Please don't judge me because I haven't switched to Android yet. I own an iPhone, you heard me, an iPhone. My main issue for not switching is the AT&T contract that I will soon be out of and then I will hopefully be purchasing a Dell Mini 5 with Android. Apple is a brilliant company that has an extraordinary capability to create very niche products. Apple's target demographic is comprised of audio production, video production, native proprietary applications, and those who just prefer the Apple OS. Apple was brilliant to jump into the portable music market and completely revolutionize and dominant the entire industry. This dominance translated easily into the cell phone market and Apple has continued to build very cool products and software with little or no competition up until this point.  

When Android launched I was thrilled because A) Google has the money, human capital, and business/marketing strategies needed to be a true competitor to Apple, and B.) I am a true believer in the Open Source movement that Google has adopted. I'll be honest, I never liked Apple as a company because I hate companies with little or no flexibility in their community approach to technology. Apple has always had a very small portion of the market because they are unwilling to open their model up to a wider support of software and hardware. Some will argue that this is the very reason Apple has survived in their niche market but I think there is plenty of smart Apple developers that could solve hardware support issues and expand their supported hardware base. I'm also very unhappy that Apple has not supported any of the Linux users with iTunes, this is one of the biggest deal breakers for me.

I wanted the G1 from the moment Google and HTC released the phone but my contract stopped me from getting one. My only alternative in the meantime was to test, demo, and play with all the Android phones being released. I played with the Apple SDK and Androids SDK and I found Google's to be way more open and community based. I am a born and bred Linux user so community support is a must and always at the top of my list. 

The G1 was really the beta testing period for Android and I feel that we are still working on getting things right, but so is Apple, so we are pretty much equal in terms of functionality. I think Apple still has an edge on Android mainly because of the iTunes store and the total amount of content you can access from Apple. Programs like DoubleTwist are going to help us compete with iTunes. So your probably wondering why I'm writing about Android if I'm saying Apple still has Android beat in terms of content?? Right?? Here is why. 

Google is going to focus on creating a content based OS and NOT hardware. Apple is focused on making a content based OS AND hardware. This model works against Apple and for Google. Apple will release maybe one new device every 1 1/2 years based on their past activity. This is all Apple can really put out because A) They cant release things too close together because their current customers will get angry if their brand new device gets ousted by the newest Apple gadget after 4-7 months. B) Apple may be a big company but they really can't innovate something ground breaking in a small amount of time. Apple needs time, like any good company, for R&D, prototyping, testing, marketing, and release. 

Google on the other hand will be getting new devices to use Android every 1-4 months. There will be many manufacturers that will be constantly launching new devices and pushing the envelope every chance they can get. This will work in Androids favor big time. Android will develop more features, more advancements, and more supported hardware faster than Apple because they can focus solely on the OS only. It's hard to see this process right now because it's at the beginning stages but soon Android will be the main mobile OS in the market. There is really nothing Apple can do to change this and to tell you the truth Apple doesn't really care anyway. Apple is fine with maintaining their standard business model and their subcultured niche philosophy. They will always have a place in the market as far as Steve Jobs is concerned.

In closing I just want to say that I appreciate all the hard work Apple has done by getting us this far but now Android will be taking the wheel and guiding the mobile OS to its next destination.  By 2013 the mobile web will be the dominate format and desktops will be on the decline. Android is poised to be the top dog in the market.

Thanks, Dustin