Thoughts on the current operating systems

I've been shooting off random information about the different operating systems that run on smartphones today, but I've yet to give my opinion on each one. I figured I would take the time to post my thoughts on Android, iOS and BlackBerry's operating systems. As I've never owned an Android phone my experience with that platform is limited, but I will give my opinion from the short experiences I've had.

Android:

I had the chance to use my roommates original Droid which is running Android 2.2 or Froyo. Aesthetically the user interface is very pleasing. Similar to the iOS the Android platform features pages that the user can swipe through when looking for applications.

Pros:

• Open platform
• Aesthetically pleasing user interface

Cons:

• Confusing menu selection
• No multitasking

iOS:

Pros:

• Easy menu selection
• Multitasking
• AirPrint and AirPlay
  
• Understandable UI
• Attractive UI

Cons:

• Closed platform
• Restrictive application store

BlackBerry:

Pros:

• None

Cons:

• Abundance

As a previous BlackBerry user, I really enjoyed the operating system when I was using it. The system had some weird quirks that I didn't enjoy, but overall I didn't mind it. This was at a time when I hadn't experience many other phone operating systems and was before the first iPhone had come out. There was nothing else really on the market to play with. But once Android and iOS came out I learned what I was missing. It wasn't up until this past year that I purchased an iPhone 4 and I absolutely love it. The iOS as a whole was vastly superior to the BlackBerry experience I had years ago. Today things may have changed, BlackBerry may have caught up and made some strides with the system. Let's just say that I don't regret moving from a BlackBerry to an iPhone 4. It does everything I want it to do and it does it well. It's intuitive and easy to use. The BlackBerry operating system just felt very clunky to me. As did the Android operating system, I just didn't find either of these to be that appealing.

That's just my two cents. Take it or leave it.

BlackBerry PlayBook

Research in Motion has recently provided an in-depth look into the BlackBerry PlayBook. While this doesn't have much to do with a smartphone operating system, the operating system used on this tablet is the same as in the BlackBerry smartphones.

Analysts believe that the tablet will retail for somewhere below the $500 mark. If this is the case the tablet will be able to compete easily with Apple's iPad which retails at a higher price point.

According to a BoyGeniusReport Hands on,

"The entire experience we saw was fluid, quick, and downright impressive. Apps opened and closed instantly, browsing through long lists like photos or music data was fast and effortless."

They go on to say that,

"The multitasking on here is incredibly slick -- in addition to flicking up from the touch sensitive bezel (we're told all four bezels are touch sensitive) you can flick apps away to close them, flick left and right to switch apps, and flick from the right bezel to enter into an almost Palm-esque card view which shows app near full screen."

From these little snippets from the hands-on preview the PlayBook seems like it will be a formidable competitor for the iPad. Being at the lower price point and with the excellent features that the PlayBook should contain it seems like the iPad will have a hard time keeping it's domination of the tablet market.

Windows Phone 7 Push Notification Limit

Another weird quirk with the Windows Phone 7 has been discovered. There is a limit to the amount of push notifications. Only fifteen third party applications can receive push notifications at one time. OEM applications do not count toward the limit.

This presents an interesting problem for the power user who relies on the use of push notifications to keep themselves up to date. Jaime Rodriguez said that Windows Phone 7 was designed for the typical user. If this limit were to remain in effect it would negatively affect the entire line of Windows Phone 7. Cutting out an entire sector of the market merely over a limit that can be changed is something that Microsoft sees and will hopefully acknowledge in the near future. According to Rodriguez that the limit is not set in stone, so there may be a time when the power user will find Windows Phone 7 a useful alternative to the other superior smartphone choices that are already out on the market.

The new Windows Phone 7's seem to be stuck in a rut after being recently released. Microsoft has quite a bit of catching up to do if they want to become a competitor in this market. The use of tiles and some of the other features that are present on the phone are welcome, but there are some basic features that are missing. Most of the other smartphones were hit with this issue as well, but that was a long time ago. Microsoft has quite a bit of catching up to do, but there is a lot of potential there.

Motorola To Split

Motorola is set to split itself into two separate entities on January 4th in an effort to raise stock prices. The company hopes that will benefit all parties involved with Motorola. Ever since the release of the Razr and it's phenomenal success, they have been in decline. With a falling stock price, they see this as one of the few options to recoup some of the lost price. The company will split into Motorola Solutions, Inc. and the mobile division will become Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc.

Greg Brown and Sanjay Jha are currently the co-CEOs of the company as it is now. After the split Brown will become CEO of Motorola Solutions and Jha will become CEO of Motorola Mobility.

[via: BoyGeniusReport]