Unfortunately, I'm getting on a plane to Buffalo first thing tomorrow, so I don't have time to respond in depth. The point about the cheaper phones was actually the one I was trying to make as far as longevity of the product and why the manufacturers want you to buy or will give the cheaper devices for free. It also ties into market share because Apple is one of the few companies that only counts sold products as sales numbers. Samsung and many other companies count items shipped as sales totals. There is a big difference in the numbers shipped to stores and the product actually sold to end users. Ask Microsoft about the Zune ... Include the freebies and the Android market is rather distorted overall.
Lastly, I'm not sure what numbers you are reading, but Apple has been gaining overall market share in the handset arena, especially overseas, while Samsung is actually losing. In fact, they are now being out sold by another company in their own country. There last couple of devices have been busts. Sorry, but I can't go digging for numbers and stats at the moment. I'm out of here until after turkey day. Take Care John D. Panarese Director Mac for the Blind Tel, (631) 724-4479 Email, j...@macfortheblind.com Website, http://www.macfortheblind.com APPLE CERTIFIED SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL FOR MAC OSX 10.7 LION and 10.8 Mountain Lion AUTHORIZED APPLE STORE BUSINESS AFFILIATE MAC and iOS VOICEOVER TRAINING AND SUPPORT > On Nov 21, 2014, at 9:31 PM, Christopher Chaltain <chalt...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I agree with what you're saying on balance, but I do have a few comments on > some of your information. > > Android will run on much lower end phones than your iPhone, and manufacturers > are producing very cheal and low end smart phones running Android. These are > the phones that are being given away for free and these are the phones that > are being returned. You get what you pay for, and being able to offer low end > smart phones to people who can't afford Apple products is a good thing. You > can't compare these phones to the high end Android phones or the iPhone > though. > > I'm also not sure about your statement that Apple is out selling all other > devices out there. According to IDC, Samsung has had a larger share of the > smart phone market than Apple since 2011. This coincides with when Tim Cook > took over, so I'm not sure what marketing data you're referring to when you > say that it proves that Tim Cook isn't leading Apple down the path to > destruction. BTW, I don't think Tim Cook is spear heading the demise of > Apple. Obviously, the fact that Apple doesn't play in the low end space and > didn't embrace larger phones until recently were decisions that were made > long before Tim Cook took over. > > Actually, I don't think things are spinning out of control at Apple at all. I > think it's a lot of hype generated by the media and bloggers, although I do > think Apple should have embrace more form factors, including a larger screen > size earlier. I also think breaking into the low end market would be a good > move for Apple, but they'd have to do it without soiling Apple's image of > putting out high end quality devices. Of course, there are much smarter > people at Apple looking at these things, and who am I to second guess one of > the wealthiest and most successful companies ever. > > > On 11/21/2014 08:43 AM, John Panarese wrote: >> No, actually that is not my "problem" with Android. If you have used >> technology solutions for as many years as I have, you understand and expect >> that no solution is the same. I don't expect iOS to behave the same as >> Android or vice versa in the same way I never expected Mac OS to behave like >> Windows. There is no one size fits all solution when it comes to >> accessibility and I think most iOS users realize that. They choose iOS >> because it is easy to use and its progressing and despite its bugs, it still >> gives us just about the same access as our sighted friends and family with >> little fuss or concern over what particular device can run what particular >> version of iOS. If I get an iPhone 5 or 5S or 6, I know it can run iOS 8. >> You cannot say the same for Android devices. Good luck with that.. >> >> Android has several problems that go beyond accessibility. It's not as >> stable as some would like it to be simply because of how overall fractured >> it has become, especially over the last year alone. When you have over six >> active versions of the software out there running on dozens of types of >> different devices, this leads to a similar problem that Windows has faced >> and has led to its decline. There are just too many devices and versions >> of Android for developers to meet and support. The most telling statistics >> I've read are that only 11 percent of Android users are and, more >> importantly, Can run the latest version of Android. So, realistically, even >> if we want to make the assertion that Android accessibility will, some day, >> equal or surpass that of iOS, the blind would have equal access to mobile >> devices, this wouldn't be true. We'd actually be paying far more in the >> short and long term to keep up with that technology than sticking with Apple >> simply because we couldn't k > eep that current access for long on our device. >> >> The other 800 pound gorilla in the Android room has to do with the >> hardware manufacturers themselves. Frankly, they don't want you to have the >> latest and greatest software for long. Of course, Apple wants you to buy >> the latest iDevice version as well, but the Android world has taken this >> marketing methodology several steps beyond Apple. Simply addressed, your >> Android device you buy today will not be able to upgrade to the latest >> version of Android within six months. There are so many manufacturers of >> Android devices out there right now that they are clawing and struggling for >> business. This is why you have all these offers of free Android devices if >> you sign up for this contract or that contract and why you hear dozens of >> different advertisements each month for all these different Android devices >> Verizon or AT&T are trying to sell you. Of course, this also then indicates >> why Android devices are returned for repair something like 50 times more per >> user than Apple devices. > It's also why, by themselves, Apple is out selling all of these Android > devices that are out there. >> >> Now, I know the automatic reaction that some are going to fling back at >> me is that I'm just bashing Android and are going to counter with whatever >> data they want. This is all, however, marketing facts that you can discern >> by spending some time reading articles and talking to people in the handset >> business who work for AT&T, Verizon, and the others. It's all a money game >> and there is a great deal of money out there. The mobile devices market has >> become one of the largest for companies, and it's only going to get bigger. >> For the person who said something about the Apple Watch being a "dumb" >> product, well, remember that Steve Balmer once claimed the iPhone would >> never sell and there were those who first called the iPad the, "Maxi Pad". >> >> The problem that Apple faces is what happens to any company or sports >> team that reaches the top. You then become the target for any and all >> criticism and you are placed under the microscope by the media on a daily >> basis. Every new Apple device inevitably faces the usual FUD rumors of >> blowing up, breaking and causing other horrible things to users in which we >> eventually discover that the stories turn out to be either completely false >> or, at the very least, highly exaggerated. It's the nature of the beast >> though. Microsoft was treated like this for several years, but, >> unfortunately for them, they had Steve Balmer to lead them down a path of >> destruction without the help of the media. Despite what some think, Tim >> Cook is not leading Apple down a similar road. In fact, the marketing data >> firmly indicates the opposite since he took over in 2011. >> >> The reality is competition is what drives advancement and improvements. >> So, I personally want Android and Windows Phone to be options and to light >> continuous fires under Apple to keep moving forward. The more choices we, >> as the blind have, the better. Whatever solution works for you and gets the >> job done, stick with it and support it. That's what has enabled us to reach >> this point in access to technology, folks. >> >> However, at the same time, for me, I like to be using the best that is >> available and stick with the option that is going to be stable and >> progressive for years to come. The way Android is perpetuating itself >> downward simply because of its marketing methodology, I don't see it being a >> viable option for myself. It needs to steer away from the course Microsoft >> took with Windows. Look at the amount of malware and viruses on Android >> devices out there. I've read estimates of over 60 percent of Android users >> having malware and not even being aware of it because they simply don't know >> or don't realize their phone or tablet can have such problems. I don't want >> to buy or add antivirus software to my mobile device and deal with all of >> that nonsense personally and I don't want to have to jump through hoops on >> my specific hardware choice to get my accessibility to work simply because I >> didn't buy a Google phone and chose something different. >> >> Based on what I know about Apple's internal mindset and focus on >> accessibility, I'll stick with iOS until I find myself believing there is >> something out there better for the long term. You have no idea what is >> going on internally with Apple, but as a person who has been blind his whole >> life and who has made technology the center of his life, I'm very satisfied >> with what is to come. It might not come overnight, but Mr. Cook has a far >> more bigger interest in accessibility than some are assuming they know. >> >> >> >> Take Care >> >> John D. Panarese >> Director >> Mac for the Blind >> Tel, (631) 724-4479 >> Email, j...@macfortheblind.com >> Website, http://www.macfortheblind.com >> >> APPLE CERTIFIED SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL FOR MAC OSX 10.7 LION and 10.8 Mountain >> Lion >> >> AUTHORIZED APPLE STORE BUSINESS AFFILIATE >> >> MAC and iOS VOICEOVER TRAINING AND SUPPORT >> >> >> >> >>> On Nov 21, 2014, at 5:46 AM, Debbie Palmer <wadham.ho...@googlemail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Hi >>> I'm an android user and I am totally blind and I, not being a particularly >>> tetchy person don't have any problems at all using the android platform. I >>> think the problem is that a lot of Apple users who look at the android >>> platform think it should work in the same way but its completely different. >>> The thing is that there's a choice out there and those of us who choose the >>> android platform shouldn't be slagged off so lets just accept that there are >>> two very stable platforms out there and accept it. >>> >>> Debbie >>> >>> -- >>> The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. >>> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any >>> questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a >>> member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators >>> directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list >>> can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "VIPhone" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > -- > Christopher (CJ) > chaltain at Gmail > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. > All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any > questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a > member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators > directly rather than posting on the list itself. 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