Nogramming :: Matthew Mitchell
The Homogenization of Software in the Post-PC World
by Matthew Mitchell
This is not a research paper. This is not me going out and talking to a bunch of people and getting their opinions on things. This is a voicing of my own opinions, and I’ll weave in some of my sources of inspiration in as I see fit. So, long story short: if you’re working on a research paper, cite this at your own risk.
So, the homogenization of software. What do I mean by that? Well, to be homogenized means to be combined together as one. So in this situation, I am specifically talking about different software platforms being merged together in the Post-PC world. I will present this in 3 cases: Apple, Google, and Microsoft.
Let’s start with Google, actually.
Those who know me well will surely know that I think Android can die in a fire. At its conception, I feel that it was a blatant ripoff of Apple’s intellectual property, especially considering that a Google Executive sat on Apple’s Board of Directors during the production of iOS, and left once Google started “selling” Android products. So I just want that bias out of the way so that you can make your own decision on what I have to say here.
I THINK ANDROID IS DOING A GOOD JOB.
I remember when a close friend of mine showed me his Droid 2 phone back when those were super popular. I had in my hand, at the time, a fairly new iPhone 4. He knew how iOS worked, and he liked it alot. He only went with an Android device because at that time iPhone was still only on AT&T, and his family plan was with Verizon. Fair enough. So let’s just ping that time around July 2010. I tried to play with his phone. I wanted to get into the settings and poke around and see what I could customize. I wanted to check out the apps and games on his phone and compare them to my iOS ones.
I hated it. It was so confusing…so fragmented, and there was nothing that indicated to me “Hey, tap me! I’m useful!”
Now let’s fast forward to 2012. My mom got a real cool Android phone awhile back, simply to get a smartphone, and they were $1 at Best Buy with a contract. I’ve used hers quite a bit just to play around with. I’ve gotta say, I like Ice Cream Sandwich a lot better than what I assume was Froyo back in 2010.
The moral of this part of the story is that I find Android really difficult to use, and honestly, far too fragmented. My friend’s Droid 2 still runs Froyo, and modern apps still run on it. The same apps run on my mom’s Android phone. (No idea what it’s called…there’s only like 200 different names to keep track of…)
As a developer, I think that’s stupid. I want to know what hardware and screen sizes my apps are running on. As a consumer, I don’t want to have to worry about what phones will run what software.
THAT SAID: ANDROID HAS DONE WELL WITH TABLETS
Why? Because it’s the same song and dance. Android is Android, and if you’re used to how it works on your phone, you can use it pretty easily on your Tablet too. There’s a lot of great tablets out there too for Android. I’m particularly fond of the Asus line and the Galaxy Note.
HOW THIS PERTAINS TO MY POINT:
Android is sticking with mobile platforms. Tablets and Phones. Maybe we’ll see some more desktop-class action soon. Google’s got their Chromebook line going (is it still going?) but that’s not really Android, that’s just a web browser with apps.
POINT: Google knows that as Android stands, IT SHOULD REMAIN ON MOBILE, TOUCH-FRIENDLY PLATFORMS.
Now let’s switch to Apple.
I’m a big fan of Apple. I agree with their ethical and philosophical stances on pretty much everything. I like that they’ve got iOS and they’ve got OS X, and they keep them separate.
Now, I mostly went over mobile stuff in the Android section, so this section and Microsoft’s will be a bit shorter.
Apple has OS X. OS X runs on iMacs, MacBooks, and Mac Minis. Apple also has iOS. iOS runs on iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. (Apple also has a watered-down version of iOS that is running on their current line of iPod nano’s, but let’s just ignore that since it’s not really iOS at all) In the past few iterations of both OS X and iOS, the two platforms certainly have homogenized. Multitasking found its way to iOS from OS X. Launchpad found its way to OS X from iOS. And then there’s iCloud, that just keeps everything together and happy with rainbows. Unless of course, it’s a cloudy day. (Pun!)
However, what you won’t see is a Mac running iOS. You don’t see people touching their computer screens getting apps to open. (Well, you do, but I question their sobriety) I also believe that people with iOS devices accept the fact that their devices are more for consumption of media rather than producing it. That’s changing little by little…more productivity apps hit the store everyday.
HOW THIS PERTAINS TO MY POINT:
Apple knows that an iPad can’t and shouldn’t run a full blown OS X. The interface doesn’t work. If you try and shove them together to make them work on both devices, sure, you can do that, but neither device will be “perfect.”
Now let’s finish with Microsoft.
I’m lookin at you, Windows 8.
Let’s do a different format here. For the next few paragraphs, this will be a letter to Microsoft. Feel free to eavesdrop if you like.
Dear Microsoft,
Please get over yourselves that you think you can make the same software work on a tablet and PC. Oh, and a phone. That’s just assinine.
I use Windows 8 on my MacBook Pro as a Boot Camp option. I like it a lot, actually. However, Metro is next to useless on a non-touchscreen device. So why is it still forced upon me on my desktop?
Next, on a Surface tablet, Metro works great! I love it! But why in the hell are there desktop-class options and applications on the thing? They just DON’T work. That’s frustrating for me as your consumer.
Please see www.apple.com for more details on how to make a good ecosystem of products. One product to rule them all is not the answer. But good try. At least it looks pretty.
Sincerely,
Me.
Alright, now I’m back with you. So you see, there’s Android that sticks with what they’re good at: Mobile. Apple is in a unique position to be able to support to different OS’s, and they do so beautifully. Microsoft, however, decided to scrap the whole idea and just make Windows 8 for everything. In theory, that’s a cool idea. In practice, it just sucks.
THESIS:
Touch-Screen devices demand a unique user interface that is designed with portability and usability in mind. Traditional devices demand a traditional operating system, with performance and customizabiltiy in mind.
The end.
Thanks for listening!