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Android is number one OS among US phone buyers over the last six months
Engadget ^ | Oct 5th 2010 | Vlad Savov

Posted on 10/05/2010 11:09:02 AM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier

BlackBerry OS? Dead! iOS? Dead! Symbian? Never stood a chance. Android's exponential growth has today been illustrated by Nielsen's statisticians who present us with the above chart of recent US smartphone purchases. It shows that over the six months leading up to August 2010, 32 percent of American new phone buyers had grabbed themselves a device with Google's OS on board, which is comfortably ahead of RIM at 26 percent and Apple at 25 percent. These results corroborate NPD's figures on the matter -- which peg Android at 33 percent of new US purchases -- and reiterate the idea that Android is headed to a place whose name starts with D and ends with omination.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: android; dominance; ios; rim
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To: driftdiver; EyeGuy

I do just that thing myself! I run Windows 7 x64 with Outlook 2010. I use Google Calendar Sync to synchronize my calendar and contacts with my GMail account.

Then my Android Tablet natively syncs with my GMail account, so it has those contacts and calendar entries.

And my WinMo phone connects to my GMail account as well to sync contacts and calendar.

This allows me to enter a contact or calendar appointment on my Win 7 laptop, my Android tablet, or my WinMo phone, and within a few minutes the entry has been propagated to the other devices, seamlessly. VERY slick and easy to do!

Also, consider SugarSync - I use it as a common “share” between my laptop, tablet, and phone (and any other computer I may borrow). A common 30 GB storage that’s accessible from all platforms. Nice to drop my presentations and latest docs I need to share there (typically PDFs and the like), so no matter where I am, and even if I have just my phone, I can still access what I want and show it/share it as needed.


21 posted on 10/05/2010 12:05:41 PM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the Sting of Truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: UB355
Well my daughter is none too happy with her Android. She switched from a Blackberry to a Motorola with Android. Some how she mus downloaded an app with a virus. The virus sent emails from her contacts list.

Does she sync her contact list with her laptop or computer? There have been trojans going around on computers that will spew out your contact lists...

Lots of the Apple Fans love to talk about viruses and malware on Android, but are amazingly silent when asked to provide proof. The fact is that there have been about as many problems in the Android Market as there have been in Apple's App Store - and that number for both is rather small.

22 posted on 10/05/2010 12:06:29 PM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the Sting of Truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: MrEdd
Windows phone 7 will be a better multi-tasker

Windows Phone 7 doesn't multitask. It doesn't copy/paste either. It's like iOS three years ago.

23 posted on 10/05/2010 12:15:25 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: PugetSoundSoldier

I guess Bill Gates is telling me, if I want a smartphone, I need to upgrade to the Android or go the iPhone route.

Android does NOT have a subscription requirment ala Apple, correct? I have no need or desire the surf the internet from a cellphone.

I guess I really need to find some resources and read up on these new devices.


24 posted on 10/05/2010 12:21:21 PM PDT by EyeGuy
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To: antiRepublicrat
Windows Phone 7 doesn't multitask. It doesn't copy/paste either. It's like iOS three years ago.

The absence of copy/paste is supposed to be fixed after the initial release. Not sure about multitasking. From the early reviews I've seen, it's not "like" any other smartphone.

25 posted on 10/05/2010 12:23:18 PM PDT by tacticalogic
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To: PugetSoundSoldier
Android definitely benefits from having so many hardware manufacturers and carriers. I like my sister's Droid but it doesn't seem to be as fast as my son's iPhone3G when launching/running similar applications.

I'm on the hunt for a phone but will be waiting a few months before I make a decision on which smartphone to buy. A couple of the Android phones look very pretty - and useful. iPhone has been (and still is) the standard and will make my shortlist. I've almost ruled any Symbian phone off my list now. I really like what I've seen about the Windows Phone 7.

If I had to make my choice in the next 6 weeks, WP7 phone would win mainly due to its Office, Zune, and Live integration - but the hardware is rather important too. That said, I'm not committed to any new phone hardware or OS so I might just hang onto my 4-year-old hand-me-down Moto Razor as long as it continues to work.

26 posted on 10/05/2010 12:31:18 PM PDT by DesertSapper (God, Family, Country . . . . . . . . . . and dead terrorists!!!)
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To: antiRepublicrat
I have the Galaxy S from Sprint as the 'Samsung Epic'.

In another thread, you asked me:

"Ingenuity? That's a tricky one. The Galaxy is pretty much the standard high-end phone package. What seems to be the ingenuity part? The AMOLED screen?"

I'd almost taken time to simply respond 'Google Talk' a day or so later, but then it was announced that Apple was going to allow Google Talk to come to the iPhone even though Google still seems to be silent about it. Maybe iPhone people will get it after all.

Google Talk is pretty much changing my life.

27 posted on 10/05/2010 12:31:55 PM PDT by The KG9 Kid
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To: PugetSoundSoldier
That right there shows your ignorance

In case you didn't notice, I was using the same over-the-top terminology of the article to make fun of it. RIM and the iPhone are obviously by no means dead.

complete lack of consideration of anything outside the US.

Speaking of that, Apple just started selling the iPhone 4 in China. Long lines, massive sales of course. Apple had 50,000 pre-orders on the first day for a $750-$900 phone.

Nokia's selling around 260,000 smartphones a DAY

There's inertia working for you. When WP7 comes out, Symbian will be the fifth most capable smart phone OS out there. People are already calling for the Nokia CEO to step down, and they're wondering when Nokia will switch to Android. Apple will continue to eat into Nokia's high-end sales, and Android will continue to eat into the low- and high-end sales. And then Microsoft will start taking some high-end sales too.

And many of what Nokia considers "feature phones" are actually as full-featured as the iPhone

Not even close.

28 posted on 10/05/2010 12:33:02 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
(the Epic is the only version that has both).

Check this out

29 posted on 10/05/2010 12:34:04 PM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: The KG9 Kid
I'd almost taken time to simply respond 'Google Talk' a day or so later

That's Google ingenuity, not something specific to the Galaxy S. Still, if not innovative, it is a great assortment of technologies in a decent package.

30 posted on 10/05/2010 12:36:20 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
WP7 does multitask - just not with all applications. The latest info I've read states that 3rd party apps aren't allowed to multitask (for now). All the 'native' WP7 applications multitask - including Office, Zune, compass, Live, Calendar, IE browser, imbedded FM radio, etc.

I believe it's an issue of CPU and power consumption control. Might be nice to have full multitasking but I haven't run into any application on my son's iPhone that I want running in the background that isn't one of those WP7 native applications. Of course I don't use a smartphone continuously through the day - it's possible I just haven't found that uber-app I want running at all times.

31 posted on 10/05/2010 12:41:00 PM PDT by DesertSapper (God, Family, Country . . . . . . . . . . and dead terrorists!!!)
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To: PugetSoundSoldier

Love my Sprint EVO


32 posted on 10/05/2010 12:44:09 PM PDT by ncfool (The new USSA - United Socialst States of AmeriKa. Welcome to Obummers world or Obamaville USSA.)
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To: DesertSapper
All the 'native' WP7 applications multitask

That's the same with the iPhone, always has been. Apple just didn't let third-party apps freely multitask like Android does (there is controlled multitasking now). WP7 is starting in Apple's initial position, no third-party multitasking. A good example of useful multitasking would be playing music and running your GPS navigation at the same time, and then being able to check your Facebook/WWW/etc without stopping the others.

33 posted on 10/05/2010 12:55:42 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
A good example of useful multitasking would be playing music and running your GPS navigation at the same time, and then being able to check your Facebook/WWW/etc without stopping the others.

I'm not sure about a GPS navigation application but I believe that Zune, IE, imbedded radio have the music and any Facebook/WWW multitasking issues covered - because they are all 'native' applications. In fact, I've read you can even see some FB status updates on the main screen tiles if you want.

Not sure how it works with one 3rd party app running while other native apps are running in the background.

34 posted on 10/05/2010 1:21:16 PM PDT by DesertSapper (God, Family, Country . . . . . . . . . . and dead terrorists!!!)
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To: DesertSapper
Not sure how it works with one 3rd party app running while other native apps are running in the background.

The Microsoft apps can still run, but as soon as you switch to one of them you lose your third-party app running. Basically, the problem is that lack of multitasking was a big complaint against Apple, so Apple introduced managed multitasking to allow it while saving batteries. Along comes Microsoft's latest and greatest phone OS, and it doesn't even do that.

It doesn't even do copy/paste, also an initial iPhone complaint, long-since rectified. It also doesn't do IPsec VPN. And for people who favor Android, WP7 also won't do Flash or allow removable SD cards. It's deficient in some way when compared to each of the main competitors. Right now, I can't see a reason to buy it, unless you just like the way it does the social networking thing.

In fact, I've read you can even see some FB status updates on the main screen tiles if you want.

There's an FB widget for Android too, and a Twitter one.

35 posted on 10/05/2010 1:38:40 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
All true. A quick google search shows how to add a front facing camera to the Vibrant though.

Known issues with Vibrant:
GPS software issues - OTA update completed waiting on rollout.
No handsfree on wired headset - Fixed in android 2.2 waitiing on rollout
No Adobe Flash - Fixed in 2.2 waiting on rollout.
No camera flash - No big deal for me, if i need pro pics, use good camera.

Overall great phone. Are there better phones out there? Maybe, but I'm happy so who cares.

36 posted on 10/05/2010 1:40:00 PM PDT by DarthFuzball ("Life is full of little surprises." - Pandora)
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To: DesertSapper
I like my sister's Droid but it doesn't seem to be as fast as my son's iPhone3G when launching/running similar applications.

I have my rooted Droid overclocked to 1Ghz (which is twice as fast as a stock Droid). All my apps run smooth as silk.

37 posted on 10/05/2010 1:48:51 PM PDT by Keeper of the Turf (Fore!!!)
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To: tacticalogic
From the early reviews I've seen, it's not "like" any other smartphone.

I'll be happy if Microsoft finds another way of doing a smartphone that really works. I love competition, and it has kind of sucked that Microsoft's effectively been asleep for the last few years.

38 posted on 10/05/2010 2:01:38 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
Sounds like you're reading more about WP7 than I am. I guess I'll see how all my options look early in 2011. If I remember correctly, even Google had huge problems with their Nexus1 phone initially. I'll let the early adopters deal with the growing pains and jump in a bit later.

I really don't like the look of a screen covered in tiny icons but like the idea of running apps in any combination I want. My sister loves the do-everything Droid - and complains of battery life of only 2-3 hours.

Until I have Dick Tracy's two-way-wrist-communicator with an imbedded Star Trek phaser and Intel Corei7 functionality, I'll probably remain unimpressed with at least a few things about these current smartphones.

39 posted on 10/05/2010 2:04:13 PM PDT by DesertSapper (God, Family, Country . . . . . . . . . . and dead terrorists!!!)
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To: DesertSapper
I guess I'll see how all my options look early in 2011.

There's always the old truism, never by a Microsoft product until version 3. You also don't buy an Apple product until version 2.

40 posted on 10/05/2010 2:23:33 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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