I really want to like Android

[macguy59]

As I mentioned in another thread, Google does a good job making you feel like you're missing the party if you're not using Android. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but my eyes don't like the cartoonish icons and the overall lack of fit and polish compared to iOS. Does Android not provide for vector graphics for UI design ? I'm not a programmer so I might be way off this. I'm probably in the small minority that wishes Google Now played an even larger role than it does now. I would enjoy having Google Now as my home screen with a card that shows message counts and perhaps social mentions (Twitter, FB, etc ). I think Android OS gets better with each update but it's still not quite there in terms of fit and finish. The Nexus 5 was probably the nicest Android phone I've used to date (I've also used the Moto X and Galaxy S4 recently). I'm at mile marker 7 of a 10 mile stretch. Give me something closer to iMessage and polish up the UI and icons so that I can get back on the road.

 

[benhmadison]

As I mentioned in another thread, Google does a good job making you feel like you're missing the party if you're not using Android. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but my eyes don't like the cartoonish icons and the overall lack of fit and polish compared to iOS. Does Android not provide for vector graphics for UI design ? I'm not a programmer so I might be way off this. I'm probably in the small minority that wishes Google Now played an even larger role than it does now. I would enjoy having Google Now as my home screen with a card that shows message counts and perhaps social mentions (Twitter, FB, etc ). I think Android OS gets better with each update but it's still not quite there in terms of fit and finish. The Nexus 5 was probably the nicest Android phone I've used to date (I've also used the Moto X and Galaxy S4 recently). I'm at mile marker 7 of a 10 mile stretch. Give me something closer to iMessage and polish up the UI and icons so that I can get back on the road.

I think you are wanting Android to be ios and it never will be. The best analogy I've ever heard regarding the two is this. IOS is best compared to ordering a dish at a restaurant and not being able to customize it. However it comes on the menu is how it will be. For those that love the dish the way it comes, they could never be happier. Android is like going to the grocery store and getting your own ingredients to make the meal the way you want it. If you don't like the stock messaging app, try a 3rd party one. Same goes with anything else on the device. Stock android comes pretty bare so that the user can either enjoy a very minimal/clean ui, or they can customize it with launcher icon packs and 3rd party apps. I don't want to appear to be downing ios as it is a great platform, it's just not for me. Many people will never like one or the other and that's why we have choices. At the end of the day, if you are happy, that's all that matters.

 

[angry english]

Sometimes people just cant get into a certain system, i used to like the IOS side but i cant take it anymore, its to simple and boring for me but thats not me bashing IOS as its a good OS with a very easy learning curve and does exactly what it says on the tin, i even bought an iPad Mini with retina wanting to like it... and i did for 2 weeks, its just one of those things, we all have different tastes

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

As I mentioned in another thread, Google does a good job making you feel like you're missing the party if you're not using Android. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but my eyes don't like the cartoonish icons and the overall lack of fit and polish compared to iOS. Does Android not provide for vector graphics for UI design ? I'm not a programmer so I might be way off this. I'm probably in the small minority that wishes Google Now played an even larger role than it does now. I would enjoy having Google Now as my home screen with a card that shows message counts and perhaps social mentions (Twitter, FB, etc ). I think Android OS gets better with each update but it's still not quite there in terms of fit and finish. The Nexus 5 was probably the nicest Android phone I've used to date (I've also used the Moto X and Galaxy S4 recently). I'm at mile marker 7 of a 10 mile stretch. Give me something closer to iMessage and polish up the UI and icons so that I can get back on the road.

If you switch to Android only to attempt to duplicate your experience on iOS, you're never gonna be happy.

Both platforms have their advantages and disadvantages, but both are also somewhat unique. You should try to embrace what the Android experience can provide for you, but if find out early on you prefer iOS, you may just want to switch back.

I, obviously, am very partial to Android, but I understand that not everyone feels that way. Frankly, I find the iOS UI quite limited and boring...but that's just my take. Of course, I also can't install a 3rd party launcher to change the things I don't in iOS UI either, whereas with Android I can.

Also, you're never gonna get anything close to iMessage if you're inclined to stick with SMS messaging. If that's a roadblock for you, it's not going to change at any time in the near future.

 

[Sharky19]

As I mentioned in another thread, Google does a good job making you feel like you're missing the party if you're not using Android. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but my eyes don't like the cartoonish icons and the overall lack of fit and polish compared to iOS. Does Android not provide for vector graphics for UI design ? I'm not a programmer so I might be way off this. I'm probably in the small minority that wishes Google Now played an even larger role than it does now. I would enjoy having Google Now as my home screen with a card that shows message counts and perhaps social mentions (Twitter, FB, etc ). I think Android OS gets better with each update but it's still not quite there in terms of fit and finish. The Nexus 5 was probably the nicest Android phone I've used to date (I've also used the Moto X and Galaxy S4 recently). I'm at mile marker 7 of a 10 mile stretch. Give me something closer to iMessage and polish up the UI and icons so that I can get back on the road.

I recently got the N5 after using iPhones for the last 6 years. I never thought that I'd do it but the N5 made me change my mind. I felt exactly the same way you did in the beginning but now I am starting to appreciate Android for everything that the iOS is not and cannot give me. You also need to realize that Apple doesn't have to work with various screen resolutions and sizes. They simply doubled the resolution when they went retina and then added an extra row with iPhone 5 and developers needed to change their app or were left with black borders. Android scales it for you so you don't see borders but most designers need to use raster images instead of vector so it will not look sharp on all devices. Some will look better than others if the app scales everything.

Use it for a couple of weeks and really focus on all the things Android gives you extra and believe me, in two weeks time, you will be lot happier. We are all creatures of habits and don't always like change. I fought it and am very happy now. I am still tinkering and tweaking but that is the best part for me about Android...I can actually do it.

 

[Tall Mike 2145]

I didn't choose Android over iOS because of the appearance of the UI. Mind you, I find Android's UI to be very cosmetically appealing. I chose Android over iOS because of it being open source.

My entire workflow for everything I personally do is open source. Every photo on my computer is saved as a PNG. Every vector-based image is an SVG. I only use open-source or equivalent fonts. All my music is stored as FLAC, and when I store lossy versions on my phone, they transcoded as OGGs. My software of both choice and necessity are all open-source.

F/OSS is a big deal for several reasons. First, because the source code is publicly available, it benefits from massive peer review. And because of this, the opportunity for it to be used to control you with, for instance, vendor lock-in, is non-existant. The opportunity for it to be used to spy on you is gone. And, you have no concerns about licensing or distribution.

If I want to give you a copy of my OS of choice, or any of the software I use, it isn't a problem.

Now, true, Android isn't purely 100% open-source, but it is a close as you can get at this time with a mainstream, well supported mobile OS. (Ubuntu's mobile version and Mozilla's Firefox OS are purer, but they aren't ready for prime time yet.)

 

[someguy01234]

eyes don't like the cartoonish icons and the overall lack of fit and polish compared to iOS

Sorry, but you got to me kidding me, have you take a look at iOS 7 icons lately? In Android you can install a third party launcher like Nova Launcher, there are themes and icon packs that allows you to change to what ever icons you like, without any jailbreaking. Not to mention that slow animations in iOS7, which in Android you can turn off or quicken.

Does Android not provide for vector graphics for UI design ?

This largely depends on the dev. Android can run on countless devices of different size and shape. Some apps you use might be outdated and not recent, so it might not look as good on a 1080p screen. If you want everything polished, only download apps updated recently by companies with large budgets who do the interface design.

I'm probably in the small minority that wishes Google Now played an even larger role than it does now. I would enjoy having Google Now as my home screen with a card that shows message counts and perhaps social mentions (Twitter, FB, etc ).

Google Now is an inhouse Google service, it utilize Google cloud services only. Facebook and Twitter have their own notification system. Maybe if Facebook and Twitter wants to they can work with Google on that, it's not a bad idea. There are lots of ways you customize Android to give you notification or updates for Facebook and Twitters.

I think Android OS gets better with each update but it's still not quite there in terms of fit and finish.

I'm sorry, but I can think of countless things that my 3 years old Samsung Galaxy S running Android 2.2 can do that the latest iOS can't and will never be able to due to Apple closed nature. Where do you think the iOS's notification bar and the swipe from bottom toggles came from?

I'm sorry for my harshtone, but I am more of an avid here. The bottom line is Android isn't iOS, and it doesn't try to be.

 

[planoman]

change your name to Nexusguy59...seriously as had been stated they are different but the more time you spend with android the more you will like it. if you catch yourself saying "but on my iphone"... stop! Antenna gate started me on this android road and I just can't go back to a 4 inch tiny screen anymore. Just can't do it. The screen on the Nexus 5 is reason enough for me to use it for a month to get over iPhone. Not necessary iOS, but iPhone. I have an iPhone 5 for work and I cringe every time I have to type on that thing...

 

[mrsmumbles]

It sounds like you'd be a lot happier going back to iPhone until Google gets closer to your wishes.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

 

[torifile]

Android is ugly. Yes. It's not a fluid system at all.

But I like that I can customize it. My home screen(s) are way more useful than on my iPhones. For now, I'm willing to put up with the stiffness of the UI for that flexibility.

 

[JellyBeanGurl]

The new iOS 7 is ugly. Have you seen it?
I came from the IPhone. Had the 3G, 4GS, and 5.
I do miss Apple though. I get annoyed with having to clean my system, ram, junk files, and apps running in the background. It's a pain in the rear, but because I love the Note 3 so much I'll put up with it.

Sent From My Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk

 

[iN8ter]

I didn't choose Android over iOS because of the appearance of the UI. Mind you, I find Android's UI to be very cosmetically appealing. I chose Android over iOS because of it being open source.

My entire workflow for everything I personally do is open source. Every photo on my computer is saved as a PNG. Every vector-based image is an SVG. I only use open-source or equivalent fonts. All my music is stored as FLAC, and when I store lossy versions on my phone, they transcoded as OGGs. My software of both choice and necessity are all open-source.

F/OSS is a big deal for several reasons. First, because the source code is publicly available, it benefits from massive peer review. And because of this, the opportunity for it to be used to control you with, for instance, vendor lock-in, is non-existant. The opportunity for it to be used to spy on you is gone. And, you have no concerns about licensing or distribution.

If I want to give you a copy of my OS of choice, or any of the software I use, it isn't a problem.

Now, true, Android isn't purely 100% open-source, but it is a close as you can get at this time with a mainstream, well supported mobile OS. (Ubuntu's mobile version and Mozilla's Firefox OS are purer, but they aren't ready for prime time yet.)

Google's Android is about as open source as Mac OS.

The rest of what you said are talking points, sound fanatical, and make no logical sense for picking a platform. A lot is contrafictory as well.

Android's whole purpose to to facilitate locking you into Google's ecosystem. That is how all mobile platforms are being leveraged these days.

The same goes for Ubuntu.

Sent from my Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 4

 

[iN8ter]

The new iOS 7 is ugly. Have you seen it?
I came from the IPhone. Had the 3G, 4GS, and 5.
I do miss Apple though. I get annoyed with having to clean my system, ram, junk files, and apps running in the background. It's a pain in the rear, but because I love the Note 3 so much I'll put up with it.

Sent From My Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk

Some design faux pas, yes.

Ugly, no.

I think stock android looks horrible.

OEM devices improve heavily on it.

Sent from my Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 4

 

[torifile]

I had something of a revelation last night. The home screen on Android is what makes it so great (for me). The app drawer is a mess, but that's all you get to launch apps in iOS. But what I really miss from iOS is the fluidity of the interface. The bounce at the end of a page or the rubber band effect is just absent in Android (I'm aware of the patent disputes regarding these types of features). Their absence is what makes Android feel so stiff for me. There's something about the elasticity of the keyboard that also makes things less appealing.

Finally, I think that the laminated glass on iOS devices makes the interaction feel more fluid. On my Moto X, I feel like I'm using an old skool device because the interaction takes place below the screen while on an iOS device, it's on the screen.

 

[macguy59]

I appreciate all of the non-flame feedback. I just discovered last night there is an unofficial Google + app for OS X. I haven't tried it yet, but it [might] help get me closer to an iMessage like experience (assuming I can see and respond to text threads started via Google+(Hangouts) on the Nexus 5). I'm really not looking to recreate the iOS experience in Android but there are some things about iOS I would like to see incorporated into Android OS. With regard to graphics . . . it looks like Google uses vector graphics in Google Maps so it must be possible. Most likely it's up to the developer as pointed out above. I also see that 4.4.2 is out that apparently helps with the sound volumes. I sent the Nexus 5 to a friend to play with. Once I get it back I'll give it a shot again. BTW I did try a couple of launchers but found the icon quality the same as the stock launcher. Also just read the Gmail will be able to display images automatically soon without needing to do any tapping within the email. Big plus.

 

[macguy59]

The weird thing is I have much fewer errors typing on the 5S smaller keyboard. It's almost like Android keyboards are calibrated to be used by lefties. What I mean by that is if I slow down and aim for the left edge of a key, I get fewer miss taps. Very odd

 

[macguy59]

Sure I get that. Heck back in the day (late 90's) I used Linux. Even rolled my own custom kernel. But now I just want something that works out of the box. Closed versus open doesn't matter to me anymore.

 

[macguy59]

I agree that some UI elements and icons are not very attractive (again eye of the beholder thing). I don't understand why you think it's not a "fluid system" ? I played with some widgets but outside of a weather one, they don't do much for me.

 

[macguy59]

If not SMS messaging, then what ?

 

[macguy59]

I think you're referring to the air gap between the glass and digitizer. I thought the newest Android phones has addressed this ?