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Sorry if this has been debated already.
Held off changing my SE P990i until the new iPhone is released. Suddenly realised that Android phones are out there.
Which way should I go ?
If Android...which phone ?
HTC Desire.
That is all.
iPhone 4 or HTC evo (if it ever arrives in the UK)
Could ask yourself if you think hardware and software integration might be important in a phone.
Android is more flexible and has more features.
iPhone has more apps.
Take your pick...
I only use a Blackberry for business but can not see anything that will beat the iphone it works so well. Go for the Iphone 4 I am sure you will be pleased.
I had a Hero which is great, but slightly laggy at times. Apps and OS are generally great. Desire is basically it's more powerful brother, and it runs 2.0. Having said that, I lost mine at the weekend and am getting a replacement through insurance. Am hoping they'll offer me a Desire ... although I'd certainly entertain an iPhone 4 too :
IME I'd say the quality of apps on the iPhone is generally better/quicker/more aesthetically pleasing/more functional, etc.
Apple still lead the way on this.
Android is growing all the time but the number of genuinely useful, good quality, stable apps is lower.
iPhone = Apple Fanboy
Android = Geek
Even if you don't think this, everyone else will.
A year ago my friend bought a Hero & I bought an iPhone. He started banging on about how good his hero is, he now hates it as it crashes, freezes & things. I still don't have much to say about the iPhone, it does what I want it to, and doesn't freeze/crash.
Does iphone 4 have a non-**** camera?
I have a Google G1 and it is catastrophically awful. Even the original iPhone is about a zillion times better.
Android is growing all the time but the number of genuinely useful, good quality, stable apps is lower.
I don't think it's such a massive difference any more, I'm really surprised at the quantity of relevant, working and free apps for Android now. And I understand a larger percentage of Android apps are free or ad-supported if that makes a difference to you (I know I'd only pay for a really vital app personally).
I don't know how likely it is that Apple will have more applications in the long term, as Android has a larger number of phones being sold nowadays, and speaking as a developer, programming and selling / distributing applications for it is much easier than it is on the iPhone.
Joe
Does iphone 4 have a non-**** camera?
Yes, and in fact the 3G has a non-sh1t camera, if a camera that takes snapshots easily and quickly, that are in focus and print perfectly acceptable photos at 10x15cm from an Epson PX710W, which mine does. The iPhone 4 uses a new backwired chip that improves low-light performance by 40-50%, it's 5Mp, which is more than good enough to print up to A5, possibly A4, and shoots 720p HD video at 30fps, and you can get iMovie to edit video on the phone as well. Please try to remember, it's a ****ing TELEPHONE camera, not a DSLR, or a 14Mp compact with a 12x zoom, it's a phone with a perfectly acceptable snapshot camera that you carry with you all the time. I took some photos at my brothers wedding several weeks ago with mine, went home, switched on my printer, selected several pics, printed them from the phone, then went to the reception and gave them the prints, took some more then uploaded them straight to Facebook. The prints were every bit as good as shop prints from a compact. Ignore also any camera with 8Mp or above, the digital noise in low light is very high. Oh, and there's a Luxeon LED flash that is on continuously for video as well.
Milkie - Member
iPhone = Apple Fanboy
Android = Geek
Surely it is
iPhone = Just want something that does stuff out of the box
Android = Geek
Or is everyone either a fanboi or a geek?
Yes, and in fact the 3G has a non-sh1t camera,
To be fair, the 3g camera is a heap of poo compared to a 4 year old nokia n95 camera. The 4g camera should be at least as good as the N95, probably a fair bit better (although it depends a lot on lens / sensor quality, which no one really is clear about yet). Maybe not as good as a Sony Ericsson phone, as some of those have pretty decent cameras (pity they are rubbish phones otherwise).
Joe
Ah, so the camera may be as good as everyone elses.
I shall probably go for an iphone 4 next month.
my wife has iphone and compared with most other phones I've owned/used everything just seems so integrated.
The only thing putting me off is the physical size of it, but that applies to most of the smartphones.
The only thing putting me off is the physical size of it, but that applies to most of the smartphones.
Yep, it's literally mm of difference between the current good phones (desire, iphone etc.)
There are a few smaller ones, but then you lose the lovelyness of browsing the web on a decent sized screen, and onscreen keyboards suck on smaller screens.
I don't find it that much of a pain to be honest - they're all pocketable - I think the thinner but big smartphones are less of a pain than the old fat but not so big ones.
Joe
In my (possibly biased) opinion the iPhone 4G kicks the HTC Desire well into touch.
But the new HTC Evo 4G does look very interesting.
In my (possibly biased) opinion the iPhone 4G kicks the HTC Desire well into touch.
How?
Especially once 2.2 is available...
that dell streak look impressive too, though its only on android 1.6 for now
Note that the screen size is still the same on the iPhone, it's just the resolution that's increased. So you still have a stupidly thick bezel around the screen, even if it's thin. Will be sticking with my Nexus One and it's OLED display.
the screen on the new iphone looks lovely
the threads recently on here about the desire puts me off - discussions of app kilers etc make me think that the thing will be a pain in the backside when things start to go wrong (like all the PCs I've owned)
I want the iphone - but not as much as I did when I though there was going to be a 64 gig modal.
O2 have published their tarifs for the iPhone 4 - but no word on UK prices for the handset yet
I've got a Hero and my better half has a 2nd gen Iphone. Iphone is massively better, my Hero is laggy, buggy and the Apps are just not as polished. I can see why Apple's closed approach put's people off but the experiences are in a different league.
The differences are so stark that when she upgrades and gets an Iphone4 i'll probably use her old one and sell the Hero.
The size of smartphones put me off them for ages but they are so thin that it really does make them pretty pocketable - I run with mine in a shorts pocket with no problems.
To be honest, recent Android phones would probably meet my needs pretty well but my iPhone has been absolutely superb for nearly 2 years now and inertia will mean a new one that's thinner with a better battery, better camera, insanely high-res display and quicker will make it the default choice. Just a very satisfying device to own and use, plus the fact it's still worth £170 or so as a trade-in is a bonus.
As said, it's not so much about the total number of apps - it's about having the ones you want to use and there seem to be plenty of high-quality useful ones on Android now.
The sheer amount of third-party stuff that interfaces with the dock connector means the biggest headache with switching platforms would be not being able to just plug it into the car, or use the chargers that we have all over the place. Apple standardising on the dock connector several years ago has made speakers, docks and things like car interfaces ubiquitous.
I've got a Hero and my better half has a 2nd gen Iphone. Iphone is massively better, my Hero is laggy, buggy and the Apps are just not as polished.
Please don't tarnish google android OS with your experience of an old version that has been hacked by a third party (HTC) 😉
BTW, my android phone is much more stable than my old iphone 3G or my ipad.
Lets face it.. for most people who own iPhones now are unlikely to change even if they do prefer an Android phone purely down to the fact that they have spent a reassonable sum of cash on apps and various docks and the like. If someone have an investment in all of those it'll have to be something very special to get them to move.
And while Apple might be ahead for the time being, give it 6 months and Android will be taking another leap forward. Also, as the number of users grow, so will the number and quality of the apps.
I daresay HTC will bring out something akin to the Evo in this country, which jumps them ahead of the iPhone in terms of tech, and once the dual-processor Snapdragons get into phones, that will be another leap forward as well. Come on, whoever here thought they'd be using a phone with a 1GHz processor, let alone a dual core one!! I'm quite interested to see what Motorola will do with it this time...
At present I'd say the biggest thing holding back all mobile phones is the battery tech!
[i]At present I'd say the biggest thing holding back all mobile phones is the battery tech! [/i]
I think it's the current requirements of existing chipsets 😉
Well true... and the power requirements of the current fancy-pants displays as well.
The EVO won't come to the UK any time soon, for this to happen we need 4G networks - I don't believe we have anything in place yet, please correct me if you know otherwise.
I don't like the fact that the Android handsets/OS versions are so fragmented with no warrantee that future upgrades will be supported by your handset or that your carrier will even bother to distribute them or that all applications available will work with all of the handsets. I also like the security of someone else having looked into the app and made sure it is safe.
What the Android has over the iPhone is that it can provide a number of handsets some seriously undercutting the iPhone in price but then you do not compare similar phones. If you want a top end Android phone you are paying similar prices to the iPhone anyway.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is pretty tasty.
8mp camera, 1Ghz processor, big screen. Yes only running Android 1.6 at present, but i can honestly say mine hasnt faultered once in 2 months.
Anyone on the Android side of the fence feel slightly overwhelmed by the pace of new devices? It seems every other week there's a new "best" Android phone.
That wouldn't be so bad but long-term support for older models seems to be pretty poor - I mean, if you bought an HTC Magic this time last year (so shortly after UK launch - and we got it earlier than many other markets), already you're shut out of having the latest OS which seems a bit poor in these days of 18 and increasingly 24 months contracts. It was much the same on WinMo as well - HTC and others seem to be more concerned with cranking out yet another new model than supporting any existing userbase.
Apple, to their credit, generally support stuff a lot longer - an original iPhone (now 3 years old) is only just dropping out of being eligible for new versions of the OS. In a worst case scenario, buying just before an update, you'd still have a couple of years of updates before you get left out in the cold.
iphone is slick and just works,but you need to be prepared to stick with the itunes side of things which is slightly restrictive at times, but it does the job well.
Android is all but there, perhaps just lacking the cohesion that the iphone OS has. I think Android is starting to fragment and stretch out a little too much between the versions of it. It feels like there is a version per month.
By the time my contract is up, I think Win Mobile 7 will be out. so that'll add more to choices.
I recently switched back to my iphone and still am impressed at how slick it all is when in actual use .... but I get frustrated with itunes.
Doesn't seem to be a definite concensus here but it looks like the iPhone ahead.
I'm almost convinced to carry on holding out.
I am at this very cross roads, Mrs Forge's phone is out of contract it's between HTC Desire and IPhone4 not entirely sure which yet but iphone4 is the front runner.
pallyally... it's horses for courses at the moment. Both Android phones and the iPhone can do a huge amount to be honest it really won't make that much difference whichever one you get.
But, I would certainly be looking at the higher end Android phones to be comparable to the newer iPhones.
forge... at present the iPhone 4 is probably the better phone, but will be more expensive to own, both in initial cost and paid for apps.
The Desire, while not being quite as good, will be the cheaper to get hold of and most of the 'required' apps are free.
That just about sums it up I think.
I get an iPhone through work and think its a great piece of kit, I've used it so much more than any other phone I've had - I like it so much I'd actually pay for one out of my own pocket if it was taken away!
I've been happy with my HTC Desire over the last 2 months, didn't like the iphones I've played with.
The apps I've downloaded work well (apart from the one where everything is in Polish), and it has the advantage that I can buy & carry spare batteries if I'm out of charging distance for some time. It's not bad as a phone, either
Can I just point something out?
The iphone 4 is not out yet - so how do so many of you know it WILL be better than a Desire? It might crash a lot, it might have even poorer battery life, etc.
The Desire is up and running and works very well - to say something that's not out yet is "better" is a bit silly.
Commercial spaceflight might be "better" than conventional flying but not if the former spacecraft blows up on a regular basis...
It's not like the iPhone 4 hasn't been around and working for a good while... and two have been lost by Apple employees who were out and about, and found their way to various websites...
And I doubt Apple would release anything that wasn't pretty well tested. They might screw their customers in other ways, but that's not normally one of them!
Surf-Mat - Member>> "In my (possibly biased) opinion the iPhone 4G kicks the HTC Desire well into touch."
How?
Especially once 2.2 is available...
For much the same reasons that you offered not so long ago that the HTC Desire was better than the iPhone 3Gs.
Namely:
- better screen (960x640,326ppi,800:1 contrast vs 800x480,240ppi)
- smaller (115.2x58x9.3mm vs 119x60x11.9mm)
- better camera (HD video vs 800x480)
- not made by Google 😉
But like I say, it is a biased opinion as I have an iPhone and like it. 🙂
Unless you are after a very specific feature then there really isn't that much to choose between the leading smartphones at the moment.
A more balanced comparison is here:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/33476/iphone-4-vs-htc-desire
It's a good position to be in - I think whatever one you chose you'll be delighted - personally I went with a Desire as it's cheaper & you are actively encouraged to customize it
Both great bits of kit, like 'em both so just read about both, pick a corporation, hand over your data and off go!
Android works really smoothly 'out of the box' if needed - the Mrs just ditched her iPod Touch for an HTC Desire. She already had a Google account for contacts and calendar - she just turned on phone, signed in had instant access to all Google contacts and appointments, Facebook updates and Flikr friends. The Google integration, including turn by turn nav and mapping, is excellent.
Another big advantage of the Desire for me - hook it up to any computer, drag content onto card and you're done. This is ideal for me when I travel as I can't put iTunes on my work laptop but can manage content through drag and drop simply from any machine so find it much more flexible.
For what it's worth, I run a Mac Mini as a home media server with Airport Expresses round the house and still have an iPod in the van and long listening sessions (transatlantic flights and days skiing). Tunes Remote on Android does a great job of controlling iTunes via wifi.
I've had my Desire a month and no need at all for task killer. Android handles this on its own very well. It plays well with Mac too - I've been remote controlling my Mac Mini media collection via Tunes Remote and XBMC remote. Very neat.
One opinion of many comparisons online:
http://lifehacker.com/5559357/iphone-vs-android-showdown-which-phone-is-best-for-power-users
Just ordered a replacement Desire - the (not very good) speaker has got so bad, I think it must have blown - a definite Desire weakness - poor speaker. No idea how/why it happened - means re-installing all my apps and notes - bit of a pain!
just found out that the iphone 4 will be on 3 - my current network
I'm pleased - they seem to get a bad press, but in my experience I can get a signal pretty much anywhere, whilst other people on different networks are struggling.
means re-installing all my apps and notes - bit of a pain!
Replacement iPhone = connect to iTunes and say yes to restore.
All apps, contacts, data, notes and settings are restored. 🙂
The iPhone is no better in real terms than the Desire. The fact that the Apple hype machine is so well oiled is what makes the 4 so sought after. "This changes everything. Again." - Seriously Apple?
Yes, it has a higher resolution screen. Personally I can't see the individual pixels on an HTC Desire screen, so the fact that the iPhones is an even higher resolution doesn't hold much of an argument.
The camera is a definite improvement over the 3GS (let's be honest, it wasn't hard), but is still by no means up to the standard of other phones, currently on the market.
Voice calling - Phones have had this for years. The fact that FaceTime on the iPhone claims to have revolutionised it is quite laughable - iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 only, via wifi only.... Come on. Still, I'll concede that it does look pretty impressive when you actually find someone with the same phone, connected to wifi.
The A4 processor is no more capable and no quicker than the Snapdragon in the HTC Desire.
The multitasking on iOS4 still isn't 'true' multitasking.
HD Video recording and editing, but no HDMI output. What's up with that? The HTC Evo has it, why couldn't Apple include it?
Android will eventually (and it won't be long) offer the user a lot more choice with regard to apps. By choice I don't mean VOLUME, I mean CHOICE. Apple's arcane methods when it comes to app submission will come back and bite them in the arse when developers jump ship, because it's far easier for them to get their apps onto an Android device.
I'm not an Apple hater by any means - I've had a 3G and 2 3GS's and they were good phones. However there are better handsets out there. Perhaps the iPhone 4 will lead the way for a month or so, until HTC come along (read the reports about their new handsets due for release soon) and blow them out of the water.
I guess it all depends on whether your a style over substance, or substance over style person really. Most people (I'm not saying anyone on here, just most of the people I know or have seen) will just get the new iPhone so they can show it off to their mates down the pub.
I think, rather than saying "This changes everything. Again" the website should read "We've caught up. For now."
Although guilty of biting in the past myself, it does strike me that grown men arguing about 'my phone is better than your phone' is perhaps a little bit silly at best, and rather ****ing sad at worst....
Got to add another for Android phones.
I got my HTC Legend a couple of weeks ago and so far it has been brilliant.
We are a bit late to get new models here, so I know the Legend is one model behind now that the Desire is available in the UK, but I'm not complaining as it has revolutionised the way I go about my day.
. "This changes everything. Again." -Seriously Apple?
It's a bit strong yes. But you can't really deny that the original iphone brought massive changes to the mobile market and had a huge influence on subsequent phones.
Yes, it has a higher resolution screen. Personally I can't see the individual pixels on an HTC Desire screen, so the fact that the iPhones is an even higher resolution doesn't hold much of an argument.
Funny that because prior to the 4G, Desire owners were frequently heard to remark how much better the screen was 🙄
Also I see you ignore the better contrast and IPS (which gives better viewing angles).
FaceTime: yeah its bollocks int'it. Never seen the point of video calling to be honest. And AT&T would collapse completely if they tried 3G video calls which is why they did this stupid wifi thing. But the way it work is quite clever and intuitive in a very Appley way. (i.e. while already on a call you can just press a button to invite them to turn it into a FaceTime call).
The multitasking on iOS4 still isn't 'true' multitasking.
Yeah and there is no Task Manager or battery-killing widgets either.
no HDMI output. What's up with that?
No, weird omission, but it has Component Video output though, which is likewise capable of carrying HD.
Apps: hmm you may be right about developers there. We'll see.
I also wonder how long it is till the first malicious Android app?
Having Apple approve all the apps is a pain - but at least you know they are legit.
Style/Substance: no sorry. Maybe for some, but one-upmanship has **** all to do with my liking my phone. Most of my mates have iPhones, HTC or Blackberrys. I really couldn't care less.
GrahamS - sorry to jump in but an OLED display doesn't have viewing angles, so to speak. Essentially, if you can see the screen, you'll get the right colour regardless of the angle.
Fair enough. I retract that bit then. 😳
I apologise for my previous rant - I don't hate Apple, or the iPhone 4. In fact, I quite like the new model. I think the reason that grumpy buggers like me get so wound up with it is because Apple hype it up to be the best, the most groundbreaking device in the whole world, ever.....When it isn't. It just isn't.
But fair play to Steve Jobs et al, they never fail to create a frenzy whenever they bring out a new product, and good on them. I bet HTC etc would kill to have a marketing strategy like Apple's!
Depending on price, I might even buy a SIM Free one to use with my current contract, I can then compare the Desire and the iP4 side-by-side over a few weeks, and work out which one I prefer. The other one will go on good old eBay!
I've got a Nexus One (aka Google phone) and it's great, friends have iPhones and they're happy with them too.
The TaskKiller stuff is a bit misleading - I occasionally kill tasks to stop them draining the battery, not because performance is suffering. And I only bother to do that if I know I'm going to be out of reach of a charger for a while. (And this is also the main weakness of the iPhone and all big-screen smartphones - the battery life is pants.)
Get either, you'll not be disappointed.
I've got an iPhone 3GS and the things the need to sort out on the iPhone 4 for me are (and in this order);
1) Improve phone reception
2) Improve phone sound quality
3) Improve batter life
4) Multi-tasking
The lack of multi-tasking is only a very minor annoyance, but the phone reception and sound quality issues along with limited battery life significantly compromise it's primary duties as a phone!
is because Apple hype it up to be the best, the most groundbreaking device in the whole world, ever.....When it isn't. It just isn't.
...isn't that called marketing! 😀
means re-installing all my apps and notes - bit of a pain!
I take it you're backing up using MyBackup? Makes the whole reinstall much easier.
epicsteve: well you'll get mulyitasking on your 3GS when the new OS update is released.
As for reception: I've not really had an issue (O2), but apparently the metal surround on the new 4G is a BFO aerial so that would help if you are in a poor reception area.
...isn't that called marketing!
Yes - and very effective marketing at that. Like I said before, the other companies would kill to have a marketing strategy like Apple's. There are handsets out there that are every bit as good as the Cupertino Candybar, but will be nowhere near as popular.
Apple has a massive headstart in the popularity stakes because of their loyal fanbase (I'll refrain from calling them by their more popular term!). This is something that the other companies simply don't have at the moment, which immediately puts them at somewhat of a disadvantage.
epicsteve: well you'll get mulyitasking on your 3GS when the new OS update is released.
Sort of... Not 'true' multitasking as found in other handsets, but a million times better than it was before!
I think the iP4 is definitely up there with a couple of others at the moment when it comes to the "best" handset. How long it stays there for will remain to be seen.
The lack of multi-tasking is only a very minor annoyance, but the phone reception and sound quality issues along with limited battery life [b]significantly compromise it's primary duties as a phone![/b]
That's the thing. For me and I reckon, quite a few iPhone/Smartphone users/owners, being a phone isn't the primary duty. I agree that the iPhone isn't great as a phone - not great reception and the sound quality is only average and the ringer's too quiet and the vibrate is too soft but I can live with that. YMMV...
Cupertino Candybar
When I read stuff like this it makes me discount every other point you may have about the subject. Just sayin' ...
I'd best not call it the JesusPhone then...
;o)
I take it you're backing up using MyBackup? Makes the whole reinstall much easier.
Too late now - done a factory reset...! Saved all contacts to SD card and all pics and the like are on it too. I wish I'd known about this before....!!
Apple has a massive headstart in the
popularity stakes because of their loyal
fanbase
Actually I'm quite a big fan of Google too and a daily user of many of its products (Search, YouTube, Docs, Books, Calendar, Reader, Chrome). And I wasn't an Apple user at all until I got an iPhone.
I think Apple got a massive headstart purely because they were the first to really revolutionise the design of smartphones.
I think Apple got a massive headstart purely because they were the first to really revolutionise the design of smartphones.
Plus the fact they already had millions of loyal followers, thanks to their other products.
Cupertino Candybar
When I read stuff like this it makes me discount every other point you may have about the subject. Just sayin' ...
Ah well 😉
Plus the fact they already had millions of loyal
followers, thanks to their other products.
Yeah, no one had really heard of "Google" till they brought out Android. 🙄
google.com: 620 million visits per day
apple.com: 32 million visits per day
If only Google were a bigger company with more resources and an easy way to reach billions of people with adverts. Maybe then they could have had the advantage that Apple had. 🙂
Yeah, no one had really heard of "Google" till they brought out Android.google.com: 620 million visits per day
apple.com: 32 million visits per dayIf only Google were a bigger company with more resources and an easy way to reach billions of people with adverts. Maybe then they could have had the advantage that Apple had.
Yes, thanks for the sarcastic response there. 😕 (It's "bought", not "brought" btw)
Apple have a huge base of fans thanks to the likes of the iMac, Macbook, iPod, first/second/third gen iPhones etc. Google/Android does not have this to the same extent, in this area. Fair to say?
GrahamS - Apologies for the spelling correction. Being a bit of an idiot. No need for it really.
😀
Yes thanks for the pedantic response there. 🙂
Apple have a huge base of fans thanks to the likes of the iMac, Macbook, iPod, first/second/ third gen iPhones etc. Google/Android does not have this to the same extent, in this area.
Fair to say?
Apple is now building on past success. That is true.
But to suggest it is just because they have more "fans" than Google is wrong in my opinion. I would guess that more people generally use Google products every day than Apple ones.
(And no, I meant "brought", as in past-tense of "bring", not "bought" as in past-tense of "buy", but thanks for your concern).
Sorry GrahamS - I thought you were referring to when Google purchased Android in 2005 (I think?). My misunderstanding so I apologise. Again. 🙂
np. I posted my snarky response before I saw your withdrawal.
No handbags intended 😀
Graham... come on, you must know as well as I do the almost religious zeal of a large number of the Apple fans, which is why they tend to have the reputation they do and also why they gained the fanboi tag. Unless of course you too are caught up in the Jobsian reality distortion field... ;o)
And while Google is a massive company, you've got to agree that they do not tend to inspire a similar level of adoration in their fans.
A lot of the fans pushing Android are not doing it because it's a Google product, but because it's a free product, free as in speech that is. It's the same sort of group that have championed Linux for the last however many years. And while this group has it's fair share of zealots they tend to be obsessive about free speech and open source software more than anything else.
This is probably the biggest reason for a lot of the techie clashes about the iPhone and Android as the fundamental philosophies behind the two systems are just incompatable. iPhone is the model of a closed source tightly controlled environment, just like Mircosoft wanted but failed to achieve. Android is open source with all the good and bad that goes with it.
In the end, you pays your money and takes your choice...
Yep, that all sounds like a fair assessment funkynick.
Though I'm not convinced that the success of either Android or iPhone can be ascribed to zealotry alone.
They are, in fact, both excellent products in their own right.
Well my "new" Desire just arrived with a working speaker! All seems fine...
What about the iPad? That seems to be a product whose success is almost entirely bought about by zealotry! If anyone else had brought it out it most certainly wouldn't have been as successful as it has been.
So, I wouldn't discount the amount that Apple zealotry played in making the iPhone a success. But, it is also that same zealotry which lead to the creation of Android in direct competition to it. So without the Apple fanbois we'd certainly not be where we are today...
TBH the iphone IS very good - it's not just fanboyism.
What about the iPad?
Personally, the iPad isn't for me. I can see how it might be attractive to some people. Jake Humphrey uses one for his F1 script notes on the BBC - good idea because he can also access Twitter while he presents, so there is more of an interaction between the viewers and the presenters, which is a good thing IMO.
However, I can't help but feel that it's a bit 'gimmicky' in the most part, because at the end of the day, it's a netbook that has a smaller hard drive, no usb ports, no CD/DVD drive, no "real" keyboard, less memory, and much less capability when it comes to multitasking. And then there's the never ending Flash content issue.
The top iPad is £700 (off the top of my head). For this price you could get one hell of a good netbook (that won't be an awful lot bigger) that offers a higher spec and more capability, but just lacks the fancy touchscreen and nice interface. I'd go for the netbook, especially if I had a iPhone or other smartphone already.
When you consider that the iP4 has all of the capabilities of the iPad, PLUS a phone, PLUS a better screen, I just can't see the need for one..? Unless they bring out "iPad G2" sometime soon..!
battery-killing widgets either.
You've just bought into a weird apple publicity thing there. Until Apple implement something, it is 'battery killing', 'inefficient', 'slow' etc etc. Multi tasking was, back in the past intel processors were. I bet you at some point in the future, Apple will implement something similar to widgets, and suddenly widgets will be the best thing since sliced bread.
Widgets are great. If they are setup sensibly, they only update when you go to that home screen and look at them, meaning no major battery hit. At least the widgets I have on my desire do (mail messages, calendar, weather, facebook etc.)
Same as on the iPhone, you can set it to check every bloody thing for messages etc every 20 seconds, and it eats battery life. But that is nothing to do with widgets.
Joe