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This sums up my return to the iPhone. I was an android user from 2012 to 2018. I loved messing with things, customizing, problem-solving when things would break

This sums up my return to the iPhone. I was an android user from 2012 to 2018. I loved messing with things, customizing, problem-solving when things would break. And then eventually, I just... got over it. There were other things I'd rather spend my finite energy on. I wanted my phone to do phone things and do them well, and without me having to think about it.

rewgs 5y ago
Same. I switched from iPhone/Mac to Android/Windows and sometimes refer to that period as my "rumspringa," as I eventually returned to Apple for all things "daily life" tech. I've put all that customization energy into my Linux VM, i.e. my programming environment. Time spent dicking around there always teaches me something and results in a somewhat more efficient setup. Time spent playing with an Android shell or launcher or icon theme or whatever was just...sunk time.
webmobdev 5y ago
I can understand when someone says they opted for macOS or Windows as they didn't want to struggle with Linux. But making the same argument for Android vs ios, doesn't hold. In fact, you actually struggle and waste more time on ios - e.g. transferring a file from an iDevice to a non-Apple device. Stock Android is just as mature and capable as ios. It's all the bundled adware / spyware crap that the phone manufacturers add to Android that often makes it lousy and gives it a bad name. (Google shares the blame for making it a spyware).
- brundolf 5y ago
  > In fact, you actually struggle and waste more time on ios This hasn't been my experience > Stock Android is just as mature and capable as ios It's fine, but everything is just (imo) a little bit less cohesive and polished, and then there's the Google spyware, a shorter lifetime of updates, etc. And then if you aren't going off the beaten path and customizing stuff anyway, what are you actually gaining in exchange for those downsides?
  - webmobdev 5y ago
    I've given a clear example - try transfering a file from an iPhone or iPad to any non-Apple device, and you will waste a lot of time. Where as an Android or a Tizen or a Sailfish or Windows user only has to switch on Bluetooth and pair to transfer files with each other easily.
    - brundolf 5y ago
      I use either Slack or Dropbox, both of which work fine
      - webmobdev 5y ago
        And what if your friend doesn't have it on their non-Apple device? You waste time because you have to use third-party solutions for something that is built-in the device but restricted due to the software (ios limiting Bluetooth or Wifi Transfer to not work non-Apple devices).
        brundolf 5y ago
        It's just not a problem I find myself running into. Probably part of that is because I don't need to share actual files with others very often these days, especially from my phone, aside from pictures which you can of course send over any messaging or media platform (including SMS). And for small non-image files there's always email. I would add that when I had an Android phone I used the exact same strategies for transferring files. It honestly sounds like you're getting upset about this relative to how you think it should work, and not relative to an actual practical barrier, so I'm going to withdraw from the conversation here
        webmobdev 5y ago
        > It honestly sounds like you're getting upset about this relative to how you think it should work, and not relative to an actual practical barrier Typical irritating Apple fan response - "It's not the device, it's your fault for not using the device as Apple intended. Everyone knows that Apple locks down its devices to only work well within its eco system. But many don't like the fact that it doesn't work as well as with other devices, and this is where Android (and other mobile OS) shine over ios. With less than 50% marketshare, Apple device users do often run into this problem with others who have a non-Apple device.

rewgs 5y ago

Same. I switched from iPhone/Mac to Android/Windows and sometimes refer to that period as my "rumspringa," as I eventually returned to Apple for all things "daily life" tech. I've put all that customization energy into my Linux VM, i.e. my programming environment. Time spent dicking around there always teaches me something and results in a somewhat more efficient setup. Time spent playing with an Android shell or launcher or icon theme or whatever was just...sunk time.

webmobdev 5y ago

I can understand when someone says they opted for macOS or Windows as they didn't want to struggle with Linux. But making the same argument for Android vs ios, doesn't hold. In fact, you actually struggle and waste more time on ios - e.g. transferring a file from an iDevice to a non-Apple device. Stock Android is just as mature and capable as ios. It's all the bundled adware / spyware crap that the phone manufacturers add to Android that often makes it lousy and gives it a bad name. (Google shares the blame for making it a spyware).

brundolf 5y ago
> In fact, you actually struggle and waste more time on ios This hasn't been my experience > Stock Android is just as mature and capable as ios It's fine, but everything is just (imo) a little bit less cohesive and polished, and then there's the Google spyware, a shorter lifetime of updates, etc. And then if you aren't going off the beaten path and customizing stuff anyway, what are you actually gaining in exchange for those downsides?
- webmobdev 5y ago
  I've given a clear example - try transfering a file from an iPhone or iPad to any non-Apple device, and you will waste a lot of time. Where as an Android or a Tizen or a Sailfish or Windows user only has to switch on Bluetooth and pair to transfer files with each other easily.
  - brundolf 5y ago
    I use either Slack or Dropbox, both of which work fine
    - webmobdev 5y ago
      And what if your friend doesn't have it on their non-Apple device? You waste time because you have to use third-party solutions for something that is built-in the device but restricted due to the software (ios limiting Bluetooth or Wifi Transfer to not work non-Apple devices).
      - brundolf 5y ago
        It's just not a problem I find myself running into. Probably part of that is because I don't need to share actual files with others very often these days, especially from my phone, aside from pictures which you can of course send over any messaging or media platform (including SMS). And for small non-image files there's always email. I would add that when I had an Android phone I used the exact same strategies for transferring files. It honestly sounds like you're getting upset about this relative to how you think it should work, and not relative to an actual practical barrier, so I'm going to withdraw from the conversation here
        webmobdev 5y ago
        > It honestly sounds like you're getting upset about this relative to how you think it should work, and not relative to an actual practical barrier Typical irritating Apple fan response - "It's not the device, it's your fault for not using the device as Apple intended. Everyone knows that Apple locks down its devices to only work well within its eco system. But many don't like the fact that it doesn't work as well as with other devices, and this is where Android (and other mobile OS) shine over ios. With less than 50% marketshare, Apple device users do often run into this problem with others who have a non-Apple device.