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Android vs Maemo 5 - what are your thoughts?

I have been a big fan of android since the pre cupcake days and have really enjoyed watching android grow becoming bigger and better all the time.
Its almost contract renewal time and im unsure what to do. the obvious choice would be the desire, but its lack of physical keyboard and complicated way to gain root are bad points. the other choice would be the nokia n900 running maemo 5. it has a physical keyboard and is very easy to gain root access.
So im stuck and thought i would ask the community to share their thoughts on both devices and systems to create a list of pros and cons.
Any comments you wish to share would be great. Thanks

hi, my friend has an n900 and to be honest as much as I hate Nokia that piece of hardware is solid. resistive touchsceeen is very responsive to touch. it really feels as capacitive plus you get the accuracy of the stylus. and obviously the hard keyboard.
but, talking about maemo... its ugly. I felt it wasn't finished and thought through. as a sense UI user I felt it was a tipical bold and ugly Nokia UI. I'd compare it as XP to Windows7.
on the other hand the guy is a programmer and the things he showed me he programmed for his Nokia were impressive. full Linux.
Sent from my HTC Hero using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

I understand what you mean about meamo seeming appearing unfinished. maybe it will grow as android has? but it doesnt have the popularity so perhaps its worth sticking with android. i dont know lol.
pros for maemo so far are; that root is simple, theme installation is easy, backups without entering recovery mode. hacking and programming appears to be closer to debian. (to be honest that doesnt effect me as im not a programmer but its obviously going to be usefull to alot of people)
cons; nokia , not android, confusing ui, ovi store has lack of good apps, no xda support.

I have no clue about Nokia but I know there's no big developer support. if Desire is too complicated to root, why don't you consider Nexus one? Besides that it's also the phone that will receive new OS updates FIRST.... see upcoming Android 2.2 - and if you want a QWERTY then wait for Nexus two. And there's also the QWERTY phone from Motorola (which btw are also doing the N2)
****! I can't believe I'm recommending Android devices. But I'm innocent... Microsoft made me do it!

Well having them both for a couple of days I've kept the Desire. I have it for almost a month and I still can't stop playing with it. It's so polished and so fast. The single best cellphone I've ever used. N900 has it's own advantages, but it's too unpolished and doesn't have enough developer support to be my primary phone. It's good as a secondary phone for experimenting, but as a main phone the desire is the one to beat.
And it took me 15-20 mins to root the desire and it is my first root. So not that complicated. Top tip: use paul's r3 root method (using a tinycore linux live cd) for minimal problems. Windows only method can be a little jerky from user to user.

I'd wait for a nice android phone with qwerty. infact that's exactly what I'm doing while having fun with Hero. )
Sent from my HTC Hero using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

I have no clue about Nokia but I know there's no big developer support. if Desire is too complicated to root, why don't you consider Nexus one? Besides that it's also the phone that will receive new OS updates FIRST.... see upcoming Android 2.2 - and if you want a QWERTY then wait for Nexus two. And there's also the QWERTY phone from Motorola (which btw are also doing the N2)
****! I can't believe I'm recommending Android devices. But I'm innocent... Microsoft made me do it!
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lol i would like to have the nexus one. but im in the uk so no nexus without paying alot for it. which is a damn shame. also no moto droid over here. will look into the nexus two though thanks for the tip

Well having them both for a couple of days I've kept the Desire. I have it for almost a month and I still can't stop playing with it. It's so polished and so fast. The single best cellphone I've ever used. N900 has it's own advantages, but it's too unpolished and doesn't have enough developer support to be my primary phone. It's good as a secondary phone for experimenting, but as a main phone the desire is the one to beat.
And it took me 15-20 mins to root the desire and it is my first root. So not that complicated. Top tip: use paul's r3 root method (using a tinycore linux live cd) for minimal problems. Windows only method can be a little jerky from user to user.
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i like the sound of this. i seem to be very mistaken about the desire being hard to root.

As the N900 was compared to a mobile computer by Nokia themselves i think it's self explanatory. You can't compare these two Operating Systems as Maemo focuses on open-ness and easyness to port stuff that's based on Qt for example. (I guess that's the reason why they chose to use resistive TS, easier to use desktop-like apps)
Android on the other hand, focuses on making use easier for the end-user, open-ness is just a nice side feature of it, but Apps should be based on the APIs google provides, however you are allowed to do anything with them

I also have a Desire and im finding it to be a really nice phone, there are a few niggles but most things can be sorted with an application or a bit of searching. It's better now i have rooted it as all my applications are now stored on my SD card instead of on the limited memory. I found the guide from Nimbu to be a very easy and quick guide to follow. You should be able to find it on google since i cant post the link from being a new user

will have a look for that guide when i have some spare time. thanks

bruce_wayne said:
I have been a big fan of android since the pre cupcake days and have really enjoyed watching android grow becoming bigger and better all the time.
Its almost contract renewal time and im unsure what to do. the obvious choice would be the desire, but its lack of physical keyboard and complicated way to gain root are bad points. the other choice would be the nokia n900 running maemo 5. it has a physical keyboard and is very easy to gain root access.
So im stuck and thought i would ask the community to share their thoughts on both devices and systems to create a list of pros and cons.
Any comments you wish to share would be great. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an N900 for about 4 weeks before the Nexus One was released. I really loved that device. Like others are saying, it feels solid. Screen is beautiful, and who can complain about 32 gigs built in, with another 8+ on the miniSD. Browsing = Awesome with full flash support. Stereo speakers sound great. QWERTY keyboard is a little bit of a bummer cause the top row is so close to the case. And the earbuds sound FANTASTIC! Better then some I've purchased from electronics stores.
Here's the real bummer. Nokia didn't capitalize on the N900 as much as they could have. Their shipping and support from NokiaUSA was abysmal. (I ordered when the site said 'IN STOCK' and after 3 weeks I cancelled the order and purchased one via eBay).
I wish I could say I was pleased with Maemo 5. The N900 comes with a few good apps, and more can be found through the Ovi store (when it was working).
I'd say stick with Android for this simple reason. It seems Nokia is letting the N900 die on the vine and has left everything about the device up to the Maemo community. They've even made statements regarding coming out with other smart mobile devices (Nokia N8) and is putting effort into a new version of Symbian.
If you are a Linux dev and would like to have fun coding for your own device, you can't ask for a better smartphone.
If you enjoy the Android platform, the variety of apps available in the market, and love the XDA forums then you'll be happier with an Android device.

I've stopped looking at non HTC devices for the sole reason of xda forums.
Sent from my HTC Hero using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

bruce_wayne said:
Its almost contract renewal time and im unsure what to do. the obvious choice would be the desire, but its lack of physical keyboard and complicated way to gain root are bad points.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the last release, r4 rooting is very very easy.

I've stopped looking at non HTC devices for the sole reason of xda forums.
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i really dont blame you. theres alot of help in the xda forums

Maemo minus intel's x86 = the suck
with x86 and you could run linux programs and windows programs with wine. It would however be alot less phone like than Android.
Android is already growing fast every month. Problem is the Java layer and compiling for Arm.
Maemo's only real hope is x86 for phone. If that happens however I'd get it in a heart beat. Old games like Baldur's gate would be easy enough for anyone to get working. Otherwise it's just a me too operating system. Like BEOS.

Maemo minus intel's x86 = the suck
with x86 and you could run linux programs and windows programs with wine. It would however be alot less phone like than Android.
Android is already growing fast every month. Problem is the Java layer and compiling for Arm.
Maemo's only real hope is x86 for phone. If that happens however I'd get it in a heart beat. Old games like Baldur's gate would be easy enough for anyone to get working. Otherwise it's just a me too operating system. Like BEOS.
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It has a few ports of old games running well now. Transposrt tycoon runs well on the n900.
Just don't know if I can leave android. There's so much developer support that android constantly evolves. I love it
From what I have seen, Meamo doesn't seem to change. And app development appears to be very slow. On the ovi store, and other sources, new apps or updates don't often arrive.

Maemo
From comparisons and ability to customize things on the phone Maemo seems to be the best. I own an Omnia SCH-i910 with WM6 but am keeping an eye on Maemo OS phones hoping they take off.
What I want most from my phone besides features is open source program compatibility and ability to customize interface, ICS, and data access.

I have used the N900 for a while and just recently picked up the Vibrant (Galaxy S). There are many features I miss from the N900/Maemo. A huge one is universal, standard commands such as ctrl+c,x,v, etc. It was so easy to select text with the stylus then manipulate with keyboard shortcuts. Copying and pasting text on the Vibrant has been a bad experience in comparison.
Another major thing that the Maemo OS does better IMO is multitasking. It has true multitasking, and switching between and closing applications is intuitive and very well implemented. However, the way Android does things probably helps battery life, and after getting used to it I have no complaints.
For me, Android is an overall better choice due to its practicality for every day use. What I like more about the N900/Maemo is its multitasking and that it is literally a mini linux PC, yielding much more control and functionality for power users.
dvdivx said:
Maemo minus intel's x86 = the suck
with x86 and you could run linux programs and windows programs with wine. It would however be alot less phone like than Android.
Android is already growing fast every month. Problem is the Java layer and compiling for Arm.
Maemo's only real hope is x86 for phone. If that happens however I'd get it in a heart beat. Old games like Baldur's gate would be easy enough for anyone to get working. Otherwise it's just a me too operating system. Like BEOS.
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Anyone can easily install "Easy Debian" from the maemo.org repository, granting access to many repositories containing countless Debian packages. Once installed, they be launched from within Maemo or an LXDE that runs as an application within Maemo, therefore allowing simultaneous phone functionality. So in my opinion wine isn't that important for the n900, unless there is something you absolutely need that won't run on ARM based architecture...

bruce_wayne...someone said ""The grass is green ot the other side".
I have N900 and Samsung Galaxy S.
Android and N900-Maemo5 have advantages and disatvantages. The right choise depend ot what you need from device.
I am user that don't have ability to make program, but I like to install and use.
For me phone must be like mini computer but still lightweight.
For me the necessary thing is:
Good phone with video player capable to play Standart Definition video and play internet stream(HTTP).TV-out is welcome
Software that I need is: Skype, ICQ and VNC client.
N900 disatvantages for me and my kind of work.
Weight!!!. Maemo5. Poor battery life-especially in 3G mode.
But.....N900 have nice contacts menager with Skype and ICQ accaunts.
Skype Video conversation. Diferent video player and codec pluging
In Galaxy S. Nimbuzz ( or other program) substitute N900 integrated chat client. Program WYSE is good VNC client.
The only thing that missing is video Player with HTTP capabilities. I really want to watch my VLC stream.
So....everything depend of what do you want from phone.
If you have question about N900. Just Ask..I'm not Maemo5(N900) fanboy neither Android(Galaxy S)

Your opinions on ALL OSes

Ok, basically my wife is looking into a new phone and our options are more or less limitless, she just wants advantages and disadvantages of each OS. She's not picky and doesn't always need the most popular OS, she wants form, factor, and function. I am looking for a phone that will take a sim so trying to avoid Verizon and Sprint phones. Heres my opinions on the ones I can think up.
iOS-I wouldnt touch it with a ten foot pole personally but regardless of my personal feelings if it's jailbroken it's not actually a terrible OS just a bit bland. The hardware limitations and the fact that they're still building the same updates for the 2g that they are for the 4g causes some immense limitations and I cant think of an update that made a real difference.
Android- Good but often laggy even with a snapdragon. The UI customization is nice but they're killing themselves not allowing a GPU accelerated UI. I have a Dell Streak for my "fun phone" and though I love it it does seem more appealing to have a phone that "just works" for her. I dont think android will be quite as long-lived though its doing well so far. How can one expect a UI to have devoted developers when you can get anything you want free.
Windows phone 7- Perfect business device, still in what seems almost an open beta phase and lacking a lot of basic features. More promise than any other OS but for the time being it's not living up to the hype.
BadaOS-Support? What support? plays out like a bad WebOS ripoff
Blackberry-Just the most boring thing in the world. Aside from battery life I cannot seem to realize how this OS sells well outside of the old people who dont really know how to use a phone but want something high end...
WebOS- It had it's day in the spotlight and that didn't last too long... I mean its functional but feels almost dirty compared to the more modern OSes
WM6.5- Great OS for someone who wants to devote hours and hours and hours to customizing it to be the most functional OS. Sadly the only device worth having thats wm6.5 anymore is the LEO/HD2.
These are all opinions of mine, she just wants to know the opinion of others. Thanks for your input.

What is her level of technical expertise?
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk

Moderate, a gaming device would be great but something with a pleasant UI is more appealing

If you don't mind about the limited hardware choice then iOS is very good, especially for newcomers. It'll probably make your life easier (less questions to answer).
Android is a different matter. The experience depends highly on what manufacturer you go for, but if you choose well then you get one of the best (functionality-wise) smartphone OSes out there together with a wide choice of hardware.
Personally I'd suggest the Nexus S (if you can cope with 16GB storage), or failing that the Galaxy S. Both are lovely devices, but the Nexus edges it with it's lovely display, GPU accelerated transitions (Android finally somewhat smooth) and Gingerbread.
Windows Phone 7? If you're a big business and/or Office user, then it's probably the easiest OS to get working with. It has good video/gaming capabilities and a GPU accelerated UI but currently suffers from limited storage space on most devices.
Choose if you love the UI or are a OneNote addict, otherwise I'd stick to the safer bet of Android/iOS for the time-being and wait for things to play out. You probably wouldn't buy a device running iOS 1 or Android 1.5 today, so I'd wait for Windows 7 to catch-up. It is good. It will be great, just in a little while.
That said you should have no problem editing/viewing Office docs or accessing Exchange email on either Android or iOS.
BlackBerry OS - used to be the pinnacle of a smartphone OS, but a lack of innovation and poor hardware has choked the platform, and RIM have said that in the future top-end BlackBerry devices will run the QNX OS they are running on the PlayBook.
WebOS - very good, but still failed to catch up fully with iOS/Android even with the recent update. That said, I think someone has to try a WebOS first - some people love it, some hate it. Limited range of apps.
WinMo 6.5 - Do not buy anymore, unless your business requires it.
Bada OS - Just no. No developers. No apps. No fantastic devices.

joeearl13 said:
If you don't mind about the limited hardware choice then iOS is very good, especially for newcomers. It'll probably make your life easier (less questions to answer).
Android is a different matter. The experience depends highly on what manufacturer you go for, but if you choose well then you get one of the best (functionality-wise) smartphone OSes out there together with a wide choice of hardware.
Personally I'd suggest the Nexus S (if you can cope with 16GB storage), or failing that the Galaxy S. Both are lovely devices, but the Nexus edges it with it's lovely display, GPU accelerated transitions (Android finally somewhat smooth) and Gingerbread.
Windows Phone 7? If you're a big business and/or Office user, then it's probably the easiest OS to get working with. It has good video/gaming capabilities and a GPU accelerated UI but currently suffers from limited storage space on most devices.
Choose if you love the UI or are a OneNote addict, otherwise I'd stick to the safer bet of Android/iOS for the time-being and wait for things to play out. You probably wouldn't buy a device running iOS 1 or Android 1.5 today, so I'd wait for Windows 7 to catch-up. It is good. It will be great, just in a little while.
That said you should have no problem editing/viewing Office docs or accessing Exchange email on either Android or iOS.
BlackBerry OS - used to be the pinnacle of a smartphone OS, but a lack of innovation and poor hardware has choked the platform, and RIM have said that in the future top-end BlackBerry devices will run the QNX OS they are running on the PlayBook.
WebOS - very good, but still failed to catch up fully with iOS/Android even with the recent update. That said, I think someone has to try a WebOS first - some people love it, some hate it. Limited range of apps.
WinMo 6.5 - Do not buy anymore, unless your business requires it.
Bada OS - Just no. No developers. No apps. No fantastic devices.
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I thank you for your reply my wife still wants WP7 but I keep trying to tell her that even though I use it it could take time to work the kinks out. She is considering android but samsung devices are hard to go with especially the galaxy S devices due to the buffer overrun issues. I think we've more or less narrowed it down to those two its just hard to pick which though she is in love with the netflix integration. I think its between the mytouch 4g and the samsung focus

The MT4G is a fantastic device. I'm sure she'd have more fun with it than WP7 and its limited options.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk

Now when you say limited options what do you mean? I only ask because I recently converted to windows phone 7 after tinkering with android for 2 years and never once having something that felt 'complete.' Also is there any site that I can make one of those phone histories on or do I have to use paint?

WM: The most tested OS good and stable for business, thousands of apps, tweaks, themes, etc a lot of knowledge.
Android: Nice to play with as all is new and free but I got easily bored
WP7: So new, needs more time to get mature. Too closed similar to apple

The hardware limitations and the fact that they're still building the same updates for the 2g that they are for the 4g causes some immense limitations and I cant think of an update that made a real difference.
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No they aren't. The 2g is stuck on Ios 3.2, while the Iphone 4 is on 4.2. Plus the hardware in the Iphone 4 is just about as fast as Snapdragon, and cortex. Hell, the A4 is a Cortex A8.
Android- I like Android a lot, but some of the manufactures don't take it as seriously as I like, and some manufactures are terrible with updates.(Samsung) And the UI isn't hardware accelerated AFAIK. But very easy to customize, I like that. Manufactures can make Android great, or bad.(Motorola, I'm talking to you with your Motoblur crap)
Ios- I like Ios too, but there are a few issues with it. AT&T is the big one, and the second issue because of that is limited data. I can't say that it's a bad thing that to make it useful to my standards, you have to jailbreak it because every Android phone I've had I've rooted for it to work great. I wish Apple would come out with an Iphone with a screen bigger than 3.7inch. And I wish Steve would not have so much hatred towards Adobe, because that means no real flash for Iphone while it's fully capable of it. Frash is okay for the Iphone, but real flash would be better.
BB Os- I'll tell you the same thing I tell people I sell these to. Blackberry is a business phone, so don't expect the fun and colorful UI you see in other OSes. It is very simple to use though, but RIM is stuck on hardware that was released almost 2 years ago. The Pre is originally clocked at 600 mhz like the Droid, the chip inside the Torch which is the newest Blackberry is only at 624 mhz, like the Storm, the Storm 2, the Bold, etc etc. Also, Blackberry does not like to update their phones to the current OS, despite most of the phones having the same specs. It is what it is.
Windows Mobile 6.5- Not bad, but not great. A nice business OS though.
Windows Phone 7- I like it a lot, but no flash support right now is a killer. I don't mind it not having things like bluetooth transfer since I really don't use it, but I would like copy and paste. Also they need to hurry up and expand to different carriers! D:
Symbian- Personally I never used it, but people say it is very versatile.
Webos- I like Webos a lot, I really do. But there simply isn't enough support behind it from developers, which means a huge lack of apps compared to Android and Ios. The big thing that kills me about it, is the fact that the Pre only has a 3inch screen, even the Pre 2 has a 3inch screen despite having specs that can be compared to the Droid 2!
Bada- Samsung, so I can't expect too much from it. I haven't tried it though, and I really don't want to.

What kind of user is your wife? If she wants a phone that does games, txt, email etc... then you have to take into consideration what is the best at these?
IOS even with it's limitations is probably the most "polished" out there. Has a huge base of followers, tons of apps, and it does work out of the box. Sure it's bland in its interface and your locked in with AT&T and the iWorld of Apple. Not to mention that you can't do anything with the hardware itself.
Android: Catching up to Apple - but still not the "iPhone killer" - yet. I personally love Android - and with enough tweaking I don't experience lag on my Captivate. But.. I would highly suggest NOT getting a Galaxy S phone. Too many issues with the devices to merit getting. I would go with an HTC.
Win Mobile 7: Although this looks promising.. if I wanted a boring interface and all the junk that goes with the OS? I'd have an iPhone. And not to mention it's still in its infancy - so who knows if it will go the way of the Do Do bird?

Should also mention about Android, if she gets an Android phone but doesn't root it, then she'll have to deal with all the bloatware the carriers put on the phone.

Can someone really tell me what WP7 and iphone comparisons there really are aside from their more strict markets. I mean yeah you cant sideload apps as easy as android but what motivation do devs have to continue developing if their apps are distributed for free.

For the simple love of sharing!!!
As it have been done for many years in WM
z33dev33l said:
Can someone really tell me what WP7 and iphone comparisons there really are aside from their more strict markets. I mean yeah you cant sideload apps as easy as android but what motivation do devs have to continue developing if their apps are distributed for free.
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[Q] which is better iphone or android ?

Which OS is good, reliable and stable, android or iphone?

Honestly, they are both good, reliable and stable operating systems and each has their own strengths and weakness. Its really a question of personal preference. I prefer android and the open source nature of the system, and am not a fan of the highly proprietary apple brand. Both OS are good, but you have sooooo many more options when it comes to android over iOS, from the phones to apps and more.

iamsuper123 said:
Which OS is good, reliable and stable, android or iphone?
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Compelling question, sir. Let us consult the Magic 8 Ball, for reasoning necessary to arrive at the answer is far too complex for minds of a non-magical nature.

iamsuper123 said:
Which OS is good, reliable and stable, android or iphone?
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Are you trying to start a fight? Lol.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

Iphone to me one phone one operating system easy to make apps and games for compared to androids many operating system and most apps run on certain operating systems like netflix or Verizon with exclusive apps and games. But i love android open platform but for the phones that's locked android sucks stock roms are laggy.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App

I have an HD2 running CyanogenMOD 7, an HTC Inspire 4G unrooted running Android 2.2.1 (FroYo) and an iPhone 4. I also have a Samsung Focus running Windows Phone 7.
Out of all of those the Androids (HD2 and Inspire) are the most fun to use. They work flawlessly and have more convenience features than my iPhone 4 or Focus. Nevertheless, my iPhone 4 is my main phone and is the primary phone I take with me all the time. The reason being is because it is the most reliable system ever created. The Androids, for me, work flawlessly, but are prone to issues from what I've observed from other people. And my Inspire, in the beginning, almost got me lost because of a screwy compass and non-functioning Google maps app (maybe due to GPS or lack of data signal). Since a subsequent update the Inspire has been flawless.
But I trust my iPhone 4. It may not have the convenience of a free voice guided nav like on the Androids, but I can manage fine with the maps system it does have. Nonetheless, I love Android and feel it is superb and would not be without it.
Decipher through that and see if I declared one over the other.

Both have their strengths although i think at the moment android has more strengths as Apple is playing catchup with the iphone5 and iOS 5. I like androids open source nature and its general layout is just 'cooler.' Most android users go on and on about fanboys but the truth is almost all iphone users are not fanboys, infact i didnt even know ABOUT android until mid 2010! That's how bad their marketing (and how good Apple's) was. Most have been duped by Apple's excellent marketing which they've done fantastically over here in Australia and don't realise there are other options.

Both. The choice between the two is simply personal preference.

pHyR3 said:
Both have their strengths although i think at the moment android has more strengths as Apple is playing catchup with the iphone5 and iOS 5. I like androids open source nature and its general layout is just 'cooler.' Most android users go on and on about fanboys but the truth is almost all iphone users are not fanboys, infact i didnt even know ABOUT android until mid 2010! That's how bad their marketing (and how good Apple's) was. Most have been duped by Apple's excellent marketing which they've done fantastically over here in Australia and don't realise there are other options.
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Apple is all about brand name, android is about functionality features scailabilty, now Apple has seen what an Android can do they're trying to play catch up with IOS5 see how they treat their developers now. For example a few ebook developers had to go out of business because of all the fees Apple charges
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

better overall experience def. android
apps/games are 1-2 yrs ahead in terms of innovation and smoothiness: iphone

Depends on what you like to do with your phone...if you like to explore your phone 360° in complete liberty i'll remand you to an android device...if you like apple style get an iphone
I prefer android devices.

My friends have had nothing but problems with their iPhones.
Buddy had 2 iPhone4's die out on him in a month (speaker, microphone and one just wouldn't hold a charge) and he's since upgraded to an Arc (android).
I believe it's personal preference, but if your buying a new phone then the iPhone just can't compete... Think about it, the iPhone4 is old technology. There are new insanely powerful and innovative Android devices released every other week...
Let me put it this way. Galaxy S vs Iphone4 is/was a toss up. Side by side reviewers often gave them ties or a slight edge one way or the other. The Galaxy S is over a year old and the new Android devices are lightyears ahead of it. If you read a review that DOESN'T say a phone like the Arc destroys, yes, destroys, the iPhone4 in every category then the reviewer is likely a fanboy/on the Apple payroll.
I'm sorry, but it's an old phone. Besides, the o/s are completely different styles. It's a lot like the original windows vs mac vs linux debate. Mac=iPhone, Android=Linux (literally)... Both excel at different tasks and each has a loyal fanbase... It's all preference without question in terms of OS. In terms of hardware I don't think there's a comparison with any new phone.

Neither, my friend. webOS is the better os.

Android......Anyday

I feel the iPhone is outdated with regard to hardware. I mean, the old galaxy s which came out before the iPhone4 is better than the iPhone 4, let alone all these new phones. People say gaming on apple devices is better. Never Understood how. I mean, it's the same games and the same developers and android gets all the more important and good games

I personally prefer Android, because I like the open source nature of the system. I love that there are so many Android device options out there now. However, I do have to admit that iPhone has that extra something that somehow android devices just haven't mastered yet. A touch response is like a .000000098 seconds faster in iPhone vs. Android phones, but I can tell there's that little bit of .000000098 seconds lag....lol. But bottom line--Android for me

As a lead support tech for a large company, I have to answer this question every time I respond to a smartphone issue, because the user always ask, should I have something else or will X product give me less trouble?
Really, it all comes down to personal preference. Some people only use a phone for a very limited set of tasks(email, phone, games), and in those cases it comes down to which hardware/cellular provider the user wants.
I like to use mine for any and everything as it helps me every minute of every day either at work or with personal stuff, and since I am a techie and like to tweak my device to my liking I prefer a rooted Android device.
Rooted HTC Thunderbolt

both os are good.but i prefer Android...iphone is nothing for me

In all seriousness, iPhone. A jailbroken iPhone 4 is really an incredible piece of hardware, and especially with iOS 5 the software is second to none. Compared to any Android phone, it has a more complete feature set and fewer bugs and problems. It's a more mature, more slick overall system.
That said, I use Android. I think Android is really, really awesome and there's some fantastic hardware out for it. And it's overall much cheaper to be an Android user on Sprint than an iOS user on AT&T and Verizon.

I like the Android the best, definitely
But then again i havent really used an iPhone, only my moms, lol.

The Android tablet makers are doing it wrong...

NOTE: If you are looking to troll, insult the intelligence of users of any platform, or flame in any way, then you are in the wrong thread.
To understand why "true" Android tablets (read as tablets besides the Fire) are struggling to gain market share, one must first consider why the iPad, and the Kindle to some extent, has been so successful, and why people choose to use a tablet instead of a laptop in the first place. It has nothing to do with specs. It has to do with three simple words: "Ease of use."
With little effort or thinking required, anyone can pick up an iPad without it being headache inducing or bad for your blood pressure. A good example is Netflix. I don't even want to start the Netflix app on the Transformer Prime. It is painfully slow and non-responsive. On the iPad, the Netflix app with the same exact layout is as smooth as butter and arguably one of the best ways to consume Netflix content. No constantly having to glance at the battery, no rampaging through forums trying to find out why your device is constantly rebooting. It is just you and your tablet having a relaxing, intimate experience.
Unless the Android tablet makers straighten out the reboots, the app issues, the wifi issues, etc before worrying about specs, then Android on tablets is destined to go the way of the Zune.

in the case of netflix, that's netflix's failure, not Android's or the tablet makers.
as for "ease of use", if you think an Android tablet is too hard to just pick up and use, you must be especially inept. both my 56 year old mother and 72 year old step-father picked up my Transformer and were tapping and swiping away like they'd been using a tablet for years, no hiccups at all.

The biggest problem with Android tablets is shoddy,poorly optimized software and lack of apps. Android is nowhere near as smooth as iOS(ICS better than Honeycomb but still nowhere close to iPad), which really degrades the user experience. There is also a severe lack of tablet specific apps, and certain apps run fine on one tablet,but not another even though the hardware is identical. The only way Android tabs can compete is on price, which is why Kindle Fire was able to gain traction. No one I their right mind will pay the same price for an Android tablet that will be obsolete in a few months, and may not receive OS updates. Google really dropped the ball by making Honeycomb such a steaming pile of dung and launching overpriced junk like the Xoom to take on iPad 2, horrible first impression to say the least.

As said above me, the problem is indeed the lack of apps and optimizations for the tablet with both size and hardware specs.
The only reason for that, is that Android 3 was rebuilt from scratch, iOS, which was old and popular already, was simple "streched" over the screen of the iPad. Even the hardware is the same.

Google didn't release the zoom Motorola did. As for honeycomb vs ios, ios is for all purposes the same exact operating system released on the first iPhone. The advancements have been few and far between, and always behind the time. Google actually changed everything, yes some of it did not come out perfect, but honeycomb is a unique ui from gingerbread, froyo, etc. I have some issues with my honeycomb tablet but the limitations of ios out weigh my issue with honeycomb. The ipad is a great product with an offensively boring operating system
Netfilx runs on my tablet with out any lag whats so ever, and I experience no reboots unless I am pushing it with over clocking and what not. Apple makes a one size firts all product. One screen size, one processor, one clock speed, one os, one ui. Most people who complain about android made a poor choice of the device they purchased, then blame the operating system for the performance. With Apple there is one tablet.
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Manufacturers
You are definitely right. The downside about Android is not the actual software but in a way how many devices and manufacturers there are. With So many Android devices coming out every other week, it would be almost impossible for Google to be able to take their software and mod it to every new device. With Apple they have one tablet and are able to focus on making things work perfectly on that one device, no other device specs to throw in.

The iPad sells because it is made by Apple and their customers are very loyal to the brand. Developers for the iPad only have 1 (or 2 if you count the 1st gen iPad) device to test on, so there should be no problems. Android app developers have many different devices which means there is a greater chance for issues, but this is not Google's fault or even the tablet maker's fault, it's the app developer.
Android has had quite a few updates in the last few years, both UI and Linux kernel. iOS on the other hand still looks like 2007 with some newer apps included. The tablet versions of Android are still pretty young. Even if the ratio of Android tablets to phones doesn't take off, getting everyone on ICS should help out stability of tablet apps.

sarreq said:
in the case of netflix, that's netflix's failure, not Android's or the tablet makers.
as for "ease of use", if you think an Android tablet is too hard to just pick up and use, you must be especially inept. both my 56 year old mother and 72 year old step-father picked up my Transformer and were tapping and swiping away like they'd been using a tablet for years, no hiccups at all.
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When people are having to read forums and sometimes open up their device to get wifi to work correctly, that is not easy to use. You may not be having this issue, but there are hundreds in the prime forum having it. People use the tablet because it is a more enjoyable experience. If the laptop is more convenient, they will use that instead, which is why people don't want to use Android tablets. They are headache inducing trying to figure out why nothing is working like it should. They have great specs, but software is more important on the tablet form factor.

kingsway8605 said:
When people are having to read forums and sometimes open up their device to get wifi to work correctly, that is not easy to use. You may not be having this issue, but there are hundreds in the prime forum having it. People use the tablet because it is a more enjoyable experience. If the laptop is more convenient, they will use that instead, which is why people don't want to use Android tablets. They are headache inducing trying to figure out why nothing is working like it should. They have great specs, but software is more important on the tablet form factor.
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Your issues are not android software related. You should of read the same forums you are talking about before purchasing the device and you would of been aware prior. Because of the fragmentation of android there are plenty of sub par decvices on the market. It is up to the consumer to make a smart decision as to which to purchase.
this is all a matter of prefference so the argument can just go round in circles. If I was to win an I Pad 2 in a raffle I would not even take it out of the box before I sold it and used the proceeds to get an android device

mcord11758 said:
Your issues are not android software related. You should of read the same forums you are talking about before purchasing the device and you would of been aware prior. Because of the fragmentation of android there are plenty of sub par decvices on the market. It is up to the consumer to make a smart decision as to which to purchase.
this is all a matter of prefference so the argument can just go round in circles. If I was to win an I Pad 2 in a raffle I would not even take it out of the box before I sold it and used the proceeds to get an android device
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And you missed the whole point of my OP.
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mcord11758 said:
Your issues are not android software related. You should of read the same forums you are talking about before purchasing the device and you would of been aware prior. Because of the fragmentation of android there are plenty of sub par decvices on the market. It is up to the consumer to make a smart decision as to which to purchase.
this is all a matter of prefference so the argument can just go round in circles. If I was to win an I Pad 2 in a raffle I would not even take it out of the box before I sold it and used the proceeds to get an android device
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So you're in a small minority of people who want to waste their cash on a barely functional device running junky software. I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of people would take an iPad over an Android tablet unless it's much cheaper with a comparable ecosystem ala Kindle Fire.

I don't see the Android tablets ever surpassing the iPad. In the tablet market, the "just working" is even more of a powerful concept than the phones since tablets are generally an extra expense.
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I think the real problem is that people don't want tablets, they want an Ipad. I have never been sold on the tablet craze. My screen is 4.5 inches, why would I need more? I truly believe that this is why Apple keeps the Iphone so small, to almost make a tablet a necessity.

kingsway8605 said:
And you missed the whole point of my OP.
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No I get it, you have problems with your tablet and are assuming the issues are symptomatic of android
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mcord11758 said:
No I get it, you have problems with your tablet and are assuming the issues are symptomatic of android
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No you don't get the point of my OP. The forums for each of the popular tablets, the app selection, and Android market share prove they are symptoms of Android on tablets.
Google and the tablet manufacturers do not get why the tablet form factor became popular in the first place. This is the point of my post.
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My apologies for the bickering, although I do not agree with the premise I respect your position. I have a company iPhone and purchased an android tablet as I prefer the platform. I have a htc flyer and for half the price like it more than my wives iPad. In the end that is just me though

kingsway8605 said:
No you don't get the point of my OP. The forums for each of the popular tablets, the app selection, and Android market share prove they are symptoms of Android on tablets.
Google and the tablet manufacturers do not get why the tablet form factor became popular in the first place. This is the point of my post.
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Isn't that the same thing everyone said about Android on phones when it released?
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SiNJiN76 said:
Isn't that the same thing everyone said about Android on phones when it released?
Swyped using my Pinky
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Tablet market is not the same as the phone market. The reason Android gained traction is because carriers needed something to combat the iPhone and it was the best alternative at the time. Android gained market share because carriers embraced it since it put them back in the driver's seat, they could take out features,install loads of crapware and modify the OS to their heart's content. The majority of Android phones sold aren't premium handsets, but low to midrange phones of the BOGO or free with contract variety. Meanwhile tablets are typically not bought with a contract and wifi models are far more popular, which cuts the carriers out of the loop. This puts vendors in a precarious position,because they can't rely on carrier subsidies and can't compete with Apple on price due to their purchasing power. Trying to push an Android tablet at $500+ is an automatic fail because there aren't enough Apple haters or hardcore geeks who are pretty much your only market at that price point. The fact that W8 is also looming on the horizon and looks to be a much better tablet OS than anything that Google is bringing to the table doesn't help either.

More and more Android tablet makers are getting it right, starting now, just the way Google is getting the Android experience to match up to the iOS experience. It is true iOS was light years ahead in terms of beauty, simplicity, ease of use, performance etc - but Google (with Android) and many of the tablet makers (Samsung, Amazon, and now even the ODMs/OEMs in rest of the world) are catching up in terms of the OS experience - ICS is quite simply amazing, and one can't say it is horrible compared to iOS, even if one loves iOS.
The reason why many people complained about Android, rightly so, is caused by the fact that Android didn't dictate what hardware it must be run on, allowing manufacturers to make compromises/mistakes on the hardware (processor, memory, display etc) whereas Apple ensured the hardware is just as good as the OS, and even more than that Apple knew the internals of iOS and its processor/hardware really well from before, and could ensure the best optimized experience. With more manufacturers learning more about Android now - they are becoming more sophisticated in their engineering - and the Android experience will continue to flourish. And not just Google's own flavor of Android, but fork-offs like those of Amazon (and maybe others like Samsung?) may result in even more special things!
Its certainly an exciting time for Android, and in general, consumer electronics. As coders, I hope we all can add to this and bring great products to life!

As an avid android phone user, as well as a android tablet user, after comparing it with an iPad, my only gripe with my android tablet is the lack of productivity applications.
I can't seem to find one that fits my needs well enough. Most productivity apps (e.g. note taking, office applications) seems to be subpar and not a worthy laptop replacement. I haven't found a worthy office application on the iPad either. However, for note taking with a capacitive pen, iPad do have applications that performs pretty well, and those are mighty useful from the feel of it. This is my biggest gripe about the android tablet. This is coming from a university student, and of course it is probably less related to business based in terms of note taking.
Productivity aside, I love using my android tablet to watch shows, moboplayer is simply one good media player that is really convenient, unlike the iOS. As for games, there are hardly any games worth playing on the mobile platform. If I wanted proper games, I'd pick up my DS or PSP along the way rather than playing some half assed game on iOS or Android. This is my personal opinion of mobile platform gaming, most of the games are largely boring, that being said, there are some A grade games being ported off PC indie games that are worth playing on the mobile platform. Other than that, the general population of games arn't exactly worth playing.

Decisions Decisions

I dove into tech early, when I was eleven and have been at it ever since. I've watched a lot grow and have made my informed decisions. Android holds phones, Apple has tablets and normally I believe Linux is best on computers. Still being young though I always have a craving for change in my day to day life. They are so many PC operating systems out there and I want to have a a set OS for my computer like I do with my other devices while still satisfying my want for change. So simply put, what is the most innovative, and frequently updated OS that is best for my 3 main things, Coding/Android development, music, and news. I want it to be well rounded in other categories too, I don't want to try and edit a photo on a piece of horrid software for example.
What do you consider to be the best OS?
What do you use and why?

I use OSX on my laptop and Android on my phone. OSX is fast, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing. I think one of the reasons why Apple hardware is so expensive is precisely because of the software it runs.

rizzodg said:
I use OSX on my laptop and Android on my phone. OSX is fast, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing. I think one of the reasons why Apple hardware is so expensive is precisely because of the software it runs.
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Nope Apple products are over priced and expensive for the same reason "premium" bottled water and power balance bands exist. Because people are dumb and want to believe that things are better than they actually are. Buy apple products if you like just don't delude yourself its anything special.
Besides that you didn't actually answer the ops question, but nice add shill.
Why in your opinion is OSX good for coding?
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I just have Windows because I built the computer for gaming and it was the easiest way to reliably get mainstream games to work well on it.
It's a Catch-22 - because myself and relatively few other people are on Linux and demand gaming content, no one is making it - and because no one is making it, we stay with Windows (at least for gaming). I think if game developers released for Linux it would boom like Android has, but everyone is too afraid to make the first step - and props to the people who fuss around getting games to work on Linux via wine and such - I just don't want to deal with it.
I've had Windows DOS, 95, 98, ME (blame parents), XP and now 7. I used a MacBook for a few years that had Leopard on it. I don't think it makes a great deal of difference to the end-user between Windows and Mac - that was my experience. I'm really tired of the look of OSX and Apple's products in general - Windows 8 "not Metro" has a nice look, though I haven't bothered to upgrade yet (no touchscreen monitor or anything, so meh). I used pretty much the exact same programs on Windows and Mac. I used Open Office / NeoOffice, PhotoShop CS3/CS5 (until Adobe pissed me off and now screw them - glad I'm not a professional and can get away with not bothering with their products any more), Chrome/Firefox, et cetera.
Apple's code terminal looks like, prettier, I guess.
When I bought my MacBook, it was a good choice for the money at the time - but things have changed a lot since then. I don't feel Apple's products are a good value any more and I feel like they're falling behind the times by not taking any chances with their design.
I don't think OS is really important for music and news unless you want to use very specific programs. Even Chrome OS could do that.
My grandparents use Kubuntu.
But why tie yourself down to just one OS ? Have a few - switch when necessary. Why not ? Buy a couple of cheap sub-500Gb HDDs if you want to play around without partitioning. You can use a VM program for even faster access to use what you want as you need. I would like to do this with Mint eventually but I'd like to get a second redundant drive for my main one first. Because I have much paranoia.
I've found plenty of great software that's available free for Linux as well as Windows - so I don't think it's a huge issue other than games or if you have a specific software you need to use for which the Linux equivalents don't provide what you need. Perhaps write down programs you'd like to use and see what there is ? Or write down what you want out of an OS ?
But, if you want variety, why pick when you don't have to ?

Using linux for few years, now I hate using anything else ...