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Charlie Stross on indespensible Android apps.

50 points by AndrewDucker 14y ago

brazzy 14y ago
> it tends to lack the design aesthetic of apps written by Apple fanboys who have been brainwashed with the Cult of Cupertino's desire for things to be functional, pleasing, and useful. Pre-emptive counter-snark is something that seems enormously funny to you when you write it, but rather paranoid when you read it.
w1ntermute 14y ago
> Android 4.1 is just about acceptable as an alternative to iOS. The user interface is rather less polished If you're still not satisfied at this point, there's not much that can be done. Looking at any review of Jelly Bean by a major tech blog will tell you they're satisfied with the interface and that it's on par with iOS.
- nicholassmith 14y ago
  Just because a major tech blog says something is true does not mean every man and his dog will agree, especially over something like UI polish. I personally think it's much better compared to a few generations ago, but still has a few more rough spots than iOS.
  - w1ntermute 14y ago
    > Just because a major tech blog says something is true does not mean every man and his dog will agree, especially over something like UI polish. That's exactly what I meant...my point is that a journalist's (supposedly) unbiased assessment is much more reliable than some random guy's opinion on the matter. > I personally think it's much better compared to a few generations ago, but still has a few more rough spots than iOS. I would love to know what some of these "rough spots" are. I don't own any Apple products, but happened to use a friend's iPad 3 yesterday, the first time I was using the device. After hearing so much praise on HN about how the interface was "so smooth", I was rather disappointed to find that basic things like text input and scrolling caused significant lag. Now I'm finding it difficult to take praise of iOS at face value.
    - adestefan 14y ago
      Tech journalists are not really known for their unbiased writing ability.
    - nicholassmith 14y ago
      Everyone is biased, I'd prefer someone like Charlie Stross who's love of Apple products is firmly on his sleeve to say "I've got a Nexus, it's pretty decent but..." because you know a) he's biased towards Apple, so he's comparing it to his base of reference, and b) if he says it's approaching the level of quality it's very good. A lot of tech bloggers hide behind 'we're unbiased!' and troll for clicks by changing their minds on a company/product every 6 months.
      - Kylekramer 14y ago
        Given the pace of technology, it seems like an unbiased observer would change their mind every few months.
        nicholassmith 14y ago
        Not necessarily, the pace of technology is fast but not as fast as a flip-flop for click bait. I think one of the best examples is when Gizmodo went from being overwhelmingly positive about almost everything Apple produced, to being overwhelmingly negative in the space of about 2 weeks, whilst the rest of the tech press was giving Apple favourable reviews. There's the pace of technology and then there's the pace of public opinion and there's few things that move faster than that.
      - mtgx 14y ago
        That's my problem with these types of reviews. They use iOS and Apple's devices as a point of reference. Apple may have indeed earned that, but at some point they will just say they like "Apple's way" better than Android's way, because they've used it for so long this way, rather than simply making an objective observation of which way is better, or praising the advantages of using it the Android way. For example many still say that iOS is "more intuitive", and that may still be true overall, or perhaps they just say that because Apple has nothing but icons on the homescreen, but there are also a lot of stuff that Android can do them faster and more in a more intuitive way than iOS, like activating Bluetooth, getting the weather, notifications, and so on.
- darkstalker 14y ago
  Stopped reading on that line. Bought an iOS device some time ago (coming from Android) and I'm still trying to find anything "superior" to Android's UI. It's just a matter of taste.
- moystard 14y ago
  I don't mind that the author prefers the iOS user experience, everybody can have his opinion on that. However, saying that Android is about acceptable as an alternative to iOS, it is just trolling.
Tichy 14y ago
I guess ultimately there are just not many apps that are really necessary, apart from browser and ebook reader. Web apps are winning after all... That said, are there any good children apps for Android? I mean apps for toddlers, no questionable "learning apps", just nice pictures that move when you touch them? It's the only thing that makes me think an iPad might be worthwhile to entertain my kid.
- StavrosK 14y ago
  This was posted on HN some time ago, I had fun with it (not sure about kids, but it's well done): http://www.androidauthority.com/samo-coloring-for-kids-app-review-102119/ http://www.androidauthority.com/samo-coloring-for-kids-app-r...
  - Tichy 14y ago
    Thx, will try!
- ezquerra 14y ago
  My 19 month old lives one little game called "Animal Puzzle for Toddlers". It has got several simple puzzles where you have to place some animals on a drawing where they are missing. When you are fine there are balloons that appear on the screen which you can click making then explode. It's fun and simple. There is a lite version, but the full version adds some more puzzles and it is very cheap (1$ if I recall correctly).
  - Tichy 14y ago
    Thanks, I'll look for it!
- pbreit 14y ago
  The Duck Duck Moose and Sesame Street apps are good. But for toddlers, iPad as much, much better. My toddlers, who have no trouble using iPad, have a terrible time with the Nexus.
  - 14y ago
darklajid 14y ago
I don't quite understand the 'Rotation Locker' link. Android 4.1 includes a _very_ exposed button for that. Pull down the notification area (works from all non-fullscreen apps) and it's right there, next to the settings button. In fact, it's probably the most accessible setting you get on that device. So .. given that the pitch is "Rotation Locker makes it easy to lock or unlock automatic screen rotation" I've to say that this doesn't make sense. The app _does_ seem to have a purpose though (with profiles tied to Locale/Tracker - or if you're stuck on an old version of Android). Just not a big one on the Nexus 7.
- AndrewDucker 14y ago
  Running Jelly Bean on a Galaxy Nexus - I don't seem to have a button there for that. Edit: Aaah - it seems to only be on the Nexus 7. How odd.
  - darklajid 14y ago
    Thanks for the clarification. Having only access to a single JB device (my Nexus 7) myself I didn't even know that this is 'special'.
Tyrannosaurs 14y ago
The tone of the article is odd. The introduction is borderline hostile but from the rest of the piece it's clear that here is someone who has not only bought an Android device, but put a bunch of time into it. In terms of the list of must have apps my impression was two fold: On one hand I was pretty underwhelmed. Maybe Charles Stross's primary use cases are different to mine but there seems nothing that impressive on his list. The office software looks nice (though less impressive is the hoop jumping to get it) but I think most people stopped being excited by document editing on the go way before iOS and Android came into being. On the other though, thinking about what I have on my iPad and use, there are some nice little things there but I can't say any of them have changed my life or are indispensable to me. The reality is that the massive bulk of what I do is covered off by the pre-installed apps - browsing, video, reading (where there are solid options on both platforms if you don't like the defaults), maps. Yes I can edit video or mess about with music creation on there, but it's not a great platform for either. Perhaps it's just me but I wonder if the gap between app availability on the two platforms is a bit of a red herring at this point. It feels like we're still trying to work out what tablets are for, and while app evolution will be a big part of that, right now it's a perceived differentiator rather than one that has a major impact on usage. EDIT: Removed a snippy last line on the grounds that it was a cheap and undeserved shot at the OP and his replying politely and ignoring it has made me realise I was being a dick.
- cstross 14y ago
  Two points: 1. I've seen OS's come and go since CP/M. I don't get all fanboy-ish over them if I can help it. 2. I'm more interested in utility than ideology. 3. (There is always one more point than you expect when you begin a list.) I was trying to call out the less common items I use, not the stuff everyone knows about and sees in every "ten vital utilities for your Android" article on the web.
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - cageface 14y ago
    1. I've seen OS's come and go since CP/M. I don't get all fanboy-ish over them if I can help it. Likewise, but doesn't this seem like a kind of a crucial fork in the road for consumer electronics technology? The struggle between Apple (and Microsoft's) walled garden approach vs the Android bazaar seems to me to carry implications larger than previous rounds of this game, particularly when huge numbers of people are about to come online for the first time.
mhd 14y ago
…or in other words, how to turn your tablet into a quite lackluster Unix laptop. Once you add up external storage and a bluetooth accessories (incl. crappy keyboards), are you really that far removed from an X-series Thinkpad (or one of those new-fangled ultrabooks), albeit with worse performance?
- cageface 14y ago
  I just cannot see the point of trying to turn a tablet into a laptop. If the shift to mobile taught us anything wasn't it that one device can not adapt equally well to all tasks?
  - mhd 14y ago
    I really hope that this isn't a true "shift", but disregarding that, if you look just a few years back you had a PDA and a phone, now that's done by one "smart"phone (that, plus GPS and camera). I'd say that most tablets certainly would be capable of doing that when it comes to raw power (hey, they're faster than SGI Indys), but the ergonomics are quite odd, which is a problem that Moore's law doesn't solve automatically. And when you're carrying your Android tablet in addition to an iPad… But hey, there's been online IDEs, a lot of "distraction free" writing environments etc. for tablets, so the line to draw between tablet and laptop usage is obviously a very individual choice. And, well, as an emergency Unix shell connector even I can see the point, and I'm definitely in the "tablets are for consuming" camp.
  - ams6110 14y ago
    One point would be so that you don't have to carry a laptop. If you need some things (e.g. terminal emulators) occasionally but not often enough to really justify lugging a full laptop around, then having that on your tablet could be valuable (even if not "as good" as the laptop experience).
guard-of-terra 14y ago
I'm amused to see FBReader making inroads to international readers community.
lutusp 14y ago
The title of this submission: "Charlie Stross on indespensible Android apps" (emphasis added) The title of the linked article: "Gadget patrol: indispensable Android apps" (Emphasis added) Please do not type in headlines, because you will surely get it wrong. Instead, copy them.
casca 14y ago
It amazes me that there is still no usable firewall on Android. Droidwall et al that require pre-configuration of apps with very limited granularity make no sense in an environment that regularly gets new software installed with unknown characteristics.
- scott_karana 14y ago
  I believe LBE Guard allows you to sandbox any arbitrary Permission on android, and can be configured to ask you whenever a new (or existing) application is started. Requires a rooted device, but I found it to be effective. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.securi...
  - casca 14y ago
    LBE works for Android permissions but not for distinct network endpoints per application.

50 points by AndrewDucker 14y ago

> it tends to lack the design aesthetic of apps written by Apple fanboys who have been brainwashed with the Cult of Cupertino's desire for things to be functional, pleasing, and useful. Pre-emptive counter-snark is something that seems enormously funny to you when you write it, but rather paranoid when you read it.

w1ntermute 14y ago

> Android 4.1 is just about acceptable as an alternative to iOS. The user interface is rather less polished If you're still not satisfied at this point, there's not much that can be done. Looking at any review of Jelly Bean by a major tech blog will tell you they're satisfied with the interface and that it's on par with iOS.

nicholassmith 14y ago
Just because a major tech blog says something is true does not mean every man and his dog will agree, especially over something like UI polish. I personally think it's much better compared to a few generations ago, but still has a few more rough spots than iOS.
- w1ntermute 14y ago
  > Just because a major tech blog says something is true does not mean every man and his dog will agree, especially over something like UI polish. That's exactly what I meant...my point is that a journalist's (supposedly) unbiased assessment is much more reliable than some random guy's opinion on the matter. > I personally think it's much better compared to a few generations ago, but still has a few more rough spots than iOS. I would love to know what some of these "rough spots" are. I don't own any Apple products, but happened to use a friend's iPad 3 yesterday, the first time I was using the device. After hearing so much praise on HN about how the interface was "so smooth", I was rather disappointed to find that basic things like text input and scrolling caused significant lag. Now I'm finding it difficult to take praise of iOS at face value.
  - adestefan 14y ago
    Tech journalists are not really known for their unbiased writing ability.
  - nicholassmith 14y ago
    Everyone is biased, I'd prefer someone like Charlie Stross who's love of Apple products is firmly on his sleeve to say "I've got a Nexus, it's pretty decent but..." because you know a) he's biased towards Apple, so he's comparing it to his base of reference, and b) if he says it's approaching the level of quality it's very good. A lot of tech bloggers hide behind 'we're unbiased!' and troll for clicks by changing their minds on a company/product every 6 months.
    - Kylekramer 14y ago
      Given the pace of technology, it seems like an unbiased observer would change their mind every few months.
      - nicholassmith 14y ago
        Not necessarily, the pace of technology is fast but not as fast as a flip-flop for click bait. I think one of the best examples is when Gizmodo went from being overwhelmingly positive about almost everything Apple produced, to being overwhelmingly negative in the space of about 2 weeks, whilst the rest of the tech press was giving Apple favourable reviews. There's the pace of technology and then there's the pace of public opinion and there's few things that move faster than that.
    - mtgx 14y ago
      That's my problem with these types of reviews. They use iOS and Apple's devices as a point of reference. Apple may have indeed earned that, but at some point they will just say they like "Apple's way" better than Android's way, because they've used it for so long this way, rather than simply making an objective observation of which way is better, or praising the advantages of using it the Android way. For example many still say that iOS is "more intuitive", and that may still be true overall, or perhaps they just say that because Apple has nothing but icons on the homescreen, but there are also a lot of stuff that Android can do them faster and more in a more intuitive way than iOS, like activating Bluetooth, getting the weather, notifications, and so on.
darkstalker 14y ago
Stopped reading on that line. Bought an iOS device some time ago (coming from Android) and I'm still trying to find anything "superior" to Android's UI. It's just a matter of taste.
moystard 14y ago
I don't mind that the author prefers the iOS user experience, everybody can have his opinion on that. However, saying that Android is about acceptable as an alternative to iOS, it is just trolling.

Tichy 14y ago

I guess ultimately there are just not many apps that are really necessary, apart from browser and ebook reader. Web apps are winning after all... That said, are there any good children apps for Android? I mean apps for toddlers, no questionable "learning apps", just nice pictures that move when you touch them? It's the only thing that makes me think an iPad might be worthwhile to entertain my kid.

StavrosK 14y ago
This was posted on HN some time ago, I had fun with it (not sure about kids, but it's well done): http://www.androidauthority.com/samo-coloring-for-kids-app-review-102119/ http://www.androidauthority.com/samo-coloring-for-kids-app-r...
- Tichy 14y ago
  Thx, will try!
ezquerra 14y ago
My 19 month old lives one little game called "Animal Puzzle for Toddlers". It has got several simple puzzles where you have to place some animals on a drawing where they are missing. When you are fine there are balloons that appear on the screen which you can click making then explode. It's fun and simple. There is a lite version, but the full version adds some more puzzles and it is very cheap (1$ if I recall correctly).
- Tichy 14y ago
  Thanks, I'll look for it!
pbreit 14y ago
The Duck Duck Moose and Sesame Street apps are good. But for toddlers, iPad as much, much better. My toddlers, who have no trouble using iPad, have a terrible time with the Nexus.
- 14y ago

darklajid 14y ago

I don't quite understand the 'Rotation Locker' link. Android 4.1 includes a _very_ exposed button for that. Pull down the notification area (works from all non-fullscreen apps) and it's right there, next to the settings button. In fact, it's probably the most accessible setting you get on that device. So .. given that the pitch is "Rotation Locker makes it easy to lock or unlock automatic screen rotation" I've to say that this doesn't make sense. The app _does_ seem to have a purpose though (with profiles tied to Locale/Tracker - or if you're stuck on an old version of Android). Just not a big one on the Nexus 7.

AndrewDucker 14y ago
Running Jelly Bean on a Galaxy Nexus - I don't seem to have a button there for that. Edit: Aaah - it seems to only be on the Nexus 7. How odd.
- darklajid 14y ago
  Thanks for the clarification. Having only access to a single JB device (my Nexus 7) myself I didn't even know that this is 'special'.

Tyrannosaurs 14y ago

The tone of the article is odd. The introduction is borderline hostile but from the rest of the piece it's clear that here is someone who has not only bought an Android device, but put a bunch of time into it. In terms of the list of must have apps my impression was two fold: On one hand I was pretty underwhelmed. Maybe Charles Stross's primary use cases are different to mine but there seems nothing that impressive on his list. The office software looks nice (though less impressive is the hoop jumping to get it) but I think most people stopped being excited by document editing on the go way before iOS and Android came into being. On the other though, thinking about what I have on my iPad and use, there are some nice little things there but I can't say any of them have changed my life or are indispensable to me. The reality is that the massive bulk of what I do is covered off by the pre-installed apps - browsing, video, reading (where there are solid options on both platforms if you don't like the defaults), maps. Yes I can edit video or mess about with music creation on there, but it's not a great platform for either. Perhaps it's just me but I wonder if the gap between app availability on the two platforms is a bit of a red herring at this point. It feels like we're still trying to work out what tablets are for, and while app evolution will be a big part of that, right now it's a perceived differentiator rather than one that has a major impact on usage. EDIT: Removed a snippy last line on the grounds that it was a cheap and undeserved shot at the OP and his replying politely and ignoring it has made me realise I was being a dick.

cstross 14y ago
Two points: 1. I've seen OS's come and go since CP/M. I don't get all fanboy-ish over them if I can help it. 2. I'm more interested in utility than ideology. 3. (There is always one more point than you expect when you begin a list.) I was trying to call out the less common items I use, not the stuff everyone knows about and sees in every "ten vital utilities for your Android" article on the web.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- cageface 14y ago
  1. I've seen OS's come and go since CP/M. I don't get all fanboy-ish over them if I can help it. Likewise, but doesn't this seem like a kind of a crucial fork in the road for consumer electronics technology? The struggle between Apple (and Microsoft's) walled garden approach vs the Android bazaar seems to me to carry implications larger than previous rounds of this game, particularly when huge numbers of people are about to come online for the first time.

mhd 14y ago

…or in other words, how to turn your tablet into a quite lackluster Unix laptop. Once you add up external storage and a bluetooth accessories (incl. crappy keyboards), are you really that far removed from an X-series Thinkpad (or one of those new-fangled ultrabooks), albeit with worse performance?

cageface 14y ago
I just cannot see the point of trying to turn a tablet into a laptop. If the shift to mobile taught us anything wasn't it that one device can not adapt equally well to all tasks?
- mhd 14y ago
  I really hope that this isn't a true "shift", but disregarding that, if you look just a few years back you had a PDA and a phone, now that's done by one "smart"phone (that, plus GPS and camera). I'd say that most tablets certainly would be capable of doing that when it comes to raw power (hey, they're faster than SGI Indys), but the ergonomics are quite odd, which is a problem that Moore's law doesn't solve automatically. And when you're carrying your Android tablet in addition to an iPad… But hey, there's been online IDEs, a lot of "distraction free" writing environments etc. for tablets, so the line to draw between tablet and laptop usage is obviously a very individual choice. And, well, as an emergency Unix shell connector even I can see the point, and I'm definitely in the "tablets are for consuming" camp.
- ams6110 14y ago
  One point would be so that you don't have to carry a laptop. If you need some things (e.g. terminal emulators) occasionally but not often enough to really justify lugging a full laptop around, then having that on your tablet could be valuable (even if not "as good" as the laptop experience).

guard-of-terra 14y ago

I'm amused to see FBReader making inroads to international readers community.

lutusp 14y ago

The title of this submission: "Charlie Stross on indespensible Android apps" (emphasis added) The title of the linked article: "Gadget patrol: indispensable Android apps" (Emphasis added) Please do not type in headlines, because you will surely get it wrong. Instead, copy them.

casca 14y ago

It amazes me that there is still no usable firewall on Android. Droidwall et al that require pre-configuration of apps with very limited granularity make no sense in an environment that regularly gets new software installed with unknown characteristics.

scott_karana 14y ago
I believe LBE Guard allows you to sandbox any arbitrary Permission on android, and can be configured to ask you whenever a new (or existing) application is started. Requires a rooted device, but I found it to be effective. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.securi...
- casca 14y ago
  LBE works for Android permissions but not for distinct network endpoints per application.