But Sir, nobody worries about upsetting a Droid!

Well, I now own an Android device. I've been trying to hide my curiosity about the iOS nemesis for so long, but I can deny it no longer and I am finally out of the closet!

As with The New iPad, I have only had the Asus manufactured Google Nexus 7 for a few days, but I have sat and devoured it in the same way my Son George does with a new Lego Wii game.


Initially it was a little alien, and I didn't see too much point to the customisable home screens. However, as I have become accustomed to the device I have started to appreciate why Android has become so popular.

I still don't really get the point of widgets, but give me time - its enough of a miracle that I have come this far.


The Nexus 7 is a really nice size. Again, I previously sang from the Apple hymn sheet and was skeptical about the idea of a 7 inch tablet but it's really nice to use and easy to hold in one hand.

The Google Play Store has a lot of Apps, Movies and Books to choose from. Many common apps such as Twitter and Facebook do lack that little bit of polish that you will find on iOS apps, but they are still pretty good and easy to use nonetheless.

However, I was really impressed when I downloaded The Amazing Spiderman game for George as it is absolutely excellent. In fact, I have not really seen the device since.  I think the size and ease of use is going to make this a very good gadget for kids! George seems to really enjoy using it and finds it easier to hold than the larger iPad!

The battery life is impressive considering my over use of the device as I have got to grips with it. In addition to this the display is very good and the Nexus 7 is a very responsive and pleasant to use device in general.

Another attractive selling point is the price. You can pick up the 8GB version for £159.00 and the 16GB for £199.00. I have the 16GB and I would recommend spending that little bit extra for double the capacity.

So in conclusion, I think I will end up using this mostly for multimedia purposes such as watching movies and playing games, whilst the iPad will remain my first choice in terms of productivity.

The Google Nexus 7 is definitely a little winner for me though, and I think its inevitable success will result in Apple responding with their own iPad mini very soon.

So there you have it.

Take care!

Peter

Who's picking on who?

Unsurprisingly, I spend a lot of time looking at Technology websites and reading reviews on the latest gadgets. Smartphones and Tablets are my particular poison and they are invariably of the Apple variety.

In recent times however, it has been impossible not to notice the escalating number of articles describing the seemingly never ending patent disputes between Apples iOS and Googles Android mobile operating systems.

The arguments over which of these tech giants can claim to have the legal or moral high ground have been significant in courtrooms around the world. However, this subject has transcended the courtroom with everyone ranging from basic users, to experts and gadget freaks joining the debate and offering their own thoughts and opinions as to "why my phone's better than your phone".

Now when this first started, Apple were always portrayed as the the big bully who looked down their noses snobbishly at Android. Steve Jobs maintained to his dying day that Android was "stolen technology" while Google have always maintained that they have done nothing for which they should reproach themselves.

Indeed this pattern of an Apple superiority complex seemed to be reflected by consumers, with iPhone users considering themselves owners of an elite piece of technology whilst looking down and laughing at those poor folk who "only" had Android phones.

Things have changed in the last couple of years though, and Android (with massive support particularly from Samsung) have taken a big crunch out of Apple (pun intended), and boy don't Android loyalists want everyone (especially Apple fans) to know about this!

Android devotees will tell you that they have a wider choice of hardware, and more flexibility in terms of customization - they have widgets for heavens sake! They mock iOS because it is so locked in and rigid, and they revel in the freedom that they have to make their phones work exactly the way they want them to.

iOS fans however, really do buy into the Apple philosophy that "it just works", and it does. iOS is neat and tidy, and nice and simple. App developers still design their Apps for iOS first and Android second for these precise reasons! They only have to worry about the iPhone and the iPad, and most iOS users tend to update to the latest version of the OS when it becomes available.

Android on the other hand is an App developers nightmare as the whole platform is so fragmented. There are so many different devices to worry about, and no dominant version of the OS - with some users on Honeycomb, others on Gingerbread, the rest on (the irritatingly named) Ice Cream Sandwich, with Jelly Bean just having been released!

Now you can probably tell that I am struggling a little bit to stay objective here! Hands up - I am an Apple Fan Boy. However, if I force myself to take that hat off - I can completely understand the popularity of Android. People do like choice, and they also like flexibility, and Android provides them with this.

Those who like things nice and simple, and neat and tidy will feel more at home on iOS however.

As with anything in life, it all comes down to personal preference, and what works best for you and I do believe that there is room for both iOS and Android as things move forward. There is even room for Windows phone in the mix for that matter.

Whether Apple and Google/Samsung will ever be friends again is debatable, but what's important is that we all have choice, and we are all entitled to our opinion that our phone is indeed the best!

Take care.
Peter

Thursday Tech Roundup

Google I/O

Hot on the heels of recent Apple and Microsoft events, Google are this week staging their I/O Developers conference. The highlight of the event so far is the introduction of the Google ASUS Nexus 7 Tablet. This is positioned as competition for the Amazon Kindle Fire, but unlike the Fire - Google can at least be bothered to release it in the UK at what looks to be a very reasonable £159.00 for the entry level model.

Also announced were Jellybean which is the latest version of Googles Android OS, and a major overhaul of the Google Play Store where you can now buy films, TV shows and magazines.

Windows Phone 8

After announcing "Surface", their very sleek looking stage for Windows 8 - Microsoft have wasted little time in presenting the latest version of their Windows Phone OS. Codenamed "Apollo", Windows Phone 8 will update the existing Windows Phone 7 interface to bring it more in line with the full Windows 8 product that will run on PCs' laptops, and of course tablets - including obviously the Surface.

The Redmond based tech giant are going all out to streamline their impressive emerging range of software and hardware. The only down side of Windows Phone 8 is that existing Windows Phone 7 users will be unable to update to it, but will get a minor update to a version called Windows Phone 7.5.

Best of the rest

In other news, it is rumoured that when Apple launch iOS6 later this year that the Apple TV will get an update to include more native Apps. For users in the UK - it would be nice to see things like Sky Go and BBC iPlayer included. We'll have to wait and see how this unfolds.

Sticking with Apple for the moment, the Cupertino giant has finally suceeded in getting a Samsung product banned in the US - at least for the time being anyway. Samsung have been told to stop selling their Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet whilst yet another patent dispute is sorted out between this pair of petty squabblers. Where will it all end?

Samsung can console themselves in the meantime however in the knowledge that their latest smartphone - the Galaxy S3 has been an absolute runaway success. So much so that they are struggling to meet consumer demand.

I checked one out in a mobile phone store recently and I personally didn't like it as much as the S2, and also thought it was just too big. It's practically a tablet. However, plenty people seem to want one and that's all that counts as far as Samsung is concerned.

Rounding things off, and Facebook are rumoured to be working on a complete overhaul of their much used but little loved iPhone App. We'll have to wait and see what happens here but no matter how good or bad it turns out to be - you can sure that people will find a way to complain about "not yet another Facebook change". There's just no pleasing some folk is there!

And that's it folks! Share and enjoy!
Peter

State of the Mobile Nation

There is so much happening in the world of mobile technology right now that even a complete gadget geek such as myself finds it hard to keep up. So I hope you will find the following a handy review of the headlines that have made news so far in this sector in 2012, and what we can still expect to see as the year progresses;

1). Google buys Motorola

This is particularly interesting to me as it could ultimately turn out to be a big game changer. Historically, Google has not got involved with hardware. Its Android OS is Open Source and freely available to all developers and manufacturers. HTC and Samsung are the most notable tech giants who sing from the Android hymn sheet when it comes to their smartphone devices. Apple have iOS of course which is completely proprietary - meaning it can only be used on Apple Hardware. Could this purchase be an early indication of Google considering a similar path? It's hard to imagine Android being closed off in such a way - especially when Google and Samsung in particular seem to have such a strong partnership.

However, saying that - Google CEO Eric Schmidt used to be on the board of Apple, and was even present onstage at the launch of the original iPhone. Things can change very quickly though. The Apple/Google relationship went sour when Google created Android - with Steve Jobs claiming it was stolen software and vowing to go to "thermo nuclear war" with Google over it. The suits and counter-suits are continuing to this day!

Those in the know however, suggest that Googles primary motivation for this purchase was to improve their own weak patent base. Motorola seemingly held some very useful patents, and Google have no doubt seen the opportunity to acquire some very valuable intellectual property to strengthen their position in their ongoing war with Apple.

Time will tell how this one turns out - but if I were Samsung right now, I may be wishing that I had beaten Nokia to Microsofts door to get on board with the fast emerging Windows Phone platform. I have a sneaky feeling that Google and Samsung may not be such good buddies in a year or so down the line.

2). The New iPad arrives

Apple launched its 3rd generation tablet device in April and called it "The New iPad". For me, even as an Apple Fan - this model feels like it's been put out for the sake of it. The iPad2 was significantly better than the original iPad. It introduced a thinner form factor, front facing camera, and the A5 Processor to note a few features.

The new iPad on the other hand is thicker, has a 5mp camera as compared to the 8mp camera on the iPhone 4S. It doesn't have Siri, but it does have a new A5X chip, quad core graphics and a retina display (meaning that the human eye is unable to discern individual pixels on the touchscreen). The design is almost identical to the iPad2 (apart from being thicker as I said). The price remains the same and you can also still pick up a new iPad2 for $100 less in the US, and £70 less here in the UK.

Overall, a disappointing stop gap for me! Do I still want one at some point though I hear you ask - of course I do!!! I don't know why, I just need it!! And so do millions of other people it seems - as predictably the new iPad has been a major success. Unlike the smartphone market, Apple is still very much King of the Tablets. There is nothing to touch the iPad, and until Windows 8 Tablets start arriving on the market - nothing will.

3). Samsung Galaxy S3 is launched

In fact, the UK launch date for this device is today. The S3's predecessor (the Samsung Galaxy S2) has been an enormous success and has catapulted Samsung ahead of Apple as the worlds largest Smartphone Manufacturer. Samsung are getting such a fanbase for their phones that I hear that people have actually been queuing (Apple Store style) for them overnight as they simply cannot wait to get their hands on the latest "King of the Android Phones". I've not seen an S3 yet. Ironically, I only got to play with an S2 for the very first time yesterday - and I have to admit that I liked it. Early reports on the S3 suggest that it will continue to help Samsung dominate this market. The only reservation I have heard about it so far is that the plastic case makes the build feel a little cheap. I will certainly check one out when I get the chance though that's for sure.

4). The new iPhone is coming

Surely, it has to this year doesn't it? Last year, Apple disappointed millions when they failed to release the iPhone 5, and instead launched another iPhone 4 with an extra set of antennas, Siri, a better canera, and iOS5 - and called it the iPhone 4S. And like the mugs we are, we all got one and made it the best and fastest selling iPhone so far. I swear, Apple have built up such a unique brand loyalty over the past couple of years that they could release practically anything and we would buy it.

That being said, I don't think they can get away with such an obvious stop gap again this year. With the release of their S3 today, Samsung have basically sat back and said "over to you Apple - let's see what you've got", and I for one expect them to respond with something special. I predict that the next generation iPhone will launch in October this year with a completely new design and with iOS6. There have been rumours of a bigger screen which concern me slightly as I prefer the size of the iPhone screen I must admit. Apart from that, who knows what we can expect. I have heard the possibility of a liquid metal casing, and an edge to edge screen, no home button - the rumours just go on and on. Until you see Tim Cook and Phil Schiller on a stage with it though - don't believe anything!

5). Microsoft are doing a Madonna

Microsoft have been quiet the last couple of years I feel. Sure, they put out Windows 7 but there has been very little fuss about this, and most people these days seem to be talking about Apple, Google, Samsung, Smartphones, Ultrabooks and Tablets. Microsoft have seen their revenue from sales of PCs drop very drastically as a result of their rivals launching the "Post PC Era".

All the while though, they have been quietly reinventing themselves, and later this year - Windows 8 will arrive. If you have read any of my posts to date on Windows 8, then you know that I am very excited by it. The Windows 8 tablet version could very well emerge as the first serious competitor to the iPad. I love my iPad as you know, but there are still things that I cannot do on it - and when this happens, I have to power on a laptop and that is frustrating. I believe Windows 8 tablets will change this, and take the Post PC Era to a whole new level. You will have all the benefits of a touchscreen device - without some of the restrictions and obstacles that you face on the iPad. I for one will be keeping my eye on this. We were planning to change our home laptop at some point but now I think we will wait until we can replace it with a suitable Windows 8 tablet device. In fact, I don't want to buy a device with a physical keyboard ever again if I can help it.


6). Best of the rest

I've been impressed with the look of the Nokia Lumia - although I haven't had the chance to take a proper look at one as yet (I wish I was important enough for manufacturers to send me their phones so I could test them out)! I expect their partnership with Microsoft to flourish over the next couple of years however.

HTC remain pretty strong in the smartphone market too. The HTC One is their flagship phone at the minute and it looks pretty good, although maybe not as good as a Samsung. HTC have a mixture of Android and Windows Phone running on their devices which I find a little strange. They do seem to have their own dedicated fan base too though and I expect they will continue to do well.

The Sony Experia range also looks very good - but Sony don't seem to be making much impact in this or any other market these days to be honest. They are very much playing second fiddle to the smartphone giants of Apple, Samsung and HTC.

And that's about it. I hope you've enjoyed this little run through. If you can think of an event, or device that I've omitted that you think is important or will make a big impact this year - then please let me know!

Peter