Android and iOS

Years ago I was a devoted Palm user. Sadly the time came when Palm was no longer an option and it was time to replace my mobile phone. At the same time I was helping my mother replace her phone and recommended that she switch from a flip phone to a smart phone. So I recommended the then new iPhone 3G since there was a lot of books and guides written for iPhone users. But should I choose an iPhone or Android. Already an iPod user I was familiar with Apple products.

The thing that tipped the choice to Android was the announcement of a swiping keyboard app. As a Palm user I loved using Graffiti with the stylus and not a fan of fingers touching screens (fingerprints are messy). But at least a swiping keyboard app would be more natural than pecking at an on tiny screen keyboard. So I chose an Android phone. [By the way, a swiping keyboard is wonderful but I still miss Palm and the built in stylus with capacitive screen which you could also use pencils or fingernails to write on the screen.]

It has been many years (since 2009) and Android has been my preferred phone operating system. When friends and family would ask for recommendations I would ask them questions and if they were someone who loved to customize the answer would be Android, but if they wanted simple the answer would be iPhone.

Over time many of those iPhone users have switched to Android (including my mother), not because of the functionality but due to size. Android phones and screens grew larger and Apple did not release a significantly larger phone until 2014.

While iOS is a solid environment it just wasn't my choice. I like to tinker and iOS felt too restrictive and simple by comparison. More like flipping a standardized light switch (iOS) rather than using light dimmers or timers to suit personal preference (Android). Both are functional. Both are good. It comes down to personal preference.

So as someone who likes tech I would answer questions for family and friends. Like many of my generation there was a tech support role for less technically inclined family members. Some had iOS devices and others Android ones. So I had regular exposure to both.

At work I was assigned an iPhone. Functional and a couple nice features but the tiny keyboard which required pecking out letters and numbers one by one was [and still is] constantly irritating. With a recent iPhone upgrade at work, a swiping keyboard app is finally an option [and quickly downloaded]. Not long ago I purchased last year's model of an iPad Mini to update my knowledge of iOS devices.

Most of my preferred apps were also available. A few are not available in iOS and still looking for alternatives (e.g., JotterPad and Ravulous are Android-only apps). Some iOS app versions are a little (and I do mean little) better.

Read today about the Outlook app on iOS and it is wonderful! Much better than the Android version (at this time). So my resistance is ebbing slightly.

BTW - The iPad Mini with retina display is very nice.