Verizon iPhone versus Verizon Android devices

"SMS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Having had a Droid for all of five days, the Verizon iPhone is going to be
> a huge hit.
>
> Negatives about the Droid
>
> 1. No dock connector. The added functionality of the Apple dock is very
> useful. A defined dock connector would have been a big selling point for
> Android because it would have enabled an ecosystem similar to what's
> sprung up around the iPhone/iPod to have evolved. While there's a design
> for an open standard dock connector, there are no Android devices that use
> it yet, and of course no peripherals either. Such is the result of the
> fragmented Android market.
>
> 2. No IPSEC VPN. This is a very big issue. Enterprises are not allowing
> Android based smart phones because of it. It's not a Cisco issue, it's an
> issue with the Android OS, that will not be fixed for probably another six
> months. I can't use my ISP's VPN for a secure connection over Wi-Fi.
>
> 3. Micro USB charger port. It's so much flimsier than the Mini USB port on
> my other phones, and flimsier than the iPod dock/charging connector.
>
> 4. Limited accessories. Since the Android market is so fragmented, and
> since there's no standard dock, you don't get any of the cool accessories
> like you do for the iPhone.
>
> Positives
>
> 1. Physical keyboard. A lot better than a virtual keyboard if you're doing
> a lot of texting or e-mail, but realistically, for most users, the virtual
> keyboard is sufficient.
>
> 2. MicroSD card slot. Since the Droid doesn't have as much flash available
> as the iPhone, this is essential.
>
> 3. Replaceable battery. If you use Wi-Fi a lot, you actually may want a
> spare battery and an external charger, just to get through one day of use.
>
>
> Bottom line, the Verizon iPhone will be a huge seller. Most large
> businesses use Verizon, and they _require_ VPN to get into their corporate
> networks, which rules out Droid for now.

Strange, My LG Vortex, an entry level Android, includes VPN setup in the
wireless and network setup menu. It includes set up choices for IPSec PSK
and IPSec CRT VPNs.

There is also an available dock, it's not anything I have felt a great need
to have.

---

› See More: Verizon iPhone versus Verizon Android devices

In message <120120110522231124%[email protected]> nospam
<[email protected]> was claimed to have wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, Fred
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> > But Apple's not making money from those aftermarket accessories.
>>
>> I bet that's not true. Everything with that damned dock connector on it is
>> quite a bit more expensive than similar stuff without it. I bet Apple gets
>> a license fee for every dock connector that's sold.
>
>examples? oh right, you don't have any.

And you won't, since Apple requires you to sign an NDA before you
negotiate on pricing.

On 1/11/2011 9:16 PM, Carl wrote:
> SMS wrote:
>> Having had a Droid for all of five days, the Verizon iPhone is going
>> to be a huge hit.
>>
>> Negatives about the Droid
>>
>> 1. No dock connector. The added functionality of the Apple dock is
>> very useful. A defined dock connector would have been a big selling
>> point for Android because it would have enabled an ecosystem similar
>> to what's sprung up around the iPhone/iPod to have evolved. While
>> there's a design for an open standard dock connector, there are no
>> Android devices that use it yet, and of course no peripherals either.
>> Such is the result of the fragmented Android market.
>>
>> 2. No IPSEC VPN. This is a very big issue. Enterprises are not
>> allowing Android based smart phones because of it. It's not a Cisco
>> issue, it's an issue with the Android OS, that will not be fixed for
>> probably
>> another six months. I can't use my ISP's VPN for a secure connection
>> over Wi-Fi.
>>
>> 3. Micro USB charger port. It's so much flimsier than the Mini USB
>> port on my other phones, and flimsier than the iPod dock/charging
>> connector.
>> 4. Limited accessories. Since the Android market is so fragmented, and
>> since there's no standard dock, you don't get any of the cool
>> accessories like you do for the iPhone.
>>
>> Positives
>>
>> 1. Physical keyboard. A lot better than a virtual keyboard if you're
>> doing a lot of texting or e-mail, but realistically, for most users,
>> the virtual keyboard is sufficient.
>>
>> 2. MicroSD card slot. Since the Droid doesn't have as much flash
>> available as the iPhone, this is essential.
>>
>> 3. Replaceable battery. If you use Wi-Fi a lot, you actually may want
>> a spare battery and an external charger, just to get through one day
>> of use.
>>
>> Bottom line, the Verizon iPhone will be a huge seller. Most large
>> businesses use Verizon, and they _require_ VPN to get into their
>> corporate networks, which rules out Droid for now.
>>
>> Don't forget positive 4. Plays Flashplayer videos
>
> If you think this is no big deal, wait until you see how many pages you
> can't access correctly if at all.

Yeah, I missed that one. Indeed, Flash support is a _huge_ advantage of
Android.

In article <[email protected]>, DevilsPGD
<[email protected]> wrote:

> >> > But Apple's not making money from those aftermarket accessories.
> >>
> >> I bet that's not true. Everything with that damned dock connector on it
> >> is
> >> quite a bit more expensive than similar stuff without it. I bet Apple
> >> gets
> >> a license fee for every dock connector that's sold.
> >
> >examples? oh right, you don't have any.
>
> And you won't, since Apple requires you to sign an NDA before you
> negotiate on pricing.

sure, but i wasn't asking about that.

he said products with the connector are 'quite a bit more expensive'
than without. which ones, specifically?

In article <120120110521509120%[email protected]>,
[email protected]d says...
>
> In article <[email protected]>, Steve Sobol
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > My new smartphone uses a lot of juice.
>
> they all do, some more than others.
>
> > I can charge it using the charger (and actually, the charger is just a
> > stub that you plug a USB cable into), I can charge it by plugging it
> > into a USB jack on my laptop, or I can charge it and play music off it
> > by plugging it into the USB jack in my car.
>
> exactly like an iphone or ipod.

ok, and do you not need a separate adapter to plug the iPhone or iPod
into a USB jack?

--
Steve Sobol - Programming/Web Dev/IT Support
Apple Valley, CA
[email protected]

On 1/12/2011 6:32 AM, nospam wrote:

> he said products with the connector are 'quite a bit more expensive'
> than without. which ones, specifically?

In fact, the Apple chargers and docking cables for the iPod Touch and
iPhone are so inexpensive that I wouldn't doubt if many users are like
me and have extras in each car and in their laptop bag, in addition to
the included charger and the chargers on any speaker docks.

<http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.37894>. $4.83, including
shipping for a 3-in-1 USB Power Adapter for iPhone/iPod Touch. Actually
the same functionality in Micro USB (for Android) is a bit more
expensive than for the iPhone/iPod.

People go on and on about "proprietary" but they forget that often a
proprietary design becomes some popular that the aftermarket selection
of accessories is not only huge but inexpensive. Similar to those that
complained about Li-Ion camera batteries versus AA batteries. The Li-Ion
batteries have compelling technical advantages over AA NiMH batteries,
and for the popular cameras the after-market Li-Ion batteries are not
much more than a set of AA rechargeables.

On 1/12/2011 10:53 AM, Steve Sobol wrote:
> In article<120120110521509120%[email protected]>,
> [email protected]d says...
>>
>> In article<[email protected]>, Steve Sobol
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> My new smartphone uses a lot of juice.
>>
>> they all do, some more than others.
>>
>>> I can charge it using the charger (and actually, the charger is just a
>>> stub that you plug a USB cable into), I can charge it by plugging it
>>> into a USB jack on my laptop, or I can charge it and play music off it
>>> by plugging it into the USB jack in my car.
>>
>> exactly like an iphone or ipod.
>
> ok, and do you not need a separate adapter to plug the iPhone or iPod
> into a USB jack?

You do. The same way you need a USB to Micro USB adapter to plug an
Android into a USB jack.

Here's the one for the iPhone/iPod Touch:
<http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.40078>

Here's the one for the Android:
<http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.48924>.

OMG, the one for the iPhone is 50% more expensive! $1.80 versus $1.20!

It's just a non-issue in terms of cost. And in fact, the dock
functionality on the iPhone/iPod Touch is so incredibly useful at home
and in the car, that even if the iPod charger cost 200% more that it
would still be no biggie.

Our house presently has two iPod Touch 4th generation, one Android, and
three phones that use mini-USB chargers. So I'm familiar with all these
chargers. The one thing you don't want to do is to buy any phone that
doesn't use Micro-USB, Mini-USB, or the iPhone/iPod connector.

In article <[email protected]>, Steve Sobol
<[email protected]> wrote:

> > > I can charge it using the charger (and actually, the charger is just a
> > > stub that you plug a USB cable into), I can charge it by plugging it
> > > into a USB jack on my laptop, or I can charge it and play music off it
> > > by plugging it into the USB jack in my car.
> >
> > exactly like an iphone or ipod.
>
> ok, and do you not need a separate adapter to plug the iPhone or iPod
> into a USB jack?

use the cable that came with it and plug it into any usb port, or into
the included power adapter if you prefer.

SMS wrote on [Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:03:40 -0800]:
> On 1/12/2011 10:53 AM, Steve Sobol wrote:
>> In article<120120110521509120%[email protected]>,
>> [email protected]d says...
>>>
>>> In article<[email protected]>, Steve Sobol
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> My new smartphone uses a lot of juice.
>>>
>>> they all do, some more than others.
>>>
>>>> I can charge it using the charger (and actually, the charger is just a
>>>> stub that you plug a USB cable into), I can charge it by plugging it
>>>> into a USB jack on my laptop, or I can charge it and play music off it
>>>> by plugging it into the USB jack in my car.
>>>
>>> exactly like an iphone or ipod.
>>
>> ok, and do you not need a separate adapter to plug the iPhone or iPod
>> into a USB jack?
>
> You do. The same way you need a USB to Micro USB adapter to plug an
> Android into a USB jack.
>
> Here's the one for the iPhone/iPod Touch:
> <http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.40078>
>
> Here's the one for the Android:
> <http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.48924>.
>
> OMG, the one for the iPhone is 50% more expensive! $1.80 versus $1.20!

Huh, I just bought a whole bunch of micro USB cables for 57c each at
monoprice

> It's just a non-issue in terms of cost. And in fact, the dock
> functionality on the iPhone/iPod Touch is so incredibly useful at home
> and in the car, that even if the iPod charger cost 200% more that it
> would still be no biggie.

iPhone and iPod touch need different doc pieces of plastic. Ridiculous
really

On 1/12/2011 11:17 AM, Justin wrote:
> SMS wrote on [Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:03:40 -0800]:
>> On 1/12/2011 10:53 AM, Steve Sobol wrote:
>>> In article<120120110521509120%[email protected]>,
>>> [email protected]d says...
>>>>
>>>> In article<[email protected]>, Steve Sobol
>>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> My new smartphone uses a lot of juice.
>>>>
>>>> they all do, some more than others.
>>>>
>>>>> I can charge it using the charger (and actually, the charger is just a
>>>>> stub that you plug a USB cable into), I can charge it by plugging it
>>>>> into a USB jack on my laptop, or I can charge it and play music off it
>>>>> by plugging it into the USB jack in my car.
>>>>
>>>> exactly like an iphone or ipod.
>>>
>>> ok, and do you not need a separate adapter to plug the iPhone or iPod
>>> into a USB jack?
>>
>> You do. The same way you need a USB to Micro USB adapter to plug an
>> Android into a USB jack.
>>
>> Here's the one for the iPhone/iPod Touch:
>> <http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.40078>
>>
>> Here's the one for the Android:
>> <http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.48924>.
>>
>> OMG, the one for the iPhone is 50% more expensive! $1.80 versus $1.20!
>
> Huh, I just bought a whole bunch of micro USB cables for 57c each at
> monoprice

Yeah, monoprice.com is often cheaper than dealextreme.com.

One thing I'm in the process of doing is taking a 110VAC-5VDC 2A adapter
<http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9488> and adding 4 female USB
connectors, then buying/making up male USB to whatever I need cables
(Mini-USB, Micro-USB, Nintendo DSi, iPod Touch, Sansa, Magellan) so when
we go on trips I can take fewer chargers. I'll also get a 5V 2A
cigarette lighter adapter and splitter to use with these cords
<http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.45227> +
<http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.35907>. The splitter comes
with only a 1A adapter which is not enough current for four devices.

My Magellan GPS uses a proprietary connector because the power supply is
5V 2A (it's got a 7" screen) so they couldn't do USB powering. I want to
be able to charge it at home. It was very difficult to find the barrel
connector for the Magellan, it's a 3.2mm OD 0.9mm ID and Radio Shanty
doesn't carry them, nor are they included with any "universal" AC
adapters. Finally found them at Digikey.

It's not just carrying fewer chargers, it's also that there often aren't
a lot of outlets at the hotel so I end up taking triple taps or power
strips too. A lot of airplanes now have outlets now, but not enough. In
the vehicle we take on road trips, I now have 12 cigarette lighter
outlets, and four USB outlets.

In article <[email protected]>,

> You do. The same way you need a USB to Micro USB adapter to plug an
> Android into a USB jack.

I call bull****, Steve; my HTC MyTouch 4G has a microUSB jack. You just
need the proper cable. And a microUSB cable ships with the MyTouch, and
you can get more at MonoPrice for a buck or two per cable.

I believe my mom's Moto Droid X also has a microUSB jack.

So did the phone my MyTouch replaced - an LG Sentio featurephone (which,
by the way, wasn't an Android handset.)




--
Steve Sobol - Programming/Web Dev/IT Support
Apple Valley, CA
[email protected]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...

> Yeah, monoprice.com is often cheaper than dealextreme.com.


Monoprice seems to be THE place to go for cables. Have you seen their
HDMI cables? $3-$5 for the same cable Wal-Mart and Best Buy sell for
$25-40.



--
Steve Sobol - Programming/Web Dev/IT Support
Apple Valley, CA
[email protected]

In article <[email protected]>, Steve Sobol
<[email protected]> wrote:

> > You do. The same way you need a USB to Micro USB adapter to plug an
> > Android into a USB jack.
>
> I call bull****, Steve; my HTC MyTouch 4G has a microUSB jack. You just
> need the proper cable.

the iphone ships with the proper cable.

> And a microUSB cable ships with the MyTouch,

just like the iphone.

> and you can get more at MonoPrice for a buck or two per cable.

just like the iphone.

In message <[email protected]> SMS
<[email protected]> was claimed to have wrote:

>Yeah, I missed that one. Indeed, Flash support is a _huge_ advantage of
>Android.

Does it support FlashBlock? In other words, require a click/tap to
activate Flash? Or does Flash crap just start running on it's own?

Steve Sobol wrote on [Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:07:06 -0800]:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
>
>> Yeah, monoprice.com is often cheaper than dealextreme.com.
>
>
> Monoprice seems to be THE place to go for cables. Have you seen their
> HDMI cables? $3-$5 for the same cable Wal-Mart and Best Buy sell for
> $25-40.

Oh yeah. I picked up several 6 foot HDMI cables for $3 when I got the
USB cables.