[Electronics-talk] android v iPhone (was Re: Hi I'm new to the list)

[Jim Barbour]

Over the past year or so, Apple has made it far less necessary for the iphone to interact with a computer at all. You can buy music and apps directly on the iPhone.  You can now upgrade the firmware directly from the iPhone.  I have not connected my phone to my computer for months.

Now, the one thing that is involved is transferring the music you already have on your computer to your iPhone.

With android phones you can connect the phone to your computer and treat it like an external disk; just copying music from your computer to the android phone.

With the iPhone, you need to import your music into iTunes - which is the involved part - and then sync your iTunes collection to your iPhone.  This is completely doable by a blind person, I and many blind friends have done this.  However, it's not as straightforward as just copying the music.

I will say that I strongly believe that the iPhone provides a more stable and reliable user experience for most blind people.  To be sure, there are times when accessibility to an iPhone app is broken or non-existent.  Usually, however, you'll be able to predict when this accessibility won't work.

The fragmentation of hardware, extra software on top of android, different screen reader options, and android versions mean that a blind person will need to put a lot more time and research into building an android solution that works for them.  This is also doable, I've used android and know others who have as well.  I consider using android a lot like running Linux.  I love my Linux machines, but part of what I love about them is the ability, and sometimes necessity, of tinkering around with them to get them to do what I want.  If you want a phone that allows, and sometimes requires, you to tinker around with it; go for the android.  If you want a phone that provides a constant, B-plus level of access, then go for the iPhone. 

There is not one solution for everyone, but there is information the experienced phone users among us can pass along to those trying to make decisions.   Hopefully, that's what I've done here.

There are a few good iPhone lists out there.  My favorite is the
viphone at googlegroups.com list.  You can read their archives here...
You need a Google account to subscribe.  You can see their archives,
create an account - if necessary, and sign up for the list here...

http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en

"That Android Show" is the podcast that Tony is talking about.  It's put
on by the Serotalk folks.  I haven't listened to it, but they've done
other podcasts I like.  You can listen to previous shows here...

http://thatandroidshow.com/

You can subscribe here...

http://thatandroidshow.com/feed/

Serotalk also has a podcast called "triple click home" which talks
about iPhone accessibility.   You can listen to archives here...

http://tripleclickhome.com/

and they'd really like folks to subscribe via iTunes.

Take Care,

Jim

On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 08:08:01AM -0600, James Aldrich wrote:
> Hi Loren,
> 
> The IPhone can interact with the windows platform but it is involved.  I of course have the IPhone and I'm very pleased with it.  It is truly more than aphone.  It can be  good source of entertainment as well as news and information. I'm writing this post with it now! I can identify money, check to see if lights are on or off in the house, use as  GPS, serf the web, and a host of other things.  If you aren't in ahurry, get an IPod touch 4th generation.  It operates much the same way as the IPhone.  You can take your time to learn it as you decide which phone to get.  You would still have all that the IPod had to offer if you chose Android.  On the other hand, you'd have many things already in place if you get an IPhone.  This is what I did and I'm enjoying both very much!
> 
> Hope this helps!
> 
> Jim
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On May 31, 2012, at 12:58 AM, "Tony Sohl" <tonysohl at cox.net> wrote:
> 
> > Hi The androyd is better because you will be limited to only apple products if you get the iphone, however with the androyd you can get other programs including mobile accessability and other apps from tyhe androyd mmarket. There are several androy list serves and are you on system access?
> > 
> > The reason why I'm asking is becaues they have an androyd podcast which might be worth looking into. I hope this helps. What phone service are you with by this are you with sprint or t-mobil?
> > 
> > My girlfriend Tina birenbaum has an androyd and she knows a lot about androyd phones.