MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

Apr 24, 08 - 10:14 am Comment from: shen

lol!

one develops for an actual product, the other is vaporware....

and the winner is?

If I'm understanding this, hardware manufacturers will have to standardize some of their hardware so an Android application will run on any Android phone.

Or will they have to have different versions like Palm apps do with Clie, Clie Hi-res, Palm standard, etc.?

App Store is the way to go.

One place. Click. Done.

I don't want to have to trawl the web and download from anywhere, not with something as essential as my iPhone.

Apr 24, 08 - 10:17 am Comment from: Spark

You would that a Smackdown would need a declared winner. The article just peters out after quoting pros and cons of each. Where's the smackdown?

Apr 24, 08 - 10:19 am Comment from: Spark

You would THINK that a Smackdown....

Apr 24, 08 - 10:22 am Comment from: G4Dualie

People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware — Alan Kay.

Apr 24, 08 - 10:23 am Comment from: Jay-Z

@ Shen:

Exactly.

Apr 24, 08 - 10:25 am Comment from: ron

You don't know what a smackdown is, but I do. Tom Cruise.

So...there are plusses and minuses for each?

Really?!??!

Apr 24, 08 - 10:35 am Comment from: ChrissyOne

This is great! So, where can I get a phone with Android on it???


...


yeah.

Apr 24, 08 - 10:36 am Comment from: Ampar

My thought too, Shen.

If and when Android is ever used on a real, shipping cellphone, then it's a topic for smacking up or down.

Anybody mention how Android will interact with any power management software each hardware mfg implements? This seems like a mighty important point. You know, battery life, on a portable, how apps can affect it. Can there be a gatekeeper on that front? What constitutes "normal usage"? Niggly little things like that.

Apr 24, 08 - 10:48 am Comment from: kirkgray

@Spark

The smackdown comes in June when thousands of aps ship for iPhone and iPod touch and Android manufacturers are still trying to figure out how to glue a touch screen to a clicky keyboard.

Apr 24, 08 - 10:50 am Comment from: Follower

@ron: 2005 called, they want their meme back.

Weird, that article doesn't make it clear to the average reader that Objective-C is also used on the Mac. Or that it lets you seamlessly integrate code written in C and C++, which Java does not.

They make it sound as if Obj-C were developed just for the iPhone.

"Android has the upper hand in this particular matchup since Java is a more widely known programming language."

I don't agree with that. Objetive C is more powerful, not as popular as java, buy way more processor efficient. Java consume too much processor resources (has any one has use the iLos on HP servers? that are Java based and they are a pain in the ass....). Expect application on the iPhone to be a lot more faster than applications on the Android under the same hardware.

Apr 24, 08 - 11:04 am Comment from: kirkgray

suit: So this is the new prototype?
engineer: Yep. You just flip it open to see the touch screen and the keyboard.
suit: So this it has a touch screen just like the ipHone?
engineer: Yep. But it also has a keyboard for easier input.
suit: So it has more stuff than Apple?
engineer: Yep.
suit: So how do I see my pictures?
engineer: You press this button to bring up the menus. Then you press the left button 6 times to get to your Assets menu. Now press the down button 4 times to get to Photos. Press select. And there they are.
suit: Then I just touch a photo to enlarge it?
engineer: No. We didn't want to have to make the user take his fingers from the keyboard, we're all about user convenience. You just press the left, right, up and down buttons until you highlight the photo you want, press the menu key, then press the down key 3 times to Enlarge and press the select key. And BAM, your photo enlarges.
suit: So how do I get to my contacts?
engineer: Just press the Clear button 17 times to back out of the Photo and Asset areas. Now just press the Menu button, the press the right button 3 times to get to the Contacts menu, and ...
suit: Yeah, Yeah. So what can I do with the touch screen.
engineer: Well.... um.... I mean.... That is.... nothing yet. We're planning a software update sometime that will do some stuff with it.
suit: But it has one right? Just like Apple?
engineer: Oh yeah. It's got one. Big bright beautiful touch screen. Right there on top when you flip it open like this. See?
suit: Excellent!!!! When can we ship?

Apr 24, 08 - 11:24 am Comment from: TheConfuzed1

@Kirkgray--

Same Kirk from MAF?

Apr 24, 08 - 11:38 am Comment from: Ampar

Well said, kirkgray.

Apr 24, 08 - 11:56 am Comment from: shen

lol, that is n't android Kirkgray, that is winmobile.

android cuts out like.... 30% of those steps.....

yes kirkgray, very nice. just keep it real, then it is even more convincing. 3 times the back-button is enough to get the point.

Apr 24, 08 - 12:11 pm Comment from: loopy_nj

When you try to be "all things to all devices" you end up with Windows. As Apple and Steve Jobs always say, "we make the whole widget" and that's the advantage!

I have to disagree with the articles viewpoint on Objective-C. First of all, Objective-C is not "Apple-developed" it has its roots way before even the NextStep OS (predecessor to OS X). Yes Apple added quite a bit to the language (especially with Objective-C 2.0 in Leopard), but this is an open language just like C or C++. You can even run Obj C on Windows or Linux for that matter with the appropriate software layer installed.

As for comparing it to Java like Viktor said, it's a heck of a lot more processor efficient and scalable than Java. I don't buy the argument that just because it is more commonplace in the market it is a better language. The article even states it's not that hard to transition to programming in Obj-C. No harder than transitioning to C# from C++.

The Java Runtime is also still dog slow, regardless of the advantage of "write once, deploy on multiple OSes". Objective-C is what has allowed Apple to make such incredible leaps in innovation not only with the OS, but Cocoa apps as well. If Microsoft ever gets Singularity off the ground (the idea of rewriting the OS using .Net), they might keep up with Apple on the software innovation side. But when you have hardware AND software innovation occurring at the same time, they'll always be playing catch up with their dog and pony show.

Apr 24, 08 - 01:46 pm Comment from: LinuxGuyAndMacProdigalSon

Objective C is a late binding language, which gives it a huge advantage over compile or link time binding languages, like Java or C++. Those who fail to understand that fact and its implications are doomed to hold a flawed view of Apple's competitive superiority.

I am doomed to hold a flawed view of Apple's competitive superiority.

Apr 24, 08 - 04:50 pm Comment from: LateRegistrant

I do tend to hesitate when it comes to binding language, but was unaware of the technical advantages until now. Thank you.

Apr 24, 08 - 06:59 pm Comment from: kirkgray

@TheConfuzed1

Since I don't know what MAF is, I'll say the MAF Kirk is not me. :o)

(MacAddict Forums? Mac Atheist Federation? My Android Foundation?)