// October 15th, 2009 // 10,928 Comments » // Technology
When Apple released the first iPhone in 2007 it revolutionized the way that people look at their phones. Sure we had PDAs, Blackberrys, and Windows Mobile devices floating around. For some they were practical devices that helped them manage their schedule’s and communicate on the run. But more often than not they seen as overly complicated status symbols, considered unnecessary or even intimidating devices.
Then everything changed on January 9th 2007 when Steve Jobs stood up and did what he does best: he told us he was going to change the world; or at least the way we look at our phones. The blogosphere was a buzz with Apple mania and people turned out in droves to rave about their new high gloss tempered glass play things. The iphone represented a paradigm shift in mobile devices. No longer were smartphones exclusive property of corporate executives; Apple was opening the flood gates and inviting the masses. Even I, as someone that never really ‘got’ the whole Blackberry craze, was caught up in the iphone. It looked as though Apple was the big man on campus once more, and this time Microsoft was too big, too old, and too set in its ways to respond to Apples advances.
But something happened on November 5th of that same year that would level the playing field. It did not come out to great fanfare, there were not bells or whistles blowing, there was no Steve Jobs. There was only a press release. Few people outside of the tech world stood up and took note but on that day Android was born and the seeds were planted for the iphone’s eventual demise.
HTC Hero on Sprint running Android 1.5
As I read that press release about Google’s plans for Android and it’s Open Handset Alliance, I saw history repeating itself. I saw Macintosh in the late 80’s, I saw apple stubbornly clinging to proprietary software refusing to lease to other PC makers, and I saw Microsoft come in and steal it all away. I realized in that moment that Google is the Microsoft of the 90’s. As Apple once again clings to its proprietary software and only partners with a hand full of service providers it will once again be surpassed by a competitor that lisences their software to anyone and everyone. Most people told me I was crazy, they told me open source software doesn’t hold up well in a commercial environment, that Apple will innovate and stay ahead of the curve.
I am here to tell you that my moment of vindication is near!
The last few weeks has seen an explosion of Android devices announced on every major network including the big one: Verizon Wireless. At current count there are up to 50 Android prototypes reported as “in the wild”, and by years end there are expected to be at least 18 Android devices on the market. Why will Android succeed? Because years ago Google gambled on open source cloud computing, and that bet is about to pay off in spades. Android is built around the cloud, hell many of androids features wont work unless you log into your Google account.
Take for instance the new HTC Sense UI and Sprint Hero from factor, this phone is comparable to the iphone in every aspect. Clean user friendly UI; fast, responsive touchscreen; multi-touch zoom; accelerometer, 3.5 headphone jack and high res screen. But what sets the Hero apart for the iphone is its cloud centric operation. The Hero will pull contacts from Gmail and Microsoft Exchange and then allow you to sync your contacts to their respective social networking accounts. The Hero, and Android in general begins to blur the lines between where the phone ends and the cloud begins. In the past you would have to open a separate application to view status updates or check email, but now all these forms of communication are being molded into one. Breaking down these barriers allows users to maintain a cohesive identity across multiple communication mediums; instead of taking the time to see what your friends are doing on facebook, or on twitter, or if anyone posted new pictures on flicker; Android pushes all this information to you in a neat little package. Does your iphone do that?
The Future of Android
Barns & Noble eReader
Part of the beauty of Android is that it is open source and can be used in any mobile device. Recently this has included the development of the Barns & Noble eReader and several netbooks. Personally I don’t think it is time to jump into an Android netbook just yet. There are not many applications available and you will be stuck using web based productivity suits like Google Docs. However if you are someone that lives with your head in the cloud and you already use Google Docs, Android offers a lightning fast, lightweight, cheap notebook that won’t have any security issues. Like I said, I would personally wait for the ChromeOS that will be released next year.
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Further Reading
This is the first article I have written in a long while, if you enjoyed it or have any comments about the contents of the article please leave them below.
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