It’s really no surprise to anyone in the tech blogging world that there is a divide as to which OS platform is better. In this sense, the word “fanboy” takes on a whole new meaning. I’ve watched the comments on this blog, and many others like it, go from bad to worse when it comes to Android/iPhone/Windows Phone/WebOS and which is better. The fact is they are all good and all bad and I can only wish that people would recognize that in today’s tech world, choice is good, different is good and they all build on one another to make a better experience for the end user. I don’t want one platform to rule them all because it might stifle innovation or, worse, stop innovation altogether. I want people to recognize that a platform isn’t bad just because the one you prefer is the one you prefer. I don’t dislike webOS but I haven’t given it a real trial so what right do I have to criticize? On a reality check note, if you haven’t tried Windows Phone in 2 years, don’t hate the recent releases. There is a world of difference between the Wing 2 and the HTC HD2. We’re too quick to criticize the competition because we love what we love. I can’t hate Android simply because I prefer the iPhone. It’s because of devices like Android that the iPhone will get new features in the coming months and whether or not they should have had them before is irrelevant.
I wish I could push forward the point, and that everyone would listen that people have different needs, different wants and different likes. What works for me may not work for you. I love my iPhone, unlocked and without 3G… I love it. It works for me and the apps work for me, yet that doesn’t mean Android or Windows Phone is bad. They’re just not what I want right now. Why must it come down to one OS over another? Don’t people understand that Android was born out of a desire for someone to introduce an entirely different way of doing things because someone saw flaws, or lacking parts, of a different OS? As was webOS. As was Windows Phone 7.
It doesn’t take anything other than common sense, no advanced business degree required, to understand that competition in an industry is more often good than bad. Like it or not, admit it or not, the iPhone was an innovative piece of technology and introduced an entire world not yet familiar to the touchscreen to just that. Now, touchscreen phones are all the rage and likely the only future. While HTC is a terrific company which continues to roll out top-notch devices with various platforms, they were helped by Apple and the meteoric rise of the touchscreen from high-end smartphones to mainstream devices. Thankfully, we live in a world where there is plenty to go around, so Android and Windows Phone, webOS and Apple can, and will, exist in the same environment with each bringing a unique, but shared, experience to the user. Instead of complaining that the iPhone doesn’t have a removable battery or that Android doesn’t have a unifying experience, focus on what they each have done for the industry as a whole and how all the previous devices help better the ones coming down the road.