Category: iOS

another reason why i switched to an iphone

whbeebe

The Verge has published an article with the damning fact that only 7.5% of active Android devices are using Android Marshmallow (6.0.1). This on he cusp of the next Android software release in two weeks, version 7 or ‘N’. Android 6 is the version I have running on my aging 2013 Nexus 7s, and it is those two Nexus 7s that are the only Android devices I actively use. All other devices, specifically the Samsung Galaxy S4s my wife and I replaced with the iPhone 6S+ are sitting in a drawer, totally discharged by now. And stuck on some version of Lollipop (5.x). Which, according to the Verge article, has nearly 36% of those Android capable devices.

It only goes downhill from there. Android Gingerbread (2.3) still has 2% and change of all of those devices. The last time I used a Gingerbread handset was my HTC myTouch on T-Mobile, and I switched to AT&T and the Samsungs because T-Mobile at that time would not update the HTC handsets and did not have the latest and greatest Android handsets for sale at that time. When AT&T came calling with their more comprehensive plans and handsets it was a no brainier to switch.

Unfortunately two-plus years with Samsung on AT&T, with it’s oddball software updates and the would-they-or-wouldn’t-they-update-at-all eternal question finally pushed me into the Apple camp. I have repeatedly commented on how Apple keeps its iOS software up-to-date on a regular basis across all devices. It might not be perfect, and there are those who say that Android, especially Android 6, is far better than iOS 9. But I’m not in the mood to buy one new expensive handset after another just to get the latest Android release. Google itself made an promise that starting with Android 5 (Lollipoop) major new releases would run without impact across all devices if they are least could run Android 5 to start. I’ve seen that promise delivered on my 2013 Nexus 7s that uypgraded OTA from Android 4.4 to Android 6.0.1. Unfortunately Samsung with AT&T stopped at Android 5 on the Galaxy S4. I was certainly no fan of the S5, and didn’t care all that much for the S6’s features either. When the S6 came out looking like a clone of the iPhone 6, I figured I might as well go buy the real thing. Especially when it was revealed that the Apple iPhone 6 was less expensive than the Samsung Galaxh S6.

I don’t care how good Android is compared to iOS. You can’t get the latest releases with fixes and new features unless you commit to a purchasing a new Android flagship phone (or one close to it) every 6 to 12 months. With  Apple I have the knowledge that my iDevices will all be automatically updated to the most current release.For example my iPad Air 2, purchased November 2014, has upgraded automatically from iOS 8 to iOS 9.x, all when it was supposed to. It runs as well now, if not better, than it first did with iOS 8. In the short time I’ve had my iPhone 6S+ it’s also upgraded, on the same day as my iPad, to the same version. Timely upgrades and having the latest to run on my iDevices is a key feature I won’t trade away it purchasing another Android device. I don’t ever see Google fixing this problem.

turning anti-social

whbeebe

I’ve used some sort of on-line social system stretching back to the 1980s when I followed text-based Usenet forums. After that I moved on to Fidonet, then on to web-centric groups like GeoCities. After that came my sampling of Facebook and Twitter, especially with the rise of app-based social media.

Today I’ve limited myself to the three social services you see in the iOS screen shot to the right (not that Twitter is covered by the native Twitter app as well as TweetBot). I wanted to cut my usage back even farther, but not give it up entirely (thus avoiding the cutting-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face problem of total account deletion).

Why such personal limitations? Because over time I’ve grown tired of Twitter’s lack of general civility and an inability to trust what I read coming from just about any source on Twitter, especially any of the politically hot issues like the 2016 presidential election season. Following my timeline on Twitter is almost as bad as watching TV; pointless drama mixed with questionable facts punctuated by empty and unwanted advertising. I’ve already given up watching TV by canceling my cable TV subscription…

I’ve deleted an earlier Twitter account once already because of this, but re-registered a new account about a year later to follow a few of my friends and a few news sources. Before I knew it I was back up into following 90 or so accounts; now I’m up to following 133 accounts, far more than I can honestly keep track of. And I have 127 followers, far more than I can honestly account for. This time, instead of just deleting the account, I decided to hide it and see if that could cut down on my use of the service. What a pleasant surprise that’s been.

In order to hide Twitter I used an iOS feature, the creation of groupings of apps similar to folders in regular desktop systems. In an attempt to control my mindless access I dragged the four social apps into their own Social grouping. I figured out of sight, out of mind as it were.

By moving Twitter (and the three other social apps) from the top-level iOS screen, my use of all those social apps has dropped tremendously. Now, if I have the need for a little Twitter, I have to exert just a bit more effort to open it up. Otherwise I find it’s out of the way and ignored by me most of the time. I find my use of all the social media has dropped quite a bit to a very healthy low. Perhaps in the near future I’ll completely delete all those accounts. But for now, “hiding” all of this is a very good first step towards that goal of being Twitter-free.

Before you ask, I deleted Facebook years ago. There’s no going back into that snake pit for me.