People don't web search something anymore; they Google it. No one Yahoos or Bings, they Google. People don't use the yellow pages, they Google. You're favorite web site's search bar is likely powered by Google. It's fast. It's efficient. It's smart. Even though that's what Google is known for, it's not why I love them.
I had been using Microsoft's Hotmail for years when I received an invite to use Gmail. I wasn't interested in switching emails, but I decided to give it a whirl. It's awesome. It's quick. It's simple. It's very Google. from there, I started using Google Calendar. I was using iCal prior to this. I promptly stopped. You see, iCal is an Apple software available only to those using Macs. Google Calendar works anywhere that there's an internet connection and a web browser. And yet, these things are still not why I love Google the way that I do.
In 2007, Steve Jobs revealed the iPhone. It was fantastic. It was smart. Although it was similar to things we had seen before, it was also much more powerful and useful than any of those other products. And yet, it was still lacking. Essentially, it was an iPod, a trimmed version of Safari, and a phone crammed into a single device. At the time, iPhone did not run any software other than what it came with. This changed with the release of the iPhone 3G and the Apple App Store, but by then, Google was already well along in there plans for mobile phone domination.
In 2008, T-Mobile and a little known wireless handset manufacturer called Hight Tech Computer (HTC) announced the T-Mobile G1, powered by Google Android. At first glance, it looked like an odd iPhone, and back then, that's pretty much what it was. But as the Android team has grown, so has the Android OS. It multitasks. It does copy and paste. It can be easily modified. If you don't like the UI, there's a plethora of custom user interfaces available.
Unlike Apple, Google doesn't lord over it's app store, the Android Market, like a dictator. If you can write code, you can get your goods on the Android Market. Even if the software you want isn't available on the Market, Android will side load any compatible applications. Developers control the price and even have the option of giving their software away for free in exchange for pushed advertisements. In fact, T-Mobile claims that 75% of all cross platforms apps that cost the user money on iOS are free on Android.
Apple claims that iOS is the best way to browse the internet, even though iOS is not Adobe Flash compatible. According to Adobe, more than 70% web games and 90% of web video is Flash based. This means that iOS cannot view 90% of all web video. If you think missing out on 90% of web video is best way of surfing the web, then Android is not for you, because Android is Flash compatible.
Recently, Honeycomb was released on the Motorola XOOM. Before you start on the XOOM, I'm here to discuss Google, not Motorola. OS to OS, Honeycomb is hands down superior to iOS. In fact, Honeycomb is the only tablet specific operating system on the market. iPad is running a slightly tweeked version of the same iOS that powers iPod Touch and iPhone. Honeycomb has been drastically modified from Froyo and Gingerbread, it's phone counterparts. I haven't used Honeycomb personally, but from what I've seen, this is definitely the future of mobile computing.
Google is not without it's flaws. Because of Google's open policy, software threats do exist on Google's platforms. But, just like in the Windows world, if you aren't doing something that you shouldn't be doing in the first place, the likelihood of your security being breached is small. Google does what it can to keep it's users safe without limiting what it's users can and can't do with their devices. Apple won't even let you read certain magazines using a device that you paid for simply because Apple doesn't like the content, and I'm not talking anything immoral or illegal.
Looking ahead, I'm excited to see what Google has up it's sleeve for it's cloud based music service, future Android powered phones and tablets, and Chrome, it's still unreleased netbook and desktop operating system.
I had been using Microsoft's Hotmail for years when I received an invite to use Gmail. I wasn't interested in switching emails, but I decided to give it a whirl. It's awesome. It's quick. It's simple. It's very Google. from there, I started using Google Calendar. I was using iCal prior to this. I promptly stopped. You see, iCal is an Apple software available only to those using Macs. Google Calendar works anywhere that there's an internet connection and a web browser. And yet, these things are still not why I love Google the way that I do.
In 2007, Steve Jobs revealed the iPhone. It was fantastic. It was smart. Although it was similar to things we had seen before, it was also much more powerful and useful than any of those other products. And yet, it was still lacking. Essentially, it was an iPod, a trimmed version of Safari, and a phone crammed into a single device. At the time, iPhone did not run any software other than what it came with. This changed with the release of the iPhone 3G and the Apple App Store, but by then, Google was already well along in there plans for mobile phone domination.
In 2008, T-Mobile and a little known wireless handset manufacturer called Hight Tech Computer (HTC) announced the T-Mobile G1, powered by Google Android. At first glance, it looked like an odd iPhone, and back then, that's pretty much what it was. But as the Android team has grown, so has the Android OS. It multitasks. It does copy and paste. It can be easily modified. If you don't like the UI, there's a plethora of custom user interfaces available.
Unlike Apple, Google doesn't lord over it's app store, the Android Market, like a dictator. If you can write code, you can get your goods on the Android Market. Even if the software you want isn't available on the Market, Android will side load any compatible applications. Developers control the price and even have the option of giving their software away for free in exchange for pushed advertisements. In fact, T-Mobile claims that 75% of all cross platforms apps that cost the user money on iOS are free on Android.
Apple claims that iOS is the best way to browse the internet, even though iOS is not Adobe Flash compatible. According to Adobe, more than 70% web games and 90% of web video is Flash based. This means that iOS cannot view 90% of all web video. If you think missing out on 90% of web video is best way of surfing the web, then Android is not for you, because Android is Flash compatible.
Recently, Honeycomb was released on the Motorola XOOM. Before you start on the XOOM, I'm here to discuss Google, not Motorola. OS to OS, Honeycomb is hands down superior to iOS. In fact, Honeycomb is the only tablet specific operating system on the market. iPad is running a slightly tweeked version of the same iOS that powers iPod Touch and iPhone. Honeycomb has been drastically modified from Froyo and Gingerbread, it's phone counterparts. I haven't used Honeycomb personally, but from what I've seen, this is definitely the future of mobile computing.
Google is not without it's flaws. Because of Google's open policy, software threats do exist on Google's platforms. But, just like in the Windows world, if you aren't doing something that you shouldn't be doing in the first place, the likelihood of your security being breached is small. Google does what it can to keep it's users safe without limiting what it's users can and can't do with their devices. Apple won't even let you read certain magazines using a device that you paid for simply because Apple doesn't like the content, and I'm not talking anything immoral or illegal.
Looking ahead, I'm excited to see what Google has up it's sleeve for it's cloud based music service, future Android powered phones and tablets, and Chrome, it's still unreleased netbook and desktop operating system.
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