--but I consider that a strong point rather than a weak one. Too many times in both Windows and OS X I have tried to open a file without having the creating application on my machine and get hit with a 'choose your app or download it' dialog window. I simply don't get that through iOS because I'm not trying to use a mobile device as a 'desktop replacement' (a laptop is little more than a portable desktop after all). I won't argue that there are those who will continue to try and it is they who are essentially the sources of the type of supplemental apps you mention--but I disagree that all--or even most--of Apple's 'loyalists' demand those features. In fact, while games take six of the top 10 paid and free apps in the iOS app store, not one of those system modification apps is represented, navigation, productivity and social networking taking the remaining four spots in both categories. A quick glance at the Android Market has seven system mod apps in the top ten paid and not one (unless you count Skype) in the top free apps. Why? I acknowledge the argument about "customizability" with Android, but with seven system mod apps in the top ten, WHY do users want to change it? Is it because they feel it's not 'perfect' while iOS users are actually happy with the way their devices work? The first "utility" in the iOS Free apps was a flashlight app at #27 while the second, the Chrome browser, came in at #79. The first paid utility is AutoCare at #25 followed by My Calendar at #39. These aren't 'system mod' apps like the ones I see in the Android Market where Adobe Reader comes in at #16 on the Free chart (really, Android doesn't have a built-in PDF reader?) and Titanium Pro Backup comes in at #2 on Paid, followed by a keyboard app at #3, a file manager at #7, rom manager at #8, widgets at #10 and another rom manager at #11. Again, why? I do appreciate the desire for personal control--but really, is Android so bad that you HAVE to change it to make it work?

Yes, I do admit that the things I list above makes iOS sound more 'content consumption' oriented, but productivity, not system mods, were in the top ten of both free and paid charts while productivity wasn't even in the top ten of Android's charts unless you counted Skype and Instagram. The perceived implication is more a NEED to change Android despite your discussion to the contrary. It could be read as "iOS just works; Android has to be made to work."

As to "want to do content creation", I hate to say it but much of that capability is readily available and fully compatible with their OS X mates--and that's the iWorks package of Pages (word processing), Keynote (slideshow presentations) and Numbers (spread sheet.) You also have Garage Band, iPhoto and iMovie readily available which are again compatible with their desktop versions without having to manually drag files back and forth. It appears to me that it is Android that requires more effort, not iOS; though I will also acknowledge that I haven't tried using any Android app for those purposes.

I just picked up an ASUS Q200E. It is a 13" ultrabook format i3, Windows 8 notebook with 500GB mechanical drive. It sleeps in seconds, resumes nearly instantly, has great standby power. Not sure about run-time yet. Runs quiet and relatively cool, though.

I don't see it as a threat to my Nexus 7 (which is really more like an iPad by intent and design in the way Google built it)... but it is a threat to my ASUS TF300.

The question there is, "Can Windows be a better desktop OS with mobile-OS like features than Android can be a mobile OS with desktop like features?"

Apple is just a mobile OS. The Nexus 7 is really designed to be a content consumption device. So is the Kindle Fire. I'm not saying there isn't a market for those kind of devices. There is a strong market. And I'm not saying you *can't* use them for content creation. But they're not the ideal devices for that last goal.

I'm sure I'll let you know my opinions after I spend awhile trying this new rig out. So far, I really like it, and I'm feeling like the 10" Transformer tablets may have some challenges ahead of them.

That should really be the take-away right now. This isn't about Android vs. iOS or Android vs. Windows 8 or whatever other direction you might want to compare. Right now there is a mobile platform all-out bar-brawl taking place. As someone mentioned above, it looks like RIM is standing on the sidelines just ready to jump in and throw some swings too.

If Microsoft can produce a hybrid OS that runs on hybrid and convertible devices and deliver the best experience of both worlds on one device at a reasonable price...

It might not matter if Android or iOS is "better" than the other for content creation.

..for the TF300 as far as pricing is concerned compared to a Win8 device, but that's just my (somewhat educated) impression.

Price is one of the tough issues for Windows 8 RT and Pro to address.

A $799 WiFi only 128GB iPad can't hurt on *perception*, though.

There is probably room, and use justification, for all 3 platforms, to be honest.

Because Google ALLOWS system mod apps.

You can't compare this fairly, because Apple makes you an enemy of the state if you try to do this. So there are no metrics in Apple with which to compare. You're comparing something that South Korea is open about to something that North Korea wants to bury as if it never existed. Many of those other "utility apps" you describe are there because you CAN do it on Android. If you look at Cydia, you'll find that those apps are far more popular among Jailbroken devices... they're the first things Jailbreakers install.

So, another way of looking at it is ALL Android users and SOME iOS users prefer freedom and like utilities, but NO Android users go looking for solutions to make their devices more feature crippled like iOS.



And I think the fact that GAMES are the top in iOS illustrates another thing... it is mostly a threat to Sony PSP and Nintendo DS platforms. It isn't really a productivity platform, except for among niches and sadomasicists.

I won't deny that mod apps are the most likely ones installed by jailbreakers. However, what is the percentage of jailbreakers to non-jailbreakers in the iOS environment? Based on the arguments of many techie commenters on these tech blogs, it should be high--but I really don't read that many comments or articles that indicate even a significant minority of iOS devices are jailbroken, though we read about the OS getting broken within hours (or at most a couple of days) after an update. My guess is that only about 5% of Apple's iOS devices get jailbroken, which means the other 95% couldn't care less as long as it works. The iPhone also has the lowest return rate of any phone according to reports by Apple, AT&T and Verizon. (Considering AT&T and Verizon also promote and sell Android devices, I trust their figures more than Apple's in this case.)

Yes, I will accept that games are the dominant apps on iOS--but after the utilities, what's the dominant genre on Android? That's right--games. (Yes, when I looked in the Android market and the iOS app store to make my references above, I did see the balance of the top 50 or so for both platforms.)

Actually all you are trying to say perfect but it also fact that today Android OS is on high and each and every users go with it. And as I am a Mobile App Developer, more projects on Android.

I realize English (American) is not your native language. I think I understand what you are trying to say. I would not recommend using an absolute statement because that absolute makes your statement un-true.

Android is beating the snot out of iOS.

That was my take-away, anyhow.

hi,what does "takeaway" mean in the passage?

These are hard to find. Although RIM (BlackBerry) certainly deserves some credit for starting the "modern post-PC era" along with Apple.

Ive been using all three of these OS for a long time now (windows 8 since it came out and since why in the early days of android and iOS). I totally agree with the post that none of these OS are gonna be better than the other since theyre all geared toward curtain markets. iOS does well because well, first off its apple, and we all know so many people have a huge hard on for anything for apple. They definity have their thing going for them with the nice flashy devices the constant updates, although i dont like it since i jailbreak any ipod/iphone right away since you can do so much more with it that way and the newest update usually takes a while to crack. I know the majority of iOS users dont do any of that but it feels so naked to me since i am a die hard android development fan. I dont like not being able to customize and make my device look unique. iOS is also closed sourced along with Windows and that means theres no way to have a development side of those OSs. iOS is so popular because it appeals to the majority, that being people who just want a really nice media consumption device. Its been amazing how well they do even when their devices dont have a LOT of the features out there on Android phones. I feel like Apple does that on purpose, like they totally could have made the iPhone 4S have 4G but it took them like a year to have that. But thats how phone companies get you, by releasing new features. Ive never seen anything major come from an iOS update either, just minor bugs and fixes otherwise it still looks like iOS did back at 3.0 with not a whole lot more options. Android has come from the very bottom and continually expanded and changed to better suit this technologically inclined age. Android 2.3 gingerbread is miles away from where they are now with 4.2.2, and googles suppose to announce Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie in May at Google I/O. before we know it android will pass iOS up with its updates. Notably though for android only 20% or so of all android users actually have the latest version most are stuck at 2.3.4 since those devices arent compatible with the new versions since android also has tons of low end devices as well as the higher end ones, it wasnt til lately that i noticed the phone manufacturers partnered with android are really starting to put out super high end devices that actually work well can show off what android can do, i think that a big part of that is that Google bought out android and they have the vision and resources to take it to unseen hights, i cant wait to see whats out in a year when i get my upgrade OOoooooo i get excited just thinking about how badass phones will have gotten by then. I hear from people the time that they hate android cause the phones are cheap and dont work right . you get what you pay for if you ask me, i use to have prepaid since its cheaper than contract but the trade off was that the phones that you could get ranged from barely functional to alright but super expensive. I had 5 diffrent HTC desire 4G on boost mobile within the first month i bought the first phone, on all of them the screen would go out in the middle and they would constantly hang up on people or call people on it own. I got rid of that phone real quick since it cost me 300$. I ended up with my Galaxy Nexus on verizon and im satisfied. You pay more on contract but at least my phone works, what good is a phone if it doesnt work right as a phone? I really think that the companies that make the prepaid phones make them cheaper on purpose so you have to constantly fuss with getting a phone that works and end up spending more money anyways. The only problems i have with my phone are just glitches that happen when i have a custom Rom and start changing to many things. Ok now windows is great for a mobile OS since its already been firmly established and porting it over to be portable was probably better and easier than redesigning a new windows mobile OS. I like Windows 8 on portable devices since you can have all the power of a laptop/netbook but the functionality of a tablet, Windows 8 was designed to be mobile and be on touch devices so its a bit different when using just a mouse since you cant move the mouse as fast or accurately as your finger. I also have a problem with the fact that they changed a lot of things about windows to the point where doing my development stuff is way way more difficult, thats because since its a mobile OS now they had to put in all sorts of safeguards so that less knowledgeable folks dont completely brick their device but its a huge pain in the ass to get around them since you have to do a special restart and disable those settings then wait for it to restart again to have it acknowledge the change, My computer takes forever to get off the initial screen when booting so that makes it even worse, very tedious work figuring out the intricacies of Windows 8, it definatly has a steap learning curve and there are almost no tutorials built in to teach people how things work now without the old start bar and hybrid functions. I can see why so many people are having a hard time liking it when they cant figure it out and have no help (although so many people overlook the fact that google is amazingly helpful when trying to learn something.) I always hear " oh man how did you figure that out?" and i always reply "Um, i googled it, first thing that popped up told me what to do." I learned all of the android development stuff from google and even an idiot can follow instuctions right from a website explaining all the ins and outs, the dos and do-nots. Even if you mess up you can always get back to stock and start over. WIth ALL of that being said I will just say that all three OSs have their merits and their problems. All of them appeal to their respective markets. Apple has the general user market, android appeals to the more experienced people while also having the option of exploring even more things like rooting and custom roms, windows is going to appeal to business people and mobile device users who want to maintain a user interface theyre familiar with and windows 8 is great for multitasking, besides the galaxy note line for android, windows 8 is the only other OS that can truely multitask and not just keep moving app to the backburner for easy access later, I still forget to use the recent app button on my phone instead i take that longer route, but thats usualy only a difference of one or two taps. I love a challenge though and like to expand my devices to do things that they weren't designed with like Themeing your UI, and changing fonts and icons on the status bar . Thats why i stick with android since all of that is impossible on the other two OSs, you cant even easily side load apps onto iOS or Windows, android just has a setting that you can disable to install apps from your storage, that allows for cracked apps and all sorts of other fun stuff, at least fun for me, other people just tend to look at me weird with all my smart talk and nerdyness and then ask me if i can do it to their phone, thats not a good isea to do though if you dont know how custom roms work and how to install them correctly cause you would have to bug me to fix it if anything goes wrong. Developing and Rom testing are my hobbies in my spare time, if it wasnt for what i know about development i would have had to wait for the newest update on my phone since verizon takes 4 extra months to release the new update for my phone, thanks to the Cyanogenmod Team and Google AOSP (android open source project) i had android 4.2 before most other people with my phone, i cant wait to see what 5 has for features.

Would you please help me on the above mentioned subject?

i am a foreigner.my friend was asking me to illustrate your article to him.But i was confused at the word "takeaway" .This word is at the begining of the article .can you illustrate it to me ?is it a name or means introduce ?Thank you !I am looking forward to your reply