The Pointless Battle – Android vs Apple

The other day I found myself in the position of having to give my brother in law some advice on which tablet to buy for university. He was torn between the iPad and an Android alternative. I advised that the current best Android tablet was the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 and that I believed this was a worthy competitor to the iPad. He then proceeded to ask me more questions "How many apps does Android have?" and such like. As I answered these questions for him I found myself thinking that I really didn't want him to get an iPad. In my mind I was totally against the idea of him owning one so I fought the pointless battle, Apple vs Android. Why is it pointless? Well I think that it comes down to attitude of the owners of these devices rather than the devices themselves. I found myself thinking that Android is a much better choice as it is relatively open and that Apple's attitude is more closed and locked down. That doesn't appeal to me, I like having choice and Android gives that to me. Don't like the UI? Change it. Don't like the stock Android ROM? Change it. It gives me so many more options. But then I kept thinking, just because I like that why should I be forcing my opinion onto others? And after thinking about it I came to the conclusion that the iPad isn't so bad. In fact most Apple products are quite good (except iTunes. Hunk of junk.) No, the reason I was fighting against Apple was because I find a lot of people who own Apple are about the image. It's about having an Apple product regardless of the fact it may not do exactly what you want it to do, you got to be seen with one. The iPhone has quite brazenly taken Android features and implemented them into the latest iOS. Apple claim that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a blatant rip off of the iPad. What, it is rectangular shaped and has a big screen. I mean how different can tablets look really? This is all petty nonsense that happens in business and the law suits and injunctions by Apple show weakness. They are scared of Android's threat and that is their way of trying to subdue it. But is that the reason I was so fiercely arguing against Apple?

No, my main issue is the fact that Apple seem to have bred a tribe of people who wear the Apple products as a sign of status. They seem to ignore Apple's flaws and think that anything else is just rubbish. Android users seem to be a bit more subtle in their defence of Android. Most people I follow are quite open to the fact that Apple have good products but it isn't for them. Yet I have experienced so many Apple users with such a bad attitude. I am not saying there aren't Android users with the same attitude of course there are but all in all I find that I have to unfollow a lot of Apple users on Twitter and other social sites as they constantly bang on about their devices and boasting about how cool they are. They seem so closed to the idea that other devices actually exist and that they might (say this in a hushed tone), actually be BETTER! I will admit that my attitude was anti-Apple for a while but I realised that I was becoming the very same person that I am describing here and quickly changed my opinion.

I am trying my best to be more accepting of other brands and see the good in them. Without Apple we wouldn't have Android as it is today and without Android Apple wouldn't be striving to create better products. Competition is a good thing but image is majorly important for brands and in my eyes Apple's image is tarnished by it's users. Do yourself a favour, next time you get into a slanging match with someone over who is best, ask yourself the question "Why am I having this argument?" Chances are it isn't because you want to big up your side, it's because the other person is someone whose attitude stinks and you want to knock them down a peg or two.

In the end my brother in law went with the iPad despite my case for the Galaxy Tab. But he says it suits him better and that's what matters.

Secretly though I am a bit miffed he chose it.