Best Nate Smith Ever!

It’s not the user, it’s the tool

virtualpants:

A common theme over at Daring Fireball is that iPhone users are different than Android users. There is some truth to this. Over and over, the iPhone shows up with a huge lead in in-flight Wi-Fi, app downloads, and overall mobile internet usage despite Android leading in market share.

But the difference isn’t the person using the device, but instead the behavior of that person due to the tool they are using. For example, give an Android user an iPhone and they will likely behave in a manner similar to other iPhone users.

iPhone users feel comfortable doing more with the technology in their hand because it just works better. The iPhone and iPad make people feel confident when they download apps and connect to in-flight Wi-Fi. Android users, on the other hand, are similar to Windows uses of yore - apprehensive about software because it might break their computer or weary of whether their PC will work properly with a service.

I’ve gone back and forth between the iPhone and Android devices many times. When I’m traveling, I never hesitate to download apps or connect to hotel or in-flight Wi-Fi on the iPhone. With Android devices, I always think twice because I’m not sure of the result. Will this app kill my battery? Is it worth the hassle of signing up for this Wi-Fi? Will it even work?

In some cases, the users are the tool.

How Google is subverting Apple through the iPhone’s app store

shortformblog:

usnews:

Over the past six months, Google has begun to systematically replace core, Apple-made iOS apps with Google-made iOS apps. In July, Google launched Chrome for iPhone – a Safari replacement. Then, in October came Google Search – which included a voice search feature to compete with Siri. In December, Google launched Google Maps to replace Apple Maps, and a much-improved Gmail to replace Apple’s core Mail app. It also put out a new YouTube app, to replace the one that Apple removed during its last iOS upgrade.

Google Is Attacking Apple From The Inside Out – And It’s Working

In a way, Apple shot itself in the foot because, by dropping Google’s apps, they effectively allowed Google to prove is better at iOS app development than they are. (Barring the Gmail app, but that’s a different story.)

Expect iOS7 to have an updated design philosophy, because it’s beginning to feel dated now that developers are increasingly outpacing Apple itself at app design.

How does any of this harm Apple? Google is now making all of the same apps they made for iOS, but Apple no longer has to license them. And if Google ever charged for these apps, Apple would get a cut. 

Replies to previous Apple related post

1. beforetherewasinternet said: Do you, like, own Apple or something? Are you Steve Jobs’ son? I’m noticing you have a pattern of emotional attachment to Apple products and I’m trying to figure out why.
   
   
2. thefrogman said: Technically Apple has made them smaller. And bigger. At the same time.
3. timeparad0x said: this isn’t comedy

1. I have an emotional attachment to good logic and it bugs me to see poor logic. And yes, I love Apple products and Apple as a company. And I spent three years working for them.

2. The Frogman always provides perfect perspective. 

3. This is Sparta.

lettheworldharmonize asked: As far as I can tell, the cell phone image thing is showing how every other improvement through the cell phone's history has been to make it smaller, then Apple's products keep getting bigger

Right, but…Those phones from the other companies date back to pre-90s when technology could not afford to be smaller. The first phone in the Apple line-up was released in 2007. Before that time, screen size wasn’t much of a concern for consumers. Since Apple released the first truly useful touchscreen phone, created an unmatched ecosystem for mobile apps, and brought iTunes content to mobile phones, screen size is now an issue.

So maybe the point of the image could be how Apple has changed the direction of the market.