unhappy iphone user comment

[stephen866]

I came across this in the comments section from an article about Most users happy with at&t service from cnet (article is from cnn). Article is irrelevant but the person wrote.


"I'm an unhappy iPhone owner/user! I had a iPhone 3G and switched over to the iPhone 4; still unhappy with phone reception and 3G is very, very slow. I use WiFi mostly. Too bad other "smart phones" aren't as easy to use for non-computer people."


Is this what some people think about android ?
I first owned the hero and now the EVO and using setting it up and using it was nothing.
Is the Iphone that simple ?

Now both my phones have the sense ui ,but is this the mind set for some people who want to switch but they think its "not easy for non-computer people"?

 

[powerkiter]

Well as I'm a newbie to Android and had never even heard of it before I had no fears of it, but after reading up about and going through the forums it can seem a bit geeky and to be honest I dont think of my X10 as a phone. It's more of a mini tablet and other Android virgins I have shown it to have said the same comment about it.

Plus as it's based on Linux which also has a hint of pc's and geekyness to it, how many windows users do you know that are very clued up on pc's and operating them? Now look at Linux and you need a degree of geek/nerd in you to understand how to install and run it on a pc.

Also he has an iphone so has been brainwashed by the big apple in the sky so god knows what he's thinking

 

[grainysand]

It's the mindset and many people being severely, painfully dumb. Like, super-dumb: more than one button is too complicated, having options is hard to cope with, customization is too complex--I bet many iPhone users are having trouble changing wallpapers even as we speak.

It's 2010 and the vast majority of people in the USA, a so-called first-world country, are still computer-illiterate. Sad.

 

[ari-free]

These are the same people who still use IE because that is the 'internet'

 

[powerkiter]

No there apple fans surely it's "Safari" not "Internet"

"I'm going on a Safari to look for porn"

 

[MJM128]

Most users like that just aren't tech savey enough I guess. A smartphone is a smartphone because you should be smart enough to use it, not because it picks up for your stupidity. Don't get me wrong the iphone is a nice phone and all but, most people that claim that android is too hard probably don't use the iphone for most of the smartphone functions (the internet, email, etc). I don't know how you could be tech savey enough to need a smartphone but at the same time not enough to be able to adjust to the slight learning curve to a different platform. It just boggles the mind!

Plus as it's based on Linux which also has a hint of pc's and geekyness to it, how many windows users do you know that are very clued up on pc's and operating them? Now look at Linux and you need a degree of geek/nerd in you to understand how to install and run it on a pc.

Well my grandparents have been using linux for 2 years now, I just told them I'm applying an update that will make your computer less prone to viruses.

 

[cr0wnest]

Some people just need to learn how to use things the hard way. Its life changing.

 

[Eugene]

"Too bad other "smart phones" aren't as easy to use for non-computer people."

Other smartphones are just fine for non-computer people. My two year old loves watching youtube on my phone, she hit the home button by accident, so she slid open the app tray scrolled down to youtube and opened it back up just like she had seen me do before.
My 4 year old plays music and games and takes pictures with my q9m (WM 6.1). So anyone who says other smartphones are harder to use than an iphone has the mentaility of less than a toddler.

 

[takeshi]

Is this what some people think about android ?
I first owned the hero and now the EVO and using setting it up and using it was nothing.
Is the Iphone that simple ?

It's a bit more restricted so there are really fewer choices to make in many cases. Also, things such as troubleshooting battery life issue can be fairly daunting with Android if you have no clue about tech.

It takes all types and the type that use Android forums are very likely to be tech geeks (or at least willing to delve more into tech than your average Joe) with a skewed perspective on the world. That said, most people automatically assume that Apple = easy to use or intuitive. A little from column A, a little from column B.

 

[jree]

When it comes to "smart phones" the Iphone is like a see and say with its pretty pictures. "The cow says MOOOOOOOO"

 

[kbohip]

As a new Samsung Vibrant user, I can't see how in the world they could ever make this thing easier to use. I mean you press a button, say what you're searching for, and Google finds it for you.

 

[MJM128]

"Too bad other "smart phones" aren't as easy to use for non-computer people."

Other smartphones are just fine for non-computer people. My two year old loves watching youtube on my phone, she hit the home button by accident, so she slid open the app tray scrolled down to youtube and opened it back up just like she had seen me do before.
My 4 year old plays music and games and takes pictures with my q9m (WM 6.1). So anyone who says other smartphones are harder to use than an iphone has the mentaility of less than a toddler.

Or....maybe we need to have the cow goes "MOOOOOOOOOooo" just for smartphones.

Like gmail goes "YOU GOT MAIL!"

 

[ari-free]

"Too bad other "smart phones" aren't as easy to use for non-computer people."

Other smartphones are just fine for non-computer people. My two year old loves watching youtube on my phone, she hit the home button by accident, so she slid open the app tray scrolled down to youtube and opened it back up just like she had seen me do before.
My 4 year old plays music and games and takes pictures with my q9m (WM 6.1). So anyone who says other smartphones are harder to use than an iphone has the mentaility of less than a toddler.

Little kids have no problem adapting to technology. They have plenty of time on their hands and everything they see is a new adventure. Older people have little patience after coming home from work to fiddle around with something when they just want to be able to do the things that they are really interested in.

 

[gohausmachine]

Little kids have no problem adapting to technology. They have plenty of time on their hands and everything they see is a new adventure. Older people have little patience after coming home from work to fiddle around with something when they just want to be able to do the things that they are really interested in.

I have to agree with you on that. Although I believe that your statement may not be as true in 20-30 years. People such as myself (21 years old) will continue to enjoy new technology and learning the ins and outs. Of course I could be wrong.

 

[GirlGoneGeek]

There are just SO many Android phones on the market now, how can people not find one that suits them? All they seem to hear is "Android is open and you can make it do this and that and hack and customize..." and they don't pick up on the fact that you don't HAVE to do that to have a great user experience.

Truly, that's why a lot of manufacturers are making Android skins - so the average AT&T customer who wants a capable phone can pick up the HTC Aria and enjoy it right out of the box. The person who wants to customize it and root it and overclock it and flash custom ROMs can do that if they want, but YOU DON'T HAVE TO.

It's marketing. Apple touts its simplicity, Android touts its possibilites.

 

[grainysand]

There are just SO many Android phones on the market now, how can people not find one that suits them? All they seem to hear is "Android is open and you can make it do this and that and hack and customize..." and they don't pick up on the fact that you don't HAVE to do that to have a great user experience.

People are afraid of choice and prefer to be told what to do and like; when presented with options, they're overwhelmed. Huxley was right about a lot of things when he wrote Brave New World.

 

[AmneonX]

"Too bad other "smart phones" aren't as easy to use for non-computer people."

Other smartphones are just fine for non-computer people. My two year old loves watching youtube on my phone, she hit the home button by accident, so she slid open the app tray scrolled down to youtube and opened it back up just like she had seen me do before.
My 4 year old plays music and games and takes pictures with my q9m (WM 6.1). So anyone who says other smartphones are harder to use than an iphone has the mentaility of less than a toddler.

The problem isn't that people aren't smart enough to learn it. It is that they don't want to. Some people want a phone to be exactly that, a phone.

My 4 year old showed my dad how to use his Moto Razr, my dad uses it only as a phone for the most part. He knew how to get to the games on my Blackberry Curve 2, he knew how to use the camera on my Q9C, and my Curves(1 and 2). Shoot, he knows the password to get on my computer, my xbox live account, and knows how to get to nick.com to play games. Now, I've got the Moto Droid X, and he is learning that and my mom's and wife's droids. He can get to the games, load up my SNESoid, find games on their phones. I agree with Eugene, Smartphones aren't that hard to use. People got to understand, they are not JUST a phone. They are pocket sized computers. And Ios is so easy to use because it was designed by toddlers.

 

[QXQ]

how can people not find one that suits them? All they seem to hear is "Android is open and you can make it do this and that and hack and customize..." and they don't pick up on the fact that you don't HAVE to do that to have a great user experience.

Because I'm not sure it does what I want

Being someone that has been using Linux for 5 years, I will say that my wants are functional ones, not simply for geek points and entertainment. The N900 runs a full Linux kernel, uses standard libraries, runs an X server, and pretty much means most GNU applications can, and have been, port to it. Having a full Linux distro makes for not only a better user experience for me, but a better functional work experience (SSH'ing to my Phone for tinkering is nice).

Mind you, it doesn't work on CDMA networks, it maybe replaced in the near future, and I don't want to switch networks; so I hope I can find an Android phone that works for me.

 

[ari-free]

ubuntu on android
YouTube - Nexus One Hacks - Ubuntu Running on Nexus One Android!

 

[QXQ]

ubuntu on android
YouTube - Nexus One Hacks - Ubuntu Running on Nexus One Android!

Seems like it's just for the geek points. You waste a bunch of resources to run two operating systems, run VNC and generate those frames to send back to yourself. Better yet, why do you even want a desktop environment running, when you already have one tailor made for a touch interface?

The answer is you don't.

Google should have just included the bare Linux standards, so the thousands of Linux developers could immediately jump on board with their platform, and all the tools/applications/functions that come along with it. I would already have a couple android phones if that were the case.

 

[ashykat]

The problem is that a lot of the press for Android talks about how open and customizable it is. A lot of consumers are intimidated thinking they need to hack and patch to get something that works easily. I remember some of the early iPhone commercials that just showed someone using the phone. They really pushed the simplicity of the phone and I think it eased a lot of people's concerns. It wouldn't hurt for some manufacturers to do something similar. Your arm turning into a robotic arm in a Droid X commercial is awesome to me, but it may not scream easy to use to someone else.

 

[ari-free]

Seems like it's just for the geek points. You waste a bunch of resources to run two operating systems, run VNC and generate those frames to send back to yourself. Better yet, why do you even want a desktop environment running, when you already have one tailor made for a touch interface?

The answer is you don't.

Google should have just included the bare Linux standards, so the thousands of Linux developers could immediately jump on board with their platform, and all the tools/applications/functions that come along with it. I would already have a couple android phones if that were the case.

There are many reasons why google didn't want to make a traditional linux distro. It's hard enough just to work together with the linux kernel maintainers (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/22/android_kernel_readmission/), let alone each and every other part of traditional linux. Android needs to be a complete system with its own direction and you can't have that with the traditional approach.

 

[zaim87]

The iphone is easier to use, but after a while you get frustrated with all the restrictions. i recently started using Android, and actually learnt a lot of stuff from these forums. Its not difficult to use

 

[Emmiemouse]

Little kids have no problem adapting to technology. They have plenty of time on their hands and everything they see is a new adventure. Older people have little patience after coming home from work to fiddle around with something when they just want to be able to do the things that they are really interested in.

I absolutely agree!!! My hubby wanted a Droid so I got dragged over to the dark side - without my iPhone. I resent the statements by some on the forum that basically labels iPhone users as "dummies".

I'm a college educated, business woman who works LONG days. I also have 2 small kids. I don't want to spend precious downtime learning how to use a device that's supposed to make my life easier. The phone should be user friendly and ready to meet my needs - day one - out of the store/box. I shouldn't have to void the warranty with hacks or "roots" -or- read manuals and online tutorials to make my android phone work with the same quick ease and efficiency of my iPhone.

The android phones come pre-loaded with so much JUNK that it's frustrating to navigate. Some of that can be deleted, but most of it can't. In addition to the time wasted pre-programming for "quick ease" - the extra steps also make it daunting for those who aren't tech savvy. For example: when I want to call someone, I want to hit the phone button, hit their name, phone auto-dials. I don't want to create a shortcut, hit their name, be sure I got phone not FB, text or email, shrink the keyboard, press dial ... and don't get me started on voice mail!

Personally I'd love to see something in the line of HTC sense ... with pre-loaded user friendly apps or shortcuts (phone that works as described above, voice mail key that auto-dials and logs in so you can hit one button and hear/delete the msg) plus the ability to delete battery draining JUNK like footprint.

 

[Shieldfire]

Now look at Linux and you need a degree of geek/nerd in you to understand how to install and run it on a pc.

Maybe if you run Gentoo
For distributions like Ubuntu it's as complicated as inserting a CD and rebooting (more or less).

Still, to get a basic working phone with a basic set of apps running on Android phones, you don't need to do anything. I guess I could have lived fairly nicely without changing out stock apps on my Desire. After two weeks I've hunted down most stuff I feel are working nicer and am tinkering with that - but I have run Linux since Red Hat 4.2 or so, so what do I know