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iOS 7 Beta 3 Now Available For iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch

An anonymous reader writes "Apple on Monday released iOS 7 beta 3 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to developers. Apple unveiled iOS 7 during its WWDC 2013 keynote in early June, and the new software was met with mixed responses. While some believe iOS 7 is a big leap forward in terms of innovation, BGR said that iOS 7 focused mainly on renovation rather than the introduction of innovative new features. Of course, Apple still may have some surprises in store for the release version of iOS 7 this fall, especially considering the next-generation iPhone 5S is expected to launch around the same time with an integrated fingerprint scanner."

205 comments

  1. Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Because they dropped support for those after iOS 5.

    Which is why I now own an Android tablet, because two years after launch, Apple said "fuck you", so I'm just saying it back.

    1. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      yeah, because you will get a decade of updates from samsung or asus

    2. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by kharbour · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Plus there is the small issue that once your iPad1 is updated to iOS5, apps crash all the time as the iPad1 does not have enough memory any more. And you can't roll back to iOS 4. And if you decide to write your own private apps for your own iPad, you have to buy a Mac, pay Apple $99 a year, and keep provisioning every 3 months. Needless to say, I've also switched to Android.

    3. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Three years.

    4. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Troll? What the fuck are you talking about?

      I bought an iPad, Apple stopped releasing OS updates for it after about 2.5 years, and it has become a crashy, unstable thing.

      I still use the iPad for some things (still the best way to get digital copies of films), but for the price and other reasons, it was easier to buy a Nexus tablet and mostly shift to that.

      Pointing out my actual experience as a customer isn't trolling.

    5. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by agapeton · · Score: 0

      This is my exact experience as well.

    6. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by spiffydudex · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Sounds like you're not the intended demographic for Apple. You need more hipster or fanboi to properly appreciate the lost value of the Apple product.

    7. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Quila · · Score: 5, Insightful

      My family has had three Android phones. None of them were released with the latest Android OS, and none of them ever had an official upgrade to the latest Android OS of the time. With one of them, we bought the phone only on the promise by the manufacturer that it would be upgraded to Android 4.x (the hardware is capable), and that won't be happening.

      These three Android phone companies said "fuck you" from the very beginning. Never. Again.

      The original iPad could run the latest iOS for 2.5 years after its introduction, 1.5 years after its discontinuation. That's far better than the official Android support you'll see.

    8. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Informative

      Plus there is the small issue that once your iPad1 is updated to iOS5, apps crash all the time as the iPad1 does not have enough memory any more. And you can't roll back to iOS 4.

      Whatever person marked this as flamebait is an overzealous fanboi -- this pretty much exactly describes what happened with my first gen iPad.

      Everything crashes all the time, and the device has become rather useless and slow from what it started out as.

      I'm going to try to reset it to factory and see what I end up with -- if it goes all the way back to the way I got it, I might not even take the OS upgrade, and just put a skeleton set of software on it and leave it that way.

      Like the poster, I'm looking into Android alternatives to the iPad.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    9. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by interkin3tic · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, but you could update them yourself with ROMS from the community. Good luck doing that with iproducts that are no longer supported.

    10. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

      If OS support is important to you, then go with Google's Nexus Android devices. They always get quick updates.

    11. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Bill_the_Engineer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually Android suffers from the same hardware limits as iOS. For example the latest version from CyanogenMod you can get on the HTC G1 is "froyo" while the MyTouch 4G only supports up to "gingerbread".

      You can only squeeze so much features on older hardware with slower CPUs and more importantly smaller memory.

      --
      These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
    12. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by sixsixtysix · · Score: 1

      I still use the iPad for some things (still the best way to get digital copies of films

      trolling for sure.
      blu-ray is currently the best way to get digital copies of films, in terms of video and audio quality anyways, which is the entire point of having it.
      furthermore, with the right tools and a middle-finger to the DMCA, you can put that film on damn near any device you want.
      how is locking it to iproducts a better way?

      --
      ...
    13. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by StuartHankins · · Score: 4, Informative

      Wish it wasn't true, but you hit the nail on the head. My iPad 1 is much less useful now than it was out of the box.

    14. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by FireFury03 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      My family has had three Android phones. None of them were released with the latest Android OS, and none of them ever had an official upgrade to the latest Android OS of the time. With one of them, we bought the phone only on the promise by the manufacturer that it would be upgraded to Android 4.x (the hardware is capable), and that won't be happening.

      These three Android phone companies said "fuck you" from the very beginning. Never. Again.

      The original iPad could run the latest iOS for 2.5 years after its introduction, 1.5 years after its discontinuation. That's far better than the official Android support you'll see.

      *All* of the phone vendors have ridiculously short support periods. You can go out and buy a £300 laptop with Windows 8 on it and MS will support that for at least 10 years, after which you can probably upgrade the OS yourself and get a few years more support (I would hazard that current chipsets may well still be perfectly servicable in 10 years time. Certainly my 6 year old laptop isn't showing any signs of needing a hardware upgrade). Conversely you put down £600 on a phone and you're expected to throw it away and buy another one after 2 years.

      You get a *bit* better support from Apple and Google than from Samsung, HTC, etc. but its still not great. I hold up as an example, my Samsung Captivate Glide, which was released in November 2011 with Gingerbread on it. 11 months after Android 4.0 was released by Google, Samsung eventually released it for the Captivate Glide... except it was unusably buggy. Despite having similar hardware to the Galaxy S II, as of November 2012 (only 1 year after its release) Samsung have basically dropped all support for it. No more bugfixes, security updates, etc.

      What we actually need is standardised phone hardware and open drivers so we can just install a generic OS ourselves instead of having to wait for the vendor to get their finger out and publish a device specific one. Despite the likes of Cyanogenmod, there's still a whole load of device-specific code; you can't just take the latest Android and slap it on an arbitrary phone like you can take a random Linux ow Windows and stick it on any PC.

    15. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by FireFury03 · · Score: 4, Informative

      If OS support is important to you, then go with Google's Nexus Android devices. They always get quick updates.

      Still *very* hit and miss. For example, the Nexus S was released in December 2010 and Google announced there would be no more software updates for it in November 2012. So thats under 2 years of software updates.

      The successor to the Nexus S - the Galaxy Nexus - went on sale in November 2011. So realistically, if you wanted a Nexus device in October 2011 you would've got a whole 1 year's worth of software updates for your money. I'd accept that for a £20 phone, but these things are a similar price to a laptop, and a Windows laptop would have around 10 years of security updates from Microsoft after you bought it...

    16. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by gstoddart · · Score: 0, Troll

      blu-ray is currently the best way to get digital copies of films, in terms of video and audio quality anyways, which is the entire point of having it.

      Well, it is a digital copy in that it has bits, but it's not a portable digital copy. With iTunes, you can get the movie and put it on any of your devices -- iPod, iPad, iPhone and play them wherever you like, and on as many devices as you own.

      I don't consider a disc to be a digital copy.

      how is locking it to iproducts a better way?

      Well, the Digital Copy which you can get from iTunes and with many new movies is better than nothing, and it's a damned sight better than the Ultraviolet crap -- because you apparently can't watch an Ultraviolet movie on a plane because it needs to connect to the server. Which, pretty much invalidates the whole purpose of the portable digital copy for me. Ultraviolet doesn't give you any ability to actually use it from what I can tell, and my one experience with it told me it's not something I'm prepared to mess with.

      I'm not saying it's perfect, but short of going through the long process of ripping films yourself, or downloading from the internet, you can at least get a legal copy you can take with you.

      So, if you want to buy the movie in a store (like some of us do), and be able to immediately get a legal, portable copy of the movie to take with you, it falls into the "good enough" category. Because for me, being able to watch a movie on a plane or in my hotel room or anywhere I don't have an internet connection is something worth paying having.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    17. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Quila · · Score: 1

      Been burned three times with Android, not risking it again. I have a friend who got a 3GS for free back in 2011, and it's sitll good for iOS 6. That's four years and three generations old. I find that pretty amazing, especially since it doesn't even have an A-series processor.

    18. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      True. But at least with android, you can be sure it's limited by hardware, as opposed to the manufacturer artificially deciding that your device is now obsolete.

    19. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 1
      --
      Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
    20. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by the_B0fh · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Since Apple has provided updates to the iPhone 3GS up till now, your claims are not credible.

    21. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by WarOfTheNerd4850 · · Score: 1

      The Nexus line has a good track record with that; unlike Apple. There's also Surface Pro for a bit more longevity (5 years minimum)

    22. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Quila · · Score: 1

      They're phones. They're not considered to have the lifespan of full computers. Plus, this is the fairly early years of this type of product. Hardware is changing extremely fast.

      As I noted in another post, I'm surprised that an iPhone 3GS still supports iOS 6. While it still uses an ARM, it's the same SOC as a Palm Pre at 600 MHz and only has 256 MB RAM. Wild guess, this must be much less than 1/10th as powerful as the SOC the current OS runs on. And yet it's supported.

      The problem with Android makers is that somehow they think they can be lazy, and they're mostly right that they can get away with it. We know various Android versions work on their phones because Cyanogenmod is successfully running on them. They just don't bother to build, test and roll out the official update.

      Given a choice, I'll go with the one with the proven record of updates.

    23. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by the_B0fh · · Score: 0

      And the issues with nexus tablets that a lot of people are having with...

      http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/19/nexus-7-performance-problems_n_3464217.html

    24. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by cseg · · Score: 2

      If updating with community/unsupported firmware is on the table, then you can do the same. iOS has whited00r.

    25. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by FireFury03 · · Score: 2

      They're phones. They're not considered to have the lifespan of full computers.

      Why not? They are just as expensive, and arguably less essential...

    26. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by AditiKumer · · Score: 0

      For 1st beta I restored my iphone five to 6.1.4, activated it on itunes(don`t touch it, make sure it`s activated only trough itunes and still is with that "IPHONE" on the lock screen. Then I restored it to the iOS7 beta 1, which worked. But never tried for the following betas, I restored it back to iOS 6 before the launch of beta 2, I didn`t want to risk it. If anyone wants to try, tell me after c;http://computersbds.blogspot.com/">please visit it

    27. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      Everything crashes all the time, and the device has become rather useless and slow from what it started out as.

      The sad story of every personal computer ever made.

      Nobody supports your old platform because there are newer ones, leaving you to run the software last designed for it. /shock /surprise
      Software makers can say "Version X of our application now requires platform version Z" but you'd moan about the arbitrariness of those numbers.

    28. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      "You can only squeeze so much features on older hardware with slower CPUs and more importantly smaller memory considering the bloat these n00b programmers use to make things functional"

      FTFY.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    29. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by scot4875 · · Score: 2

      I notice you leave out this:

      Not all users said they had experienced problems however, with some saying the tablet worked as well as the day they got it.

      Also, I notice that the article is completely devoid of any numbers. Just links to two anecdotes. But apparently that's good enough for you iFanbois to feel secure in living in your walled garden.

      For the record, I've got a Nexus 7, and have been using it pretty much daily for the year I've had it, and haven't run into these issues. I'm certainly not saying that there are no issues and that everybody reporting them is a liar; there are issues with *everything*, including iDevices.

      --Jeremy

      --
      Jesus was a liberal
    30. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't say that. I love my iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, but know the day will come when a new OS won't support some core feature on my device for no other reason than that Apple doesn't want to. For instance, Siri wasn't available on my old iPhone 4 and there's no way you can make me believe that wasn't for marketing reasons. There was some bullshit excuse about the 4 not having enough computing power, but for what? All of Siri's work is done on a remote server farm. You expect me to believe the 4 didn't have enough processing ability to encode a few seconds of voice into an MP3, AAC, or whatever and upload it to the server? That's ludicrous.

      Some features don't make sense on older devices. I remember being bummed when iOS 4 came out and my 2nd-gen iPod Touch couldn't use multitasking, but understood that you just can't run that many simultaneous apps in 128MB of RAM. I also remember being pissed that the same iPod Touch didn't support setting the home screen's background picture. WTF? A 480x320x32bpp image takes 600KB of RAM, whether it's a picture of my kids or nothing but solid black.

      --
      Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
    31. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, that's more of a problem with released Android devices than iOS devices. To be fair, it has less to do with the OS than the manufacturer.

      -> Apple tends to keep releasing updates for a device until just past when the hardware can still support them (the latest OS version for each retired piece of hardware runs fairly crappily).

      -> Besides the Nexus line, which tends to be fairly awesome, most Android manufacturers completely stop development once they release the hardware. You may get an update or a few, but officially distributed updates dry up before the hardware is obsolete. If you're lucky and the manufacturer lets you, you can install custom ROMs.

      I say this as someone who owned an iPhone, but would never buy one again. The only Android device I could feel ok buying is a Nexus. Apple may be a bunch of assholes (and they are), but they look like angels compared to your typical phone manufacturing company.

    32. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's more that Apple allows updates to the device firmware past where the hardware is even adequate to run it. Of course, if they didn't people would bitch about Apple prematurely obsoleting the hardware, so it's a lose-lose situation.

      His iPad was probably actually faster and more stable when he bought it than it is now. The latest update wasn't "the software last designed for it".

    33. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      All Nexus devices have an unlocked bootloader and full Cyanogen support. If you really get a boner for running the latest and greatest OS (note that it isn't required for 99.9% of apps or features) you can still do it.

      What you gain in being able to update Apple devices you more than lose to the lock-down and lack of fairly basic features that have been in Android since the early days. So what if you can't install the latest Google keyboard? Just download it from Play or pick any of the dozens of quality alternatives. Keep in mind that half the feature updates are from apps like Google Maps anyway, and they work fine on older OS versions and get all the updates.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    34. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      No, he is spot on. Have you actually tried running the latest versions of iOS on an 3GS? A lot of people discover how badly it runs and downgrade just to get a usable device back.

      Technically an original Pentium can boot Windows XP... Maybe even a 486. Doesn't mean it's a good idea.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    35. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by thomasw_lrd · · Score: 1

      I agree, that's why I sold my 1st gen iPad. I don't expect a decade of support, but at least more than 2 years.

    36. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The ability to use an external SD card makes the hardware limits are a bit fuzzy too.

      I've updated several phones to use the sd card for extra ram swap space and extra app space. My wife's Samsung Ace ($120 new in the box) has 2 gig of app storage, 6 gig of file space storage (I forget if I put swap on this phone or not). And it's on Android 4.2.2.

      OTOH, it takes a bit of research and time to figure out what to install. And the wife is a bit suspicious of all the tinkering.

    37. Re: Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nexus S 4G

    38. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Black+LED · · Score: 1

      Uhh, you do know that Cyanogenmod isn't the only community ROM, right? The HTC Dream/G1 has ICS and the myTouch 4G has JB.

    39. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      whited00r isn't an updated firmware, it's a series of hacks and applications to replicate the look and functionality of newer versions of iOS on older devices. Any underlying OS level issues will still be present.

    40. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Assuming you bought it first hand and/or when it came out.. pretty bad assumption I might point out

    41. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You do realize that the 4S had noise cancellation hardware that the iPhone 4 lacked? They ran tests with a jailbroken iPhone 4 next to an iPhone 4S. The experience was sub-par.

    42. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aww, look at the little homosexual get all butthurt because his Fisher-Price tablet is a piece of crap.

    43. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by evil_aaronm · · Score: 1

      My iPad 1 works just fine. Yes, certain apps crash, once in a while, but not enough to be a bother. As they say, YMMV.

    44. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by FireFury03 · · Score: 2

      All Nexus devices have an unlocked bootloader and full Cyanogen support. If you really get a boner for running the latest and greatest OS (note that it isn't required for 99.9% of apps or features) you can still do it.

      What you describe is completely beyond the vast majority of phone owners. It really isn't good enough for the vendor to drop support after such a short time on such an expensive device. None of this is about getting a boner running the latest OS, its about the fact that the phone you only bought a year ago is nolonger getting any kind of security updates (I do wonder how this fits into the EU legal framework that requires vendors to fix manufacturing/design defects for at least 2 years after the sale of a product).

      What you gain in being able to update Apple devices you more than lose to the lock-down and lack of fairly basic features that have been in Android since the early days. So what if you can't install the latest Google keyboard? Just download it from Play or pick any of the dozens of quality alternatives. Keep in mind that half the feature updates are from apps like Google Maps anyway, and they work fine on older OS versions and get all the updates.

      I'm not defending Apple here at all - the phone vendors are *all* terrible at this stuff. Apple is marginally better than most, but they're still not great.

    45. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Fab774 · · Score: 1

      Source for 99.9% ?

    46. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Merk42 · · Score: 1

      Please educate us and those plebs on the one true way to right an operating system.

    47. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Evro · · Score: 1

      And if you decide to write your own private apps for your own iPad, you have to buy a Mac, pay Apple $99 a year, and keep provisioning every 3 months.

      Around when the 3GS came out I had some good app ideas and was really excited to make them real. Then I found out you had to have a Mac. Not to be dissuaded, I found a Mac Mini for $400 at Microcenter. Unfortunately, the thing was so underpowered it was practically useless. Having already wasted $400 and still unable to get started, coupled with having to learn Obj-C, the idea basically died out. I know Apple's in business to make money, but the Mac requirement is a pretty big hurdle.

      --
      rooooar
    48. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have had a Nexus 7 since it was released and no problems. It runs just as well as the day I got it, maybe even a little better. If people are suffering performance problems, it's most likely caused by them running tons of crap in the background because they decided it would be a good idea to install every single ad-serving, push-notification, location querying, wakelocking app that they came across.

      In other words, this sounds like user error.

    49. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Android is open source. It gets updates for as long as the community wants, which for most devices is from release date to right now and beyond. iOS updates are a complete joke in comparison.

    50. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slow almost useless...

    51. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Black+LED · · Score: 1

      Have you tried it? Which ROM did you try? If a specific ROM is too slow for you, try a different one. I'm not seeing any real complaints on the forums.

    52. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      My arse.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    53. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by the_B0fh · · Score: 0

      Dude, you can go to the *ANDROID* forum and read the rest of it. It's not just two anecdotes.

      But it's ok, keep saying it's great.

    54. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      Go look at MenuetOS and we'll start talking.

      Also, get some ASM programming experience.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    55. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by the_B0fh · · Score: 1

      As anonymous mentioned, the noise cancellation was the big issue.

      As for your background - go check out google. People who jail broken their Touch and changed the background found that it really slowed it down, so much so that they changed it back.

      No idea why, but there were guesses that the way it was rendered needed some gpu or something that wasn't available at the hardware level on the 2nd generation.

      So, no. I have not seen Apple deprecate any function *BECAUSE THEY WANT TO*. They may not necessary tell you *WHY* but when a feature is deprecated, there usually ends up being a technical/use reason for it.

    56. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by the_B0fh · · Score: 1

      Actually, people are saying that iOS 6 is far better on the 3GS than iOS 5.

    57. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by felipou · · Score: 1

      References please.

    58. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 1

      And yet my iPhone 4 sounded great for voice conversations. I can certainly believe that the implementation was optimized for the 4S, but I'm highly skeptical that the overall design required any 4S-specific features.

      --
      Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
    59. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you?

    60. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by kharbour · · Score: 1

      It's more that Apple allows updates to the device firmware past where the hardware is even adequate to run it. Of course, if they didn't people would bitch about Apple prematurely obsoleting the hardware, so it's a lose-lose situation.

      That's a false dichotomy though, isn't it.

      Apple didn't actually force me to upgrade my iPad1 to iOS5, but they certainly encouraged me to do so, without any warning of the possible ill effects.

      For example, some apps I bought long before iOS5 came out got updates which required updating to iOS5. On the one hand you could argue that it's nice of the developers/Apple to offer free app updates. On the other, updating to iOS5 so I can run that latest versions of some of the apps I bought meant lots of apps started to crash on my iPad1 very frequently.

      In my opinion what Apple should have done is at least allow (approved) downgrades to iOS4 - hence avoiding the lose-lose situation. Ok, so some of the apps that require iOS5 would then not work (although iTunes could in principle allow app downgrade from backup as well), but, you know, at least that would be my choice. Choice of course is not something Apple likes its customers to have.

    61. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll take that as a no.

      Yes, I have tried BananaSandwich on my old G1. It's not perfect, but it works quite well within the confines of the limited RAM.

    62. Re:Unless you have a 1st gen iPad ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you agree that ICS gives a sub-par performance on a G1.

  2. OMG, it still looks the same by alen · · Score: 1

    it sucks

    as someone who carries an iphone 5 and Galaxy S3 daily what is iOS missing that's so awesome on Android?

    1. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by _xeno_ · · Score: 2, Insightful

      as someone who carries an iphone 5 and Galaxy S3 daily what is iOS missing that's so awesome on Android?

      The ability to install apps from sources that aren't the official app store and the ability to develop apps for free without paying a $100/year subscription?

      Plus an open source kernel, so you can verify that all your activity isn't being routed directly to Apple for the NSA. I mean, "advertising purposes."

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    2. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by slaker · · Score: 3, Insightful

      1. Consistent data sharing between applications
      2. A decent on-screen keyboard. Personally I like the sliding-style ones like Swype and Swiftkey and iOS doesn't do that eithre, but one of my biggest annoyances with iOS is that Apple's keyboard does not change the state of letters on-screen when the shift key has been pressed.
      3. Ability to download arbitrary files and organize data in arbitrary ways.
      4. Widgets. I'm not a huge fan of them, but it sure is nice to see a list of my e-mails with subject lines right on my home screen.
      5. Set default apps to non-Apple options.

      --
      -- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
    3. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm sure you've reviewed every line of all the open source code on your Android device to ensure none of your activities are being sent anywhere you don't want them to.

      You haven't. Hoping someone else has doesn't cut it either, unless you review it how do you know there are no backdoors?

      And besides all of that.. congratulations, you're likely using one of the four major cellular providers who all provide a direct feed to the NSA anyway.

    4. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by alen · · Score: 1, Troll

      ios you can set it up for email to be on the lock screen

      the rest are niche geeky things that i would have cared about a decade ago, but not anymore. i hate most of the widgets and have been deleting most of mine lately. the default app thing seems useless. same with outside the app store apps.

      i hate the mail client on the S3 compared to my iphone
      i hate the keyboard compared to iOS
      the screen seems flaky compared to my iphone 5
      the S3 is laggy
      the who HD quality screen is not true. lots of stuff looks better on the iphone
      which apps have data sharing so i can try them out?
      i tried google now for a few days and turned it off. about as useless as siri

    5. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by saloomy · · Score: 2

      it sucks

      as someone who carries an iphone 5 and Galaxy S3 daily what is iOS missing that's so awesome on Android?

      The ability to download your own apps / apps off a website I would say is the only really interesting thing Android has over IOS. A lot of my friends have complained about the iPhone not having widgets and not liking the "tile" grid. Personally, I think the notification center on both platforms serves as a great mechanism for things I care to know about in a glance (emails/text messages I need to pay attention to, application updates like Skype/whatsapp, and news feeds from select sites). The iPhone has a convenient way to access the music app that currently has control by swiping the doc, and has controls on the lock screen. Having widgets accross multiple screens isn't as convenient, since you are constantly swiping for updates. Other than that, there pretty much on par now, if you go for the Android phone that has the power of a circa-2008 beo-wolf cluster of (insert whatever cool thing you've read on slashdot back then). I think the IOS home screens serve as a purpose, though I have become accustomed to "spotlighting" for the app I want since it usually is buried in a folder, and I don't feel like memorizing which page its on. I feel one day that these IOS devices are going to follow the mac: Search will be the primary "task launcher", not a grid of icons. I wish there was a way to unlock into a search bar. On my Mac, I have hidden desktop icons and reduced my dock to a few extremely highly used apps (chrome, mail, iMessage, etc..). I spotlight when I want to launch Photoshop, or Pages, or some other task-oriented thing, including directly into the document I intend to open. I have always said that Android will innovate faster because there are more iterations, and therefore the android manufactures will learn what works and what doesn't at a faster pace. Apple only having one device, need to test, retest, and retest again to make sure they dont miss out on a years worth of sales before they have a chance to fix it. It took Android a year to learn that "slide out" keyboards dont work (I'm sorry, they just don't). That was learning that android went through. I like that there is a search bar on the home screen in android (not surprising since google is behind it). What is surprising is that Apple's search is better in that respect. I think its because google's search is for the web (where they are strongest), and apple's search is for the device (where they are strongest). Just my $0.02

    6. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by alen · · Score: 1

      the kernel might be open source but there is lots of non-open software on every android phone that can send data to NSA. carrier IQ for instance

    7. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      1: A "#" prompt. Yes, with great authority comes great responsibility, but it is nice to be able to what I desire with a device, not what Steve or Tim says I can do and nothing else.

      2: Better encryption. On Android, I can create an EncFS dir, throw my sensitive stuff on a project into that, then unmount it. Even if someone decrypts my /data partition, the EncFS item is still protected.

      3: Easy backups. Titanium Backup copies everything to a directory, Titanium Media Sync moves those files to my Dropbox account... and they are all encrypted. To restore, I just copy the files, install TB, and hit "restore". No iTunes needed, and if I zero my device out miles from any computer, I can get my data back easily. For a complete OS image, I have nandroid available as well.

      4: Choice of protocols. I can copy music to my Android device via ftp, nfs, cifs, samba, kermit, zmodem, telnet, ssh, sftp, adb, or almost any other protocol. For the iPhone, I'm forced to use iTunes or download through iCloud.

      5: I can block incoming robocalls. Try that on an iPhone without scorched-earth blocking with DND.

      6: I can do some interesting workflow items. Fetch an item with wget/curl, make a change with an office app, sign it with GPG, then mail it. You can't find a good gpg utility on the iPhone (trust me, I've tried them all) unless you JB and use the command line version.

      7: I don't have to worry about getting patches pushed out that I can't opt out of.

    8. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1. Consistent data sharing between applications

      Yeah, this is maddening. Your #5 is essentially the same issue.

      But, even so, it's a _very_ hard problem, and I think the way Android does it is a mess where you get huge lists of potential apps that make no sense for what you're doing.

      3. Ability to download arbitrary files and organize data in arbitrary ways.

      No, the UI just doesn't scale on a mobile device.

      The others would be nice, but they don't add any real functionality.

    9. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by alen · · Score: 1

      #3 IOS has cloud backup as part of the OS and free. it will backup over wifi when plugged into a power outlet. and will restore over wifi without needing itunes

      only downside is that its 5GB per itunes account so if you share an apple ID like my wife and i do then you have to pay to cloud backup multiple devices

      #7 you don't have to install any update you don't want to

    10. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BulletMagnet · · Score: 0

      the kernel might be open source but there is lots of non-open software on every android phone that can send data to NSA. carrier IQ for instance

      You don't think iPhones had CarrierIQ on them? Look it up - Apple was just as guilty.

    11. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by watice · · Score: 1

      #3 - iCloud
      #5 - http://media.idownloadblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/iOS-7-BLock-This-Caller-002.png

      How many of the other options are needed by your parents, or any other reasonable non power user? I'm guessing none.

    12. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by watice · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't exactly call it an "ability" to install malware. Frankly, I like the fact that my phone, one of my dearest forms of personal communication, is secure & sandboxed. I'm good on the Chinese malware apps.

      Oh, and you can totally develop apps for free without paying $100/yr subscription. idk who told you you couldn't. Open up XCode & begin.

    13. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you want to use Chrome as your default browser on iOS, or something other than Apple Maps for navigation, you might feel differently about the issue. I like Firefox on Android because the addons largely work and Firefox sync is handy. I'd only be able to do that with a great deal of deliberation on iOS.
      The stock Android non-Gmail Email app is kind of awful, but there are dozens of alternatives. Since I don't like threaded E-mail I actually use Kaiten. Good thing I have the ability to choose a non-stock, non-default app so I can have the experience I want to have!

      Android users are indeed blessed with a wide variety of keyboards. I like Swype (my autocorrect dictionary synchronizes across a dozen devices at this point) but some people like Thumbkey or Swiftkey. Some keyboards allow users to control whether numbers take up space on the default layout. If you really prefer to have an iOS style keyboard on Android, you can try iSwipe. But if you're going to do that, it might behoove you to look at some of the other text input options available.

      I have no idea what colors your perspective of "laggy" or "quality screen" but Android devices exist across a wide range of hardware, including a number of form factors and hardware specs that are well outside of the tiny candy bar shape used by iPhones. That's not a feature of the OS, but it's nonetheless an important difference. I will say that the Galaxy S4's screen is subjectively better than the S3's in my experience. I can read that screen outside on a sunny day for example.

      Data sharing? All of them. There's an option that's accessible in nearly every Android application is either shared like a less than sign ( ) or available from the options menu. What you'll notice is that when you bring up the Share menu, you'll see the same choices every time instead of relying on various apps to have specific code for communicating with other specific apps. I can ALWAYS share to Google Drive or Photobucket or whatever and new applications can add themselves to that list as I install them. This means that I don't have to have a Dropbox account to get around every weird data-sharing shortcoming.

      As far as the keyboard goes, iOS's is dreadful from a usability standpoint.

    14. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      2. A decent on-screen keyboard. Personally I like the sliding-style ones like Swype and Swiftkey and iOS doesn't do that eithre, but one of my biggest annoyances with iOS is that Apple's keyboard does not change the state of letters on-screen when the shift key has been pressed.

      Fair comment about the shift key state (though I suppose one reason why is caps gives readability).

      Though I wonder if the reason why Android keyboard alternatives are plentiful is because the default Android keyboard is... well, terrible. Mostly because the touchscreens are terrible which gives a horrendous typing experience on Android. Entering passwords I find extremely tedious on Android purely because it takes many attempts to do it properly.

      I've tried keyboards like Swype and the like and hated them, and then reverted back to the default because they just got annoying.

      On iOS, I can enter my password in the first time every time.

    15. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by CanHasDIY · · Score: 2, Insightful

      ios you can set it up for email to be on the lock screen

      But what about the home screen? I like my communications to at least be hidden behind the lockscreen, not right up front where any asshole that grabs my phone can peruse my account.

      the rest are niche geeky things that i would have cared about a decade ago, but not anymore. i hate most of the widgets and have been deleting most of mine lately. the default app thing seems useless. same with outside the app store apps.

      Translation: Well, those aren't features that I find awesome, so therefore they are not awesome at all; you fail for not being able to read my mind.

      Realistically, most of the points GP made (specifically, 2-4) are quite valid, regardless of your personal feelings about them.

      i hate the mail client on the S3 compared to my iphone
      i hate the keyboard compared to iOS

      Personal observations, having nothing to do with the actual features of Android - kinda seems like an arbitrary bitch to me (personally, I like to KNOW when I'm writing in all caps, especially on those occasions where the keyboard covers the part of the screen the typed text is entered into, like a web form).

      Also, considering how much of a trivial matter it is to switch keyboards (and mail clients) in Android makes the complaint all the more trivial. Curiously, I wonder - can you even change the keyboard layout in iOS? If so, what's the process?

      the screen seems flaky compared to my iphone 5
      the S3 is laggy
      the who HD quality screen is not true. lots of stuff looks better on the iphone

      those are more issues with Samsung's hardware than the Android OS, are they not?

      which apps have data sharing so i can try them out?

      Gmail & Google Calendar spring immediately to mind - I can sync my schedule to every computer I use, and my phone, and my wife's tablet... all of which are manufactured by different companies, and running several different operating systems.

      i tried google now for a few days and turned it off. about as useless as siri

      Novelty technologies, regardless of source, always seem to end up feeling useless... probably because they are.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    16. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by _xeno_ · · Score: 1

      Oh, and you can totally develop apps for free without paying $100/yr subscription. idk who told you you couldn't. Open up XCode & begin.

      OK, where do I download XCode for Linux?

      And, even ignoring the massive cost of an Apple computer, no, you can't. You can't actually use the apps you create without the $100/year subscription fee. You can write them, sure, you just can't run them without that fee. Or give them out, or really do much of anything with them.

      Believe it or not, I've actually done some iOS development thanks to people thinking "iOS app" sounds better than "webapp with modern CSS."

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    17. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Looks like the "I disagree" troll mods are in full force today.
      Seriously, there is not a single piece of trolling in this post, just opinions of what this person likes/dislikes.

    18. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Informative

      1: A "#" prompt. Yes, with great authority comes great responsibility ... Which is why anyone responsible enough to want a command line in the system can simply jailbreak and get one.

      2: Better encryption

      Despite what you seem to think, iOS has better default encryption for non-technical users, and many advanced built in encryption options for applications to make use of if they wish.

      3: Easy backups

      Ha! This is one thing iCloud got right, REALLY easy backups that actually work.

      5: I can block incoming robocalls.

      iOS7.

      6: I can do some interesting workflow items.

      You can also do many interesting workflow items on iOS, depending on applications. There's usually a chain.

      7: I don't have to worry about getting patches pushed out that I can't opt out of.

      You can turn off auto-update you know, and it only came along in iOS7...

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    19. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by war4peace · · Score: 3, Insightful

      One thing that's VERY important to some people:

      Bluetooth Stack implementation.

      At work, I pulled my HTC Desire S, fired Bluetooth and could see 17 devices around me. Some laptops, some mobile devices, some headphones and one specialized device. My colleague's iPhone 4 could see none. You can't pair an iPhone with a laptop and seamlessly transfer data between them.

      When the iPhone:
      - can't see headphones;
      - Can't pair with laptops;
      - can't pair with OBD II devices

      Then it's partly useless, and I don't need a castrated device.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    20. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by shadowrat · · Score: 1

      Oh, and you can totally develop apps for free without paying $100/yr subscription. idk who told you you couldn't. Open up XCode & begin.

      I say this as a longtime IOS user and developer. You can download the sdk and develop apps for the ios simulator for free. getting your phone provisioned to run those apps requires a toll.

    21. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can install app from other sources like Cydia.
      $99/year is only to have apps in the store PLUS it includes 2 technical support incidents which are $50 each usually.

      I doubt you did any factual research to your claims. You just want to be all-aboard the apple-hating train.

    22. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, and you can totally develop apps for free without paying $100/yr subscription. idk who told you you couldn't. Open up XCode & begin.

      Nice semantics play, asshat. Unless you can write apps in Xcode on whatever major OS you want and then distribute them to anyone wanting to use it with any jailbreaking or other bullshit, you are a fucking cuntbag. If you can't read between the lines, how do you function in normal life?

    23. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      #3 IOS has cloud backup as part of the OS and free. it will backup over wifi when plugged into a power outlet. and will restore over wifi without needing itunes

      Do you encrypt the data, or does Apple?

      At least with Android/Dropbox, GP has the option to encrypt prior to uploading. Leaving security in the hands of a third party, for-profit venture is never a best practice.

      only downside is that its 5GB per itunes account so if you share an apple ID like my wife and i do then you have to pay to cloud backup multiple devices

      ... So then, it's decidedly not free, unless you stopped acquiring digital property in 2001.

      Seriously, that's a bit of a dicking, don't you think? Selling you a 32GB device with "free online storage" that won't even cover 20% of the space available, then charging yet another fee to backup the rest of your shit?

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    24. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by watice · · Score: 1

      You need an apple for the frameworks, obviously. I believe the word I used was "develop". Without getting too much into semantics, write it, send it to your licensed dev for provisioning, signing, & publishing, done. Developed without a $100/yr fee, on your part.

    25. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by watice · · Score: 1

      Unless you're on a team, or part of a company with a developer license. You can develop an app without a dev license, including features that you do need a dev license to fully implement, such as PUSH or GPS. Sure, the testing is limited to the simulator (which has it's own limitations, obviously), but the development isn't. Provisioning/publishing is a whole 'nother story.

    26. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by slaker · · Score: 1

      Regarding the Share list, I actually use Andmade Share so that I can edit the list that comes up when I do choose to share. Since I don't use Twitter or Facebook and I don't have any need to share to Imgur or Photobucket, I took those options out. However, I'd far rather have a long and consistent list than have a bunch of things that can pretty much only share with Email and Dropbox.

      --
      -- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
    27. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by DanTheManMS · · Score: 1

      Seriously, try Swiftkey. It was a lifesaver after I switched from iOS to Android. It's not a different form of input like Swype, just another QWERTY keyboard that has bigger buttons and better autocorrect / word prediction.

    28. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by DanTheManMS · · Score: 1

      Agreed, it's embarrassing that my free flip phone from 2006 can do more with Bluetooth than an iPhone can.

      The inability to send contacts via Bluetooth is especially maddening, as I work in a cell phone kiosk that doesn't have one of those $10,000 machines to transfer contacts so when upgrading customers' phones, I typically use Bluetooth or a memory card to transfer contacts, neither of which are options on the iPhone.

    29. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by the_B0fh · · Score: 4, Informative

      You know what happened? People *DID* look it up. The version of CarrierIQ on iPhones did not send anything to Apple unless you enabled diagnostics. So the user selected to send info.

      Additionally, tcpdumps showed that only the minimal information was sent, certainly not texts, emails or attachments.

      And Android/Nexus did not have CarrierIQ.

      However, carriers put them in (aka, crapware), and some of these carriers enabled the "send texts, emails and attachments as well" features.

      So, in the future, please keep your stories straight. TYVM.

    30. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by the_B0fh · · Score: 1

      iPhone 5 is the only phone with sRGB screen.

      What does this mean?

    31. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by jon3k · · Score: 1

      How does viewing AOSP code prove that your binary doesn't have a backdoor?

    32. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm pretty sure you can create the accounts that allow you to provision before you pay the $99 fee. I held off until the last second to pay it so that my year's worth of services stretched as long as possible. That was a few years ago and my memory isn't so great, but you should double check that. I believe the only limitation imposed by the $99 fee is submitting it to Apple for Store approval and sale.

    33. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      I don't have to worry about getting patches pushed out that I can't opt out of.

      I thought you were talking about Android being better than iOS?

      iOS has never required you to update if you didn't want to. This is true way back since 2007 when Jobs introduced it.

      Now, iTunes back then prompted you (and still does) that there's an update, but you can click "Cancel" and check "Do not ask me again" and it won't bug you again until there's another update. Which you can decline as well.

      In fact, when people were hacking the first iPhone to unlock it, Apple specifically told them to NOT update because it wouldn't work. Of course, when Apple releases a new version, everyone daftly clicked "Update".

      At no point has an update ever been forced on someone while they had a working phone. The only time an update is "forced" is if you clicked "Restore" to restore the phone back to factory settings. But if you were happy with what you had and things worked, you did zilch - you have to click update to perform the update.

      ISTR that forced updates was more of an Android thing... mostly perpetuated by carriers.

    34. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      So it's pretty much Android 2.1. I can only assume there is something they are holding back, something that will be revealed with the iPhone 5S which no other device is already doing. Then again last time it was Apple Maps.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    35. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Plus an open source kernel, so you can verify that all your activity isn't being routed directly to Apple for the NSA. I mean, "advertising purposes."

      Oh yeah, keep staring at the kernel while you overlook all of Google's closed source binaries running on the device and streaming data back to the mothership for "advertising purposes."

    36. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by alen · · Score: 1

      5 minutes at an internet enabled computer or a call to the IT people and i can have my iphone wiped remotely. its supported via the OS

    37. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Man, you made me laugh.

      5: I can block incoming robocalls.

      iOS7.

      Really, only now you are getting this feature? Android has been able to do this for as long as I can remember, which is at least back to the 1.6 days. This isn't an exciting new feature for iOS7, it's a major failure that you are only getting basic stuff like this after such a long wait.

      It seems like you had to wait for Apple to implement it because iOS apps were not allowed to interact with telephony that way.

      Which is why anyone responsible enough to want a command line in the system can simply jailbreak and get one.

      Jailbreaking is an arms race with Apple. If you do it you are potentially locking yourself out of future updates because there is no guarantee a jailbreak will be available for them, or that it will have the features you currently enjoy.

      On the other hand you can buy an Android phone with unlocked bootloader that makes no attempt to prevent you getting root access. You don't really need it for much, if anything, but it's there if you want it and you don't have to fight for it.

      Ha! This is one thing iCloud got right, REALLY easy backups that actually work.

      The problem with iCloud is that you can't install apps remotely. This means if say you lose your phone and don't have a tracking app installed you are screwed. On Android you can just install something like Plan B and a few minutes later you get can email with the device's location.

      Android backs up all your stuff perfectly anyway, but I'd rather get my device back or be able to browse apps on a big screen thanks.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    38. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Microlith · · Score: 1

      Provisioning/publishing is a whole 'nother story.

      But it is, fundamentally, the core of the story here isn't it? After all, that includes your own personal device, let alone anyone else. Apple yanks your chain and makes you pay just for the privilege of letting your app touch even your own hardware.

    39. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Microlith · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure you can create the accounts that allow you to provision before you pay the $99 fee.

      Never seen one. I would happily be proven wrong, though I doubt I will.

      I believe the only limitation imposed by the $99 fee is submitting it to Apple for Store approval and sale.

      Last I checked, the $99 fee was the primary toll between you and hardware in all ways, shapes and form.

    40. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple doesn't need to collect this information for the NSA. All of this information is already going through your cell service providor, and thus to the NSA.

    41. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by tepples · · Score: 1

      write it, send it to your licensed dev for provisioning, signing, & publishing, done

      You forgot "test it". That can be done only if you are a licensed dev.

    42. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by slaker · · Score: 1

      If your Android device has a Google Apps account on it, the Apps administrator doesn't even need that long.

      --
      -- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
    43. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You guys still using bluetooth? O come on!

    44. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If your iPhone can't see those devices something is wrong with it, or them, because the ability to see a device and pair is not affected by bluetooth profile support. (Besides which, it *should* talk to the headphones. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3647 )

    45. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by speedlaw · · Score: 1

      Most importantly, can't move documents or music files. I like my iPhone, but when I hit this, I knew I was in the land of "defective by design". Whatever. Unlike my 9930 BB, at least the Iphone synchs properly and doesn't crash the Mac doing so. Do I need a print scanner for my phone ? How does this help me ?

    46. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      You can't develop on Linux or Windows. And yes it costs $99 per year to be able to test apps on a device and distribute them. And they can only be distributed widely via the Apple App Store. And yet still Apple has literally hundreds of thousands of developers with apps on the app store.

      The truth is that those are only barriers to entry to people who are not serious about developing on iOS. They are not significant barriers to any serious developer.

      Why would Apple want to lower the already modest barriers to entry, to allow bunch of casual tinkerers to flood the store (or worse still the internet) with crap and malware?

      For example, why would they want to encourage people who don't realise that a native app *IS* significantly better then a "webapp with modern CSS".

    47. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      one of my biggest annoyances with iOS is that Apple's keyboard does not change the state of letters on-screen when the shift key has been pressed.

      Does a physical keyboard do that? No. So it's a bogus requirement. It's a giveaway that you're just listing points of difference between Android and iOS, rather than anything that's actually a deficiency of iOS.

      I can honestly say it's never once crossed my mind that a keyboard should do such a thing. It adds nothing. It's a gimmick.

    48. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Do you encrypt the data, or does Apple?
      At least with Android/Dropbox, GP has the option to encrypt prior to uploading. Leaving security in the hands of a third party, for-profit venture is never a best practice.

      Have you or the GP written your own encryption software? Almost certainly, no. (And if you did it'd have poor security). Are you qualified to code review encryption software? Almost certainly, no.

      And the idea that it's better to trust some unknown open source programmer than an identifiable blue chip company is ridiculous.

      Seriously, that's a bit of a dicking, don't you think? [iCloud's 5GB free level] Selling you a 32GB device with "free online storage" that won't even cover 20% of the space available, then charging yet another fee to backup the rest of your shit?

      It's an optional service. The service you mention, Dropbox, will charge you a subscription when you go over 2GB.

      Personally I make use of both services within the free level. DropBox for sharing a few docments with others, iCloud for sharing certain data between my iPad and Macbook. Backup I do by plugging into iTunes on my Macbook. And it gets further backed up from my laptop onto a Time Machine external disk. All automatic, apart from the action of connecting the cable every once in a while. Which I do to change it anyway.

      OTA backup is a minor convenience over a cable backup. Pay for it if you want it. Don't if you don't want it.

    49. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Really, only now you are getting this feature? Android has been able to do this for as long as I can remember, which is at least back to the 1.6 days.

      That's odd, because it was only 3 months ago that some Google engineers were suggesting an idea for such a system.
      http://bgr.com/2013/04/03/google-engineers-robocall-blocking-proposal-412166/

      What we're talking about here is a blocked number list, not a robocall blocking system.

    50. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 0

      The problem with iCloud is that you can't install apps remotely. This means if say you lose your phone and don't have a tracking app installed you are screwed. On Android you can just install something like Plan B and a few minutes later you get can email with the device's location.

      So what you're saying is that if your Google Play account is compromised (hacker or government warrant), then a someone else can download, install and run software on your phone, without any physical access to it? Ouch!

      iOS doesn't need any lost phone tracking software, it's built in. Of course it must be enabled first, because otherwise it would be nearly as vulnerable to privacy violation as the Android system you describe.

    51. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Existing versions of iOS could pair with headphones, and OBD-II dongles.

      But this story is about iOS 7, and iOS7 can do lots more with Bluetooth than before. At the consumer level the new features are known as AirDrop and iBeacons. For developers it's Core Bluetooth.

    52. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Many Android phones that come with CarrierIQ have it enabled by default, and will respawn it if the process is killed. The iPhone had it off by default, lets you know exactly what it does, and even makes you accept a new privacy policy before you can enable it.

      What do you think spouting lies does to your credibility? You should realize that shilling with lies only makes people want to not use your product.

    53. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      It's been possible with apps for years. Apple don't allow apps to have that functionality on iOS.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    54. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Apple have LOTS of restrictions on what apps can do with telephony. Android has LOTS of malware. Fundamental difference between a platform that protects the user and one that's a malware-writer's playground.

      Now, if Android has a call blocking white/black list built in to the system software, then that's a good thing. If it's open to developers - oops!

    55. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      Hm.

      Okay, good points, fair enough.

      I still maintain that it's a dick move to sell you a device with cavernous storage then charge you out the ass for trying to back it all up remotely, though.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    56. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      5 minutes at an internet enabled computer or a call to the IT people and i can have my iphone wiped remotely. its supported via the OS

      Ah, OK... what that has to do with the content of the post you responded to, I have no idea...

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    57. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      When you install the new Angry Birds game and it says that it wants permission to "make phone calls", if you click "okay" you are a moron. To be honest it's a wonder you didn't kill yourself with a toothpick already.

      Android phones are not for morons. I'll hand it to you, Apple does target the herp-derp crowd who need hand holding, which is fine.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    58. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can filecopy MP3s and videos to my Android phone without having to install any crapware on a PC to do it.

      I can mount my phone as a multimedia drive on Windows or Linux and filecopy any files to and from it, including ISO images and any other large encrypted backup files.

      I can also connect a standard USB thumb-drive to my phone with a cheap adapter and copy any files to and from it.

      Everything I need to preserve can be synchronized with Google Drive (a.k.a. Google Apps) and has done so since the very first public version of Android in 2008 -- before everything used the "cloud" buzzword.

    59. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by _xeno_ · · Score: 1

      Why would Apple want to lower the already modest barriers to entry, to allow bunch of casual tinkerers to flood the store (or worse still the internet) with crap and malware?

      Are you new here? This is a website full of "casual tinkerers" for whom the ability to screw around with their phone is, well, rather important.

      And lowering the "modest barriers to entry" would also allow people to run apps that Apple currently forbids, such as Firefox or emulators or VLC - all currently forbidden by Apple. So, sure, Apple might not see the profit in it, but I guarantee their users would benefit from it.

      For example, why would they want to encourage people who don't realise that a native app *IS* significantly better then a "webapp with modern CSS".

      Not if you knew the app in question, which I can't really get into, because it was never released as it was basically only used internally. It was effectively a web page, but done using UIKit instead of HTML and CSS.

      There are plenty of instances where doing a crossplatform HTML/CSS app make far more sense than creating native apps for multiple platforms. This was one of them.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    60. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by war4peace · · Score: 1

      ODB II devices are Bluetooth. Many car sound systems are Bluetooth.
      Phone-to-phone file sharing is much easier through Bluetooth than through wireless. Same for contact sharing.
      Not to mention some MP3 players, remote control systems (for PCs and media players) and yeah... headphones.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    61. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by war4peace · · Score: 1

      Nope.
      It's a design issue.
      Tried with two iPhones, a brand new iPhone 4 and a jailbroken iPhone 4 and both exhibited the same issue. They simply don't see devices that are discoverable by pretty much anything else.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    62. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by war4peace · · Score: 1

      Yes, iOS 6 can pair with SOME OBD-II dongles, those which are certified (or designed to be compatible or whatever). I have 4 such devices and only one is seen by the iPhone (the most expensive one, obviously).

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    63. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 0

      When you install the new Angry Birds game and it says that it wants permission to "make phone calls", if you click "okay" you are a moron.

      Android phones are not for morons.

      But they absolutely are. Their market share is based on selling to the lowest common denominator. They are sold to people that just want a phone, and know no more and no less than the average person about computing. i.e. Very little.

      The fundamental problem with Android security is that few of their users will check the permissions list when installing, and know what is acceptable and what is not. They'll just accept it, regardless.

      I'll hand it to you, Apple does target the herp-derp crowd who need hand holding, which is fine.

      Apple knows it's targeting ordinary people. Android's design shows their developers don't realise they are too.

      You claiming that Android users aren't morons, as an excuse for poor security, just shows how empty your fanboyism is.

    64. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Are you new here? This is a website full of "casual tinkerers" for whom the ability to screw around with their phone is, well, rather important.

      Some are casual tinkerers. Some are professional developers. I've been here over a decade, and I have no difficulty in creating apps for iOS. $99 not being a barrier for entry for me at all.

      I'm a slashdotter and I see no reason why a platform should be compromised to appeal to casual tinkerers.

      And lowering the "modest barriers to entry" would also allow people to run apps that Apple currently forbids, such as Firefox or emulators or VLC - all currently forbidden by Apple.

      Users benefit from there being a single HTML rendering engine for iOS. Every web site that has been designed for mobile, works perfectly, because they've all been designed primarily for webkit. There's no fragmentation or incompatibility problems, everything just works.

      VLC is not at all forbidden by Apple. Indeed it was on the store until one of the VLC developers (who worked for Nokia) decided to say it couldn't be on the App Store, because in his opinion the license they chose was incompatible with the App Store. Anyone can put a media player on the app store. It's not against the rules. Neither is the GPL against the rules. The GPL community objects to the App Store, not the other way around.

      Having said all that, not having VLC on iOS is no loss. It's presence on desktop computers means that some videos are encoded in formats that are not playable on the built in players and only in VLC. For that reason I have VLC on my Mac. And apart from it giving access to files that wouldn't otherwise play, I hate it. It's got so many examples of what a UI shouldn't be like.

      iOS users benefit from video files encoded for mobile being playable on the built in player.

      Not if you knew the app in question, which I can't really get into, because it was never released as it was basically only used internally. It was effectively a web page, but done using UIKit instead of HTML and CSS.
      There are plenty of instances where doing a crossplatform HTML/CSS app make far more sense than creating native apps for multiple platforms. This was one of them.

      For sure there are cases, especially for in house apps, where a webapp makes more sense than developing native apps. On a cost/benefit analysis. But let's not pretend it's actually a better app. There are plenty of things that a native app can do that a web app can't. There's nothing a web app can do that a native app can't.

    65. Re:OMG, it still looks the same by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Airdrop in iOS7 does this.

  3. Jailbreak it and I will advertise it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Frosty poo

  4. REALLY?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Ok, look, I'm a huge Apple fanboy and love Apple news but, come ON!! Apple posted a Beta of iOS 7 and that's making it onto the front page?

    Guess what? They're going to release another beta of iOS 7 in about two weeks. And then another two weeks later. And so on and so on. Each one will be a bit tighter and tighter until they release the final gold master.

    I don't mind seeing these sorts of updates on appleinsider.com but here? Come on!

    1. Re:REALLY?? by sg_oneill · · Score: 1

      They posted it so boring people can have bitter arguments about what irrelevant phone purchase they made is better.

      Seriously, its pretty dull.

      --
      Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
    2. Re:REALLY?? by Fab774 · · Score: 1

      Gold Master? Seriously that's how they call the final release ?

    3. Re:REALLY?? by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      It sure is. It's pretty common practice in the industry.

      I imagine it dates back to CD pressing days, and either the gold colour of the master disks from which CDs are pressed. Or simply the gold colour of early CD/Rs which would have been used to send the final disk image to the pressing company.

  5. Design revolution by erikwestlund · · Score: 1

    This version features more tie-dyed interfaces and even thin sans serif fonts. They continued to use the "grid" feature in Photoshop for icons. This changes everything, again.

    1. Re:Design revolution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is it weird that i couldn't detect sarcasm there?

  6. It's not quite ready for release yet by Minwee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Be careful about installing this. The new icons and colour scheme still cause some older display panels to burst into flames or, in extreme cases, the entire device to shut down out of embarrassment.

    1. Re:It's not quite ready for release yet by shikaisi · · Score: 1

      Be careful about installing this. The new icons and colour scheme still cause some older display panels to burst into flames or, in extreme cases, the entire device to shut down out of embarrassment.

      That's just because of the way you're holding it.

      --
      No left turn unstoned.
  7. Or numerous other Android devices ... by perpenso · · Score: 1, Troll

    Unless you have a 1st gen iPad because they dropped support for those after iOS 5. Which is why I now own an Android tablet, ...

    Hopefully that Android tablet is not a 1st gen Kindle Fire because they were release with Android 2.3 and were never upgraded. Now if you buy a brand new Kindle Fire you can have Android 4. Many other Android devices have also never been updated to 4.0.

    In contrast to the first gen Kindle Fire that never got upgraded from Android 2.3 the first gen iPad shipped with iOS 3.2 and was upgraded to 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.0 and 5.1.

    1. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by gl4ss · · Score: 2

      1st gen kindle fire was android derived, not technically android. never sold as an android tablet, didn't have any of googles stuff..

      besides, it's pretty much 2.3. practically all stuff released on google play(or wherever else markets) still works with it if you just get it on it..
      I think they just saved a wee bit too much money with buttons on that thing.

      I mean, fuck, if you're going to pick an android device to talk shit about you would have had a lot to pick from! dozens of 2.0 and 2.2 devices. ziio's or whatever, heck even 1.6 devices! anyhow, on android derived devices it doesn't matter as much as it does on ios if support is "dropped", because, you know, you're not tied to the fucking market for the software.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    2. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by perpenso · · Score: 2

      ... if you're going to pick an android device ...

      It would seem appropriate to pick the Kindle Fire, the best selling Android tablet. Tablet v tablet, 1st gen v 1st gen, best seller v best seller, etc.

    3. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      Unless you have a 1st gen iPad because they dropped support for those after iOS 5. Which is why I now own an Android tablet, ...

      Hopefully that Android tablet is not a 1st gen Kindle Fire because they were release with Android 2.3 and were never upgraded.

      http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=update+kindle+fire+to+android+4

      Many other Android devices have also never been updated to 4.0.

      http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Devices

      My point being, the majority of Android users do have options, albeit not necessarily approved by the Corporate Overlords. With Apple, you get what they sell you and not one bit more, and if you so much as try to roll-your-own setup (i.e., jailbreak), they'll come down on your loyal ass like Mjölnir.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    4. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by 0123456 · · Score: 2

      It would seem appropriate to pick the Kindle Fire, the best selling Android tablet. Tablet v tablet, 1st gen v 1st gen, best seller v best seller, etc.

      $200 vs $600, etc.

    5. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by perpenso · · Score: 0

      My point being, the majority of Android users do have options, albeit not necessarily approved by the Corporate Overlords.

      Yes and no. The majority of Android users do not have the necessary knowledge, expertise or confidence to exercise those options.

    6. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 3, Insightful

      1st gen kindle fire was android derived, not technically android. never sold as an android tablet, didn't have any of googles stuff..

      Just like the latest Kindle - yet you have no problem counting it for Android marketshare.

      --
      Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
    7. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by perpenso · · Score: 4, Informative

      It would seem appropriate to pick the Kindle Fire, the best selling Android tablet. Tablet v tablet, 1st gen v 1st gen, best seller v best seller, etc.

      $200 vs $600, etc.

      Actually it was $500. For the record this $500 device received six major OS upgrades (3.2 to 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.0 and 5.1), the $200 device received zero.

    8. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      My point being, the majority of Android users do have options, albeit not necessarily approved by the Corporate Overlords.

      Yes and no. The majority of Android users do not have the necessary knowledge, expertise or confidence to exercise those options.

      False equivalence - not knowing about or how to exercise those options doesn't change the fact they have them, and Apple users do not.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    9. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by 0123456 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Actually it was $500. For the record this $500 device received six major OS upgrades (3.2 to 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.0 and 5.1), the $200 device received zero.

      And in breaking news, a cheap device isn't supported as well as an expensive device. Full story at eleven.

      So, does the lack of OS upgrades have any impact at all on its intended use for reading books downloaded from Amazon, listening to music downloaded from Amazon, or playing videos downloaded from Amazon?

    10. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For the record the $200 device did receive a couple software updates, they were just Amazon's updates to their version of 2.x, not actual Android updates.

      For anecdotal purposes; when the wife's 1st-gen Fire had a broken charging port, Amazon replaced the device. The replacement's charging port broke (presumably the same way), Amazon acknowledged there was a design flaw, and sent her a 2nd-gen replacement (possibly refurb, but I can't prove it). All of this happened via next-day-air shipping and no charge to us. So not only did we get normal software updates, we ended up with a hardware upgrade as well which included the major 2.x to 4.x Android update. I know we're not the only people who had this happen, several folk on the Amazon forums had similar experiences. I've never met anyone who had Apple upgrade them to the next generation hardware.

    11. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      5.0 crippled the first gen iPad, and the Kindle Fire is just a store front for Amazon that runs a bastardized version of Android.

      The bottom line is that there isn't really any direct equivalent and no like-for-like comparison is possible.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    12. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by perpenso · · Score: 1

      Actually it was $500. For the record this $500 device received six major OS upgrades (3.2 to 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.0 and 5.1), the $200 device received zero.

      And in breaking news, a cheap device isn't supported as well as an expensive device. Full story at eleven.

      So, does the lack of OS upgrades have any impact at all on its intended use for reading books downloaded from Amazon, listening to music downloaded from Amazon, or playing videos downloaded from Amazon?

      You have left out the intended use of downloading apps and games from Amazon's app store. While the Kindle Fire customizes the appearance of Android it is still an Android device and Android apps generally run on it just fine. Being stuck at Android 2.3 limits the choice of apps and games, a developer of an app designed for Android 4 may pass on making the necessary compatibility changes.

    13. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by Dog-Cow · · Score: 2

      Crippled the 1st-gen iPad? You should perhaps talk to my wife, who has been running iOS 5 on her iPad almost since it was available. It doesn't crash on her. It's still responsive and the battery is still good a couple years later. I had the same iPad until it broke and I replaced it. I never had any of these strange issues that have been reported.

    14. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Anecdotes are worthless. I wish Slashdotters wouldn't keep modding them up.

      Yours may be fine. There are thousands of posts on various forums, including this one, saying that the update to iOS 5 cripples the iPad 1. Still somewhat anecdotal, but 1000x more convincing that one guy's wife's story.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    15. Re:Or numerous other Android devices ... by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      Anecdotes are worthless. I wish Slashdotters wouldn't keep modding them up.

      Yours may be fine. There are thousands of posts on various forums, including this one, saying that the update to iOS 5 cripples the iPad 1. Still somewhat anecdotal, but 1000x more convincing that one guy's wife's story.

      Not quote as mods are fairly likely to mod according to their own gripes. With /.'s moderation system of essentially thousands of random moderators with limited number of points to moderate with, you end up with a pretty good selection of reality with the results of moderation. If a product has widespread issues, then an anecdote on /. will get modded up as many mods have seen it. If not, such anecdotes do not get modded up. If the issue is random, then anecdotes on both side get modded up.

      Of course, another reason such anecdotes might get modded up would be due to not really brand loyalty, as I would be quicker to assume that product loyalty can be ascribed to the proper functioning of the product, where hatred of competing brands and products will be much more likely to not even be based on actual experience.

  8. No way! A Fingerprint scanner! by adonoman · · Score: 0

    A fingerprint scanner! On a portable device! Will Apple ever stop hammering us with the revolutionary new features!

  9. Game over by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Time for a reality check: Apple is old-school. This is the problem when a company markets itself on any trend (fashion or otherwise) - at some point it becomes 'uncool' (primarily when it has become too popular). They have to milk those 15 minutes (figuratively) of fame for all it's worth - and Apple has certainly done a splendid job of that. Alas, that time has now passed. Now it's time for what happens to most apples - they rot, decay and finally die.

    1. Re:Game over by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Enjoy your iPod Killer. There aren't any.

      Reality check complete.

  10. Anyone who calls this fellow a troll . . . by Kimomaru · · Score: 1

    . . . should take a moment to pat themselves on the back and congratulate themselves on their intellectual laziness. He made a valid technical point, it's worth knowing that the first gen iPads are being phased out and that, if this is Apple's game, the consumer should at least be aware of it.

    It's mind-boggling how many robots jumped on this post for trolling and flamebait.

  11. Cue the emo fanboy ranting from both sides... by H0p313ss · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seriously guys, get over yourselves.

    --
    XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
    1. Re:Cue the emo fanboy ranting from both sides... by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      What's more sad, the people who are passionate about devices, or the people who are passionate about chastizing people for being passionate about devices?

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    2. Re:Cue the emo fanboy ranting from both sides... by H0p313ss · · Score: 1

      What's more sad, the people who are passionate about devices, or the people who are passionate about chastizing people for being passionate about devices?

      A good question, but I put it to you that there is a difference between being passionate about devices and "emo fanboy ranting". (I am passionate about devices.)

      --
      XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
    3. Re:Cue the emo fanboy ranting from both sides... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's more sad is there's actually people passionate about randomly point out people who are passionate about chastizing people for being passionate about devices.

      No, I'm not passionate about about pointing out people that are passionate about randomly point out people who are passionate about chastizing people for being passionate about devices. Merely making an observation :)

  12. Apples lost residual value by tuppe666 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Sounds like you're not the intended demographic for Apple. You need more hipster or fanboi to properly appreciate the lost value of the Apple product.

    Probably not, but his point is that Apple used to have long support cycles, and good second hand value. Traditionally many Apple owners benefited from this, and justified some of its premium price for a mid-range product. The effects of reduced support cycles due to its expanded product lines...and move towards disposable electronics, removed a lot of value from its products. A move that will affect the Apple faithful more than these new hipster or fanboi you talk about who if anything have the latest Samsung.

    1. Re:Apples lost residual value by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Okay, so he's complaining that his device being 6 months out of getting software updates makes it too old to be usable. Lets compare then...

      iPad:
      3 years of support + 6 months of waiting for it to get too old to be usable –$500

      Random $200 android device:
      6 months waiting for it to get too old to be usable –$200
      6 months waiting for the next one to get too old to be usable –$200
      6 months waiting for the next one to get too old to be usable –$200
      6 months waiting for the next one to get too old to be usable –$200
      6 months waiting for the next one to get too old to be usable –$200
      6 months waiting for the next one to get too old to be usable –$200
      6 months waiting for the next one to get too old to be usable –$200
      Total: $1400

      Doesn't look like the iPad is expensive to me.

    2. Re:Apples lost residual value by 0123456 · · Score: 2

      Doesn't look like the iPad is expensive to me.

      Except most Android software runs happily on old versions, and my Asus tablet is still getting OS updates a couple of years after I bought it.

      Google seem to be pushing for carriers to provide updates so they can get developers to develop for new Android versions, not because the old hardware can't run current software.

    3. Re:Apples lost residual value by the_B0fh · · Score: 0

      Now I know you're full of shit. Are you telling me a 2 year old Asus tablet is now running Ice Cream sandwich?

      Or are you saying you still get v2.x updates?

    4. Re:Apples lost residual value by Wing_Zero · · Score: 1

      Actually, Asus is very good about Updates. My old TF101 (original transformer tablet) got updates to 4.0 before asus said it would stop (cyanogen has a build for 4.2.0, but i traded it in for the tf701, Sweet machine)

    5. Re:Apples lost residual value by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      An iPhone 4S in excellent condition, 32GB, will right now get $220 from Gazelle.

      I just replaced my 2009 iMac with a 2012 version, and I still got over $550 for my nearly 4 year old iMac.

      Are you arguing that Apple products don't have good resale value anymore?

  13. Andrid Phone by tuppe666 · · Score: 1

    Enjoy your iPod Killer. There aren't any.

    Reality check complete.

    It was the Android Phone :) (and very sensibly the iPhone)

  14. Re:No way! A Fingerprint scanner! by 0123456 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Presumably the NSA wanted it added so they could tie fingerprints to call data.

  15. You can install from other sources by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The ability to install apps from sources that aren't the official app store and the ability to develop apps for free without paying a $100/year subscription?

    Both have the same answer - Jailbreak. Which is easy to do if you are technically inclined enough to want to program or to be able to protect yourself from malicious sideloaded programs.

    Once jailbroken, you can deploy anything you like without paying the $100 fee to deploy to your device. It also opens up the ability to easily hack any third party application with simple code additions.

    Meanwhile non-technical users get a fairly secure system that they cannot screw up too easily.

    And on a side note, you don't even need to jailbreak just to install apps from sources not from the app store. Anyone can install ad-hoc builds, anyone with an enterprise license can provide installable apps to anyone (though technically they are supposed to be employees).

    Plus an open source kernel, so you can verify that all your activity isn't being routed directly to Apple for the NSA

    iOS is as open source in that regard, and there've also been quite a lot of people analyzing network traffic outbound from it.

    It's absurd to clam that (for instance) the Android that ships with a Samsung or Motorola phone is something you can see all the source code for... that simply is not true.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:You can install from other sources by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      iOS is as open source in that regard, and there've also been quite a lot of people analyzing network traffic outbound from it.

      Cool, where can I download the source and compile my own build without the spying/advertising? How do I install it on my iDevice? Obviously there will be a few binary blob drivers, but the core OS is open source and can be operated without any link to Apple/iTunes/App Store etc, right?

      Once jailbroken ... you are in an arms race with Apple who keep trying to disable the exploits you need just to control your own device.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:You can install from other sources by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And this is true for as long as someone has a jailbreak available for your device, and it voids your warranty.

      ALL Android devices come with this as a simple checkbox option; no rooting or warranty voiding required.

      As usual, Apple fanbois for some reason just can't shut the fuck up about Android. Came here to see what new stuff there is in iOS 7 and it appears that there's nothing of consequence except for the usual SuperKendall bullshit.

    3. Re:You can install from other sources by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      Cool, where can I download the source and compile my own build without the spying/advertising?

      You just use the provided Apple OS builds since they don't spy or provide advertising details, if you've switched that option off in settings.

      Surely someone as technically "knowledgeable" as yourself can find a settings switch?

      Or you hook into the OS services and block anything you like.

      the core OS is open source and can be operated without any link to Apple/iTunes/App Store etc, right?

      Yes

      you are in an arms race with Apple who keep trying to disable the exploits

      Not really, they only disable remote exploits. Tethered jailbreaks they do not care about because they draw ideas (and sometimes hire people) from the jailbreak community.

      Again, none of that is an issue... if you are actually a technical user who wants low level access.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    4. Re:You can install from other sources by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      You just use the provided Apple OS builds since they don't spy or provide advertising details, if you've switched that option off in settings.

      So what you are saying is:

      a) It isn't actually open source in the same way as Android

      b) I should trust you and Apple on this, even though the device MUST be activated through Apple and the only way to get apps on it is via the App Store or paying Apple for a developer/corporate account?

      You can compile AOSP from source and use it without a single byte being sent to or from Google. No Google apps, no Play store, no Google account, nothing.

      Or you hook into the OS services and block anything you like.

      Only if you crack the OS, normal apps can't do that.

      the core OS is open source and can be operated without any link to Apple/iTunes/App Store etc, right?

      Yes

      I see a few random archives but no complete iOS 6 source code that builds into a working operating system. Oh, and how do I actually install it again?

      Tethered jailbreaks they do not care about

      Then why do they keep breaking them?

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    5. Re:You can install from other sources by Microlith · · Score: 1

      Jailbreak

      Ah yes, play the stupid cat and mouse game with Apple so that you can do as you please. No, the reality is to break out of the Stockholm Syndrome and stop buying Apple products.

      After all, Apple has been pushing hard to get the Jailbreaking exemption removed. Once they achieve that goal (especially if the bullshit from the LoC last round is a sign of things to come) they'll come down hard on every jailbreaking group to push it even farther underground.

      you don't even need to jailbreak just to install apps from sources not from the app store.

      A baseless statement.

      Anyone can install ad-hoc builds

      IFF they work through the build process - and are willing to limit themselves to 120 users and force them to renew every 90 days.

      anyone with an enterprise license

      Which costs a pretty penny and isn't easy to get.

      But yes, tinkerers should keep giving money to a company that is eminently hostile to them, to the point that they want to turn what they do into a Federal crime - and lead the charge to make it so each time it comes around.

    6. Re:You can install from other sources by Microlith · · Score: 1

      Tethered jailbreaks they do not care about because they draw ideas (and sometimes hire people) from the jailbreak community.

      Ripe bullshit. Not that they don't steal ideas from the jailbreak community, but that they don't care about tethered jailbreaks. That would imply a lax attitude towards security from Apple, and I don't believe that for a moment.

    7. Re:You can install from other sources by tepples · · Score: 1

      Jailbreak.

      It is not clear that this is even legal on an iPod touch or an iPad. The current DMCA exception from the Librarian of Congress applies only to phones.

    8. Re:You can install from other sources by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      a) It isn't actually open source in the same way as Android

      Thankfully not.

      b) I should trust you and Apple on this, even though the device MUST be activated through Apple and the only way to get apps on it is via the App Store or paying Apple for a developer/corporate account?

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust,_but_verify

      As a long time Apple user and developer I know that that Apple work to protect users privacy far more than any other OS system does. The app store restrictions, and the sandboxing means that every year it becomes harder and harder for software to do something malicious or thoughtless that threatens the users privacy. And Apple's own software respects user privacy too. But this isn't simply a matter of trust. People run packet sniffers on iOS devices all the time. I do sometimes when I'm developing network apps. We know that Apple do what they say they do.

      On Android you have little protection. If you tickle your itch by building and installing AOSP and putting it on your phone, you then have no access to the somewhat vetted Google Play store, and are at the mercy of all the Android Malware that exists out there.

      If on the other hand you stick with official Android builds, well the entire reason for Android is to spy on you and advertise to you.

      Either way you're in a far worse position on Android than you are on iOS.

    9. Re:You can install from other sources by andymadigan · · Score: 1

      Sorry, no.

      AT&T for a while blocked third party applications on Android devices (except the official store). In addition various Android devices like the nook have also blocked even the official store in the past.

      http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Finally-Allows-Third-Party-Android-Apps-114265

      Carriers can customize Android to their hearts content and break just about whatever they want. I bought several Android devices that were screwed up in this way. My last android devices was the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7+. Some features never worked (like the IR), and others didn't work under CyanogenMod. Under either OS the device was unreliable and crashy. Of course, maybe I could have replaced it with a Nexus 7, but after my 4th Android device I was just sick of constant crashes and issues that never seemed to go away.

      There really only seems to be one way to get good Android devices - straight from Google. Good luck if you want to use a U.S. carrier other than AT&T or T-Mobile (I happen to have T-Mo, but there are plenty of places in the U.S. where that wouldn't work).

      --
      The right to protest the State is more sacred than the State.
  16. Slashdot - breaking news for new beta software. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow, a new iOS beta! Why is this even news? Not shitting on the article because of Apple but rather because it's an incremental release of an unreleased product. Should we expect a news story every time Windows, Chrome, FireFox release a new beta?

    Content control people... come on!

    1. Re:Slashdot - breaking news for new beta software. by neo8750 · · Score: 1

      We have those too...But they don't bring out the fanboys, trolls, and other bitchy idiots like the ios vs android :)

  17. Ewwww... by Chewbacon · · Score: 1

    Ugly as shit. Someone drown that Hello Kitty mother fucker.

    --
    Chewbacon
    The Bible is like Wikipedia: written by a bunch of people and verifiable by questionable sources.
  18. Re:No way! A Fingerprint scanner! by EdZ · · Score: 1

    Or even the Atrix. Much maligned due to Motorola dropping support for it like a hot potato, it was really nice to have the lock button and fingerprint canner combined so you could unlock the phone in one hand without weird thumb contortions.

  19. Jailbreaking has never voided a warranty by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    And this is true for as long as someone has a jailbreak available for your device

    Which so far is every device.

    it voids your warranty.

    No, actually, it doesn't. By law in fact. Kind of odd Apple Haters keep bringing this up, when even Congress told them it wasn't true... do you have a mental deficiency that keeps you from processing new information?

    ALL Android devices come with this as a simple checkbox option; no rooting or warranty voiding required.

    No, you only need to root if you ever want a software update. SO MUCH BETTER!

    Meanwhile all the non-technical users check that box so they can use the Amazon app store and prompt download viruses that SMS for them to paid numbers... yeah that situation sure is awesome! Well, for technical users. But screw normal people right? I mean, hundreds of millions should suffer so it's a tiny bit easier for you to sideload, right?

    Once again the Apple Haters show they know nothing and care even less for normal people.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Jailbreaking has never voided a warranty by Microlith · · Score: 1

      No, actually, it doesn't. By law in fact.

      The only basis by which I can see it being -not- a warranty violation is via the Moss-Magnusson act. Mind you, I've argued the same point but no one has ever taken it to court. So you can't claim this.

      Kind of odd Apple Haters keep bringing this up, when even Congress told them it wasn't true... do you have a mental deficiency that keeps you from processing new information?

      Do you? You like spouting things without any sort of backup, I don't recall Congress ever making a statement that Jailbreaking didn't violate the warranty.

      Once again the Apple Haters show they know nothing and care even less for normal people.

      Don't worry, you're such a blitzed Apple Zealot you're a perfect fit for them.

  20. Kindle Fire is a stock Android SDK environment ... by perpenso · · Score: 1

    5.0 crippled the first gen iPad, and the Kindle Fire is just a store front for Amazon that runs a bastardized version of Android.

    You are mistaken. Only the cosmetic screen appearance of the operating system has changed. Underneath the Kindle Fire is a stock Android SDK 2.3 (api level 10) environment including 3.0 extensions via the support library (fragments, etc). Many Android apps and games run just fine if they are compatible with API level 10 and support library v4.

  21. Wishful thinking by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    So, in the future, please keep your stories straight.

    An Apple Hater couldn't keep his story straight if it were sitting under a hot iron.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  22. Recurring fee by tepples · · Score: 1

    #3 - iCloud

    See #4. Backing up more than 5 GB of data involves a recurring fee, even if you have plenty of available space on a server that uses a protocol other than iCloud.

  23. Density increases still add performance by tepples · · Score: 1

    The difference is that IC density increases (Moore's law) are still leading to user-noticeable performance improvements in mobile. On PC, not so much.

  24. OS updates vs. app updates by tepples · · Score: 1

    Are you telling me a 2 year old Asus tablet is now running Ice Cream sandwich? Or are you saying you still get v2.x updates?

    Third option. Users of devices that run Gingerbread are still getting application updates even if not operating system updates.

    1. Re:OS updates vs. app updates by the_B0fh · · Score: 1

      Are you fucking with me? Who the hell is is talking about application updates?

      You *ARE* aware that these are two separate things?

    2. Re:OS updates vs. app updates by tepples · · Score: 1

      The fact that these are two separate things is entirely my point. Users of old Android operating systems can still run new versions of Android applications for two reasons. First, the "support library" included with the Android SDK allows new applications to use new UI features on old API levels. Second, Google has been updating some components of Android through Google Play Services.

  25. Exchange Admins: by acoustix · · Score: 1

    Get ready for the BOOM!

    But seriously, I really hope that the iOS upgrade doesn't crash my Exchange server. I'm tired of the devices blowing up my logs.

    --
    "A plan fiendishly clever in its intricacies"- Homer Simpson
  26. Unveiled... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOL. Welcome to the new iOS -- same as the old iOS: Limited, as simple minds prefer it to be.

  27. My favorate thing about iOS 7 beta 3 by Irick · · Score: 1

    Dicenomicon no longer has its textures screwed up :D

  28. Cherry picking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're the very guy that will go "oh, I got caugth with my pants down" when all your devices get simultaneously hacked in unison. The laughable security, and snooping of Android devices has been well documented.

    1. Re:Cherry picking by war4peace · · Score: 1

      So I'm proving an existing issue and you're countering with a highly unlikely (yet possible) issue?
      Good job.

      Android's exploits can and will be fixed. iPhone's Bluetooth Stack issue won't.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)