March 14, 2013
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Freedom or Control
All of human civilization is full of polarizing divisions and often we are characterized by what side we take. Liberal or Conservative, Republican or Democrat, iOS or Android. For me, the pendulum has swung back in the opposite direction and I’ve gone back to Android after having had a taste of iOS for the better part of a year. Why? Well, for me, I believe that it better suits my needs. The screen is larger, the keys are larger, it’s easier to read, easier to hit buttons and the customizable keyboard means that I can finally use Swype again instead of that slow, annoying, and archaic hunt-and-peck/make a mistake/delete/fix cycle I had to endure using my iPhone. (Also, I have large hands and fat fingers, so it’s nigh impossible for me to use the iPhone’s tiny keyboard.) Let’s face it, the iPhone is fantastically easy to use, intuitive, beautifully designed, and so many people use it, that it’s easy to just pull your friends into the comfortable ecosystem and swap iMessages or Facetime one another. But in doing so you sacrifice freedom and customization, because Apple tightly controls every aspect, nuance, and little detail of the iOS universe and you’re forced to accept it as it is, or walk away. There’s not much you can change on an iPhone without having to do some rather serious modifications to the phone. Android, by comparison, offers freedom to do whatever you like, change whatever settings you want, get a phone in nearly whatever size you feel comfortable with (up to eight inches, thanks to Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 8.0). You’re not forced to make it look a certain way, or behave a certain way for the sake of anyone. You can change, tweak, and screw up your phone as much as you like with great ease. I guess that’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned lately. Freedom is a funny thing, because it includes the freedom to do things contrary to what may have been intended or desired, but such is its nature and the risk you take by accepting it and all the benefits that lie therein. I’ve tried the other side and for now, I think this one suits me better. Maybe some day I may change my mind back again. (I reserve the right to do that.)
