On 8/11/17 10:51 AM, Dr. Hawkins via use-livecode wrote:
I'd be tempted to switch to an android (I actually had the original
gphone), but the privacy, hacks, and whathaveyou stop me.
At the risk of starting a platform war...
<proselytize>
I love my Mac but I don't like iOS. It's too dumbed down to be useful.
Android has many advantages over iOS, the main one being that it has an
accessible file system like the Mac Finder (which I see iOS is about to
implement finally.) Not to mention launcher widgets, which I can't live
without, dozens of different launcher app options, and the ability to
customize almost anything the phone can do. It has menus and tooltips so
you don't have to memorize obscure gestures. Android Assistant is more
intelligent than Siri. Google provides unlimited photo storage without
data caps and uses intelligent algorithms to find photos without the
need for content tagging.
There are multiple apps for any purpose so you aren't required to use a
single authorized browser, email client, or anything else. I have three
browsers on my phone and four keyboards for different purposes. I had to
laugh when Apple finally allowed third-party keyboards. It's a start.
(Try SwiftKey, its prediction algorithms are the smartest anywhere and
it is now available for iOS.)
While Android malware is somewhat more prevalent than iOS, the actual
risks are exaggerated. Google has taken aggressive steps to reduce
occurances, which is only a tiny fraction of one percent anyway. There
are nine layers of security checks for every app you install. If you
stick to the authorized app stores you won't have trouble since almost
all malware comes from third-party downloads. Android also scans your
apps in the background even if you didn't download from their store, and
recently added a manual scan so you can check on demand. I've had 8
Android devices over the years and never had any malware.
Privacy: Google gives you more control than Apple. You can delete all or
part of the data it stores at any time. You can control what it
collects. The trade-off, in my view, is worth the data collection. (One
advantage of multiple browsers is when I don't want Google to track my
searches I just don't use Chrome.) Android Now is close to psychic,
volunteering information I want without my asking. I walked out of a
theater one night and Android offered a map showing me where I'd parked.
I didn't have to ask, it was just there. You can turn off these things
but I find them useful. If you don't want Google to know where you are,
turn off location services.
I see Google as the pioneer that Apple used to be, and in fact, Apple
has started adopting popular Android features and claiming them as their
own (Windows 1.0 anyone?) Most of the upcoming iOS 11 features Apple is
bragging about incorporate Android features, most of which have been
around for years:
Notification system, document scanning, Finder-like file system, drag
and drop files to local storage or cloud services, language
translations, System UI Tuner ("customizable control center",) advanced
camera control apps, Android Beam ("AirDrop"), app drawer, customizable
Do Not Disturb, peer-to-peer Android Pay/Wallet ("Apple Pay",) Swapps
("persistent Dock".) Apple says Siri now learns from you and syncs
across devices. Android has always done that.
Etc.
</proselytize>
--
Jacqueline Landman Gay | jac...@hyperactivesw.com
HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com
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