Gone are the days where people argued over the best desktop operating system. Some of you might remember the PC vs. Mac campaign. Is the fight really over or has Apple just won? It seems like you can’t go anywhere without seeing someone using a Macbook. Everything is based online and the only thing that really matters is the browser. I see the fight of next year being about which browser is better. Some people prefer Firefox while others are saying Google Chrome. I’m with the latter.
I have been using Chrome since I decided to try it out over a year ago. I must say that I was a heavy Firefox user since it’s release back in 2005. I was an early adopter and really liked the project. I had a lot of addons and really liked the community that built great things that added to the great experience of the browser. At the time it was the fastest, safest, and most innovative browser.
Now, things are much different. I think Firefox became complacent or something, and Google came from under them and took the crown. Maybe they got tired of paying Mozilla for Google Search (it’s the default search engine on Firefox and they get a cut of the advertising revenue.) or they probably thought they could do a better job at making a browser. Whatever the case, Google has made Chrome the best browser out there because it loads much faster than Firefox. Although their recent updates have improved the product a lot, it’s not enough to get me to switch.
I guess I always figured that online was the way to go. I wouldn’t call myself a visionary, I had no idea which operating system would win. I just figured, through a browser anyone can access my product regardless of operating system or browser preference of the user. Why limit myself to a certain demographic of users by creating native apps when I could make a web app that works across the board. When developing native apps, you’re really putting your entire business in the hands of someone else.
What if there’s a windows update and your app breaks? What if Apple changes their guidelines and iOS developers have to update their apps to adhere to all of their demands? Don’t get me started on their 30% cut of your revenue. I rather host my product on my own server where I have control over everything and it’s always my responsibility to keep the security up to date and make sure that my product is safe from exploitation. I don’t want to leave that up for someone else to take care of, even if they might do a better job than I would. That’s why when I began programming, I decided to go with PHP and develop web applications anyone could use.
No longer are we hearing PC this or Mac that. The fight now is between Apple and Google as their mobile operating systems fight for market share. iOS and Andriod have been dueling since Google released their open source operating system and recently caught on as mobile carriers are using the free open source operating system to cut costs and development of their own platform. Since Andriod is free and a lot more beneficial for companies, it’s no mystery why it’s caught on and continues to grow and astonishing rates year after year.
Although I haven’t played with Andriod devices very much or used it as a personal phone, I think the general consensus is that people love the idea and it does some great things but lacks in other areas. I think that competition is what makes products great, it’s what pushes companies to improve on their products if they want to remain relevant. I believe that’s what caused the PC vs. Mac rivalry back in the day and what’s happening in the mobile market today. The people who will benefit from all of this are we as consumers. I wouldn’t say I’m iPhone only, if I believe there’s a better Andriod phone and I’m able to upgrade, I would do it. I just don’t think they’re there yet.
I think it’s very interesting that the fight now is over mobile operating systems and not desktop operating system. It shows that a lot of people find it more convenient to use tablets or smart phones instead of having to sit at a desktop or laptop. The world wants more portability and companies see that and want to cash in on it. So with companies spending millions of dollars on ad campaigns trying to get you to join their bandwagon, a lot of people are choosing sides. Which side are you on, iOS or Andriod?
