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I am worried that so much of the "integration" people are calling for is integration with the services of just one company, Google. And most people that want t

by jxdxbx 14y ago

I am worried that so much of the "integration" people are calling for is integration with the services of just one company, Google. And most people that want to replace the built-in iOS app defaults want to replace them with Google apps so they can use more Google services. Is that healthy for the web? Now, Google offers the best-in-class web services in a number of domains. But I've never been very fond of many of them, and where Google apps are less than great I prefer to use the alternative--Yelp instead of Google Local, standard IMAP email instead of Gmail, Wolfram Alpha for some searches, etc. To Google's credit, it is easier to use an alternative search engine with Android than it is to use just about any alternative service on iOS. But I don't think we're going to see Google Now integrating with Bing maps or Duckduckgo or Yelp anytime soon.

dannyr 14y ago
"Integration" may benefit Google at first. You have think of the possibilities though if that integration is available to any developer. Google is good at a number of apps but not all. On Android, a lot of core functionalities built by Google can be replaced with a third-party app. You can replace the keyboard, use a different Home screen or Launcher, another app to manage your Contacts or have a different dialer. I think the current situation is worse since only Apple can integrate tightly with iOS. Apple did allow Facebook & Twitter some integration though.
- jxdxbx 14y ago
  I think this is true as far as iOS goes--and it is more likely that Apple will open up the iPhone to third parties than that Google Now and so on will start working with third parties. My concern is more with how so many very tech-savvy people, usually so skeptical of companies that get a little too ambitious--are extolling the virtues of a system that requires your email, search, maps, and nearly everything else be sourced from a single provider. More on point, even if iOS allows for changing default apps, it should keep system-wide settings as far as possible. For example, the drop-down email sheet that apps can use will probably have to stay Apple, even if you're using Gmail for your mail, at least until there's a more robust contracts-like system. But right now this would mean having to input your email credentials into both system settings, and the gmail app separately.

by jxdxbx 14y ago

dannyr 14y ago

"Integration" may benefit Google at first. You have think of the possibilities though if that integration is available to any developer. Google is good at a number of apps but not all. On Android, a lot of core functionalities built by Google can be replaced with a third-party app. You can replace the keyboard, use a different Home screen or Launcher, another app to manage your Contacts or have a different dialer. I think the current situation is worse since only Apple can integrate tightly with iOS. Apple did allow Facebook & Twitter some integration though.

jxdxbx 14y ago
I think this is true as far as iOS goes--and it is more likely that Apple will open up the iPhone to third parties than that Google Now and so on will start working with third parties. My concern is more with how so many very tech-savvy people, usually so skeptical of companies that get a little too ambitious--are extolling the virtues of a system that requires your email, search, maps, and nearly everything else be sourced from a single provider. More on point, even if iOS allows for changing default apps, it should keep system-wide settings as far as possible. For example, the drop-down email sheet that apps can use will probably have to stay Apple, even if you're using Gmail for your mail, at least until there's a more robust contracts-like system. But right now this would mean having to input your email credentials into both system settings, and the gmail app separately.