help to resist - IPhone/iTouch

[xraptorx]

I have a HTC Touch Cruise and it is dreadfully slow. I was waiting for the X10 from Sony and thought that would be the new phone I will go with. First it is large, beautiful screen and fast. Secondly, it is on Android which I hope is better than WinMo.

However, a colleague just showed me his iTouch and it is sweet. I never really played with one before because I do not like apple's prison policy, but looking at this it is nice:

• FAST - it runs fast
• Plays movies and music beautifully
• Controlls his popcorn device remotely.
• Accesses his QNAP NAS wirelessly to stream movies and music
• The games he has are GREAT for himself and the kids (Risk, air hockey, monopoly, fighting and shooting, etc)
• The video podcasts and the TV shows he can watch is nice way to spend your traveling time

Even though I dislike the apple prison and the lack of multi-tasking in the devices, they look great and are full of features.

Since I do not have an android device yet, I cannot really see the Android marketplace to see what they have available - cuz the webpage does not show much .
Can anyone comment on if the androids can do all that the apples can do? I know not all companies have software for android yet ( For example, OptionTrading/Stockbrokers - ThinkorSwim.com & Audiobooks - Audbile.com), but is the rest just as possible with Android Phones?

Does Android sych with iTunes?

 

[rif]

If what you want is synch your iTunes library (or part of it, including playlists) to your phone I suggest you buy the very cheap and very good iSynch application from the android market: it allows you to copy the iTunes playlists you want and their content from your PC to your android phone. Works marvellously on my htc Desire.

If what you want is stream the music from your iTunes library (without copying the music to your phone), GMote is the app that does that for you. You can navigate your music library and start playing a song on your phone or even on your PC. Same with photos and supported movie formats.

 

[kapeman]

I have had an iPod Touch for a couple of years now and have a Droid X on order. The Mrs. recently got a Droid2.

Let me say that once my X arrives, the Touch will be relegated to alarm clock duty only.

The Droid does everything the Touch can, plus it is a phone and has 3G access.

 

[Podivin]

I have had an iPod Touch for a couple of years now and have a Droid X on order. The Mrs. recently got a Droid2.

Let me say that once my X arrives, the Touch will be relegated to alarm clock duty only.

The Droid does everything the Touch can, plus it is a phone and has 3G access.

+1
My iPod touch has been sitting on my desk, unused, for months - ever since I got my knew phone.

 

[kapeman]

+1
My iPod touch has been sitting on my desk, unused, for months - ever since I got my knew phone.

If only the Stanza team would get a Droid version out...

 

[A.Nonymous]

I'm actually selling my 32 gb iTouch (PM me if interested) because I'm replacing it with my phone. I've found that I can (for the price of my iTouch) add a 32 gb card to my phone giving me 40 gb of space. My DInc does everything the iTouch does. The apps on the iTouch looks prettier, but that's about it. For me, I like having just one device to carry around.

That being said, the iTouch is a very nice device. The one thing that it kicks my DInc's butt in is playing music. My DInc just doesn't have a media player comparable to the iTouch's player.

 

[grainysand]

[*]FAST - it runs fast

So does an Android phone with the latest OS update. Next?

[*]Plays movies and music beautifully

Plays movies like shit, more like. You're talking about an iTouch, so it's still stuck in low-res crapland. It's running at 480x320 resolution. High-end Android phones come in 800x480. Do your own math. Yes, you will see the difference if compared side by side. Huge difference. The iTouch is a hideously outdated thing by now until the next hardware refresh to bring it up to par with the iPhone 4.

Check out Appbrain.com so you can see what kind of apps the Android market offers.

 

[Cobravision]

Plays movies like shit, more like. You're talking about an iTouch, so it's still stuck in low-res crapland. It's running at 480x320 resolution. High-end Android phones come in 800x480. Do your own math. Yes, you will see the difference if compared side by side. Huge difference. The iTouch is a hideously outdated thing by now until the next hardware refresh to bring it up to par with the iPhone 4.

This is true. If you think the iTouch looks great for movies, wait until you catch it on a 4"+ screen. Also, since the 800X480 phones are at 1.66 aspect, widescreen movies and TV shows have small silvers of letterboxing. On the 1.5 AR iTouch screen, you will have larger black bars. While the Evo screen is 44% larger than the iTouch screen, the actual picture area on a 4.3" Evo is 60% larger than on the iTouch. BTW, the size differential is the same with the iPhone 4.

 

[A.Nonymous]

The iTouch is a hideously outdated thing by now until the next hardware refresh to bring it up to par with the iPhone 4.

Have you never used a 3G iTouch? It's a very, very nice device. My DInc has two things that give it an advantage over the iTouch in my mind - it's a phone and it's much more customizable. If you're not someone who wants to customize every single aspect of your device and you don't need/want a phone, then the iTouch is a really, really solid device. I wouldn't recommend updating it to 4.0, but running 3.1.3 it's a good product. You have access to far more apps than you do on Android, the apps are prettier and it's a really, really good media device. It all depends on what you need.

 

[kapeman]

Have you never used a 3G iTouch? It's a very, very nice device. My DInc has two things that give it an advantage over the iTouch in my mind - it's a phone and it's much more customizable. If you're not someone who wants to customize every single aspect of your device and you don't need/want a phone, then the iTouch is a really, really solid device. I wouldn't recommend updating it to 4.0, but running 3.1.3 it's a good product. You have access to far more apps than you do on Android, the apps are prettier and it's a really, really good media device. It all depends on what you need.

The reason I never plan to by another Apple product is the direct result of upgrading my 2G iTouch to 4.0.

What a nightmare!

 

[jgalan14]

Well is hard to replace your ipod when you use in daily basis and you dont have one but trust me high end devices of Android can help you with that, myself i got an evo and it works wonder I bought a 16gn memory card to replace my ipod touch and I dont usually have all music in it cause I don't think I'll listen to it completely , besides the apps on android are getting better and better I also bought some Zagg earbuds and sound really good with plus you don't have to carry two diferent devices wherever you go wichc it sucks if your like me and have to carry a work phone so yeah that's my take

 

[Boodies]

if you want a real multimedia oriented phone, there is no question you'll want the Samsung Galaxy with it's Super Amoled Screen. Besides having a great screen and battery life, it's got the hummingbird, the MOST POWERFUL processor currently in any phone.

Other ones to consider are the 4.3 inch screens from EVO and DroidX. You really can't go wrong with any of these newer generation phones. But to make things easier, the Galaxy, would be the cheapest route. It's even free from a couple of carriers. Goodluck.

 

[A.Nonymous]

The reason I never plan to by another Apple product is the direct result of upgrading my 2G iTouch to 4.0.

What a nightmare!

I don't disagree with that. I upgrade my 3g to 4.0. It ran so dog slow it was ridiculous and I ended up jumping through hoops to downgrade it.

 

[grainysand]

Have you never used a 3G iTouch? It's a very, very nice device. My DInc has two things that give it an advantage over the iTouch in my mind - it's a phone and it's much more customizable. If you're not someone who wants to customize every single aspect of your device and you don't need/want a phone, then the iTouch is a really, really solid device. I wouldn't recommend updating it to 4.0, but running 3.1.3 it's a good product. You have access to far more apps than you do on Android, the apps are prettier and it's a really, really good media device. It all depends on what you need.

I have handled one, though not used extensively (as I don't own one, of course). What struck me immediately was how terrible the screen looked. Low-res means horrid pixelated fonts. Old-school LCD means washed-out colors. It all looks so cheap. Yes, you have access to more apps, but I'm not a fan of handheld gaming to begin with, and games are all the App Store has over the Android market. Everything else is moot, and as for prettier, Launcher Pro/ADW Launcher makes my homescreens far prettier than any iOS can ever hope to match. Done.

 

[A.Nonymous]

I'm struck that you would consider it "cheap". You must have high standards. I've always found it very solid looking and the screen is high enough res for me. We're talking about a device who's primary function is a music player. That's it.

When I'm talking about "prettier" I'm talking about overall, not just the homescreens. You rarely find an iPhone app that looks ugly. You find ugly Android apps all over the market. The Android app in question may be just as functional as its iOS counterpart, but it's not as pretty.

Anyway, like I said before, it all depends on what you're looking for. You said you're not a fan of mobile gaming. Neither am I. Some people are though and for them an iTouch is a better platform. The iTouch kicks any Android device's butt as a media player IMO. If you're looking for a top notch media player that doubles as a gaming platform and has the bonus that you can run productivity apps as well, then the iTouch may be what you're looking for. No, it's not a phone like an Android device and it requires wi-fi to seemlessly integrate with the web, but it's still a good device depending on your needs.

 

[Szadzik]

The iTouch kicks any Android device's butt as a media player IMO. If you're looking for a top notch media player that doubles as a gaming platform and has the bonus that you can run productivity apps as well, then the iTouch may be what you're looking for. No, it's not a phone like an Android device and it requires wi-fi to seemlessly integrate with the web, but it's still a good device depending on your needs.

Only if you consider Media Player a device tha only plays audio, media however does not end with audio and with the small screen and poor resolution it gets kicked in the ass by a lot of Android phone with 800x480 resolution and 3.7-4.3 screens and do not try to tell me it is not true.

 

[amlothi]

If the OP still isn't persuaded by the other responses, the big reason you should not get an iPhone is because you don't want to be this person:

i need an iPhone 4

 

[A.Nonymous]

Only if you consider Media Player a device tha only plays audio, media however does not end with audio and with the small screen and poor resolution it gets kicked in the ass by a lot of Android phone with 800x480 resolution and 3.7-4.3 screens and do not try to tell me it is not true.

Again, it really depends on what you're wanting to do with the device.

The OP comments that the iTouch does all of the following:

• FAST - it runs fast
• Plays movies and music beautifully
• Controlls his popcorn device remotely.
• Accesses his QNAP NAS wirelessly to stream movies and music
• The games he has are GREAT for himself and the kids (Risk, air hockey, monopoly, fighting and shooting, etc)
• The video podcasts and the TV shows he can watch is nice way to spend your traveling time

The fact is it does do all of those things. It may not play movies beautifully enough for you, but does for him. I've watched video podcasts on it and it's good enough for me too. He likes the gaming aspect of the device. You don't get that kind of gaming experience on the Android. Once again, it all depends on what you want to do with the device.

To come out and say that Android devices are so far superior to Apple devices that no one in their right mind would ever choose to buy an Apple device is ridiculous. The iTouch is a good quality device. It's very, very good at what it does. Same thing with a lot of Android devices. They are solid devices that are good at what they do. It all depends on what the end user wants to do with the device.

If the OP still isn't persuaded by the other responses, the big reason you should not get an iPhone is because you don't want to be this person:

i need an iPhone 4

Brilliant. All iPhone users are dumb. Case closed. [/sarcasm]

 

[grainysand]

It may not play movies beautifully enough for you, but does for him.

That's because, from the sound of it, he has never seen a real high-end Android device before. Sorry, but in 2010--hell, even last year--the iTouch's resolution is pa-the-tic. Of course, if that's all you have ever had experience with, it's going to look pretty amazing. Kind of like how, if you've only ever eaten McDonalds all your life and nothing but, you aren't going to appreciate gourmet cooking.

 

[A.Nonymous]

That's because, from the sound of it, he has never seen a real high-end Android device before. Sorry, but in 2010--hell, even last year--the iTouch's resolution is pa-the-tic. Of course, if that's all you have ever had experience with, it's going to look pretty amazing. Kind of like how, if you've only ever eaten McDonalds all your life and nothing but, you aren't going to appreciate gourmet cooking.

You're missing my point entirely. He is happy with the resolution. That's all that matters.

 

[Szadzik]

You're missing my point entirely. He is happy with the resolution. That's all that matters.

Does it mean he will not apreciate better res?

 

[A.Nonymous]

Does it mean he will not apreciate better res?

It means that for him the iPod is what he's looking for. What is wrong with someone using an iPod if that device does exactly what they're looking for?

 

[Szadzik]

It means that for him the iPod is what he's looking for. What is wrong with someone using an iPod if that device does exactly what they're looking for?

Your reasoning only means that you will not accept that something is better even when it is, just because you act like a fanboy and cannot see the clear advantages shown to you.

To me it is clear that if I had a choice between two devices for watching movies and one had a smaller and lower res screen and the other had a bigger and higher res screen I would choose the bigger and higher res screen, there is no question about it unless there are other factors - and here there are none.

Answering OP's question: Android can do everything iOS can and more because it is open source, has better screens and a much bigger variety of devices suited for everyone's taste and not just one single device to choose from.

OP also mentioned not liking iOS's closed nature and Android is the exact opposite - open and fast-developing system that will soon become more populat than iOS.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Your reasoning only means that you will not accept that something is better even when it is, just because you act like a fanboy and cannot see the clear advantages shown to you.

To me it is clear that if I had a choice between two devices for watching movies and one had a smaller and lower res screen and the other had a bigger and higher res screen I would choose the bigger and higher res screen, there is no question about it unless there are other factors - and here there are none.

Answering OP's question: Android can do everything iOS can and more because it is open source, has better screens and a much bigger variety of devices suited for everyone's taste and not just one single device to choose from.

OP also mentioned not liking iOS's closed nature and Android is the exact opposite - open and fast-developing system that will soon become more populat than iOS.

So you accuse me of being a fanboy while completely dismissing the iTouch all together? Let's look at this another way.

Let's say for the sake of argument that an Android device does play videos much better than the iTouch. Let's say it's night and day different. That doesn't change my point that it doesn't mean that an Android device is what is right for the OP. It all depends on what you want on the device.

If the OP is looking for something that mainly plays music and is a mobile gaming platform, than an Android device is not what the OP wants. The iTouch kicks any Android device's ass when it comes to playing music. The interface is smoother and much easier to use. That should come as no surprise. Android devices are designed to be phones first and foremost, not music players. An iTouch is designed to be a music player first and foremost.

Then you have to look at the gaming aspects. I'm sorry, but the Android is just not a great mobile gaming platform. iOS is. Just because something is open source doesn't mean it's better than closed source. Ubuntu is open source. There's no way you can argue that it's a better OS than Windows and/or OS X. The "it's better because it's open source" argument is just ridiculous.

Once again, it all depends on what you need in a device. If you want something with a long battery life, a great music player, a good video player and a great media player and it can run productivity apps on top of all of that, then the iTouch is what you want. If you want something that's a more open platform, has a phone on it, doesn't play music as well, but plays videos better, then you should look at an Android device.

Again, it all depends on what you need. For some people iOS is perfect for what they need. For others, Android is a better fit. I'm not sure why you have such an issue with this.

 

[Szadzik]

So you accuse me of being a fanboy while completely dismissing the iTouch all together? Let's look at this another way.

Let's say for the sake of argument that an Android device does play videos much better than the iTouch. Let's say it's night and day different. That doesn't change my point that it doesn't mean that an Android device is what is right for the OP. It all depends on what you want on the device.

If the OP is looking for something that mainly plays music and is a mobile gaming platform, than an Android device is not what the OP wants. The iTouch kicks any Android device's ass when it comes to playing music. The interface is smoother and much easier to use. That should come as no surprise. Android devices are designed to be phones first and foremost, not music players. An iTouch is designed to be a music player first and foremost.

Then you have to look at the gaming aspects. I'm sorry, but the Android is just not a great mobile gaming platform. iOS is. Just because something is open source doesn't mean it's better than closed source. Ubuntu is open source. There's no way you can argue that it's a better OS than Windows and/or OS X. The "it's better because it's open source" argument is just ridiculous.

Once again, it all depends on what you need in a device. If you want something with a long battery life, a great music player, a good video player and a great media player and it can run productivity apps on top of all of that, then the iTouch is what you want. If you want something that's a more open platform, has a phone on it, doesn't play music as well, but plays videos better, then you should look at an Android device.

Again, it all depends on what you need. For some people iOS is perfect for what they need. For others, Android is a better fit. I'm not sure why you have such an issue with this.

It is all mostly true, but the OP is not looking for an iTouch, but for a phone!

OP wants open source - Android is better for him, right?

To me, there are lots of apps for both Android and iOS.

The OP will have to decide if he wants to be using what Steve wants him to use and think is best for him or use an open-source platform.

Android does synch with iTunes.

Now, the OP has to go to GSMarena.com and use the phone finder, to filter phones with features he/ she wants and see if there is something he/she likes.

Compare to Apple's offerings and the prices to be paid for the devices.

Decision needs to be made on actual factors and not the fact that he/ she likes the looks of an iTouch.

To the OP:

1. Go to the website I gave and search for Android devices to see what hardware is available - software-wise there will be no major differences because there are apps for both systems.
2. Decide whether you prefer a phone with homescreens or not. If you have a WinMo devicce you probably like customising your devices, that may mean Android is the way to go.
3. Go to a shop where they sell Android devices and have a look at a few high-end devices with large screens and high resolution.
4. Try to think what you want in a phone and tell us, we will try to compare the two systems - ATM there are no real requirements so we do not know what you really want from the device, to be a phone or to be a media player.