Mar

08

Apple or Google?

Posted on March 8th, 2010 in Apple, Technology by Fred McKinnon

Since I was first introduced to the beauty of Apple with the Centris 610 in the Music Lab at Georgia Southern University, I was hooked.  I think my first purchase was a Centris.  I’ve had 4-5 Macs since.  I’m an Apple-Addict.

You know what else I really like?  Google.

Google docs.
Google search.
Google base.
Google Apps.

And now Google is getting into hardware?

This past week I started moving my hosted email over to Google’s Gmail servers via their Google Apps.  I still keep my @fredmckinnon.com, @theworshipcommunity.com (and a dozen or so other online identities!) but with the uptime and service standards that Google’s Gmail servers can provide.

Today I installed Google Chrome browser – wow, it’s super fast.  I like it better than Firefox (which now gives me daily trouble) with the exception of the fact that when you choose something in a popup field of a form, you have to hit the “enter” key to lock it in.  (Safari does the same thing, though).

Then … there is the huge question that keeps lingering …

Do I hold out in hopes that Apple will finally make their incredible iPhone available on Verizon?  Rumors said that would happen in June 2010 but those rumors have disappeared and the prospects look pretty bleak now.  Yet, most everyone I’ve talked to loves their Motorola Droid powered by Google and Verizon is definitely getting the Google Nexus soon.

I heard someone recently make a comment that “you know it will eventually be Apple and Google fighting it out”.  I can’t think of two greater competitors.

So I’m facing an identity crisis.  I’ve always been an Apple guy.  (and always will be).  But am I becoming a Google guy, too?

What are YOUR thoughts?  Let me know – comment below!


  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1661182367 David Goodwin

    Wow, you’re behind on Chrome Fred ;)

    I also love both Apple & Google, though in the rest of the world the iPhone carrier issue is a non-issue (especially here in Australia) since we can get an iPhone on any network we like.

    But I’m curious about the Nexus One (only just made available here last week) and will definitely think next time I come to upgrade my phone. As long as Apple “allows” excellent Google integration on iPhone, I’ll not change without some really compelling reason.

    • http://www.fredmckinnon.com Fred McKinnon

      Hey,
      Yeah – I really, really, really want the iPhone. Have for years. Just can’t have a phone who gets no signal on my living room couch. Especially since we ditched our landlines.

      Chrome was a good experience except that issue where you can’t select something in a dropdown menu and commit by hitting tab … that extra “return” or “click” slows me down in some stuff I do every day. Safari is the same way, only firefox does it right for me.

  • http://kimbontrager.com kimbontrager

    I vote for a beautiful hybrid… Goople.

    I mean, really. Think of the possibilities.

    • http://www.fredmckinnon.com Fred McKinnon

      Now that sounds beautiful!

  • http://www.chrismoncusphoto.com/ Chris Moncus

    Come on dude. You know you want an iPhone. Stop fooling yourself. :)

    BTW… I don’t like Chrome compared to Safari or Android to iPhone. I do use my Google Docs on my iPhone without problem.

    • http://www.fredmckinnon.com Fred McKinnon

      Oh, there’s no doubting how bad I want an iPhone!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=715331262 Toby Keathley

    Not sure why you can’t have the best of both worlds. I’m a Mac guy who happens to enjoy Gmail and Google Chrome. Well, that was until Google Chrome started having issues with WordPress. I can’t post a blog with Chrome on the Mac. I’ve heard of several others who are having the same problem. Otherwise, all Google, all Mac, all the time :D .

    • http://www.fredmckinnon.com Fred McKinnon

      Toby
      The Google Chrome and WordPress issue is coming up a lot in this thread – I’ll have to check it out.

  • http://mikeymo1741.blogspot.com Mike Mahoney

    The huge problem I have with Apple is the way it tries to lock you into everything. They try and control which computers you can enjoy your media on, which computers you can sync your music player to, and they try to make you keep your media experience in what it perhaps the worst media player ever conceived. They stifle innovation, unless it’s their own. And let’s not get into the prices.

    There are ways around all of that, of course (except the prices), but in an era of increasingly open standards, Apple is noticeably swimming in the other direction.

    That said, their stuff is way slick. I love the Touch, and will probably get one soon. (I just won’t use iTunes, though.) My daughter’s MBP is a very nice machine (even after the six month old hard drive crashed) and is blazingly fast.

    I use a lot of Google stuff. Gmail, docs, calendar, Blogger, Youtube, Picasa… you name it. Chrome is my main browser, and it works flawlessly on Windows and linux. (The fact that it’s persnickety on OSX is curious. ) I have absolutely no problem using it with WordPress, either .com or .org, so I wonder if it’s a Mac thing.

    I love … love Gmail. Awesome app. it pushes to my (non-smart) phone, I use it with POP access in Outlook and it’s got a great web interface.

    As for phones, when I renew (and I will NOT go back to ATT) I will likely get a ‘droid phone. The ones I’ve seen are awesome.

    • http://www.fredmckinnon.com Fred McKinnon

      Mike …

      So … what in the world is your beef w/ iTunes?

      • http://mikeymo1741.blogspot.com Mike

        It’s very non-intuitive, for one. I suppose if I was a Mac user, I’d get it, but I just don’t. To me it seems cluttered and poorly put together.

        Add that to the fact that it is a ridiculous resource-hog. On a Windows machine, it installs a bunch of unneeded “helper” programs that run whether or not iTunes itself is running. Try running iTunes 9 on an older system (which you have to in order to support a new player) It completely sucks the system down. It’s like Skynet. Even on an up-to-date system, there is a noticable performace hit. It pulls 3x the memory of WMP, not counting the helper programs.

        And don’t get me started on the whole limits thing… :)

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  • http://gangwish.wordpress.com Jason

    If I had to rank them:

    #1 Google
    #2 Apple

    Google – you can integrate applications to anything… plus they have GoogleVoice (amazing)… not to mention it(Google) is all free.

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