A tale of two bloggers. In the Apple camp, Henry Taylor Gill is thinking the unthinkable: He is leaving Apple and espousing Android and, I infer, Windows.
I’d guess that my moving away from Apple probably started from about the time of Steve Jobs passing/release of iPhone 4S, coincidence or not, that’s up for you to decide. So why? Why am I moving away and predict a future for me (eventually) without Apple devices unless something drastic happens…….The world is catching up. Only several days ago did Google unveil its impressive lineup of devices, including the Nexus 4, the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10.
Here’s the way I analyse this: you either want the hardware or the software. I’ve been going with the software for a long time, but now I want to see what it’s like with top notch hardware. The Nexus 4 has NFC, induction charging, an advanced panorama mode. Arguably better hardware than the iPhone 5, but here’s the best bit: it’s only $299 unlocked, less than half the price of the iPhone 5 unlocked.
The Nexus 10: higher resolution than Retina, 10 inch screen, and $399. $100 less than the 4th gen iPad. Better hardware for less money. I’m using Google’s products purely as an example, but I can also think of others: the Lumia 920, the Galaxy SIII and a few more.
The second main reason is that I’m not entirely sure which direction Apple is heading in. Some poor decisions over the past year, including hiring John Browett as well as Maps and Siri have left me wondering.
Meanwhile, over in the Windows camp, arch proponent Paul Thurrott, habitual Apple critic, has fallen in love with the iPod touch and the iPad mini:
While some Apple products lend themselves to easy criticism, the new iPod touch and iPad mini are pretty incredible. Yes, the same pricing complaints arise, and of course both are based on the out of date iOS system, which, if I’m reading the tea leaves right, is about to change in hopefully remarkable ways. But the quality of these devices leaves me speechless. Both are beautiful, thin, light, and remarkably well-made. Both are market leaders. And yes, both are highly recommended. If Microsoft, Amazon, or Google intends to take on Apple in the markets in which these products compete, they’re going to need to step it up.
by Mike Evans, 6 November 2012