4 ms·

Apple's forced upgrade culture is getting increasingly offensive as each generation has less and less to differentiate it from the previous one. I have to say,

by sprout 16y ago

Apple's forced upgrade culture is getting increasingly offensive as each generation has less and less to differentiate it from the previous one. I have to say, after having my Droid for six months, it does everything I need it to do adequately. When I change it for a new one, I will not be looking for more speed, nor more features, or even a better interface. I just want one that is designed to last more than 18 months. And a service plan that isn't designed to keep me buying new phones at that interval.

jsz0 16y ago
If you do get a new Motorola Droid you will have to buy a new desk dock and a new car dock. Neither of the original Motorola Droid docks are compatible with the Droid X or Droid 2.
- sprout 16y ago
  But they can easily be hacked to work, because they all run USB. And I don't own a dock anyway, because they don't have cross-device compatibility. In any case, I wasn't asserting the absolute superiority of Android. I only said that the Motorola Droid is entirely sufficient. So I'm not looking to upgrade to a better model anytime soon. If anything, I'll be looking for something with roughly the Motorola Droid's specs.
Terretta 16y ago
How often do you update the software? What changes when you update the software? How many hardware platform updates have there been for Android so far? How interoperable are the various docks? The iPhone 4 is essentially the same phone as the original iPhone. So little has changed, many of my colleagues are still happily using their summer 2007 Jesus phones, which they say do everything they need to do, adequately. Notice how Apple doesn't tell you how much RAM, or what the CPU clock speed is. Apple doesn't want consumers worrying about the hardware race. They'll sell you a major new feature: 3G support, a GPS chip and video encoder, a 4x resolution screen. But the core platform remains viable three and half years later, running the same apps. If your goal is a platform that's stable, seems you are contradicting yourself. On the one hand, you say Apple's each generation is insufficiently differentiated, yet on the other, you say you're forced to upgrade. With so little differentiation, why do you find yourself forced?
- sprout 16y ago
  I think you've misunderstood me. I want hardware that's stable. I don't want to be forced to buy new hardware every 18 months, because I don't need hardware more powerful than my Droid. I'm saying that a smartphone is a commodity item to me, and adding features beyond what the Droid does does not interest me. I want a cheaper, more reliable Droid.
cmelbye 16y ago
Forced upgrade? I know many, many, many people that are still using a first generation iPhone, iPhone 3G, or iPhone 3GS. There are, of course, enthusiasts that will get every new revision, just as there are enthusiasts for any sort of product. I think you're ignoring a large population of people that are content with their "old" iPhone models.
- sprout 16y ago
  I would have to see some figures. Maybe I'm wrong about the iPhone's longevity. Of course, I also might be wrong about my Droid's longevity. The primary reason I say forced is the US's carrier subsidy model, in which you are forced to pay 2/3 of the cost of a new phone whether you buy one or not. So your friends on first-gen are already making payments on their 4
  - pohl 16y ago
    Why do you perceive this "force" as coming from some aspect of Apple's culture? Shouldn't your offense be directed at the carrier?
    - sprout 16y ago
      In the case of Verizon it is. Just because I'm singling out Apple doesn't mean it's a singular concern. But my problem is that it seems pretty clear to me that of all the ways AT&T is shafting consumers, this is one way that Apple appreciates, because they can sell more devices than their customers would otherwise buy. And coupled with Apple's obstinate rejection of the USB standard adopted by most other manufacturers, even more waste is generated by cables that cannot be repurposed - they want you to buy another cable, even though your current one could be repurposed with minimal engineering changes on their part. In fact, using standard USB drivers instead of a proprietary, in-house protocol, even for a company like Apple, should be cheaper.
      - pohl 16y ago
        Are you imagining that — for those who still have early-generation iPhones and "are already making payments on their 4" — that Apple is getting a cut of those payments? I doubt that they are, and I don't see why Apple would appreciate that. I've never heard anybody else talk about upgrading in terms of "force" like you have. It appears, from my perspective, that your mental calculus for making your purchase is the rare case, and that many people don't want to bite the additional up-front cost of a new phone and don't want to to extend the length of their contract. I would wager that most people would roll their eyes at folks like me who would upgrade a perfectly good 3GS to a 4 just for the better display. Yeah, they're not doing the math, but not doing the math is the norm — not the exception. So, again, I think your offense is misplaced.

by sprout 16y ago

jsz0 16y ago

If you do get a new Motorola Droid you will have to buy a new desk dock and a new car dock. Neither of the original Motorola Droid docks are compatible with the Droid X or Droid 2.

sprout 16y ago
But they can easily be hacked to work, because they all run USB. And I don't own a dock anyway, because they don't have cross-device compatibility. In any case, I wasn't asserting the absolute superiority of Android. I only said that the Motorola Droid is entirely sufficient. So I'm not looking to upgrade to a better model anytime soon. If anything, I'll be looking for something with roughly the Motorola Droid's specs.

Terretta 16y ago

How often do you update the software? What changes when you update the software? How many hardware platform updates have there been for Android so far? How interoperable are the various docks? The iPhone 4 is essentially the same phone as the original iPhone. So little has changed, many of my colleagues are still happily using their summer 2007 Jesus phones, which they say do everything they need to do, adequately. Notice how Apple doesn't tell you how much RAM, or what the CPU clock speed is. Apple doesn't want consumers worrying about the hardware race. They'll sell you a major new feature: 3G support, a GPS chip and video encoder, a 4x resolution screen. But the core platform remains viable three and half years later, running the same apps. If your goal is a platform that's stable, seems you are contradicting yourself. On the one hand, you say Apple's each generation is insufficiently differentiated, yet on the other, you say you're forced to upgrade. With so little differentiation, why do you find yourself forced?

sprout 16y ago
I think you've misunderstood me. I want hardware that's stable. I don't want to be forced to buy new hardware every 18 months, because I don't need hardware more powerful than my Droid. I'm saying that a smartphone is a commodity item to me, and adding features beyond what the Droid does does not interest me. I want a cheaper, more reliable Droid.

cmelbye 16y ago

Forced upgrade? I know many, many, many people that are still using a first generation iPhone, iPhone 3G, or iPhone 3GS. There are, of course, enthusiasts that will get every new revision, just as there are enthusiasts for any sort of product. I think you're ignoring a large population of people that are content with their "old" iPhone models.

sprout 16y ago
I would have to see some figures. Maybe I'm wrong about the iPhone's longevity. Of course, I also might be wrong about my Droid's longevity. The primary reason I say forced is the US's carrier subsidy model, in which you are forced to pay 2/3 of the cost of a new phone whether you buy one or not. So your friends on first-gen are already making payments on their 4
- pohl 16y ago
  Why do you perceive this "force" as coming from some aspect of Apple's culture? Shouldn't your offense be directed at the carrier?
  - sprout 16y ago
    In the case of Verizon it is. Just because I'm singling out Apple doesn't mean it's a singular concern. But my problem is that it seems pretty clear to me that of all the ways AT&T is shafting consumers, this is one way that Apple appreciates, because they can sell more devices than their customers would otherwise buy. And coupled with Apple's obstinate rejection of the USB standard adopted by most other manufacturers, even more waste is generated by cables that cannot be repurposed - they want you to buy another cable, even though your current one could be repurposed with minimal engineering changes on their part. In fact, using standard USB drivers instead of a proprietary, in-house protocol, even for a company like Apple, should be cheaper.
    - pohl 16y ago
      Are you imagining that — for those who still have early-generation iPhones and "are already making payments on their 4" — that Apple is getting a cut of those payments? I doubt that they are, and I don't see why Apple would appreciate that. I've never heard anybody else talk about upgrading in terms of "force" like you have. It appears, from my perspective, that your mental calculus for making your purchase is the rare case, and that many people don't want to bite the additional up-front cost of a new phone and don't want to to extend the length of their contract. I would wager that most people would roll their eyes at folks like me who would upgrade a perfectly good 3GS to a 4 just for the better display. Yeah, they're not doing the math, but not doing the math is the norm — not the exception. So, again, I think your offense is misplaced.